Your Questions About Green Living

Ken asks…

Australia’s environmental issues?

i am looking to find articles and website etc, that discuss Australia’s environmental issues.
also stuff on global warming. i am very much interest in the environment and protecting it, however i want to increase my knowledge on the topic.
can you help me out?
thanks.

The Expert answers:

Http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_issues_in_Australia

http://www.globalwarmingwatch.org/

Charles asks…

Any arguments or articles for being a vegetarian?

My mom didn’t approve of my switch to become a vegetarian six months ago, and plans to give me a list of articles to read about why vegetarianism is unhealthy/negative in general. I would like to give her some articles back for her to read, as she is a little closed-minded about it, in my opinion. Any arguments or articles that highlight the positive aspects of being a vegetarian out there? I could use anything from environmental issues to morals to health issues. Thanks!

The Expert answers:

Http://www.youngwomenshealth.org/vegetarian.html

http://ezinearticles.com/?Tips-for-Teens-on-Becoming-Vegetarian&id=243615

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/vegetarian-diet/HQ01596

http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/teennutrition.htm

http://fnic.nal.usda.gov/nal_display/index.php?info_center=4&tax_level=2&tax_subject=257&topic_id=1359

http://www.eatrightontario.ca/en/viewdocument.aspx?id=21

Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances for survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet.

ALBERT EINSTEIN, quoted in Sinfully Vegan

most importantly i explained to my parents that i can substitute meat with other foods and still get the nutrition i nedd = ) and i showed then a week planner of what i would eat and amazing recipes

Lizzie asks…

Where can I find anthropology articles related to China and the environment or human-animal relations in China

I’m lost. I need to do an essay from an anthropological perspective on environmental issues or human-animal relations/issues, like extinctions. No matter what topic we choose, humans have to be at the “heart” of the issue.

I wanted to do China, and I was hoping to talk about the panda and the issues surrounding its survival, but after DAYS of searching for articles I can’t find anything. I’m dying. We HAVE to use anthropology articles.

Can anyone help me?

The Expert answers:

Human population growth- As China’s population grows, they take more of the land that the animals use to live on.
Economic boom- China’s economy goes up while their environmental health goes down. They damn the Yangtze causing the extinction of many river dolphin.
Traditional Chinese culture often require the killing of rare animals for material purposes.

William asks…

Articles over Romania’s environment?

I need a article from any newspaper (Perferably major newspapers, foreign newspapers accepted) that talks about any of Romania’s environmental issues.
The article must be from April 2009 to May 2010 and it must be a ARTICLE.

It has to relate to the environment of Romania anyway…whether it be deforestation, water pollution, etc.
It may be in any language, but i’d rather it’d be the Romanian language. As long as it can be translated, then it is fine.
I would liek for you to list suitable articles that meet the needs I listed.

The Expert answers:

Can it be in any language?
If so, you have a lot of options in Romanian and Hungarian.
For example Ziare and Capital.

John asks…

Where can i find a good article on an environmental issue?

The article should have a combination of local and global issue and should have a direct impact on humans

The Expert answers:

Science daily

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Your Questions About Green Living

Maria asks…

Fund in alternative energy sources?

I’m looking to invest a few thousand in alternative, renewable energy. IE – ethanol, wind, solar, etc.
Do you know of any good FUNDS that are heavy in this market?
If there arent any funds, what stocks would you recommend?
Stocks I have my eye on:
ADM
AG
ANDE
DE
PEIX

Thoughts?

The Expert answers:

This site lists many stocks that work in renewable energy, http://renewableenergystocks.com/Companies/RenewableEnergy/ECONRenewableEnergy.asp

I invested heavily in many of these stocks and honestly I havent made much money yet, but I am keeping them for long term as I feel it will be the future.

Donald asks…

Is it probable that a stock that will go OTCBB because of low share price – might return to a decent price?

Stock is down below a dollar a share – do people think its probable – in better times – stock will rise? And/or go back on computerized exchange – it is an alternative energy stock. Any info/opinions appreciated.

The Expert answers:

It depends entirely upon the company.

I owned HealthSouth stock when it went down to $0.12 per share on the pink sheets. It is now trading around $17.00 per share after a 1 for 5 reverse split.

I bought BDMS at a little over $0.50 per share. After a 1 for 4 reverse split, followed by a 2 for 1 split, it is now trading around $22 per share.

It is possible, but usually it is not probable.

Lisa asks…

What is the best stock to own if you’re interested in solar energy as an alternative resource play?

The Expert answers:

First Solar —stock symbol FSLR—-is the one I’ve been recommended over and over.

Sharon asks…

Good stocks at the moment?

I am hoping to invest in a stock that is 1-15 dollars a share. I have 50 dollars to invest in so i would like to get a few shares of something ( it depends on the price). I was looking for basically a stock that will be increasing with Obama’s plans of change. If you know any stocks that are increasing that aren’t related to Obama, i would love to know them also! I was also looking for some good companies in alternative energy that stocks should be going up in. What are major companies for alternative energy? I also know Technology stocks are rising. Is Dell a good choice? Well, thanks in advance!!!

The Expert answers:

If you are serious to invest, you can consider HSFX Asset Management, google then in search engine and start making consistent profits!

Thomas asks…

Which oil company stocks are the most over priced so that, if oil prices fall they will fall the most?

I believe a big E nergy discovery will be made soon (alternative energy source) and I want to short some of the oil stocks.

The Expert answers:

What you want is the ones with the greatest leverage in profit relative to the price of the commodity.

Without doing a lot of calculations [which would be a fee for service activity and thus is prohibited here], I suggest that you look at the ones that are just barely profitable in terms of net income per sales dollar.

