Geneseo, NY-based wind turbine maker, WindTamer, has developed a new, small wind turbine that features a ducted rotor design which the company says will significantly outperform traditional open blade turbines.  Company field tests indicate that the turbine (which they say broke the Betz Limit) can operate with twice the efficiency of any open rotor turbine currently on the market – with its 52-inch model producing 3,000 kWh per year with an average wind speed of 16mph; and its 93-inch rotor model producing up to 10,000 kWh per year.

The DAWT, or Diffuser Augmented Wind Turbine design, uses the wind to induce rotation, as conventional wind mills do, and then utilizes a sophisticated bypass system that harnesses one vacuum that forms internally behind the blades and a second vacuum that forms externally to assist rotation, delivering unmatched velocity and efficiency.  The WindTamer boasts  a list of product advantages including: high output, at both low and high wind speeds, near silent operation, rooftop mounting capability, bird safety, low maintenance, and no breaking or furling at high wind speeds.

Eight units have initially been sold.

sources: cnnmoney.com and windtamerturbines.com

UPDATE:  Our 2 winners have been notified and we’re waiting for them to reply before making it official….stay tuned!

Here’s a cool way to shop for freshly made, gourmet food for the holidays.  2 lucky people will each receive a $25 Shopping Certificate to apply toward any purchases from RegionalBest.com by December 18, 2009.
(Please note – this giveaway applies to USA residents only.)

RegionalBest.com is an online food artisan marketplace where you can choose from over a dozen categories of handmade and hand crafted foods from artisans, farmers and small businesses across the USA.  Each artisan’s photo and personal story are featured with each product, so you know who grew or made the product, and with what ingredients. All foods are attractively packaged for gift giving and ship directly from the producer to maximize great taste, quality, freshness and value.  Most of the items are all- natural or organic and sustainably grown.  225 fine foods are available for less than $25.

To Enter this Random Drawing, simply:

• Visit RegionalBest.com and checkout this amazing marketplace.
• Then leave a comment on this post, telling us which artisan appeals to you the most.
• Add the following address to your email address book:  m at AlternativeConsumer.com.

Two lucky winners will be selected in our Random Drawing, and notified by email.  Contest ends Friday, December 11, 2009 at 11:59p (EST).  Winners have 24 hours to claim their prize, or offer is null and void.  Winners’ names will also be included on this post.

*One entry per person.

*EXTRA CREDIT If you have your own blog, you can post about the giveaway with a link back to this giveaway post. To make sure we know, you can come back and leave a comment with a link to your blog post. If you Twitter, you can tweet about the giveaway once a day, and be sure to refer to @altCon, and leave a comment linking to the status. You can also receive additional entries 3 more ways: subscribe to altCon’s RSS feed, follow us on Twitter or friend us on FaceBook. (If you’ve already signed up, just enter a comment to let us know.)
Time’s ticking, so start clicking – Good Luck!

Related:  previously on altCon, (11.11.09)
buy fine foods from regional artisans @ regionalbest.com

Tired of retro-fitting your lamps to accomodate those spiral-shaped CFL bulbs?  Well GE has just announced the addition of traditional shaped CFL’s to its Energy Smart line of bulbs.  GE has developed miniature electronics that allowed them to put a spiral shaped CFL inside a traditionally shaped glass bulb.  The new bulbs will be in energy-saving 9, 15 and 20 watt CFL sizes, which are the equivalent of 40, 60 and 75 watt incandescent bulbs.  The bulbs, which are in stores now, are rated for 8000 hours  – or guaranteed for 5 years of use.  See the light!

source: GE press release

OK, so I don’t expect you all to jump onto the freegan bandwagon, but here’s what we do for Christmas in my apartment, and how it does apply to you.

