A home being built in Myakka City, in Manatee County and southeast of Tampa will be Florida's first "Earth Ship" according the this article in the Tampa Tribune. The building cost will be comparable to a tradition home. It will have walls made of old car tires, recycled bottles and cans, get its power from solar and be built into the ground to keep the structure cool by the company Earthship Biotecture in New Mexico, promoting carbon neutral building through choices of packaged, modular... Read Full Story

Do we really need a Suncoast tollroad running from the existing Suncoast Parkway (State Road 589) north of Brooksville, about 15 - 20 miles inland from the coast all the way to Tallahassee? Read Full Story

The Trust for Public Lands features a presentation from Leon County as part of the summary of its June 24th workshop "Florida, Beyond Lightbulbs and Hybrids" along with some great links for background reading on climate change and Florida. In addition, the Trust will conduct a workshop on local government solutions to global climate change at the Florida League of Cities conference on August 14th in Tampa. Read Full Story

Most Florida press provided detailed coverage about the approval by the Florida Public Service Commission (PSC) of Progress Energy's request for additional nuclear plants to be built in Levy County, which Green Readers remember from this post. However, the PSC also granted permission to Florida Power & Light to add solar facilities in Brevard, Martin and DeSoto counties. This no risk plan provides the utility company with positive press by building solar facilities in the community while... Read Full Story

The City of Tallahassee energy auditor came today. I was so excited, one would think they were giving something away. Oh, wait, they are! Free and current energy savings tips, some positive reinforcement for my thermostat settings and a little disappointment on my part when I pointed out my wrapped hot water heater. "Well," he said, the newer units are pretty well insulated already. What you really need to do is insulate the hot water pipe leading from the unit." He then showed me the... Read Full Story

More details and a live demonstration this week on a solar powered trash compactor, check out the Green Tallahassee calendar of events. Read Full Story

Perusing the City's energy saving tips while waiting for a response to my energy audit request, I stopped and said: "Well, I didn't know that:" When bedroom doors are closed, with no way for air supplied to the rooms to circulate back to the air conditioner, each closed-off room becomes positively pressured while the remainder of the house areas become negatively pressured with respect to the outdoors. The result is exaggerated air leakage to the outdoors from positively pressured closed... Read Full Story

Here's my suggestion, I'll share any response I receive: TO: Mr. Leo DiBenigno, Florida Lottery Secretary RE: Summer Cash TM Promotion Currently, the Florida Lottery is running a series of eight weekly drawings for $250,000 or free gas for a year or a lifetime. As a longer term benefit to Florida's citizens and in support of the Governor's commitment to a greener Florida, I suggest it would be a better prize to offer a hybrid vehicle as the prize, with which a person could reduce his... Read Full Story

If you are a hypermiler, here's your chance to share your adventures - the Democrat wants to interview you! Leave a comment here or E-mail: abnalley@tallahassee.com Read Full Story

Spottings of Smart forTwo cars in Tallahassee - two. Sightings of the older model hybrid Hondas in Tallahassee - three. Number of cars in Tallahassee that resemble those bugs we called 'rolly pollies' that curl up when you touch them (pill bugs) - zero. This photo is of a car called the Antro Solo, from Hungary. The prototype is a three seat gas-electric hybrid made entirely out of carbon fiber, so light in weight, it achieves top fuel efficiency of 150 mpg and a top speed of 87 mph. But... Read Full Story