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Your Questions About Green Living

Charles asks…

What country uses the most renewable energy resource as electricity?

The title didn’t quite explain it well I think, but what I meant is that what country, in percentage, not production, have the highest percent of electricity produced from renewable energy resources?

Thanks
I was searching about it and I think New Zealand has quite a high one but I just can’t quite seem to ensure that… a little hard to search.

The Expert answers:

I your talking about electricity % per country the “Iceland” 70% Geothermal, and the other 30% is hydro-electricity!
Here’s a source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renewable_energy_in_Iceland

If you are asking about a whole production then here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_renewable_electricity_production

Lizzie asks…

What is the best way to reduce energy costs with renewable methods?

I’ve been trying to find out more about saving money through renewable energy sources. Solar seems to be quite a popular one for residential purposes but I wonder about how expensive it is. Has anyone done a cost analysis comparing all the different renewable energy sources?

Thanks

http://www.greenenergymyway.com/?c=baigelfish

The Expert answers:

Been looking at this one for a while myself. Solar is just too expensive for me to get into right now. I’m keeping the potion open for a latter time when my finances are better. A basic package system that can SUPPORT about a third to half of the usage of the typical american home will start at around 7 to 8 grand not counting install cost. Wind is cheaper and readily available by hundreds of suppliers, but, the output can vary widely even in areas that have a constant wind. Wind in my opinion is better for a supplemental system. These are the two most common. Also seen a farming operation that powers its own generators from biomass off its cows waste. Use is kind of limited on this one. Bio diesel generators don’t have enough efficiency to relay consider unless you live way off the grid and only use electricity for short periods. Using small water wheel systems in some parts of the country but with the same problems as wind. Right now with solar its about how much you want to spend up front and what do you want out of it? I’ve so far just gone to all CFL bulbs and improved insulation which has chopped off almost half of my bill with that. Thinking about doing a roof overlay that will add 3 inches or more of insulation and a tin roof over my existing asphalt shingles. Probably cost me around 3500$ for this as it requires no additional support or rework of the roof other than extending the vents. Most available packages either come with vent extensions or they will send the ones you want when you order the kit. The one I’m considering includes installation.

Maria asks…

Will renewable energy sources be able to catch up before we run out of fossil fuels?

Considering our main energy source is oil and estimates for the time of peak oil production vary from a few years ago to ten to twenty years in the future, the fact remains that it’s an eventuality that we will run out sooner or later. Without mechanized agriculture, the carrying capacity of the earth has been estimated to only be about 2 billion and change, so are we set up for a Malthusian catastrophe, or do you think that we will be able to compensate with emerging renewable energy?

The Expert answers:

Hey Samantha, your question touches on a common theme today, but to see how it will play out, take a quick look at retirement. A couple today might live comfotably on say $75,000 USD annual income, but they are concerned whether their savings will be able to replace their work income when they retire. It doesn’t matter how many calculators you visited online, the day they walk out the door from work for the last time, they simply retire on whatever they have. In short order they will get their house in order to function on the lot that is available to them. Energy is no different. Because we use 5.5 gazillion kilowatthours of electricity today does not mean we need that much tomorrow. As oil gets harder and harder to find and recover, the price goes up, which adds value to renewable sources, which makes them more commonplace, and they slowyly replace the fossil based energy anyway. This does not mean there is no advantage to preparing for the change now, but different people see the situation differently, just like retirement.

Brazil is a good case in point. Several years ago they operated the second largest offshore oil platform in the world, until it caught fire one day, fell over and sank into the ocean. That one well represented 50% of thier countries domestic oil production, nothing short of a catastrophe. Yet today, they have a growing economy and use more energy than they did back then. They run their vehicles on 90% ethanol, based on their rich sugan cane industry, and make so much fuel with it today that they have to ship their excess to the United States. In this change in energy that we are currently experiencing, there are as many opportunities as there are problems, but most people don’t see them because they don’t have to.

Here is what we have done: About 11 years ago we embarked on a project to convert our home to wind and solar power. Now our home makes 90% of its own electricity and our electric bills come in at about $5 per month. We have replaced both of our vehicles over time with more efficient ones and altered out driving habits slightly. Now we use less than 900 gallons of gas each year instead of the 1150 we used to. Our next vehicle will be a plug in hybrid of some kind, and we are already in the process of expanding the solar array to provide at least part of the additional electric power we’ll need to run that car when it arrives. Half of our hot water comes from our solar water heater, and our primary source of heat is now wood and passive solar. I talk to people all the time about energy and they ask, “What can we do about it?” The answer is, “Plenty.” But again, it comes down to perception and an individuals willingness to make changes. We can wait until retirement to see how it looks then, or get ready for it now. Collectively, we’ll probably end up someplace in the middle. As for the carrying capacity of the earth, what has probably gotten us into these situations in the first place is our population. We can always alter our lifestyle to accomodate more people, but that makes overall life here less convenient no matter how it’s done since we all end up with less in the end. As far as nuclear power being the answer, yes, Illinois does have 11 plants, and the second highest utility rates in North America. Nuclear is one of the answers, but the economics of it have never made sense historically regardless of what your postiion is on nuclear waste.

Renewable energy is up to the task, but most of us won’t be until we have to. For those of us getting ahead of the change, we would love to have you join us and help. I’ll list some websites below you might find interesting. Good luck Samantha, and take care, Rudydoo

Linda asks…

why is it important to have renewable energy?

Which types of renewable energy are being utilized in the US and which are in the “design” phase?

