A Green Christmas Shout Out To Green Home Solutions

We met the wonderful folks at Green Home Solutions back in October at a Fairfield Green Drinks event. After the event, around ten of us decided to break bread, and Bill and his wife were a part of that contingent.

Now, for most of those who know the Green Nuclear Butterfly, we are not ones to give praise easily. So, when we tell you this is a place where every Green Santa should be shopping for ways to Green up the home, it is a heartfelt recommendation. When it comes to walking the walk, Green Home Solutions is one of the leaders of the pack, bringing concerned citizens products that will help each of us do our part in solving Global Warming.

GREEN HOME SOLUTIONS

Showroom:
167 Main Street
Norwalk, CT 06851
(203) 846-6060 F (203) 849-9494

Click here for Showroom directions

Green Building Supplies 2008

Coming in 2008 a new state of the art interactive showroom and distribution center. We will update you soon as to when and where.

If you are looking for a green employment opportunity, please fax your resume to
203-849-9494 or e-mail us at
greenhomebuilders@yahoo.com

PS: They feature some great articles

AllGreen is All Right

I have just seen the new premiere edition of “AllGreen,” the winter edition, and have to say that this is a welcome addition to the environmental community, and a concept that I hope to see spread to other states, or turn into a national publication.

We need publications that can steer people towards Green Solutions to living their own lives, and in doing so, helping families in making a contribution towards solving Global Warming, and healing our Mother Earth. AllGreen helps to provide that conduit.

I myself am thinking about doing some extensive renovation of my 100 year old home here in Peekskill, New York. The magazine has led me to reach out already to two of the advertisers, Green Home Solutions, and Green Demolitions as I figure out how to make me and my wife’s house our dream home, while leaving a smaller foot print on the environment. Another’s discarded kitchen cabinetry may become the foundation of our new kitchen. A green builder may be able to see that the new roof and siding on our home help us to conserve energy.

Moving forward, I hope to see AllGreen include some articles on important issues facing all of us, hope to see them publish articles that make us think, even debate important issues and choices as we move to seek solutions to Global Warming. All and all though, their first issue was a great read.

AllGreen is widely distributed throughout the state of Connecticut. You can also visit their new website, www.allgreen.com, where the entire content of the allGreen premiere issue is available as a Flash file.

Could Georgia Drought Threaten Farley Nuclear Reactors?

Luckily, the Farley Nuclear Reactor site is cooled with Towers, which means their water needs run into hundreds of millions of gallons of water use a day, instead of billions of gallons of water use each day in a once through system like Entergy's Indian Point where the licensee has been fighting for 30 plus years the citizens demand that they keep their commitment to go to a Closed Cooling System. Still, hundreds of millions of gallons of water use on a daily basis is a LOT OF WATER, and there are serious reasons to suspect that Georgia's desperate conditions due to a continuing drought might be, or are threatening the Farley Reactors ability to continue running.

Water fights between Georgia, Alabama and Florida is not new, each state having their own positions on how water sharing is done...problem is, as we are seeing now, in a catastrophic drought situation as the one now being faced in Georgia, with the citizens of Atlanta on water rationing, practical life needs have nothing to do with legal battles, and differing water needs in three different states.

Here is the problem right now...Georgia, specifically middle Georgia does not have enough water to meet its own citizens water needs, and is less than 90 days from running out of water. The time has come to turn off the spicket that supplies Alabama water for its nuclear reactors, and water that Florida contends it needs to protect its Panhandle.

The tri-state battle pits Florida's concerns about preserving endangered species of mussels and sturgeon and the effects of booming population growth in Atlanta against those of Georgia, which worries that the water needed to keep the species alive draws from dwindling sources such as Lake Lanier outside of Atlanta. Alabama, meanwhile, contends Georgia needs to loosen its hold on water from Lake Allatoona in the Atlanta metro area so that the state can replenish much-needed water supplies and continue running a nuclear power plant in the southern part of the state.

Sat, Oct. 20, 2007
http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/news/story/157712.html

Can someone have a V-8 here? We have Alabama demanding Lake Allatoona water in Georgia be released so they can continue operating NUCLEAR REACTORS! Here is a wake up call to Alabama, and to Farley...people not nuclear reactors come first. Shut down Farley, put it into COLD STORAGE until the drought is over.

