Boarding the Bus: Beersheba to Mitzpe Ramon

August 17, 2011 -- After two and a half weeks working at Kibbutz Lahav I finished washing my last dish and dodging my last grad rocket and decided to head south via bus from Beersheba to Israel's Grand Canyon -- the small town of Mitzpe Ramon overlooking the massive Ramon Crater/Makhtesh.

The bus traveled through the heart of the Negev desert of southern Israel, stopping at Kibbutz Sde Boker and Midreshet Ben-Gurion along the way. This area is where the graves of founding Prime Minister of Israel David Ben-Gurion and his wife Paula are located. It was Ben-Gurion's dream for Jews to settle the arid Negev, writing:

The desert provides us with the best opportunity to begin again. This is a vital element of our renaissance in Israel. For it is in mastering nature that man learns to control himself. It is in this sense, more practical than mystic, that I define our Redemption on this land. Israel must continue to cultivate its nationality and to represent the Jewish people without renouncing its glorious past. It must earn this – which is no small task – a right that can only be acquired in the desert.


When I looked out my window today and saw a tree standing before me, the sight awoke in me a greater sense of beauty and personal satisfaction than all the forests that I have crossed in Switzerland and Scandinavia. For we planted each tree in this place and watered them with the water we provided at the cost of numerous efforts. Why does a mother love her children so? Because they are her creation. Why does the Jew feel an affinity with Israel? Because everything here must still be accomplished. It depends only on him to participate in this privileged act of creation. The trees at Sde Boker speak to me differently than do the trees planted elsewhere. Not only because I participated in their planting and in their maintenance, but also because they are a gift of man to nature and a gift of the Jews to the compost of their culture.

Midreshet Ben-Gurion is also home to the Ben-Gurion National Solar Energy Center, which is operated by the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev's Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research.

Riding the bus through the isolated desert, I really started to understand how much Israelis of all backgrounds rely on the buses to get to their destinations. Along the way we picked up college students, kibbutzniks, IDF soldiers, Bedouin villagers and military prison guards. Sadly only a couple of days later the very same bus route I took from Beersheba to Mitzpe Ramon was ambushed by terrorists near Eilat. Eight innocent people were murdered and over 30 were wounded in the attacks.

In Israel a cowardly act of terrorism does not stop citizens from engaging in simple acts such as boarding a bus. I would recommend Israel's excellent intercity bus system to any visitor traveling within the country. Boarding the bus is just one of many quiet acts of defiance that define this great country.

Here is video of the bus ride from Beersheba to Mitzpe Ramon.



Here are photos of the bus ride from Beersheba to Mitzpe Ramon. Click here for the Flickr set.

10 Wackiest Ideas Ever for Improving the Environment

Editor's note: This humorous blog post is taken from the website Compare Electricity Rates. Enjoy!

Throughout human history, there have been some quite noble efforts for sustaining the Earth. Many great innovations have resulted from mankind’s attempts at preserving our environment. Then again, there have been some real doozies too. Today we’re going to have a look at ten of the zaniest ideas ever devised for improving the environment.

1. There is a proposal before the United Nations for environmental justice, in order to save the planet. Said justice calls for legal representation on behalf of the environment – plants, animals, insects – against us pesky humans, with the power to seek financial compensation for damages.
   
2. This one is a bit of a touchy subject. Though the thought is in the right place, the evidence seems to suggest that the concept wasn’t entirely thought through. The push to replace incandescent light bulbs with CFL’s (compact fluorescent lamps) would indeed conserve energy. However, they contain significant levels of mercury which, without any safe means of recycling them, would introduce unsafe levels of mercury back into the environment.
   
   
3. In an effort to safeguard the sanctuary of indigent marine wildlife, the city of San Diego is set to enact laws that would ban birthday parties at local parks within the vicinity of said wildlife.
   
   
4. As a means to harness human energy and transform it into useable energy, the concept of the human-powered floating gym came into being. Imagine, if you will, dozens of sweaty fitness-minded bodies, powering their way upstream in a bubble, and you’ve got a vague idea of what this truly wacky project is all about.
   