The Expert answers:

One type of renewable energy for cars is the hydrogen fuel cell. Hydrogen is all around us making it easy to get, plus as an added bonus it doesn’t emit any CO2 emissions. The only thing that comes out of the exhaust is water. Honda has released a hydrogen fuel cell car for lease. It’s called the Honda FCX Clarity. There are four problems that need to be overcome with this source of energy. One is to make hydrogen fuel pumps easily available. Two is to make the car travel more than two hundred miles before refueling. Third is to make the Hydrogen more safe to transport. Hydrogen is more combustional than gasoline. And forth is to make the hydrogen cost a less.

James asks…

What is the most sought after renewable energy currently?

*It can also mean the kind of renewable energy that is most seriously being developed.

The Expert answers:

Solar and wind, both are easy to tap into and bountiful. Read more on this topic at the Pacific Crest Transformers website. I’m sure it will be very educative.

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Your Questions About Green Living

Donald asks…

What would keep our food safe without the FDA and USDA?

As it pertains to the role of agencies like the FDA and USDA, we need look no further than the sustainable– and organic-food movement to see how the free market makes up for government failures; and it is no great leap to imagine the same market forces supplanting the public option altogether.
http://mises.org/daily/5591/What-Will-Keep-Our-Food-Safe

The Expert answers:

Second amendment solutions

David asks…

What are some unsustainable food companies?

All of the food companies/brands that I research are going sustainable so I am having a hard time finding ones that aren’t yet.

The Expert answers:

You want the real truth?

All of the food you buy is “sustainable”. When was the last time you went to the store and found anything less than five or six brands of peanut butter, for example. When did you ever find no coffee for sale, or refrigerator counters void of beef? To me, that means that the practices used to produce those foods seem to be sustainable enough.

This generation has created a buzzword–“sustainable” that is ill-defined and meaningless. If you mean to say “without pesticides” or “without chemical fertilizers” you should say that. But I’d wager that those foods are really less “sustainable” by virtue of the fact that pests kill crops and using manure as fertilizer puts some people at risk of illness from e coli and such.

The “sustainable” label is just a ploy to get consumers to pay more for a product.

Charles asks…

can someone give me some examples of sustainable foods?

we are doing this topic in food textiles and i cant do it

The Expert answers:

That’s an easy question. Let’s talk about the least sustainable foods first. Animal based food products are the least sustainable because they require 10 times the water and 10 times the fossil fuels for equivalent foods. Animals also concentrate pesticides, antibiotics, growth hormones, and other contaminents.

The most sustainable diet would be a pure vegetarian diet that avoids excess oils/fats, sugars, salts, chemical additives, natural additives (MSG), and other processed foods. A whole plant based diet is the least resource intense. This includes: Leafy greens, legumes (peas, beans, lentils), whole grains, whole fruits, and ground flax seeds for Omega-3 fatty acids. The whole plant based diet is also the healthiest for all people regardless of their weight or physical health.

Robert asks…

Sustainable Rainforest Products and Sustainable Farming Methods?

Is there a site that has recipes on making snacks and drinks using only sustainable rainforest products?
And what food and items are grown and produced using only sustainable farming methods?
Thanks 🙂

The Expert answers:

Any thing that is or could be produced using sustainable methods can also be made using non-sustainable methods.
But you want to know whether a given product has been produced by sustainable means, and then you want to know if it is available to you. Those are not the same question.

It would be very difficult to say what is available to you, and from what sources. Next there is no certification for sustainability the way we have for organic production, so if you want sustainable, we got sustainable, but no independent certification of that.

Betty asks…

What would you recommend a sustainable diet for a 4 year old cat with gall bladder operation?

What would your recommendation be for a sustainable diet for a 4 year old cat with gall bladder operation? Basically the gall bladder function has been removed from the system and now food passes directly in to the stomach and intestines.

What would your recommendation be for the above?

The Expert answers:

Dog food (kibbles and bits is my personal favorite)

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Your Questions About Green Living

Nancy asks…

Eco Friendly Harley Davidson clothing?

I love wearing leather while riding my Harley but am opposed to all the animals that are killed to make my riding outfits. Are there any ecofriendly motorcycle outfit riding outfit manufacturers out there? My only requirement is that it has to be branded with the HD logo.

Peace! Out!

The Expert answers:

You need to wear leather when you are on a Harley (the nylon “fag bags” are for the gay old guys that rid BMWs and Goldwings) so man up and buy the real stuff (it is not much use to the cow after the butcher gets the meat). Ride Loud and Proud…

Steven asks…

Any stores that sell eco-friendly clothing, accessories, etc..in Torrance + Los Angeles + Santa Monica Area? ?

The Expert answers:

Nope, not that I know if. Sorry!

Ken asks…

How can I get stores or companies to donate/Promote Eco-Friendly stuff at our high school?

Im in leadership and i need ideas and activities we can do for Earth day
many suggested gettin Ecofriendly clothes we can give or Promote
and how can i do that and get stores to donate things to us…

thanx for your help.

The Expert answers:

The first thing you need, is a well designed flyer that has a clean, eco-friendly look to it. In it, explain your purposes; what you are doing, and why.

You also need to include in this piece, a very specific, and very clear explanation of what it is you want from them.

You could go as far as creating a free blog, and posting a bunch of information on there as well.

Include contact information on your flyer, such as a name, telephone number, email address, and if you end up creating a blog, include your blog address too.

Now you have to get copies of these into the hands of the business owners.

Also, you can make up some eye catching posters, and ask businesses to display these in their front windows.

