2GreenEnergy supporter Gary Tulie writes: Here is an article on the effects of climate change at various levels of temperature rise. It makes disturbing reading. Some of the research indicates that positive feedback will kick in above 2 centigrade of temperature rise meaning that temperature may continue to rise – eventually by 5 or 6 centigrade before a new equilibrium can be achieved, and that level of temperature rise is not a pretty sight.(more…)
• You, Mr. or Ms. Reader, are part of the reason #1 and #2 happened, and you should take credit for it. You care about the quality of our planet, and you endeavor to save it. You live in a world where the actions of its people still matter, and that’s probably the best news of all.
Those keeping track of the development of hydrokinetics (including tidal, ocean current, wave energy, etc.) will be interested to know that the U.S. Department of Energy is shelling out $7.4 million to encourage R&D in this space.
As long as we’re talking about seven figures, it’s hard to imagine that any taxpayer could be too upset; for example, that figure is about 1/100,000th of the military budget. Having said that, this is a good example of a certain consequence of the maturity and scale of solar PV and wind energy, i.e., that is tends to make other clean energy technologies noncompetitive.
It’s the birthday of anthropologist Louis Leakey. From the Writer’s Almanac:
In 1948, Leakey and his wife found one of the earliest fossil ape skulls ever discovered; it was between 25 and 40 million years old. It is now believed to be the skull of the ancestor of all large primates, including humans. Then, in 1959, they turned up another hominid skull, which was 1.75 million years old. It was the oldest skull of a close human relative ever found at that point, and it helped persuade other anthropologists that Africa was indeed the place where human beings had evolved.
It’s a shame that our daily lives contain only occasional reminders of our common humanity and its many profound implications, e.g., our rights as people and our duties to treat one another justly and kindly. And now the consequences of getting this wrong are irreparable, as suggested by yesterday’s 70th anniversary of the nuclear explosion over Hiroshima. Note: according to Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists Nuclear Notebook 2014, the total number of nuclear weapons is estimated at 10,144.
It’s a good thing there are no hateful bullies running for U.S. president in 2016. Oooops, strike that.
In 2015 the human race is at the peak of technological advancement, with some form of clever device or product making its way into pretty much all aspects of our day-to-day lives. On the most part these are to provide us with faster and more efficient goods and services, however when it comes to helping us to live greener lives, there are some incredible technologies available for us to use. Again, these are practical in their application. but the important difference that sets these aside is that they are more eco-friendly. (more…)
Here’s a little exchange with a gentleman by the name of Ken from Zambia, who’s been following my work on clean energy investment opportunities. Out of modesty, I normally wouldn’t publish something like this, but I couldn’t resist in this case:
Ken: You’re a legend!
Craig: That’s what my mother says, but I thought she was probably the only person on Earth who ever had that thought.
Ken: Haha… well at least you know now – she isn’t!
Now that the warmer months are here, it’s not enough to have an air conditioning unit. Air conditioners need special maintenance to ensure they’re running at optimal levels and to ensure that cooling costs stay at a minimal amount. The home’s HVAC needs to be maintained to ensure proper heating, ventilation and cooling. Consider these tips. (more…)
Can you define the word “argonaut?” I couldn’t, until this morning when the good people at dictionary.com made it their “word of the day”: a person in quest of something dangerous but rewarding.
One could say that 2greenenergy readers are argonauts for clean energy.
A reader points out that efforts to bring education and clean energy to the poorest of the poor in Africa only creates further dependence.
It’s true that giving things away is antithetical to the concept of establishing commerce. For example, every megawatt of solar we install as an act of philanthropy is a megawatt of solar that a vendor cannot sell. What would be best is the stimulation of these economies, and the establishment of social conditions in which women are not encouraged to have a dozen or more children.