   
5. Here’s another idea that someone pulled out of their, um … notebook: The basic premise is that the methane produced through cow flatulence is a major contributor to greenhouse gases (14%) and needs to be stopped. The answer? Kangaroo farts. Apparently their marsupial mates are methane-free down under, and possess a bacterium that it is suggested to be injected into cattle.
   
   
6. Based on the cooling effect that the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo had on the planet 20 years ago, scientists had the brainstorm idea of triggering other volcanoes in the hopes of having similar results. We can only hope that our tax dollars don’t literally go up in (volcanic) smoke, and ash.
   
   
7. The Eco-Kettle is supposedly the answer to a question we have no idea why anyone would even ask: namely, sparing our precious globe from the bane of our existence known as (wait for it) boiling too much water (gasp!).
   
   
8. Asus came up with this gem a while back as a solution to excessive use of plastics in consumer product manufacturing: the bamboo laptop. We would love to have seen this sold as part of an office starter package, with a tiki torch desk lamp and margarita mixer.
   
   
9. Pig pee for plastics. The idea here is to reduce the use of petroleum in the manufacture of plastic plates. The urea in pig urine would act as a bulking agent in its place. Trouble is (among other things -ugh!) is that when these pig-pee plates are discarded? You guessed it, they will emit methane. Maybe we first need to cross-breed these pigs with kangaroos. Yeah, that’s the ticket: pigaroo plates.
   
   
10. And finally, a supremely sage environmental observation by none other than the Wizard of Wit himself, former Vice-President of the United States of America, Dan Quayle:

“It isn’t pollution that’s harming the environment. It’s the impurities in our air and water that are doing it.”

Green Traveler: Beersheba, Israel

August 7 and 11, 2011 -- Water is a precious resource in the Middle East. Israelis are well aware of the water shortage in the region and are taking steps to reduce, reuse and recycle. Nowhere is the scarcity of water felt more than in the Negev desert of southern Israel. In Beersheba the nahal (river) is but a trickle most of the time and the riverfront district has been neglected for years.

But in Israel turning a barren desert into a green oasis has been a national mandate since its founding. So it should come as no surprise then that The Beer Sheva River Park is currently undergoing a major reconstruction project thanks to the Jewish National Fund's Blueprint Negev initiative. This project will create a 1,700 acre riverfront district that will be the catalyst for the revitalization of the "Capital of the Negev."

Here are some highlights of the restoration project taken directly from the JNF website:

• "JNF has succeeded in cleaning up the river that had been used as a dumping ground for decades, and has completed half of the planned 8 kilometers of landscaped promenade on each shore. Engineers responsible for the success of the San Antonio River Walk are partnering with JNF to send water through the river bed year-round. 

• JNF plans to use its expertise in water rehabilitation to recycle the city’s water and transport it to a 15-acre lake for boating.

• Plans include gardens showcasing desert flora and fauna, bicycle paths, recreation areas, an 12,000 seat amphitheater and 750 acres of new parks with 40,000 new trees."

When I walked across the street from Abraham's Well I saw a new promenade called the J. Lew Schepps Recognition Center, a newly paved walkway and a bridge under construction that leads to a park and bicycle paths on the other side of the river. So the restoration project is well underway.

If the Beer Sheva River Park restoration project is successful it could become a model for other cities attempting to find creative solutions to water conservation and economic development. 

Click here for more observations of Beersheba on my travel blog.

Here are more photos from The Beer Sheva River Park.

Occupy DC at Freedom Plaza Still Rockin' and Rollin'

Across the country Occupiers are entering the next phase of the movement by abandoning encampments and taking over foreclosed homes to bring attention to the housing crisis. But in our Nation's Capital the tent cities at McPherson Square and Freedom Plaza are still standing strong. During a recent visit to Occupy DC at Freedom Plaza there was even a Jimi Hendrix cover band electrifying a small audience gathered near Pennsylvania Avenue.

