Alternative Energy News - January 3, 2006

• Honda Motor Co. thinks it will be able to mass produce fuel-cell vehicles for the general market by 2018.


• Penn State University, the states of California and Nevada, and the cities of Oakland, CA and Louisville, KY all going green.


• The Goldman Sachs Center for Environmental Markets has awarded its first research grants, totaling more than $2.3 million, to fund programs focused on finding market-based solutions to climate change.

Org Spotlight: The Center for Democracy and Technology

Ever wonder who is looking after the future of the Web, your information and the millions of cyberpsace-floating pieces of data that represent you? If you have, then check out cdt.org, learn something and support them. Read this too for a little more about related combined international efforts.

Democrats to make Republicans look good in first 100 hours

So what if the Democrats shut out the Republicans in the beginning - at least this will allow for something to be passed and get accomplished. So by the effort alone, the Democrats have already changed a do nothing Congress into a forceful get stuff done operation. Imagine what the country would look like if that was the normal expectation - we'd actual be a progressive, well-run democracy.

Now, if only there was a way to shut out Hannity from all the debate as well.

Changing the molecular structure of the pharma industry

If only the research and intellectual property issues related to the pharmaceutical industry were run by some open source innovators who weren't looking for a profit. Check out what these researchers are saying can help make drugs cheaper to those who need them most.

Finally, a good idea for expanding the military

Expanding our military is not the only reason to do away with Don't Ask, Don't Tell - we should also get rid of it because it is the right thing to do. It is about time the US accepted reality and followed the lead taken by our allies (Britain and Israel especially) and support (in the open) all members of the military. To keep Don't Ask, Don't Tell going, the US would simply be insisting that certain rules and laws exist in order to float an old version of democracy and individual rights whose policies really conflict with just about everything America stands for.

And while we are on the topic, lets hope Mass does not ban a basic right that they agreed to provide.