They say that the Average Person uses only 3% of their Brain
	Here's the beginning of enough little tid-bits, that just may provide "Food for Thought" enough to last You through the Winter!

Solar and Eco Energy News ~ Gathered from Around the Web

October 2000 back thru April 2000

SOLAR MARKET GROWING FAST

The global market for solar electric technology will grow to $10 billion by the end of this decade, says a market analysis. After decades of slow progress, manufacturers of solar PV are seeing the payoff, says ABI, and the industry has managed to increase production quantities so that price is no longer the chief issue. The major barriers in recent years have been the slow progress in establishing a manufacturing capability, the technologies themselves, market awareness and distribution channels. Now, annual production capacity has become the issue, as the global market for PV reached $1 billion last year, and will be ten times larger before 2010. Annual global production will reach 300 MW this year, and 800 MW by 2005. Demand may exceed 900 MW by 2005 and 5,000 MW per year by 2010, and the report says the shortfall in production capacity will open the door to fast growth for some newcomers to the PV industry

RENEWABLE ENERGY NOW CHEAPER THAN SUBSIDIZED

A company that sells wind energy in San Diego is expanding its flat rate electricity generation charge plan. TenderLand offers a fixed price of 8¢ per kWh for electricity from wind turbines, and will expand availability to 80,000 customers in the San Diego area, up from the original 60,000. The flat rate is guaranteed until next October, and the plan will remain in place for five years. Other utilities have charged 18¢/kWh in recent weeks.

OIL UPDATE

"Currently, the US has approximately 600,000 oil wells in operation. Nearly 500,000 of those wells produce less than three barrels a day" http://www.itds.treas.gov/ITDS/ITTA/oilprofile.htm

But are these wells really helping our energy problem? Studies suggest that oil wells and fields are "energy losers" before they become "money" losers and are closed down. http://dieoff.com/page197.htm

Petroleum experts Colin Campbell, Jean Laherrere, Brian Fleay, Roger Blanchard, Richard Duncan, Walter Youngquist, and Albert Bartlett, using various methodologies, ALL expect a "peak" in "conventional oil" around 2005. Moreover, the CEOs of Agip (Italian oil company) and Arco have both published estimates of a global oil peak in 2005. So it seems like a reliable estimate.

See this great (and obviously unofficial) USGS poster on oil depletion.

http://geopubs.wr.usgs.gov/open-file/of00-320/of00-320.pdf or http://dieoff.com/of00-320.pdf

WINTER FUEL OUTLOOK BLEAK, EIA REVEALS IN NEW REPORT

The U.S. Energy Information Administration predicts that natural gas prices will increase by as much as 40 to 50 percent for consumers this winter over last winter, or an average of $240 per consumer home, in its Winter Fuels Outlook, released on October 6. Home heating oil prices are expected to rise by $190 per home from last year's already high prices in the Northeast, while electricity prices could increase by as much as 12 percent. Predictions are based on normal winter weather, and prices could escalate even further should the weather prove to be colder than normal. Get the complete EIA report at: http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/steo/pub/contents.html

AVOID HOME ENERGY STICKER SHOCK

If you thought it was expensive to pay up to $2 a gallon for gas this summer, you'll have continued "Sticker Shock" when your home energy bills arrive his winter with predicted increases. How to avoid it -- check out the Alliance to Save Energy tips to cut home heating oil and natural gasbills. http://www.ase.org/media/newsrel/stickershock.htm Or, check out the Alliance's popular consumer booklet, Power$mart, Easy Tips to Save Money and the Planet. View an animated version online or order your own hard copy.

Organizations and companies may also order in bulk, customized for distribution to their members or to the public. To view online: http://www.ase.org/powersmart To order bulk copies: http://www.ase.org/powersmart/order.html To order single, free copies, call the Consumer Information Center toll-free at 1-888-878-3256.

US GOVERNMENT ENERGY DISINFORMATION CAMPAIGN

"There's plenty of cheap oil", says the US Geological Survey (USGS). http://www.sciam.com/2000/0900issue/0900scicit4.html But is the USGS telling the truth? Many energy experts believe that the USGS and the US Energy Information Agency (EIA) are very wrong about US energy resources. They could be lying for national security purposes. There have been numerous email messages attacking USGS and EIA studies. To review critiques by experts, visit http://www.egroups.com/messagesearch/energyresources?query=usgs and http://www.egroups.com/messagesearch/energyresources?query=eia

Oil Prices & Electricity Shortages Portend a Scary Future
- Act Now or Forever Hold Your Peace!

The news stories of the past two weeks couldn't be any scarier. And we at Real Goods take no consolation in knowing that we've been predicting this outcome for years while we have strongly encouraged a sane energy policy including the phasing out of fossil fuels and the development of renewable energy sources.

Consider these developments over the last 14 days:

• OPEC oil prices approach $40/barrel (3 times the $13/barrel it was in 1998)
• The cost to produce one barrel of oil in Saudi Arabia is $2
• OPEC to increase oil production by 800,000 barrels per day
• Massive protests all over Europe as gasoline prices approach $5/gallon
• Rolling brownouts in California as electricity supply exceeds demand
• The US Presidential election approaches pitting Big Oil vs. Earth in the Balance
• From 1950-1973 one barrel of oil cost the same as one bushel of wheat
• Today one barrel of oil buys over 12 bushels of wheat
• Greenland's and North Pole ice shelves are beginning to melt

As I began to ponder these disturbing developments that have only just occurred, I started reading an incredible new book called "The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight," by Thom Hartman that brings it all into perspective. Since the discovery of oil in Titusville, PA, where the world's first oil well was drilled in 1859, humans have extracted 742 billion barrels of oil from the Earth. Current oil reserves are estimated to be around 1,000 billion barrels. Most experts agree we have between 30 and 45 years left of oil to be extracted. And with the rapid rate that China, India, Mexico and the rest of the Third World are industrializing, the number of years could be much less.

Scientist M. King Hubbert, author of The Golden Century of Oil: 1950-2050; the depletion of a resource, predicted a worldwide oil peak in 1999 or 2000 that would signal the decline of oil as a resource. As we continue to add one billion people to our world population every 12 years, we have reached saturation. We are currently adding a Los Angeles worth of people to the world every three weeks.

The world is currently living (and growing) by drawing on its "savings account" of energy stored in fossil fuels (oil, coal, gas). The Earth contains a finite amount of fossil fuels. We've used these fuels to support the increase of our population from around a half-billion people before the discovery of oil and coal to today's population of six billion. These fuels are empowering frenetic worldwide activity that is making permanent and irreversible changes to the planetary environment and the human family.

SolFest 2000 a Success of Unequalled Proportion     

It was wonderful to meet so many of you at SolFest 2000 at our Solar Living Center in Hopland, California the weekend before Labor Day. Our numbers doubled from last year as up to 12,000 people attended. While we weren't quite prepared for the tremendous volume of visitors, our able staff pulled it off with almost no glitches. Julia Butterfly Hill highlighted Saturday with her heart wrenching tale about living 180' high in a redwood tree (Luna) for over two years. Her endurance succeeded in saving the tree in perpetuity and inspiring tens of thousands of people to take action against the destruction of our ancient redwood forests. The incredible hip-hop band Spearhead finished off Saturday with hundreds dancing in the dust to the "spiritual" rapping of Michael Franti.

Sunday was topped off with Ralph Nader's drawing 5,000 people to hear his words of wisdom about the selling of the election to the republocrats. The highlight of SolFest for me was the honor of delivering Ralph to the solar stage in my 1955 Porsche electric Spyder as the crowds parted in awe of Ralph. Over 40 workshops, delicious food, fascinating exhibitors, and lively panel discussions rounded out the weekend. The good news is that the event raised over $20,000 for the non-profit Institute for Solar Living's educational programs in renewable energy.
-From the Real Goods Solar Times

EcoNews of the Week:

SMOG CITY GOES SOLAR!