It appears the populist movement is beginning to resonate with leaders as evidenced by President Obama channeling Theodore Roosevelt's New Nationalism in Kansas yesterday with a fiery speech about the growing inequality in America. Also yesterday a group calling itself "Take Back the Capitol" occupied the hallways and offices of Congress demanding that lawmakers extend unemployment benefits, end tax cuts for the wealthy and pass the American Jobs Act. The timing couldn't have been better as news came out that the "Do Nothing Congress" is aptly titled because this session of Congress has passed the fewest number of bills in at least 10 non-election years. And today there were plans to protest against corporate influence in politics by shutting down K Street -- a major boulevard in downtown Washington that is home to some of the biggest lobbying firms in the country and has become a symbol of special interest money corrupting the political system. Demonstrators were also planning to march on the White House and Supreme Court today as well.

Here is video of the band jammin' with Jimi.

Here are more photos from Freedom Plaza.

Green Traveler: New York, New York

Photo credit: Inhabitat.com

A few green observations from a recent visit to New York City:

• Occupy Wall Street at Zuccotti Park was green. How green? When I visited the encampment they were generating electricity and heat from a stationary bicycle. The pedal power on display was part of a sustainability showcase that also featured the importance of plants to the ecosystem and a grey water recycling system.  

• New York has an aggressive public recycling program as evidenced by the blue and green recycling bins strategically located across the city. The green bins are for newspapers and magazines and the blue bins are for bottles and cans. 

• While riding the NYC subway I saw ads encouraging New York homeowners to "join the evolution" by switching to clean, renewable and homegrown bioheat. The Bioheat website states that right now they are capable of blending biodiesel with traditional heating oil at only 2-5% but that they are working on increasing the biodiesel blend. Here is a great video presentation on what bioheat is all about.

• The NYC Department of Parks and Recreation is greening their fleet and since 2006 has been operating trucks on a 20% biodiesel blend (B20) made from soybeans and 80% ultra low sulfur diesel. And the department has been conducting trials using a B50 blend. So B20 is only a stepping stone to using more clean, renewable biofuels in city vehicles.  

• One noticeable change I've seen over the years in NYC is the increase in hybrid taxis and hybrid police cars. The NYPD features a fleet of Toyota Prius patrol cars, Nissan Altima Hybrids, Ford Fusion Hybrid sedans and Ford Escape Hybrid crossovers. And as of July 2011 there were 4,980 hybrid taxis in service representing 38% of the total fleet -- the largest hybrid fleet in North America.

• NYC aims to plant a million trees throughout the five boroughs over the next decade as part of a public-private partnership. So far the city has planted 527,315 trees.

And if New Yorkers need to be reminded why there is such a sense of urgency among city leaders to make the Big Apple the greenest city in the world, all they have to do is take a trip to Midtown Manhattan near Penn Station and Madison Square Garden. At this busy intersection they will see a large billboard sponsored by Deutsche Bank with a rapidly rising number signifying the metric tons of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. I went on the website and the carbon counter is currently at around 3.92 trillion GHGs.

Occupy Wall Street: Zuccotti Park Before and After NYPD Raid

Zuccotti Park in lower Manhattan is the birthplace of the Occupy protest movement that has swept across America and the world demanding a more sustainable and fairer economic system.

Last month I visited Occupy Wall Street at its height. This was when the unions had joined up with young students and aging hippies to create a spirited and festive community full of lively debates about the future of American democracy. The diverse group of citizens who pitched tents and displayed cardboard signs were an inspiration to millions of us who are deeply concerned that corporate greed and political paralysis are endangering the American dream.

This joyous moment didn't last long because last week Mayor Michael Bloomberg ordered the New York Police Department to clear out Zuccotti Park because of "health and safety concerns."  The NYPD raided Occupy Wall Street unannounced in the middle of the night and completely removed the encampment, even using force at times against those that resisted the removal.

