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

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

Ladies & Gentlemen, I am not sure if you’re aware of it or not, but today is Monday, December 22.  That means, officially, we only have today, and TWO More days to get all of our holiday shopping done for each and every member of our “Nice List” this year!  Given the state of our economy this year, if you’re at all like me, your Christmas Stash is probably dwindling.  Relax, I found a great way to stretch it!I just found an awesomely helpful little article that had 5 great tips that just so happened to be Green as well, that will help stretch your Holiday cash as far as possible AND ensure that everyone on your gift list will go home happy!  As always, head over and check out the full article, but for now, for your brief viewing pleasure, here are the 5 ways you can greenly save your green while being a good gift giver…talk about 3 birds with 1 stone!

1. Bake Your Way Through The Holiday Gift List - Homemade treats = Genius.  Do it.
2. Skip the Paper Christmas Cards This Year - Email Only.  Save a Tree.
3. Donate To All Your Favorite Eco-Organizations - There is ALWAYS someone that needs more help than we do.  Help them.  Help the earth.
   
4. Cut The Consumption in YOUR Family - Less gifts all around.  Give less, BE more.
5. Don’t Overfeed Your Family and Friends This Holiday Season - Stick to normal sized meals, don’t go overboard all the time.

There you go!  Any one of those should be able to help you cut the costs down, help the planet, and still come out looking like the Jolly Old Elf we all know and love.  Stay Green, even when it’s white outside!

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!

The good news this beautiful Tuesday morning is that the Top 5 “Green Cars of the Year” finalists have been announced over at the Green Car Journal.  The bad news is, winning this contest doesn’t exactly mean you’re the ‘Greenest car of the year.’   Why do I say this, you ask?  How about trying this on for size:  In 2008, the winner of the “Green Car of the Year” was the Chevy Tahoe hybrid that gets an extremely disappointing 22 miles to the gallon.  Wow.  This year, however, they’ve turned things around and it looks like the top 5 all deserve to be there.  Thank goodness.

Without further ado, here, according to Green Car Journal, are the Top 5 Finalists, ready to be voted for, for the Greenest Car of the Year:

BMW 335d

Ford Fusion Hybrid

Saturn Vue 2 Mode Hybrid

Smart ForTwo

Volkswagen Jetta TDI

For me, I’m voting for the Volkswagen Jetta TDI for the simple fact that I want all of us Americans to start adopting and loving clean-diesel fuel and not fearing it as the dirty, old, Mercedes spewing monstrosities that they used to be.  I suppose the fact that it gets arguably the best fuel economy of them all doesn’t hurt.  The time for adopting new, alternative fuels, alternative energies and embracing things that are proven to work beautifully is now.  Start by voting for your pick for the Greenest Car of the Year!

Yesterday we talked about one of the biggest “no…really?!” products of all time, that we’ve all probably needed and wanted a lot more than we’d like to admit.  Today, we look to the future, and the future, in Montana’s case, usually means freezing cold winters as soon as September and October.  Believe it.

So, from cooling, to now wanting a greener, more alternative energy based way of HEATING my home, huh?  Sorry for the random skip forward in seasons, but hey, it is better to be prepared than sorry, right?  That said, I just so happened to find an article Packed with ideas on green heating alternatives for this year’s inevitable frozen tundra of a winter.  So, as always, check out the full article, but here is a paraphrasing of some simple ways to heat your home without damaging your pocketbook OR the environment:

• “Adjust the Thermostat - Turning down the thermostat just 10-15 degrees for only 8 to 10 hours can save you 10% on your annual energy bill.
• Use Fireplace Inserts - Make your older fireplace absolutely air-tight and you’ll keep the warmth inside, without losing it to the cold outside.
• Invest in a Pellet Stove - Using small pellets of wood or sawdust, its 50% less expensive than using electricity or propane, and 35% cheaper than heating oil.
• Heat Your Home With Biofuels - Using Biofuels, derived from recently dead material, differ from fossil fuels, which are derived from long dead material, like petroleum, can help keep costs down and reduce emissions!
• Weatherize Your Home - Use weatherstripping and caulking to fill and cover any gaps between doors and windows can help you save hundreds in lost heat.
• Radiant Heating - While more pricey to remodel, by using radiant heating in your floors, you could save 20 to 40% over time once its installed.
• Use Solar Power - I love this one!  By using solar panels you can actually make enough energy to have the power company pay YOU back.  Expensive to start, but worth it in the end.
• Installing Double Paned WIndows - Old, single paned windows can drain 10-25% off every heating bill.  Upgrade?
• Use a Space Heater - If it is only one room you’re trying to heat use a space heater, it will drastically reduce your energy consumption.
• Upgrade Your Current Heating System - Upgrading can take your ancient heating system into a modern, efficient machine without the full-fledged commitment to a major overhaul.”

