Electronic and digital gadgets are the most popular gift items during the holiday season, but they are certainly on the wish list of consumers at other times of the year.

With so many electronics available to the consumer, it would be wise to understand the conservation tips and money-saving mode you should be in when a new electronic device finds its way into your home.

Virtually everything we own these days has a “sleep” or power-down mode, but many devices are fine left unplugged when not in use.

Digital and analog televisions, desktop and laptop computers, cable or satellite set-top boxes, compact audio and DVD players, cordless telephones, home theater systems, stand-alone DVD or DVR players, telephone answering systems, VCRs and video game players are becoming common in most households all over the world.

Monitors of our energy use, such as Energy Star, estimate that many of us spend as much as $100 or more a year on “phantom power” – or power that is needed just to keep a device plugged into the wall, even if it is not used for days at a time.

A website titled digitaltips.org provides an energy calculator as part of its guide to consumer electronics. The calculator allows you to input the number of hours you use an electronic device; the number of hours it is in idle or “sleep” mode; and the number of hours it is completely off, or not on the electricity load at all (unplugged).

When you tally all of your devices, the calculator gives you a monthly cost and a yearly cost. You can gauge what you are paying for one device to be in sleep mode most of the day, or you can figure out your yearly bill total for how you use every electronic device you own.

Energy Star calls these devices “energy vampires” for the way they suck energy from your system and money from your wallet.

The best place to start to defeat those vampires is in the easiest places – by unplugging chargers from outlets after phones, digital camera battery packs, handheld vacuum cleaners or power tools are fully charged.

Using the power management features, or sleep modes, on electronic devices is also a good way to save power. The sleep mode on a computer uses less power than a screen saver.

Many electronic devices have automatic shutdown modes. Most TVs offer that option, which comes in handy for those who tend to watch late-night television only to nod off a few hours before actually turning off the TV. Many video-game players also have the automatic shut-off, since many kids tend to leave electronic devices on when not in use for long periods of time.

A power strip to cluster many devices that can all be turned off at the same time is another common piece of advice. A device called a Smart Strip by Bits Limited is now available and has the capability to cut idle currents to monitors, printers, desk lamps and other items when you turn off your computer’s power.

As consumers are learning more about how to conserve energy and save money in this green era, handling electronic devices properly can go a long way.

In terms of educating the public, electronics are close to equal footing with energy savings related to water. When you tell someone that they spend $2,500 a year on water, and that using less hot water could reduce that amount dramatically, that will get people’s attention.

In the same manner, wise use of the home’s electronic devices can save hundreds of dollars over several years.

This is a program run by the U.S. Green Building Council. The USGBC is non-governmental organization, with over 20,000 members and 79 chapters. Its sole purpose, to promote green buildings.

Here’s a simplified look at how LEED works. Architects, developers and builders who want their buildings to be green work towards getting LEED certification. LEED certification comes when they earn a certain number of points. Points are awarded when they meet certain goals in six areas:

Sustainable Sites – that means they choose the right place to build their building, and work to make sure their building fits the site. Frank Lloyd Wright would have approved of this one – he was known for making his structures fit into the site, rather than changing the site to fit the structure.

Water Efficiency – obviously, that they take into consideration water usage of the building. Using landscaping that doesn’t need too much water, planning ways for rainwater to be efficiently taken care of, maybe even finding ways to use “brown” water for plantings.

Energy and Atmosphere – that the building is energy efficient, doesn’t create of lot of air pollution, maybe uses solar panels.

Materials and Resources – LEED emphasizes using recycled materials and sustainable materials – such as bamboo floors instead of regular hardwood floors, kitchen countertops made from recycled glass rather than granite, and carpets made from recycled plastic pop bottles rather than from virgin petroleum, etc.

Indoor Environmental Quality – this means the air the occupants breathe is fresh, so they use paints with low volatile organic compounds, they use adhesives that don’t release noxious fumes, they put in more hard floors than carpets, and when they do put in carpets, they’re the kind that don’t have a lot of fumes.

Innovation and Design Process – this is a category that allows LEED points to be earned for going above and beyond the other requirements.
To learn more: http://www.usgbc.org

With the U.S. coal industry reeling from a series of mining disasters, many business and government leaders are seeking ways to mitigate the costs—economic, environmental, social and human—of electricity from coal. Among the most high-profile approaches for addressing at least some of these costs lies in carbon capture and sequestration (CCS).