I visited the post-OWS Zuccotti last weekend. It has now been turned back into the boring block of concrete it always was instead of the democratic revival, the city of hope and change it had been turned into. It was a surreal scene last Saturday afternoon. Community police officers lined the perimeter of the barricaded park. There was one entry point I could see and the police were in an argument over demonstrators not being allowed to bring in drums. There seemed to be a lot of confusion and anger over what was allowed and not allowed in the park.

Once inside it got even more surreal as a swarm of media and tourists centered in the middle of the park surrounded one Occupier talking to a camera crew.

There were a few leftover signs and I recognized one of the folk musicians from a couple of weekends ago when it was a festive, spirited atmosphere. He was still playing 60s anthems but his partner was missing. There were a handful of young people listening intently to his version of Buffalo Springfield's 1967 song "For What It's Worth."

Another guy was giving away Occupy Wall Street buttons. A memento from a brief moment of hope and joy when anything seemed possible. I took a button that summed it all up for me. It said "You can't evict an idea." Yep.

Here are photos and videos of Zuccotti Park before and after the Occupy Wall Street encampment.

Photos and Video: Keystone XL Pipeline Protest at White House

Last Sunday 12,000 demonstrators from all walks of life formed a human chain around the White House to call on President Obama to reject the proposed Keystone XL tar sands oil pipeline. Today, in a major victory for pipeline opponents the State Department ordered a new route, effectively killing the controversial project, according to a TransCanada spokesperson who told the National Journal it would die "because the new route would require a new Environmental Impact Statement and a public review that would take months, if not years."

Demonstrators at the Lafayette Square rally and encircle the White House protest came from as far away as Nebraska and as close as the Occupy D.C. encampment at Freedom Plaza to hear leaders such as NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies Director James E. Hansen, Natural Resources Defense Council Founding Director James E. Hansen and 350.org Founder Bill McKibben speak about the environmental consequences of building the pipeline.

Following the rally the demonstrators, some holding up a huge inflatable pipeline, many carrying anti-tar sands signs, gathered into sections and encircled the White House to send a powerful message to the Obama Administration that the days of dirty fossil fuels are ending and a new American economic foundation based on clean energy and green jobs is beginning.

Here are photos and video from the event.

Ground Zero and Occupy Wall Street: Hope Rises From the Ashes

A sunny Sunday stroll through Lower Manhattan this past weekend revealed nothing less than an American awakening. And that is not an understatement after seeing the rapidly rebuilding Ground Zero site and the nearby Occupy Wall Street demonstrations at Zuccotti Park. It is appropriate that ground zero of the people-powered movement to reclaim the American dream following the worst economic collapse since the Great Depression is literally right across the street from the newly opened 9/11 Memorial that commemorates the worst attack on American soil since Pearl Harbor.

There is an undeniable connection between the 2001 terrorist attacks and the 2008 economic collapse. And I'm happy to report that, despite claims to the contrary, American Democracy is not dead thanks to the courageous souls taking a stand for the 99% of us. And America's collective spirit to do big things is alive and well thank you very much, despite the political paralysis and short-term thinking on Capitol Hill. That's because gleaming new skyscrapers are arising from the ashes of 9/11.

New York is resilient. New York is not afraid of embracing the future. New York is America, not the self-centered, small-minded politicians in Congress. Thank God for that. Ground Zero and Zuccotti Park should give us all hope that all is not lost in this country we all love so dearly but are rightly so concerned about.

GROUND ZERO

The first sign of progress most visitors notice upon a visit to Ground Zero is One World Trade Center -- the formerly named Freedom Tower is being built up at a furious pace and when completed in 2013 will tower over the New York City skyline as the tallest building in the United States and one of the tallest skyscrapers in the world. 

And there are other towers under construction such as Two World Trade Center as well as the 9/11 Museum which is scheduled to open a year from now. The 9/11 Memorial Fountain recently opened to the public on the tenth anniversary of the attacks and has already become a popular tourist attraction, although it should be noted that you need to reserve tickets online in advance to enter the memorial area. I didn't reserve a ticket so the photos I took are from the outer perimeter of the memorial. Also, the World Trade Center Transportation Hub is expected to be completed in 2014.