There you go!  I’m sure all of you can relate to some of these ideas!  Or, if you’re like me, living in a home built in 1892, all of them probably seem amazingly smart!  Whatever the case may be, try some out, and jump into some cleaner, greener, cheaper alternatives this winter!

When it comes to adding value to your home, with the exception of sprucing up the bathrooms, kitchen or adding appliances, nothing gives as much instant boost as amazing landscaping.  There is a reason there is such a thing as “curb appeal” and a magnificently manicured and designed yard is a perfect way to make your home stand out.  The question is, how can you achieve these results without breaking the bank?  How can you get that well manicured lawn without emptying your pocketbook and ruining your sanity?  There are ways! I just found a great article with 10 tips for do-it-yourself landscaping that anyone can accomplish.  There are some green ways for You, the Mr. or Mrs. Fixit of your house, to turn that square patch of grass into something beautiful.  For more in-depth reasoning, head over and check out the full article, but for now, here are 10 ways to reach those landscaping goals without going bankrupt or killing the environment:

1. Get Inspired
2. Evaluate Your Garden
3. Explore Alternate Plant Sources
4. Be Realistic About How Much Work You Can Do
5. Try The Plants Before Making a Commitment
6. Plant Something to Distract from the Fence
7. Take Your Time
8. Research How Fast the Plants Will Grow
9. Add Furniture & Accessories
10. Light Up Your Life

Some of these ideas are just great; I love the idea of testing out the plants you have chosen by leaving them in the pots before planting them to see if they agree with your landscape.  I love the ideas to get yourself inspired first, whether it is driving around and looking at yards you love, reading magazines, or simply trying to draw and design your dream garden and going from there.  The great news is, there are green ways to do each and every step, from using solar lights in Step 10, to only using recycled or organic products when it comes to furniture. Just remember, you Can do it, and there are so many resources to help you.

Welcome to your Monday friends.  Hopefully the weekend treated you kind and was filled with bike rides, iced tea and a great deal of laid back summer fun.  That said, something struck me this weekend, and I was so glad to wake up today and find this awesome little bit of news…

Picture yourself sitting under a tree, reading a great book in the shade…what’s wrong with this picture?  How about how many trees are cut down each and every year just to MAKE the books we read?  How about according to reports, that number is around 30 MILLION trees each year.  Wow.  What can be done?  Simple, green publishing, which is something I hope more and more publishers get on board with!

I just read an interesting article about a few different companies that are taking giant leaps towards more Green publishing.  Ideas are ranging from publishing “Online Only” newspapers, using only paper from responsibly managed forests, all the way down to using ONLY recycled paper to print your books on.

The article is an interesting one, and one that really does make you think.  We always consider reading as so much of a more productive hobby, using less electricy and energy as video games or television but the simple fact of how many trees are cut down just to “fund” our hobby is alarming!

Now THIS is what I’m talking about!  We all know and love the Toyota Prius for how it has very effectively burrowed its way into public consciousness and helped spread the idea of alternative energy solutions for the world.  It looks like they are going to take things yet another step further in the near future, and all I can say is:  MORE CAR COMPANIES FOLLOW SUIT, PLEASE!

Yes, it is true that other, smaller car companies are doing very similar things with the placement of solar panels to help drive the on-board electronics, but this simple fact remains:  This is the first time a major car company is including solar power in a readily available, commercially produced car.  Yay.  According to reports, “the solar panels would provide a portion of the two to five kilowatts needed to power the air conditioning unit. The solar panels would be supplied by Kyocera.”

The other good news is this:  Toyota plans to up production to 450,000 units, which represents a drastic 60% increase in previous production, which in turn means, a 60% increase in consumer demand.  That, in turn means 60% increase in people that actually Care about this!  Yay again!

Not in line yet to buy one?  Why?

Whenever I speak to people about going green, one of the first and most important things I try to bring up to bring as many people on board as possible, is just how much of your Green (dollars, my friends, dollars) it can actually save by doing some of these things.  Lucky for me, and you, and all the rest of us, I just found 10 helpful tips on exactly how to go about this.

Head over and check out the full article for more in-depth analysis and reasoning behind each one, but to save you time, here is a brief paraphrasing of the top 5 ways on just how to achieve some of these results:

1. Save energy to save money. - This can be as easy as just turning down your thermostat a bit lower, or turning off as many lights as you can or switching them for CFL’s.  Do it.
2. Skip the bottled water. - Buy a water filter, a Brita pitcher, or buy a Klean Kanteen aluminum or stainless steel water bottle.  This can cut down on waste more than you’d even believe.
3. Save water to save money. - Shorter showers, water your lawn less, get plants that don’t need as much watering.
4. Less gas = more money. - This one isn’t shocking, but walk more, bike more, Scooter more, public transport more.  Do anything BUT drive your car.  More.
5. Eat smart. - Go meatless once a week.  Eat locally grown produce.

There are 5 more awesome ways on the site, head over and check them out!