Today’s news provides a wonderful example of the absurdities and hypocrisies of life in the U.S., as our president visited Hiroshima, the site of the first of two atomic bomb detonations in World War II Japan, and offered a very clear message to the audience that had gathered for his speech: nuclear weapons are inhumane, and must never be deployed again. (more…)
I’m told that I’m a decent public speaker, though I certainly know what stage fright feels like. It’s for that reason that I applaud people who have the courage to stand up in front of large audiences, especially hostile ones, to make points that no one in the auditorium wants to hear.
Yesterday, Anna Kalinsky, fresh from her college graduation, did just that. She’s the granddaughter of James F. Black, a scientist for Exxon for over 40 years, and she bravely addressed an enormous assembly of ExxonMobil shareholders at its annual meeting in Dallas, Texas. Her message: It’s time for ExxonMobil to stop stonewalling attempts and adopt a resolution calling for climate action. (more…)
Commenting on my post The Migration to Renewable Energy Isn’t All Smooth Sailing and its discussion of government subsidies, MarcoPolo writes: The danger is when governments stray from the path of economic management and pursue ideological .. agendas.
What’s wrong with a government promoting an ideology, as long as it’s one of peace, fairness and sustainability? Government should support the development of cleantech precisely because it’s part of an ideology that says something on which any sane and decent person would agree, i.e., it’s important that we become good stewards of the environment.
A small amount of preparing will go a long ways in not only improving the life of your AC unit but also in helping you save money on your utility bill. When you ensure that your HVAC unit is working at maximum efficiency throughout the scorching summer month, you’ll be more comfortable and spend less money.
An HVAC professional should be called in to verify your system is in top shape. When the technician arrives, they will assess the following: (more…)
French architect Jean-Paul Viguier has been chosen to design the country’s first timber-framed tower, right in the heart of the French city of Bordeaux. To be started in 2017 and completed in 2020, the structure will count among some of the world’s tallest buildings made of wood. (more…)
A reader asks re: my post on the good news in renewables: Lots of recent progress with solar but what about that setback in your California backyard that involved a fire in the big tower of power? What went wrong besides too many government subsidies for this project? Who stands to lose besides the taxpayers?
IMO, the answer is easy: All 7.3 billion of us stand to lose big if we interpret isolated points of failure in clean energy as proof that the migration away from fossil fuels can’t work.
It’s the birthday of Ralph Waldo Emerson, who reminded us that “Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.” And who wouldn’t be enthusiastic about the prospects for a sustainable civilization, given progress like that covered in these three news items?
U.S. Tops List of Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Index
Status of Renewables: Global Domination (a webinar—gotta like the sound of that title)
Clean Power Plan Will Halve U.S. Power Demand Growth, Spur Renewables
Not a bad start to the day…
According to environmental scientists, our survival is threatened by population explosion and unbridled consumption of natural resources, and if we do not do something about it, soon it will be too late. But what is Australia’s role in all this? (more…)
When you hear about the Internet Of Things, or IoT as it’s commonly abbreviated, it’s usually with regard to convenience and knowledge. We’re using advanced exercise trackers to gain better understandings of our own fitness, integrating with cloud technologies to share data and communications, and exploiting all kinds of other ways in which interconnected devices can improve our lives. But one of the most remarkable things about the growing IoT goes beyond basic everyday benefits: the more connected our “things” become, the more we seem to find new ways to conserve energy and protect the environment. (more…)
On the occasion of Bob Dylan’s 75th birthday, I offer this line from his iconic “Like a Rolling Stone”: When you ain’t got nothing, you got nothing to lose.
A parallel could be made to the state of environmental decay on this planet. We’re headed in the direction of certain disaster, and, insofar as that’s true, we have nothing to lose by taking any means in an attempt to revert this impending catastrophe.
Happy birthday to one of the great geniuses of our time.
