Green Energy News Items - 2/28/2008
Thursday, February 28th, 2008Definitely NOT Contented Cows
75-80 percent of distillers grains - the leftover grains from making ethanol from corn - are now fed to dairy and beef cattle. This is good news for the distillers, who have found a new market for their waste, but is it good news for consumers of milk and beef?
According to this article in The Coloradoan, this could mean more e. coli and more downer cattle, because cows, as any child could tell you, are made to eat grass, not corn or corn-waste.
Governors At Odds In Energy Debate
Whether or not there’s any such thing as “green coal” seems to depend on whether you’re the governor of a coal state or not. At the recent National Governor’s Association winter meeting in Washington on 2/23, heads of states argued about this and other issues that will impact their states’ economies and the health of their citizens. Governors: Include Coal in Energy Debate.
An LED Lamp That Runs on Gravity
With a little help from a human hand to lift a weight every four hours, this LED lamp will last for 200 years. Young designer Clay Moulton says that his innovative light has the lumens of a 40 watt bulb and ages to a natural-looking light.
Although it might be a little awkward to adjust the weight ever four hours, the concept of this lamp is very promising and shows what can be accomplished when inventors think outside the box. Read more about Gravia: LED Lamp Lit by Gravity Lasts 200 Years, Never Plugs In.
Storing Sunshine for Cloudy Days
One of the most often cited drawbacks of home solar power is the fact that it doesn’t work unless the sun shines. So, on cloudy days, especially when there are a few in a row, conventional power kicks in and the homeowner is back on the grid.
Sharp wants to change that with its new lithium storage battery that can hold up to 18kwh of power. The new battery will be a boon to those with home solar, some of whom have cobbled together makeshift battery systems. Read more here: Sharp Developing Home Solar Power Batteries

