In the wake of a recent and fairly significant blackout in Southern Australia, grid operators made two immediate investments, both focused on meeting future peak electricity demands: an 250 MW open-cycle natural gas plant and a 100-megawatt/129-megawatt-hour battery from Tesla, which will be the largest in the world. (more…)
Owning a pet is a privilege, but it is also a great responsibility. An animal living in the natural environment has no way of causing the level of pollution as one that lives in your household, so handling this issue is definitely your responsibility. Luckily, this is not nearly as hard as it may seem at first. All you have to do is live by four simple principles in order to make a significant leap forward. With this in mind and without further ado, here are four ways to reduce the environmental footprint (or pawprint) of your beloved pet. (more…)
In 2011, clean energy author and consultant Craig Shields made international news by divesting his 401(k) of fossil fuels and all other extractive industries. OK, that was a joke. I actually did that, but, I can assure you, no one noticed except my broker and me.
That said, here’s a news item that’s no joke whatsoever, from “Energy Matters”: Norway’s Government Pension Fund is the world’s largest sovereign fund ($1 trillion USD). The Fund announced it will sell its oil and gas stocks ($35 billion worth of shares). (more…)
Energy costs incurred by numerous commercial entities indicate that there is considerable room for the businesses to lessen their energy expenses and become more efficient. Fortunately, as the zeal to lessen energy expenditures grows, the market has become filled with options that entities can implement to minimize power wastage in their workplaces. (more…)
True to form, frequent commenter MarcoPolo stands up for the coal industry in response to my recent post “What’s Happening in the U.S. Coal Industry Is Most Certainly Not Helping the Miners”, in which he begins: I’m astounded by your ill-informed and deliberately disingenuous misrepresentation of employment in the US coal industry.
“Astounded?” Oh come on. Who’s going to believe that, after all these years, there’s something I could possibly write or say that would astound you.
Seriously, there are really only two points to be made here: (more…)
When the summer finally arrives, one of the greatest issues on your utility bill becomes your AC unit. This particular problem, however, has many layers to it. Not only is it an additional expense for your household budget but also quite problematic from the ecological standpoint. Still, where there’s will, there’s always a way, so here are a few methods which, when enforced, may help you spend less power on your AC. (more…)
In response to my post in which I discussed the futility of trying to convert climate change deniers using data and reason, frequent commenter MarcoPolo writes: You are quite right, there’s little point in discussing anything, with anyone, if you don’t care about their point of view or have formed a rigid set of opinions of your own. (more…)
I’m lucky enough to have been born a straight while male, adopted as an infant into an affluent family with terrific values that included the importance of education. As a result of this fortuitous combination, I personally have relatively little to fear from the Trump administration (other than perhaps its assault on banking regulation). (more…)
Considering an eco-friendly move may not be on the top of your list when you are planning a moving trip, however it is not difficult to do and will not create extra stress to the trip. Being eco-friendly whenever possible is a great way to make things easier for you, and for helping out in whatever way you can for the environment. (more…)
Here’s a cute and funny piece that gets at something most of us have experienced: encountering a climate change denier in a public setting like a holiday dinner.
Personally, I’m content to keep to myself and to refuse to be drawn into the subject. (more…)