Our church asked businesses to help collect new toys from whoever wanted to contribute, when Katrina hit. Christmas was coming, and our church was going to drive them there, and pass them out, along with food, clothing, etc. They made posters explaining the cause, and provided a large bin to each store that was gracious enough to participate. The response was so overwhelming, that we had to rent a commercial truck to accommodate all the toys.

The following year, those same businesses called our church to see what project we were doing, that they could contribute of. Thus, this started a yearly tradition for both the church, and the business owners.

If the cause is good enough, people will respond!

Hope this helped you.

Richard asks…

Where can I find cute, eco-friendly clothes?

I’ve grown out of my old clothes and I need a new wardrobe for spring. Where can I get clothes that are ecofriendly but don’t make me look like a hippy?

The Expert answers:

Check out the following:

Nau – https://www.nau.com
Enamore – http://www.enamore.co.uk
The Green Loop – http://www.thegreenloop.com/
Patagonia – http://www.patagonia.com
BTC Elements – http://btcelements.com
Ten Thousand Villages (for fair trade products) – http://www.tenthousandvillages.com/

Joseph asks…

What are some eco friendly martial arts clothing brands?

The Expert answers:

I’m not sure. Are you looking for mma culture clothing brands, like tapout, or martial arts equipment clothing, like gis, rashguards, and hakama pants? Because those are very different things.

Jaco advertises their clothing as being environmentally friendly, and sells a mix of modern grappling gear (rashguards, compressions shorts, etc) and swag/mma culture clothing.

The GreenGi sells all natural hemp gis that seem to be high quality- though I haven’t personally owned own.

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Your Questions About Green Living

Sharon asks…

How to the 3 Front Runners compare on Environmental/Energy issues?

I know some about Obama’s stance:
* Reduce Carbon Emissions 80 Percent by 2050
* Invest in a Clean Energy Future
* Support Next Generation Biofuels
* Set America on Path to Oil Independence
* Improve Energy Efficiency 50 Percent by 2030
* Restore U.S. Leadership on Climate Change
http://www.barackobama.com/issues/energy/

What about Clinton and McCain?
Good site to compare candidate’s views and records re environmental issues:
http://www.lcv.org/voterguide/
They give McCain a score of 26, Clinton 90, Obama 96 (top score=100).

The Expert answers:

Actually, Obama and Clinton are pretty close in their ideology.

McCain is also concerned about the environment.

James asks…

What is a little known international conflict that would be an interesting topic for a paper?

I have to write a 4 to 5 page paper on a current world problem with relatively broad criteria: International Cooperation (the UN or another IGO), Regional Integration (the EU or another IGO), Conflict (anywhere in the world based on nationalism, ethnicity, natural resources, etc.), Terrorism, Environmental issues that are international in scope (Global Warming, Water Scarcity, Desertification, Deforestation, Population Growth, etc.), or Development issues. I, however, like to report on things people here in America traditionally don’t hear about. Any suggestions?

The Expert answers:

Well, here’s a detailed list of the some forty odd ongoing wars/insurgencies on the planet, many of which Americans have never heard of:

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/war/index.html

Michael asks…

Why does America have so many religious fruitcakes?

Being such an insular nation, many people there must find it hard to see the perspective offered from the outside looking in.

The humanitarian issues, gun control, crime issues and the murder rate, pollution and environmental issues, not to mention the home grown and global damage done with no clear separation between the church and the state, all make the American religious high horse look completely absurd.

No wonder there are fanatics who abhore it. Maybe it;s time to ditch the Christian Right, and install an athiestic government who bases it’s policies on sound scientific information, instead of promoting that there is a god that selectively blesses America.
Unbelievable…

The Expert answers:

I think it’s just that America, unlike Europe, didn’t have several centuries of “religious warfare” where kings and countries and religious leaders were destroying each other and their subjects and their land generation after generation. That’s why, I think, you see such a marked difference between the American Revolution and the French Revolution, both based on the same ideals. But France was just done with Religion and violence and injusice in the name of religion. Europe has become increasingly secular for the last 200+ years. America has had it’s share of injustice, nutjobs, etc. But nothing on the scale of Europe. So people are still open to religion here, that’s all.

Still, America wasn’t made to be governed by a religion. It was made to be dependent upon reason. I’ll take a reasonable atheist over a fanatical Christian any day.

Susan asks…

Best place/country in the world to live in?

So what is the best place/country in the world to live in?
What would your criteria be for choosing it?
The UN does not consider us the best place, as a matter of fact we’re in sixth place, we actually dropped 3 spots since Bush came on.
That’s based on several criterias- education, healthcare,social programs etc.
How about human rights issues? We used to point the finger at evrybody else and told them that they should shape up, now, we’re one of the worst violators in the world?
http://thereport.amnesty.org/eng/Regions/Americas/United-States-of-America
How about environmental issues? I mean , we walked away from signing the Kyoto Accord. Thank God, the Bush administration has finally at least admitted that we’re the worst violators in the world;

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/2023835.stm
Although there are a lot of us that still think it’s all propoganda or a work of fiction.
Or do you think that the United Nations, Amnesty International and The BBC are all terrorist organizations that are out to get us?
Are we going to keep hiding our heads in the ground like stupid ostriches and pretend none of this is real?
We’re the best country in the world, but we should start acting and behaving like one….
We’ve been warned by our fore fathers but we’ve conveniently chosen to ignore:When all government, domestic and foreign, in little as in great things, shall be drawn to Washington as the center of all power, it will … become as venal and oppressive as the government from which we separated.” – Thomas Jefferson
So what do we do?

The Expert answers:

I personally think that united state of america is number one no matter who says what. And where i live in the usa is number 1 period.

