Obama Issues Environment Orders; Less thirst Cars To Come?; Obama & Detroit

Obama outlines changes to energy plan, toughens fuel standards; Obama may allow states to mandate fuel economy standards; In 2007, Bush blocked 13 states from limiting car emissions; Auto industry says fuel economy changes would be costly; Obama: Washingt

Americans using less energy, more renewables

ProNav Outmanoeuvres all to Bring a New Dimension to HGV Navigation
Hauliers, fleet management, and independent drivers of large vehicles can now experience true cost-saving advantages by using the new ProNav PNN300, incorporating the new ProNav Dimension software.

Read more on PR Newswire via Yahoo! Finance

UAE Maritime Leads the Way in Green Technology
The UAE’s maritime industry is firmly setting an industry platform for environmental innovation with the official unveiling of the region’s first oil spill detection system -as well as the next generation of a multi award winning bow designed to save fuel – at this year’s Seatrade Middle East Maritime (SMEM) – just some of several new innovations to be showcased.

Read more on Zawya

Evergreen Energy Agrees to Exchange a Portion of its Outstanding 2007 Convertible Debt
DENVER–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Evergreen Energy Inc. (NYSE Arca:EEE) signed an agreement with certain holders of its 2007 Convertible Notes to exchange and retire approximately $3.1 million in outstanding debt and accrued interest for 981,250 shares of common stock on a post-split basis. This transaction reduces the $27.4 million of notes due in August 2012 to $24.4 million. The company is continuing …

Read more on Business Wire

Evergreen Energy Agrees to Exchange a Portion of its Outstanding 2007 Convertible Debt
DENVER—-Evergreen Energy Inc. signed an agreement with certain holders of its 2007 Convertible Notes to exchange and retire approximately $3.1 million in outstanding debt and accrued interest for 981,250 shares of common stock on a post-split basis.

Read more on Business Wire via Yahoo! Finance

Americans using less energy, more renewables
Americans are using less energy overall and making more use of renewable energy resources. The United States used significantly less coal and petroleum in 2009 than in 2008, and significantly more wind power. There also was a decline in natural gas use and increases in solar, hydro and geothermal power, according to the most recent energy flow charts.

Read more on Science Daily

How do hydrogen cars give off less greenhouse emissions?

How do hydrogen based cars give off less greenhouse emissions? Technically, isn’t water vapor considered to be a large contributor to the greenhouse effect, even more than say CO2? Not to mention, won’t the energy from a hydrogen car have to come from a most likely oil based or coal based source, thus losing efficiency between the energy transfer and thus making these cars even less efficient from a global perspective? I do realize that the hydrogen cars may be more efficient from a combustion sense, which may raise the global energy efficiency, but by giving off water vapor, wouldn’t that just make global warming (I’m assuming it actually happens considering that most scientists believe it does) worse?

Introducing 10 Environmentally Friendly Promotional Products For Less Than $1.00

Even if the country you live and work in does not happen to use the US Dollar, I think you get the picture. The gifts listed in this article are both eco friendly and they don’t cost very much. Anyone who has tried to source environmentally friendly gifts in the past will most likely have noticed that you need to dig a little deeper in your pockets to purchase ‘greener’ products. Here I would like to introduce you to ten eco products that you can purchase to promote your business without breaking the bank open to do so.

I have scanned hundreds of promotional gifts websites from around the globe and have seen that for the most part, the same eco gifts are available. The information presented here should apply to you regardless of where you do business. If you would like to send out eco promotional products in your next advertising campaign, then please read on…

Promotional Pens: Promotional pens are very popular promotional gifts all around the world. Today, pens are one of the best selling ‘green’ gift options available. Pens are particularly sought after because they are useful. Everyone needs to write. Some of the most popular eco friendly pens available are manufactured from biodegradable cornstarch. Due to the very fact that these pens are biodegradable, you need to understand that they will over time discolor and will actually disappear if you put them in the ground. Other popular pens include those made out of recycled CD cases, used newspapers and plastic cups. Please note that these pens are all called different things from website to website. Bic have recently launched the Ecolutions range of pens. They look fantastic and are available in many mix-n-match colours but be warned that they are only 32% recycled.