Los Angeles is at the center of small surge in solar energy use. The L.A. Convention Center, which housed the Democratic convention earlier this month, has installed 15,000 square feet of solar panels and has plans for more. City Hall and the Department of Water and Power are next, and the zoo is designing a new entrance made of solar panels. On a national level, the U.S. Energy Department is asking architects to incorporate solar features into their blueprints and working with developers to construct homes that are 50 percent more energy-efficient without adding to the sale price. The most environmentally friendly public school in Washington state opens today. The elementary school in Kent, Wash. is partially powered by solar and wind and warmed by geothermal heat, and it includes a stormwater collection-and-reuse system for irrigation, as well as waterless urinals expected to save about 144,000 gallons of water a year.

MONEY DOES GROW ON TREES - TREES ARE WORTH MORE STANDING THAN LOGGED!

National forests are 10 times more valuable if used for recreation and to protect wildlife and water quality than they are if used for logging, mining, and grazing, according to a new report commissioned by the Sierra Club. Measured by these new standards, the forests are worth $234 billion and generate 2.9 million sustainable jobs, found the report, which was prepared by ECONorthwest, an economic consulting firm. In contrast, logging, mining, and grazing on national forest land are worth just $23 billion and provide 407,000 jobs. "Leaving trees standing in most cases can contribute far more to local, state, and national economies than logging," said Ernie Niemi, a co-author of the report.

- ONE MORE REASON TO GO SOLAR!

Pollution from electrical generation facilities is more dangerous than the utilities say, claims a U.S. environmental group. Electric power plants recently reported toxic air emissions to the EPA for the first time, and "the numbers are astonishing," says one group. In 1998, utilities discharged more than one billion pounds of toxic chemicals into the air, making utilities the number one toxic air polluter in the U.S. Utilities have downplayed their emissions and claimed that they have minimal or no impact on health or the environment. Coal and oil-fired power plants released nine million pounds of toxic metals and metal compounds into the air, many of which are carcinogens and neurotoxins.

Eco Tidbits From the Forest...

• 20 percent of Earth's original forests remain undisturbed
  
• 13 percent of original forests in the Pacific Northwest remain undisturbed
  
• 1 to 2 percent of original forests in the U.S. remain undisturbed
  
• 2.47 acres of rainforest are destroyed each second, an area approximately the size of two U.S. football fields
  
• 214,000 acres of rainforest are destroyed each day, an area larger than New York City
  
• 78 million acres of rainforest are destroyed each year, an area larger than Poland
  
• 5 to 10 percent of closed tropical forest species will go extinct per decade at current rates of tropical forest loss and disturbance
  
• 27 percent of wood commercially harvested worldwide is consumed by Americans
  

-- by Josh Sevin

NEW PLASTIC PV SOLAR CELL PROMISES TO CUT SOLAR PRICES IN HALF

A California company claims to have invented a plastic PV solar cell that can cut the price of solar energy in half. The flexible and lightweight plastic substrate solar cell technology will be 57 percent cheaper than current solar cell technology, and can generate electricity at $0.09/kWh compared with $0.21 for current PV cells and $0.135 from fossil fuel sources. Solar cell sales have grown by a double-digit rate since 1974, and the market is projected to be 20 percent compounded annually.

SOLAR ENERGY IS ONE OF TOP TEN ENERGY INNOVATIONS

Solar energy will be one of the top ten energy innovations within a decade, according to a major U.S. research group. Solar energy is considered the ultimate sustainable energy form, and advancements in solar heating and in solar cell efficiency "hold the promise of making widespread terrestrial application a reality," says NREL. Other innovations to be significant by 2010 include advanced batteries with three times as much energy capability and bio-engineered crops for fuels. Distributed power generation technologies, including fuel cells, are also on the top ten list, as are smart energy management systems that increase efficiency of transportation.

SOLAR CAR SETS RECORD -- ONLY 29 DAYS FROM EAST TO WEST COAST

A student-built solar car has set a world record. The Radiance left the east coast of Canada on July 1, and took 29 days to travel 7,044 km to the west. It drove through more than 30 cities to demonstrate its solar PV source of energy, on a route that exposed the car to 90 percent of Canada's population. The 320 kg vehicle is powered by 1.3 kW of PV panels that have an efficiency rate of 20.5 percent. The vehicle can reach a top speed of 125 km/h. An award in Australia has been presented to the first vessel in the world that is totally powered by only the sun and the wind. The Solar Sailor won the Innovation & Best New Marine Product, and developers claim the technology will "revolutionize" travel on water. The vessel has mounted wings that harness the sun and wind, and can be adjusted to adapt to the prevailing weather conditions at any given time. It is in operation on Sydney Harbour and will be chartered during the Olympic Games.

ASTROPOWER TRIPLES SOLAR PANEL PRODUCTION

The largest US-owned manufacturer of solar products will accelerate its capacity expansion plans. AstroPower has trebled its manufacturing capacity over the past three years, but is still constrained. Its plan was to increase capacity to 25 MW by the end of 2000, but it has already gone to 30 MW and will aim for 35 MW by year end, and accelerate plans for 2001, too.

THE AGE OF OIL LINGERS ON...

World oil production will not peak for at least another 20 years, according to DOE. Many analysts predicted that the peak could come as early as 2004, but EIA used 12 scenarios of total world oil resources to determine possible peak production years between 2021 to 2112. The peak could be delayed by discovery of new conventional resources, or it could occur earlier with accelerated production rates and global oil demand varies.

GREENPEACE OCCUPATION OF BP CONTROL CENTER ENTERS SECOND DAY

ANCHORAGE, ALASKA -- Greenpeace activists have begun their second day occupying a barge that was bound for Northstar, BP's controversial oil site now under construction in the Arctic Ocean. Shortly after the activists boarded the barge on Monday just after midnight Alaska time, the barge turned around and returned to anchor off the point of Barrow.

Greenpeace opposes BP's Northstar project because it will fuel the dangerous problem of global warming, from a region that is already feeling the effects of a severe polar meltdown. From the barge, the activists have sent an e- mail to BP employees explaining their peaceful direct action against Northstar. "We are going to stay here in BP's control module as long as we can, calling on BP to cancel Northstar and slow the polar meltdown," said Greenpeace campaigner Melanie Duchin aboard the Greenpeace vessel MV Arctic Sunrise from which the activists boarded the barge. Polar regions are on the front-line of global warming. The western Arctic is already warming three to five times faster than the global average. An are of Arctic ice pack the size of Texas has disappeared in the past 20 years.

Despite BP's frequent claims to be concerned about climate change, the company has recently announced a 40 percent increase in oil and gas investment and plans to spend over 50 times more on oil exploration and production than on clean, renewable energy. BP also recently announced a new logo design, ironically presenting a solar image. The logo and public relations campaign will cost $200 million, significantly more than BP spent on renewables last year. At the company's annual general meeting last April, 13 percent of shareholders called on BP to cancel Northstar and invest the savings in renewable energy.

Visit http://www.greenpeaceusa.org/arctic for more information about Greenpeace's efforts to stop the Northstar platform.

August

Republican Convention Sets Record for Power Consumption (and Hot Air!)

The Republican convention, not to mention the vapidity of the speeches and the hypocrisy thereof, set an all time energy guzzling record for Philadelphia's First Union Center. For the convention, 30,000 megawatts was consumed, enough to power 1,800 homes for a year. The hall was equipped with 6,600 miles of fiber optic cable, 47 miles of coaxial cable and 8,000 telephone lines. Now, let's see if the Dems use solar power?

