The Federal government recently granted Google the authority to trade power and to buy and sell wholesale power. With this new authority, Google hopes to reduce its electricy bills by trading directly with suppliers. The federal government will specifically allow a newly created subsidiary, Google Energy, to do everything that a traditional utulity does.

Most of us are quite willing to pay a bit more for a green product that delivers environmental benefits and meets our individual needs. Finding such products is not so easy and then evaluating fact from fiction is another matter. Enter EcoBold, a small startup company, whose mission is to help us do all of the above and to live a greener and more sustainable lifestyle.

 EcoBold's founder Steffany Boldrini does the leg work for us. She finds green products and talks to the people behind the products. Then each week, EcoBold delivers a product review and a video of the interview every Tuesday and Friday, respectively.

Our take on Ecobold
We listened to two very different videos to get a flavor for how helpful EcoBold is. The first was an interview with ZoLi, a manufacturer of green baby products and the other was on recycling tires by West Coast Rubber Recycling. As far as we're concerned the videos were just the the right length- less than 6 minutes. 

Natural gas from Alaska's North Slope may finally find its way through Alaska and Alberta Canada via a 1,700-2,000 mile long natural gas pipeline by the year 2020. if required, a 1,500-mile long pipeline from Alberta to Chicago would also be built. Like anything else of this magnitude there are pluses and minuses. I'd love to see that natural gas power our cars and fleet vehicles in the lower 48 and be used to produce electricity. However, I would hate to see some of it used to make a barrel of oil from Alberta's tar sands.

Right now, there are two competing proposals to build a pipeline to Alberta with costs ranging between $32 billion and $42 billion. The proposed pipelines would be the first to tie into natural gas fields on Alaska's North Slope. As you might expect, both U.S. and Canadian oil and natural gas giants are involved in these projects since the pipeline will run through Alaska, Canada and then the northern part of the U.S.:

So you want to "go green" when you decorate or furnish your home! Just the thought of doing that may conjure up going to a chic city showroom and choosing some expensive furniture made of native materials from the rain forest. Of course that may be a part of going green, but you don't have to spend a lot of money to go green. Instead, just consider buying plain old furniture made in the U.S.

My original deck was built in 1990 with PT bones and cedar decking and elements. All of the cedar literally starting falling apart all at once in the summer of 2008. I tore off all the cedar in the spring of 2009. It lasted 20 years but still seemed to fall apart sooner than we had expected, especially since it had regular upkeep.

Finding the right window can seem like a daunting task. One thing important to consider when thinking about your new windows for your home is often overlooked by many people. When it comes to buying windows, you must ask yourself why.

Why are you buying new windows for your home?

Do you want to replace those old drafty ones just because of their poor shape and because they leak?

The rising cost of electricity and recent polls show that people across the world want greener power. In fact, most proponents of electrical cars and trucks want to see wind and solar energy power most of these vehicles. It sounds so simple, but how we consume, produce and distribute electricity are very complicated. Fact is that the kinds of power plants that are built and operated are driven for the most part by cost. However, renewables are often the highest cost power plants to build. Despite this, renewable energy projects in the United States are built because of State Mandated Renewable Energy Portfolios.

To make a difference to policy makers and politicians it pays to understand how things work. Although there are many books about electricity, they are way too technical for the average person. I came across a slide presentation by Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co., (Tudor) an energy investment & banking company that has the right balance as far as I'm concerned.

We are always on the look out for products that will reduce pollution and our carbon footprint. It's seldom that we find a company that is attacking the problem with drywall, windows and soundproofing materials that are important components of every remodeling and new construction project. Serious Materials is such a company and it's CEO Kevin Surace was named Inc. Magazine's 2009 Entrepreneur of the Year.

Serious Materials provides three kinds of products- windows and glass, drywall and soundproofing materials. When you buy these products from the compnay you can be assured that they were manufactured in an environmentally conscientious manner and that they will save you money, energy and reduce your environmental footprint. If buying American is important (we think it is), you can also feel good that this is an American company that is creating green jobs here in the U.S. Serious materials manufacturers it's products in Sunnyvale, California; Newark, California; Boulder, Colorado; and Vandergrift, Pennsylvania.

Last year we were a little late with our holiday gift ideas, so we made a New Years resolution to bring things up earlier. These stocking stuffers and gifts are igreat for the do it yourselfer or that friend who is into eco-friendly gadgets. We've added some cool stuff for the ladies as well.

Yesterday a deer wandered into the lions pen of the National Zoo in Washington DC. This was the first time it happened and cause quite a bit of commotion. Not suprising with the local deer population at 82 deer per square mile. Years ago, 28 deer per square mile was the norm around here.

Finally an automaker with the guts to build an "emission free electric car". Hmm, maybe the car does not emit emissions but the power plant that produces the electricity may.

Nissan made headlines this weekend when it unveiled its new electric car, the Nissan Leaf, which will hit the U.S. market in the second half of 2010. The car will also be sold in Europe and Japan.

The latest polls have shown that 1 out of 3 Americans would gladly switch to an electric car if they were readily available, affordable and could travel extensive distances. So what's really getting in the way? It's the battery. They are usually expensive and most people can't stand the idea of waiting for the darn things to charge. Um um um.....

The art of Hardwood Flooring will bring you a substantial amount of feng-shui into your home by following some very simple steps.

Federal regulators gave hope to proponents of a Smart Grid. They approved financial incentives to allow a company to develop a 3,000-mile long powerline in the Midwest to serve Chicago and points east. If built, the U.S. would be able to tap into sizeable wind power resources in the Midwest. While hope lives eternal, the odds of it ever getting this project built are slim and none unless the Obama Administration Congress get their acts together.

We love it when someone takes two easy to understand technologies and produces a fun and practical item that anyone can buy for less than $20. That someone is IKEA and their new line of Solar-Operated Lighting is called SOLIG. It's presence in the market place and its ease of use may be just what many people need to get their arms around a green energy future.

Most people think "summer"  when it comes to ceiling fans. However, using your ceiling fan properly during winter can reduce your heating bills. This is especially true in homes with cathedral and tray ceilings.

In 2008 the U.S. market for 'green' building materials generated sales of almost $57 billion, according to a study from the Freedonia Group, Inc.," and "this market is projected to expand 7.2% annually to over $80 billion in 2013. Recycled concrete, certified lumber, water efficient plumbing, energy efficient lighting, and green flooring have been the most popular.

Choosing paint colors is always a hassle. We found that Paint Test Boards by Tru-Hue make it much easier and can be used to select not only paint colors, but also your home furnishings as well.

If you are like me you are worried about your home, your job and your future. I sometimes turn off the news because by nature I am pretty positive and I get weary of all this bad news. I ask myself constantly "how bad are things and how does it compare to the Great Depression in 1933. I found a great article today that will help you put things in perspective.