In the meantime, for all the communities where the nuclear industry wants to build their new generation of reactors...how precious are your water supplies? Are you as citizens ready to face water rationing in the name of Nuclear Profits?

Impacts of Climate Change on Nuclear Power Station Sites

Greenpeace UK
12-03-2007

This review looks at the impacts that climate change will have on the coastal environment around a selection of power station sites, over the lifetime of both existing and proposed nuclear reactors, and examines the risks to which they would be exposed by rising tide levels, coastal erosion and storm surges. It also highlights the even more disastrous consequences that would ensue upon the loss of a significant area of land-based ice such as the Greenland ice shelf, which could result in a catastrophic global sea level rise.

The impacts of climate change on nuclear power station sites: full report (PDF)
The impacts of climate change on nuclear power station sites: executive summary (PDF)
Watch an animation to see how rising seas will threaten both existing and new nuclear power stations

Thanks to Chris Dudley at MDSolar for the story tip.
Mirrored from my new blog WinaFish.

Green Nuclear Butterfly Accepting Advertising Proposals.

After trying both Ad Brite, and Ad Sense, Green Nuclear Butterfly has decided we need more control over what appears on our side bar in the way of advertising. We want Green Products and Companies on our side bar, want to present to our readers Earth Friendly choices. To that end, we are putting out a casting call. Send us your banner ads, email us something on your product with a note telling us why we should give you a try. Email us at uraniumhotspot@aol.com

As we explore this new approach, we are going to chose ten companies to roll out our new look. During this trail run, all side bar placements are 100 percent FREE, or gift to you for bringing your products to the attention of our readers.

NEI taken to task once before for false advertising?

[This is from Sherwood, aka Royce Penstinger, who is buried under 50,000 pages of NRC documents and can't surface for air right this second... RemyC]

Wasn't NEI taken to task once before for false advertising? With Entergy trying to relicense Indian Point, they are at it again as NEI is running commercials locally claiming nuclear does not pollute the air...a quick scan of the few pollutants they still track shows that is and out and out lie.

As to contributing to Global Warming, maybe the world should rethink this...Indian Point on a daily basis sucks in 2.4 Billion gallons of water, and discharges it back into the Hudson at 103 degrees...multiply that times 443 reactors worldwide. Couple that with the most carbon intensive mining and processing that is uranium extraction, and I would suggest that nuclear contribute more too global warming that other forms of producing electricity. As for the burning of coal in the nuclear process...let's ask the DOE to come clean and admit how much carbon was put into the air at the Portsmouth Ohio and Paducah Kentucky plants.

Also, as part of Bush's Global 2010, GNEP plan to revitalize the nuclear industry, a part of that 50 billion this year alone, is a new fuel reprocessing plant to be built on technology that has yet to be proven, which will supposedly reprocess all those spent fuel pools sitting on site...WAKE UP...The plan is too built over 100 new AP1000 reactors here in America. In short, this new generation of GE reactors are not even capable of burning this new reprocessed fuel. Further, said AP1000's are in capable of bringing us the Hydrogen Economy that is being TOUTED as a benefit of these new reactors!

One last suggestion...everyone should call the NRC today, and ask them if it is true that the Industry, EPRI and NEI have done a feasibility study to keep spent fuel right where it sits (on the Hudson River) for at least another 100 years...in short, despite the fact that each and every one of us has been paying a monthly fee to Entergy to dispose of this waste OFF SITE, the industry and NRC now want to turn Indian Point into a defacto low and how level radioactive waste dump. IE...how many are aware of the fact the steam turbines that were replaced are just sitting in a metal storage building at Indian Point. How many realize with Barnwell closing, that the Low Level Radioactive Waste streams from Entergy's Indian Point will now start piling up at the site...just like the 22,000 55 gallons drums at the Japan site hit by and Earthquake.

If the community is wise, Wednesday meeting should be a vipers pit of angry citizens.

Electricity Kissed By The Sun-Solar Thermal Energy Plant

Thanks to Gary from the war front to close Vermont Yankee in Brattleboro for this story lead from the UK. Electric energy completely CO2 emissions free, electrons produced from the sun in a facilty that almost resembles a modern day 40 story tall church spire...can someone give us and AMEN!

In this first of its kind pilot plant, mirrors relect incoming sun beams to a boiler that heats water to steam that turns turbines to create electrons.