Energy News of the Week:

A BICYCLE BUILT FOR YOU: FUEL CELL BICYCLE TESTING COMPLETE

Manhattan Scientifics has completed testing of its Hydrocycle, a bicycle that operates on a fuel cell. The hydrogen fuel is stored in a two-liter carbon fiber pressure vessel located behind the seat. The bicycle, developed to compete with today's battery-powered bicycles, has a range of 70 to 100 kilometers and a top speed of 30 kilometers per hour.

http://www.hawkassociates.com/mhtx/mhtxpr28.htm.

TOYOTA PRIUS NOW GREENEST CAR

The hybrid Toyota Prius sedan, honored last month by the Alliance to Save Energy as a Star of Energy Efficiency, now ranks as the most environmentally friendly gasoline-powered vehicle on sale in the United States according to the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE). In its Green Book: The Environmental Guide to Cars & Trucks, ACEEE adds the Prius to its early Model Year 2001 ratings posted on the online version of its comprehensive environmental guide to all vehicles on the U.S. market. As the world's first mass-produced hybrid - sold in Japan since December 1997 - the Prius now joins the Honda Insight as the only two hybrids available in the United States.

Fascinating Tidbits About the Earth

We spend a lot of time in these pages speaking in no uncertain terms about the critical need to protect the earth and its ecosystems from harm. But just what exactly are we talking about when we speak of the natural world? What is it that we're seeking to save? A place that, as it turns out, is filled with more astonishing wonders all the world's science fiction novels combined. Need proof? We've got some fascinating tidbits that make the case.

That our planet is a magnificent place bears infinite amounts of repeating. From mountain peaks to the very bottom of the sea, a riotous profusion of life and other strange phenomena fill every available niche. Our home is an astonishing place and becomes even more so when you consider revelations like these:

The earth is really moving! It spins at 1,038 mph while orbiting the sun at 66,700 mph. The sun itself circles the center of the galaxy at 605,000 mph even as that galaxy hurtles through the universe at 1,000,000 mph.

In an average day, about ten million lightning strikes occur on Earth, an average of about 100 each and every second. Big ones boast a charge of some 20 million volts.

The world contains 326 million cubic miles of water. Forty trillion gallons a day of which are carried through the skies across the U.S. in the form of water vapor.

A single gram of soil can hold over a billion bacteria spread across a spectrum of up to 7,000 different species. The total amount of living matter in an acre of soil ranges from 5000 to 20,000 pounds.

The average acre of pasture contains up to 360 million insects. Taken together, all the bugs in the world weigh 12 times more than all the humans swatting at them.

Ants are farmers. Leafcutter ants collect leaves, compost them, and then use them to grow a fungus which they eat. Other species raise aphids, caring for and tending entire herds which secrete a substance called honeydew that's used as food.

The voodoo lily can warm itself as much as 55 degrees above the ambient air temperature.

The oldest living thing on earth is a bristlecone pine tree in California's White Mountains. Named Methuselah, it is 5,000 years old.

On a single acre in Brazil's coastal rainforest over 400 different species of tree were identified - more than exist in all of North America.

The largest seed on earth belongs to the plant Lodoicea maldivica. It weighs up to 45 pounds.

The heart of the blue throated hummingbird beats 1,200 times a minute.

Once pregnant, scorpions don't give birth for 18 months.

Elephants are known to mourn and bury their dead. When encountering a dead member of their species, they will circle the body several times and form a still circle, all facing outward, trunks hanging to the ground. After circling and standing perhaps several more times, they will tear off tree branches and clumps of grass and cover the remains.

65% of the earth's surface is utterly unexplored, yet this territory comprises 97% of all the space inhabited by living things. Where is this unknown realm? Underneath the surface of the sea.

For more information, please contact:

Climate Solutions (a project of Earth Island Institute)

E-mail: rhys@climatesolutions.org

Web: http://www.climatesolutions.org

More Eco News…

Last, But Not Least (a long - but good - article)

Fast-Growing Solar Power Crosses Billion-watt Threshold!

Solar energy has just crossed an important symbolic threshold when the worldwide total of solar photovoltaic cells surged past a gigawatt, one billion watts. The solar PV industry took 27 years to hit its first gigawatt. It will almost certainly take 4 or less to reach its second. In 1999 global PV sales were 160 megawatts (MW), 20% over the previous year, Strategies Unlimited estimates. Solar power remains one of the world's fastest growing energy sources.

"The total solar power market is estimated to be approximately $2 billion, growing at 20-25% per year," noted the investment firm of Robertson Stevens. Its progenitor is Einstein who discovered sunlight releases a stream of electrons when it hits some materials. Based on Einstein's insight Bell Labs, inventor of the transistor which forms computer chips, also developed its near relative, the silicon-based solar photovoltaic cell. It underwent its first workout in the 1960s space program but was too costly for just about anything else. When it was born as a commercial industry in 1972, solar PV electricity cost $500/watt. But by 1999, wholesale prices were down to $3.50/watt. That translates into $8/watt by the time retail solar panels are on the roof pumping juice, around $24,000 for a system capable of meeting all non-heating electrical needs of an average U.S. house -- Not cheap, but public programs from Germany to the U.S. and Japan are supporting early adopters. In remote locations that require reliable power solar PV is already the low-cost alternative. The booming wireless phone industry soaks up fields of photovoltaic panels for its towers and stations.

PV is expected to become markedly cheaper over the coming decade. Learning curves and economies of scale, which have had such spectacular effects on computer chips, work as well with solar cells. A U.S. Department of Energy study shows solar PV costs drop 18% each time the amount of PV worldwide doubles. Allied Business Intelligence projects wholesale costs of $1/watt by 2010. A Strategies Unlimited analyst described that as "optimistic." But another prominent solar researcher Paul Maycock, assesses, "It's perfectly likely to occur."

When PV hits that magic $1 mark, "Demand will rise to several gigawatts per year," says Allied Business Intelligence Senior Analyst Michael Kujawa. Just how rapidly prices decline depends on how fast production is ramped up. New plants being built today can produce 25 MW of PV annually. With construction of a 100 MW plant, economies of scale will bring wholesale PV down to $1.25/watt, Maycock says. A study done for Greenpeace by KPMG, one of the world's leading accounting firms, projects that a 500 MW plant would drop the wholesale price to 90¢. KPMG estimates that building it, along with an installation to supply raw silicon, would cost $660 million, less than 1% of annual global expenditures on oil exploration.

"It comes down to a classic chicken and egg problem," KPMG says. "As long as demand is small, production of solar energy will remain small-scale and expensive, and as long as production is small-scale and expensive, the price will remain high and the demand small: Catch 22. It is clear someone will have to bite the bullet and act."

Silicon, which represents 40-60% of the cost of a solar panel, remains an impasse. The solar industry has lived off the scraps of computer chip makers. But, notes energy consultant Chris Robertson, "The PV industry cannot grow on that scenario. There just isn't enough material. So it needs a dedicated source of supply."

Robertson, who has worked with Portland's world-class cluster of microchip companies on reducing energy use, points to a new process capable of economically supplying both computer and solar industries called Green Silicon. San Diego-based Schumacher Technology has developed a method to make industrial-grade silicon that does not require the vacuum and intense energy use that are currently involved. Running cooler, the process reduces energy consumption by 80%. For PV cells, which now must operate several years before they make up for the energy required in their manufacture, Green Silicon tightens the energy payback time to just one year, developer John Schumacher says.

