Grainger employee You don’t have to be crazy to be an environmentalist, but (according to an employment tribunal in London) it helps.

The Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003 prohibit discrimination in the workplace by reason of any religion or belief. The regulations were amended in 2007, so that “belief” now means “any religious or philosophical belief”.

Tim Nicholson, who had been head of sustainability at Grainger Plc, was made redundant. He brought a number of claims, including unfair dismissal and discrimination on the grounds of religion or belief.
>>Keep reading “Environmentalism classed as a ‘belief’ in UK”

What’s wrong with this picture? Off-Gridder Brenda Reed has money problems because her off-grid home can’t get financing. Does anyone know a good broker that can help?

My husband, Tom and I live in a rural area of Mendocino County, CA on 77 acres in the lower foothills, above a little town named Hopland. The town is so small that there is not a single traffic light and only 1 stop sign on the main road. The nearest power pole is about a mile away.
>>Keep reading “No home loan with no utilities”

Make money, save planet Show me the green We are always being told how to save money and save the planet - but here’s how to go a step further. With the right investments you can actually make money whil helping save the planet. As U.S. policymakers begin to consider the idea of building a “Smart Grid,” (where your fridge talks to the power company and will switch off for a few hours at peak demand) , companies already in that business stand to benefit from federal grants and growing demand. The idea of a smart grid may never work because the cost of implementing it could outweigh the savings made, but some companies will get rich trying. Comverge Inc. (COMV) and EnerNOC Inc. (ENOC) are two good examples (No off-grid staff have any pecuniary interest in either company).
>>Keep reading “Make money, save planet”

PR stunt is also a real job An Australian island is offering  the ‘best job in the world’ as caretaker - with a salary of nearly £1,000 per HOUR.

The position on Hamilton Island requires ‘minimum effort’ and involves ‘relaxed’ duties such as feeding turtles, watching whales, and picking up the island’s post. Applicants require no academic qualifications, but must possess good swimming skills and a love of snorkelling, scuba diving and other water sports.
>>Keep reading “Best job in the world”

“rent without tenants”Americans can make thousands from the subsidies paid to people generating renewable energy. But other countries receive far less.  And in Germany you get nothing unless you are connected to the Grid.

When Monica Ball and her husband, Bill, decided to hitch a 9,900-watt solar-panel system to their 4,000-square-foot home three years ago, they had some reservations. Even though the Sergeantsville, N.J., couple got a generous 70% subsidy from the state, they had to borrow $19,000 from their retirement savings to pay the balance.
>>Keep reading “Make $$$ from solar”

Stay local
In the U.S. today, just over 15 percent of us regularly work from home at least one day a week, according to latest figures from the US Census. About 5 per cent work mainly from home. Telecommuters even have their own publication - Telecommuting Times

For those who do commute on average, it takes about 25 minutes to reach their workplace.

More than three-quarters of Americans drive to their jobs alone. Nearly 11 percent ride in car pools and less than 5 percent take public transportation, including taxicabs. About 2.5 percent are lucky enough they can walk to work.

Telecommuting has been accused of all sorts of ills - including making the home a more stressful place, reducing communication in the workplace and reducing productivity, but a recent study in the Journal of Applied Psychology, firmly debunks these claims.
>>Keep reading “Telecommuting spreads”