Of all the rental car companies out there, none seem to be opening their eyes to the environment as Avis Budget Group Inc. and Hertz. Soon, Hertz Global Holdings Inc.along with Avis will be offering the option for its renters to drive a hybrid vehicle rather than the standard gas-guzzlers it has always provided in the past. 

By making an investment of over 68 million dollars, Hertz will be adding 3,400 Toyota Prius vehicles to its line-up by 2008. Even sooner, Avis may be adding 1,000 of the same hybrid cars for rent within this week! Giving the ability for rental clients to have more than one type of option when it comes to the energy source of their vehicles gives people that much more of a chance to make a difference. 

The Prius is a gas-electric hybrid vehicle, and if it becomes popular among renters, it could reduce carbon dioxide emissions by up to 3,000 tons per year. Hertz plans on starting the Prius offer at its airport locations, and Avis in its CA, OR, and D.C. locations. This is a start, and based on demand, new locations could well be spring up almost anywhere… though probably not in General Zod’s 2d prison. 

If anything, people interested in buying a hybrid car, …even the Prius itself, could go and rent one now just to try it out. I suppose you could consider it an extended test drive. Hopefully in the future, trends like this one will serve as examples for other large companies to follow. Eventually, the point may be reached where cars like the Prius are looked down on as being inefficient and environmentally unfriendly… won’t that be a great day! 

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Avis Budget Group Inc.
Hertz Global Holdings Inc.
Toyota Prius
General Zod’s 2d prison

There is a never-ending list of children receiving coal and souls condemned to hell. Among lists of this nature, are ways to create and utilize energy. One of the most interesting concepts, and perhaps least popular, I feel is power by lightning. 

There has been discussion amongst those who are daring enough to experiment or at least be interested and amongst them, there are a couple ideas which seem to be the most popular. One of the is using a tungsten reservoir and another using rods to harness lightning bolts. 

A reservoir of tungsten is ideal because it has a high specific heat (which lightning likes)… so technically, some other materials would work as well. When the lightning hit, the tungsten would melt and the energy therein would be stored as heat. This heat could create stream, and in turn, could… TURN a turbine to create electricity. 

The other popular idea of using a lightning rod is probably not the small metal rod on a barn that you may be thinking of. In this case, the “rod” would actually be an entire tower! It would be connected to a large capacitor or series of capacitors. When the lightning hit the tower the capacitor(s) would charge and then release their energy across the power grid in an orderly fashion. 

Some banter on this idea can be found at:http://www.halfbakery.com/idea/Lightning_20Power_20Plant 

Right now, I don’t know of any current projects in the production stage. Though they do sound interesting… and perhaps even entertaining to watch! At any rate, we should never forget Flash Gordon. 

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rods
specific heat
http://www.halfbakery.com/idea/Lightning_20Power_20Plant
Flash Gordon

Already many international companies, such as the Hitachi Corporation are considering utilizing this discovery toward their advantage. Aside from no pollution, these magnets don’t even need chemical reactions or combustion to be able to turn electricity producing generators!! 

When it comes to packing a mean punch, neodymium mags are not the most feeble on the block. a small collection less than the size of a car battery of them can create enough energy to power a home for an entire year… PLUS, an additional equivalent of 1,000 gallons of gasoline. Not a fan of them yet? Well, they can also be used to affordably create other forms of energy as well. For example, hydrogen, and producing pure water for drinking straight from the ocean. 

If generators could be manufactured on a large scale, companies could be powered by them, and a more toned-down version could be installed in individual households. Cars could also be fitted with them as new technologies have proven the burning of hydrogen to power vehicles to quite feasible. 

This technology is very real and not some passing fad to be ignored… as wereparachute pants in the 1980′s. If you are interested in seeing more detailed information on this amazing discovery, then try obtaining a research report fromhttp://kedroncorp.com/contactus.html. Otherwise, you can go tohttp://www.kedroncorp.com where hey refer to it as “The Eden Project”. 

Could this be the next big technology to catch on? It most definitely has the ability to power almost anything. It’s versatile and pollution free… those are both yes checked boxes on most people’s ballots, perhaps the price will be an obstacle? Though water purification seems to be affordable with their use involved… only time will tell, but the least you can do right now, is BE INFORMED!!! 

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Hitachi Corporation
parachute pants
http://kedroncorp.com/contactus.html
http://www.kedroncorp.com

Ever dream of taking a crazy road trip all over the United States? How would you like to do it without using a single bit of gasoline? There’s a show I watched tonight on The Science Channel called Cool Fuel where they do just that. The people on the show put together a plan to take their dream trip across the country using only bio-diesel, geothermal, solar, and other renewable power sources anywhere they come across that they can find it. They even try to work off the costs of their fuel when they can, such as one bio-diesel station they go to where the guy offers to mow the lawn with a solar-powered lawn mower to pay for a fill up. There are all sorts of crazy vehicles they come across on the show such as a one-of-a-kind VW car where the bio-diesel engine is on a trailer pushing it down the road. The show even features a cameo by actor Ed Begley, Jr. who has a solar powered home. If you’re wondering who Ed Begley, Jr. is, you’re probably not alone, but I looked him up on IMDB and this guy has been in everything from Star Trek to Scooby Doo to CSI to… well, Cool Fuel. In fact, here’s a list of his work, over 200 films and TV shows. This guy’s like a real-life version of Troy McClure! Anyway, enough about Mr. Begley… Cool Fuel is not only pretty entertaining due to the crazy inventions they come across, but it’s also very interesting to learn about these vehicles and the different ways to power them. I would recommend it to anyone looking for their options for a renewable energy vehicle or just wanting to learn more about them. 

