Wisconsin, at 2.5 – with a peak of 3.5 – is harder to imagine. Yet Wisconsin is the only state in the union other than California and Texas to have two major cities included in the Solar America Cities program; Milwaukee and Madison.

The Solar America Cities program is an initiative of the U.S. Department of Energy, which aims to see accelerated adoption of solar energy technologies to create a cleaner, more secure energy future. Comprised of 25 major American cities, the program operates through 180 municipal, county and state agencies, as well as solar companies, universities, regional utilities and various non-profit policy organizations, all of whom are committed to seeing solar energy take a front seat at the energy table.

The fact can’t be accounted for merely by Wisconsin’s renewable portfolio standard, or RPS, since the goal is 10 percent of energy from renewables by 2105.

The law, SB 459, enacted in March 2006, allows utilities to fulfill their requirements by buying renewable resource credits (RRCs) from one another, and also allows a carry-forward method of accounting.

In spite of that, Wisconsin really is leading in renewable energy, notably solar, with a proposed $19.6 million project for Roundy’s Corp. supermarket distribution center in Oconomowoc.

Initiated by the state’s Office of Energy Independence (OEI), and funded through an $8.822-million grant that the OEI applied for in 2009 (via the U.S. Dept. of Energy’s Community Renewable Energy Stimulus program), the 12,000-panel, 3.177-megawatt installation will, when completed, become the largest solar project in the Midwest.

The project will also create 190 jobs, double the state’s solar portfolio, reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 4,237 tonnes per year, and provide for almost 20 percent of distribution center’s electricity needs.

Add to that the new factory in Mazomanie, to be built by Menomonie-based Cardinal Glass, which makes low-e glass for energy-efficient windows and will now being making solar panel glass, adding about 60 jobs and competing with Corning, an industry leader in glassware production who is also thinking of expanding into solar panel glass manufacture.

Wisconsin is a leader in solar panel installation training, with more certified solar installers per capita than nearly every state in the nation, according to the Midwest Renewable Energy Association’s executive director Terri Parker, whose agency plans to train 200 instructors across six states over the next five years, thanks to a $3.3-million grant. And this isn’t even counting the cooperative, internally financed solar education “farm” being developed by the Milwaukee Area Technical College and Johnson Controls, which will consist of about 2,500 panels.

Some information in the story was provided by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Cooler Planet is a leading solar resource for connecting consumers and commercial entities with local solar Installers. Cooler Planet’s solar panel resources and solar energy page contains articles and tools to help with your solar project.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/environment-articles/wisconsin-leading-solar-energy-push-1730704.html

1. Use less gasoline. Every gallon of gas you use produces about twenty pounds of carbon dioxide which is absolutely terrible for the environment. You can easily reduce your usage by utilizing public transportation, car pooling and telecommuting when you can. Also consider bicycling. It’ll be great for the environment and you might even lose a few pounds.

2. Drive the speed limit. You car is most efficient at or below sixty miles per gallon. So avoid speeding down the highway on your way to work, maybe even go a little under if you can.

3. Don’t let your car idle. Even if it’s just for a few minutes, always shut your car off. Also, avoid warming up your engine. Most relatively new models don’t require it anyway.

4. Make sure your tires are properly inflated. Check your car manual if you aren’t sure what pressure is appropriate. Having properly inflated tires is another easy way to make your car more fuel efficient.

5. Replace your headlights with automotive led lights. This will conserve energy and they will last far longer than your average bulb.

6. Perform all routine maintenance. This will make your car much more fuel efficient and it will also keep your car performing at its best.

7. Don’t carry anything unnecessary in your car. Carrying around heavy objects in your backseat or in your trunk will add to the weight your engine has to move. This is a great excuse for you to clean out your car and get better gas mileage.

These are just a few things you can do to reduce your car’s negative impact on the environment. Make sure to do plenty of research and find other ways in which you can make a difference. Even simple lifestyle changes can help fight global warming.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/environment-articles/how-to-make-your-car-green-1484395.html

Greenhouse gases can be produced both by natural and industrial processes. The most abundant greenhouse gases on earth’s atmosphere are water vapour, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, ozone and CFCs.

There are several sources of greenhouse gases. Burning of fossil fuels and deforestation lead to higher concentration of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere. Without the trees and plants to take in the carbon dioxide emitted by burning fossil fuels, natural gas and petroleum products, all of the CO2 emitted stays in the atmosphere.

Also the use of CFCs or chlorofluorocarbons in refrigeration systems and in fire suppression systems and other manufacturing processes also increase the greenhouse content of our atmosphere. While the use of non-organic fertilizers in agriculture also lead to higher nitrous oxide concentrations, another greenhouse gas.

In the United States, greenhouse gas emissions mainly come from the use of fossil fuels as energy source. Approximately 82 percent of the greenhouse gas emission in the United States in 2006 came from the combustion of coal, natural gas and petroleum (United States Energy Information Administration). Meanwhile in Asia, Chine is expected to increase its emission of greenhouse gas because of the construction of old-fashioned power plants in its internal provinces. Currently, the carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere are the highest in 150,000 years. The 1990s was most likely the warmest decade in history, while 1998 was the warmest year (Greenpeace).

Not controlling the greenhouse gas being emitted by human activity can increase climate change the next hundred years that will be much faster than anything known and recorded in history. There are necessary steps to be undertaken to control the toxic emission that will soon be killing us.

To minimize the consumption of oil, petroleum and other fossil fuel, we should use energy efficiently. Energy that we use should be generated from renewable energy source, which would mean harnessing the natural energy from the sun, winds, crops, tides and waves.

Green energy is another term used to describe sources of energy that are considered to be environmentally friendly, which is also similar to the renewable sources of energy.

There are numerous ways of generating electricity and energy from renewable and natural sources that generate clean and safe energy. Wind, sun, and heat can generate electricity for less price and less carbon emission than those of coal and even gas.

Shifting the world’s attention to alternative fuel source other than relying on fossil fuel is among the solutions in resolving the drastic climate change. Greenpeace cited that with renewable energy and using it smartly, can deliver half of the world’s energy needs by 2050. Greenpeace also cited that it is feasible to reduce carbon dioxide emission to almost 50 percent within the next 43 years.

Governments are taking steps to use and tap alternative energy sources as main source of energy. The European Union leaders made an agreement in March 2007 to ensure that 20 percent of their nation’s energy should come from renewable fuels by 2020. This is part of their effort to cut carbon dioxide emissions and other greenhouse gas. There are even governments offering incentives to their residents who are using green energy.

Alternative energy source may not be the only way to reduce the greenhouse emission that human activity produce. There are simple ways in which we can do to contribute in reducing toxic gas emission and mitigate global warming.

Have a look at www.greenenergygroups.com

Lucas Price – http://thedownloadshub.com/

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/environment-articles/warming-up-alternative-energy-source-and-global-warming-1431928.html