Solar power has come a long way in the last thirty years. Those of us that researched in the past found that it was incredibly costly (at that time) and the solar collecting units were large and bulky. Technology may have advanced significantly, but there are some up sides (and down sides) that need to be considered when you are thinking about making the transition to solar power. The first thing you have to realize is that the U.S. Government collects a lot of money in taxing power, in general. The costs of power are going to continue to increase and therefore many are looking to alternative power sources. Location is the first thing you have to think about. Solar power only generates during the day so if you live in an area that has low sunlight, you may want to have a specialist do an analysis to see if you will get sufficient sunlight. While the sun states might seem like a no-brainer, consider the direction your home or business is facing and if you have trees. If the direction works out but the trees do not, you will have to incur the cost of having the trees removed as well as the change to your home or business esthetics.
Continue reading »

Oil is a product that has well-known uses as gasoline for your car or heating for your home. However, there are countless other things made from oil that most people have no idea about. Here are 7 products made from oil that may surprise you:

1) Curtains
It is possible to turn oil into various kinds of petrochemicals via a refining process. One of these chemicals includes man-made (synthetic) fibers, and it can be used for weaving into curtains, as well as carpets, etc. Synthetic fibers look much better because they are not susceptible to wrinkles. Also, mildew and mold are less of a problem with petroleum-based curtains.
Continue Reading »

In our world today the availability of energy largely depends on fossil fuel availability. These fossil fuels include oil, coal, and natural gas, and fossil fuel consumption constitutes about 80 percent of the total energy production across the globe. The biggest consumers in the world are China, U.S.A., and the European Union, with about half of the total world fossil fuel consumption attributed to them. According to other fossil fuel consumption statistics, it is mostly natural gas and oil that can be used far away from their extraction source, as it is difficult to transport coal for long distances. Fossil fuel consumption statistics also state that trade in fuels accounted for a total of US$715 billion worldwide in 2004.
Continue Reading »

3 – Solar panels to see the brighter side
The US Department of Energy aims to reduce the cost of solar photovoltaics to $1 per watt by the end of the decade, which would mean that solar panels are finally 100 percent competitive with other energy sources in the absence of subsidies.
Continue Reading »

Alternative energy projects around the globe are not only dealing with all the technological, feasibility and economic factors, but also with the negative pressures from the all-powerful oil companies who are in no rush at all to see sustainable energy sources succeed. The bad news is that the oil companies really do have a stranglehold on the industry in many countries, but the better news is that in certain parts of the world the green movement has sufficient momentum for alternative energy projects to be an important part of national policy. Germany and Spain, for instance, are the two big powerhouses when it comes to solar energy projects. Solar photovoltaics have dropped dramatically in price over the last few years, and have government subsidies in these countries have made them even more affordable. The advancement in energy storage research has led to molten salt technology, which makes it possible to store the sun’s energy for use at night. The power of the sun really could replace coal, oil and gas in the next couple of generations, and here are five of the current most prospective sun energy projects which the oil companies truly want to fail!
Continue Reading »

4. It is necessary to build power plants to fill the energy gap.
The energy crisis in California is often quoted to back up this claim. However, this energy crisis was not the result of a lack of electricity. It happened because of the electricity market manipulations, so building nuclear power plants cannot be justified in this case.
Continue Reading »

Most people have heard that nuclear power is bad, but the reasons on this are fuzzy. To continue keeping our heads fuzzy, the industry feeds us all kinds of myths to counteract the research that confirms how harmful they are. Here are the top 7 nuclear power lies that the industry regularly presents us with:
Continue Reading »

You have probably encountered oil conspiracy theories more than once in your lifetime. Whether you choose to believe them or not is up to you, but there are certain facts, oil secrets if you will, that the oil industry doesn’t want to talk too much about. Here are 3 things you may not know about oil:
Continue Reading »

Many of us have the right intentions when it comes to reducing our impact in the environment, but are all of them well placed?

1 – Eating local foods.
Continue Reading »

3 – Pickering nuclear power plant, ON.
Although this one isn’t technically in the U.S., the state of New York should be worried about the effects of this Ontario power plant. A mild earthquake has already occurred in Lake Ontario, where a tremor was definitely felt and objects fell to the floor. If a more serious earthquake were to happen, the effects to northern New York State could be devastating. Radiation leakage is also a potential threat and the reason many Pickering home owners have sold their homes and moved to other areas.
Continue Reading »