The Danger of BPA in Our Bodies!!!

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Hormone experts said on Wednesday they are becoming worried by a chemical called bisphenol A, which some politicians say they want taken out of products and which consumers are increasingly shunning.

They said they have gathered a growing body evidence to show the compound, also known as BPA, might damage human health. The Endocrine Society issued a scientific statement on Wednesday calling for better studies into its effects.

Studies presented at the group's annual meeting show BPA can affect the hearts of women, can permanently damage the DNA of mice, and appear to be pouring into the human body from a variety of unknown sources.

BPA, used to stiffen plastic bottles, line cans and make smooth paper receipts, belongs to a broad class of compounds called endocrine disruptors.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is examining their safety but there has not been much evidence to show that they are any threat to human health.

"We present evidence that endocrine disruptors do have effects on male and female development, prostate cancer, thyroid disease, cardiovascular disease," Dr. Robert Carey of the University of Virginia, who is president of the Endocrine Society, told a news conference.

The society issued a lengthy scientific statement about the chemicals in general that admits the evidence is not yet overwhelming, but is worrying.

Dr. Hugh Taylor of Yale University in Connecticut found evidence in mice that the compounds could affect unborn pups.

"We exposed some mice to bisphenol A and then we looked at their offspring," Taylor told the news conference.

"We found that even when a they had a brief exposure during pregnancy ... mice exposed to these chemicals as a fetus carried these changes throughout their lives."

The BPA did not directly change DNA through mutations, but rather through a process called epigenetics -- when chemicals attach to the DNA and change its function.
WIDESPREAD EXPOSURE

Taylor noted studies have shown that most people have some BPA in their blood, although the effects of these levels are not clear.

Dr. Frederick Vom Saal of the University of Missouri, who has long studied endocrine disruptors, said tests on monkeys showed the body quickly clears BPA -- which may at first sound reassuring.

But he said when tests show most people have high levels, this suggests they are being repeatedly exposed to BPA.

"We are really concerned that there is a very large amount of bisphenol A that must be coming from other sources," Vom Saal said.

Dr. Scott Belcher of the University of Cincinnati in Ohio and colleagues will tell the meeting they found BPA could affect the heart cells of female mice, sending them into an uneven beating pattern called an arrhythmia.

"These effects are specific on the female heart. The male heart does not respond in this way and we understand why," Belcher said. He said BPA interacts with estrogen and said the findings may help explain why young women are more likely to die when they have a heart attack than men of the same age.

U.S. government toxicologists at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences expressed concern last year that BPA may hurt development of the prostate and brain.

A 2008 study by British researchers linked high levels of BPA to heart disease, diabetes and liver-enzyme abnormalities.

(Editing by Eric Walsh)

Additional Facts on BPA

--Bisphenol A (BPA) is one of the most widely used industrial chemicals with about 7 billion pounds produced annually.
--BPA is a chemical that mimics the female sex hormone estrogen.
--BPA is always found in polycarbonate plastic (#7)
--5 gallon water bottles, baby bottles, sports bottles and microwave cookware are made of polycarbonate and contain BPA.
--Many food and beverage cans have a plastic lining made from BPA.
--BPA gets into food and beverages stored in these containers and then makes its way into the human body.
--BPA is found in the bodies of nearly everyone tested for it in the USA.
--As of 2005, there have been 115 published studies examining low doses of the chemical and 94 of them found harmful effects from BPA.
--Animal studies link BPA to breast and prostate cancer, obesity and diabetes, hyperactivity, female reproductive disorders and early onset of puberty, impaired brain development and permanent genetic changes.
--Levels of BPA in humans are higher than levels found to cause harm in animals.
--Fetuses and infants are most vulnerable to the chemical's effects.

The safest way you can eliminate BPA from your life is to purchase glass bottles and containers. Carry a glass water bottle instead of a plastic one.

Glass is also reusable, easy to clean and easy to recycle. It will also save you money in the long run if you fill your own glass bottles with water rather than purchasing thousands of water bottles over your lifetime.

Do not eat or drink from any plastic containers that have been exposed to high heat, such as a water bottle left in the car. The heat increases leaching of the BPA and other compounds from the plastic into the water and food. Ever wonder what that plasticy taste is in your water? Now you know. Drink safe.

People Named O'Reilly - Stoop (Stupid)

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - The head of oil company Chevron Corp said efforts to cut U.S. carbon emissions by 80 percent by 2050 were unrealistic because so much current energy infrastructure would have to be replaced.

