New Video Posted: American Wind Energy Association

Whether you manufacture wind turbine components, drive a truck hauling rotor blades, lease your land, or operate a crane erecting wind towers, we want to hear about your wind industry job. Together, AWEA and the Greener Milwaukee are looking for wind industry stories to use for our website, speeches, and advertising, and we want to know just how important these jobs are to you, your family and the American economy.




Find more videos like this on Greener Milwaukee

Get to know your Greener Milwaukee members: Ryan Thompson

Hello,

This is the first entry is a special part of Greener Milwaukee that will showcase different members of Greener Milwaukee and why they want to be part of the Greener Milwaukee Movement.

Please click here to join!

So as I have helped interview local business owners before, such as here. iThink it might be fun to let you know a little bit about myself regarding the green movement.

First thing to know... it's coming.

iLike to think of the Green movement as an artistic rendering of human efficiency and design. Humanity has reached a point where engineering, communication, and social thought have achieved levels where we can again as humans measure and perfect systems to work as one eco-system.

Within that framework of system, one item I find so very, very fascinating about it is the possibility. And we have to start locally first. But where and what questions should be ask before we begin the task of rendering a cleaner, more efficient, albeit "greener" Milwaukee?

Is it a good idea to put giant wind turbines off the shores of the Great lakes? Or should we think smaller and they be nestled under the hone bridge? Heck, will the hone bridge still even be there? Will mass transit and parks be put in its place?

Like you, iHave no idea - however iDo have a grasp of how to get there - and iAm going to need a lot of help. iAm going to need the help of the government, small, big business, the media, individuals exactly like you. There is no better place than here, no better time than now. Please join up at our website and meet us for meetings as we discuss as the organic seeds of ideas and  iHope to get to know you better in person.

iF you want to know why iWrite in this style, check out my technology blog, Thunk Different.

iF you want to join us, or contact us, Greener Milwaukee is much bigger than me, it's you, so click here or the video for the Greener Milwaukee Movement

Abrazos,

Ryan Thompson

Follow us on Twitter! = www.Twitter.com/GreenerMKE

Follow me on Twitter = www.Twitter.com/WebMedia

Find more videos like this on Greener Milwaukee

Be a green machine and $hovel!

Want to make yourself useful this winter? Read This...

Ok, So do you know the story of John Henry? The one with the folkoric hero who beat a shoveling machine with his brawn and enduring human spirt?

Well, you can emulate that dude without the tragic consequences this winter and fly your green card in the process... well depending who you are.

How?

With all this snow and and the ability to shovel, do you have to ask?

Snow shoveling is almost as green as it gets as; it's A. Good for you B. it's healthier for air quality than a snow blower, (or "thrower" as retail chains are now calling them) C. It's nice to do for a neighbor orelderly person that may need a helping hand. D. You could make some scratch with that hard work.

So grab your shovel and start shoveling, shucks, check the link below there is even a demand for it... Apparently you can make around $32,000 shoveling snow according to Simply Hired.

So just don't site there reading all day, get out there and help make a Greener Milwaukee today.

Sustainable Dance Club Video

Presentation of the sustainable dance club in Rotterdam (NL). It's kind of the ultimate machine... see for yourself!

Green Car Tips for Winter Blues

Face it, it is going to snow today. It's going to snow and you are going to have to drive through the stuff. So how can you do it without spinning your tires, getting stuck, or burning to much carbon in your chariot of fuel? Greener cars and Greener Milwaukee tips are a good way to start. #1 Drive carefully.

Here are a few more...

Buying green is just the first step in reducing the environmental impacts of automobile use. Your choice of vehicle is most important, but how you drive and how well you maintain your car, van, or light truck will also make a difference.

Avoid "jack rabbit" starts and aggressive driving. Flooring the gas pedal not only wastes gas, it leads to drastically higher pollution rates. One second of high-powered driving can produce nearly the same volume of carbon monoxide emissions as a half hour of normal driving.

Think ahead. Try to anticipate stops and let your vehicle coast down as much as possible. Avoid the increased pollution, wasted gas, and wear on your brakes created by accelerating hard and braking hard.

Follow the speed limit! Driving 75 mph instead of 65 mph will lower your fuel economy by about 10 percent, and can dramatically increase tailpipe pollution in many vehicles.

When possible, plan your trips to avoid rush hour. Stop-and-go driving burns gas and increases emissions of smog-forming pollutants.

Combine trips. Warmed-up engines and catalysts generate much less air pollution, so combining several short trips into one can make a big difference.

Take a load off. Carrying around an extra 100 pounds reduces fuel economy by about 1 percent. Take a few moments to unload your cargo area.

If your vehicle has it, use overdrive gear at cruising speeds. When driving a manual transmission, shift up as soon as possible. Running in a higher gear decreases the rpm and will decrease fuel use and engine wear.