However, according to a recent report from Pike Research, CCS faces a number of challenges including uncertainty about the costs of technology, the lack of a pipeline network to transport CO2 to geological storage sites and, most notably, the absence of a price on carbon emissions.

“There will be an extensive, expanding CCS industry in place by the early 2020s,” says managing director Clint Wheelock. “How large and how vibrant that industry will be depends on how CCS is prioritized by corporations and governments over the next decade.”

The addition of CCS systems to power plants will likely add between 50 and 70 percent to the cost of producing electricity. To date, no commercial-scale integrated power plant with CCS exists. The intensive short-term financing, radical policy shifts and R&D advances that would be required for multiple deployments of CCS in the next five years, Pike Research believes, appear unlikely.

Nevertheless, the forces behind CCS projects are strong, and growth is likely to be significant in the longer term. By 2020, according to the report, global revenues for CCS systems could surpass $1 billion annually under a moderate forecast scenario. In a more aggressive scenario that includes a strong push for CCS by government and industry, that figure could be as high as $42 billion in the same timeframe.

An executive summary of Pike Research’s report, “Carbon Capture and Sequestration,”is available for free download at

www.pikeresearch.com.

Green is probably the most prominent color associated with the holidays, but are the holidays environmentally green?

It was a question that first came under scrutiny during the mid 1970’s energy crisis when large holiday light displays were viewed as a waste of energy.

Those celebrating the holidays with the traditional outdoor lights were asked to turn them off at a reasonable time, and shopping centers, municipalities and other organizations making big splashes with significant outdoor displays also were asked to tone things down.

In today’s green-conscious environment, companies that offer large holiday displays for cities, businesses and charitable organizations have a definite conservation view in mind.

It  is not uncommon for companies, such as Brandano Displays, Inc., which has built large holiday displays for communities and businesses since 1976, to take environmental conservation into account on every project it develops.

Prior to 1990, most holiday lighting attractions made use of disposable decorations and displays that would last about three years. More common now are displays that are considered “extended-life” that can function properly for 10 years or more, thus cutting down on steel, wire and plastic parts being disposed in landfills.

A large company like Brandano Displays went as far as making sure that the power consumption in their displays was minimized and that painting and welding procedures were updated to cut down on disposable waste. In turn, all production papers, cardboard, plastics and steel were being recycled.

Because most traditional holiday displays called for literally hundreds of thousands of lights laced in trees and foliage, companies began to steer away from that by creating displays that would reduce the number of lights by up to 60 percent. Power consumption has taken on a science of its own in regards to holiday displays, as the spacing between bulbs can be set up to use less power, and high-efficiency lighting is used where feasible.

Delivery of large displays also has a new focus, as there is much attention paid to eliminating packaging waste of paper, wood, cardboard and plastics.

Last, but not least, and possibly the easiest advice to follow is that cities and organizations should reduce the hours and days in which their large holiday displays are lit.

It is more typical now to find a holiday display reduce hours or not even be lit on nights that are considered to have low attendance.

You might think your employees do their best because they need the paycheck. They probably DO need the paycheck, but an awful lot of slackers collect a paycheck and don’t care a lick about the work they do to earn it. Those aren’t the kind of employees you want. You want employees who care about your mission, and who come to work because they believe it’s a great place to work. How do you get your employees to focus on more than greenbacks? By focusing your business on the other kind of green – environmentalism.

A recent survey of over 4,000 people by the recruitment job site MonsterTRAK found that 80 percent of young professionals are interested in securing a job that has a positive impact on the environment. And 90 percent of the respondents said they would rather work for an environmentally friendly employer.

Consider how those statistics affect your recruitment. If 90 percent of your prospective employees would rather work for a green company, being green is going to make filling your openings much easier. If you’re competing with the other reprographics shop in town for the latest computer school graduate – or the experienced sign maker who just moved to town – you want every advantage you can have. Being green is a big one.

Why do your employees care? Because they want to feel that their work – even if it has nothing directly to do with the environment – is helping in some small way. If your firm is green, your employees will be proud to be part of the organization.

“Your company may produce widgets, but if you are socially responsible and contribute to the community, and you’re environmentally responsible and among the leaders in your industry at helping or protecting the environment, then people identify with that. It makes them want to stay a part of the company,” wrote Frank Alix, CEO of Powerspan Corp., in an essay titled Better Business Practices for a Better Environment.

A 2007 survey by Kenexa Research Institute backed up this idea. The survey looked at companies with strong “corporate social responsibility” (CSR) initiatives, which include environmental aspects, and found that employees were happier and stayed longer at companies with those programs.