Highlighting the scale of the task, CEO David O'Reilly said making every U.S. vehicle carbon free would only cut out 34 percent of greenhouse gases, while a completely zero-emission power generation system would only eliminate 40 percent.

"We'll be lucky if we can get 20 percent or 25 percent by 2050," O'Reilly said in a largely cordial debate on Wednesday night with Carl Pope, executive director of environmental group Sierra Club. "I hope I'm wrong about it, but I'm just looking at capital stock turnover."

O'Reilly cited the small fraction of hybrid cars on the road, after years of investment, as an indication of how long it would take to change. But Pope, pulling a cell phone out of his pocket, argued technology could drive change faster than people often believed.

Pope, who has held his position at the San Francisco-based environmental group since 1992, pointed to California's reduction of electricity use by half between 1973 and 2003 as an example.

O'Reilly, who has run San Ramon, California-based Chevron for nearly a decade, applauded the achievement, but said the wider transition of heavy industry to other states and countries meant much of the usage had simply moved elsewhere.

"You just can't draw a circle around the state of California and draw that conclusion without looking at the total load," O'Reilly said.

Both men agreed that moving away from coal toward natural gas in power plants would be one of the quickest ways to reduce carbon output, and promised to talk privately about potentially lobbying together in Washington D.C. about a perceived congressional bias toward coal.

Pope was particularly critical of the current climate bill in Congress for not making coal share more of the burden.

"The coal industry sent oil and gas its share of the dinner bill," he said, though he later added that he wanted the bill to move forward through Congress so it could be improved.

In the debate hosted by the Commonwealth Club, a San Francisco-based public affairs forum, both men agreed that a carbon tax was a far simpler way of reducing consumption, with O'Reilly calling the legislation "unnecessarily complex."

"When people see complexity, when they look at what happened in the financial system with all the complexities that developed there, I think they get distrustful," O'Reilly said.

Pope criticized U.S. energy regulation for not forcing utilities to buy more low-carbon electricity.

"Well, if you can get the government to move faster, then good luck," O'Reilly said.

Pope replied, to applause: "It would help if you would get out of the way."

After a brief discussion of a $27 billion pollution case Chevron is fighting in Ecuador, which has received much attention in recent months, a handful of audience members wearing shirts that said 'Chevron's $27 billion secret in Ecuador' stood up in protest.

"It's not a secret," O'Reilly said.

Good one, O'Reilly. Chevron would do right and replace this guy with someone a little more pro-active and educated in the Green Movement.

(Reporting by Braden Reddall; editing by Simon Jessop)

Did You Know...?

Bamboo is the greenest building material on the planet! Because it grows so quickly, fully maturing in 4 years (trees take upwards of 35 years to mature!) and growing to heights of more than 60ft and sometimes growing more than 3ft in one day, bamboo is truly the best material to build new homes and buildings with.

Bamboo is also incredibly durable and strong, besting some steel alloys! Harvesting bamboo allows the root system to stay in tact so that there is no soil erosion or degradation of the land, unlike harvesting trees.

Bamboo also makes a fantastic fiber for clothing and bedding. It is naturally antibacterial and antifungal! It keeps you 2-3 degrees cooler in the heat and 2-3 degrees warmer in the cold. The natural make up of the bamboo makes it naturally waterproof and makes it softer than the softest cotton available. It may also give a light sheen effect.

There are over 100 bamboo products on the market today! Try something bamboo next time you need something new in your kitchen, bedroom or wardrobe!

Green Money = Green Jobs = Green Future

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The United States should pass a comprehensive energy plan to ensure the number of jobs in environmental fields, such as renewable energy and cutting air pollution, will keep rising as they did in the decade to 2007, a Pew report said on Wednesday.

U.S. clean economy jobs grew at rate of 9.1 percent from 1998 to 2007 to 770,385, faster than overall jobs during the decade, said the Pew Charitable Trusts study, which aims to set a baseline to judge how well public policies and investments foster green jobs in the future. In contrast, the traditional energy economy of oil, natural gas, and coal employed about 1.2 million workers in 2007.

"We do believe our report points to trends that show a very promising future for the clean energy economy," Lori Grange, an expert on state policies at the Pew Charitable Trusts, told reporters in a teleconference.

"This sector is poised for explosive growth."

President Barack Obama has said he wants to create millions of "green collar" jobs.

In order to create that work force, more and wider policies are needed, according to the report.