Promotional Pencils: Like pens, pencils are used regularly in the office which makes them an ideal promotional gift. Pencils can be found manufactured in paper, foil, plastic and of course wood. If you prefer wooden pencils, look for pencils manufactured with FSC certified wood. This is wood that comes from well sustainable, properly maintained forests.

Promotional Lanyards: Look for organic cotton lanyards for your next trade show or event. Lanyards are a popular promotional item because they offer such a large print area and they are very visible on the days you need them to be.

Promotional Plastic Drinks Bottles: These are perfect for outdoor sporting events and charity marathons. Many are now manufactured in recycled plastic from varying sources. Be careful and shop around for the best prices. A bottle that is inexpensive on one site could be quite expensive on another.

Promotional Key rings: Key rings are manufactured in a large range of recycled materials. From recycled leather to fashionable key rings made from plastic drinks bottles, keyrings offer you a very inexpensive means of getting your logo and message in front of your customers and keeping it there.

Recycles Plastic Bags: Plastic carrier bags are popular gifts at trade shows. Now they are available in a large range of colours. The most popular are biodegradable. Plastic carrier bags will only cost you pennies and they offer a large print area on two sides for your advertisement.

Mini Plastic Paperclips: Each country seems to have its own version of these popular desktop products. Small printable plastic paperclips are available in may colours and only cost a few pennies each. They normally come boxed in quantities of 100.

Promotional Coasters: Coasters are excellent promoters for restaurants, bars and the office board room. The least expensive are manufactured in recycled wood pulp but recycled plastic versions are also quite inexpensive as are recycled bonded leather coasters. Many can be printed in full digital color which offers you a brilliant and colorful promotional tool to get your message in front of your customers.

Fridge Magnets with Recycled Paper: Fridge magnets have been a big seller for many years. One of the most popular eco friendly versions can be cut into the shape of your choice. Attached to the magnet is a pad of recycled paper, perfect for taking phone notes or making a shopping list.

Paper Pad: Pads of paper are available in a lot of different sizes. Many can be printed in full colour for less than $1.00. Whether you only want to give away small jotter pads or you wish to give your customers a larger desk pad, recycled paper pads offer exceptional value for money.

ABC News-Go Green : Eat less Beef

I was so happy to see mainstream media is finally getting a clue. This news report on ABC suggests you cut back on eating meat by 20% or more to help the environment. It’s true that that will help, but even better would be to go vegan and not only save the environment but save lives. In fact one of the lives’ you save may be your own! Go vegan for the environment, the animals and your own health. It’s the right thing to do. :-)

Drink More Green Tea and Less Beer! – the Magic of Green Tea

For thousands of years, the Chinese have been drinking green tea and enjoying excellent health benefits. They even used to drink green tea for its medicinal properties, as the Chinese were able to avoid and even treat different kinds of illnesses. It is also linked to the long life that the Chinese have enjoyed and became renown for. They have the highest rate for people living over the age of a hundred. That should be enough proof! Although the Chinese have been drinking this kind of tea for centuries, it was only recently that green tea has been introduced and became popular throughout the planet. I have to through the blame on Coke on this one!

Scientists and nutritionists have found that this incredible drink does indeed have medicinal properties that can help prevent several types of illnesses including this age’s plague, cancer. In fact, there are even doctors who recommend green tea for any kind of illness and insist that drinking it regularly plays a great role in maintaining good health. What is it exactly that makes this magical drink such a miracle that it even perplexed health professionals from all over the world?

