Writing in the Wall Street Journal, Scott Adams, creator of Dilbert, takes a pragmatic and very funny look at trying to build “the greenest house on the block,” without living in a home made of “twigs, pinecones and bird nests.” Ultimately Mr. Adams decided that to him “green” means  ” . . . living the life you want, with as much Earth-wise efficiency as your time and budget reasonably allow.” This practical and pragmatic approach to living green is far more appealing to the great majority of people who want to conserve Earth’s resources, but still live in the 21th century.

Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/smallbox/174532376/

http://topics.wsj.com/article/SB20001424052748704868604575433620189923744.html

KJC

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If you’re not watching the Tour de France, you’re missing an exciting duel between Alberto Contador and Andy Schleck, you’re missing the beautiful French countryside and incredible mountain climbs, and you’re missing this new commercial from Nissan and Lance Armstrong.  Although Armstrong is not in the competition for the yellow jersey this year (his final year), the most famous U.S. cyclist makes an effective spokesman for the new Leaf.

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In Mr. Obama’s weekly radio address at the beginning of July (that was Day 75 of the BP oil well disaster), he touted the country’s transition to a “clean energy economy” and announced the Department of Energy’s “award of nearly $2 billion in conditional commitments to two solar companies.”

One government beneficiary is Abengoa Solar, a Spanish engineering company, that has agreed to build a solar power plant in Arizona. The other beneficiary is Abound Solar, a Colorado company, which will use $400 million in loan guarantees to expand solar-panel manufacturing plant in Colorado and to open a new plant in Indiana.

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The Solar Impulse took off early this morning for a 24-hour test flight from an airfield in Payerne, Switzerland, approximately 80 miles northeast of Geneva.  Andre Borschberg, the pilot, will fly the plane at 28,000 feet throughout the day.

We reported on early test flights  of this solar plane here and here.

UPDATE - Success!  The Solar Impulse lands after 26 hours.

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