The DeSoto Next Generation Solar Energy Center: needs a smart grid. (Florida Power & Light rendering)

The DeSoto Next Generation Solar Energy Center in Florida will be large enough to serve the entire city of Arcadia, whose very name suggests some kind of modern-day post-oil paradise. Here’s what the 25-megawatt facility, the largest solar installation in the U.S. with 90,000 solar panels, looks like on video:

But there are clouds in the solar sky, and its name is the electric grid….

Source:Why Obama's $3.4 Billion Smart Grid Investment Matters

Honda’s Skydeck: A two-abreast hybrid minivan with room for six. (Honda photo)

Given the worldwide recession, it’s not surprising that the Tokyo Motor Show, on now, is playing host to very few non-Japanese manufacturers. Auto shows are an extravagance, and Japan is a long way away. But despite that, it’s still one of the greenest auto shows in recent memory. Everybody’s showing off electric, hybrid and plug-in hybrid cars.

Editor’s note: We were delighted by Lauren Weber’s new book In Cheap We Trust: The Story of a Misunderstood American Virtue, and we weren’t just flattered that she mentioned The Daily Green, or Jeff Yeager’s own book The Ultimate Cheapskate’s Road Map to True Riches. Weber writes with style and humor about a topic dear to us: getting more out of life with less impact on the planet. We noticed some similarities in suggestions and outlook between these two thrifty authors, and also noted amusing ways in which they diverge in their habits.

What will happen to you when you die? Not in a metaphysical sense, but in a practical, earthly way. Will you be embalmed with chemicals and buried in a bulletproof metal casket? There are other options, you know.

Green burials are attracting attention from folks worldwide, and a few truly adventurous souls are opting for promession, a new procedure from Sweden that basically freeze-dries a human body. The remaining pink, crumbly pieces can be buried as a nutrient-rich fertilizer, over which a tree or shrub is planted. (Now you know the origin of the old phrase “feed the tree.”)

Telluride, Colorado is a unique, environmentally friendly, vacation spot. With several alternative methods of transportation, festivals involved in green efforts, and old-world charm, Telluride is a greener vacation location the entire family will enjoy.

Source:Telluride's Galloping Goose