First, this tea contains high levels of antioxidants, which are called Polyphenols or Flavonoids. Why do we need antioxidants anyway? We need to understand that the body does millions of processes that are happening at all times. Even when you are asleep, the brain, cells, organs and every part of our body is active building and repairing. This magnificent building operation requires oxygen in order to be done properly. Somebody might ask, what’s wrong with Oxygen? The oxygen that we breathe isn’t hundred percent pure and clean and can contain a lot of oxidants like dust particles, smoke, pollutions, germs, viruses and all kind of harmful micro particles. These oxidants or commonly known as free radicals and are penetrating our system every single day. These free radicals are known to be one of the main stimuli in the growth of cancer cells.

So, in order to fight or reduce the effect of oxidants or free radicals, we will need to introduce antioxidants in our body, very powerful ones in the case of some people! And guess what, green tea has a lot of them. Although some other natural herbs and fruits do have antioxidants, you will see that green tea has a lot more. In fact, the antioxidants found on green tea are much higher than that found in grape juice and red wine.

Second, this amazing drink also contains vitamins, such as vitamin B6, which plays a vital role in the metabolism of the body. That’s why everybody drinks green tea to lose fat and weight. Additionally, vitamins B1 and B2, which are essential for releasing energy from food, which is actually good because it converts directly into energy that you can use in your daily exercises and your work. Another great thing about this tea is that it has key minerals such as magnesium, which is essential for bone growth and body development as well as potassium, which helps in keeping the heart pumping normally and maintain the body’s fluid levels. I thought only milk has such minerals and bone supporting nutrition!

Green tea has caffeine though just like coffee. You may put it as a “disadvantage” but compared to coffee and other teas, it is the best caffeine you can put into your body system! Let me explain, the caffeine that we get from coffee and regular teas has immediate effects on our nervous system. It can raise blood pressure and make our heart beats faster than normal due to its instant stimulating effects. Surprisingly, caffeine in green tea is more beneficial than the caffeine taken from coffee. It works through the body in a different mechanism. It alerts our system, but in a prolonged kind of and effect so we don’t experience sudden spikes in blood pressure, heart beat rate and nervousness. And again, it helps you lose that extra fat in your body, without the harmful caffeine effects!

To experience the utmost health benefits, green tea is preferably brewed rather than fermented. Fermentation is most likely used in black tea but never in green tea. There are basically three important reasons why brewing is used in green tea.

Reason # 1 – Brewing doesn’t eliminate the important nutrients, vitamins and components that comprise green tea. On the other hand, fermentation wastes a lot of the nutritional tea components leaving more and less an enjoyable beverage.

Reason # 2 – Brewing can bring out the best in Catechin and Theanin, the two elements that contribute to a lower level of caffeine in your green tea.

Reason # 3 – Brewing enhances taste and aroma. Indeed, brewing has a very enticing smell that can’t be found in fermented beverages.

Brewing green tea is easier contrary to what people might think. Here are the tips for the best brewed green tea:-

Tip 1 – The type of water

Choosing what kind of water to use is a very important detail that you have to take note of. Ideally, manufacturers would prefer brewing green tea using soft mineral water or natural water. If you can’t afford purchasing bottled water daily, you can take into consideration tap water. If you’re planning to use European bottled water, don’t. It’s because this kind of water is considered hard water that is not suitable for brewing green tea.

Tip 2 – Chlorine free water

Chlorine must not be mixed with the process. To remove it, just leave your water in your pot for a couple of hours before finally boiling it.

Tip 3 – The boiling process

Depending on how much water you have put, it will be the time that you have to boil. Whenever the water starts to boil, take off the lid of the pot and let it boil continuously for a few more minutes.

Tip 4 – Temperature

It is said that correct temperature of boiling water will vary on the kind of tea that you are about to use. This is the moment when the extraction of Polyphenols takes place. When you buy green tea, usually there will be there some instructions on the temperature to use.

Tip 5 – Steep

Let your tea steep for about three to five minutes. With longer steeping time, the Polyphenol level increases while if steeping time takes only a couple of seconds, it will result in more caffeine content in the tea.

Tip 6 – Tea leaves

Research shows that it is better to brew green tea leaves that are smaller because of the fast infusion. Choosing large leaves or ones that are tightly curved can have a longer infusion time.

