Greeniacs Sustainable Living Articles

Lately there has been a great deal of chatter in the environmental community about divestment. But what exactly does this mean? To understand the divestment

As the concern for finding alternative energy  to power our industries grows, recent developments in fuel cell technology have made powering smaller and larger scale operations possible.

Could there be more untapped alternative energy sources at our fingertips? It is a common occurrence in our everyday lives, the sensations of hot and

California has distinguished itself as being at the forefront of environmentally progressive initiatives in the United States. renewable energy , particularly solar energy. In order to meet

Power plants are currently the largest singular sources of carbon pollution in the United States.1 Each year in the U.S. more than 1,500 power plants release

Quick! How much energy did you use for heating last year? When was the last time you replaced the weather stripping on your windows? What

Energy. We hear the word all day long. Save energy, I need some energy, Energizer bunny, etc. But, when it comes down to it, we’re

Are we addicted to oil? I think so. In 2009 the United States consumed 18.8 million barrels of oil a day.1 Another piece of evidence is

Solar power is gaining momentum every day, but is it growing as fast as it should be? Let’s start with solar energy’s market development and growth:

What are Biofuels? Biofuels are an energy source derived from any organic plant, animal, or living material. The most prominent use of the word has

Energy is one of the most important issues around the world, and has been particularly important in developing countries.1 The World Bank categorizes developing countries as those

While the smart grid is one of the hottest buzz words in the energy and green industry, few know exactly what it is, and for

Energy efficiency is performing the same action or process as before, but using less energy to do so. Most well known is the growing trend

Renewable Energy and the U.S. Military… We rightfully associate war with environmental destruction—the spraying of Agent Orange in the jungles of Vietnam, the burning of

What is ethanol? Ethanol is an alcohol-based fuel that has become popular around the world and is most commonly used to fuel your motor vehicles. However,

The age of renewable technology and energy is upon us, or is it? As discussed in the previous Greeniacs article on solar energy  accounted for not even

For starters, what are biofuels? Biofuels are known as any fuel made from organic matter, with the most well known fuels coming from corn, soybeans, palm, algae

Hydropower, which is energy harnessed from the power of falling water, has been used around the world for thousands of years.1 The first hydroelectric power plant

Can you imagine selecting one of your children to be successful at the expense of your other child or children? Unfortunately, in the world of

Carbon Neutral is a term that gets thrown around quite a bit these days, so what is it exactly? Is it a goal, a guideline, or

Faced with rising oil prices and waning oil reserves around the world, this is the era in which the world’s energy `portfolio will forever change.

Energy is everywhere—it is stored in all matter, but needs to be converted into energy that humans can use. Likewise, all of the waste we

Energy efficiency, we hear about it everywhere we go these days! By definition, something that is more energy efficient will use less energy, which sounds

Whether we have reached “peak oil” yet is up for debate. Peak oil is “the maximum rate of the production of oil in any area

In recent years, it seems that the lightest of the metals—Lithium (Li)—is getting more attention than the precious metals. Lithium has become increasingly popular due

“Alternative fuel source” talk is everywhere these days! So what’s the latest in alternative fuel sources you ask? Microbial fuel cells! A microbial fuel cell (MFC) is a

These days, it’s almost a dirty word—petroleum. The ‘p’ word, also called CRUDE OIL, is something we use everyday but don’t like to talk about. Instead,

Solar power, the generation of electricity from sunlight, is the world’s largest energy resource and also the largest available energy source in the United States. With

China: the Good, the Bad, and the Green… China is the most populated country in the world, and they are currently the second biggest contributor to

President Barack Obama recently announced that his administration has “approved an 8.3 billion dollar loan guarantee”1 for new nuclear power plant construction. This loan will go

Alberta’s Oil Sands: While some sectors of society have embraced alternative forms of energy such as wind and solar, others are exploring ways of reaching previously

Here’s a thought: converting your engine to run on biodiesel or vegetable oil is not a progressive idea; it is regressive. It dates all the

Homeowners around the world who want to do something good for the environment while also reducing their electricity bill are increasingly turning to solar energy

Mountaintop removal mining has recently become one of the most controversial methods of mining for coal. Recently, there has been a growing protest against the

What is Solar Energy? With the broadcast of Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth”, the issue of global warming had escalated to unprecedented heights. These days,

Grilling on the BBQ, lounging around the pool, soaking in the view on your patio – these are all the signature trademarks of summer, but

Wake up and smell the burning coal, Peters, I thought, after eyeing my whopping electric bill. So far my family’s efforts to cut our energy

Environmentalists receive a bad rap for being extremely picky about every energy-consuming detail of human life. They ask people to change their eating and transportation

Corporations everywhere are looking for a way out of significantly reducing their carbon emissions. Populations are demanding emission cut backs and during every political election

Beating the energy crisis is no easy feat, especially with an ailing economy tempting energy companies to continue employing cheap, dirty energy. Those in charge

The hunt for new energy sources began with the obvious: products of mother earth that are known to be energy-rich. When the consequences of petroleum

It is no secret that the world’s intractable addiction to coal as an energy source has been a major cause of global climate change. Mountain

The Basics California is known for being a state to set nation-wide environmental trends, and this November’s election is no different. A significant amount of

Solar cooking is such a simple idea, yet it may have huge benefits for the environment. Solar ovens can be found in many different forms,

It has been estimated that almost 86% of energy used annually in the U.S. is from the combustion of fossil fuels. The pollution from these

Save energy and money this summer: trade your gas or electric dryer for a clothesline. It’s not revolutionary: people have relied on free solar power

A greater national conscience is growing about the idea of green and efficiency . BENEFITS FOR THE ENVIRONMENT: An energy inefficient home will waste electricity and/or fuel. Although

With energy costs rising and fuel reserves dwindling, more and more people are turning to solar power. Solar panels capture energy from the sun,which can

With rising global populations, an ever increasing demand for energy, and compelling evidence for climate change, it is crucial that we invest in energy technologies