From The Workbench - Alternative + Renewable Energy Blog Valuable information for do-it-yourselfers interested in the latest in alternative + renewable energy

If your travel plans are taking you anywhere in or around the Sundance area this year, I have great news!  This year, unlike many years, there are actually quite a few great green films that you can take in!  That’s right, this year’s Sundance Film Festival doesn’t JUST have to be the glitz, glamour and independent showcases that you’re all accustomed to hearing.

This year, if you are lucky enough to be in attendance, you can actually choose to see some films that are striving to make a difference; some films this year are going green, and as such we here at Northern Tool and From the Workbench want to give our endorsement!  Here, according to reports, are 5 Green Films you shouldn’t miss this year:

“Earth Days: From the first Earth Day on April 22, 1970 sprouted an environmental consciousness that would infiltrate Americans’ hearts and minds for decades to come.Through the eyes of nine citizens, including a congressman and an astronaut, this documentary recounts the modern environmental movement and the sweeping progress it prompted.

Dirt! The Movie: With humor and honesty, this film digs deep to deliver the voices of farmers, physicists, church leaders, children, wine critics, anthropologists, and activists sharing anecdotes about the ground beneath our feet — and the dangers of destroying it.

The End of the Line: You’d expect a documentary that trawls in the facts about overfishing’s devastating effects to have beautiful underwater scenes mixed with chilling scientific testimony, and this one does. It also incites shock and offers solutions to save seafood.

Crude: Filmmaker Joe Berlinger spent three years capturing the David-and-Goliath tale of five indigenous tribes fighting for justice against one of the world’s largest oil producers. After Chevron dumped 18 billion tons of toxic oil waste in the Ecuadoran Amazon, the people fight for their day in court in this broadly scoped documentary.

The Cove: Flipper inspired a love for dolphins that mutated over the years into an multibillion dollar entertainment industry, quietly supplied by Japanese porpoise-snatchers. Guards in Taijii, Japan, the world’s largest supplier of dolphins, patrol the coves to prevent photography from leaking their secret, until a small documentary team, led by a famous dolphin trainer, infiltrate and expose the cruel practice.”

There you have it.  Check out any of those films and fill your mind with Green and Good this year.  Who knows what could happen!

Welcome back to the work week!  Where I am working it’s currently very cold, very snowy and the worst is on the way.  That said, what do you do if you are like me and you crave a good farmer’s market?  You prefer fresh vegetables to packaged ones, organic produce to store-bought?  Simple, you look for a winter market.

That’s right, a winter market, if available in your area, can be the perfect solution for filling your grocery bags with good, healthy, organic produce and food without having to head into your nearest Safeway or Albertons.  According to the article I read, there are many great ways to utilize a Winter Farmer’s Market, here is what they had to say:

Many farmers’ markets go dormant during winter, but there are exceptions, such as the winter market in Portland, Maine. Use LocalHarvest or the USDA’s National Agricultural Library to find a local market or CSA in your region. Expect to find cold-tolerant vegetables like potatoes, carrots, beets, rutabagas, winter squash, and onions. In some regions, greens such as kale will be available. Applesmeat, eggs, and dairy are year-round foods. If you live near the coast, opt for sustainable seafood. store well and are often sold at winter markets. If you can’t find fresh produce, remember that local

So, do some research, find a winter market near you and start doing some green, organic shopping in your home town!

Stay Warm. Stay Full, and shop local!

(image via modernforager.com)

2009/2010 could very well be the year of the Electric Car.  We’ve done the hybrid thing, we’ve dabbled in bio-diesel and we’ve heard all about ethanol, but where it really seems to be getting exciting is in the world of electricity.  If the reports I’m reading hold true, this very well could be the most exciting and innovative year ever when it comes to new, electric vehicles making their way to our shores.

