The historic eruption of Hawaii's Kilauea volcano in 1959 was a violent and beautiful sight to behold. Music by Kevin MacLeod of Incompetech.com.
Air Date: 5/18/10

Blogs

TreeHugger is a fast-growing web magazine, dedicated to everything that has a modern aesthetic yet is environmentally responsible. Our influential audience stops by frequently to check out the latest news, reviews and recommendations for modern yet green products andservices. Consumers also rely on the directory to help facilitate their buying processes. TreeHugger is the most effective way for them to find well designed products that are also ecologically sensitive.                                             
GreenBiz.com ~ Sustainable Business, Cleaner Production, and the Bottom Line 
Grist Magazine ~ Environmental news and commentary from Grist Magazine
WorldChanging ~ Tools, Models and Ideas for Building a Bright Green Future
An Inconvenient Truth ~ An Inconvenient Truth RSS feed
Alternative Energy ~ Renewable Energy
Inhabitat ~ Future-forward design for the world you inhabit
Seed Magazine    
sustainable style foundation 

Energy Saving

The links below provide an overview of ways to save energy, find assistance to make your home energy efficient and what your state is doing to help save energy. These links are your information gateway to cutting edge energy saving ideas.  Find products and services to reduce your overall energy use. 

• Green Energy Savings
• ENERGY STAR®
• Home Energy Saver
• Energy Solutions for Your Building
• Tribal Energy Program

Did you Know

… that natural gas is cheaper, more abundant and is an America resource to cover us until a more permanent solution to our transportation needs is developed?than 70% of US imported oil is used in transportation.  Of all of the domestic energy resources available (domestic oil, natural gas, nuclear, coal, wind, solar, hydro, geo-thermal and bio fuels), only natural gas is easily used as a transportation fuel today.  It  is significantly less expensive than gasoline or diesel with prices in the range of $1.50 a gallon.

Electric cars like the General Motors “Volt” use battery power, but they are light-duty vehicles.  You can’t run a Semi on battery power.

 

…that Natural Gas Vehicles (NGVs) are already in wide use?

Using natural gas for transportation is not a new idea; it is a proven technology.  Public transportation across the country has been using Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) for decades.  Currently, approximately 20% of public transit buses in the U.S. run on CNG.

There are approximately 8.7 million NGVs worldwide and that number is growing rapidly. But, there are only about 143,000 in the United States.  There are numerous manufacturers of natural gas vehicles for the world market, including Ford, Honda and General Motors. 

 

…that the Pickens Plan does not depend on your family vehicle to succeed?

It is not family automobiles which will make the biggest, fastest impact.  Of all the oil used for transportation, 38% is used by fleet vehicles – trucks, buses, municipal and utility vehicles. 

About one out of every three barrels of imported oil goes into the manufacture of diesel fuel for tractor-trailers to move goods around the country.  If, over the next decade, trucking companies large and small replaced their diesel vehicles with trucks running on either Compressed or Liquified Natural Gas, we would very nearly meet our goal of cutting oil imports by 30% right there.

We need to start with the largest fleets and then move into Main Street America.  It will take some time but standing still and continuing down the imported oil path is not a realistic option.

 

…that Natural Gas Vehicles are safe?

You probably use natural gas in your home for cooking, heating, hot water, etc.  If it’s safe for use inside your home, it is safe to use to power a vehicle.

Federally mandated tests, including collision, fire and high pressure tests prove that natural gas vehicles are safe.  Unlike gasoline which can spill and remain on the ground at an accident scene, natural gas quickly dissipates as it is lighter than air.  Natural gas has an ignition temperature double that of gasoline so accidental fire is unlikely.
 

The links below are to pages that are not part of the clickking.com Web site. We offer these external links for your convenience in accessing additional information that may be useful or interesting to you.     Click on the map to view gasoline price data for U.S cities

National and Regional Fuel Prices

These web sites will help you find the lowest gasoline prices in your area.

