trump-doesnt-dig-coal-300x138When the grid in the U.S. was established more than 100 years ago, its purpose was to provide electrical power cheaply and reliably.  Now, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has a somewhat wider mission statement, i.e., to ensure “reliable, efficient, and sustainable energy services at a reasonable cost.” Yes, the notion of sustainability is, at least nominally, part of FERC’s charter, as well as impartiality and independence. (more…)

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https_%2F%2Fblueprint-api-production.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fcard%2Fimage%2F388561%2F14e9478e-9ce7-4b9a-bc6a-6b1982fc3956It’s said that “good laws need good science.” Thus the cause for alarm that the “Trump administration is breaking with 75 years of precedent by attempting to interfere in how science is practiced by the U.S. government, according to three experts who issued a dire warning to their profession in the journal Science on Thursday. (more…)

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jfk_robertfrostHere’s John F. Kennedy speaking at Robert Frost’s funeral:

(Frost) coupled poetry and power, for he saw poetry as the means of saving power from itself. (more…)

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coal_power_plant_XL_721_420_80_s_c1According to this article: The U.S. is on track this year to “easily exceed” a previous annual record of 14.7 gigawatts in coal retirements, dropping 15.4 gigawatts of capacity, according to a recent report from the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis. (more…)

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170717135135-13-florida-sick-kids-super-169A great number of ballot initiatives aimed at mitigating climate change went up in flames in the midterms on Tuesday, largely because voters were misled by a torrent of advertising. Here’s an article describing how the Koch brothers and other oil companies spent $31 million to defeat a single measure in Washington State. (more…)

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Windstream-Technologies-Solar-Hybrid-11 (1)A reader asked for my viewpoint on this vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT).

On its best day, small wind is extremely expensive and inefficient.  (more…)

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Gift-HorseThe federal judge who blocked construction of the disputed Keystone XL oil pipeline said the Trump administration “simply discarded” the effect the project would have on climate change, and ordered that no work can go forward until the government more fully reviews the pipeline’s environmental impact. (more…)

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18835609_10213361168648330_6450923151571660300_nFrom Leslie Hyde, an old college friend, who now functions as a chaplain in the tiny village of Yarmouth, Maine:

The world feels a little like it’s spinning out of control at the moment. (more…)

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20181107_193610[1]Question: What did the ingredients in this blender at 2GreenEnergy “headquarters” become seconds after this pic was taken, mostly sourced from a local farmers’ market?  Hint: What you can’t see are Worcestershire sauce, white vinegar, a small jalapeno pepper, ginger root (my secret weapon), and salt.

How many such markets are there in the U.S., regularly dispensing locally grown food? (more…)

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The Ecoppia E4 cleaning robotInvestment in renewable energy is currently growing at more than 10 percent per year and according to a recent report from BCC Research will hit nearly $800 billion in 2019. That are big bucks and it is part of a broader move by investors to clean energy. (more…)

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