Gas 2.0 just did an amazing article that profiles the Top 10 most exciting, most innovative, and yes, most COOL electric cars that could potentially be showing up in the U.S. this year.  As always, head over and check out the original article for much more info, but for your abbreviated reading pleasure, here are the Top 10 Electric Cars coming our way soon:

1. “Aptera 2e - $20-$40k, 100-120 miles per charge.
2. ZAP Alias - Under $35k, 100+ miles per charge.
3. cityZENN (Powered by EEStor) - Under $30k, 250 miles per charge.
4. Th!nk City - Under $25k, 110 miles per charge.
5. Plug-In Toyota Prius - $28k - $30k, 10 miles on battery alone, should increase 50+ of Regular Prius.
6. Chevy Volt - $30-$48k, 40 miles on battery, 50+ miles per gallon with fuel.
7. Fisker Karma - $87k, 50 miles on battery, 100+ miles per gallon.
8. Tesla Model S - $60k, 240 miles per charge.
9. Nissan Electric Car - $22 - $25k, 100+ miles per charge.
10. BMW/Mini Electric Car - ?? - ?? , Unknown Mpg.”

There you have it!  You should be quite excited for each and every one of these, even though you might not actually own any of them.  This is an exciting year for electric vehicles and I can’t WAIT to see what happens.  Stay tuned, as we know more, you’ll know more.

In case you did not know what today was, well, you’ve either been living under a rock for the last few months or…I don’t know what.  Today we welcome in the 44th President of the United States of America.  Today, is a big day.  As you well know, Barack Obama has been a very vocal supporter of alternative energy and the need for as many of us as possible to live Green Lives.  That said, wouldn’t he be happy if on this momentous Inauguration Day, we made it a Green one as well?

Lucky for all of us, I just found an incredibly helpful article that offers us all some very easy, very cool tips on how to make today a Green Inauguration Day.  There are only 4 tips, and the 4th one is beyond obvious, so in reality, there are 3 great, easy, Green ways to make today both enjoyable, and Environmentally friendly.  Check out these awesome ideas:

1.  “Watch the Inauguration with Friends
Because spending the evening clutching your Obama ‘08 Move On sticker alone in your dimly lit living room is sort of depressing. Also, with millions upon millions of people tuning in, let’s cut back on a couple of those millions upon millions of TVs that will be turned on. Watch with friends, and consolidate TV usage, or even better, head to a local bar and watch with the entire neighborhood—just try to ignore that disgruntled McCain supporter who keeps talking about how Sarah Palin would’ve been a way hotter VP than Biden.

2.  Do Not Drive to Washington D.C.
It’ll only be filled with screaming liberals anyways. Two million people are predicted to cram into the nation’s capital to watch what on paper sounds like the least riveting succession of events ever: a parade, a prayer, and an oath-taking. Oh yeah, and probably the most mind-blowingly eloquent speech since the Gettysburg Address. But seriously, you’ll be able to see it better on TV, and the traffic is going to be a grotesque, exhaust spewing gridlock.

3.  Throw an Inauguration Day Party
A fine way to complete both #1 and #2 on this list. Just make sure you keep the ol’ impact as low as possible whilst you throw the block’s most rocking prayer/oath/speech observation fest. A few ideas—reuse all that campaign literature, those pamphlets and unused bumper stickers as décor. Offer up the finest green beer as beverages, and of course, have but a single TV on at your place (not sure what sort of Obama nuts would demand otherwise, so as to have an entire screen to themselves—but I’m sure they’re out there).

4.  Oh yeah, and enjoy yourselves
It’s going to be one hell of a historic day.”

Do those and both Mother Nature and President Obama will be extremely pleased with you.  Do those, and I will be too!

We are officially knee-deep into 2009, and while you might still be having trouble remembering to actually write the correct dates on your checks, letters and emails, a simple glance at your new calendar should remind you that it is not, in fact, 2008 any longer.  That said, what do you do with all those old 2008 calendars you’ve got lying around?

You know the ones, the “Golden Retriever” calendar, the Outdoor Photography calendar, the golfing, knitting, cars, women, men or heck, even your old “Far Side” calendars are probably lying all around doing nothing but waiting for the trash or recycle bin.  The fact is, there IS something else you can do with them to help recycle and reuse them…for starters, you don’t have to throw them away!