“An organization’s CSR efforts also positively affect an employee’s personal outlook of the future, satisfaction with their job and confidence in the company’s future,” Kenexa reports.“Employees who rate their organization as having a strong CSR culture outscored those who view their company’s CSR activities as weak on each of these key indicators. Furthermore, employees who work in a strong CSR culture are more favorable toward their colleagues’ willingness to do the very best for the organization, and have more favorable views of their company’s ability to motivate people to work hard and put in extra effort.”

An energy audit is a great way to discover places for you to save energy – and money. The first step in an energy audit is to talk to your power company. Many offer free audits that attempt to weed out energy wasting habits. Second, consider energy management software. These programs track your usage and help you identify areas of waste. Take a demo of the Energy Lens program at: http://www.energylens.com

If neither of those steps satisfy you, you may want to call in a pro. Many consultants these days conduct energy audits that identify air leaks, wasteful equipment, places that need more insulation,and such. Look online under “energy consultants” to find one near you.

Trees Forever is an organization with a mission to plant and care for trees and the environment by educating organizations and individuals about the need for forests and promoting stewardship of our natural resources.

It’s also becoming common for organizations to create partnerships with Trees Forever as its initiatives gain momentum and, more importantly, the benefits of its mission become clearer.

Trees Forever has created numerous programs across the nation since its inception in 1989, pooling resources from donors and sponsors to fund and assist with grassroots projects.

One such project is the Illinois Buffer Partnership, a program in conjunction with the Illinois Farm Bureau, in which landowners can apply for funds to help create buffer projects on their land.

Farmers, rural land owners and those near watersheds find it a worthwhile program to slow runoff from fields, reduce soil erosion, filter and purify water, increase wildlife habitat, create visual screens, and, in turn, produce more farm income from that land.

When an applicant is accepted for $2,000 in cost-share funds, plus an opportunity to obtain seed at half-price, the landowner is required to host a demonstration day to share their knowledge with other landowners and encourage a buffer project in other regions.

Those interested have until the end of the year to apply for the funds, and will be notified in February if they have been selected as a participating landowner.
Another Trees Forever project in the Midwest is the Iowa Living Roadways Community Visioning program in which small rural communities in Iowa of 10,000 residents or fewer are eligible to get access to professional planning services for landscaping roadsides, entranceways and trails in their communities.

Iowa State University is a partner, providing teams of landscape architects, student interns, faculty and staff to assist in creating concept plans. Once completed, Trees Forever assists in carrying out the projects by providing funding sources or grants available for such work.

Communities that participate benefit greatly from the work of volunteers who are able to include environmental stewardship into concept plans and projects that essentially enhance the beauty and safety of areas in which residents drive, walk or bike daily.

Trees Forever has also made its mark in Iowa communities served by Black Hills Energy Co. with its Black Hills Power of Trees program, which provides matching grants and technical assistance for planting trees in parks, near schools, residential areas, gateways, trails, cemeteries and near libraries.

In addition to providing annual matching grants ranging from $500 to $7,000, Trees Forever helps with species selection, reviewing site plans, planting and caring for the trees, coordinating volunteers, and working with the media and fundraising.

Geothermal Energy Association Executive Director Karl Gawell recently announced the findings of new industry reports that show the geothermal industry will soon add thousands of jobs as dozens of new clean geothermal power plants come online or enter advanced stages of development.

The GEA report—“Green Jobs through Geothermal Energy”—found that the federal stimulus, tax incentives and strong state renewable standards continue to fuel the growth in geothermal power and job creation. The full benefits of the stimulus to the geothermal industry have yet to be realized. About 95 percent of the projects receiving ARRA funding are either less than 50 percent complete or have yet to break ground.

“Recovery Act funding is going to make a huge difference over the next year to push projects to completion and create more jobs. The majority of the ARRA investment will really start to pay dividends for the economy in 2011,” said Gawell.

GEA anticipates that 2011 will be a high-point of geothermal activity in the U.S. under the stimulus legislation. Approximately 500 to 700 Megawatts of power projects will enter their final construction phase in 2011, adding 3,000 construction jobs, primarily in Nevada and California.

ARRA also appears to have drawn a diverse group into the geothermal sector. Almost half of the Geothermal Technologies Program awards from the stimulus went to non-industry entities such as colleges and universities; cities, counties, and other state and local institutions; tribal entities; and the Department of Energy’s National Labs.

