Owning an electric car starts to make sense when you get a $10,000 rebate, eliminate any pollution (assuming your electricity is clean and green), and save a bundle on gas (the cost to operate an electric car is much less than a comparable gas car).
Read
the New York Times story
The time to invest in solar photovoltaic panels is now in Ontario. Get ready to take advantage of the opportunity provided by the Green Energy Act to add solar panels to your house or commercial building.
Read
the story
More than a million hybrid cars have shipped globally. Toyota Prius leads by a wide margin. Now the race is on to be the plug-in hybrid leader. Hybrids can reduce emissions from 70-90% when compared to conventional cars. The new plug-in hybrids will operate primarily on electric power for the first 40-60 miles so that, when combined with pollution free green electricity from renewables like wind and solar, they will be emissions free. Here comes the sun!
Read
the Wired story
If you live in Ontario you could be investing in solar power now and generating income for the next fifty years. Learn how John Wilson expanded his renewable energy system on his house to include a new 1.2 kW solar panel system that generates electricity. For each kW he generates the Ontario Power Authority pays him 42 cents. Once the panels are paid for you get paid pure profits for what could be another thirty years.
Read
the story
Plugging Ontario Into A Green Future lays out an action plan for achieving Minister Smitherman's goal of enhancing the contributions of renewable energy,conservation and distributed generation and shows how doing so will assist Ontario in meeting its climate targets and create new green jobs.
According to the OPA, the Ontario government must decide
early in 2009 whether to rebuild or replace the Pickering B nuclear
station scheduled to come offline in 2013. A similar decision about
the Bruce B nuclear station must be made within the mandate of
this government as well. 2 However, by framing these two decisions
as “either rebuild or replace” nuclear stations, the OPA has failed
to consider the option of expanding renewable energy beyond the
minimum in the supply mix directive.
Instead, the OPA has given the government an unpalatable choice:
rebuild old reactors at high cost and high risk or build new nuclear
plants by 2020. Both options increase fossil generation until
reactors are refurbished r built, resulting in the risk of higher
greenhouse gas emissions.
Hope for a Change: Renewable Energy
The challenge of the century is the imperative to move to 100% renewable energy. This must happen in the next three or four decades as we approach three critical limits. First, the finite reserves of non-renewable's (fossil fuels and uranium). Second, increasing demand for energy. Third, increasingly destructive impacts from global warming. Combined these threats pose the greatest challenge ever faced by society. Our children's future depends on our rapid move to 100% renewable energy everywhere.
SunFest
2008 : Natural Home Tour Including Solar/Wind Power
Learn how you can
create a sustainable home and lifestyle from the Wilson family, recognized
experts at green living. Held on location at the Wilson Natural Home,
you get a full tour of this amazing, inspiring home, that incorporates
straw bale natural insulation, passive solar design, solar & wind
power, natural construction materials, and a green roof.
A Home Energy Retrofit Program that will provide up to $5,000 for home energy retrofits that include Energy Star qualified furnaces for heating, solar domestic water systems and insulation
A point-of-sale retail sales tax exemption for ENERGY STAR® light bulbs, decorative light strings, refrigerators, dishwashers, clothes washers, freezers, dehumidifiers and room air conditioners, purchased, rented or leased after July 19, 2007 and before July 20, 2008
Setting a target of 100,000 installed solar systems across Ontario and creating a task force of industry experts and market specialists on how best to achieve this target
Extending the retail sales tax rebate on qualifying solar, wind, micro hydro-electric and geothermal equipment to January 1, 2010
Partnering with Ontario organizations to establish a one-stop shop where consumers can get information on how to go solar
Launching a program for the industrial, commercial and institutional sector to encourage the use of solar thermal equipment
Developing a program with Ontario’s green energy retailers that helps Ontarians purchase 100 per cent green power, and
A pilot project to provide zero-interest loans for homeowners to install renewable energy systems.
Climate Change: What can you do?