WIDER PLAN

"The (U.S. stimulus bill) has made important investments in spurring economic recovery and protecting the environment," said Phyllis Cuttino, the director of the U.S. global warming campaign at the Pew environment group.

Despite the recession, innovation in the clean economy should continue to rise due to venture capital investments, the cost of fossil fuels, and state and federal policies such as the stimulus bill, the report said.

"But it has to be paired with additional federal policies that support and speed the transition to a clean energy economy. To do so, Congress and the Obama administration must work together to pass comprehensive global warming and energy legislation," Cuttino said.

Obama's stimulus bill included more than $60 billion for clean energy, including $11 billion to modernize the power grid to move energy from renewable energy projects to the cities and $2 billion in grants to develop better batteries for cars.

Obama also supports a comprehensive federal energy plan that would launch a "cap and trade" market on greenhouse gases and national mandates that would force power companies to generate a portion of their electricity from renewable sources such as wind and solar power. An energy bill that would create such a market and mandates is working its way through the House of Representatives, but its future in the Senate is uncertain.

The report showed that states that were early leaders in forming so-called "renewable portfolio standards" that require generation from renewables have also been some of the best in drawing green jobs.

California led the country in the number of clean economy jobs in 2007 with more than 125,000 workers. Texas had nearly 56,000 such workers that year and Pennsylvania had nearly 39,000.

(Reporting by Timothy Gardner; Editing by Marguerita Choy)

Share Your Greens

Carbon Dioxide (C02) is the known culprit in Global Warming. In case you may not fully understand why this invisible gas is to blame, this article helps to explain it all.

Did You Know...?

If every household in America replaced just one box (175 sheets) of facial tissues with 100% recycled tissues it would save 163,000 trees!

Check out this list for some of the top brands of recycled paper products to purchase and start saving the trees one sneeze or wipe at a time!

The Pot Calling the Kettle Black

BEIJING (Reuters) - China must press ahead with new ways to cut greenhouse gas emissions for the world to have hope of containing global warming, a U.S. energy official said, urging cooperation to end distrust between the two biggest emitters.

David Sandalow, U.S. Assistant Secretary for Energy, made the remarks in Beijing, where he and Washington's top climate change policy envoy, Todd Stern, have been seeking to narrow differences with China over a new global treaty to fight global warming.

"In recent years, China has taken significant steps to improve its energy efficiency and reduce its emissions," Sandalow said in speech on Tuesday issued to reporters through the U.S. embassy.

"China deserves significant credit for these actions...Yet China can and will need to do much more if the world is going to have any hope of containing climate change," he said.

Defining what that "more" should be is a crucial issue for negotiators seeking to settle the new global warming pact in Copenhagen in December. Sandalow's speech gave no suggestion that these latest talks have overcome major differences.

China is the world's biggest emitter of greenhouse gases from vehicles, industry and agriculture, having outpaced the United States, scientists believe. Between them the two nations pump out about 40 percent of the carbon dioxide from fossil fuels that is the main greenhouse gas from human activity.

But Beijing says global warming has become such a threat through the emissions of developed countries, and developing economies must not be distracted from growing and, for some time, should not accept a ceiling on their greenhouse gas output.

Yet if China continues its emissions growth at current "business as usual" rates, global temperatures are likely to eventually rise an extremely dangerous 2.7 degrees Celsius, even if all other nations somehow cut their emissions by 80 percent by 2050, said Sandalow.

The escape from this impasse lies in new energy-saving policies and technology and sources of clean power, he said.

"China has abundant opportunities to cut emissions by improving energy efficiency and promoting low-carbon economic growth," said Sandalow.

The Obama administration has promoted clean energy cooperation with China, and a bill before the Congress aims to reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by 17 percent below 2005 levels by 2020.

But China has demanded rich countries make much bigger cuts, and said they should commit up to one percent of their annual economic worth to helping the developing world fight global warming.

(Editing by Sanjeev Miglani)

2014 Sochi Olympics Go Green

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Russian Olympic organizers to help make the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi green.

Sochi is located between the shores of the Black Sea and the Caucasus Mountains in Russia's Krasnodar Region. The area is renowned for its pristine and untouched setting. The efforts of UNEP to preserve the natural beauty of the area go as far as recommending that the bobsleigh and luge tracks be moved away from the Caucasus nature reserve, which is virtually untouched by human activity.

The organizers are committed to creating an environmental legacy for the future of the region and are investing $1.75 billion in energy conservation and renewable energy to offset the remaining greenhouse gas emissions from the use of electricity, air travel and ground transportation. They will also invest in reforesting the Sochi National Park.