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Cool Fuel 
IMDB 
Ed Begley, Jr. 
Troy McClure

      Were you aware that local stores such as Home Depot (link shown below) carry a large variety of products which can improve the quality of the environment as well as save you plenty of cash? Well they do! 

Most recently Home Depot has stepped up to the plate in its efforts to do its part to be Earth-friendly and added a whole new section to its line-up. Eco-Options features many products that can enhance a home and help out in a green way. Green being environment… and money.

Using a label it deems the “Eco Options” label, Home Depot shows customers which of the offered products have less of an environmental impact compared to others. Categories include sustainable forestry, energy efficiency, healthy home, clean air, water conservation, and a tour of the eco options virtual home. 

Lowes can also be of assistance with its wide variety of Energy Star products which can be found here. Between these and a plethora of helpful guides, there should be no problem finding the products you need to create the perfect green home.

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Eco-Options
Lowes
Home Depot

Rolling Stone magazine is trying to do its part to help stop global warming. Beginning with their June 28th issue, they will print on what they are calling “carbon neutral paper”. It is said that this paper produces little CO2 emissions in its manufacturing process and that the small amount there is, is “offset” by the planting of trees by the manufacturer. This sounds all well and good, but it has now been reported that this paper is not recyclable at all. So, is it even any better than using regular paper? I mean, at least plain paper can be recycled and used again so that no more trees must be cut down. This sounds like all they’ve done is found a way to destroy even more trees, even though they may not be adding any Carbon Dioxide to the atmosphere. The issue will be devoted to stopping climate change and will contain interviews with environmental activists Al Gore and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and goes on sale June 15th. It’s good that they have made an effort to be part of the solution and that they are devoting the issue to stopping global warming to get the word out, but perhaps they should have researched this a bit more before going with this type of paper. Many magazines have recently decided to switch to printing their publications on recycled paper, a decision most feel is much more beneficial to the environment, and even have said that they did not notice quality being diminished at all by doing so. 

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Catalyst Paper 
Press Release 
NY Times

Since was forced to abandon his project of free power to the world, electricity has become confined mainly to copper wires. Today however, the number of portable devices has grown to outsstanding proportions and the wide-spread need to eliminate wires as a power necessity has most definitely been realized in the eyes of the public.

Using electromagnetic induction a company named Splashpower created a way to do just that in 2006. The only problem was, the device and power supply needed to be very close to one another. Fueled by the frenzy, professors from MIT began work on the problem. Taking two copper coils and placing them apart, one was connected to a power source, the other to a lightbulb. When the power source was turned on, the electricity became attracter to the second coil and lit the bulb via a magnetic field!

Two meters is a decent start, not to mention a 45% power ttransfer, but if this great force is to pass the critics, then much work is to be done. Some say the new source may cause health problems as well. Though MIT stands its ground touting that magnetic fields have very little effect on the human body.

A power of this sort; one which can be transmitted throughout the world could be both a magnificient and dangerous thing. Perhaps with proper care and new developments, wireless power will actually be ready within the next year or two. Though the entire world-changing event could just as easily be swept away with mere words, much the way it was from Tesla. “If the power is free to everyone, then where can I put the meter?!” ~J.P. Morgan

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Nikola Tesla
light bulb
Splashpower

      Today most homes have insulation within their walls ceilings and floors, however, to cut your costs, reduce energy usage, and make your home more comfortable to live in, personal improvements can be made. Unlike improvement advice you’d pick up at a Tony Robbins seminar, these ARE things money can buy, though in the long run, can more than make up for themselves in pennies spent. According to the Department Of Energy (DOE), a couple hundred dollars (20,000 pennies) can reduce cooling and heating bills by up to 30%!

Heat naturally moves from warm or hot areas to cool or cold areas. It is insulation which slows this process down. Most available insulation works by trapping tiny air pockets within material which effectively reduces the its conductivity and therefore, resistance to temperature transfers. It is this resistance which is called the “R” Value and is usually measures per the inch of material. Therefore, the more material you use, the greater the R-Value.

Insulation comes in many forms. These include blankets (rolls or batts) – (For wall studs or ceiling joists), liquid foam and loose-fill – (Anywhere they can be blown in), and rigid board – (Exterior or concrete areas). Today, newer forms called Structural Insulated Panels (SIPS) and Insulated Concrete Forms (ICFS) are actually integrating insulation material into solid building materials. This way even if you aren’t up for multi-tasking, your structure is! Some of these newer combination types may require professional installation, but some are easily installed by the common do-it-yourselfer.

As far as their make-up is concerned, insulation has a few popular classes:

FIBERGLASS - Uses molten silica sand spun into fibers. Other additives include phenol formaldehyde, acrylic binder, or boron.

CELLULOSE - Considered one of the greenest due to its reliance on a low-tech manufacturing process.

COTTON - Made primarily of blue-jean waste material and plastic, it resists pests and combustion.

Some even greener methods even use straw and clay to create new-age insulating materials!

If you are concerned on where to start, then start with your attic or ceiling. They are usually the most generous in donating your heat for the good of the neighborhood animals. Aside from having the largest surface area for temperature transfer to occur, attics also have chases, chimneys, exhaust fans, ducts and various other conduits. If you want to go further, walls and floors give off an average of 16% to 20% and floors and crawlspaces 5% – 15%.

The DOE provides Minimum R-Value Recommendations for homes in the United States based upon their heating, uninsulated space, and climate. Check out the levels in your area with the above link, however consider exceeding these levels. Exceeding the levels considered to be “code” is considered “superinsulating” your home and can be a great selling-point aside from a money and energy saver! Whether your home is old or new, it’s obvious improvements in insulation can always be made to create a never-ending benefit to both you and your ATM.

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FIBERGLASS
CELLULOSE
COTTON
Minimum R-Value Recommendations