Tip 7 – Teabags or loose leaves?

It is more advisable to use loose green tea than green tea teabags. Loose green tea enables Polyphenols to freely float inside your cup of green tea instead of locking them inside teabags.

 

For more info visit http://www.health-fitness-and-beauty.com

How To Go Green In 48 Hours Or Less

Most of us want to do the right thing when it comes to the environment, but with so much conflicting information we are all left a little confused and overwhelmed as to what to do about choosing to be green.

Going green does not require a lot of sacrifice nor does it have to hurt you in the pocket. There are simple inexpensive things you can do within 48 hours that will make a huge positive impact on the earth.

Going Green is not just for the rich it’s for everybody.  We can all find ways to reuse instead of throwing away, travel in a greener way like using public transport and meal planning to stop wasting so much food.

I will be addressing simple tips and ideas that will help everyone live a greener lifestyle.

Starting with Recycling is such an easy way to begin living a green lifestyle.  If you do not live in an area that provides recycled waste collection separate your glass, paper and plastic and drop them off are your nearest recycling centre.  If you are not sure of the process or where your recycling centre is contact the local council for more information.

Recycling alone will mean huge improvements to our environment. The more stuff you recycle; the less stuff ends up in the landfill. With a little thought there are many items around your home that can be reused such as old food jars which can be refilled with homemade Jams and chutneys, containers to store food in the fridge and egg boxes and magazines can be taken to kindergarten for art projects, so be creative.

Energy saving is probably the most expensive part of living greener.  To save energy, start by changing the light bulbs in your house to the more energy efficient bulbs now available everywhere.  You can also buy energy efficient appliances.  This may initially be a bit more expensive but in the long run it will help to greatly reduce your energy bills.

Mobile phone and all the other chargers you use around the home use up a lot of power even when nothing is attached to them, so always remember to switch off and unplug them from the wall. Please remember to switch off your T.Vs, VCRs, computers and stereos when not in use.  Do not leave them in standby mode as this also uses a lot of power.

A simple way to conserve energy is to use the gift of self and walk instead of using the car when going short distance, you could also get a bike and ride.

To save and use less water you can start with turning off the water when brushing your teeth.  When doing laundry, only run full loads and when taking showers make them a minute or two shorter.  Collecting rain water is a great way to conserve water if you have the opportunity.

Rain water contains the essential nutrients that plants need unlike our water systems that are cleaned and purified with chemicals, so using rain water to water the garden and indoor plants is beneficial for healthy plants.

When you next go shopping take along with you eco friendly recyclable bags as this will help stop the problem of millions of plastic bags spilling into the ocean killing our marine life.

I have covered only a few things that you can do to help create a better environment.

There are way to many tips and ideas to mention in just one article but please try out some of the tips I have provided and start now on the path of energy conservation.

To create a better future for generations we all need to do our part to make this world a better place.

E-tran shoots for less breakdowns, quicker roadside fixes

Data: Search Wisconsin teacher, administrator salaries
The Post-Crescent has compiled databases on a variety of topics. Click on the headline to view several featured databases.

Read more on The Appleton Post-Crescent

U.S Vice President Biden and Dow Chemical CEO Liveris Review Dow’s Green Tech Initiatives
06 July 2010 The Dow Chemical Company recently hosted USA’s Vice President Joe Biden at its corporate headquarters in Midland, Michigan, where Dow showcased several of the Company’s major green tech green tech initiatives that address global needs for alternative energy production and energy storage.

Read more on Zawya

Coatesville’s steel families celebrate a bicentennial
Before Ira Needham, 91, started working for Lukens Steel in Coatesville, the company supplied his family with Christmas dinner through the worst years of the Great Depression.

Read more on The Philadelphia Inquirer

Tesla May Get Some Company: The Supercar Goes Electric
Mercedes may produce an electric version of its new the SLS AMG gullwing sports car.

Read more on New York Times

E-tran shoots for less breakdowns, quicker roadside fixes
As Elk Grove’s e-tran public transit system prepares to replace more than a dozen buses, officials are trying to speed up repair processes and make maintenance more efficient.

