Rightfully, we regard the concept of geo-engineering with considerable
trepidation. Proposals to use technology to address climate change come in various forms, the two most popular of which are increasing the albedo (reflectiveness) of the Earth, and enabling the oceans to absorb more CO2.
But, wisely, we ask things like: (more…)
When I deliver a market positioning service for a client, I’m creating an instant recognition of the product or service by means of comparison to something that’s already well known and appreciated in the mind of the recipient.
A dear friend sent me this Ted-X talk the other day, with this note: Since you do positioning work for your clients, I thought you’d love this.
Well, love it I did. Here’s my first crack at applying this to 2GreenEnergy. I hope readers will check this out; it’s great presentation with a powerful take-away.
The environment has become a very big concern in the world we live in. People and businesses alike are finally realizing that we cannot continue to abuse this planet the way we have been for many decades. Many politicians have brought attention to the importance of going green and doing your part to help the environment. Many companies of all sizes have started to use green methods to conduct their daily tasks. Here are a few of the common ways that companies are chipping in and helping to save this planet. (more…)
Yesterday was the birthday of feminist author Gloria Steinem, who said, “Writing is the only thing that when I do it, I don’t feel I should be doing something else.”
Obviously, I don’t compare the quality of my writing to that of Steinem, but in terms of quantity, I do seem to churn out a fair amount of the stuff, and I certainly agree with her assessment of how right it feels to create it. What a lovely way she chose to express that point.
A child awaits for the distribution of meals by WFP (United Nations World Food Programme) in a make-shift camp in Jacmel January 28, 2010. An earthquake on January 12 killed some 200,000 people and devastated the impoverished country.
Energy, Food, and Water
We’re all familiar with the so-called “energy/water/food nexus,” i.e., the interdependence of these three elements. For example, energy is required to purify water, as well as to pump it to where it’s needed to irrigate land to grow food. Plants require nitrogen, potassium and phosphorous (as well as 50+ trace minerals), and the process of creating this fertilizer requires energy. There are actually dozens of different ways these items play off against one another. (more…)
Environmental studies is a multifaceted degree path, generally available as either a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) or S
cience (B.S.), depending on your preferred direction of study. With an environmental studies undergraduate degree, graduates can choose work in a multitude of growing job fields, including geological sciences, anthropology, public policy and administration, environmental planning or consulting, natural resource management, or even environmental law. Numerous universities from the well regarded University of California at Santa Barbara to UC Clermont College offer both a B.A. and a B.S. degree. (more…)
A reader comments on my post on the alarming report predicting the future of fossil fuels and renewable energy, “Regarding your comment about the cost of wind (which is as low $0.02 per kWh in some rare circumstances), sounds like time to take away the PTC.”
The $0.02 figure only exists in certain small pockets of the US where demand is especially low and supply is especially high. The PTC (or something like it) is needed to continue the expansion of wind–but not forever. We’ve been subsidizing the oil industry, the most profitable business sector in the history of humankind, for the last 90 years. The PTC can be shut off far sooner than that.
Everyone’s aware of the greenhouse gas emission issue, but no one’s talking about the fact that the oxygen levels in our atmosphere are declining faster than the CO2 is rising. The culprits: desertification, deforestation, and pollution of our oceans. This is just another factor that, if it continues unchecked, will eventually bring an end to human life here on Earth. (more…)
Here’s a report from consulting giant McKinsey that suggests fossil fuels will continue to dominate the grid mix in 2040, because they will remain the cheapest and most reliable energy resources.
The report correctly points to developments in nuclear energy as potential game-changers, but it ignores at least two important things: (more…)
When you look up at the sky, it seems endless, but what we know as the sky is actually just a thin layer of atmosphere that surrounds the planet. For the past century, we have been treating this thin layer of atmosphere as an industrial waste dump. Everything we do, from driving cars to creating energy releases tons of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere that go on to trap the heat from the sun and irreversibly change our climate forever. (more…)