Ultimately, silicon use could be cut by 100-fold as thin film solar cells come to market. Thin film can be coated on building materials. But thin film does not have the efficiency or proven resiliency and durability of standard solar cells, which are expected to remain the prevailing type for some time. Trends point to a solar industry reaching mass scale in coming years. A climate under assault from fossil fuel emissions demands this happen sooner rather than later. A combination of supportive public policies and visionary entrepreneurship can move solar forward quickly enough to make a significant contribution toward settling the climate.

- - Patrick Mazza

3-YEAR PAYBACK IF WE SOLARIZE CIA HEADQUARTERS

The headquarters of the CIA could save 2.6 million kWh a year if it adopted cost-effective renewable energy measures. A federal assessment says the spy complex near Washington has "several cost-effective opportunities" to apply renewables. The study was conducted by the FEMP (Federal Energy Management Program) team at NREL (National Renewable Energy Lab) and identified 18 cost-effective measures that would require an investment of $600,000 but would save 2.6 million kWh per year.

Perhaps the Most Important Story You'll Ever Read…

WEST NILE VIRUS CAUSED BY GLOBAL WARMING

As the atmosphere heats up, the risks to human health pop up like a mosquito-borne virus. From the West Nile virus that found its way to New York last year to an epidemic of cholera, malaria and Rift Valley fever spawned by flooding in the Horn of Africa, the evidence of global warming on human health is everywhere, according to Paul Epstein, associate director of the Center for Health and the Global Environment at Harvard Medical School.

"Global warming can also threaten human well-being profoundly, if somewhat less directly, by revising weather patterns, particularly by pumping up the frequency and intensity of floods and droughts and by causing rapid swings in the weather," Epstein noted in this month's issue of Scientific American.

"As the atmosphere has warmed over the past century, droughts in arid areas have persisted longer, and massive bursts of precipitation have become more common. Aside from causing death by drowning or starvation, these disasters promote by various means the emergence, resurgence and spread of infectious diseases."

"That prospect is deeply troubling, because infectious illness is a genie that can be very hard to put back into its bottle," Epstein added. "It may kill fewer people in one fell swoop than a raging flood or an extended drought, but once it takes root in a community, it often defies eradication and can invade other areas."

Developing countries - territories that are especially susceptible to infectious disease - don't have the money or technology to prevent or cure outbreaks. This shortfall has serious implications for the rest of the world, Epstein said.

"In these days of international commerce and travel, an infectious disorder that appears in one part of the world can quickly become a problem continents away if the disease-causing agent, or pathogen, finds itself in a hospitable environment," Epstein noted. Case in point: the West Nile virus, which showed up for the first time in North America last year.

Epstein points to three severe weather events triggered by global warming - floods, droughts and heat waves - that bring with them infectious diseases usually carried by blood-sucking, heat-loving mosquitoes.

Mosquito-borne diseases are expected to increase because the agents are extremely sensitive to meteorological conditions. Diseases such as malaria, dengue fever, yellow fever and several types of encephalitis are sounding the loudest alarms - alarms heard all over the world. Mosquitoes breed faster and bite more as the air warms up. Warmer temperatures also increase the rate that pathogens inside them reproduce and mature.

"As whole areas heat up, then, mosquitoes could expand into formerly forbidden territories, bringing illness with them. Further, warmer nighttime and winter temperatures may enable them to cause more disease for longer periods in the areas they already inhabit," Epstein noted. Floods and droughts also trigger outbreaks of infectious diseases by creating breeding grounds for insects whose desiccated eggs remain viable and hatch in still water.

Malaria and dengue fever are two mosquito-borne diseases most likely to spread as global temperatures increase. Malaria already kills 3,000 people, mostly children, every day. Some models project that by the end of the 21st century, ongoing warming will have enlarged the zone of potential malaria transmission from an area containing 45 percent of the world's population to an area containing about 60 percent, Epstein noted.

Yellow fever or "breakbone" fever, a severe flu-like viral illness that can cause fatal internal bleeding, is also spreading. Today it afflicts an estimated 50 million to 100 million people in the tropics and subtropics. It has broadened its range in the Americas over the past 10 years and has found its way to northern Australia.

"I worry that effective corrective measures will not be instituted soon enough. Climate does not necessarily change gradually. The multiple factors that are now destabilizing the global climate system could cause it to jump abruptly out of its current state," said Epstein. "At any time, the world could suddenly become much hotter or even much colder. Such a sudden, catastrophic change is the ultimate health risk-one that must be avoided at all costs." By Robinson Shaw.

                                  
More news you should know…

SOLAR POWER WORKS ON NAVAJO RESERVATION

For many homes on the Navajo reservation, no electricity is a way of life. Because the homes on the 4.8 million-acre reservation are so spread out, hooking into the power grid is outrageously expensive. Only nine percent of the 37,000 homes on the reservation have electricity and 14 percent have utility gas.

Here are some environmental and renewable energy short takes that I hope you'll find of interest…

DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION TO SPORT HUMONGOUS SOLAR ARRAY

Los Angeles will purchase $6 million of solar PV modules. The Department of Water and Power has awarded a contract to AstroPower in the first phase of a $38 million program to provide PV power; the largest single award for solar power since utility deregulation started seven years ago. Many of the solar panels will be installed on the Convention Center by this summer's Democratic Convention. When the facility is completed this fall, it will be the largest solar-powered building in North America. Panels will be over parking lots or on community centers and libraries.

100% PV TAX CREDIT FOR NEW YORK CITY

New York will provide a tax credit of up to 100 percent for PV panels that generate on-site electricity. The Green Building Tax Credit provides a tax credit of 25 to 100 percent for building-integrated PV panels and a 30 percent credit to offset the cost of on-site electricity generation from fuel cells. The credits will increase the market uptake of solar technology. The Conde Nast building in downtown Broadway incorporates both PV panels and fuel cells. A new headquarters for Reuters has allocated space to install PV cells into the exterior wall. The tax credits will pay 100 percent of the cost of buying the PV cells, minus the cost of conventional building materials.

WIRELESS PHOTOVOLTAIC POWER, FOR THE FIRST TIME

A system has been designed to transfer electricity from PV panels on the side of a building, without the use of wires. A prototype can harness and transfer power from the PV panels into batteries, while eliminating the network of wires. The next step is to miniaturize the technology into an integrated circuit prior to its incorporation into the PV panels.

WON'T YOU BUY ME A FUEL-CELL POWERED MERCEDES BENZ?

German-American automaker DaimlerChrysler AG announced yesterday that it intends to invest about $1 billion in fuel-cell technology and become the first major auto manufacturer to market fuel-cell vehicles. By 2002, the company plans to produce buses equipped with fuel cells, and by 2004 it will sell fuel-cell cars. Meanwhile, Japanese scientists report in the new issue of the journal Science that they have developed a prototype fuel cell that can operate at much lower temperatures than most fuel cells, an advance that may make fuel-cell technology more viable. Source: Fox Market Wire, Associated Press, 06.19.00

ANY FURTHER DOUBTS ABOUT GLOBAL WARMING?