"We developed the Sochi 2014 environmental strategy and this will ensure that the ecological situation in the Krasnodar Region is enhanced for generations to come," stressed Chernyshenko at the signing of the agreement.

This is a fantastic endeavor by UNEP and the Russian Olympic organizers as it shows the growing awareness of the impact that humans are having on the environment.

The Olympics has always been a bittersweet event because it celebrates the human spirit but at the same time it is an extremely wasteful event. Thousands of people flock to a city that has spent years overturning in anticipation of the Games and when all is said and done, the city is left decimated with massive infrastructures that no longer serve much of a purpose.

Let's hope that with UNEP's involvement in future Games, this impact can be minimized, especially in such an environmentally-sensitive area such as Sochi. The Games will certainly draw much attention to the area and increase tourism. My only hope is that all of this natural beauty isn't lost in the process.

The Oceans Are Trashed!!

Today marked World Ocean Day and released today by UNEP and the Ocean Conservancy was a report detailing the state of the world's oceans and beaches.

Plastics, especially PET bottles (water bottles)account for 80% of the trash found in the oceans.

"The ocean is our life support system - it provides much of the oxygen we breathe, the food we eat and climate we need to survive - yet trash continues to threaten its health," said Vikki Spruill President and CEO of Ocean Conservancy.

Read the full report as it details the different types of trash that pollute our oceans and how it affects the helpless marine life.

We are responsible for the state of the oceans, we are responsible for the state of the world.

If you would like to help keep our beaches and oceans clean, please volunteer or donate with the organizations below:

Save the Pacific
International Coastal Cleanup
Beach Cleanup

Scientists Should "Think Twice" First

Today an article was published that asks commuters to "think twice" about taking public transit systems such as buses and trains, stating that it may be better to "drive into a city -- even in an SUV" at times.

The scientists are basing this on seat occupancy, which is a logical variable to worry about; one person taking a bus is obviously going to create a larger carbon footprint than would one hundred people taking the same bus. But to publish this article is simply irresponsible.

Those ignorant to becoming green or those that are on the verge of trying, will now have a reason to still think that it is okay to opt out of public transportation, seeing it as the one excuse they need to continue traveling the way they do, because a "scientist" said that it's better for them to drive. Fifty to one hundred cars on the road will certainly create a greater impact on the planet than one bus.

The "scientists" argue that the bus is still using fossil fuels, which is the case for some of the older buses, but most new buses now run on natural gas, which is still a fossil fuel but it is clean burning. With the increase in number and demand from commuters, cities will put more money into the public transportation system and add cleaner, more efficient vehicles.

Please continue to take public transportation if you do and if you are considering taking it and are able to, then do so. The more people that take public transportation, the more this "problem" of seat occupancy goes down as do the number of cars on the road and so then does traffic and pollution. It's a win/win!!

Did You Know...?

You can save on your electric or gas bill by washing your clothes in cold water? The heating required for the hot water used when washing clothes significantly adds to your utility bill and to your carbon footprint.

Luckily, companies like Tide, have created detergent that actually works with cold water to get your clothes clean and fresh! Try switching to a cold water detergent - I think you'll find that you like washing your clothes in cold water a lot more!

Seal the Deal! Sign the Petition!!

The Climate Petition
Seal the Deal!

The world urges world leaders to:

Seal the Deal at COP 15 on a climate agreement that is definitive, equitable and effective.

Set binding targets to cut greenhouses gases by 2020 to avert the climate change threat.

Establish a framework that will bolster the climate resilience of vulnerable countries and protect lives and livelihoods.

Support developing countries’ adaptation efforts.

Seize this defining opportunity to protect People and the Planet.

Power green growth; launch the green, low carbon economy of tomorrow

Seal the Deal
Power Green Growth
Protect People and the Planet

REDD to the Rescue!

One topic that shakes the core of my being is deforestation (I won’t even get into the ridiculousness of what it means to destroy an entire ecosystem that took centuries, if not millennia, to establish itself). At current rates, by the year 2100 tropical forest clearing could release 320 to 477 Gigatonnes of carbon into the atmosphere, and the thing that is fueling this destruction: Palm oil.

Palm oil is a cheap, cheap, cheap feedstock for biodiesel, foods, soaps and so many other products. Unfortunately, what most of us do not realize is that palm oil has become such a huge cash crop and it is literally clearing the way for deforestation in many parts of the world, mainly Indonesia and Malaysia.

