Articles

Pennsylvania Wants Plug-Ins

State Representative. Mark Cohen, D-Philadelphia, announced todaythat he is seeking co-sponsors for three bills he will introduce to promote and increase the use of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles in Pennsylvania.

People testing plug-in hybrids have reported getting fuel economy of 100 miles per gallon, and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, or PHEVs, have the potential to reach fuel economy levels of 250 to 500 miles per gallon when ethanol or other alternative fuels are also used, with fuel economy figures at about 80 to 100 miles per gallon for normal commuting. (Source: Calcars.org)

Plug-In Hybrids Get 100+ mpg

The growing costs of U.S. dependence on oil have hit home. Factor in world insecurity, economic instability, and it’s clear we pay a lot more to fill up our cars than the price on the pump. And with the threat of global warming, it’s clear we need to use much less oil. How can we start to change?
The century-old gasoline-powered engine is on its way out. Auto makers say the answer will someday be fuel cell cars. Maybe, but we need to get affordable cars now that use far less gas with lower greenhouse gas emissions.

Oh, What A Feeling

It sure feels good to be green. Hybrids are a much needed step in the right direction. I’m still looking for a new car, and fuel economy is a big motivator for me. With Brevard’s 72 miles of coastline to traverse, gas guzzling monsters just aren’t right for me.

Have you noticed all the new hybrids on the road? Amid all the hype about employee discounts, sales and holiday specials, several automakers are deploying a whole fleet of hybrids. And I’m seeing them pop up in the least expected places.

Florida Energy Achievement Awards

The Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC) is pleased to announce the creation of the “Florida Energy Achievement Awards.”
This new annual award will recognize a company, organization or individual that has made a significant achievement in the efficient utilization of energy, energy conservation, energy education or renewable energy in the state of Florida.

Remote Control Children or Developmental Programming?

Cartoon Network recently announced a new 2 hour block of programming targeted at 2 to 5 year olds. In response, Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood publicly lambasted the channel for being,

“the latest attempt to get young children in front of screens — which is exactly where marketers want them”

This raises several important questions on both ethical and parental sides of the issue. Is this another ploy to plop children in front of a tv and endear them to colorful characters and their merchandise? Can television programming actually be beneficial to a child’s development, or more importantly – is it even needed for wholesome development? Read on for the major arguments from both sides, and contribute your own answers to these vital questions.

Crippled in Both Feet

Recently, a few weeks after my father Frank’s passing, I spent time with my mother Flora going through some of his things. He didn’t leave much behind, being a simple man with simple tastes. There were a few clothes; some medals from World War II; a few service pins; several books; a 1980 appointment calendar in which he had scribbled dozens of motivational sayings; and a strange piece of metal we found lying in a drawer.

My mom gasped when she picked up the metal bar, thick and laden with screws. “Look at this,” she said. “What is it?” I inquired.

Family History

This holiday season take a journey of adventure and discovery and prepare to write your family history. Your mission, if you decide to accept it, will be to interview your family members and learn what makes you who you are today.

Visit websites and chronicles of ancient documents to discover who landed where and who married who, and who in your family made the news. Travel through the portals of time and discover from yesteryear’s newspapers the social issues of the times and how your ancestors stood on those issues. Boldly go where few relatives have gone before and carefully review those old letters and pictures that have been in the attic for years. As you converse around the Thanksgiving meal, discover who made that delicious recipe for turkey stuffing or some other dish that is ritually prepared every holiday season. Speak in honor of those who served our country in a foreign war. Find out the accomplishments of your forefathers and record them for history. Visit a gravesite and experience the sacred resting-place of an ancestor.

Spend a Day learning about Florida’s Sea Turtles

Ever wonder about your “Nocturnal Neighbors”? No, not those noisy neighbors next door that are always up until 2 AM. I mean the ones visiting our beaches at night as they have for longer than you can imagine. That’s right, sea turtles! The three species of sea turtle using Brevard’s beaches struggle with the burden of crawling from the surf and finding a suitable nesting location near the dune. Once they find a suitable sight they deposit a hundred golf ball sized eggs into a carefully crafted nest chamber. Leaving them to be incubated by the heat of the summer sun, the mother turtle will never see her babies again. The hatchlings emerging two months later have very little chance of survival with only one in a thousand expected to make it to adulthood.

Dad

My father, Frank N. De Marco, died on Tuesday, July 26, at his home in Ormond Beach, Fla. He was 80. I had the honor of being with him, when he closed his eyes in this life and opened them in his new life to behold the face of God.

I Want My Solar

Soaring energy costs, increased international demand for cheap fuel, and in-your-face realities of global warming all add to one conclusion: America needs renewable energies in a big way, and we need it today, not another 20 years down the road.

Learning About Florida’s Sea Turtles

Ever wonder about your “Nocturnal Neighbors”? Spend a Day learning about Florida’s Sea Turtles! Learn how to join NESTS — Neighbors Ensuring Sea Turtle Survival! Take a Sea Turtle Lighting Course!

Using Solar Energy in a Disaster

A workshop on the “Basics of Using Solar Energy in a Disaster” will be presented at the Solar World Congress in Orlando, Florida, on Friday, August 12, from 2 p.m. until 6 p.m. The course will be taught by Bill Young, a senior engineer at the Florida Solar Energy Center. Participants in the workshop will learn about the uses of solar energy for response, recovery and mitigation functions following disasters.