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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Business

As the Decades Roll By, the United States Battles To Remain RelevantMy old friend and brilliant colleague Steve Vachss (pictured below, right) writes about what he perceives to be the key force that has fashioned the U.S. into the leader of the world.  He cites our favorable geography, and explains how it has given rise to advantages in global trade, agricultural self-sufficiency, a uniform language, and protection from would-be attackers.  He goes on to question how much longer this uniqueness can sustain American hegemony in an era when warfare has gone high-tech and missiles can cross the oceans in just a few hours.   (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Sustainable Building

The Dark Truth About LED LightingRecent reports commissioned by the US Department of Energy and Osram Sylvania indicate that LED is slowly but surely becoming the preeminent technology in new lighting applications. This is great news for the environment, due to the efficiency of LED lighting, but there are still other factors to consider when choosing the right outdoor lighting. The brightest light for the fewest watts might help with the energy bill, but it is not necessarily the best way to help the planet. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Politics

Should India Look West For Sustainability Inspiration?In a recent rundown in the International Business Times of the world’s most polluted cities, India was placed on the list six times. Delhi, Patna and Gwalior are three of the cities most affected.

Population growth and industrial development, amongst other issues, have taken their toll on the environment in India. This has led to severe air and water pollution; waste disposal problems; and pollution of the natural environment. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Electric Vehicles

Does Sodium-Ion Battery Chemistry Represent a Legitimate (I Hate To Use the Word) “Breakthrough?” Generally, I’m extremely skeptical of claims about breakthroughs in battery technology.  As they say, “There are lies, damn lies, battery specifications, and battery salesmen.”  For some reason however, I have a tendency to believe the gist of this article on sodium-ion, as a replacement chemistry for lithium-ion (perhaps because it comes with the imprimatur of Gary Tulie, 2GreenEnergy super-supporter).

In essence, we’re talking about something that could approach the performance of lithium-ion at much lower cost and with better safety.  This seems credible given the relative abundance of sodium vs. lithium, and the advantages of the chemistry vis-à-vis the absence of unwanted characteristics like self-heating.  Needless to say, this is a very big deal for the adoption curve associated with electric vehicles.

I’ll be particularly interested in reader feedback on this one.

 

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Sustainable Building

Building-Integrated PV and Other Elements of the Zero Energy HouseI’m always happy to forward the thinking of 2GreenEnergy supporter Walter Feuchs.  Here’s a recent piece he wrote on sustainable building, in which he urges the U.S. to get on board with the rest of the world in making the “zero energy house” (ZEH) standard as a goal by 2020.

Walter points out that this market is a trillion dollar opportunity, which serves as an important reminder: cleantech is destined to be the defining industry of the 21st Century.   The only real question: Will America participate, or will it content itself to sit on the sidelines and bicker about Donald Trump’s antics and other trivial garbage?

 

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Business

News Flash: Devotees of the Environmental Defense Council Favor Renewable Energy

Here’s a pic of my wife Becky and me at a recent “TGIF” event hosted by our local Environmental Defense Council.

And here’s a pic I took of a bumper sticker on a truck in the parking lot.

No huge surprise there, I suppose…. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Sustainability

Writing a Bit Every Day: Highly Recommended

It’s the 125th birthday of American science fiction/fantasy writer H.P. Lovecraft, who said: “I never ask a man what his business is, for it never interests me. What I ask him about are his thoughts and dreams.”

This is noteworthy only because it reminds me of one of the key reasons I write here at least once a day: it’s a diary of my thoughts; it marks the evolution of my thinking and aspirations on the subject of clean energy and a sustainable course for humankind more generally.

Why is that a big deal? It isn’t really, other than that it’s an opportunity for me to recommend blogging to anyone who may happen to read this. Writing forces us to sift through our thoughts and distill out the essence of what we’re processing at any certain moment in time.  Not a bad way to spend a few minutes each day.

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Business

Electricity Usage by CountryEnergy consumption is a worldwide concern. We as a species are showing no signs of curbing our reckless energy usage, even though we are becoming increasingly aware of how are usage of  water  fossil fuels, and other natural resources impact the planet. We are now seeking out, developing and implementing more sustainable sources of power, electricity produced by the burning of fossil fuels is still the dominant energy of the planet. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Electric Vehicles

Electric Vehicles: The Consumer Value PropositionA long-time 2GreenEnergy supporter from Mexico City writes:

The change-over from oil fuel to electric vehicles has been slow because EVs and HEVs are expensive, and at present market price, only the rich find how to justify such an investment.

When the price drops and comfort zone shines and money is saved…..then the market for electric vehicles will take off, because the people can make money by saving on gas, and the vehicle is cheap to buy, and run free of service and qualify for long life. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Efficiency

Energy Wasting HabitsFinding it difficult to save energy, despite making some changes in appliances? It could be because you haven’t shaken off certain bad habits, like this little minx pictured here, eating out of the refrigerator.

We are usually quite oblivious to our bad habits until they are pointed out to us. People don’t know they eat a lot of junk food until someone notices. You don’t know about your poker face tell until it is exploited by an opponent. The same thing goes for bad energy habits, so we’ve put together a quick list of habits you may still be doing without even realising it. The hope is that, now you think about them, you’ll stop yourself from doing it next time. (more…)

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