Try using the vents and opening windows to cool off before you turn on the air conditioner. Air conditioner use increases fuel consumption, increases NOx emissions in some vehicles, and involves environmentally damaging fluids.

Unlike many older cars and trucks, modern vehicles don't need to warm up and they have automatic chokes, so you don't need to step on the gas pedal before starting the engine

...and keep air in those tires for better mileage and better traction in the snow!

Eco-Hatchery Interview

I conducted a short interview on a local business owner, Adam Borut and his partner's start-up called, Eco-hatchery. Their focus is on Green gift packs that could come in handy this holiday season... what do you think?

0. Who are you?

Eco Hatchery is a Milwaukee based company dedicated to helping homeowners reduce the energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

1. How did you get started with this Hatchery business?

My business partner and I were discussing the challenge of moving from environmental consciousness to action. In talking with friends and family, we found most were environmentally conscious, but had done little in their personal lives to take action. They were overwhelmed by information, and short on time. We sought to develop a collection of tools that would enable homeowners to have the greatest impact in a single weekend. Along the way, we realized this was not enough. People needed to see in economic and environmental terms the size of opportunities, and the impact of their actions. They also wanted a clear and personalized roadmap for moving forward. We therefore married our Eco Starter Kit with on-line programs we developed to identify, prioritize and track impact of opportunities.

2. How long have you been into the green movement?

I lived for over eight years in Asia, which brought personal focus to the immediate dangers of environmental neglect. I worked for many years in consumer products. I have been 100% focused on this business for the past 2 years.

3. Where are you living? I live in Milwaukee.

4. Where do you see you and the company going?

Our hope is to have a national impact through continuing to educate and provide tools to homeowners to transform the way they live.

5. What makes your product unique, what is it and why should people care about it?

The product marries physical tools, easy step-by-step instructions with on-line tools to maximize peoples impact on energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions in the shortest time with the least resources.

Thanks EH for helping making this city a greener Milwaukee.

Winterize Your House & Be Green!

As the first real snowfall covers the ground this morning on this post-Thanksgiving December dawn, we now all have to turn our attention to the next season at hand... the red and green one.

This involves buying gifts for those that you love & those you don't, this is either the most wonderful time of the year, or if you have bad insulation in your rented apartment, the most feared. So this year, I decided to take action instead of cowering in candlelight over a dusty Charles Dickens novel. I decided to educate myself of some simple tips to be green, save money, and gift the gift of knowledge in lieu of spending a few bucks.

1. Know the Facts – The average family spends $1,400 a year on energy bills, with nearly half of that spent on heating and cooling. Energy-efficient heating and cooling equipment, sized and installed correctly, with properly sealed ducts, can save homeowners as much as 20 percent on their annual energy costs.

2. Keep it Clean – A dirty air filter can increase your energy costs and lead to early equipment failure. Clean or change the air filter in your heating and cooling system monthly. Some filters only need to be changed every 3 months. Also, have your equipment checked seasonally to make sure it’s operating efficiently and safely – check-ups can identify problems early. Dirt and neglect are the #1 causes of system failure.
3. Bundle Up Your Home – Hidden gaps and cracks in a home can add up to as much airflow as an open window. The more heat that escapes, the more cold air enters, causing your system to work harder and use more energy. Home Sealing can improve your home “envelope” – the outer walls, ceiling, windows and floors -- and can save up to 10 percent in energy costs. Start by sealing air leaks and adding insulation—pay special attention to your attic and basement, where the biggest gaps and cracks are often found. If replacing windows, choose ENERGY STAR qualified ones.

4.Tighten Your Ducts – If you have a forced air furnace or heat pump, then a duct system is responsible for circulating warm air throughout your home. Leaky ducts can reduce your system’s overall efficiency by 20 percent. Sealing your ducts can save up to $140 annually on energy bills and help you consistently heat every room.

5. Don’t Oversize – If you’re replacing old equipment, make sure your new equipment is properly sized for your home -- bigger isn’t always better. An oversized system will cost more to buy and operate and will cycle on and off too frequently, reducing your comfort and leading to early system failures and repair costs. Correct size and proper airflow will ensure that your equipment works efficiently, saves you money, and helps protect our environment.

6. Put Your Home to the Test – Doing a home improvement project this fall or winter? ENERGY STAR has online tools to evaluate your home’s energy performance and offer solutions to increase comfort and energy efficiency. Visit www.energystar.gov/homeimprovement. Have your utility bills handy for savings calculations.

7. Consult a Professional – Find an experienced, licensed contractor before embarking on any heating and cooling overhaul. Visit http://www.natex.org/ to find a contractor whose technicians are certified by NATE (North American Technician Excellence), the leading industry-supported testing and certification program. Your contractor should properly size your equipment, test airflow, and perform a quality installation.

So if you are interested in more funky, fun fact, feel free to join the Greener milwaukee community online. Until then, stay warm and be green.

(Photo: JDCow, St. Francis, Wisconsin)