For many, the lack of progress in rebuilding Ground Zero was a symbol of this country's misplaced priorities and political inertia. How else to explain that in the past decade the New York Mets, Yankees, Giants and Jets all received shiny new stadiums, the Nets will be moving to a new arena in Brooklyn and the home of the Rangers and Knicks, Madison Square Garden, just underwent an $850 million renovation while train travelers have to suffer underneath MSG in a cramped and dingy Penn Station?

But now that there is visible progress at Ground Zero there is hope that at least New York City can rebuild its infrastructure for the 21st century and showcase big and bold architecture and grand public spaces. With the Senate today blocking President Obama's $60 billion infrastructure plan, which should have been a bipartisan slam dunk, it is obvious the political will is lacking on Capitol Hill. But after seeing what is being done at Ground Zero, there is even hope that eventually, likely with a few election cycles to get the current unimpressive group out of office, that our national political leaders can show the same collective determination and vision as the planners of the Ground Zero rebuild have.

OCCUPY WALL STREET

Which brings us to Occupy Wall Street, because in order to give the boot to the political charlatans on Capitol Hill the movement needs to grow even bigger and turn into a potent force able to rally millions of Americans to vote at the polls for candidates who will invest in clean energy, health care, education, transportation, infrastructure and innovation and strengthen the middle class while addressing the unsustainable growing gap between the rich and poor.

The encampment at Zuccotti Park has become a big tourist attraction and on the day I visited there was a festive atmosphere with drum beating and other music, lots of creative and heartfelt signs and even an innovative bicycle-powered generator providing heat and electricity to the tent dwellers.

There are a couple of observations I've noticed walking through both the Occupy D.C. and Occupy Wall Street encampments. Number one is how organized and resourceful they are. Call it organized chaos if you'd like. It might seem like these are a bunch of dirty hippies dancing in a drum circle, but a closer inspection reveals that this movement is highly organized. There is a daily schedule of activities, including workshops and marches. There are Occupy newspapers being printed to inform demonstrators and the public. At Zuccotti Park there is even a makeshift library with all sorts of books in plastic bins. And when I was there people were patiently waiting in line for healthy lunches. An example of the resourcefulness is the aforementioned bike-powered generator, which was started by the Sustainability Working Group after the NY Fire Department and NY Police Department confiscated six gas and diesel generators because of safety concerns. 

The second observation is that the people living in these tent cities, whether it is McPherson Square or Zuccotti Park, are taking extra measures to tend to the park. There are signs warning visitors not to touch the flowers or tread on newly seeded grass. There are trash and recycling bins set up. These two parks are probably in better shape now with the encampments than before the demonstrators arrived.

The bottom line is that these people are sick and tired of being sick and tired so they are taking a stand for all of us. It is no different than the civil rights movement or any other progressive movement that made our lives better. For that, we should all be thanking these people.

While I was walking around Zuccottti, some guy walking by said "go home hippies." One of the demonstrators, a young woman, responded that "we are home." I wonder if one day this guy will realize he is the 99% too and will join them.

Click here and here for photos I took from Occupy DC at McPherson Square in downtown Washington.

Here are more photos of One World Trade Center and the 9/11 Memorial and more photos of Occupy Wall Street.

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

And here are videos I took at Zuccotti Park. The first video is of a musical tandem singing a snappy folk song that could be the theme song for Occupy Wall Street. I didn't catch the name of their group. The second video is a bit of the scene last Sunday as I walked around.

'Freedom' From Oil by Embracing Ethanol

The ethanol and solar-powered bus filmmakers Rebecca and Josh Tickell drove around with on their 40-city 'Freedom' film tour that culminated last Wednesday in Washington, D.C.

Husband and wife filmmaking team Rebecca and Josh Tickell are winning over skeptical audiences across the country and sending a powerful message to decision makers in Washington about the urgent need to end America's destructive addiction to imported oil by embracing homegrown biofuels, especially ethanol.

