As a South Carolinian I’m not afraid to admit that my state is behind the curve when it comes to solar power. In fact, The Interstate Renewable Energy Council rated South Carolina along with only four other states with D and F grades for progress on the use of renewable energy. But my state is about to open its eyes to solar power thanks to a new piece of legislation that just passed the South Carolina House of Representatives with a vote of 105-0. The final version will soon hit Gov. Nikki Haley’s desk for a signature.

“This is truly a big deal, a giant step in moving South Carolina forward in renewable energy,’’ state Rep. Robert Brown, D-Charleston, said.

The solar power bill has the support of both the utilities and conservation groups after two years of heated negotiations. South Carolina currently depends almost entirely on coal, nuclear power, and natural gas. This new legislation pushes utility companies to increase the use of solar power. By 2021, utilities must get 2 percent of power from the sun, which puts the state in line with other southern states.

Currently, there are only about 7 megawatts of solar power installed in the state, but this new law could increase that number to 300 megawatts. The bill also allows third party leasing, which lowers the cost of solar panel installation for both people and businesses.

Lawmakers are still deciding how utility companies will credit both people and businesses for installing solar panels without cutting into utility power profit.

According to The State, “The legislation also sharply raises one of the nation’s most restrictive caps on the use of solar power by businesses and universities. The cap would be 1 megawatt, instead of the current 100 kilowatt limit for nonresidential solar energy.”

While my state is still miles behind when it comes to renewables, this is a slow but steady step in the right direction.

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Image: jmoran24

The post Let the Sunshine In: Solar Power Availability Increases with New South Carolina Bill appeared first on EcoSalon.

Explore a forest.

Remember the Lorax who spoke for the trees? As colorful as they may be,Truffula Trees have nothing on the ones in our own backyard. These six magnificent trees would leave even the Lorax speechless — and you don’t have to venture into a Dr. Suess book to find them.

1. The Banyan Tree; Lahaina, Maui. (Pictured above)

Don’t you just want to stretch out on one of these branches and read a book in the Hawaiian sun? Yeah, we do, too. Planted in 1873, this banyan tree was only eight feet tall. Today it stands 60 feet tall and has 11 more trunks than when it was first brought to Maui from India. It’s also a community center for the town of Lahaina, providing shade for almost an entire acre of land next to the beach.

2. The Lone Cypress; Monterey Peninsula, California.

The Lone Cypress earned its fame for its solitary cliffside location on the rocky California coast. We understand why — this tree is insanely photogenic! At 250 years old, this cypress is a landmark for California’s beautiful 17-mile drive on the Monterey Peninsula.

3. “Methuselah” Bristlecone Pine, California.

Gnarled and mangled, the Methuselah pine tree stands as the oldest living thing in the world. This tree has seen it all, and its twisted branches hold stories over 4,800 years old. No wonder it was named after the oldest person in the Hebrew Bible!

4. Pando Aspen Tree Grove; Utah.

Head to this grove of quaking aspen trees in southern Utah and you’ll find yourself face to face with the largest living organism in the world. Yeah, we’re talking about the trees. Turns out, these trees share a connected system of roots, making them all essentially one giant organism. Pretty neat, huh? The grove was named “Pando,” after the Latin word for “I spread.”

5. General Sherman Sequoia; Northern California.

Who is General Sherman? The person, William Tecumseh Sherman, was a general in the Civil War. But we mostly care about the tree named after him — the Sherman Tree, the biggest tree (by volume) in the world. With a circumference of 102 feet, it would take almost 20 people holding hands to circle its entire trunk!

6. Ancient Angel Oak Tree; Charleston, South Carolina.

The Ancient Angel loves to spread its wings, with a canopy reaching almost 17,000 square feet. Visitors have described this tree as elegant and enchanting, with a Southern charm all its own. Ancient Angel may also be the oldest tree east of the Mississippi at the age of 1,400 years.

Bonus: Hyperion coastal redwood; Humboldt, California.

Discovered in 2006, the Hyperion redwood is considered the tallest tree in the world at almost 380 feet. Scientists are insistent on keeping the Hyperion safe — the giant continues to tower over the forest in an undisclosed location.

READ MORE:

9 Must-See West Coast Waterfalls

How Does it Feel to Fly?

Bloke is Halfway to Cycling 6 Continents

This post originally appeared in Sierra magazine.

Image: Bevis Chin, Tim Pearce, Clinton Steeds, msn678, mikebaird, Charleston’s TheDigitel,

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Something just feels right about eating fresh fish in a pirate costume. For weeks, my friends and I had been planning a pirate-themed party, and last weekend we pulled it together: Eye patches, hats, sashes, plastic swords. Oh yes, and ten fully-grown adults calling each other Cap’n and saying things like “Shiver me timbers!” We rented our good ship, a pontoon boat, on Douglas Lake in East Tennessee, and set sail, returning to our friend’s lakeside cabin for amazing meals – including fried catfish, of course.

Hokey? Absolutely. But the next stop on our pirate-themed tour of the South will be anything but. Turns out one of the greenest restaurants in Charleston, South Carolina – which this weekend hosts the extraordinary arts festival Spoleto – is The Buccaneer, a seafood joint with a pirate museum attached.

The Buccaneer, in a warehouse on a cobblestoned street in the city’s wharf district, was in fact the first certified green restaurant in the state of South Carolina. For grub and grog, The Buccaneer serves locally-caught shrimp and crab, vegetables grown on its own Wadmalaw Island farm, and beer made by Charleston’s Palmetto Brewing Company. The small museum includes decidedly un-cheesy pirate artifacts, like cannons, tankards, engravings and coins that the owners collected from around the world. Still, when you run a pirate-themed restaurant, you must tolerate at least a bit of pirate silliness, right? My friends and I will bring an eye patch or two but leave our plastic swords at home.

Image: Courtesy of Tripadvisor

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