Former Oklahoma University researcher suggests how geothermal heat pumps save energy and enhance the quality of air. Are you aware that Gerald McClain, after numerous decades working with geothermal energy pioneer James Bose at Oklahoma State College, has invented a new home geothermal cooling and heating model? 

Heat pumps work as a refrigerator in reverse; they normally use electrical power to move heat from one place to another rather than producing heat directly. Consequently, they can be two to three times more power efficient than conventional electric heating units. 

• 6 one inch diameter pipes sunk three hundred feet into the soft red clay below his home 
• A water antifreeze mix in the pipes that picks up the ground's constant 62 degree F. temperature 
• 3 heat pumps in the attic that use a small electric powered compressor to heat or cool the home 

After the introduction of the much beloved General Motors EV1, the first mass-produced electric vehicle by a major automaker, GM thought the auto market niche was unprofitable and repossessed all EV1 cars in 2002. Even though customer reaction was positive, GM destroyed or delivered to museums all EV1 cars.

Being the first in the auto market to produce a quality electric vehicle, GM could have built a strong foundation in the alternative fuel and energy efficient car market years before the competition. Unfortunately General Motors was left to compete with other auto makers years later after the Toyota Prius gained undeniable popularity. At last GM is making an effort with adding a hybrid option to several of their current vehicles and plans to start new hybrid car and truck lines as well.

Chevrolet Volt Joins the Hybrid Car Market at the End of the Year

General Motors (GM) announced their Chevrolet Volt, a plug-in electric hybrid sedan, will be this November. With Motor Trend magazine calling the Chevy Volt “the most significant new Chevy ever” GM expects California will play a pivotal role in its success. California is not only the United State’s top auto market, with 10 to 12% of new nationwide car sales being made; it is also a top leader for the nation in Earth friendly vehicles. Over 20% of the nationwide Toyota Prius gasoline/electric hybrid sedans were bought in California.

The Volt will have the ability to be recharged from standard household power in about 12 to 14 hours with the on-board 110-volt charger. It will only take four hours to recharge if a 240-volt charger is used. Once fully charged the Chevy Volt’s capable of driving 40 miles on electric power alone. When the lithium-ion battery is low the gasoline-fueled/generator will add an additional 300 miles of driving range. Similar to the Toyota Prius, the Chevrolet Volt’s gas engine will not drive or power the wheels, but instead replenish the battery.

Priced at $41,000 the Chevrolet Volt shows a major improvement in GM electric car technology. GM will be offering an eight-year, 100,000-mile battery warranty and leasing the Chevy Volt with $2,500 down and a $350-a-month, 36-month lease.

Chevrolet’s Silverado Hybrid Offers Customers a Full-Size Hybrid Pickup

With the fluctuating gas prices over the past few years, many full-size truck owners abandoned their gas guzzling vehicles in mid-2008. Gasoline was topping $4 a gallon and trade-in values dropped exponentially. GM hopes to change the consumer mindset with their second hybrid version of their popular Silverado. The Silverado Hybrid offers an EPA fuel-economy rating of 21 mpg city/22 highway helping the city mileage rating compare with some of the popular mid-sized, four-cylinder sedans like the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry.

The new 2010 Chevy Silverado Hybrid is a full-size pickup is base priced at $38,340 (plus freight) for the two-wheel drive HY1 model and $41,490 for the four-wheel drive HY1 version. It will only be available in the crew-cab configuration with a short bed at this time. The same two-mode hybrid drive system is currently used in the GM full-size SUVs; GMC Yukon Hybrid, Cadillac Escalade Hybrid and Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid. The Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid includes a fuel-management system to improve highway cruising. When on level ground or a slight downhill grade a cylinder-deactivation system cuts out four of the eight cylinders.

Future plans of GMC:

Terrain: A mid-size crossover of a compact and mid-size SUV, the GMC Terrain currently offers customers a fuel efficient alternative to traditional SUVs. GMC might give the Terrain a high-end Denali version in 2012 with a design freshening in 2013. By as early as 2014 the GMC Terrain may have a hybrid version.

Yukon and GMC Yukon XL: A next-generation Yukon is said to be uncovered in 2014. GM may upgrade the current Hybrid Yukon’s two-mode hybrid to a four-mode version allowing an improvement in fuel efficiency.

Sierra 1500: A compressed natural gas version probably will appear in 2012, and the pickup will be re-engineered and restyled for the 2014 model year. The GMC Sierra 2500 and 3500 models are expecting a restyle in the 2014 or 2015 model year, and will get compressed natural gas versions in about two years.