Of course, it helps to have a retired four star general and former NATO commander on your side.

Last Wednesday the Sundance Award-winning producers of the movie "Fuel" rolled into Washington, D.C. on the final stop of their 40-city bus tour to promote their new film, "Freedom," about an American biofuels revolution to replace oil with ethanol. General Wesley Clark joined the filmmakers at an afternoon press conference in Georgetown and later that night at a post-screening discussion held at the Corcoran Gallery of Art. The bus is powered by an E85 ethanol fuel blend (85% ethanol) and solar panels.

"I'm a big believer in ethanol," said Clark. "Biofuels are our technology. It keeps money and jobs inside of America, reduces greenhouse gases and reduces gas prices."

Left to right: Biomass Coordinating Council Chairman Bill Holmberg, 'Freedom' filmmakers Rebecca and Josh Tickell and retired Four Star General and former NATO Commander Wesley Clark.

Clark said he "can't help but become a missionary" for investing in and producing American-made biofuels. He said he will do everything in his power to raise public appreciation of this issue and inject it into the 2012 presidential campaign because "it's absolutely vital to the future of America."  

And Clark backs up his assertions with astounding statistics about the catastrophic consequences of our addiction to oil.

$300 billion: The amount of money we pay annually to import oil. That's $1,000 per every man, woman and child in America that is subtracted right from our GDP. That's in addition to the $150 billion a year we pay to secure foreign oil resources. In a decade that $300 billion adds up to $3 trillion and $1 trillion in tax revenue if it was instead invested domestically.

8 million: The American jobs that would be created every year if we stopped paying $300 billion to import oil and instead re-circulated that money into the American economy.

6,000: The estimated number of U.S. combat casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan. 

35,000: The estimated number of wounded soldiers from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

$1.5 trillion: The amount of money spent and committed to fighting these two wars.

$2 trillion: VA expenses we will pay for these wounded soldiers for the rest of their lives.

For the Tickells, ending our oil addiction and embracing biofuels is not just about number crunching, it is personal. While filming another movie called "The Big Fix" about the Gulf Coast Oil Disaster, oil got into Rebecca's skin and made her seriously sick. She now must avoid direct sunlight for the rest of her life thanks to her exposure to oil. And yet, she and her husband remain hopeful despite the seemingly insurmountable odds against the largest industry in the world.

"I don't think I've ever had a more clear delineation of the two futures that we have before us as Americans," said Josh Tickell in his closing remarks. "One of those futures is the future in which because we are a country that has so far passed peak oil, we are so desperate for liquid energy, that we are willing to sacrifice the sanctity of the future of our country. It will leave this nation scarred and forever altered. 

The other future has to do with using processes that mimic nature. What we found in making this movie is that the ethanol industry is imperfect. But it's here now and it's a start. And if we follow that climb forward into the future what we will eventually see is hemp and algae (and other second generation biofuels). 

But if we do nothing, which is largely what we are doing now as a nation, largely what Washington, D.C. is doing right now, we can expect a future that is a nightmare. So we can't do the same thing and expect different results. We are going to have to change our behavior. We are going to have to change our laws. And it is uncomfortable to some degree because we are going to have to give way on some of the environmental purism that we've had and that's a big challenge. But the challenge and the choice is yours, and when you have true choice you have freedom."

Here is video of Clark speaking about the urgent need to replace oil with alternative energy sources such as ethanol.

Steven Pearlstein: 'Death of Journalism is Overstated'

Steven Pearlstein makes a point as Angie Goff and Juan Williams look on as part of a discussion about the past, present and future of journalism at George's Restaurant on the campus of George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia on Tuesday, October 25, 2011.

Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post columnist and George Mason University professor Steven Pearlstein sounded an optimistic tone about the future of journalism at a time when the profession is going through a massive upheaval and many are concerned about the current state of the media.

