Here’s a good article that discusses a few different vicious cycles in which the investor-owned utilities (IOUs) find themselves. As more people install solar (or whatever) on their properties, the infrastructure by which power is generated, transmitted, and distributed must be amortized over a smaller base, driving up prices, thus providing incentive for even more people to go to distributed generation. (more…)
I’m sorry I forgot to mention the birthday of Pablo Casals the other day, unarguably the most revered cellist in the first half of the 20th Century. He’s noteworthy here because of his opposition to fascism, and the fact that he was an active campaigner for peace all his life.
Casals said: “Each person has inside a basic decency and goodness. If he listens to it and acts on it, he is giving a great deal of what it is the world needs most. It is not complicated but it takes courage. It takes courage for a person to listen to his own goodness and act on it.” (more…)
Here’s a website whose tagline is that solar energy applied to agriculture “pays for itself.” Indeed it does.
Even farmers who choose to pay cash up front for solar PV and/or solar thermal hot water heating (e.g., PlexiSun) get all their money back in just a few years – and then enjoy free energy for decades to come. But there are numerous financial options open to farmers who can’t afford that outlay, as well.
And what about wind? Only a small percentage of land is consumed by turbines and the roadways that are required for maintenance access; the rest remains available for crops and livestock. What a fantastic option.
I know there are many readers here, who, like me, are constantly looking for good investment opportunities in renewable energy. I also know I’ve mentioned my colleague Harris Roen and his newsletter on the subject before, but it bears mentioning one more time. No surprise here: his picks did really well this year — on average, up 37%. Nice going, Harris!
When my bills come due at the end/beginning of each month (who am I kidding, I don’t always pay them on time), I start thinking about how eco friendly or green the internet is. I see payment notifications and bill reminders appear in my email inbox and am reminded of just a few years ago when my physical mailbox (remember that one out by the road?) was consistently filled with pointless bank account statement printouts, credit card statements and general junk mail that was sometimes barely even opened before being thrown away. (more…)
Every day, the sheer volume of material written on climate change continues to amaze me – and, of course, too much is better than too little. The only real problem with the mass of journalism on the subject is that a great deal of it appears to be a frantic search for brand new points to make — and I’m not sure there are many more of any major consequence. (more…)
According to Emerson, “Nothing great was ever accomplished without enthusiasm.”
I’ve resolved that it is the truth of this statement that will inspire a great deal of my writing during the coming year. (more…)
I had a great time with my family back east over the holidays, during which the subject came up: Uncle Craig, when you do radio shows and talk about renewable energy in an attempt to promote your books, aren’t you preaching to the choir? Or, if it’s a show that has you on only so they can attack you, aren’t you speaking to people who hate your guts, and would never change their minds?
Good questions, to be sure. There sure is a lot of truth there. But my nephews convinced me that there is a world of people who live in the middle, who need to be pushed forward to understand the truth and take action accordingly. They’re smart young men; I sure hope they’re right here.
At the end of each December, I try to make a hopeful prediction about the year to come. I predict that this year will mark the end of a great deal of our superstitions. Remember the words of the great Stevie Wonder: “When you believe in things that you don’t understand, you suffer…..superstition ain’t the way.”
Considering how far we’ve come with our understanding of climate science, and our virtual certainty surrounding its terrible consequences, it’s time to embrace this science and begin to take a measured look at what we, as a civilization, need to do to put humankind on a course to sustainability. Best wishes to my fellow travelers here on Earth for a rational and sane 2014.
I happened to sit next to Henry van Moyland, the proprietor of this place: “Cefntilla” in Monmouth, Wales on my way home from the East Coast last night. We didn’t discuss the subject, but, according to some of the reports I’ve read on the property, Henry may be interested in turning the place into a high-end resort/spa. (more…)
