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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Sustainability

Lesson in Sustainability--Green CleaningLeading a sustainable life is something that we are all striving for. Sustainability can appear in all kinds of different ways. In order to achieve the sustainable lifestyle, it is certain that we as people have to make some adaptation and changes when it comes to our lives. Going green in every aspect of our lives is crucial not only for our wellbeing but for the wellbeing of the complete planet. It is important to start with simple things. For instance, if everyone could adapt a more green way of cleaning, it would be a small step for an individual but a huge step for the planet. Here are a couple of tips on how to switch to green cleaning. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Efficiency

What Does Being Energy Efficient Mean? As a homeowner, you’ve probably heard the phrase “energy efficiency” before—whether at a home department store, on the news, or from your homeowner’s association. But what exactly does this phrase mean, and how can you implement it in your own home? Read our blog below to learn more.

What Is Energy Efficiency? (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Sustainability

Everything New Seemed Impossible—Until It ExistedAccording to the Writer’s Almanac, it was on this day in 1897 that the first comic strip appeared in a newspaper.  Why is that worth mentioning here? It was a new dimension, a new modality to our civilization’s capacity for expressing itself, a statement to the effect that: I have a new way of communicating something of value to the world around me.

Not too far into the future, we’ll find it in ourselves to get across to one another something that today seems impossibly distant: the notion that war is obsolete.  We simply won’t do that anymore; we will no longer endorse the ceaseless death and dismemberment of brave, young soldiers and the innocent people around them that we refer to as “collateral damage.” (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Business

Marketing: Giving Something To Get SomethingI’ve spent my career of 30+ years developing skills at telling stories.  In particular, I learned how to take a product whose benefit set is potentially confusing, or may be something of a snooze, and explain in riveting detail how it has the potential to change the customer’s life.  Most of my experience is in the business-to-business realm, working for clients like IBM, H-P, 3Com, Sony, Microsoft, and Fujitsu; normally, I was tasked with marketing information technology and communications products and solutions to a corporate, professional audience.  More recently, of course, I’ve focused on cleantech–but my point here is that most of the principles at stake here are universal, and apply equally to consumer marketing.  (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Climate Change

In Canada: Ding Dong, the Witch Is DeadThe landslide victory of Justin Trudeau (pictured with wife Sophie) in Canada this week and the end of Stephen Harper’s reign marks a wonderful moment in world politics, particularly for those of us who believe that climate change is an important issue.  Harper’s mission, i.e., extracting every molecule of shale gas from New Brunswick and tar sands from Alberta will immediately be replaced with the application of reason and compassion for the fate of our civilization here on Earth.

It’s a good reason to celebrate, and it’s one of the many reasons that we can rationally expect more progress from the upcoming meetings in Paris than we had in any previous meetings.

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Climate Change

How Hot Does It Have To Get?

It’s interesting to see the world reaction to news like this, i.e., that 2015 is far hotter than the previous hottest year on record (2014). It makes one wonder: exactly what average temperatures do we need to achieve before we figure out that we have a serious problem? Maybe this information, in conjunction with the news that ExxonMobil has been deliberately deceiving the world about anthropogenic climate change for the last 35 years, will stimulate some real action in this space.

(More legible graphic below) (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Electric Vehicles

E-bikes: Happening in a Big Way in Los AngelesA friend in Kansas City with a huge track record in sales and a passion for e-bikes writes: Craig, this is a big opportunity.

Yes, and I would be reasonably well qualified for it based on my 30+ years in marketing with P&L responsibility (it was my business, after all; no one else to blame for poor performance but me). On the other hand, my strength isn’t in the consumer space.

I would think you would be even better qualified. Want to move out here? You could come up here for weekend barbecues.  We’ve been know to throw some real wing-dings.

Go Royals, btw.

 

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Business

Craig Shields Is At Your Service—Most of the Time Earlier this week I signed up a client for my “At Your Service” product (a one-day consulting action on any cleantech business concept for $1000 plus travel reimbursement), but I could see in advance that it wasn’t going to work out, so I returned his money.

He has an idea that I’m 99+% confident won’t work with any cost-effectiveness at all.  (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Sustainability

Does Exxon Really Hate America?A great number of the 6000+ posts here deal with the ultimate tragedy: the end of our civilization as we know it due to our own stupidity or, even worse, our malfeasance.  Of course, we’re reminded of all this via the recent revelations about ExxonMobil’s decision to suppress the evidence of climate disruption associated with the burning of fossil fuels.  (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Sustainable Building

Six Energy-Saving Secrets Every Family Should KnowTypically, an American family spends up to $2,700 a year on electric bills. With energy costs spiraling upwards more each year, it’s important for families to try to save as much in energy in their homes as possible.  Below are several energy-saving tips families should have in place with an eye toward not only creating wealth for their family pocket-book, but limiting their carbon footprint on planet Earth as well. (more…)

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