Savanna: The van gets compressed natural gas capability in the 2011 model year.

Corvette: Karl Stracke, General Motors VP of global engineering, acknowledges that a Corvette hybrid is a possibility for the sports car and since competitors are going that way it wouldn’t be out of place.

Bright IDEA: GM dives into the electric delivery van market with a recent announcement of a $5 million investment and partnership with Indiana-based Bright Automotive. Capable of traveling up to 38 miles on electric power before switching to the gasoline/electric hybrid mode, the Bright IDEA will get up to 36 miles per gallon, according to Bright Automotive.  

Refreshed in design and technology, Tesla Motors announced the Roadster 2.5 last week along with their website redesign (see below). Among the improvements of better sound dampening and improved seat cushions, the internal finishes and overall Tesla Roadster 2.5 design are only among a few of the new features the Tesla Roadster 2.5 will include. To see the new Roadster 2.5 for yourself head over to one of the two new Tesla Motors stores in Copenhagen, Denmark and Newport Beach, California.

A first trip to Patagonia, Roadmonkey recently announced it's January 2011 Patagonia Expedition will combine horseback riding, bicycling, and a local volunteer project. This expedition will be Roadmonkey's second trip to Latin America and will include some of the most breathtaking landscape on the planet. Located in Argentina and Chile, the Patagonia Expedition will take 8 days. Stops along your route include tastings in Patagonia's developing wine country followed by 4 days of building either a playground or a community fruit and vegetable garden in cooperation with a Patagonia indigenous community.

Further details of Roadmonkey's 2011 Patagonia Expedition will include an itinerary and route map, cost and exact time frame as well as information regarding lodging, food and other pertinent information will be revealed when arrangements are finalized.

It’s not very difficult to appreciate a quality man’s working shirt. There are many reputable working clothes designers out there today that the market is filled with choices and options perfect for any man’s changing and usually busy career.

One of the best solutions for the growing world fuel shortage problems we are facing these days is purchasing a hybrid car. Most car makers have resorted to the design and production of hybrid cars in answer to the growing fuel crisis. And because of the ingenuity of these new inventions, they have grown in popularity.

Governments Support Hybrid Use

Hybrids are environmentally-friendly because they emit less pollutants and emissions into the atmosphere. Some hybrid cars have the ability to lower pollution rates up to 90% as compared to conventional cars. These are only a couple of the reasons why the government supports hybrid cars. Their support can be seen in the many government tax incentives buyers are offered when purchasing a hybrid car.

Fuel-Efficient and Low Maintenance

Using a process called regenerative braking, hybrid vehicles don’t need to be plugged into an electrical outlet to charge the electric motor. While the vehicle is running with the use of the traditional internal combustion engine, the electric motor is being charged. In driving situations where the traditional gas engine is less efficient (as in slow city driving) the electric motor will take over.

While buying a hybrid is not the least expensive vehicle on the market, in the long run hybrids prove to be more economical and offer more benefits than traditional gas engine cars. Hybrid car prices are typically higher than ordinary car prices, but remember that hybrid cars have a lower depreciation rate. In addition to these numerous benefits to the owner, hybrid cars also require less maintenance. This will greatly reduce the cost and trouble of owning a hybrid vehicle.

Car Makers Offering Hybrid Models

Aside from sedans, there are also many hybrid pickup trucks and hybrid minivans currently offered by various car makers. There are many beautiful models to choose from in today’s market with the car makers fighting for your business. As hybrid vehicles gain in popularity the models offered will only continue to rise as car makers compete with each other.

Toyota Hybrids

The undisputed favorite in the Toyota line of hybrids is, no surprise here, the Toyota Prius found by car reviews. It has the most efficient miles-per-gallon report of all hybrids currently on the market, and the new 2010 model has even more bells and whistles than previous years. In addition to the variety of gizmos Toyota offered such as the keyless entry, rear-view camera system, and high-tech energy monitor. The 3^rd Generation Toyota Prius offers, for the first time, heated seats and a moonroof. The moonroof will not inhibit the new slick-looking solar panel to provide power to the new ventilation system.

If you’re not a particular fan of the Toyota Prius, there are the Toyota Hybrid Camry and Toyota Highlander Hybrid also available.

Did you know that in 2006, the toy and game-maker Hasbro added a Toyota Prius shaped game token in the “here and now” version of Monopoly?