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1. Compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) approximate the glow of incandescent bulbs and use 75% less energy.
2. Use a Smart Power Strip. These strips sense when your computer or TV is asleep and electronically unplugs devices that depend on them, such as a printer or DVD player, until the controlling device wakes up.
3. Insulate your water heater. The newest electric water heaters have plenty of insulation. But if you have one built before 2004, wrap it in an insulating blanket and save 10% -- about $30 -- annually on your water-heating bill.
4. Turn down the heat. For every degree you lower your home's temperature during the heating season, subtract 5% from your bill, according to the Alliance to Save Energy. An Energy Star programmable thermostat ($70) saves more than twice its price within a year.
5. Set the washer to cold. Use cold water to wash your clothes and save 50% of the energy you would otherwise use for hot water. Set your dryer on the moisture sensor, not the timer, and cut energy use by 15%.
6. Dim the lights. Install light dimmers, which cut electricity use by the same percentage that they lower the light.
7. Stop drafts. As your father would say, don't heat the great outdoors. Put weatherstrip around the frames of your front and back doors and save about $30 per year in energy costs.
8. Lower your water temperature. Set your water heater at 120 degrees. If your heater does not have a temperature gauge, dial down until the water feels hot, not scalding. (Before going too low, make sure your dishwasher has a booster heater, which gets the temperature back to 140 degrees, necessary for proper cleaning.)
9. Use timers on lights. Install occupancy sensors or timers on lights in areas you use only occasionally and for exterior lights, which tend to get left on during the day, light timers can be easily installed by anyone with basic wiring skills.
10. Cover the hot tub. Hot tubs lose heat even with the top on. Float a thermal cover under the hard cover and cut energy use by one-third.
 

Managing online business requires different skills and abilities than managing a business in the ‘real world.’ Customers can easily detect the size and determine the prestige of a business when they have the ability to walk in and take a look around. Not only do ‘real-world’ furnishings and location tell the customer what level of professionalism to expect, but "real world" personal encounters allow first impressions to be determined by how the business approaches its customer service. When a customer walks into a retail business just about anywhere in the world, that customer expects prompt and personal service, especially with regards to questions that they may have about products they wish to purchase.

Customer service or the client service is the service provided to the customer for his satisfaction during and after the purchase. It is necessary to every business organization to understand the customer needs for value added service. So customer data collection is essential. For this, a good customer service is important. The easiest way to lose a client is because of the poor customer service. The importance of customer service changes by product, industry and customer. Client service is an important part of every business organization. Each organization is different in its attitude towards customer service. Customer service requires a superior quality service through a careful design and execution of a series of activities which include people, technology and processes. Good customer service starts with the design and communication between the company and the staff.

In some ways, the lack of a physical business location allows the online business some leeway that their ‘real world’ counterparts do not enjoy. Location is not important, furnishings are not an issue, and most of the visual first impression is made through the professional design of the business website.

However, one thing still remains true. Customers will make their first impressions on the customer service they encounter. Unfortunately, in online business there is no opportunity for front- line staff to make a good impression. Every interaction the customer has with the website will be their primary means of making their first impression towards the business and its client service. Good customer service in any online business is a direct result of good website design and planning.

By Jayashree Pakhare (buzzle.com)

Online discount coupons enable access to great offers from some of the world’s best sites for Internet shopping. The online coupons are designed to allow compulsive online shoppers to access massive discounts on a variety of products. The regular shopper accesses the coupons in bulk and avails of great festive offers and freebies thrown in from time to time. The coupon code option is most commonly used when using a shopping cart. The coupon code is entered on the order page just before checking out. Every online shopping resource has a discount coupon submission option to confirm the coupon code. The dedicated web sites allow the shopper to check whether or not a discount is still applicable. If it is, the sites also enable the shopper to calculate the total cost after deducting the coupon amount like in the case of grocery coupons. Online discount coupons are very convenient to use. They offer great deals and professionally negotiated rates if bought from special online coupon outlets. With a little research and at times, insider knowledge the online discount coupons are a real steal. They are designed to promote products by offering ‘real value for money’ packages. The coupons are legitimate and help with budgeting, in the case of a compulsive shopper. They are available for special trade show promotions, nightlife, sporting events and dinner shows and just about anything that could be associated with the promotion of a product. The coupons enable the online shopper to optimize net access more effectively. Getting a ‘big deal’ is not more utopian amidst rising prices. The online coupons offer internet access to the best and cheapest products displayed online. Big discounts are only a code away! By Gaynor Borade (buzzle.com)