March through May of this year was the hottest such period in the U.S. since records have been kept, averaging 0.4 degrees Fahrenheit above the previous record set in 1910, according to the latest stats from the National Climatic Data Center. January through May of this year also set a temperature record in the U.S., although on a global scale, 2000 hasn't been remarkably warm so far. As summer kicks off this week in the northern hemisphere, scientists are predicting that a number of areas in the U.S. will continue to experience heat and drought. Heat waves of this sort are one of the effects of climate change expected to hit the U.S. in the coming century, according to a comprehensive report released earlier this month by the U.S. Global Change Research Program.
Source: CNN.com, 06.21.00

GREENEST BUILDING IN THE BIG APPLE…

A building under construction and set to open in New York City in 2002 may earn the distinction of being the world's greenest high-rise apartment complex. The 26-floor, 250-unit building is intended to be 30 percent more energy efficient than state codes require. It will take advantage of natural light, use motion-controlled and dimmable lighting, and feature energy-efficient appliances. Solar panels will be used to generate electricity for common areas and hallways. Water from bathtubs and washing machines will be recycled for use in toilets and maintenance work. The high-tech, eco-friendly features are expected to push up building costs by about 15 percent.
Source: Boston Globe, Associated Press, Verena Dobnik, 06.22.00

INTERESTING ENVIRONMENTAL & RESOURCE CONSUMPTION TIDBITS…

• 5 percent of the world's human population resides in the U.S.
• 30 percent of the world's resources are used by the U.S.
• 8 motor vehicles are on the roads in China for every 1,000 Chinese citizens.
• 750 motor vehicles are on the roads in the U.S. for every 1,000 U.S. citizens.
• 15 kilograms of paper are consumed annually by each person in the developing world.
• 333 kilograms of paper are consumed annually by each person in the U.S.
• 20 percent of the world's population lives in industrialized nations.
• 75 percent of the world's pollutants and waste are produced by industrialized nations.
• 8 billion dollars are spent each year on cosmetics in the U.S.
• 9 billion dollars would be needed each year (in addition to current expenditures) to provide water and sanitation for all people in developing nations.

• by Josh Sevin-- Sources: 1,2 -- Earth Communications Office; 3-7 -- World Resources Institute; 8 -- Earth Communications Office; 9,10 -- Worldwatch Institute.
  

CAR TALK…

• 70 million motor vehicles were on the world's roads in 1950
• 630 million motor vehicles were on the world's roads in 1994
• 1 billion motor vehicles are expected to be on the world's roads by 2025, if the current growth rate continues
• 12,000 pounds of carbon dioxide are emitted by the average car each year
• 5 percent of a car's fuel can be wasted by underinflated tires
• 2 billion gallons of gasoline could be saved annually if 65 million car owners kept their tires properly inflated
• 85 percent of auto fuel is consumed just to overcome inertia and start the wheels turning.
• 2.5 times more emissions are generated by SUVs and light trucks than by standard cars.
• 33,000 natural gas vehicles were in use in the U.S. in 1993 .
• 75,000 natural gas vehicles were in use in the U.S. in 1998 .
• 50 million new cars roll off the assembly line each year.
• 11 million cars are junked annually in the U.S.

VITAL SIGNS 2000 RELEASED - BEST BOOK ON ENVIRONMENTAL TRENDS

Worldwatch (www.worldwatch.org) has released Vital Signs 2000: The Environmental Trends That Are Shaping Our Future. The series is known for graphically depicting key trends that often escape the attention of the news media and world leaders.

The general conclusion of this year's report is that severe social and economic inequities are confounding attempts to reverse environmental degradation. "From the global digital divide to the devastating AIDS and tuberculosis epidemics, the trends in Vital Signs 2000 are exposing numerous fault lines between the North and the South, within nations, and between men and women," says Worldwatch senior researcher Michael Renner, co-author of the report. "At the same time, however, we need an unprecedented level of cooperation to solve global problems."

Third World debt hit a new high of $2.5 trillion in 1999, with some of the world's poorest nations devoting 30 percent of their national budgets to debt servicing. Developing countries have been hit hard by devastating floods and landslides, worsened by deforestation.

The report points to other problematic trends: the proliferation of synthetic chemicals; deteriorating water supplies; and increasing infections from HIV and Tuberculosis. Worldwide, carbon emissions fell .2 percent in 1999, marking a second consecutive year of decline. But much more serious reductions are necessary to achieve the 70 percent cut many scientists believe is needed to avert dangerous climate change. Increases in motor vehicle production, and erosion of fuel efficiency as a result of surging SUV sales in rich countries are the main obstacles in this case.

"We have begun to address these global challenges," says Renner, "but all too often we are only slowing destructive trends, rather than reversing them. If we are going to build a more environmentally stable, healthy, and equitable society, we need to massively scale up our efforts."

On the positive side, Vital Signs highlights the expansion of renewable energy and efficiency technologies, and organic agriculture as encouraging trends. They recommend tax reform (green taxes) and strengthening international treaties as ways to accelerate environmental reform. Vital signs is being published in numerous countries. You can order it in PDF form. Order from www.worldwatch.org.

SPIRE SOLAR TO SUPPLY SOLAR PANELS TO CHICAGO MUSEUMS

Solar (PV) modules from Spire Solar will be installed in Chicago's nine major museums along with the Lincoln Park Zoo over the next 18 months. The 27 - 34 kW systems will be installed at the Adler Planetarium, Art Institute, Chicago Historical Society, DuSable Museum of African-American History, Field Museum, Mexican Fine Arts Museum, Museum of Science and Industry, and the Shedd Aquarium.



CALCUTTA TO LEGISLATE MANDATORY SOLAR

Calcutta will soon legislate a solar system provision for every multi-story building in the Indian city. Building rules of the Calcutta Municipal Corporation will be amended to make it mandatory for a provision of solar system, and no building plan would be permitted if there is no provision for solar energy within the building premises.

A Few Fascinating Environmental Tidbits

• Number of acres of US land covered by lawns: 20 million
• Number of hours of lawn mowing it takes to produce the same amount of emissions as driving a car 50 hours: ONE.
• Amount of waste rock removed to make an average pair of wedding bands: 360 cubic feet
• Amount of money a 238-acre farm nets per acre: $56
• Amount of money a 6,709-acre farm nets per acre: $12
• Percentage of total US energy utilization accounted for by air conditioners: 17%
• Percentage of total carbon dioxide emitted by electricity generation: 35%
• Number of degrees an air conditioner can be turned up if used with a ceiling fan: 9
• (and finally…the weird…) Number of days a cockroach can live without its head before starving to death: 9

(The above Tidbits were culled by Yes! A Journal of Positive Futures.: http://www.yesmagazine.org

A Few Tidbits on Gasoline

• Petroleum's share of global energy consumed in 1998: 40%
• The number of urban residents in developing nations who are in danger of lead poisoning: 1.7 billion
• The share of airborne lead pollution in developing nations' urban areas that is caused by leaded gasoline: 90%
• The share of community drinking water wells in 31 US states that are potentially threatened by MTBE contamination as a result of fuel spills and leaking underground tanks: 35%

A Few Tidbits on the Forest

• Percent of the Pacific Northwest's forests that remain undisturbed: 13%
• Percentage of original forests in the U.S. that remain undisturbed: 1% - 2%
• Number of acres of rainforest destroyed each second: 2.47 acres (2 football fields)
• Number of acres of rainforest destroyed each day: 214,000 (larger than NY city)
• Number of acres of rainforest destroyed each year: 78 million (larger than Poland)
• Percentage of wood commercially harvested worldwide consumed by Americans: 27%
  
  (Gasoline and Forest tidbits courtesy of Grist Magazine)

WHAT'S NEW AT THE INSTITUTE FOR SOLAR LIVING?

For those of you unfamiliar the Real Goods Institute for Solar Living is a 501-C-3 non-profit corporation dedicated to providing inspirational environmental education. Headquartered at the Solar Living Center in Hopland, California, the ISL provides over 60 workshops on sustainable living every year. See a class schedule and syllabus at: http://www.solarliving.org/index.cfm

On August 26-27, 2000, the ISL will be presenting SolFest 2000, a two day solar and good living festival featuring workshops on sustainable living, great entertainment and music, fantastic food and drink, renewable energy vendors, and Ralph Nader and Julia Butterfly Hill. Other speakers invited are Ram Dass, and a bevy of authors from Chelsea Green Publishing who've written books on various aspects on sustainable living. More info at the same website above. The Institute has recently welcomed and is now home to 8 new college interns who are learning about solar, organic gardening, aquaculture, permaculture, and lots more.

