I often start my day with the television broadcast “Newsroom Tokyo,” which airs on our local PBS affiliate at 6 AM. Not only is this a wonderful reminder that the United States is not the center of the universe, it’s an opportunity to come up to speed on a great number of financial, social, and political issues affecting Japan and Southeast Asia. (more…)
A reader notes: There are presently companies that sell an accessory that allow you to charge an EV wirelessly; regardless of the hype it is not the first system. It is also anticipated that we will be able to charge vehicles wirelessly while they are moving and this will perhaps be the eventual trend. It is only a matter of political will and investment in infrastructure. Here’s an article on the subject. (more…)
For decades we’ve been hearing about ultra-capacitors and their potential to be used as electrical storage devices, in particular, in the service of electric vehicles. There is a lot to like about capacitors, which store electrical energy in a physical way, i.e., the literal separation between two plates with different voltages, as opposed to the chemical energy associated with batteries. What’s the big deal? Cost may be a factor, but the bigger issue is charge density. There are four types of such density related to EVs, all four of which matter: (more…)
Most people live their lives as if they were pre-designed: go to school, make friends, get a job, get married, raise kids, aspire for affluence, retire in comfort, and try to leave your kids a few bucks when you leave this world.
But there are plenty of others who conduct their lives in an altogether different way–those who make their own rules and come to their own conclusions about the meaning and purpose of our existence.
Regardless of what you think about the counterculture in general, or Frank Zappa in particular, you won’t want to miss this short interview. You have my word, it will blow your mind.
I hope readers are following the daily 2GreenEnergy Instagram feed, mainly built on pics I’ve taken around our very rural neighborhood near Santa Barbara, CA. At the left is today’s post with caption:
Along with all the horrifying developments in US politics, there are some wonderful bright spots as well; one of which is the unexpected ascendance of Bernie Sanders, whose campaign is rooted squarely in environmental and social justice. That so many Americans care about issues like these is testimony to our country’s true greatness.
Green culture describes sustainability and environmental awareness as a way of life. The idea behind green culture is that sustainable living encompasses far more than putting papers in the recycling bin. It is also very open-ended, which means there is plenty of room for creativity. Would-be innovators should bear the following points in mind. (Hey! That’s pretty good! -ed)
Perceptiveness Is Key (more…)
Electricity generated for your car is considered clean provided that the method used to make that energy is also eco-friendly. Electric cars and electricity are clean at the using point. But then again, coal fired power plants make fingers to wag, which is not necessarily clean. Some experts argue that electric vehicles claiming to be “clean” are not actually clean because the coal generates the electricity; and coal is particularly dirty. Clean electricity is free of pollutants at the using point, which means that electric cars don’t feature a tailpipe. These vehicles emit no carbon or any kind of pollutants. (more…)
While we have known for decades that air pollution is bad and has negative effects on human health, it would appear that the more we learn, the more serious the situation seems to become. Our society continues to trend toward green energy sources, yet the residual effects from decades of uncontrolled air pollution continue to take their toll.
Who is most vulnerable to air pollution? (more…)
It’s the birthday of American biophysicist James Watson (on left), of Watson/Crick fame, discoverers of the double-helix DNA molecule in 1953. In a book on the subject, Watson noted: “To succeed in science, you have to avoid dumb people […] you must always turn to people who are brighter than yourself.”
LOL; an idea that is most certainly not lost on me. In fact, it’s the reason that my books on renewable energy/sustainability are based on interviews with subject-matter experts. On a good day, I may be bright enough to ask decent questions, but I certainly don’t have the background to answer them.
Protecting the environment should be one of the top concerns for industries and individuals alike. Environmental sustainability works best when the entire community is involved. There are steps that every citizen can take to ensure that their city operates in a sustainable way that protects the environment.
Reduce Pesticide Use (more…)
