It's easy to think about modules as singular units of power output, but the reality is that they are a collection of diverse components, each with influence over the end system's total cost and performance. For DuPont, its focus is of course on the materials side, from metallization pastes used to form contacts on the solar cell, to backsheet materials that protect the panels themselves.
The Obama Administration's $60 billion Loan Guarantee Program (LGP) for renewable energy is considered a failure because of Solyndra, Beacon Power, and potential 2012 bankruptcies. What is not well known is that 75 percent of the program's deployed funds went to relatively low risk power plants that will catapult the U.S. to a leadership role in the utility-scale solar sector. This is hardly the hallmark of a "failed program." The program is akin to Shakespeare's King Henry V, who said as a delinquent Prince: "I'll so offend as to make offense a skill, redeeming time when men think least I will."Eat Locally
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Eat Local → Shop at your Local Farmer’s Market for Seasonal FoodsWhen we shop at the grocery store today, we don’t bat an eye at the sight of strawberries in the winter or perfect tomatoes from Holland. In the space of a generation, we’ve become accustomed to eating food that’s never grown roots in local soil. In fact, most produce grown in the United States travels an average of 1,500 miles before it gets sold. Trucking, shipping, and flying-in food from around the country and the globe takes a toll on the environment and on public health. Take grapes, for example. Every year, nearly 270 million pounds of grapes arrive in California, most of them shipped from Chile to the Port of Los Angeles. Their 5,900 mile journey in cargo ships and trucks releases 7,000 tons of global warming pollution each year, and enough air pollution to cause dozens of asthma attacks and missed school days in California. The way we eat has an enormous impact on the health of the planet. By choosing to eat lower on the transportation food chain and focusing on local and organic produce, we can curb global warming and air pollution, avoid toxic pesticides, support local farmers and enjoy fresh, tasty food.
6 Ways to Start Eating Locally 1. Become informed about what is in season in your local area 2. Shop at farmer’s markets for local produce 3. Shop at stores that label food origins 4. Plant a garden 5. Eat at restaurants that source locally 6. Buy Family-Farmed or Fair Trade products when local-produced food is unavailable
Web Resources: Community-Supported Agriculture To Learn More About Sustainable Practices for Your Kitchen Checkout the Food & Health Books from our Online Store! |
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