It may seem obvious that underground homes often serve well as natural disaster shelters. This is especially true of the underground homes that are built from concrete and rebar.  Some people use wood in their underground homes, but this is not as secure if you’re wanting your house to double as an emergency shelter.

The earth provides a natural barrier to disastrous conditions such as fire, high winds (tornados and hurricanes), hail and other weather-related conditions. Most owners of underground homes know enough to not build these types of dwellings on a flood plain (duh!) or within striking distance of a tsunami as water covering such a house would be problematic.

Underground homes actually provide more shelter from the elements than do earth-berm or earth rammed homes which are typically covered with dirt, soil, and/or grass on 2 or 3 sides. The owners of underground homes will even tell you they feel safer in their house during an earthquake than they would in an above the ground dwelling or building.

Now, this may not be true of those living in cave homes, or other types of homes partially built into the side of a mountain where the weight of the earth may have an impact on two or more sides of the structure. Besides the benefits of lower heating and cooling bills, underground homes also are more secure in regard to thieves and other intruders since they generally have only one entrance and exit which can be secured, watched with cameras and simple alarm systems and defended if need be.

If doomsday ever comes, survivalists living in underground homes can take comfort in the security aspects in living in subsurface dwellings. If you happen to be both a survivalist and a green building advocate, then with an underground home, you can have your organic cake and eat it too.

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By Guest Blogger George Zeed

Automakers are under pressure to meet the demands of the Federal Government’s fuel efficiency standards and the American public’s demand for reasonably priced vehicles. 20 years from now, automakers will no doubt have the technology figured out, but in the meantime both they and consumers may be in for a bumpy ride.

The Standards

The new fuel efficiency standards are calling for vehicles that can deliver 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025. That’s a substantial improvement on the 35.5 mpg standard that’s required by 2016. Automakers will have to do some creative experimentation to keep up with the fuel efficiency demands, and since those aren’t negotiable, the consumer is going to see lots of new developments, but not much standardization.

The Trends

Two emerging trends are smaller engine size and lower vehicle weight. Ford is working on a 3.5-liter V-6 and GM has the Chevrolet Cruze with a 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine that competes well with larger engines. In some cases, the Chevrolet Cruze performs as well as engines twice its size. That’s great news for fuel efficiency, and customers with an eye on reducing their environmental impact will be pleased. The catch is that drivers will have to pay a bit more to use less gasoline. Vehicles will get more complicated and the technologies that make this new generation of vehicles more fuel efficient are going to be more expensive.

Tech Evolution

Fuel injectors and water pumps will change drastically. Ford already favors direct injectors over the traditional variety, as do many European automakers. Water pumps will be electric, and much smaller. The new vehicles will require several water pumps, where the older models would have used just one simple pump with a belt feed.

Engine-powered devices decrease fuel efficiency, so automakers are focusing on reducing the number of them on the new vehicles. To compensate, batteries are being utilized to perform many of the functions previously accomplished by auxiliary engine power.

Challenges for R&D

The new standards are tough, but automakers are willing to take some risks to meet the challenge. Their willingness to commit to new technologies will give their suppliers the confidence to spend time and energy in research and development as well, giving the consumer a taste of what’s to come. For example, when GM announced plans to build the battery-powered Chevy Volt, the battery technology they ended up using in the car had not yet been developed. Their suppliers had to work to design a suitable battery for the new vehicle. These batteries are still very expensive, which means the consumer must pay over $40,000 to buy a new Volt.

But, consumers are proving that this type of innovation is worth the added expense in order to drive green. In December of 2011, GM Vice President of U.S. Sales, Don Johnson, said GM would deliver the 10,000th Volt in early 2012. He noted, “We’re not at all disappointed. You have to continue to build awareness.”

The automakers have their work cut out for them. They intend to meet the demands of new fuel efficiency standards by 2016 and again by 2025, educate consumers about the need to spend a bit more for a car that uses less gasoline, and provide a product that is reliable. The environmental benefits, coupled with the advances in technology make this a bumpy ride well worth taking.

About the Author

George Zeed works for Impact Battery. He is an avid outdoorsman and environmentalist. George writes about topics related to all kinds of recreational vehicles and accessories. He is the “go to guy” for information when shopping for a great selection sunlinq products.

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By Guest Blogger Tim Snyder

Obama’s “all of the above” energy policy brings far greater benefits than “drill baby drill.”

Regardless of the problem, humans are certain to gravitate toward simple, “silver bullet” solutions like metal filings to a magnet. So it’s not surprising to hear from politicians and other “experts” that there’s a simple single solution to the problem of rising energy costs. Depending on who you’re listening to, it could be the Keystone pipeline, more domestic natural gas production, or expanded oil exploration in Alaska.

President Obama’s “all of the above” energy policy is the exact opposite of the “drill baby drill” philosophy. But statistics show that it’s a far wiser and more effective strategy for solving our energy problems and for creating job growth across a broad spectrum of industries –new jobs that can speed our economic recovery.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (www.eia.gov), the development of renewable energy resources (biofuels, biomass, geothermal, solar, water, wind) grew by over 27% between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2011. Energy expert Kate Gordon reports that median wages in “green” professions are 13% higher than in the overall economy. For American workers, clean energy is a more effective job creation engine than the fossil fuel sector.