Read more on Elk Grove Citizen

Drink More Green Tea and Less Beer! – The Benefits of Green Tea

Everybody has heard about the great benefits of green tea, but still we drink beer! Green tea has a lot of great benefits and contains a lot of medicinal and nutritional properties. These really deserve to be known because it can save your life one day!

For thousands of years, the Chinese have been drinking green tea and enjoying excellent health benefits. They even used to drink green tea for its medicinal properties, as the Chinese were able to avoid and even treat different kinds of illnesses. It is also linked to the long life that the Chinese have enjoyed and became renown for. They have the highest rate for people living over the age of a hundred. That should be enough proof! Although the Chinese have been drinking this kind of tea for centuries, it was only recently that green tea has been introduced and became popular throughout the planet. I have to through the blame on Coke on this one!

Scientists and nutritionists have found that this incredible drink does indeed have medicinal properties that can help prevent several types of illnesses including this age’s plague, cancer. In fact, there are even doctors who recommend green tea for any kind of illness and insist that drinking it regularly plays a great role in maintaining good health. What is it exactly that makes this magical drink such a miracle that it even perplexed health professionals from all over the world?

First, this tea contains high levels of antioxidants, which are called Polyphenols or Flavonoids. Why do we need antioxidants anyway? We need to understand that the body does millions of processes that are happening at all times. Even when you are asleep, the brain, cells, organs and every part of our body is active building and repairing. This magnificent building operation requires oxygen in order to be done properly. Somebody might ask, what’s wrong with Oxygen? The oxygen that we breathe isn’t hundred percent pure and clean and can contain a lot of oxidants like dust particles, smoke, pollutions, germs, viruses and all kind of harmful micro particles. These oxidants or commonly known as free radicals and are penetrating our system every single day. These free radicals are known to be one of the main stimuli in the growth of cancer cells.

So, in order to fight or reduce the effect of oxidants or free radicals, we will need to introduce antioxidants in our body, very powerful ones in the case of some people! And guess what, green tea has a lot of them. Although some other natural herbs and fruits do have antioxidants, you will see that green tea has a lot more. In fact, the antioxidants found on green tea are much higher than that found in grape juice and red wine.

Second, this amazing drink also contains vitamins, such as vitamin B6, which plays a vital role in the metabolism of the body. That’s why everybody drinks green tea to lose fat and weight. Additionally, vitamins B1 and B2, which are essential for releasing energy from food, which is actually good because it converts directly into energy that you can use in your daily exercises and your work. Another great thing about this tea is that it has key minerals such as magnesium, which is essential for bone growth and body development as well as potassium, which helps in keeping the heart pumping normally and maintain the body’s fluid levels. I thought only milk has such minerals and bone supporting nutrition!

Green tea has caffeine though just like coffee. You may put it as a “disadvantage” but compared to coffee and other teas, it is the best caffeine you can put into your body system! Let me explain, the caffeine that we get from coffee and regular teas has immediate effects on our nervous system. It can raise blood pressure and make our heart beats faster than normal due to its instant stimulating effects. Surprisingly, caffeine in green tea is more beneficial than the caffeine taken from coffee. It works through the body in a different mechanism. It alerts our system, but in a prolonged kind of and effect so we don’t experience sudden spikes in blood pressure, heart beat rate and nervousness. And again, it helps you lose that extra fat in your body, without the harmful caffeine effects!

To experience the utmost health benefits, green tea is preferably brewed rather than fermented. Fermentation is most likely used in black tea but never in green tea. There are basically three important reasons why brewing is used in green tea.

Reason # 1 – Brewing doesn’t eliminate the important nutrients, vitamins and components that comprise green tea. On the other hand, fermentation wastes a lot of the nutritional tea components leaving more and less an enjoyable beverage.

Reason # 2 – Brewing can bring out the best in Catechin and Theanin, the two elements that contribute to a lower level of caffeine in your green tea.