The remarks were made during a panel discussion last Tuesday afternoon at the GMU campus in Fairfax, Virginia. Pearlstein was joined on the panel by former National Public Radio and current Fox News Channel political analyst Juan Williams; and NBC Washington weekend anchor Angie Goff. The panel was moderated by former journalist and current education reform activist Kathleen deLaski.

Pearlstein talked about the golden age at the Washington Post when "publishers lavished money on the newsroom" and newspapers like the Post were not only profitable but monopolized the attention of readers. "Those days newspapers mattered a lot." The financial struggles started with the loss of the "golden egg" of classified ads thanks to Craig's List and free specialized publications.

So how do you make journalism profitable again? Pearlstein sees a future of paying two dollars a day for your content on your iPad in the morning. But that the reality of people paying for content will take another 10 to 15 years because right now "only newspapers that are comfortable with unique content are charging." 

Both Pearlstein and Williams lamented the current state of fragmentation in the media. "Advertisers and politicians value fragmentation," said Williams. And they both hope the pendulum swings back to the general audience. Otherwise, Williams fears, the future could be one of narrow self-interest in the news biz where "larger political discussions are extreme when filtered through the Internet and social media."

"There will be business realities that force the pendulum the other way because you need five million viewers to survive," said Pearlstein.

Goff is a big believer in social media if it is done in a professional way that furthers the news discussion.

"Twitter opens up trust and the relationship between the newsroom and the consumer," said Goff, adding that more stations should have a social media reporter.

Guest Post: Clever Tips to Save Money with Green Energy at Home

Mirsad Hasic, editor of the website Alternative Energy Geek, provides useful tips on how to make your home more energy efficient and save money on energy bills.

The average person spends too much money on energy bills, since the majority of people are unaware of how to make their energy usage green. Green energy does not necessarily have to come from alternative energy sources, as it could simply involve making your current energy source more efficient. For example, insulating your home can eliminate leaks, which cause you to use more energy. In the end, the less energy you use, the better it is for the environment and your bank account, so it makes sense to save as much energy as possible.

Thermostat

If using a traditional energy source, you can make it greener by installing a programmable thermostat. This allows you to pre-set the temperature that you wish to keep your home at, so you do not have to worry about any fluctuations. You can set your home to a comfortable temperature and the thermostat ensures that the house stays at that temperature throughout the day. Many people allow their homes to cool off at night, since they will be sleeping anyway. Keeping your home at a relatively consistent temperature prevents your furnace or air conditioner from having to work too hard to heat or cool the place at any time, which saves energy.

Furnace and Air Conditioner

You also have the chance to purchase a furnace or air conditioner with an Energy Star label. Energy Star furnaces come with a higher Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency rating, which means that they do not waste as much energy as other models. The majority of the new furnaces on the market come with a higher efficiency rating, although they are not all created equally. The best furnaces have a rating of over 90%, so they waste under 10% of the energy that they put out. While installing one of these furnaces does have startup cost, it will save you money in the long run.

Air conditioners come with a Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. The minimum that you can currently purchase has a 13 rating, although many models have a rating of over 14. Once again, it will cost you a little bit to install a new central cooling unit, but you will save that money and then some in the long run.

Heat Pumps

If you wish to go with a different energy source within the home, electric heating is the way to go because it is much more efficient than natural gas. If you purchase a heat pump, it provides you with three times more heat than the equivalent amount of energy that it uses. This means that you get more heat for your money than you would with natural gas, making it a great way to save energy and money.

Three types of heat pumps exist, starting with air-to-air. Air-to-air pumps take warmer air from outside of your home and pump it into your home. They can also remove warm air from the home in the summer and replace it with cooler air. Water source heat pumps take heat from the water outside of your home and transfer it into warm air, while ground source pumps take heat from the ground. Whichever heat pump you choose can end up saving you 30% to 40% on your heating bill.