These two countries are home to large rainforests and peatlands that not only house some of the rarest species on the planet great and small (orangutans and microorganisms), but the forests also hold vast amounts of carbon that create massive quantities of green house gases when they are cleared.

Peatlands are some of our planet’s greatest natural resources for fuel due to their high carbon content when dried. But it is also with this high carbon content wherein the danger and destruction lies. It is estimated that the peatlands in Indonesia contain upwards of 50 billion tons of carbon and their burning is contributing highly to the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

Peatlands and rainforest in Indonesia and Malaysia are cleared on massive scales, about 50 football fields a minute, to allow for the planting of palm trees which produce, what else, palm oil. The governments of these poor nations aren’t keenly aware of the importance that their natural forests have for the world’s ecology and have sanctioned the clearing as an economic resource for their developing nation.

But, luckily it looks like things may be turning around!

The United Nation’s Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation, or REDD, program has come up with a possible solution that will make conserving the rainforests and peatlands more profitable than clearing them.

According to BBC News, under REDD, palm oil companies would be called on to protect the forested areas they already own and sell “carbon credits” for the amount of carbon contained in the still living forest.

Basically what would happen is that the palm oil company would sell the land they already purchased to be cleared to plant palm trees to the government or another conservation body at a rate higher than what they would earn through the selling of palm oil produced on that land.

At a break even price of $10 per ton of carbon, anything over that would be a profit for the palm oil company. Current trends tend to be upwards of $30 per ton of carbon.

Dr. Oscar Venter from the University of Queensland states that

“ REDD is probably our best chance to invest billions of dollars in forest conservation and to help developing nations make a reasonable profit from their forests.”

Let’s hope that this program is viable because it will certainly promote conservation since these countries will see the already existing forest as worth more than a cleared one, left useless after only a few rotations of palm plantations.



One way that we can all help to reduce the demand for palm oil and thus reduce the amount of deforestation, is to not use any products containing palm oil. If there is no demand there will be no supply! Simple as that.

On an ending note, if you are wondering what is the problem if they are clearing the rainforests to plant palm trees, which is essentially replacing the trees, the answer is that the palm trees themselves are not a sustainable tree for the animals that depend on the diversity of the rainforests which leads to extinction of some of our planet's rarest and yet-undiscovered species.

Share Your Greens

An insightful article on Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO's).

Less meat consumption = less confined animals = less greenhouse gases = happier planet!

Nerd Alert: Steven Chu

WASHINGTON (Reuters) Even though he is 15th in the line of succession to the U.S. presidency, Energy Secretary Steven Chu still thinks he's a nerd. And some in Washington wouldn't argue with his assessment.

While many of President Barack Obama's cabinet secretaries zoom around the nation's capital in black sedans, Chu will occasionally pull into Energy Department headquarters on his bike, with his security detail peddling close behind.

In his commencement address at Harvard University on Thursday, the Nobel Prize-winning scientist admitted he may not be as exciting as previous speakers like Microsoft founder Bill Gates and "Harry Potter" author J.K. Rowling.

"Today, you have me. I am not a billionaire, but at least I am a nerd," Chu said at the beginning of his speech.

Chu went on to talk about the threat of climate change and ended his talk with a line that could have been conjured up by an obsessed adult "Star Trek" fan.

"May you prosper and help save our planet," Chu said.

While not the exact works so often spoken by Mr. Spock, it was close enough.

(Reporting by Tom Doggett; Editing by Christian Wiessner)

Climate Heroes to Save the Day!

An adventurer who plans to sail the Pacific in a boat made of plastic and a team of innovators trying to figure out how to take plastic out of the ocean are among “Climate Heroes” named today by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).Timed to mark World Environment Day, observed on June 5, the nomination of the heroes is part of UNEP’s Adventure Activism for the Environment program designed to raise public awareness of “hot topic” issues in advance of an environmental summit in Copenhagen in December.

“Climate heroes are people who take a special initiative, who go beyond the normal responsibilities that we have, who pioneer with unusual initiatives and ideas,” said Achim Steiner, UNEP’s Executive Director. “They show the kind of commitment, enthusiasm and understanding of how important it is that we all become heroes in order to address climate change."

Among the heroes are Roz Savage of the United Kingdom – known for her 2006 solo row across the Atlantic Ocean – who will row across the Pacific Ocean and walk from London to Copenhagen to encourage people to walk more, drive less and use less fuel.

