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What do the midterm elections mean for Florida’s environment? FROM: Florida Independent: News.  http://bit.ly/9Vmwxr

Tags: Florida Environment

This 1988 Volkswagen Sirocco is not an economy car, running at  between 25 and 50 times the cost of running a car on gas.

The  car will be driven the 210 miles between Manchester and London powered only by roasted coffee granules.  Built a team in England from the BBC1 science program, Bang Goes The Theory, the car will go on display at the Big Bang science fair in Manchester to show how fuels other than conventional petrol and diesel can power vehicles. 

The car, nicknamed Carpuccino, is calculated to run three miles per kilo of ground coffee - the equivalent of about 56 espressos per mile!  That means the trip will use the equivalent of 11,760 espressos, and the team will have to take 'coffee breaks' roughly every 30 to 45 miles to pour in more granules.  More info here.

Tags: Alternative Fuels

Here's a good recap of current solar investments from Florida's major utility companies:  Florida PV Market

Tags: SOLAR Florida

Holidays are approaching. My wish list includes a personal rapid transit pod. Space age? It could be here today. According to Citizens for Personal Rapid Transit, "less than 5% of Americans use public transportation. It’s just too slow, complicated and inconvenient." Not unlike Tallahassee's Star Metro bus system.

Alternatively, these pod vehicles are electrically powered, glide almost silently on elevated guideways, high above traffic.
Imagine convenient access stations located every few blocks, vehicles waiting at each station, ready to take take passengers non-stop, directly to their destination. Each little pod can seat three to four people, or one can opt not to share a ride with anyone else. Pods are always ready to go--24 hours a day. Driving is automatic: pods can take the kids to school or bring them home from soccer practice.

The University of Washington estimates that the system could cost roughly $7 million to $15 million per mile! There's a test track in Sweden,

It makes perfect sense for urban and suburban travel. I'm waiting to open my pod under the tree.

Tags: Alternative-transportation

n September 2006, Green Tallahassee published its first posts on a biodeisel speed boat and carbon emissions. Over the past three years, have things significantly changed in Tallahassee to reduce the impact of climate change?

The green energy certificates no longer exist, but the City of Tallahassee utilities has committed to an home energy audit and insulation program that residents, both home owners and renters should by now have utilized. We have solar credit, solar tours, solar panels on churches, banks and Habitat homes as well as a solar working group through Sustainable Tallahassee.

The jury is still out on Smart Meters and recent concerns over privacy as well as the spike in electric bills following the meters installation continue to raise questions about their adoption. We can now receive our City utilitiy bill electronically and pay our bills online.

Our area has constructed a number of varying levels of LEED certified homes and commercial buildings, including ones for state and local governments. Commissioners in both local governments and our state government talk about energy conservation, but then, we site approve and build new Department of Revenue offices and refuse to consider permeable surfaces for its massive parking lots off Capital Circle Southeast. Will the temperature surrounding this land be consistently higher as a result of the heat permeating off its asphalt surfaces?

MORE AT GREEN TALLAHASSEE

Tags: Climate-change

The House vote on H.R.2454, the American Clean Energy and Security Act, needed 216 votes to pass. It received 219. The Bill, a momentous step toward our energy future, has enough things contained within to alienate a number of groups, most notably Green Peace and Friends of the Earth. However, the feeling among many of us is we have to start somewhere and doing nothing is not an alternative.

Lots of ‘no’ votes from Florida–all Republicans. Below is a list of those who voted ‘yes.’ Florida could have used Alcee Hastings vote, not sure why he was not present for the vote. Apparently, Rep. Allen Boyd had to be coaxed into voting for the bill. I remember his mantra at last year’s energy forum in Leon County: we must be free from our dependendance on foreign oil!

Since Florida voted straight party lines, it’s difficult to tell who may support the bill’s intent, but is busily guarding his/her political career. The Senate begins consideration of its version of the bill in September.

MORE:  HTTP:GREENTALLAHASSEE.NET

Tags: Clean-Energy-Act