There is an article in the Wall Street Journal about a "super station" being proposed for connecting the major electrical networks. The purpose would be to allow renewable energies to be transported between regions without an entirely new infrastructure.

See the related link for more information.

Also see Yahoo Green for their information.

Well, if you live around here, then no doubt you have noticed the rain. Parking lots are flooding, rivers close to overflowing and roofs leaking. We have been very busy dealing with this storm. Check out my August 7th posting about El Nino and you may see some correlation with the prediction of an extra wet season ahead.

Be prepared and be careful. Have working flashlights and canned foods available. Also make sure you have a way to keep warm that is not dangerous and a neighbor or relative you can stay with if necessary.

Please take care when driving.

These are easy and have an additive impact on your budget and the environment, a win-win.

1. Turn off lights when you leave a room more than 5min, even at work. If you are the last one out the door, you are responsible for the impact.

2. Carry your own water. Do not buy bottled water, fill a re-usable container with filtered water instead.

3. Waste less food. Be frugal, make use of leftovers.

4. Relax your driving. Accelerating is one of the most wastefull aspects of driving next to sitting still with the engine running. Give yourself 5 extra minutes and accelerate gently when you drive. You will save gas and probably discover that the extra 5 minutes is actually more than you need. However, the extra 5 minutes will help you relax and reduce your driving stress.

5. Stop the energy leaks. If you have a guest room, unplug everything in it when you do not have a guest. Look up "Energy Vampires" on your favorite search engine to find specifics about which devices are the biggest offenders. Many households can save $500 a year on energy.

6. Find ways to use what you already have. Reusing items instead of buying new is frugal and good for both your budget and the environment. Be creative.

7. Choose products with less packaging. Packaging adds to the cost of products and the environmental impact. By doing this, we make a statement or cast a vote with our wallet. Eventually the manufacturers catch on. This impact goes beyond the instant reward at the register.

8. Plan travel carefully. Make the best use of your time and transit. Planning a route ahead of time saves miles, time and money as well as reducing impact on the environment.

The bottom line - Good habits have an additive effect and go a long way toward helping your budget and the environment.

A while back, if you stopped your junk mail, they probably just moved the bulk mail to another address. This is because we need to all get on board to stop it. Now with a global awareness of how trees help the environment, it is likely that stopping the junk mail will actually have an impact.

Follow the related link for an article full of good information on the subject.

This may seem an odd fit, as you know I sometimes throw these types of subjects into the mix. The food you prepare at home has an impact on the environment as well as your budget. The budget often causes us to buy more processed or chemically altered food that has a higher yield and therefore pushes costs down for the supplier. However, the processing is really pushing the cost off on the environment and our health. So how do we keep the cost down and the quality up without taxing the environment?

Part of the solution might be as simple as a good recipe that makes use of locally grown foods. Follow the related link for an article with a lot of good recipe ideas to stretch your dollar and be considerate of the environmental impact.