GLOBAL WARMING TO STRIKE HARD: IPCC

Global warming may cause large-scale flooding after 2100, leading to water shortages and the spread of infectious diseases, according to the draft of a report to be issued next year by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. If allowed to continue increasing after 2100, greenhouse gases may cause irreversible environmental changes, entailing heavier rainstorms, larger floods, serious droughts and crippled circulation of ocean water on a global scale, says the draft, obtained by Kyodo News last week.

The draft, drawn up by one of three working groups under IPCC, says recent mathematical modeling estimates that between 260 million and 320 million more people stand to be infected with malaria around 2080 in climate scenarios that average 3 degrees of warming by that time period. IPCC, an international organization established in 1989, assessed scientific, technical and socioeconomic data relevant to the understanding of the risk of human-induced climate change. About 2,000 scientists from various nations have taken part in projects launched by the body.

Working Group II addresses the vulnerability of socioeconomic and natural systems to climate change, negative and positive consequences of climate change and options for adapting to it. "Should climate change reduce food supply in areas of low food security, tens of millions of people could be placed at risk of hunger with attendant negative health effects" around 2080, it says. "If extreme events such as heavy rainfall events, floods, droughts and cyclones increase in frequency or intensity, they would adversely impact human health through displacement of population, contamination of water and increased risk of injury and loss of life," it says.

It salt water availability is anticipated to decline substantially in most countries by 2050 relative to the present due to population growth, with or without projected changes in climate. "Differences between developed and developing countries in the factors that determine adaptive capacity suggest that developing countries have lower adaptive capacity than do developed countries," the draft says, citing a lack of funds and technologies by developing countries. It is necessary to improve medical systems and infrastructure in both urban and rural areas to alleviate damage brought by global warming, the draft says. It also reports that changes in glaciers and species composition have occurred as a result of greenhouse gases. The draft will be published next March along with reports by IPCC's two other working groups -- Working Group I and Working Group III.

Working Group I assesses the scientific aspects of the climate system and climate change, while Working Group III assesses options for limiting greenhouse gas emissions and otherwise mitigating the effects of climate change. The Japan Times: May 30, 2000

TEXAS CLEAN ENERGY TECHNOLOGY INCUBATOR OPENS

If your company is a technology based energy start-up, poised for strong growth and less than 24 months from market entry, it may be a candidate for a new incubator formed through a strategic alliance between the Austin Technology Incubator (ATI) and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). The incubator is open to a variety of energy conservation and renewable energy companies, from technology-based spin-offs and fledgling start-ups to research-based companies. ATI is a program of the IC2 Institute of the University of Texas at Austin, known for providing start-up companies with the strategic, financial and management services they need to get off the ground. It has graduated 50 companies since 1989, five of which have gone public. NREL brings its extensive relationships to the table - international institutions, venture capital, multi-lateral lending institutions and national, state and local governments. NREL plans to start similar incubator alliances around the country.

Last year, Texas passed the most progressive electric utility restructuring law in the nation which mandates 2000 megawatts of new renewable energy generation by 2009. This makes Texas a very attractive market for renewable energy. "As we have seen with information and communications technologies, we believe the rewards are potentially huge for innovators and investors at the forefront of new, clean energy systems, says Joel Wiggins, director of ATI's operations." Dr. Joel Wiggins, ATI: (512)305-0033 Dr. Marty Murphy, NREL:(303)275-3050. ATI: http://www.ic2-ati.org (courtesy of sustainablebusiness.com)

GERMANS LOVE FREE PV!

The German government is expected to restrict a solar energy program that has become too popular. The Bundestag allocated $450 million to promote solar PV systems, but the 2000 budget is being depleted by 4,000 applications approved during the first quarter. Another 7,000 applications have been put on hold due to lack of funds. Last year, the Berlin government launched a five-year program to install 100,000 PV roof systems. Consumers who purchase a 1 kW array can apply for low-interest loans with a repayment period of ten years.

ALABAMA PROMOTES ELECTRIC VEHICLES

An electric utility in Alabama has opened a state-of-the-art facility to service and promote electric vehicles. The centre is one of the first of its kind in the U.S. and includes maintenance, service and support for the company's expanding fleet of EVs, educational tools for schools to teach and demonstrate EV technology, a vocational training facility and a showroom to exhibit the latest EV technology. Alabama Power has 80 EVs in use, each of which reduces pollution by 200 pounds of carbon monoxide per year, as well as17 pounds of hydrocarbons and 14 pounds of nitrogen oxides. EVs can charge in less than six hours and cost less than $15 a month to operate, compared to an average operating cost for gasoline-powered automobiles of $50 per month.

MAJORS MOVE FURTHER INTO RENEWABLE ENERGY

Texaco quit the Global Climate Coalition and is the second major oil company to pursue hydrogen energy (Shell set up Shell Hydrogen last year). Texaco is spending $67 million to buy 20 percent of Energy Conversion Devices Inc., a leading fuel cell company. ECD manufactures the Ovonic regenerative fuel cell using proprietary hydrogen storage technology and develops PV and semiconductor technologies. Says William Wicker, a Texaco senior vice president, "We intend to be a company that is responsive to the changing face of the marketplace and the energy sector."

BP Amoco is buying 18.5 percent of GreenMountain.com, one of the leading renewable energy marketers in the U.S. The investment will significantly extend the market for competitively priced renewable energy to businesses and households across America, as deregulation progresses. GreenMountain currently serves over 100,000 households in the deregulated states, California, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. BP Amoco will market GreenMountain's solar energy offerings using BP Solarex's solar technology, products and services. The relationship will significantly extend GreenMountain's reach by bringing their products to industrial and commercial customers for the first time. (courtesy of sustainablebusiness.com)

ELECTRICITY SHORTAGES IN AMERICA TO GREET THE NEW MILLENIUM - AMERICA HAS GOT THE GRID OF A THIRD WORLD NATION, SAYS ENERGY SECRETARY

Believe it or not, America is running short of electricity. Last week's East Coast heat wave, accompanied by power plant shut downs provided a wake up call to Energy Secretary Bill Richardson, who commented "America is a superpower, but it's got the grid of a Third world nation. There will be outages and brownouts this summer."

The decade-long economic boom has seen Americans spend heavily on electricity-guzzling appliances, boosting demand for electricity far faster than capacity has been added. The U.S has generating plants capable of generating 780,000 megawatts of electricity on a summer's day, but it will take a minimum of 700,000 megawatts to power the nation this summer, according to estimates by the DOE, leaving a dangerously thin surplus. This surplus buffer has been whittled down by 60% in just the last decade.

The result is a national electricity system that is vulnerable to disruptions caused by equipment breakdowns and human error as newly established regional grid operators assume responsibility for much larger areas than those formerly overseen by individual local utilities. Add to this the growing realities of Global Warming and worldwide climate change, and we have the formula for a very long and hot summer. All the more reason for going Green with your energy needs

ENERGY AND ENVIROMENTAL NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

PV PRICES MAY DROP TO $1/WATT BY 2020

Solar PV technology is one of the most promising renewable energy technologies, and EPRI(Electric Power Research Institute) wants more research. PV can make a major contribution if there is a five-fold improvement in the cost/performance of cells, as well as an ability to bring costs down and increase efficiency to stop being a niche technology, says a report. Research into renewables must be accelerated, with immediate deployment of PV generation in specialized applications where it makes economic sense. Solar PV has high potential because improvements will parallel material science. Costs could drop from the current range of $10 per watt, to as low as $1 per watt by 2020, says EPRI, and by 2050, PV could be a "significant contributor" to worldwide power because of its unique value in distributed systems. The best route to truly cost-effective solar power is not by ramping up the use of currently available technologies, but by increased support of research to improve upon them.