Reason # 3 – Brewing enhances taste and aroma. Indeed, brewing has a very enticing smell that can’t be found in fermented beverages.
Brewing green tea is easier contrary to what people might think.

Here are the tips for the best brewed green tea:-

Tip 1 – The type of water
Choosing what kind of water to use is a very important detail that you have to take note of. Ideally, manufacturers would prefer brewing green tea using soft mineral water or natural water. If you can’t afford purchasing bottled water daily, you can take into consideration tap water. If you’re planning to use European bottled water, don’t. It’s because this kind of water is considered hard water that is not suitable for brewing green tea.

Tip 2 – Chlorine free water
Chlorine must not be mixed with the process. To remove it, just leave your water in your pot for a couple of hours before finally boiling it.

Tip 3 – The boiling process
Depending on how much water you have put, it will be the time that you have to boil. Whenever the water starts to boil, take off the lid of the pot and let it boil continuously for a few more minutes.

Tip 4 – Temperature
It is said that correct temperature of boiling water will vary on the kind of tea that you are about to use. This is the moment when the extraction of Polyphenols takes place. When you buy green tea, usually there will be there some instructions on the temperature to use.

Tip 5 – Steep
Let your tea steep for about three to five minutes. With longer steeping time, the Polyphenol level increases while if steeping time takes only a couple of seconds, it will result in more caffeine content in the tea.

Tip 6 – Tea leaves
Research shows that it is better to brew green tea leaves that are smaller because of the fast infusion. Choosing large leaves or ones that are tightly curved can have a longer infusion time.

Tip 7 – Teabags or loose leaves?
It is more advisable to use loose green tea than green tea teabags. Loose green tea enables Polyphenols to freely float inside your cup of green tea instead of locking them inside teabags.

Gas Saving Tips 1 – Use Less Gas And Save Money

You have probably heard theses gas saving tips from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and whoever taught you to drive. Yet very few people actually bother to implement them.

Why is that? Are people tired of hearing them? Have these gas saving tips been said so many times that people tune them out? Well, you are going to hear them again in this series of articles, along with the reasons why they DO work!

Gas Saving Tip #1: Know Your Vehicle’s Fuel Efficiency

The actual fuel efficiency of your car will probably differ from that stated on the price sticker. Variables such as make, model, weather, city or interstate driving, and driving habits will affect the fuel efficiency. Efficiency is measured in miles driven per gallon of gasoline used (miles per gallon or mpg).

That is why you should periodically calculate your vehicle’s fuel efficiency. If you see it decreasing, you know that something’s not right with the engine and can take quick action to fix it.

Some people are unaware of how to properly calculate fuel efficiency. It is more than simply dividing miles by gallons. For example, if someone drives 500 miles and then buys 1 gallon of gas, the fuel efficiency is not 500 miles per gallon!

Here is the proper method to calculate fuel efficiency in mpg:

1. Fill up your gas tank. Do not top it off.
2. Write down the starting mileage.
3. Drive until the tank is almost empty.
4. Fill the tank up again the next time you need to buy gas.
5. Write down the ending mileage.
6. Write down the number of gallons of gas it took to fill up the tank.
7. Calculate the Miles Traveled as the Ending Mileage minus the Starting Mileage.
8. The fuel efficiency in mpg = Miles Traveled / Gallons Used

Example:

A driver fills up her tank when the odometer reads 25,000 miles. When the tank is almost empty, she fills up with 18.5 gallons, and the odometer reads 25,500 miles.

Starting Mileage = 25,000 miles
Ending Mileage = 25,500 miles
Miles Traveled = 25,500 – 25,000 = 500 miles
Gallons Used = 18.5 gallons
Fuel Efficiency = 500 miles / 18.5 gallons = 27 mpg

If her next efficiency calculation under similar driving conditions is only 20 mpg, she knows that something is wrong with the vehicle.

As gas prices go higher, the need to save gas and save money on fuel is greater than ever. More gas saving tips can be found at the website below.

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