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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Efficiency

Energy Efficiency Bill Falls FlatWe at 2GreenEnergy were lucky to have super-intern Louis de Saint Phalle with us for several months this past spring, and we continue to be the beneficiaries of his insightful research into the migration away from fossil fuels in the direction of energy efficiency and renewables.

Here’s an article he wrote on the Shaheen-Portman bill, aka the “Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act,” that failed to garner required support and died on the Senate floor.  Louis writes: “I always hear that energy efficiency is the “low hanging fruit”; then why are we unable to pass a bill like this?”

Good question, Louis, but I’m not sure you answered it fully; what’s your best guess?

 

 

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Science

Ah, Come On -- Can’t the Earth Be an “After Planet?”Today is the anniversary of the first well-known UFO sighting in 1947, a good time to ask readers to ponder the most obvious question related to this phenomenon: Are we alone in the universe?

Dr. Michio Kaku, the ubiquitous physics professor and author, thinks that we aren’t; in fact, he classifies extraterrestrial civilizations according to the source they use to generate the energy they need. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Efficiency

Shaheen-Portman: a missed opportunity If you’ve been following the recent energy efficiency news, maybe you’ve heard about the Shaheen-Portman bill that got “killed” in the senate one month ago. Also known as the Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act, it has been re-introduced several times with persistence and with bipartisan support.  It planned to create 200,000 jobs, save approximately $16.2 billion annually, and drastically reduce carbon emissions in the United States.

I always hear that energy efficiency is the “low hanging fruit”; then why are we unable to pass a bill like this? (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Electric Vehicles

EMcycle: An E-Bicycle with an Important TwistIt’s been a while since I wrote anything about my friends at EMcycle, whom I interviewed for one of our very first “2GreenEnergy Video Reports” back in 2011.  Astonishingly, EMcycle never got the full commitment of support they needed: an investor with a few million dollars to take this concept into production, though they’re now in conversations that seem quite promising.

What is an EMcycle? (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Science

In the Development of Clean Energy Technology, Heroes Win Prizes, Frauds Go To Prison

I’m happy and proud that many hundred 2GreenEnergy readers have relied on me over the past few years for my feedback on the validity of new concepts in clean energy vis-à-vis the laws of physics. Sadly, though, almost all of what I receive in this vein fails even the most basic tests of legitimacy; the ideas tend to come either from crackpots (who, by definition, believe their stories), or, more commonly, from frauds (who know they are lying, but do so in an effort to dupe gullible investors). (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Sustainability

Aeroponics and Aquaponics – Amazing Concepts in Sustainable AgricultureWhen I was first introduced to aeroponics and aquaponics many years ago, I remember scoffing at the guy on the phone who was pitching the idea that I make it one of my cleantech investment opportunities.  “We have millions of square miles of dirt and all the free sunlight we could possibly want,” I sneered, “And you want to grow plants indoors?  Sorry.”

But the more I read, the faster I realized how wrong I was. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Sustainable Building

Qualities of Smart Green HomesFocusing on the proficient consumption and conservation of water, heat, electricity and building materials, The Green Homes are a part of the Affordable Green Housing that has minimal impact on the surroundings. Also known as Smart Homes, Smart Green Homes or simply, Green Homes are made up with non-conventional building materials.

(more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Photovoltaics

Sungevity Offers Solar Photovoltaics to an Appropriate Audience in Santa BarbaraI just got back from the annual Summer Solstice Festival in Santa Barbara, CA.   Needless to say, the demographic make-up of these folks is distinctly left-of-center; it’s a fairly “Age of Aquarius” type of crowd—one in which Fox News fans are exceedingly scarce.  In fact, I spoke with a guy whose organization expects a new dawn of cosmic consciousness and a new Teacher to spread the word; check out the link above if you’re interested; my words are not doing it justice. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Photovoltaics

Schoolroom

Here’s an article that speaks to a few concepts that are near to my heart: using solar PV to bring computing to a schoolroom, made from a repurposed shipping container, located in rural Africa. Congratulations to Samsung for making this happen.

My only advice for improvement is to replace the entire front wall with some sort of transparent plastic (like the one shown here); studies show that kids learn better when they are not closed off in little rooms.

I suppose they could also (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Sustainability

Jean Paul SartreExistentialist philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre (pictured here) was born on this day in 1905.  When I’m asked to define the subject, I say that existentialism is the doctrine that we live in a universe that has no meaning–one that is coldly indifferent to us and our happiness—and that it’s up to all of us to confer meaning onto our lives.  We are born into a world where we are forced to do exactly that, i.e., to use our free will to make decisions to act in various ways, thereby defining who we are.

Ever since Sartre and his colleagues formalized this idea in the mid-20th Century, a great many people have commented that it is frightening, depressing and nihilistic, that it promotes apathy and amorality.  I disagree completely.  We all do things every day that bring great meaning with them.

Considering that you’re a 2GreenEnergy reader, it’s a good bet that a significant part of your life’s meaning is your dedication to making the world a better place via responsible stewardship of the natural environment.  You actually care about the quality of life available to the other people on Earth—both now, and into the future–and your actions help to build that reality.

That’s not nothing, my friend.

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