U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, today released the text of the Chairman’s Mark of the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act (S. 1733).Senator Boxer said, “We’ve reached another milestone as we move to a clean energy future, creating millions of jobs and protecting our children from dangerous pollution. I look forward to the hearings and the markup as we move ahead to the next step.” That’s from the EPW news release from

In these tough economic times, it isn’t just private consumers who should look into reducing their electricity costs. Organisations can also save on energy. One of the quickest ways to cut your electricity bills is to make sure that your energy is used efficiently. You should make sure that all lights are turned off when they not needed, and that computers are never left switched on overnight. A few simple signs reminding staff to switch off the lights when they leave the office can help mak

Mark Aucamp asked: We have just had the worst snow in twenty years last month which brought some parts of the UK to its knees. The Bank of England is trying to control deflation by reducing interest rate to one percent and still the prices for certain imported foods and energy costs are rising. Everybody is now feeling the fallout of the credit crunch and the recession is starting to take victims. Last month I noticed the biggest jump in my gas and electricity costs so I called my provider.

A Royal Mail worker describes the background to the 2009 national strike vote, including details of how managers have been manipulating the figures to justify cuts. Old people still write letters the old-fashioned way: by hand, with a biro, folding up the letter into an envelope, writing the address on the front before adding the stamp. Mostly they don’t have email, and while they often have a mobile phone – bought by the family ‘just in case’ – they usually have no idea how to sen

Erik Scop asked: About 90% of homeowners want to implement some kind of environmentally friendly or energy saving changes. That’s a lot of good will (and an increasing awareness of rising energy costs). However, the biggest budget priority for outdoor spending is adding a new deck or hot tub, not investing in green technology. That also makes sense – homeowners want to find comfort in their living spaces, so their first investment is toward things that enhance that experience. Retractable

The US Dollar has been on a persistent downtrend this year and is fast approaching the 2008 lows. I was going to post of chart of the Dollar Index. You can probably get a better picture by standing on your roof, taking all the currency out of your wallet, and tossing it into the air and watching gravity pull the bills down to the Earth. There seems to be little support other than perhaps a possible bounce off the 2008 lows. A rise in interest rates would likely cause a lift, but that rise does

A NewsOne Exclusive With everyone from celebrities and huge corporations to small businesses touting their efforts to “go green,” there’s no doubt that the environmental movement has become mainstream. But does environmentalism include Black people? Between dealing with a struggling economy and the host of other problems afflicting the community, some Black people might feel we hardly have any energy left to monitor our carbon footprints or seek organic foods. But according to Kari Fulton

Recent findings by environmental messaging studies are showing that simply using the “it saves money” appeal to get people to buy green isn’t enough to motivate lasting change.  Here’s some new food for thought on the subject, via GreenBiz: In our forthcoming Energy Pulse study , we’ve discovered another reason why screaming “save money” doesn’t work, and we’re calling it The Apathy Gap. Here’s how it works: When we asked consumers how much their bill would have to go up in order to for

The answer to lots of the issues with your windows may lie with decorative window film . Window film can enhance your privacy, reduce glare, block UV rays which can harm your furniture and flooring, and heat up your house during those hot summer months. Installing decorative window film can also help to boost your homes energy efficiency. Installing window film is so easy that most owners can do it on their own. There are many different types of styles of ornamental window film so it pays t

Would you like to learn how to make and install solar panels using solar do it yourself kits? If that is the case you could be wondering if it is actually possible for someone without much experience constructing solar energy to make excellent panels that may service your house. In fact, this is a task that even the most beginner workman can do in a quick period of time, if they’re using the right kit and instructions.Using solar panels to get your house off the grid is a good way to reduce your