Natural Living is all about making it easy to create a sustainable lifestyle today. The process can be followed by anybody. The eight steps include: 1. Awareness - See the movie An Inconvenient Truth. See what we could do at www.TheSolarVillage.com . 2. Food - Grow your own organics or buy local organics. 3. Plan - Read the book Sun Rise by John Wilson. 4. Home - See the documentary Natural Living: The Wilson Natural Home to learn how. Switch to 100% clean green electricity such as Bullfrog Power. 5. Choice - Make choices that support a sustainable lifestyle. 6. Transportation - Make sure your next car is hybrid or electric so that it reduces pollution from 90% to 100%. 7. Creativity - We all need to challenge our creative abilities to find solutions. Get inspired at www.TheSolarVillage.com . 8. Work - Work for organizations that are sustainable. Start a green energy company like Bullfrog Power .
Eco-Friendly
Design: Wilson Natural Home DVD
Learn how you can
create a sustainable home and lifestyle from the Wilson family, recognized
experts at green living. For a limited time you can order the inspiring
video DVD and instantly download the 300+ page Natural Living book produced
by John WIlson. The documentary provides a complete tour of this award
winning eco-friendly home, that incorporates straw bale natural insulation,
passive solar design, solar & wind power, natural construction materials,
and a green roof. Also included is an interview the Martin Liefhebber
the architect and Leonard Allen who installed the solar and wind power
systems. With standard offer contracts (SOCs) that are designed to encourage
people to use renewable energy on the way, you'll learn all you need
to know to start saving and making money with wind and solar power on
the grid.
My House Sustainable Home Tour
Here is a fun way to learn how easy it is to start taking advantage of renewable energy. Sustainable home design is easier to understand once you've seen and heard what it means. Join John Wilson on a tour of his award winning sustainable home as featured on My House, a reality television show produced by Rogers Television.
The
Solar Village, FREE Documentary Video
The Solar Village
is a documentary video that explores how we can create sustainable communities
today. Rather than discuss these workable ideas in the abstract this
documentary takes you to the people who are making the modern world
work on solar power today. It is possible now to create communities
that are more comfortable than our current ones while using clean reliable
renewable energy.
Freedom Off The Grid
Gaining your freedom off the grid takes a new kind of thinking. Leonard Allen lives and breathes that kind of thinking every day. Off the grid means generating your own electricity, storing it for usage during peak demand, and eliminating your electricity bills. Leonard is one of the few “solar” power people who “walks the talk.” His company, Solera Energies, is one of the most innovative renewable energy systems providers in Canada.
Sun Rise: Your Complete Guide to Sustainable Living This down-to-earth book explains in simple terms, how we all can start using solar energy, wind power, breathing walls, straw bale home construction techniques, passive solar design, smart windows, green roofs, and composting – today! You’ll learn how John Wilson and his family made their dreams come true as they explain how to make Natural Living work for you. You’ll learn about the process John discovered to make it all come together with solar panels, green roofing, straw bale construction, efficiency, organic food, and a hybrid car. You’ll get the details on how much it cost and what it took to get a wind turbine, solar panels, the hydro meter running backwards, grass on the roof, and a furnace the size of a bread box that doesn’t burn fossil fuels. Here is the book that breaks down many of the barriers to a sustainable lifestyle, and shows what is attainable today. I truly believe that, as in my own case, once people see what others have achieved, they will be inspired and emboldened to make the changes suggested in this book.
World's First Solar Desk?
This desk incorporates a 15 watt solar panel I bought at the local Canadian Tire store for $144. I hooked it up to a charge controller, a deep cycle battery and a 400 watt inverter that converts the DC electricity provided by the 12 volt batter (under the desk) to 120 volts AC that I can then use for the computer. Cuts down on about a 75 watt constant load from using the computer and everything works just fine even if the power fails. The desk costs about $500 all in. Not bad for a desk that provides clean renewable energy. First we had a few solar calculators, now all of them have solar built in. Now the age of solar panels being built into all appliances is coming. For more information please contact John Wilson at john.wilson@naturallifenetwork.com .
Solar Revolution
Check out this wonderful series by CBC radio called Solar Revolution. Hermann Scheer, the parliamentarian who created the renewable energy revolution in Germany, says Canada could switch to entirely renewable energy in just five years. Read the articles, hear the audio and see the pictures at the CBC web site. Mary Wiens has done a great job of researching the key questions we all have about the new standard offer contracts, how much solar costs and why we need to be doing it now.