Power station harnesses Sun's rays
By David Shukman
Science correspondent, BBC News, Seville

There is a scene in one of the Austin Powers films where Dr Evil unleashes a giant "tractor beam" of energy at Earth in order to extract a massive payment.

Well, the memory of it kept me chuckling as I toured the extraordinary scene of the new solar thermal power plant outside Seville in southern Spain.

From a distance, as we rounded a bend and first caught sight of it, I couldn't believe the strange structure ahead of me was actually real.

A concrete tower - 40 storeys high - stood bathed in intense white light, a totally bizarre image in the depths of the Andalusian countryside.

The tower looked like it was being hosed with giant sprays of water or was somehow being squirted with jets of pale gas. I had trouble working it out.

In fact, as we found out when we got closer, the rays of sunlight reflected by a field of 600 huge mirrors are so intense they illuminate the water vapour and dust hanging in the air.

The effect is to give the whole place a glow - even an aura - and if you're concerned about climate change that may well be deserved.

Read rest of story here. How it works.

just In From Care2 Site-April 1 Rose Garden Address On Global Warming

You have to love a great sense of humor...but that all this were true.

Bush To Cut Military Funding To Support Renewable Energy!?!
Written by The Naib

http://www.care2.com/news/member/210736710/338475?saved=1

Washington DC - In an early morning rose garden speech, President Bush announced to a surprised White House press pool his new energy policy. With Vice President Cheney and his science advisors, standing behind him, Bush announced his administration’s new policy dealing with global climate change.

After a brief opening remark asking for prayers for the British Soldiers being held in Iran, the president shocked many with his statement.

We were wrong, wrong about global warming, and we need to change gears fast. For too long we have ignored this problem. As of today things change. (via)

With a visibly somber Cheney behind him, Bush explained his seemingly sudden change of course.

“Our administration has long said that global warming needs to be studied further, my chief science advisor John Marburger has done that research and boy did he lay a doozy of a report on my desk. Johny told it to me straight, he said ‘Sir this is serious we must act now.’ I had him prepare a summary of the report and read it to me and I can tell you it was the scariest thing I have ever had read to me.” said Bush.

…

“By executive order I will be raising the tax breaks for people who want to install solar panels on their roof, to 20 thousand dollars.” Remarked Bush during his early morning rose garden announcement. (via)

Bush also said he would work with congress to approve tax breaks for hybrid vehicles, and government incentives for the construction of new wind farms. He then called for 40% of Americas energy supply to be from renewable sources by 2025. Several times Vice President Cheney held his hand over his heart as if feeling a sudden pain.

Bush backtracked some on his past efforts to promote green technologies. Efforts which most people in the renewable energy field found too modest, or misguided.

“We can’t just talk about hydrogen cars, they won't be ready for 30 years, and biofuel that takes food away from people’s mouths or comes from the destruction of rain forests is unacceptable. We have existing wind turbine and solar panel technology and we need to use it.”

Bush went on to outline further spending plans.

“I plan on spending 800 billion dollars over the next two years on renewable technology including ethanol from sources like switch grass, and wind and solar plants. We must move forward with products like Cape Wind, that has recently received state approval, and build [sic] more solar power plants like the Nevada Solar One plant outside of Las Vegas.”

“We will build wind farms where they make sense, cover every home with solar panels, and immediately raise CAFE standards for all new cars in America.”(via)

In a statement that produced an audible murmur from the assembled reporters (Drudge is reporting one of them actually said “holy f*ck!ng S#!t”) Bush called for a reduction in military spending and a phased withdrawal of troops from Iraq in order to pay for this plan.

“For too long we have lied to the American people about the war in Iraq!” Said Bush as a pale faced Vice President Cheney started to sweat and fidget. “No longer will we fight a war for oil, I will immediately be starting a phased withdrawal of troops from Iraq. I’m the decider and I say we are going to bring our brave men and women home!”

Bush said that a reduction in military spending combined with the large government spending on renewable energy would create jobs and grow the economy. He predicted that “Americans will be free of the addiction of oil” within 15 years. (via)

Frankly when I saw this on the news this morning I thought my head was going to explode. But it was all over CNN, hell even the local Boston NPR station has interrupted its annual pledge drive to cover this thing. The best part was watching Dick Cheney squirm like a worm on a hook behind Bush. You could tell he just wanted to steal the mic and scream at the reporters. It still really hasn’t sunk in, but this is great. I guess Bush won't go down as the worst president in history after all.