Of course, it’s going to take a while for some high-tech green technologies to become more affordable. But in the meantime –throughout the research and development phase—we’ll continue to see excellent job growth in green technology, especially if incentive programs continue.

Energy efficiency retrofit work is an excellent example of green technology at work in communities across the country. Thanks to incentives offered by utilities as well as state and federal programs, homeowners are investing in insulation upgrades, super-efficient water heaters and new HVAC systems. Many of the technicians performing these upgrades are tradesmen who lost their jobs in the housing downturn. Ten years ago they were building new houses; today they’re working for companies like Dr. Energy Saver (www.drenergysaver.com). And let’s not overlook the multiplier effect of this energy conservation work. About 90% of the products used in home energy upgrades (insulation, ductwork, furnaces, etc.) are made right here in the U.S.A. For an up-to-date list of incentives available in your area, visit the Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency (http://www.dsireusa.org/).

Tim Snyder writes frequently about green living, renewable energy home improvement and building technology.

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Green Fallout Shelter

So, you may think the Mayan calendar is a bunch of bunk and that survivalists are a bunch of weirdoes spending their lives preparing for a big nothing. And you could be right. But what if you’re not?

FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) doesn’t take disaster preparedness lightly. And in addition, they think fallout shelters and underground bunkers should be as green as possible. Now, if you’re a fan of doomsday movies such as “Terminator” you may say, “What’s the point in going green with a fallout shelter if everything will be burned in the helter-skelter aftermath of the Big One?”

Once again, you may be right or you may be crazy (to paraphrase Billy Joel). Anyway, FEMA is not only thinking of the natural disasters such as hurricanes, tornadoes and flooding. They are one step ahead in thinking about how climate change will not only affect these three events but others such as drought and unbearable heat.

According to ThinkProgress, “It’s early yet, but there may be a day when, if you want to get your house LEED certified, you’ll need to prove not just that it is eco-friendly today, but that it can survive Mother Nature’s worst in order to be so a few decades from now.”

So the combination of emergency preparedness and eco-friendliness is not as far-fetched as it sounds. Fallout shelters and underground bunkers for instance could benefit from solar energy and stationary hydrogen fuel cells.

Building underground may not only shield one from unbearable heat but also cut energy bills. A secured underground bunker may keep one safe from strangers and from radiation if an apocalyptic event does occur, worldwide or just on a regional scale.

So, when you’re planning your fallout shelter think green. You can store seeds in your underground refrigerator for bargaining tools or to re-green and replenish the earth. If you have electricity in your shelter then use CFL bulbs. There are many ways to go green and stay safe. All it takes is a little imagination.

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SPV

Until now, vehicles powered by solar energy have had a decidedly geeky appearance. While innovative, most lack the “wow” factor that triggers that must-have feeling among car aficionados. A new solar-powered vehicle concept car, appropriately called the SPV, has the wow factor in spades.

Wide, flat and low, the SPV looks more like a stealth bomber than an automobile, let alone a solar-powered one. The design features an aluminum structure covered with thin-film modules that could potentially collect enough of the sun’s energy to not only power the car, but provide electricity to the owner’s home as well.

The SPV is the vision of London designer Omer Sagiv, whose previous projects include a remote control for air conditioning units, running shoes crafted with materials from auto manufacturing, and space-age bicycles that have won the Merit Prize at both the 2008 and 2010 Taipei International Bicycle Design Competition. Sagiv currently works as a designer for Ron Arad Associates in London.

Sagiv submitted the design to Designboom, a European design website that features competitions in the fields of art, architecture, photography and graphics. The back of the vehicle folds up to allow access for the driver.

The SPV’s futuristic design is cool, but definitely not built for driver comfort. A central pod provides space for the driver, but it’s unclear whether they recline or sit to operate the car. It’s that low. The front two wheels have no hubs. A center shaft serves as a cooling system as well.

Sagiv holds no illusions that the SPV will be produced any time soon. He allowed the “form follows function” concept to dictate his design. It’s a principle that has served Sagiv well in the past. He has successfully used his background in art and design to bring a number of futuristic concepts to market.

Sagiv studied at both the Accademia Di Belle Arti in Florence, Italy, and the Holon Institute of Industrial Design in Israel. He envisions the SPV being used in cities like Las Vegas, where the terrain is typically flat and the weather is sunny.

In an interview with the Atlantic Cities, Sagiv summed up his vision: “In my eyes a concept should push boundaries and rely on future technologies, which doesn’t mean futuristic tech, but tech we know already exists but has not reached its full potential yet.”

It’s forward-thinking people like Sagiv who demonstrate that the boundaries of solar technology are truly limitless.

View more photos of the SPV at Designboom.

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Brittany Mauriss is a UCLA grad with a passion for all things renewable energy. Her specialties are residential solar, green gadgets and human-centric journalism. Follow her on Twitter @BrittanyMauriss.

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