http://www.ted.com/talks/eric_whitacre_a_virtual_choir_2_000_voices_strong.html

Happy New Year to all!!!!!

Cathryn Golden

Magnetic North Pole Shifts, Forces Runway Closures at Florida Airport

The planet's Northern magnetic pole is drifting slowly but steadily towards Russia — and it's throwing off planes in Orlando.

July 14, 2000
Web posted at 8:30 p.m. Hong Kong time, 8:30 a.m. EDT

I’m no expert on feng shui, or even technology, but I’m beginning to realize that there is a deep relationship between the ancient and organic form of organization associated with feng shui and the increasing need for organic systems in technology. Whoever can figure out how to make feng shui and technology mesh will really have something on their hands, and I want in before the IPO.

There has been of lot of talk lately about how forces like the Internet and "being wired" are reshaping the organizational structures that we use to communicate. This is true from a hardware perspective–from the complicated circuit boards and processors that route information, all the way up to the grand chaotic structure of the Internet, which now routes just about everything–from words to pictures to audio, and soon, they say, smells.
 

For the full article go to http://www-cgi.cnn.com/ASIANOW/time/asiabuzz/2000/07/15/

Just a piece of info for you all out there…BE CAREFUL IF YOU BREAK ONE OF THOSE CF/ ENERGY EFFICIENT LIGHT BULBS!!!!

I did today and it’s no picnic. If you happen to break one, please remember:
- DO NOT TOUCH IT!! ( Like I did, to pick it up )They contain mercury powder. Use gloves you will throw away.
- Turn off your heat/ air so you won’t circulate it around the whole house
- Open up as many windows as you can
- clean up with with disposable paper towels, sponge…do not use your vac!! Whatever you touch the area with must be tossed out, place bulb & waste in sealed plastic bag
- call your local town waste disposal center as to how to dispose of it.

The guy from there today told me it’s very expensive if you happen to break one on your carpet…luck for me I didn’t. You can buy the "double sealed" bulbs ( that look more like regular bulbs ) rather than the spiral kind. Looks like now I’ll be going out & spending more on those!

Be careful, my friends, I never knew they could be so much trouble!!
Jameson
 

http://www.energystar.gov/ia/partners/promotions/change_light/downloads/CALFacts_and_Assumptions.pdf
and scroll to page 4 for mercury stuff.

The GE website (www.ge.com and Search for "CFL") says: Like paint, batteries, thermostats, and other hazardous household items, CFLs should be disposed of properly. Do not throw CFLs away in your household garbage if better disposal options exist. To find out what to do first check www.earth911.org (where you can find disposal options by using your zip code) or call 1-877-EARTH911 for local disposal options. Another option is to check directly with your local waste management agency for recycling options and disposal guidelines in your community. Additional information is available at www.lamprecycle.org. Finally, IKEA stores take back used CFLs, and other retailers are currently exploring take back programs.

A. Hi Sandra,
Your question is perfectly timed, as we are just finishing up our first online course on the Bagua Map. It’ll be available within the next couple of months, so stay tuned!
Terah

11 Apr 2008

Would you pay $25,000 to $30,000 to put solar panels on your home? If you’re like most cash-strapped Americans, you’d balk at that five-figure expense, no matter how green you aspire to be. OK, what if you could do it for $1,000 or $2,000?

SolarCity, based in sunny Silicon Valley, has just launched a new program that will push the upfront costs of a residential solar system down to a grand or two. Under the company’s SolarLease financing program, backed by Morgan Stanley, SolarCity will own the solar panels it installs on customers’ roofs, and homeowners will pay a monthly lease fee and get the resulting electricity. In many cases, customers’ total monthly electricity expenses will go down, and the power they’re getting will be green instead of brown.

Launched in 2006 by two brothers, Lyndon and Peter Rive, SolarCity also takes advantage of economies of scale by getting whole neighborhoods to go solar at once — hence the company’s name. In just a year and a half, SolarCity has grown to become the largest residential solar-panel installer in California (though it does commercial installations too), with 235 employees and $30 million in sales last year. The company has expanded into Arizona and Oregon (states which, like California, have serious subsidies for solar), and is planning to be up and running on the East Coast by the end of the year.

SolarCity CEO Lyndon Rive is an intense, earnest 31-year-old who launched two other companies before jumping into the exploding market for renewable energy. I caught up with him at the Aspen Environment Forum, where he represented his company in accepting the first-ever Aspen Institute Energy and Environment Award for Corporate Energy Generation.
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What makes SolarCity different from other companies that install solar panels?

We have a unique model. We will go into a local community and educate the community about the benefits of solar, and try to get the entire community to convert to solar. By doing that, we get efficiencies of scale and we offer a discount to everyone who participates, so it’s win-win for everyone.

How much does it cost to put solar panels on a home?

We’re launching a new service that’s going to revolutionize the adoption of solar. The homeowner will be able to pay for the system out of the savings on their electric bill. There will be a low down payment — say $1,000 or $2,000 — and then your monthly fees [to SolarCity] combined with your new electric bill will be less than your old electric bill. We’re essentially leasing people the solar systems. We’re able to capitalize on the commercial tax credits that residents aren’t able to capitalize on.

About $30,000 [before tax credits and other incentives]. Today the biggest barrier to adoption is the initial cost.

A. Dear Kathy,
I was just talking to our handyman about compact fluorescent bulbs, as he lamented over what a problem they are when they break. Just like any fluorescent bulb, they contain mercury which is released into the air when broken (which could be in your environment or in the landfill). There are various opinions about just how toxic the vapor from one bulb is, but we can all imagine the cumulative effect of millions of them being thrown away each year. We could certainly use another choice that is genuinely environmentally friendly. Thanks for asking!
Terah