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Fresnans try to clear path for electric vehicles

They are inexpensive, clean and reach a top speed of 25 mph. In other words, a golf cart on steroids. The official name is "neighborhood electric vehicles" -- and supporters say they are a perfect match for Fresno. "We've got flat topography and fairly high gas prices and pretty bad air," said Jeff Roberts, a vice president at Granville Homes, which is pushing the idea because it promotes the cars in its private Copper River Ranch development in north Fresno. "I think in the Valley it's a good… Continue

Added by Tom Cotter on March 13, 2010 at 6:32pm — No Comments

The World is in Hot Water

Hello Fresno Greens, I've taken the liberty to paste below today's email from Lester Brown's Earth Policy Institute which I regard as the net's premier website on environmental issues and sustainability. I installed 96 square feet of collector on my house in Thousand Oaks, CA in the 1980s and took it with me when I moved here in 1992. But, alas, I have yet to install it on my home in Madera but I'm sure it's still good. My site is a difficult one--roof slopes to the east and west and some tearin… Continue

Added by John Warner on March 9, 2010 at 7:22am — No Comments

The Big Picture on Water

Here is a copy of a comment I recently posted on Lloyd Carter's website. Mr Carter is a lawyer specializing on water issues The big picture Submitted by John Warner (not verified) on Sun, 01/03/2010 - 14:36. The earth's 6.5 billion people represent a number well over sustainable carrying capacity. Present carrying capacity is only possible because of exploitive mining of non-renewable resources--principally petroleum and fossil water. Nearly all irrigated agriculture is, in the end, unsustain… Continue

Added by John Warner on February 26, 2010 at 4:15am — No Comments

California Legislature Passes Bill to Raise Solar Net Metering Cap

Advocates Celebrate Major Policy Win in the Country’s Largest PV Market Sacramento, Calif. – February 18, 2010 – Today the California State Assembly passed AB 510, a bill to raise the cap on a key solar policy called “net metering.” Net metering is a simple billing arrangement that allows solar customers to get fair retail credit for the excess electricity their systems generate during daytime hours. Having passed the Senate last week, the bill now only needs the Governor’s signature to become… Continue

Added by Tom Cotter on February 19, 2010 at 9:19pm — 1 Comment

Fresno Pollution iPhone App

Ever wondered how clean the air you're breathing is, right now? According to this free app, Pollution, which pulls in real-time air pollution data for 1,380 cities worldwide, air quality at my home in Clovis is ranked as "harmful" by air-quality sensors. Usefully, you can toggle different forms of pollution – air, ra… Continue

Added by Tom Cotter on February 17, 2010 at 11:01pm — 1 Comment

iPhone Climate Change App

I'm not sure this is going to quell the climate wars raging at present, but it's an interesting development nonetheless. An Australian solar physicist called John Cook, who runs the popular Skeptical Science website, has developed an app… Continue

Added by Tom Cotter on February 17, 2010 at 10:30pm — 1 Comment

First 5 Fresno County Commission's Review Committee

Dear Community Member, First 5 Fresno County is currently seeking community members that are interested in becoming a member of the Commission's Review Committee. As a reviewer, you will review and score funding applications and proposals on an as needed basis and assist the Commission staff in formulating funding recommendations. The Review Committee is comprised of individuals from the community that are familiar with the needs of children ages 0-5 and their families and have experience or ex… Continue

Added by Rachel Carpenter on February 11, 2010 at 12:33am — No Comments

Genetically Engineered Alfalfa poised to contaminate Organic crops!

February 3, 2010 Stop Genetically Engineered Alfalfa and Protect Organic Food! The USDA recently released a draft of its Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on Genetically Engineered "Roundup Ready" Alfalfa, and if we don't speak up, it's clear they intend to approve its commercial use. We can't let this happen. You may not think about alfalfa much when you're drinking organic milk, but organic alfalfa is important to organic farming, as a nourishing animal feed that's also a nitrogen-fixing… Continue

Added by Rachel Carpenter on February 8, 2010 at 12:10am — No Comments

China Unveils World’s Largest Solar-Powered Building

China has recently unveiled the world’s largest solar-powered building. It is situated in Dezhou, Shangdong Province in northwest China and covers an area of 75,000-square-meters. The design of the building is based on a sun dial and its architectural design features the Chinese characters for sun “日” and moon “月”. Its white exterior was intended to represent clean energy. The building is multi-functional, serving as space for exhibition centers, scientific research facilities, meeting and trai… Continue

Added by Brad Polzin on February 5, 2010 at 4:15pm — No Comments

"PUT YOUR MONEY WHERE YOUR CONSCIENCE IS" Letter From Mr. Ronald Flynn CEO and Founder of Spectrum Blue Steel & True Green Energy Group

Dear partner and conscience investor, As the President and Founder of Spectrum Blue Steel www.spectrumbluesteel.com and C.E.O and Founder of True Green Energy Group www.tgeg.com I can appreciate the term "Put Your Money Where Your Conscience Is" Socially and environmentally responsible investors, led by T.G.E.G’S bio revolution have the Social Investment Forum stammering to help the deployment of Biosphere’s on a g… Continue

