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Can sustainable development work? What then will be the impact on business and what will be the impact on the environment?
First we must define sustainable development. Sustainable is to say that something such as resources or an environmental system can be continued indefinitely without depleting any of the material or energy resources required to keep it running. ...
Eliminating Allergenic Mold Spores in Your Gardens
Eliminating Allergenic Mold Spores in Your Gardens
ÓThomas Leo Ogren
Tiny mold spores cause plenty of allergies. Often our gardens are full of molds but luckily there are many things we can do to eliminate allergy-causing mold spores. All...
Get rid of that clutter
Why is it that clutter seems to build up so easily in our homes? No sooner do you have a clearout than it seems to start creeping back in – one pile appears in the hallway and before you know it, it has spawned other piles that go down the hall and...
Saving Energy in the Kitchen
Saving Energy in the Kitchen (312 words) The kitchen, with all its appliances, gadgets and heat, is a real hotspot for potential energy saving. As the oven uses the most energy and creates a vast amount of heat while cooking foods, it is a good...
Smart Energy Tips
It has become a very common reality for the majority of household owners to spend huge amounts of money on monthly utilities. Most of the time, the most expensive things we all have to pay for are related to heating and cooling the house, but,...
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Affordable Renewable Energy for Everyone
Have you ever wanted to power your home or office with renewable energy, but thought it was too expensive? Or you didn't want to deal with installing and maintaining equipment?
Now there is a way that everyone can use solar, wind, and other renewable energies, at a fraction of the cost. Even renters can power their homes with renewable energy.
Renewable energy certificates (aka green tags, green energy certificates, or tradable renewable certificates) make it easy and inexpensive for anyone to reduce or eliminate the environmental impact of their electricity use.
Each certificate represents the delivery of a specific amount of renewable power (usually one megawatt-hour) into a regional or national energy "grid." This replaces the non-renewable fossil fuels that would have otherwise been used with non-polluting energy from solar, wind, biomass, and other renewable sources.
While the renewable energy you pay for may not flow through the wires in your own home, the resulting overall benefit to the environment is the same as it would be if you installed solar panels or wind turbines directly on your own property.
The certificates are purchased in addition to paying your regular energy bill. So it doesn't cost less than standard electricity, but it’s a small premium to pay to keep toxic pollutants produced by the burning of fossil fuels out of the environment. And it supports the market for renewable
energy as a whole, which ultimately will bring the price down for renewable energy and make it more generally available.
These certificates are available on the internet, but not widely known. Green energy certificates are currently being marketed to big businesses that use a lot of energy and can make a big impact with their purchase, but anyone can buy them.
I recently purchased renewable energy certificates to offset the electricty I use in my own home and home office. Though my purchase is only 15 MWh per year for my 1500 square foot house, every little bit helps establish the market for renewable energy. It prevents the emissions of 20,700 pounds of carbon dioxide annually, equivalent to planting 1,500 trees or removing 2 cars from the road for one year. I pay only $40 a month (in addition to my regular energy bill) for solar, and other renewables cost even less.
For more information on renewable energy certificates, including a list of websites that offer them, visit http://www.debraslist.com/energy/greenenergycert.html.
About the Author
The Environmental Protection Agency’s Green Power Partnership has recognized consumer advocate Debra Lynn Dadd for her purchase of 100% solar renewable energy certificates for her Florida home office. She is the author of Home Safe Home (Tarcher/Penguin), publishes free email newsletters, and has posted links to 1000s of green products at www.debraslist.com.
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Department of Energy - Homepage |
Governmental department whose mission is to advance energy technology and promote related innovation in the United States. |
www.energy.gov |
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Department of Energy - Page not found! |
US Department of Energy information for consumers, business, and communities. Links to many energy pages of the DOE. |
www.energy.gov |
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Energy Quest Room |
California Energy Commission's energy and environmental education site for students, parents and teachers. Includes information, Q&As, projects, ... |
www.energyquest.ca.gov |
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The Energy Story - Introduction |
Detailed guide explains what energy is and where it comes from. |
www.energyquest.ca.gov |
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EIA Energy Kids Page - energy facts, fun, games and activities |
Features various sections about energy including what it is and the forms it comes in. Find out how humans use energy through quizzes and a 'fun facts' ... |
www.eia.doe.gov |
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Energy Information Administration - EIA - Official Energy ... |
Section of the US Department of Energy (DOE) providing statistics, data, analysis on resources, supply, production, consumption for all energy sources. |
www.eia.doe.gov |
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Energy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
Free encyclopedia article explaining the scientific notion of energy. Includes units of measure, energy transformation concepts, types of energy, ... |
en.wikipedia.org |
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Department of Energy - Homepage |
U.S. Department of Energy Awards Contract for Management and Operation of Ames ... The Energy Star label is the government's seal of energy efficiency. ... |
www.doe.gov |
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Home : ENERGY STAR |
US EPA Energy Star programs and products help save the environment and save consumers money by using less energy through advanced design or construction. |
www.energystar.gov |
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National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) Home Page |
Facility of the US Department of Energy (DOE) for renewable energy and energy efficiency research, development and deployment. |
www.nrel.gov |
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European Commission - Energy - Home page |
Welcome to the European Commission's "Energy" website ... A European Strategy for Sustainable, Competitive and Secure Energy ... |
ec.europa.eu |
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DTI - Energy - Introduction |
The DTI’s Energy Group deals with energy-related matters, ... UK energy statistics are provided, including production, consumption and prices. ... |
www.dti.gov.uk |
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U.S. DOE Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Home Page |
US Department of Energy web site for information on energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies. |
www.eere.energy.gov |
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Energy for America's Future |
Provides an overview of President Bush's energy policies. |
www.whitehouse.gov |
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International Energy Agency |
Energy Security, Growth and Sustainability through Co-operation and Outreach. |
www.iea.org |
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energywatch: Home Page |
Independent gas and electricity consumer watchdog, providing help to domestic, commercial or industrial energy (gas and electricity) consumers. |
www.energywatch.org.uk |
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EnergyAustralia - Home |
Details of one of Australia's largest and oldest gas and electricity supply companies. Includes information on accounts, energy saving tips, appliance sales ... |
www.energy.com.au |
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U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources |
Has jurisdiction over energy policy, regulation, and research. Also deals with energy and mineral conservation, ports used for energy transport, irrigation, ... |
energy.senate.gov |
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bloomberg energy prices |
www.bloomberg.com/energy/ - Similar pages |
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Energy Bulletin |
A clearinghouse of information concerning the peak in global energy such as oil and gas. |
www.energybulletin.net |
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