Natural
Living Guide
By definition, holistic
and natural living concerns every area of our existence - the whole
lot - the way we eat, work, travel and relate to each other and everything
in between. This resources includes information for further exploration
and a list of suggestions for action, because after all, actions speak
louder than words. Note: This eBook is produced by www.HolisticLocal.com and not Natural Life Network.
SunFest
2005 : Natural Home Tour Including Solar/Wind Power
Learn how you can
create a sustainable home and lifestyle from the Wilson family, recognized
experts at green living. Held on location at the Wilson Natural Home,
you get a full tour of this amazing, inspiring home, that incorporates
straw bale natural insulation, passive solar design, solar & wind
power, natural construction materials, and a green roof.
LIVING SPACES Learn
more about the Wilson Natural home now featured at the Harbourfront
Centre as one of the 21 contemporary Canadian homes exhibit. This exhibit
has a focus on changing lifestyle, complicated sites, modest budgets,
and concern for the environment.
On February 12, 2005
John Wilson presented sustainable living alternatives to the EcoCertification
program of Sierra Club. This inspiring presentation is now available in
RealVideo format right now. Learn why things are slow to change, what
our priorities should be, and how to overcome the major hurdles. Using
renewable energy is possible today. Net Metering is available so that you
can reduce your electricity bills. Find out how by viewing this video
program today. More...
This
down-to-earth documentary, being shown November 11th at Innis
College, explains in simple terms, with hands-on demonstrations,
how we all can start using solarenergy, wind power, breathing walls, straw balehome construction techniques, passive solar design,
smart windows, green roofs, and composting – today! You’ll
meet the experts as they explain how to make Natural Living work for you. You’ll see it all in action: a wind turbine,
solar panels, the electricity meter running backwards, grass on
the roof, and a furnace the size of a bread box that doesn’t burn
fossil fuels.More...
When
it comes to living green, you can't do much better than the Wilson
family. - Toronto Star, August 30, 2003
InterSolar
2004 , Solar Power in Germany See some
beautiful examples of industrial buildings and housing with the latest
solar power integration techniques. Freiburg hosts the InterSolar 2004
show. This is the solar capitol of Europe. More...
Experience
Hands-On: Natural Home Tour Including Solar/Wind Power and Straw Bale
Insulation
Learn how you can
create a sustainable home and lifestyle from the Wilson family, recognized
experts at green living. Held on location at the Wilson Natural Home,
you get a full tour of this amazing, inspiring home, that incorporates
straw bale natural insulation, passive solar design, solar & wind
power, natural construction materials, no fossil fuel based furnace,
and a green roof. Read the story
Event Date: Saturday, January 24th, 2004.
Time: 10am - 4pm
Location: Wilson Natural Home - one hour north of Toronto
Straw
Bale Solar/Wind Powered Home - See the Latest
Canada might be the last place you would expect to read
anything about a solar powered house. After all isn't that the "great
white north" where the sun rarely shines, temperatures regularly
dip below freezing and igloos make more sense. The Wilson family thinks
not. Read about one families journey towards a solar powered house. Read
the story
Solar
in the City
Probably the last place you'd expect to find one of the
ultimate solar powered natural homes would be the city of Mississauga,
Ontario Canada. Find out how straw bales, solar power, and lots of creativity
inspires a change for the better in a city that needs it. Read
the story
Straw
Bale Happening: Like an Old Fashioned Barn Raising
The pioneer spirit is alive and growing in Ontario Canada.
More than thirty energetic straw bale enthusiasts got together to build
walls for a solar house being built by John Wilson and Leigh Geraghty.
Both family, friends and strangers came together for two fun work filled
days and erected a 12-15 foot high walls that span the entire north
face of the house.See how you too can get family and friends to build
your dream house and get R43 insulation out of a cheap waste product. Read the story
Copyright
2002 John Wilson
What
can I do?
Do you want to try and find the natural life? Find out
what John Wilson and his family did to get some ideas of what you could
do. Read the story