Added by Christopher James Arguelles on February 2, 2010 at 3:57pm — No Comments

California's Solar Future in the Balance

The 2009 California legislative session ended last fall with some important solar business left undone. State law currently caps the amount of net-metered solar systems at 2.5% of utility system peak load--a level that will never lead to long-term solar growth. Without net metering, solar customers won't see their meter roll backwards and California's growing rooftop solar market will grind to a halt. AB 560, wh… Continue

Added by Tom Cotter on February 2, 2010 at 1:39pm — No Comments

Green Business Giving Away Franchise

Clean Air Lawn Care is giving away a franchise! Kelly Giard, the CEO/founder of Clean Air, was named Entrepreneur Magazine’s Emerging Entrepreneur 2009, and is ‘paying it forward’ to an entrepreneur of 2010 by giving a franchise to a deserving person who has the passion to be successful but perhaps not the means. Named one of the top 5 ‘green’ franchises, Clean Air Lawn Care cou… Continue

Added by Tom Cotter on February 1, 2010 at 10:00am — No Comments

Governor Schwarzenegger Announces New Green Building Standards Code

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger announced recently that on January 1, 2011, California will adopt the nation’s first ever mandatory Green Building Standards Code (CALGREEN) to improve efficiency and reduce environmental impact in new California buildings. Under CALGREEN, every new building constructed in California will be required to reduce water consumption by 20 percent, divert 50 percent… Continue

Added by Tom Cotter on January 29, 2010 at 7:42am — No Comments

Styrofoam ban under attack

A bill to ban Styrofoam takeout containers is under attack by chemical industry lobbyists, and might be stopped dead in Sacramento. With 100 million tons of plastic floating off our shore in the Pacific Garbage Patch, we need to start cutting plastic -- and Styrofoam is one of the worst offenders. Use this form to send an e-mail to Speaker John Perez, and tell him to ban Styrofoam takeout contai… Continue

Added by Tom Cotter on January 26, 2010 at 5:21pm — No Comments

Solar energy developers say red tape is slowing their projects

Large-scale solar energy developers on Friday asked a panel of state and federal officials to speed up environmental reviews so their projects can move forward in time to qualify for federal subsidies. Representatives of five energy development companies, speaking at a public meeting in Sacramento, said they are dealing with several agencies on issues such as wildlife habitat, groundwater and potential damage to archaeological sites. Delays caused by red tape could jeopardize their projects, t… Continue

Added by Tom Cotter on January 26, 2010 at 8:30am — 2 Comments

Good Stuff: Green Earth Equities

Big fan, big fan. Green Earth Equities is buying foreclosed homes and greening them up. The result is increased tax base, improved indoor air quality, home ownership in areas traditionally populated with rentals, green jobs, and raising comps for entire neighborhoods. win-win-win-win. Below was swiped from http://greenearthequities.com/… Continue

Added by John Richau on January 24, 2010 at 9:07am — No Comments

Valuation of greened up homes

Appraisers are often unaware of emerging valuation methods available to determine the added value of a home that's energy efficient or retrofitted to green standards. Dave Porter of Porterworks, Inc., a Real Estate consulting firm that specializes in promotion, education and consultation in sustainable enterprises, is working to educate the Real Estate industry and HERS raters. Notably through its Green Lending Specialist certification. It's puzzling to me to hear stories of appraisers that loo… Continue

Added by John Richau on January 24, 2010 at 9:00am — No Comments

PG&E's outrageous electricity rates .47 kWh top teir. Hoo-Fa

Think last summer's PGE bills were high? Hold on to your wallet, they're about to soar to new heights. I thought I had my finger on the pulse of utility rates in our area. I was wrong. Seems PGE had another rate hike Jan 1, 2010. This is bad news for our city since those dollars will leave our local economy and affect those that are most vulnerable. The ray of hope, though, is that as a community we may get serious about efficiency, catapult the local PV industry even greater heights, an… Continue

Added by John Richau on January 24, 2010 at 8:00am — No Comments

Investors Representing $13 Trillion Call for Climate Action Now

The world’s largest investors today issued a statement calling on the United States and other governments to “act now to catalyze development of a low-carbon economy and to attract the vast amount of private capital necessary for such a transformation.” The U.S., European and Australian investor groups, who together represent $13 trillion in assets, called for “a price on carbon emissions” and “well-designed carbon markets” to provide “a cost-effective way of achieving emissions reductions.” T… Continue

Added by Tom Cotter on January 17, 2010 at 9:14pm — No Comments

Industrial Society Destroys Mind and Environment

The link between Mind and Social / Environmental-Issues. The fast-paced, consumerist lifestyle of Industrial Society is causing exponential rise in psychological problems besides destroying the environment. All issues are interlinked. Our Minds cannot be peaceful when attention-spans are down to nanoseconds, microseconds and milliseconds. Our Minds cannot be peaceful if we destroy Nature. Industrial Society Destroys Mind and Environment. Subject : In a fast society slow emotions… Continue

Added by sushil yadav on January 7, 2010 at 4:40am — No Comments

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