Greenspiration news: climate sceptics, solar, flying bike, toxics, Olympics

[angela bischoff]

Greenspiration News

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Check out this Canadian based anti-taser website:
<http://truthnottasers.blogspot.com/>http://truthnottasers.blogspot.com

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How to Talk to a Climate Sceptic

Here find a listing of all the articles to be found in the "How to Talk to
a Climate Sceptic" guide, presented as a handy one-stop shop for all the
material you should need to rebut the more common anti-global warming
science arguments constantly echoed across the internet.

http://scienceblogs.com/illconsidered/2008/07/how_to_talk_to_a_sceptic.php

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Protestors serve Harper with 11 articles of condemnation on environment

Prime Minister Harper’s visit to Victoria this Monday was marred by the
presence of hundreds of protestors, who served him with 95 “articles of
condemnation” criticizing his record on human rights, social justice, and
the environment. Eleven of these articles related to his
“anti-environmentalism.”

Read the story:
<http://www.pej.org/html/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=7381&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0>http://www.pej.org/html/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=7381&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0

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North America's First Solar Community in Okotoks, Alberta

The Drake Landing Solar Community is nestled inside the Drake Landing
housing development by United Communities in the north east corner of
Okotoks, Alberta, 15 minutes south of Calgary. 52 houses by Sterling Homes
are being built without standard natural gas furnaces and will be heated
solely by warm water circulating through insulated, underground pipes of a
district heating system.

As unique as district heating systems are in Canada, what is even more
unprecedented about the Okotoks system is the source of the warm water –
the sun.

The Drake Landing Solar Community's district heating system is the first
major implementation in North America of a proven European technology
known as "solar seasonal storage". Solar thermal energy is collected in
the summer, stored underground, and then returned to the homes as heat
during the winter.

http://www.sterlinghomesgroup.com/drake/watchusbuild.html

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Energy Security
by David Chernushenko

The town of Freiamt (Germany) generates its entire electricity needs from
locally owned renewable sources, and then sells a 30-per-cent surplus to
generate revenue.

Freiamt is a cluster of villages of 4,300 people... <snip>

Proving that "small is beautiful," Freiamt generates so much power from
its small-scale renewable sources that it is turning an annual "profit."
It did so by adding four wind turbines and 800 rooftop photovoltaic
systems to its existing small-scale hydro and biomass installations.
Freiamt now generates 13 million kilowatt hours of power. Since it only
consumes 10 million locally, the surplus three million are sold to other
parts of Germany via the national grid, generating income for residents
and businesses. <snip>

Underpinning the financial case is a federal law that triggered an
explosion of renewable energy investment in Germany. The so-called
"feed-in tariff" guarantees that renewable energy suppliers receive a
premium rate from energy companies for the electricity they feed into the
national grid. This guarantee provides the certainty individuals and banks
need to invest in renewables.

As a result, tens of thousands of Germans and dozens of towns, co-ops and
companies have installed renewable energy systems.

Freiamt offers us a glimpse of what a thriving economy built on a healthy
environment can look like. A glimpse of what any town or province in
Canada could accomplish, in its own way and on its own terms. A glimpse of
real energy security.

Full article:
http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/views/story.html?id=e413e8f3-5656-4b53-ba2a-0440d5ef08fc&k=60345

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Germans build a flying bicycle

Already in existence for several years, momentum is steadily gaining
around a bicycle that can fly, known as a Flyke. On the ground its speed
is less than 20 kph, but once airborne it reaches speeds of up to 45 kph.
At 10,000 Euros per unit, the company Fresh Breeze sells 100 per year.

http://www.fresh-breeze.de/en/en_trikes_flyke.htm

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Fresh scent may hide toxic secret

Innocuous-sounding 'perfume' in detergents, air fresheners made with
dangerous chemicals

By Lisa Stiffler, July 23
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/371779_toxicfragrance23.html

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Guide to Less Toxic Products

The objective of this site is to:
	•	Provide information about potential health risks of commonly used
products.
	•	Help identify less toxic alternatives for personal care, household
cleaning, baby care, and household pest control.
	•	Provide information to help you evaluate products not in this Guide in
order to choose the safest ones for your needs.

http://www.lesstoxicguide.ca/

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The Commercial Games: How Commercialism is Overrunning the Olympics
Wednesday, August 6. 2008, Multinational Monitor

The 2008 Beijing Olympic Games have been referred to as the “People’s
Games,” the “High Tech Games” and the “Green Games,” but they could be
more aptly described as the Commercial Games.

http://www.multinationalmonitor.org/editorsblog/

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