The Rules:

1. No cards.  Not even e-cards.  Isn’t a phone call always better, more personal, and more appreciated?  Make a list and call whenever you have a free moment – sitting on the bus, driving to work, waiting to pick your friend/kid up from practice.  It says “I really do care” not “I know your email address.”
2. No tree.  No driving to the tree lot, watching them saw the tree down, wrapping it in plastic and then driving back home.  No driving to Target, buying a plastic tree and driving home.  We make a tree mural out of shopping bags, and leave a few sharpies around to decorate with.  It’s personal, meaningful, and 100% recycled.  If you miss the pine scent, buy a candle.
3. No presents.  Actually that’s a lie, this is the one time of year we do some actual shopping.  But we don’t play the “present game:” guess what they want, buy it, they pretend its what they want but never use it.  When someone asks you what you want for Christmas, tell them.  It saves everyone time and money.  (There will always be that grandma who still thinks you’re 10, or wear XXL clothes.  Donate unwanted gifts within a week of receiving them, otherwise they just sit around the house forever).
4. No wrapping paper.  There’s something exciting about opening a wrapped gift, and you can achieve that by putting it in a paper bag (we all know you have a billion under your sink) and tying up the top with a nice bow.  You still get to open a present, but you’re not leaving waxy shreds of paper all over the living room.  Or you can do what my grandmother does, open each package extremely carefully, save the paper for a year and then re-use it.
5. No thank you cards. See Rule #1.
6. No Holiday Hams.  We’re all vegetarian anyway, but the idea is to stop fussing about “traditional holiday food” and start fussing about local, fresh and in season food.  Whoever decided that we had to all eat ham, stuffing and green beans (not that I don’t love green beans) obviously never lived anywhere where avocados are in season that time of year.  The idea is a dinner with people you love, not a dinner dictated by people hundreds of years ago.
7. No stress.  It’s the holidays.  Those two sentences are never found together, but they should be.  You’ve heard this from every silly holiday advice page ever, but really.  Think about this: what is the worst thing that could happen if you call someone rather than send a card, or make a tree from items in your home?  Relax and remember, this holiday comes every year, if you mess it up this time you’ll get another chance in about 365 days (which in the grand scheme of things isn’t long at all).

(Photo credit, above:  freegan.info)

This post is contributed by guest blogger, Ana Nunez on behalf of Metabolife, who believes as we do, that “Less is More.”

‘Tis almost the season for over indulgence, but with the current state of the economy, calories won’t be the only thing we’re all counting this holiday season…

Celebrate “Less is More” this holiday season with a few easy tips that cover all the bases from food to gift wrapping that will stretch your dollar without sacrificing your holiday fun:

• Give Green: Americans spend $2.7 billion every year on gift wrapping.  Using clever holiday gift wrapping can save bundles around the holidays.  Try wrapping a gift inside of a gift, such as a reusable shopping bag.
• Go on an Energy Diet:  Changing small habits can save you money. This winter, try to keep your blinds open on sunny days in order to let in the sun and heat. Did you know that according to the U.S. Department of Energy, you can save over $40 per year just by turning your thermostat down by 1 degree?  This will give everyone in the family a great reason to wear that holiday sweater instead of turning up the heat.
• Decorate Green:  Homemade is back.  Get creative and save money by making your own decorations from earth friendly materials instead of buying artificial ones that cost money and won’t biodegrade. For example, make a homemade wreath with branches in your yard or nearby park.
• Give Homemade:  Something thoughtful like a decorated jar with homemade cookies or an album of old pictures so often means more than store bought.  Save money and get into the holiday spirit.
• Treat Leftovers as Lunch:  Big meals around holiday time make for great lunches the next day. Skip eating out and save money by packing leftovers in reusable containers.

These are just a few great ways to celebrate “Less is More” this holiday season.

Metabolife knows that is it is often the accumulation of small changes that delivers lasting results. Weight loss is just one area of life where this is true. We created “Less is More” to bring this all to life, to help people realize the real impact that comes from taking even the smallest action in the right direction in any area of life that matters to them.  Check out the site: www.joinlessismore.com to share your ideas about “Less is More.”

(editorial note:  The Alternative Consumer has not tried Metabolife, but supports the concept of “less is more.”)

We had the privilege of receiving a Terra Composter from Algreen for the purpose of reviewing it for The Alternative Consumer.  The terra composter is as nice looking as the photos, just like the elegant rain barrel I previously wrote about.  It’s a 45 gallon container that comes with a lid and a nifty shovel that my husband thinks is similar to those in an army surplus store due to the fact that it is all metal and conveniently folds up to fit in a little pack.  The shovel is a little tricky to get it unfolded and securely opened, as it must be twisted just right, but we loved having it to use. (more…)