Daniel asks…

Why do people vote democrat considering America’s worst cities?

“After 50 years of exclusive control by Democrats, LA residents suffer the worst pollution, roads, schools, gangs, and crime in the nation.” Similarly, New Orleans has been run by a democrat for decades and it also is among the worst of the worst. Baltimore, DC, Detroit. Compare this to NYC pre-Republican control to the dramatic turn-around post-Republican control.

In many areas of the country, male African-American unemployment hovers around fifty percent. Moreover, the people they vote for stand for positions they generally oppose entirely such as abortion and gay marriage.

Why do people, and blacks in general, continue to vote Democrat considering the fact that their promises and policies have been a monumental failure? Welfare, the Great Society, etc. did not solve the problem as promised. Decades of the same old rhetoric and recycled policies haven’t solved anything from environmental issues to education to poverty, Y continue voting 4 a party w/no ideas since the 60s/70s?
Ummm, New Orleans is in the south, and you’re right it’s one of the worst; however, it’s run by Dems. LA and the other cities consistently lead in the worst of the worst. You can’t lie – the statistics are clear.
” If we didn’t have them, we would be considered one of the best countries in the world in which to live.” sorry pal, you don’t know detroit, baltimore, DC, camden, NJ, etc. You’re living in denial and the stats are available for anyone to see.
The cities weren’t cherry picked simpleton, they were chosen because they are the worst of the worst in terms of crime and other statistics. The worst cities have been dominated by dem control, the question is, why not try something new since what’s been in place hasn’t worked in decades. None of you have any answers, just criticisms. Answer the question.
Worst crime rates;
1 Maryland Baltimore
2 Michigan Detroit
3 Missouri St. Louis
4 District Of Columbia Washington
5 New Jersey Newark
6 Missouri Kansas City
7 Pennsylvania Philadelphia
8 Ohio Cincinnati
9 Ohio Cleveland
10 California Oakland
11 Georgia Atlanta
12 Wisconsin Milwaukee
13 Tennessee Memphis
14 New York Buffalo

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_cities_by_crime_rate
Andy, you’re answering on the national level, this question is about the city level.

The Expert answers:

Cities which are heavily populated by Democrats always have the highest unemployment rates, highest welfare rates (70% roughly, last I heard of New Orleans), highest crime rates, highest violent crime rates, worst schools, most homeless and on and on. I don’t believe a logical answer exists. It may be that the Democrats are so good at telling them what they plan to do for them that they allow themselves to be enveloped by the system. They do not want to find any other way to survive than that check that comes in the mail every month. New Orleans is the prime example of what Democrats running things produce. Billions of tax dollars are dumped into that crap hole and the crooked government makes it disappear as if it were never there and have nothing to show for it. It all stems from the theory of Government is supposed to take care of everything mentality of the Democrat party.

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Your Questions About Green Living

Donald asks…

Republicans have attempted to vilify attempts at developing alternative energy technologies because those?

technologies do two things:

1) alternative energy reduces the control that large energy companies have over the economy by de-centralizing the means of energy production and installing fixtures which eliminate on-going input costs due to need for fuel.

2) Alternative energy -especially at the residential level- increases the importance of labor by replacing a highly mechanized energy delivery infrastructure with a large number of free-standing decentralized energy production points which will require trained maintenance workers who cannot be easily dismissed.

Given that Republican opposition to alternative energy is really a matter of market control and has nothing at all to do with the viability of these technologies, what do you feel would be the best means of overcoming the anti-alternative energy voices in the economy that are continuously spreading pro-oil and pro-coal propaganda?

The Expert answers:

I would have to guess that the main reason is it’s a pipe dream at this point. You morons brought us the $40,000 electric car that can only go 40 miles, and an industry that cannot sustain postiive cash flow despite gigantic tax breaks, subsidies, and handouts.

John asks…

What qualifications do I need for a career in alternative energy?

Do I need to go back to school and get a graduate degree? I am currently a well-paid web developer and Java programmer, and currently have only a bachelors degree. Do companies working with alternative energy need such people, or would I have to go back to school to get involved?

The Expert answers:

A lot of the successful people in this field are mavericks. More like the old Thomas Edison types than the “graduate degree” guys. So don’t worry about the education. Just start applying and only apply when the supervisor or owner is on-site. They need your skills..

George asks…

Are there any companies doing anything significant in the field of alternative energy?

I’m not talking about BD, CC (carbon-credits), etc. but something totally different yet commercially-feasible and practical.

The Expert answers:

Watch a movie called “who killed the electric car”…….its should answer this question best…..also their is one company that has developed the 1st water powered car……check it out on youtube..

Michael asks…

Would you endorse removing gov’t subsidies to oil companies and investing the money in alternative energy?

The Expert answers:

Or how about requiring them to spend their subsidies on alternative energy? That would give them a profit-driven motive, since they would hold patents on the discoveries.

Linda asks…

Good alternative energy company name $100 prize?

Here is the challenge
I am starting a biodiesel company but also want to be open to move on to wind and solar….so basically I need a name that fits an alternative energy company but I am also willing to settle for a name that says just biodiesel. It has to be available, as in not already used and have a domain open…doesn’t have to be the exact name but something in there i.e. the company name Green Energy could be GreenEnergyllc.com…also, don’t just think obvious, consider words that have appeal to them or some significance.

The Prize
So I am putting down my word that I will pay $100 to the person who comes up with the name I choose. I could send you paypal or a personal check. For those of you thinking yeah right this guy isn’t going to pay well you do not know me true, but I am always a man of my word and I am more than willing to pay the small price of $100 to reward the mind who is much more creative than mine.