I just found an article that had 5 great ways to reuse those calendars of yours, doing nothing but taking up space.  Every single little bit helps, I’ve said that time and time again, and in a world where we need as much alternative energy and recycling as possible, lets start here, and continue to do so every year!  Here, according to the article, are 5 great ways to reuse them:

1. Place mats: Throw a dinner party for 12. Place a month beneath each place setting for a great conversation starter.
2. Framed art: Update your home decor with framed calendar images. Make unique art by collaging several months together or by incorporating your own drawing.
3. Packing material: Wrap fragile holiday ornaments in calendar pages for storage.
4. Envelopes: Turn colorful calendar art into distinctive envelopes and notecards. Find a tutorial here.
5. 2036 calendar: Save a 2008 calendar until 2036, when the dates will match up. Find out how what year old calendars can be used again by checking a repeating calendar calculator.

There you have it!  Once you’ve done some, send us in some photos and we’ll put them up here.  Any other creative ideas?  Sound off…

(image via earthday.ca)

I know that the weather in some parts of this country, Montana where I live especially, is not always conducive to getting up, getting dressed and actually making your way outside to get your fitness goals met each day.  Sometimes it’s the sub-zero temperatures, sometimes it is the freezing rain, sometimes the snow, ice, wind or hail.  Wherever you live, there are always going to be reasons to just work out inside, but guess what…there are so many BETTER reasons to work out outside, no matter what the weather is doing.

That’s right, this week’s “Green Fitness Tip” is to get outside and exercise.  No matter what your weather, you can find at least 30 minutes a day to give all of those “electricity-heavy” machines you rely so heavily upon a much needed break, and the environment they affect an even better reprieve.  Don’t believe me that they do in fact damage the Earth?  Try this on for size:

“The average treadmill produces about 2 pounds of CO2 over the course of a 30-minute workout. Shrink your fitness footprint by adding an outdoor run, walk, or bike ride to your routine. In urban areas, choose side streets to decrease your exposure to car exhaust. Still snowbound? Burn those calories by snowshoeing, skiing, or shoveling the driveway.”

Surprising, no?  The bottom line is, in a day and age where we’re so focuse on and so reliant upon electricty and gadgets and devices, sometimes the absolute best thing for our mind, bodies and yes, the Earth too, is to just turn it all off, step outside your front door, and take off.  Try it, I guarantee the results will go much further than just your BMI.

(image via prolitegear.com)

It is officially 2009.  I don’t know how long it’s going to take me to get used to typing 2009 instead of 2008, but if the previous years are any indication, it should be sometime around April when it officially sinks into my mind that we did in fact, progress to a new year.  That said, I’d be lying if I said 2008 was a great year when it came to most of the nation’s finances.  The truth is, it hurt, bad, and now we need to do something about it.  The good news is, there are ways to invest to make more of the green, while staying green at the very same time.  That’s right, Green Investing!

I’m not going to lie, I’m not the best person to turn to when it comes to investing your money.  I suppose that’s why I’m writing a Green Blog on how to save the environment instead of a blog on how to earn enough money to buy a Lear jet.  That said, I just found a pretty awesome article that is packed with some helpful tips to help you invest in Green this 2009.  I know it takes green to make green, but the time is now and the fruit is ripe if you’re willing to jump in.  That said, there are some rules…according to the article:

“First, resurrect the old rules: Do your homework. Don’t invest money you can’t afford to lose, and don’t put all your money into any one sector…Throughout the economy, companies large and small are champing at the bit to advertise themselves as green — and cash in on what many believe will be a revolution in energy, household products and other areas…”

It is no secret that the world of Going Green is a tough one to crack.  Toyota makes Hybrids, yes, but they also make SUV’s, what to do?  Research, that’s what.  Take time, look into companies that say something to you personally and if you love the message, get behind it.  The bottom line is, there are a lot of companies looking to do a lot of good for the environment; investing in them can mean a lot more than just money in your wallet, it could mean years on this planet.

Check out the article, and if you have any Green investing tips, sound off, we’d love to hear them!

Image via Wikipedia

Just yesterday I talked at length about how 33% of consumers in this fine country want greener electronics.  Not only do they Want them, they plan on buying them within the next 2 years.  This is great news, but I found something today that is even better…you don’t have to Wait 2 years to buy some awesome Green Christmas gifts, you can start now, with these 8 awesome products I just found.

