Technology · Eco-Chick

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Ask Chicky: Clear Skies or Dirty Air?

Dear Chicky,

My boyfriend and I (we’re both in our early 30′s) have a bet: I say air quality is better than when we were kids, he says it’s worse. Who’s right?

–Itching to Be Right
Dear Itching,

Though it’s always fun to watch one half of a couple do the “I’m right and you’re wrong” dance, I’m sorry to report that nobody’s winning the bet on this one. You’re both right, depending on what kind of standard you’re using to judge air quality, and where you live.
Overall, air quality has improved in most parts of the United States, due to several decades of pollution rules and enforcement under the Clean Air Act. In the Southeastern parts of the country where population growth has exploded, there are higher levels of pollution than before (since housing wasn’t exactly planned around people riding their air-friendly bikes to work), but they’re still within the normal range on most days. Some cities, like Los Angeles, have made dramatic improvements in air quality, something that Angelenos notice when they step outside their doors and enjoy visible views. That’s the good news.

Ask Chicky, bikes, car, carbon, cars, children, cities, Easter, Eco-Chick, emissions, Energy, epa, fur, health, kids, Los Angeles, News, Plants, Pollution, reduce, Technology

Solar technology is lookin' good…

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by Jennifer Veilleux · 03/03/06

Many people think solar panels are ugly and that they are an eyesore on the roof of otherwise attractive homes. Some more rigid housing communities have gone so far as to ban them because of this bias. But most of us are familiar with the story about the ugly duckling.

Watch out because solar technology is growing up and changing its look!

In the industry there is a technology called BiPV – building integrated photovoltaics. BiPV offers a solution to having both the benefit of solar energy generated on your rooftop and the sleek roof of your dreams: solar shingles.

Yes, that’s right, solar technology is now being integrated right into roofing tiles – and they have them in different colors and styles to suite any taste. SUNSLATES, GE, Sharp, Kyocera, and Powerlight are among companies who offer these products for your home. BiPV is also available for flat roofs, walls, and glass installations.

So, if the aesthetics of solar technology has turned you away from an investment in your future and the future of our global environment, let its new face turn you on!

Eco-Chick, Energy, Home, style, Technology

State of the Union Address States Something Incredible

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by Jennifer Veilleux · 02/27/06

Although our President has tried to hold back the tide of change toward cleaner healthier energy, some things he said in his last State of the Union Address suggests that he may be changing his tune, at least for now. The oil money man said that “America is addicted to oil”, and implied that this is a bad thing.

Bush acknowledged that energy sources from solar, wind, and hydrogen not only exist, but that further support into research and development for “alternative energies” will be funded by the federal government! In his speech he declared that we have to push forward in two vital areas: how we power our homes and offices and how we power our vehicles. Following his speech, Bush even went so far as to visit a plant that produces solar panels in Michigan and make public statements about the importance of the technology.

Regarding vehicles, ethanol was mentioned specifically in the State of the Union Address. Ethanol is a fuel that can be produced from various plants and plant matter. It can be manufactured in our own backyard or rather our own rural communities, and in fact, it already is. There is a fuel available, called E85; a mixture of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline, and it is used to power cars and trucks.