The annual Department of Energy “ARPA-E” show (Advanced Research Projects Administration-Energy) ranks among the very best events of the year for us here in the U.S. who are interested in the forward progress of cleantech, and for several reasons:
1) It makes us proud to be Americans, a phenomenon that doesn’t happen every day of the week. (more…)
Holistic Management is a farming method that combines social, environmental and economic objectives. It is a “less is more” approach which encourages farmers to farm on smaller surfaces, with fewer synthetic fertilizers or herbicides and lower expenses on equipment, while increasing their soil health, financial profits, and quality of life. This revolutionary approach, with a successful track record, is gathering an increasing number of advocates. (more…)
Over the weekend we learned that all 30 hardliners will lose their seats to reformists in the Iranian government based on elections held late last week. This puts a smile on the face of every decent person on the planet.
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Today is the birthday of French novelist Victor Hugo, whose work in the 19th Century presented us with depths of human passion that no one had even imagined possible in his time. He is perhaps equally well known for leaving us with this: “There is one thing stronger than all the armies in the world: and that is an idea whose time has come.” (more…)
Hello from New Bedford, Massachussets; it really is wonderful to be in such an authentic fishing village.
Over breakfast I noticed an article in the Wall Street Journal to the effect that retail sales really were terrible last December, resulting in huge losses and the demise of hundreds of store locations (including 18 Kohl’s outlets) across the U.S. (more…)
Not all news in the solar PV world is good, as my colleague Craig Ruark (pictured) notes in this column on Nevada’s energy markets.
This whole thing goes back to the notion of the utility death spiral (i.e., people leave the grid, prices go up for everyone remaining, driving more people to leave the grid), which is exacerbated by rooftop solar and net metering. The phenomenon underlines the imperative to rethink our entire relationship with our power distributors.
Headed out tonight for New York City; New Bedford, MA (ex-whaling capital of the US — pictured); Syracuse, NY; and Washington, DC. All are exciting appointments, including a kick-off meeting with a new client (New Bedford).
I try never to miss the ARPA-E show in Washington; great opportunity to meet sharp people and explore new technologies.
Weekday mornings I get up at 6 AM and watch at least part of “Newsroom Tokyo,” a wonderful program distributed through PBS that presents the highlights of goings on, not only in Japan, but around the world. The first thing that Americans notice is that, to our shock, there are hundreds of news items every day that are interesting and important, but have nothing to do with the United States, and therefore are largely ignored by our mainstream media. (more…)
Most of us view our homes as havens. We want them to be a safe, clean, and a pleasant place for our families and friends to gather. In an attempt to set up the perfect household, many products we purchase to enhance our space actually endanger the health of our family, children, and pets. These harmful effects do not just refer to allergies or headaches. The toxins in everyday household products can affect the following systems: (more…)
This discussion on the culpability of the oil companies in suppressing the truth about climate change is everything I hoped it would be.
Check out the comments of Terry and Gina. Holy cats, that’s really brilliant and expressive writing.