Thanks for your time, have fun.

Jason

The Expert answers:

Future Earth Energy is my suggestion

or a little more out there and only for the biofuel: Fuel by French Fries

I don’t know where you are located but often times that can be used as part of the name. I live in Wisconsin and one of the local clean energy installers is called Lake Michigan Wind and Sun. So maybe you can make one up yourself and use the $100 to take yourself out for a nice dinner.

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Your Questions About Green Living

Donna asks…

Is living in a Sustainable Home just as comfortable as living in a Ordinary home? Worse, better?

The Expert answers:

It can be just as comfortable if not more so than any other home. You choose the mix of items that suit how you want to live. Research each item before you buy to learn what it is and what it is made of and if it can be recycled st the end of its use or just gets dumped in a land fill. If you favor items made from materials that can be recycled then you and the world are better off. By the way Styrofoam is one of the most recyclable plastics, but no community does it which is a crime because they are putting it in land fills instead.

Lizzie asks…

Does anyone practice sustainable living? homesteading?

what did you do to get started. things you learned and how you prepared yourself.. i live in a rental right now while we save for land and to build a house. we want to get off the grid as much as poss and would love any tips and suggestions … Thanks…

The Expert answers:

Working towards getting off grid.

You might be better off finding existing housing on acreage than building new. Different requirements.

You can retrofit many things, and many do not affect the appearance of the house.

A good site for ideas and even numerous projects can be found at http://www.builditsolar.com

David asks…

why is sustainable living important?

The Expert answers:

It is important because there’s only a limited amount of natural resources on the earth, and when it runs out there will be no more of that. Then think how life would change without that. Sustainable Living means to try to avoid ourselves that situation when we wake up the next morning and you hear that cars don’t work anymore because there are no more gas on the earth. Instead, we gradually or get rid of our importance of oil before it happens. Better to be safe than sorry.

George asks…

Do you think demand for environmental lawyers, sustainable developers and similar is going to hugely increase?

In the forseeable future, say next couple of generations.

I’m thinking, due to A) more awareness of sustainable living, B) more environmental demands placed on big business’, and C) Political motivation

The Expert answers:

Lawyers are the Luddites of a prosperous society.

It’s the environmental (flat-earth) lawyers that are preventing us from making more significant progress on elimination of carbon based fuel sources.

They prevent the development of non-carbon based power generation (nuclear, wind, hydro-electric, etc.). Every time that a new large capacity energy production site is proposed, some lawyer brings it to a halt because of ‘environmental’ concerns.

Chris asks…

Vision of sustainable living too far out? Thirty years of work for nothing? No real people out there to join?