ONE MILLION AMERICAN SOLAR ROOFS BY 2010

More than one million Americans have pledged to install solar roofs within the next decade. The preliminary pledges mean the federal Million Solar Roofs Initiative has met the target set by president Clinton before the United Nations in 1997. DOE will award $630,000 in grants to state and local partnerships in support of the initiative.

SOLAR MAKES KIDS SMARTER!

Solar energy is being credited with an increase in proficiency test scores on mathematics and science. AEP's education program allows students to track the output from PV panels on the roof of a school, where teachers report that average science marks increased 13 to 25 percent, and math scores went up by 5 to 18 percent, following installation of the solar system. The higher proficiency scores are attributed to integrating the web site into the curriculum. AEP installed its first wind turbine recently, and will install four more 10 kW turbines this year.

SANYO TO PRODUCE 15 MW OF SOLAR PER YEAR

One of the largest electronics companies in the world will increase production of PV by 800 percent in the next five years. Sanyo currently produces 15 MW of panels a year, and will invest 10 billion yen a year by 2005 to increase capacity to 120 MW. Sanyo is building the world's largest PV system in Gifu, where the 6 billion yen 'Mega Solar' memorial hall will exhibit Sanyo products. A 300 m 'Solar Ark' wall and a 'Solar Wave' on the roof of the parking garage will integrate PV panels for total capacity of 3.4 MW. The system will reduce GHG emissions by 670 tons and save 30 million yen a year in energy costs.

AMERICANS WILL PAY MORE FOR RENEWABLES

Electricity consumers in the U.S. may be prepared to pay significantly more for renewable energy, with half willing to buy electricity at a 40 percent premium, according to a study from EPRI. Retailers who can break "out of the box" will succeed by meeting the wants and needs of their customers, based on the study of 4,000 residential and business customers

FEDERAL AND STATE ACTIONS BOOST RENEWABLES

Under the biggest-ever federal contract for "green power," US agencies in the Denver area have agreed to buy 10 megawatts of power yearly from wind farms operated by Public Service Co. of Colorado and other utilities, Energy Secretary Bill Richardson announced on April 27. Meanwhile, Arizona has ordered utilities to produce a certain percentage of their electricity from solar sources, a move that could revive Arizona's lagging solar industry. Although 27 other states have mandated clean-energy portfolios, Arizona is the first to require that solar energy make up a specific portion of the mix.

Under the Solar and Environmentally Friendly Portfolio Standard, electricity providers will have to derive 1.1 percent of their total product from renewable resources by 2007. They must begin implementing the program this year to achieve a mandated four-tenths of 1 percent by Jan. 1, 2001. For Arizona Public Service Co., that's about 22 megawatts, or enough electricity for 1,100 homes. Furthermore, the companies must derive at least 50 percent of their renewable power from solar-generating facilities. The remainder can come from such sources as landfill gas, wind and biomass generators. Also in Arizona, Gov. Jane Hull signed a bill into law providing tax breaks for contractors who install solar devices and companies that build electric generating facilities that use renewable energy sources

SOLAR IS NOW COST EFFECTIVE FOR CALIFORNIA BUSINESSES

A recently run payback calculation analysis for photovoltaic (solar electric) modules, by Real Goods Solar Technicians was encouraging.. The study revealed that for businesses in California, there are CEC (California Energy Commission) rebates available that reduce system cost by as much as 50%. When these rebates are coupled with federal tax credits (10%) and accellerated depreciation (up to 5 years), the cost of PV at $5/watt has a payback period of only 11 years, delivering nearly 10% ROI to any California business. For the first time solar electricity is virtually a "no-brainer" for California businesses.

NEW STIRLING ENGINE BRINGS POWER FOR $3-$4/WATT

DOE will work next year with at least one Native American tribe to test a new PV generating system that will power a water pump.The unit will be placed on Indian lands in the Southwest where it will pump water for agricultural purposes and be close enough to home for observation. A prototype of the 10 kW Solar Dish /Stirling Remote Power System consists of 500 ft2 of mirror collector panels and an engine that converts solar energy to electricity. The first solar pumping system is expected to be erected on a reservation by early near year. A second-generation prototype will be ready by this fall, and will drive a conventional water pump. The system is designed to provide power in remote areas and will cost $30,000 to $40,000.

SAM WYLY GETS AN AWARD

The Chairman of GreenMountain.com has received an award from the environmental Climate Institute. Sam Wyly is one of three people to receive the award, and the group says Wyly has invested more financial resources than any other individual in clean energy. The Vermont power supplier claims to have 100,000 customers in Pennsylvania and California, and is starting to sell green power in New Jersey. Other award winners include Earth Day founder Denis Hayes and Canadian David Suzuki. Previous award winners include Al Gore and Margaret Thatcher.


START SAVING THE EARTH BY SAVING YOUR MIND FROM MARKETING

We all know about the state of the physical environment. But what about the mental environment, that hidden realm of ideas and attitudes? Is this internal landscape suffering woes as well? More than you might think. That's the supposition of Adbusters magazine, a quarterly journal that seeks to expose advertising, public relations, and media manipulation as mind pollution that's messing with our heads and interfering with our quest for a better world.

Billing itself as the "journal of the mental environment", Adbusters magazine offers both critique and commentary on today's overmarketed world and the effects our consumer culture has on the environment, social justice, and our very souls. Recent features included articles on desire, the country's number one manufactured commodity; the unofficial history of America and the rise of corporate power in American life; and an overview of successful protest movements in years past. In between such fare as this are ad parodies, news reports, and briefs on everything from corporate logos to advertising in schools and profiles of people like Reverend Billy of the Church of Stop Shopping, a figure known for his fire and brimstone preaching of the anti-consumer gospel at New York City's Disney Store.

Often funny, sometimes disturbing, but always insightful, Adbusters is vital reading and an life-saving antidote to the societal misdirection promoted by Madison Avenue. To subscribe call (800) 663-1243 or visit http://www.adbusters.org

ECO-FACTOID

Your coffee filter, paper towels, etc. are white because they're bleached. But this is not a benign aesthetic; the process is responsible for creating dioxin, a deadly toxic that has been dumped into American waterways. Use unbleached coffee filters (check your local supermarket) or contact Rockline, Inc., P.O. Box 1007, Sheboygan, WI 53082

EARTH DAY 2000 WORLDWIDE HIGHLIGHTS: May

Millions of people in 183 countries around the world celebrated Earth Day 2000 with rallies, fairs, and other events, many of them on the Clean Energy Now! theme. Earth Day 2000 worldwide highlights include the first-ever event in China organized by NGOs, a march calling for clean energy and environmental justice in South Africa, and a huge clean energy fair in Mexico City.

Here are a few event highlights by region:

USA

Over 1,300 events occurred nationwide in all 50 states and consisted of 1,056 affiliated organizations and 609 campus affiliates.

US Events with about 10,000 or more included:

Washington DC; 429,000 people showed up on a cloudy, drizzly Earth Day 2000 on The Washington, D.C. Mall. Six tents with 40 booths each were set up between the U.S. Capitol and the Washington Monument. A giant stage with large screens was assembled at the base of the Capitol where speakers and performers played from Noon through 6 PM. The stage was powered by a hybrid natural gas, soy diesel, and photovoltaics. The solar tent was powered by solar as was the children's tent. Vice President Gore, EPA Administrator Carol Browner and Energy Secretary Bill Richardson made pro-clean energy speeches as did environmental leaders.

