Clean EVs making money for their owners!!!

The California Clean Vehicle Rebate Project is offering up to $2500.00 in rebates to new owners of plug-in electric vehicles (PEV), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) or zero-emissions vehicles (ZEV).

The models that qualify are listed on their website at: http://www.cvrp.energycenter.org or you can call for more information to their toll free# 866-984-2532.

You can send for the application online and the California Center for Sustainable Energy will email you further instructions within 3-4 days.

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The federal government is also forking over as much as $7300.00 tax credit for qualifying purchases, so I’ll check back with you after tax time next year to let you know how that program works as well.

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This means that potentially you have an opportunity to get back as much as $9800.00 of the sales price in rebates and tax credits.

Good luck with your purchases fellow Greenies,
Diane Tegarden
Environmental Journalist (and new Chevy Volt owner!)

31 Days of Notable Women- Denise Bode, Wind Energy Assn.

Denise Bode is the Chief Executive Officer of the American Wind Energy Association, the national trade association of theU.S.wind energy industry. Ms. Bode is a nationally recognized energy policy expert and served for nine years on the Oklahoma Corporation Commission.

Source cited: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/denise-bode

Sustainable Energy Events March 14- 22, 2012

Sustainable Energy Events March 14- 22, 2012

http://www.examiner.com/sustainable-energy-in-national/sustainable-energy-events-march-14-22-2012

31 Days of Notable Women- Martha Duggan, green economic development

Martha A. Duggan serves as Vice President, Government and Regulatory Affairs for United Solar Ovonic (a division of Energy Conversion Devices), headquartered in Rochester Hills,Michigan.  United Solar is the leading global manufacturer of thin-film flexible solar laminate products for the building integrated and commercial rooftop markets.  Ms. Duggan is responsible for policy development and advocacy before state, federal and international governments and energy regulatory bodies.  Prior to joining United Solar, Ms. Duggan served as Vice President, Government Affairs for SunEdison, a leading solar integrator.  At SunEdison, Ms. Duggan managed a team of solar policy experts across North America.

Source cited: http://www.solaralliance.org/about-us/officers-and-staff.html

I am vindicated…Daylight Savings Time is BUNK!

HA! Just as I suspected…Daylight Savings Time is bad, bad, bad news all around.

A friend of mine and I are having an ongoing discussion about the benefits/drawbacks of Daylight Savings Time. I side with those who hate the practice.

I had understood that it was originally for the benefit of school children, so that in the wintertime there would be one more hour of daylight in which to walk home. And, that it was for the benefit of farmers, who would have one more hour of daylight at the end of the day to bring in the crops. All this makes sense until you realize that it’s the 21st century and everyone uses electricity to light up homes, school yards, streets and farms. It was purported to save energy, because supposedly people would use less energy on lighting during these times.

On a personal note, I hate DST because in the Fall when we “Fall back” and lose an hour, it takes longer and longer every year to get used to the time change. Also, many of our clocks aren’t that easy to reset and I’m forever a few minutes late because my watch and the clock in my car are very touchy about resetting the time.

Well, I am vindicated! Turns out, the first ever study on the practice has just been completed and it found that, contrary to its supposed original purpose (to save energy), it actually causes energy use to rise.

Here is a link to an article about the study:
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/is-daylight-savings-time-costing-us-billions-in-electricity.html

Now all we have to do is get our moribund Congress to repeal the idiotic practice, and, with everything else they have to deal with right now, that Time will be Slow in arriving.

Sustainable Energy Workshops in Jan and Feb 2012

http://www.examiner.com/sustainable-energy-in-national/sustainable-energy-events-january-24-february-7-2012

Save money on your electric bill with this organic tip!

Save money on your electric bill by making it easier for your major appliances to do their jobs.

For example:
Help your washer clean your clothes by cleaning out the muck that accumulates in the space between the wash “tub” and the inner wall of your washer.

Do this by turning the water setting to HOT, add half a small box of baking soda and half a bottle of white vinegar and use the highest setting for agitation. (Remember, don’t use any soap or it defeats the purpose.)

Let it go through its regular cycle and the “curds” formed from the soap you regularly use will be washed away, allowing your washer to clean your clothes using less strain on the motor, which means using less power to wash your clothes. Once a month is often enough to keep your washer in tip top shape!

Energetically, Diane Tegarden

Sustainable Energy Events, Nov 10-17, 2011

Sustainable Energy Events, Nov 10-17, 2011.

The FireWalker Flare- A Renewable Energy and Environmental Solutions Talk Radio Show Online Radio by Diane Tegarden | Blog Talk Radio

The FireWalker Flare- A Renewable Energy and Environmental Solutions Talk Radio Show Online Radio by Diane Tegarden | Blog Talk Radio.

Our guest on October 25th at 10am PST will be Martin Cheek, author of “Clean Energy Nation” and we’ll be discussing the importance renewable energy for our nation’s future.

Pasadena helps residents to go green

Check out my new LA Renewable Energy Examiner article at: Pasadena helps residents to go green.