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by Tanaji GajarePosted on Posted in Sustainability

Global Water Quality IssuesWater is known to constitute nearly 70% of the human body. It is also vital for the survival of other living organisms and various ecosystems. Besides water quantity problems such as drought and water shortages across different parts of the world, there have been global issues regarding water quality.

World Water Development report in United Nations (UN) water (2012) explained that an abundant supply of clean water is essential for the health and wellbeing of humans and the ecosystem; and their social and economic development. The report also added that there has been no evidence of improvement in water quality in a global scale. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Sustainability

Rain-forest Destruction: Today's Instagram PostCaption:  This is one of the many reasons that our civilization’s gluttonous consumption of red meat is one of the most clearly unsustainable aspects of our culture.   

 

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Sustainability

A Quick Case for Optimism Re: Civilization's FutureA reader comments, “Your claim “The U.S. Citizenry is in the Process of Taking Back Its Democracy” is (quite) dubious!”

I grant that it’s dubious. It’s a prediction of the future, which makes it inherently uncertain. I happen to believe that it’s true, but I could have equally made the prediction solely on the basis that it has the potential to be a self-fulfilling prophesy. (more…)

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by lizzieweakleyPosted on Posted in Efficiency

Five Ways to Ensure your Business is Energy EfficientOne of the most costly components of running a business revolves around energy usage. The cost of energy is constantly rising, and the amount of energy most businesses use tends to rise over time due to expansion and inefficiency.

The good news is that there are ways to improve your business’s energy usage. Let’s examine five ways you can ensure your business is more energy efficient. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Fossil Fuels

It’s Not Impossible to Make Broad and Wonderful Changes To Our Civilization; It Happens All the TimeIn response to my post The U.S. Citizenry Is in the Process of Taking Back Its Democracy, a rather cynical reader notes: “corruptive influence of money,” is a cliche like “world peace.” Such slogans sound ideal and high minded, but while unarguably desirable, lack practical reality.

The reason that a phrase like “world peace” is unrealistic is purely and only that people believe it to be so.  (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Efficiency

Next Step in Home Energy EfficiencyThose trying to keep their fingers on the pulse of energy efficiency solutions will be interested in this piece on the advent of thermal imaging built into smart phones.  Soon, you’ll be able to walk around your house, inside and out, “photographing” the spots where you’re losing heat in the winter and gaining it in the summer.  Great idea.

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Climate Change

McKibben:  We Can’t Just Win the Argument; Now We Have to Fight

For those of you who aren’t on legendary climate activist Bill McKibben’s mailing list, I thought I’d reprint this masterful and ultra-compelling email I just received from him.  There are so many gems here, of which my favorite is: We’re in a fight, and like most fights, it’s about power and money. And the fossil-fuel industry has a lot of money. But I’ve learned this: Organized people beat organized money.

Wow.  Here’s his message: (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Sustainability

Now THAT’S a FirstThe ancient Greek philosopher Thales (pictured here), predated Socrates by over two hundred years, and is remembered today principally for his belief that the entire universe is composed of water in one form or another. In other words, he believed that air is some sort of rarefied water, and that rocks are densified water.  2600 years later, we now know that Thales was wrong, but the point remains that he was the very first person (we know of) to take a stab at the ultimate building blocks of the world around us.  His work required vision and courage, and an intense appetite to explore a bold new idea.  (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Electric Vehicles

EV and the Grid SummitPeriodically, I like to catch up on the latest thinking regarding the integration of electric vehicles in Southern California, and I’ve found that there is no better place to make that happen than the annual EVs and the Grid Summit, which happens to be in Long Beach, today through Thursday.

I like to get the main gist, and meet as many people as possible who are associated with this slow but all-important shift in transportation.  I wish I had a dollar for every time I approached a stranger at one of these conferences, extended my hand and said, “I’m Craig Shields. Nice to meet you.”

If any readers happen to want to meet me there, please let me know.

 

 

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Politics

The Battles of Lexington and Concord: What They Mean To Us TodayAs we note today’s anniversary of the battles of Lexington and Concord in the early part of the American Revolution, it’s hard not to think of the parallels to the current scene here in the modern-day U.S.  In particular, 241 years later, an enormous swath of our citizenry is infuriated at the way it’s being governed, and will not tolerate any more of this. (more…)

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