That’s right, the article I just read has 8 great ideas for any and all gadget lovers in your life.  The best part of all, not only will THEY love them, the Earth will too.  Can’t ask for much more than that, now can you?  Without further ado, and as usual check out the full article for more, here are the 8 best Green Christmas Gadget Gifts this year:

1. “The Voltaic Backpack - A backpack covered in solar panels that will charge your gear with the energy saved from the sun.  Rad.
2. The Kill-A-Watt - Power strip that actually measures the energy you’re using and shows just how much you save by unplugging.
3. EasyBloom Plant Sensor - A Device that measures how your plants are doing, when they need water and if they are sick or not.  Think of it as a green thumb for you.
4. Mini Kin Wind-Powered Personal Charger - Charges your gadgets using the wind.  Wind power rocks.
5. Bedol Water-Powered Clock - Pour water in, the water will charge it and power it and keep time for you.  Wow.
6. The Ankelite - A solar powered light that goes on your ankle so you’re always visible while biking.  Safety first!
7. Solio Solar Powered Charger - Fan it out, lay it out, charge all your gizmos using nothing but the sun.  Free energy = Awesome.
8. SimpleTech [re]drive Hard Drive - Made from recycleable bamboo and uses an energy star adapter.  Safe and green.”

There you have it.  If you can’t find something on that list to fill up your tree or stocking with gifts, I don’t know what to tell you.  Me, I want all of them…er…I’ll be buying them for other people!  Not a gadget fan but still want to go green this Christmas, head over to Northern Tool and look at all of our amazing alternative energy products.  There is something there for EVERYONE that wants to start helping the Earth AND their pocketbooks!

Let’s face it, eating organic, while better in nearly every way, is not always cheaper in nearly every way.  Very often, it is more expensive to buy an organic brand than your everyday, generic branded version.  It’s not always cheaper, and it’s not always easier.  It IS always better.  That said, how do you strike a balance between saving some money, and helping save the Earth?  Simple, you eat organic, but on a budget.

Given the current state of today’s economy, many of you are probably thinking much harder about your 401k than your bags of carrots and pasta.  According to new reports, when it comes to saving money on the organic front, the simplest way to do so is to just make sure you’re actually Eating everything you buy.  It’s believed that if you go shopping once a week for a week’s worth of food, you’ll end up throwing away almost 20% of it.  Yikes.  To organic shop on a budget, change that and instead buy an entire case of something, much cheaper than a single item price, and then split not only the price, but the goods amongst a few friends.  That way you’re only keeping what you can really eat, and you’re all saving money!

Another great way to do it, is to cut corners on Which items you buy organic.  If money is an issue and you simply can’t afford to buy everything organic, try just buying all produce organic, and skimp in other areas.  Quite often, the difference between organic and non-organic produce is the most drastic of all.  The shift is here, and we can all feel it, start buying in bulk and preparing your Own foods instead of buying pre-prepared.  Help the Earth, help your wallet.  Win-win.

Image via Wikipedia

A few weeks back, I mentioned that the Top 5 Finalists had been officially announced for this year’s “Green Car of the Year.”  Now, on this fine Monday, I have even BETTER news.  Not only did I vote right, I am proud to announce that the car I thought should win, DID win!  Apparently I DO know what I’m talking about!

That’s right, congratulations to the Volkswagen Jetta TDI for taking home top honors according to the folks in the know over at Green Car Journal!  I figure for an honor this prestigious, I ought to let the people that did the choosing do the honors, so here’s what they had to say about the VW Jetta TDI:

“The 2009 Jetta TDI breaks new ground in the field of clean diesels, achieving emissions certification in all 50 states without the use of special additives or extraordinary measures. It provides five passenger functionality with welcome levels of power and a satisfying driving experience. Importantly, it also achieves estimated highway fuel economy of 41 mpg with greatly reduced greenhouse gas emissions. That’s a rarified fuel economy number typically achieved by only the most efficient gasoline-electric hybrids. The clean diesel Jetta TDI matches this efficiency with a powerplant that’s more straightforward and affordable, allowing the Jetta TDI an affordable $21,990 price tag.”

I couldn’t agree more.  The Jetta clearly had this award coming to it, and I truly hope that more people, in more areas adopt such a clean alternative to regular fuel.  Diesel has come a long, long way my friends, and the faster we all start realizing it, the better off our pocketbooks and our planet will be.  At any rate, congrats VW!

Image via Wikipedia