I thought Jimmy Carter had the right idea when he was promoting Energy conservation back in the 70's. I guess Americans just didn't think it was too important because we put Ronald Regan into office and tried the trickle down theory of economics. Well, the American market did not find renewable energy, conservation, or global warming very profitable so we myopically refused to advance too far in a different direction.

We built bigger and bigger cars, finding loop holes the size of Texa... Read More

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The Rocky Mountain Institute has created a fascinating animated graphic detailing the United States' oil imports. See it at Oil Import Map 

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Hi,

I'm Charley, owner/operator of WisperingWinds.com Alternative Energy Store. Why the misspelling? Because Whisperwinds.com was taken by a talented jewlery maker; check out her creations, they are beautiful.

Anyway, I got a start in sustainable agriculture back in 1980 by participating in the then Saratoga Community Gardens, INC project as an apprentice gardener. Boy, what a wonderful experience it was working on a bio-dynamic farm.

But, life got in the way of my ambition... Read More

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I read about T. Boon Pickens and his plan to build huge wind farms across the high plains from Texas to Canada.  This is already going on in the Texas panhandle.  He, Mr. Pickens, is quoted as saying that Texas is the Saudi Arabia of potential wind power.  There is one problem though not mentioned in the stuff I have read.  Texas is not connected to the North American Power Grids.  All electricity generated in Texas must stay in Texas.  This is because the power... Read More

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I have a small stream on my property that I use for watering my lawn. I have a 3/4hp shallow well pump to pump the water from the streambed to a holding tank, about 25 ft of lift, and a 1.5hp hi volume pump to feed the sprinklers from the tank.  That pump will only self prime about 1 foot intake. Since neither of these is submersible they are mounted above flood height, about 20 ft, At low flow the stream is only about 200 CFM (30 ft wide and a few inches deep).  As it crosses my pr... Read More

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