I had an experience yesterday at the Renewable Energy Finance Forum in San Francisco that I thought I’d share. Right before lunch, I took the opportunity to pose a question to the panel on the stage, prefaced with this announcement:
I see a few people around the room checking the latest news on their cell phones, so it’s probable that I’m not the only person in this room who knows that President Obama has rejected the Keystone XL pipeline. (more…)
Kenyan reader Gladys Mogo writes: Quick question Craig. How much of biomass briquettes, if any, is used by manufacturing industries in the US? We have successfully introduced our biomass briquettes in the local market and the uptake is good.
Biomass briquettes are not an important element of the American industrial process. At this point, almost all our electricity comes from our power utilities, and the energy generators who supply them. (In some cases those two are one in the same, though in many of our regions the generation and the transmission/distribution are decoupled.) The component of biomass is close to zero in this mix, and what there is would be waste wood and municipal solid waste. (more…)
I wrote a piece on a much-loved baby in my circle of friends the other day, whose photo, I have to admit, has totally captivated me. Check it out for yourself. Isn’t it as if she knows something that you and I did long ago, but we somehow forgot? It’s almost spooky.
Maybe it’s a calling to us to be as blissful in our state as she is in hers. (more…)
The good people at Environmental Action, environmental-action.org, sent me this:
Breaking: Yesterday the New York Attorney General announced an investigation into whether Exxon lied about climate change. Today, President Obama officially blocked the Keystone XL oil pipeline. Tonight MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow will host a forum with all three Democratic presidential candidates, and we want her to ask them about this week’s amazing climate news. Click here to join the call to #AskOnClimate. (more…)
Lithium-ion batteries were first marketed by Sony in 1991 and their development continues to accelerate today. In their conventional structure, they employ carbon in the negative electrode, while the positive is a lithium compound, such as LiCoO2. Lithium ions are extracted electrochemically during discharge from the alloy (anode) and migrate through the electrolyte. Lithium reacts violently with water, and for this reason the electrolyte is composed of polymers with non-aqueous lithium salts acting as purely ionic conductors. (more…)
Needless to say, this is fantastic news, primarily from the perspective that Mr. Steyer notes below. I.e., it’s an announcement that my country does, in fact, have an energy policy, one that contemplates the welfare of the world’s people and rejects the corruptive effects of the oil companies’ money and power.
From: Tom Steyer (more…)
Cleaning your house is undoubtedly important – living in a clean and dust-free environment affects your health, life standard and self-esteem in the most positive way possible. Moreover, welcoming guests to a dirty home is never good. In order to achieve the highest standards of home cleanliness, many people use strong chemical-based products that are actually bad for them. Here is how your home can be spotless and toxic-free by using environmentally friendly products. (more…)
Lead cells were the first type of secondary batteries, invented by French physicist Gaston Plante in 1859. In the following 150+ years they have been refined considerably, and are currently used in many applications including, most notably “SLI” (starting, lighting and ignition) in automobiles, but also telecommunications, traction, and energy storage. They occupy about 70% of the world accumulator market. In addition, the recent rapid development of lithium ion batteries is causing further technological development and improved manufacturing processes for lead-acid batteries. (more…)
Weddings are wasteful. Typically, a lot of the expense goes into things that don’t get used again, like decorations, presents, and attire. Even those that strive to be eco-friendly end up clocking in with potentially huge environmental impact from family and friends driving or flying in for the wedding. (more…)
Living a sustainable, eco-friendly life can be a year round pursuit. No matter what day, month, or year it is, there are things you can be doing to help do your art to protect mother nature. Winter is just another season rife with ways to not only save resources, but also to save money at the same time.
We’ve compiled a list of just some of the things you can do this winter to keep warm whilst not badly impacting on the planet.