When I was thirteen years old I started to have the idea about a place where people would live together in a different way than in this society. They would do things they like to do and not just for themselves but for the well of others. They would express themselves freely and also in an artistic way. Finding out about themselves as the most important ‘work’ because knowing that we are all in a growing process, to free ourselves to connect with spaces beyond ourselves. I designed places like this and years later I studied architecture still with the same vision. Then life took over for twelve years with family life, making money, etc. until this finished and I found a beautiful place in midst of unspoiled nature. I bought this land and started to realize my dream. The first years I build up the place. Some times alone, some times with paid workers. When the buildings were finished I offered the place to therapy groups. This went on for a few years.
It was difficult to find people for such a project, except hippies in those days, who wanted to space out. I was strictly against use of drugs, alcohol and tobacco and there seemed hardly anybody without. People came, were staying for some time and then left. This went on for several years and I learned a lot about human behavior… To make the long story short: I tried for more than thirty years. Once I wanted to give up and I had sold the place already with a small down payment, but then the buyer had an accident and I had to move back. Years past by and again I wanted to give up and offered the place for someone who would continue with a similar intention. I wanted to give the place for free, but nobody responded. Probably people thought this is a trick or I’m crazy. So I continued and sometimes there were times when up to twenty people were living together and were feeling good, things worked quite well. But all were traveler and after some time they left, again a coming and going.
Our place is pretty well organized: There is living space for about twenty people, there is plenty of food for even more people, there are absolutely no money problems and there is all the freedom one can dream of. At the moment there is too much work for the few people living here, but with four/fife people more it would be easy and with four hours of daily work we could maintain the place, animals and the people here. The last two years there was a lack of people and work has accumulated, so we need still to clean up, but the chaos is not worse than somewhere else… We are working on several projects like distributing information about meditation or how we call it now: ‘StressReleaseExercise’ and also we are offering our place to all kind of groups and this for free. One word more to the money aspect: We don’t deal with money, every thing we do is because it feels right, we don’t charge and we don’t pay. It really works! We get all what we need and more… A really exciting experience!
You might ask now why there are not enough people interested to live permanently there? The main reason is, that we don’t offer concepts, not spiritual and not religious. There is no leader or guru or any kind of authority, that’s what people prefer, but we need people to take self-responsibility. We need people who are capable to let go of their established concepts and deal with reality how it shows up, whatever this might be and then respond in a free way, not just reacting out of their unconscious background or at least being able to observe their reactions. Most people who come here are bringing their well-established self-image and concepts with them and then they want confirmation for this. And this is not what we can give. We can give space to experience oneself, to work on oneself, etc. but not giving confirmation for whatever concepts and for sure not for spiritual ones! How many people came here and then wanted to convince us of their beautiful spiritual concepts! Oh boy!
The last few months we went to a heavy experience with a kind of ‘troll’ who nearly destroyed all. Several people left and now there can happen a new beginning or it might be the end of my intention. The last few weeks I engaged myself in ‘answers.yahoo’ and I enjoyed it. I might continue writing here, but to do this I don’t need this place, I can do so from everywhere in the world. So I do this effort writing this ‘question’ with the hope that people will respond and so there might come several people together who will join us in our ‘crazy intention’, being in this world, reaching out to new horizons…
BeiYin
PS: If you are interested to read more about our place then go to: http://falconblanco.com
“Please state a question precisely, and then we may be able to answer it accurately,” wrote Peter Christopher.
Here you have some precise questions:
How can I avoid that people, who come here and write beautiful email promising the best, turn out to be liars, thieves, pretender, neurotic, psychotic, etc.? How to avoid people having a highly sophisticated concept about every thing, but not being able to relate and respond to reality? How can I avoid, that if such people when it shows their true personality so that it becomes obvious that they are not possible here, but then these people don’t want to leave and causing a lot of problems, how can I avoid that they show up here? How to avoid that when their expectation is not fulfilled, what hardly ever is possible, that they react angry and give all the fault to the place and me? How to avoid that people steal and take what they want without asking? How can I avoid that psychotic people try to kill me or threatening to destroy the place?
What can I do with people who are not really interested in our intention and not asking any question? Where are the people who are interested and capable to take self-responsibility and doing what is necessary? People who understand that when one is interested in ones growth, that this needs a certain discipline, for example daily meditation, because it shows up that even they had written that they are doing regularly meditation, but being here they don’t do it. What can I do to avoid people coming here and they know that we don’t accept alcohol, tobacco and drugs are lying and when here doing it anyway? So that at the end hardly anybody is meditating, but all are smoking and drinking and just using the freedom and the abundance of food to survive in an easy way. What can I do with this place that can give living space and food with a minimum of work for more than twenty people? Are out there people who might be really interested? How can I reach them? And avoid pretender? Tell me!
My questions: “Vision of sustainable living too far out? Thirty years of work for nothing? No real people out there to join?” I believe that these questions are pretty clear. I can make them more precise:
Is my vision of a life style living together with people, helping and supporting each other and doing things not in the first place for money but because it feels right and is what needs to be done, – is this vision too far out? Is this vision unrealistic? It’s not for me because I am living this and it works. But obviously it’s unrealistic to expect that other people coming out of this society are capable to live this vision. Thirty years of experiencing this reality of people should be enough. I need to find out now what to do, if there is a possibility or not. That’s why I am doing the effort to write here; although it doesn’t look like that any answer will clear this question up. I need to know if there are ‘real people’ out there and what I can do to find them, – if they exist.
Tamara, that’s true, probably many people who might be interested and possible for an intention like FalconBlanco, don’t have Internet because they live already a more simple life. But how can I reach these people? About twenty years ago when there was not yet Internet, I made anouncements in alternative magazines and there was a lot response from people who wanted to move from the city to the country. Quite a number of people came, but it was a disaster! There beautiful image of living in the nature was not enough and working on the land was far too hard for them. After 10 minutes they dropped the tool… But today it would be different, as I know how to check people before they come here. I can call them if they have telephone. I don’t know yet how to make anouncements. Would it be possible that you or other people make an add in a magazine? (Of course I will pay) Also you could tell friends without Internet about our place and that we look for people. That would help! Thanks!!
I made a page in ‘MySpace’ and also in Yahoo, but then i could not find out how to use pyzamp and select pimp my page as an option. Can somebody help me please, – – –
I found the mistake why I couldn’t find ‘pyzamp’ because there was a spelling mistake, the write place is: ‘pyzam’! This one ‘p’ kept me busy for several hours! …
I found the mistake why I couldn’t find ‘pyzamp’ because there was a spelling mistake, the right place is: ‘pyzam’! This one ‘p’ kept me busy for several hours! …
I will close this question now. I realize now that it was not a good way I had ask and that probably is the reason for the lack of answers. I have ask a new question and there came several practical and useful answers. Thanks for your participation. Hasta luego…
BeiYin

The Expert answers:

I went to your Web site… Your intention is very special, there might be people ready for it, but how can you find them? I don’t know. You only can continue trusting that their growing force will draw them to your place…
Your persistence is admirable, I know several people who started a similar project and they all gave up after two or three years. There are communities that has been working for many years, but all these have established a strong structure, based on authority or business – and that’s not what you want.
I will tell friends about your project and maybe one or the other might be interested to join. I would be interested myself, but I can’t get out where I am.
Rahmona

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Your Questions About Green Living

Charles asks…

an electrical engineering can work on renewable energy?

I want to know if electrical engineering is the right choose to work on renewable energy like bio-diesel.biomass or hybrid technology also I want to know if an electrical engineer could lose his job when he become older for instance computer science company hired younger people is the same with electrical careers? thanks

The Expert answers:

An engineering background would be quite useful for renewable energies, quite useful for most things in general. Most engineering programs have a general engineering requirement where the students spend one to two years studying all the engineering fields before specializing so an electrical engineer would have sufficient chemical and mechanical engineering background to be useful in bio-diesel and biomass as well as be suited for the electronic controls inherent in all modern processes. Naturally, a hybrid would have a large electrical component that the EE would be useful for.

It’s illegal for a company to age discriminate but it is true that as one gets older and better paid, one’s liquidity on the labour market is reduced. However, many companies value experience and for good reason. Without some experience in a group, one’s bound to constantly repeat the same mistakes over and over again.

The risk of loosing one’s job and then finding it difficult to be re-employed is common no matter what the field and often if a company wants to take a risk on a prospective employee that they have not worked with before, they might as well hedge their bet by hiring somebody inexpensive such as a fresh grad.