Solar Power

To supplement your in-home energy, you can look into using solar panels. What you do is add a few solar panels to the roof of your home, as they will store the sun's energy for you to use. In some cases, these panels can lower the cost of heating your home by more than 50%. You can also use solar energy to cool your home. Keep in mind that you must install these panels in strategic locations to get their full effect. It might be a good idea to have them professionally installed by someone who is experienced with creating efficient, green energy within the home.

Hot Water Heaters

To decrease the amount of energy needed to run your hot water heating, you should look into purchasing an Energy Star model. Although this will cost you some money to start, it will save you thousands of dollars over the years, since it can save you about 30% per month on your heating bills. It is also possible to use solar power to heat your water, which saves you ever more money. In addition, using a solar powered hot water heater eliminates more than 50 tons of potential carbon dioxide from being produced and put into the atmosphere. That amount is for a single solar powered hot water heating, so you can see how much damage can be avoided if everyone changes.

Appliances

Appliances like refrigerators, freezers, dishwashers and washing machines can all be purchased with Energy Star ratings. All fridges and freezers with an Energy Star sticker use at least 20% less energy than those without the sticker. In addition, dishwashers use at least 41% less energy and washing machines use at least 50% less energy. All of these appliances have special options that can help you reduce your energy usage even further which, in turn, saves you even more money.

Saving Money at Home

In the end, you will have to pay a little bit of money upfront to make your home greener, but it brings you some long-term cost saving benefits. You can even make your existing energy source greener, as long as you choose products that make efficient use of that energy. Helping the environment, while saving yourself some money is a situation from which everyone benefits.

Author: M.H is writing for the Alternative Energy Geek where he shares his thoughts on renewable and alternative energy sources.

Photo: No Idling Sign in D.C.

Progress...

Green Traveler: Kibbutz Lahav, Israel

August 1-17, 2011 -- Despite processing pig meat and performing medical research on swine, Kibbutz Lahav in southern Israel doesn't use hog manure as a renewable energy resource to power up the place. Not yet at least. Lahav does however use solar water heaters to power homes and buildings. In fact, over 90% of Israeli homes have solar water heaters on their rooftops thanks to a 1980 law passed by the Knesset mandating that all new residential units install solar water heaters.

And since the price of gasoline in Israel is so high -- $8.33 U.S. dollars per gallon or 30.24 Israeli New Shekels (ILS) per gallon as of May -- many kibbutzniks do not own cars and instead rely on the public bus or private shuttle to make trips to nearby Beersheba.

Bicycles, motorized scooters and electric carts are popular modes of transportation around Lahav. We borrowed some bikes one Shabbat Saturday for a ride around Lahav Forest -- a man-made national park that surrounds Kibbutz Lahav. The towering pine trees of the Lahav Forest are an impressive site to see considering before 1952 the area was a desolated desert outpost. It is a living legacy to the vision and hard work the early Zionist pioneers put in to "making the desert bloom." The green revolution is nothing new to Israelis. They have been planting trees since 1948. The cultivation of the country comes from the prophet Isaiah's biblical passage that "the wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom."

Kibbutz Lahav must have a buy American clause when it comes to purchasing cars because I saw more Fords and Chevrolets there than in my entire trip around Europe. The American auto industry was recently brought back from the dead and is experiencing what is hoped to be a real revival with smaller fuel efficient and electric vehicles. It was encouraging to see that at least in Israel, people are buying American automobiles.

Click here for more observations of Kibbutz Lahav on Josh's Travel Blog.

Here are more photos from Kibbutz Lahav. Click here to see the set on Flickr.

Photos: Wind and Solar Power in Europe

A recent trip around Europe via high-speed rail revealed a landscape dotted with enormous wind turbines and solar installations. But no country on the continent has made a greater push towards renewable energy than Germany. In Germany there are residential rooftop solar installations all across the country thanks to feed-in tariffs from the German Renewable Energy Act of 2000. Besides Germany, I also saw lots of wind farms in the United Kingdom, France, Spain and other European Union nations.

Here are solar and wind photos from Germany and Spain.

EUROPE SOLAR AND WIND

GERMANY

SPAIN