The Green Mountain State Just Got a Little Greener with Eagle Creek’s New Hydroelectric Facilities

Read the full guest article at GreenBuildingElements.com

Green energy is the way of the future, though it will be a long time coming. Completely sustainable energy sources such as wind, solar, and hydro only accounts for roughly 14 percent of the United State's energy usage. While we will need to continue to use older and less environmentally friendly forms of energy generation, strides made towards renewable sources of power are crucial for the benefit of the planet. Eagle Creek Renewable Energy, LLC is doing just that, pushing forward with hydroelectric technology.

Putting the “green” back in the Green Mountain State, Vermont’s Eagle Creek Renewable Energy, LLC recently acquired the development rights for two hydroelectric facilities from Blue Heron Hydro, LLC. This acquisition marks the first pure development project for Eagle Creek, and is scheduled to be built on Army Corps of Engineers dams in southern Vermont. Although the project represents a major step for the company in terms of fostering growth and opportunity, it also indicates the advancement of environmentally friendly facilities and an increase in general public awareness of energy conservation on a large scale.

From http://greenbuildingelements.com

Design ideas for tossable items: Transforming your trash to treasures

Read the full guest article at Inhabitat.com

As a sculptor myself, I am always on the look out for cheap materials that I can use for my next project. Tons of one item can be a gold mine for creativity, whether it's duct tape, pencils for my latest piece of work, twigs or rocks, or upcycled trash. By re-imagining the what an item can be used for or manipulated in to, you can turn anything into a piece of personal art. While one way to do this is purely for aesthetic purposes, by reusing materials that are to be thrown out you can help the environment and unleash your artistic side at the same time. 

"In our prepackaged society, where everything is individually wrapped for freshness, garbage is more than a given. Indeed, we produce an inordinate amount of trash every year, and a lot of that comes from discarding household items that could be transformed into something else with a little care and creativity.

Repurposed items not only help to reduce the mountains of waste that are carted off to the local dump, but they also help you save significant amounts of money. When you don't need to run to the nearest store every time you need a new accoutrement for your home, you may develop a deeper respect for the belongings that you already own. With a little inspiration and a lot of creativity, you can transform your trash to treasures."

13 Chicago Festivals that Celebrate Summer

Read the full guest article on MidwesternAdventures.com
http://www.midwesternadventures.com/13-chicago-festivals-that-celebrate-summer/

So living in the Midwest has been nothing but a treat for me; I actually moved out to New York after graduating from college and ended up coming back because I missed it so much. It does take a bad rap as fly over country, larger cities argue that there isn't much to do out here. I strongly disagree. No there may not be public transportation or huge Broadway productions but there is still a ton to do, you just have to know where to look for it. Midwestern Adventures is a great place to find out information like this, and right now is the back end of festival season. 

"Are you looking for a fun way to celebrate summer? Find what you’re looking for when you visit Chicago. The Chicago Convention & Tourism Bureau works alongside local communities to provide a variety of great summer activities and festivals. Don’t stay home relaxing on the sofa. Find food, music, fun and entertainment at Chicago festivals and events."

Atlas Chugged: How GPS Tracking and Mapping Can Help You Save Tons of Money in Gas

Read the full guest article at Inhabitat.com
http://inhabitat.com/atlas-chugged-how-gps-tracking-and-mapping-can-help-to-save-tons-of-money-in-gas/

Let's face it, electric cars just have not caught on yet. The charging stations are easier to build on your own than to find just sitting in any random parking lot or gas station. It's reality that transportation options via burning fossil fuels are still here to stay, but that doesn't necessarily mean that all is lost in the way of benefiting the environment. Past walking everywhere or riding a bike, there are methods to maximize the efficiency of your car. Driving with the windows up can decrease drag and increase fuel efficiency, reaching an optimal speed will help as well, and you can actually use your GPS device to find eco-friendly routes. Find out more:

"The constant need to fuel your car and the emissions that doing so releases into the air can be incredibly frustrating for motorists, and more so, those that are eco-conscious. With the focus slowly shifting towards zero emission cars, there is hope on the horizon for those of us sinking significant portions of our paychecks and social conscience straight into the gas tank. The truth is, however, not every one can afford to buy a new fuel-efficient automobile, and if we can, the payout or reimbursement certainly isn't immediate. For the time being, there is one prime option that those of us looking to help our wallet and the environment can take. That option is a three-letter acronym that most of us use, not in terms of less fuel usage, but for getting somewhere on the fastest way possible. Although it might not be via the fastest route, as it turns out, your GPS may just help you use less gas in your travels."

5 Tips to Develop a Successful Email Marketing Campaign

Read the full guest article at KeepUpWithTheWeb.com
http://keepupwiththeweb.com/5-tips-to-develop-a-successful-email-marketing-campaign/#more-3170

The main factor to take away from any form of social networking, especially email marketing, is that content is king. The constant barrage of information directly to the user is already a bold move, to do so with sup par information is simply unacceptable. The content begets trust and a rapport between the user and content provider to where they continually come back for more and identify you / your organization as a pillar in your field.

"The world of advertising used to revolve around print media and television commercials. The advancements made in computer technology and the Internet has given businesses a new, powerful tool to get the word out – emails. Creating a targeted email marketing campaign with ‘gotcha’ style takes practice and planning."