You can take measures to ensure you remain valuable in the job market, insist that the company pay for at least one professional association membership and at least one industry conference a year. Attend the tutorial sessions and pay the extra $10 for the CEU credits so that you have something to add to your portfolio.

Above all, build up a network of contacts in the industry. It all boils down to relationships and people.

You might want to start with an English course though.

Robert asks…

I want to work with renewable energy after college. What should I major in?

I’m interested in solar power in particular, but everything is game. I’d like suggestions on appropriate majors and/or courses, and work experiences/jobs I should look out for.
Are there any universities where strides in this field are being taken/interesting research is being done?

The Expert answers:

Engineering and look for internships with the oil companies.

Michael asks…

Renewable Energy Engineering?

Hi, im 14 years old and i was wondering what engineering jobs are for Renewable Energy what is the title of the job and the salary help me please thanks 🙂

The Expert answers:

Renewable Energy is a large area covering many branches of engineering including: Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Thermal Engineering, Bio Engineering as well as others. Engineers are typically paid well, however, I caution you to go into a field that you enjoy and the pay will come later….Love you work and you don’t work a day in your life…

Check with http://RenewableEnergyEngineering.com from time to time. They have summer internships that may be of interest to you.

Thomas asks…

Why is China working on renewable energy feverishly while we are only talking about it endlessly?

Obama seems to be promising green jobs forever with nothing to show for. Inquiring mind wants to know why.
gws : are you not aware of the Chinese push for innovation drive lately?

The Expert answers:

China understands that they are a rapidly developing nation with a very large population. They also understand that India falls into this same category. They know that in the next century, if they want to continue to expand that they will need to develop renewable sources of energy. The planet’s fossil fuel supplies will decrease exponentially as the population of developed, and developing nations increase. They have no problem now using the cheap, dirty, readily available fossil fuels to expand, but they know this expansion cannot be maintained if solely dependent on fossil fuels. We Americans think very myopically, we just want to be able to fill our Hummer H2s with cheap gas without fully understanding the ramifications. As Americans we feel entitled, and therefore feel that we have a right to cheap gasoline and coal for eternity. However, reality doesn’t reflect this. Fossil fuels are limited resources, and will only become more expensive as the world’s population grows. China, Europe, and India know this, and are planning and developing accordingly. As long as Americans stay the course we stand to become fossils along with our fuels.

Ruth asks…

Are Renewable Energy companies the safest future investment?

We all know the lands are being sucked out dry consuming the earths natural resources, and hence the more scarce these resources become the more they cost to the consumer.

Technology is fast improving and if you’ve noticed as prices of solar installations are coming down as they get easier to produce. As the prices of fuel continue to increase, the jobs market continues to fail, people will gradually become less likely to afford Not to live self-sufficiently

In theory investing in Solar companies should be safe if your looking for a long term invest, or should it?

The Expert answers:

“This is a particular area which isn’t popular among investors” Whaaa? Which planet are you living on?

The problem with investing in any green technologies is that there is way too much money chasing too few productive investments. It’s hard to make any money in an environment like this. Investing in the sector as a whole doesn’t even make much sense to me because even if the technology is ultimately successful (and it’s hard to see solar power competing with fossil fuels anytime soon) there will be a huge wash-out rate among current players.

Everyone wants to make money investing in green technologies. It’s best not to invest in areas where it would be very stylish to make money.

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Your Questions About Green Living

Chris asks…

what are some good eco-friendly cars that are fairly inexpensive?

the question pretty much explains itself.

The Expert answers:

Bikes. Nothing says eco friendly when your driving a car. For the cost of a car you could buy a really nice bike loads of accessories (like trailers and clothing, lights, tubes, pumps, water bottles, cyclocomputers, panniers, u-locks and other stuff) and still have money left over to buy several more bikes. If you have the money and are maybe new to cycling and want the fanciest ride that also is called the ride check out ellsworth (the bike is close to $3000 but is pretty fancy)
http://www.ellsworthride.com/
You can also get used bikes and fix them up.

Mandy asks…

why indians r not adopting eco friendly cars and use good mixture of fuel & alcohol i.e used in other nations?

The Expert answers:

Actually India uses more diesel then petrol but they are using ethanol as additive to petrol. India is already moving to bio-diesel too.
The political parties and business people dont have much brains but now they see the potential so next few years will see more hybrids and biofuels in India.

Linda asks…

How do I get a discount from a Government buying eco friendly car such as Toyota Prius?

What other cars can I get with Government assistance?

The Expert answers:

On your income tax they may still be offering a rebate. It should also apply to other hybrid or flex fuel vehicles.

Sandy asks…

do you think barracks new eco friendly demand on cars is the wrong time?

he wants all new cars to get 20 miles to gallon and the only thing saveing the big three is trucks and suv’s

The Expert answers:

Yeah, this is a really bad time to be worrying about all that. Just what the public and economy really needs at this point. Tighter restrictions and of course…..more money out of our pockets. Money no one seems to have !!!
Obama needs to read some newspapers in the morning instead of shooting hoops or whatever he does. Because it’s pretty hard for the public to be giving a flip about car emissions when they don’t even know if they’ll have a house or a job next week.
This is so far down on the “IMPORTANT ISSUE” list it’s not even funny. But I guess he needs to feel like he’s really doing something!

Thomas asks…

How eco-friendly are the new cars on the market?

Please I need to know because I can’t find much information on the internet. Do you have any links to where I could find information, or if you know yourself, write down all you can think of, giving examples if you can.

The Expert answers:

They’re not eco-friendly.

If you want eco-friendly… Take the train or walk !.

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