As more geothermal industry jobs are being created, a number of colleges and universities across the country are emerging with undergraduate, graduate, and certification programs related to geothermal. GEA also compiled the “U.S. Geothermal Education and Training Guide” that details 22 undergraduate and graduate programs at U.S. colleges and universities. Additionally, 31 schools have research opportunities in geothermal studies available to students.

“To keep creating jobs in the geothermal industry, we must keep getting talented individuals coming into the industry. The programs at these leading schools will develop the next generation of geothermal professionals,” Gawell said.

For more information, visit http://www.geo-energy.org/.

Soil erosion hits close to home, and has global implications, as well. The United States has been leading the fight for nearly 80 years. The Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service can claim a long history of international involvement, dating back to when NRCS officials traveled throughout the world in the 1930s and 1940s to view soil and water conservation problems in other countries.

During that same time period, NRCS hosted international participants from other countries who observed what was taking place in the United States to combat serious soil erosion and land-use problems. This sharing of conservation knowledge led to an ongoing exchange of the best ways to address soil issues.

There is little doubt that international programs help all countries utilize natural resources without depleting them by sharing technical assistance, exchanging scientific and technical information, and helping promote economic stability at the same time.

In many countries, the care of soil results in better and widespread food production, which in turn helps reduce poverty and social issues related to hunger and poor nutrition.

To give an example of how important the fight against soil erosion is for the United States, consider this: AgriLife Reseach scientists in Texas are constantly working with the NRCS to combat soil erosion by using the country’s largest military installation at Fort Hood, Texas, as the “research lab.”

Because Fort Hood covers 214,000 acres and endures the largest concentration of armored tanks and vehicles conducting training sessions in the country, researchers are dealing with compacted ground, loss of plant cover and accelerated soil erosion that results in excess sediment in streams and lakes.

The research resulted in the creation of 30 more sediment retention ponds, construction of numerous small rock dams to block gully erosion, and the practice of plowing deep into the ground on a regular basis to prevent soil from becoming too compacted for plant life.

When compost and grass seed can be added to new contours of previously rough terrain, it results in vegetation buffers and far less water run-off.

Research like that at Fort Hood leads to new land management and agricultural practices that spread around the world, saving countless acres from erosion that renders them useless.

Money is tight these days, so it would stand to reason that most people would be anxious to embrace lifestyle changes that cut costs, such as incorporating “green” appliances and other devices in their homes to save energy. But many fear that going green can carry a high price tag, which is true in some cases. If you own an older home, “green” upgrades could call for an initial upfront cost that doesn’t fit in the budget.

The practical approach would be to consider those eco-conscious ideas that don’t cost much money and start to reap the benefit to your wallet and family budget immediately. How about something as simple as installing dimmer switches, especially if you haven’t made the switch away from incandescent light bulbs. Dimmer switches, which don’t cost much more than $10, will extend the life of your light bulbs and trim energy costs.

Outdoor lighting fixtures that use motion sensors obviously save energy costs. Likewise, sensors are a good idea in places where we tend to leave lights on and forget about them, in our basements and guest rooms.

The programmable thermostat is another item that has been around for years and has proven to save as much as $200 a year off heating and air-conditioning expenses. For about $50, it pays for itself after just a few months.

How many of us have an insulating blanket on our hot water heaters? The U. S. Dept. of Energy reports that having this item, which costs about $20, can lower water-heating costs by nearly 10 percent.

But what do you pay to heat your water? A good way to find out is by adding a $15 plug-load monitor, which can go into any outlet in which you plug in an appliance. The monitor provides information about how much power is being used out of that appliance, as well as the periods of time it is used the most. Knowing this information can help in determining when to turn certain devices off, or get a programmable monitor that can lower power at certain times.

Ceiling fans can be found in most houses these days. If we operate them in a clockwise fashion during the winter in order to push warmer air down, and reverse the motion during the summer to circulate cool air, it will translate to lower energy costs.

Another simple household trick that costs very little is to make sure weather stripping around doors and windows is stable. A roll of weather stripping would be about $7 spent for up to 15 percent savings in heating and cooling costs. And how about our precious resource of water? You can reduce water usage by replacing the aerators, at about $5 each, on your faucets.

And then there’s the old standbys that are hopefully becoming lifestyle habits: wash clothes in cold water; clean the lint screen on your dryer regularly; dust off the coils behind the refrigerator; turn off your computers at night; and unplug electronics and appliances when they are not being used.