Bay Area (40,000) split between four principal areas including Sacramento, Berkeley, Marin, and San Francisco. Sacramento's natural gas "earth bus" (inaugurated for Earth Week) is still running after the event. San Jose and Contra Costa (the single largest event) happened the weekend of 4/29 and 4/30.

Cleveland (10,500); Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala spoke at this event.

Los Angeles (20,000) at Expo Park

Chicago - 30,000 went to the event and thousands more participated in off-site clean up projects through the parks department); a million Earth Day "passports" went out in the Tribune; Saved by a "Sun Catcher" solar van that was powered for the concert the night before which ended up powering the main stage.

The Episcopal Church in California was able to get 42 out of 70 churches to switch to green power by Earth Day 2000. Next they'll power the first all green energy conference in the country at their national convention in Denver this July -- and challenge the Democratic and Republican conventions to do the same! Faith events and stewardship sermons kicked off at least 50 Earth Day events nationwide.

The State of Washington passed 65 proclamations and resolutions in support of Earth Day 2000 and the Clean Energy Agenda, thanks to a "challenge" issued to communities by Gov. Gary Locke.

The city of Santa Cruz has just approved their RFP to switch to green power and are currently accepting bids to "go green" in much the same way Santa Monica has. Their press release makes repeated reference to this as part of their commitment to Earth Day 2000.

Cape Canaveral is promoting its use of electric vehicles and expanding its fleet in conjunction with Earth Day 2000.

Sacramento is opening a brand new recycling center and putting the finishing touches on the world's largest photovoltaic parking facility.

Huntsville, Alabama is using Earth Day to kick-off and promote its participation as a test market for "green power" through the Tennessee Valley Authority. They will be using a mix of solar and wind.

Finally, the city of Berkeley is installing new LED's into all their stoplights to increase efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions as their Earth Day commitment -- and Oakland has started a community energy team to educate businesses about how to become more energy efficient and retrofit their businesses for Earth Day.

AFRICA

Clean energy events were held in many countries across Africa, including South Africa, Uganda, Namibia, Guinea, Cote d'Ivoire, Niger, Burkina Faso, Egypt, Ethiopia, Mauritius, Tunisia, Kenya, Ghana, and Nigeria. In South Durban, South Africa, groundWork brought together students, church members, and other residents in a march protesting pollution from oil refineries and calling for environmental justice in the region. In Cape Town, Earthlife Africa staged a mock nuclear evacuation from the Koeberg Nuclear Power Station. On a bus loaded with reporters, local government leaders and activists, Earthlife organizers discussed how a nuclear accident would affect Cape Town and discussed sustainable energy options.

In Gabon, Brainforest broadcast messages from villages deep in the Mingouli forest via local talking drums (Nkouls) to protest massive industrial deforestation. When they reached Libreville, the drum messages were shared with the world via the Internet.

In Ghana, an open-air Earth Day Clean Energy Now! fair in Accra that showcased clean energy technology drew thousands of people.

And in Uganda, the National Environmental Management Authority involved more than 2.5 million people in Earth Day 2000 events, including a massive city-wide clean-up in Kampala. On 13 April, the Minister of Water, Lands and Environment gave an Earth Day radio address to the nation.

ASIA

Millions of people participated in events held across Asia's capitols. In Hong Kong, more than 27,000 people planted trees and learned about the environment at two Earth Day carnivals. In Quezon City, Philippines, 30,000 people filled Quezon Memorial Circle for an Earth Day Fair. Hundreds of other events were held in the Philippines, ranging from riverboat parades to costumed bicycle tours. At least 40,000 people participated in a bike rally and carless day event in Seoul, South Korea.

In Beijing and across China, hundreds of thousands of people pledged to change their habits in the Earth Day 2000 Green Lifestyle Campaign.

In New Delhi, 400 children presented Indian Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee with a "Children's Clean Air Manifesto" calling for stricter fuel standards and clean transportation options. A seminar on solar cookers and biogas was held in Kabul, Afghanistan. In Dhaka and four other cities in Bangladesh, Earth Day rallies involved 20,000 people. And in Kathmandu, Nepal, a rally on clean transportation drew attention to the city's new fleet of electric vehicles.

EUROPE

Community events and coordinated campaigns were both part of Earth Day 2000 in Europe. Across Russia and the NIS, more than 1 million people participated in clean-ups and educational events in the Earth Day March for Parks program. In Moscow, recent Goldman Prize winner Vera Mischenko's Ecojuris Institute took journalists, lawyers, and government officials on a tour to pollution hotspots in and around Moscow. At each site, local residents expressed their concerns about the environment.

In Helsinki, Finland, 5000 people rallied to oppose the development of what would be the country's fifth nuclear reactor. Earth Day anti-nuclear rallies were also held in Germany, Ukraine, Belarus, and France, where 1500 protesters in Bordeaux were gassed by police. In Voronezh, Russia, 100 people, some dressed as mutant monsters, gathered at the city square to protest the importation of nuclear waste into the country.

The Millennium Dome in Greenwich was the site of the UK's first big Earth Day celebration. The Dome's Eco-festival attracted 40,000 people and featured colorful exhibits on renewable energy, as well as giant inflatable animals and a band playing on instruments made with recycled materials.

On April 8-9, more than 500 Italian cities participated in an Earth Day "Cities Without Cars" event. In Rome, the car-free streets were the site of an open-air festival.

In Romania, several thousand participants gathered for Earth Day festivities in Bucharest's oldest park. Amid the music and theatre, signatures were gathered for an appeal to Romania's government to consider environmental issues in its decision-making processes. The appeal was delivered to officials on 24 April.

And in Bulgaria, thousands gathered in South Park in Sofia for an event that featured popular musical groups and a speech by the Minister of Environment, Mrs.Evdokiya Maneva. At 5pm, when EarthFair 2000 was starting in DC, all Earth Day participants in South Park in Sofia linked hands in a circle to symbolize their connection to the global environmental movement.



Wireless PV's

A U.S. company is patenting a device that can transmit power from PV panels without the use of electrical wires, to eliminate the network of wires used by PV panels to transfer electricity to battery storage. The curtainwall system integrates PV panels into the various materials and the wireless aspect will enhance integration by reducing the cost of maintaining and trouble shooting potential PV problems or replacing damaged curtainwall panels because no wire is directly connected to the PV panel.

Quote of the Week:

"The junk mail Americans receive in one day could produce enough energy to heat 250,000 homes"

Eco-Factoid:

Americans receive almost 2 million tons of junk mail every year.

Eco-Factoids:

The average office worker throws away about 180 pounds of high grade recyclable paper every year

Every ton of recycled office paper saves 380 gallons of oil

Almost 3 million tons of paper is collected from office building and industrial office building and industrial plants for recycling

Quote of the Week:

"Every year, American throw away enough office and writing paper to build a wall 12 feet high, stretching from Los Angeles to New York City"

Amazing Eco-Facts:

70% of Americans believe that global warming is a serious problem…

86% of Americans support raising automotive fuel economy standards…

All of the world's great biological systems are in a serious state of collapse…

The playing field for renewable energy sources is not level… While over $100 billion in subsidies are available to the fossil fuel industry, incentives for renewable energy are virtually non-existent.

In the 1996 election alone, oil and gas companies gave $11.8 million to congressional candidates to protect tax breaks worth at least $3 billion. The powers of entrenchment are formidable, indeed!

Compelling Quotes to Ponder:

"Cars are multiplying faster than people. They're outbreathing us, too. They're using up our land area. They're using up our economic strength."

- Ernest Callenbach, author of Ecotopia.

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