Honda Hybrids

Honda hybrid cars also compete strongly in the hybrid market, especially in design and fuel efficiency. The Honda Civic hybrid is the closest in comparison to the well respected Toyota Prius, but Honda also offers the Insight Hybrid in addition to a couple alternative fuel vehicles; the Civic GX Natural Gas Vehicle (NGV) and the FCX Clarity Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle.

Ford Hybrids

With the very sleek design and competitive miles-per-gallon efficiency Ford doesn’t fail with the Ford Escape Hybrid they offer. Another hybrid option through Ford is the Fusion Hybrid, but talks of a new model to compete with the Toyota Prius might add another hybrid to Ford’s lineup.

Saturn Hybrids

“Go green without going broke” is the new slogan being touted by the Saturn hybrids. In support of this slogan, Saturn offers good quality hybrids at lower costs. Their use of “mild hybrid” technology means that they can offer some of the benefits of hybrids without having to increase their selling price all that much. Currently the two Saturn hybrid models are offered on the Saturn Aura and Saturn Vue.

Whatever hybrid model you choose, the green-technology cars are better in many ways than the traditional gasoline-guzzling cars of the past. In these times of fuel shortage and pollution of the environment being recognized as two of the foremost public issues, the use of this constantly upgrading technology promises to bring a positive contribution to car market.

Women’s scarves have always been around in various forms. Today’s scarf started out with the Ancient Romans as a tool to keep warm and keep clean. They were originally worn by men around their neck or tied to their belt. Soon women started using scarves, which were made of cloth. Today the scarf is a fashionable trend among women.

In the poor Issan region of North East Thailand, many families in this rural community are skilled in the art of weaving silk. Yet without the employment opportunities in more developed areas or internet access it was difficult for many of these silk makers to find a way of distributing their goods. Marketing to the West was an unattainable goal until Farquhar Simpkin traveled to Thailand. After learning of this challenge in the friendship of a local girl Simpkin thought of a way to start a project that could help, and just over a year later the Kohtrad Silk Project was started.

Comprised of two websites, SilkShirtStore.com and SilkScarfShawls.com, the Kohtrad Silk Project is enabling the Thai silk makers, traditionally women, to distribute their products around the world by using an online platform once unavailable. The silk weavers receive good fair trade pay for their talented work, many using this income to afford school for their children, build a business, or simply stay in the area. Poverty is a challenge almost half of the world faces today and with social enterprises like the Kohtrad Silk Project the aims are to educate and enable people in impoverished countries to help empower themselves. These individuals are given an opportunity to be successful and pull their families out of poverty.

In an effort to provide the opportunity entrepreneurs in developing countries around the world need to start their own small businesses SilkShirtStore.com donates 10% of their profits in loans through Kiva’s microfinance program. Many individuals in these impoverished countries are extremely motivated and have the ability of being successful in their business endeavors. By providing loans instead of donations accountability is encouraged. Once profitable these individuals will be able to provide the essential clean water, food, and shelter their families need and help bring them out of poverty.

Natural Men's Long Sleeve Silk Shirt - Navy Blue
Price: $22.53 (UK£ 14.99) - Includes free shipping worldwide.

The other side of the Kohtrad Silk Project is SilkScarfShawls.com where 50% of all profits from silk scarves and silk shawls are being used to build a community internet hub in Si Sa Ket, North East Thailand. Home to about 600 people, Si Sa Ket is where the silk scarves and shawls are made. The internet hub will be located next to a village school when completed and will give this rural community access to cheap internet access. 

100% Natural Silk Scarf - Red with Gold Pattern
Price: $22.53 (UK£ 14.99) - Includes free shipping worldwide.

 

Prior to embalming, a practice started with Civil War-era doctor Thomas Holmes to send soldiers home, a simple pine box was used at home in a more personal farewell. Traditional burials can now easily surpass $10,000! After a house and car, burials are a person's third-largest personal expense. Today, the mortuary industry is a $25 billion-a-year industry. "When you're grieving, it's really hard to say, 'What's the cheapest casket you've got?'" says Karen Leonard, an activist who helped the late Jessica Mitford update her 1963 exposé, "The American Way of Death." Mortuaries know a grieving family wouldn't dare ask this question and use their grief to upsell unnecessary services and expensive merchandise like exotic wood or metal caskets.

A Natural Alternative

Baby Boomers don't want to spend life separating paper from plastic, just to put concrete, metal and chemicals back into the ground," says Clint Crary, whose Pioneer Burials in Sacramento, California, is a leading provider of natural burial products. "They don't want to live a life that is environmentally friendly, then have their funeral not be."

(Ecoburial.net)