More Hip Than Hippie #176 - Power to the People

Energy independence isn't just for nations anymore! It's never been easier to generate power at home. Dori and Val let you know "watt" it takes to harness the energy of the sun and wind. Learn about equipment and permits, plus rebates to help ease you off the grid. You'll feel empowered!

Beer and Chocolate:

Beer: "Heaps of hops" for Hipsters in this Prima Pils from Victory Brewing Co. in Pennsylvania.

Chocolate: Longtime listener Alex the Dragon in Denmark sent a package of chocolate goodness. This week's choice: Vivani Feine Bitter Orange. Mange tak!

Hip News and Finds

Finds:

• Newspeeper. ReKindle your love for newspapers with an electronic version, courtesy of Plastic Logic. Available next year, their reader is thin, light and easy to read. Just don't use it to potty-train your puppy.
• Good shop/Bad shop. Navigate those perilous shopping aisles with a little help from Good Guide. This new site helps you choose the best products while you're standing in the store. And yes, Val, there's an iPhone app coming soon.

 

Hip News

• Moneybags. A plastics trade group spent over $180,000 last month to fight Seattle's 20 cent bag fee. They could have bought 900,000 plastic bags with that. Or 36,000 ChicoBags.
• Does Yogi know? Meanwhile, France considers a "picnic tax" on disposable dishes. Don't tell the ranger, Boo-Boo!
• Hangover. Clothes hangers made of plastic or wire are very tough to recycle and usually end up in the landfill. Faye Dunaway weighs in on the issue at the end of the show.

Teenie Weenie Greenie™

Smile! A little toothpaste comes to the rescue for those scratched CD's and DVD's. Dab some paste (not gel!) on a cotton swap and polish the plastic surface until the scratches are gone. Wash the toothpaste off with water. If the disc still skips, hot-glue it to a paper lantern and make a disco ball!

Power to the People

Energy independence isn't just for nations anymore! It's never been easier to generate power at home. Dori and Val let you know "watt" it takes to harness the energy of the sun and wind. Learn about equipment and permits, plus rebates to help ease you off the grid.

• Power source. A great article from MSN provided most of the information for our topic.
• Meter operandi. Sending power back to your utility company is called net metering. You may not get you rich, but you'll be powerful!
• It's electrifyin'! Install Sunslate tiles on your roof, and no one but the sun will know you've gone solar.
• Dutch treat. From Holland, the new Energy Ball eggbeater-style turbine blows away your electric bill.
• Knowledge is power. Read up on wind systems and how to plan for them. Identify federal and state tax incentives for switching to solar power.

Listener E-mails We get a charge out of your letters! Send an e-mail to hip@greenfeet.com. And don't forget to post articles, links, and powerful ideas at our MHTH forum!

• Lacy in California helps a hip sista out with safety info for would-be bicycle commuters.
• Cassi in Tennessee is steaming mad about a campaign to save the endangered plastic bag.
• Ken in Bakersfield turned us on to the non-profit Solar Energy International, which provides workshops and online courses for homeowners.
• Big Ed in Indiana let us know about Samsung's new recycling program in the US.

Let the world know you're More Hip Than Hippie! Follow us on Twitter: GrnDiva and MoreHipDori, at your service!Post a review at iTunes, and don't forget us at podcastalley.com and podcastpickle.com. Send us a voice message at our Skype address "morehip" or +1.530.554.2605. Don't have Skype? Get it - it's free! More Hip Than Hippie is sponsored by Greenfeet.com