Other heroes are David de Rothschild of the United Kingdom and his team, which plan to sail the Pacific in a catamaran made out of reclaimed plastic bottles, and Project Kaisei, a California based group which is studying how to capture plastic waste in the ocean, detoxify it, and recycle it into diesel fuel.

Also ahead of World Environmental Day, the General Assembly yesterday unanimously passed a resolution, expressing its deep concern about “the possible security implications of climate change.”

The 192-member body asked all the major UN organs, including the Security Council, to intensify their efforts to address the challenge, and requested to submit a comprehensive report to the Assembly at its next session on the possible security implications of climate change.

Did You Know...?

Planting trees is one of the best ways we can help to reduce greenhouse gases in our atmophere. Planting a tree in your own back or front yard is a simple way to help contribute and will create beautiful addition to your home that you and your family can enjoy for years to come.

Check out this simple guide to planting your own tree!

If you'd rather not get your green thumb dirty, you can still help by donating to any of these wonderful organizations that will do all the work for you!

Trees are cheap - you can help plant a forest with as little as $100!

UN Billion Tree Campaign
Arbor Day Foundation
Trees for the Future
Tree People

Smart Grid is Generating Buzz

The "smart grid" has become the buzz of the electric power industry, at the White House and among members of Congress. President Barack Obama says it's essential to boost development of wind and solar power, get people to use less energy and to tackle climate change.

Smart grids will allow for home thermostats and appliances that adjust automatically depending on the cost of power, a water heater may get juice from a neighbor's rooftop solar panel and on a hot day a plug-in hybrid electric car charges one minute and the next sends electricity back to the grid to help head off a brownout

Utilities will get instant feedback on a transformer outage, shift easily among energy sources, integrating wind and solar energy with electricity from coal-burning power plants, and go into homes and businesses to automatically adjust power use based on prearranged agreements.

"It's the marriage of information technology and automation technology with the existing electricity network. This is the energy Internet," said Bob Gilligan, vice president for transmission at GE Energy, which is aggressively pursuing smart grid development. "There are going to be applications 10 years from now that you and I have no idea that we're going to want or need or think are essential to our lives."

The grid is already being tested around the country.

On the University of Colorado campus in Boulder, the chancellor's home has been turned into a smart grid show-house as part of a citywide $100 million demonstration project spearheaded by Xcel Energy. The home has a laptop-controlled electricity management system that integrates a rooftop solar panel with grid-supplied power and tracks energy use as well as equipment to charge a plug-in hybrid electric car.

Florida Power & Light is planning to provide “smart meters” covering 1 million homes and businesses in the Miami area over the next two years in a $200 million project. Smart meters are being distributed by utilities from California to Delaware's Delmarva Peninsula.

Center Point Energy, which serves 2.2 million customers in the metropolitan Houston area, expects to spend $1 billion over the next five years on smart grid. Residential customers are seeing an additional $3.24 a month on their electric bills, but Center Point says that should be more than offset by energy savings.

An Energy Department study projects energy savings of 5 percent to 15 percent from smart grid. The cost and payback have some state regulators worried.

"We need to demonstrate to folks that there's a benefit here before we ask them to pay for this stuff," says Frederick Butler, chairman of New Jersey's utility commission and president of NARUC, the national group that represents these state agencies.

Energy Secretary Steven Chu, said the current grid stands in the way of increasing the use of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar that "will need a system that can dispatch power here, there and everywhere on a very quick basis."

Right now the cost is going to heavily outweigh the benefits of the smart grid with an estimated 75 billion dollar price tag. Yes, energy being reused from multiple sources rather than just one is better for the environment, but the added cost to build such an infrastructure and upgrade people’s homes might be too high right now with the benefits not coming until much later. Small steps and changes will surely be the best way to implement these new technologies and help offset the cost.

This will be one of our greatest assets in the future as we implement more and more diverse sources of energy and energy production. Just as farmers are producing electricity for their farms and community through methane production from the waste of their animals and are sending the excess energy back to the local grid, one day every individual home owner may be able to contribute to the grid with the excess energy produced via solar panels on their homes.

A power system that has the people contributing to it will bring down costs and reliance on a single source for power. Large scale power outages will be reduced, and as more and more renewable energy is contributed to the grid, the need for fossil fuel-based energy will decline, and in turn will reduce our carbon footprint and our impact on the environment. The sun and wind are our friends!

Check out this interactive map of a smart grid for a better understanding of the system!