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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Politics

The men and women of the nation’s armed forces often deploy overseas to protect its energy interests around the globe, safeguarding foreign oil sources and the sea lanes through which they pass.

While the country strains and devotes its military resources to protecting oil-producing regions, citizens at home are left vulnerable to attack and national security is compromised. Standing up and fighting the green energy battle will not only break the country’s dependence from external sources but will also bring the men and women back home.

Wind Power is Good for America (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Sustainability

Reducing excess steps and upgrading sources in your supply chain is good business and also green business. At Coghlin Companies, a contract manufacturing company, we’ve learned that streamlining our supply chain with a commitment to greener practices requires constant monitoring to ensure gained efficiencies and green initiatives provide value for our customers. Here are three elements of our green approach to supply chain management.

1. Review your shipping options frequently. Shipping is seen as the low hanging fruit of supply chain optimization, but many shipping suppliers already operate in a tight, competitive market. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Politics

A few months ago I interviewed Dennis McGinn, the current president of the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) for my third book (“Renewable Energy – Following the Money”) that I hope to have available shortly.  I’ve also met his predecessor in that post, Micheal Eckhart, several times at various conferences.

I deeply admire both these folks, perhaps mostly for the comportment with which they approach the challenge.  It blends a core passion with a calm levelheadedness that I think is important in an arena that invites such controversy.  (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Politics

Here’s a powerful article that bashes Obama, not as a Muslim Kenyan food-stamp socialist, but as just another lying politician — one whose true legacy will be “the guy who had the last chance to save the environment from collapse but was led around by the nose by huge vested interests.”  As you scan through the comments you’ll note that these people (largely leftist environmentalists) are pretty cheesed off.

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Electric Vehicles

Here’s a supposed breakthrough in fuel cells on which I thought readers may want to comment.  I’ve always believed that the cost and longevity of the fuel cell itself is really not the gating issue here, but rather the creation and distribution of hydrogen.

Am I wrong? (I hate it when that happens.) 🙂

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Politics

In response to my post on (former U.S. President) Dwight D. Eisenhower and my suggestion that current U.S. President Obama should build out the public infrastructure in the same way, Warren Weisman writes: “Ha ha. Love to see it happen, but Obama ain’t no Eisenhower.”

Thanks, Warren — and good point.  It’s certainly true that Obama doesn’t have the public support that Eisenhower did. But in fact, even Eisenhower himself didn’t have the support he needed at the time; in large measure, he sold the Highway Act to the American people on the basis that he claimed it was necessary to move troops and supplies around in the interior of the U.S. in order to protect us citizens from the prospect of foreign invasion.

20th Century fear. There was plenty of it to go around, and it motivated (in addition to some good things like the highway system) some of the great atrocities in the history of humankind. An eerie parallel to today’s world, perhaps.

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Smart Grid

On this day in 1956, a few days before my first birthday, President Eisenhower signed the Federal Highway Act, which established the Interstate Highway System.  I think of the implications of our vast network of highways frequently, normally in connection with the challenges we face in building out our aging and woefully inadequate national electricity grid.

When I tell people that we have a profound and urgent need to connect various regions of the country, bringing solar energy into our population centers from the deserts, wind energy from the plains, hydrokinetic energy from the Pacific Northwest, etc., people roll their eyes and explain that there will be legal objections that will keep this idea held up in court until the next Ice Age.  While they may be right, we do have several legal precedents for using eminent domain for the public good, and the Federal Highway Act is just one among them.  In fact, we’re pretty good at moving cars – and trains – and fossil fuels – all over this great land of ours.  Do you suppose this could be extended to renewable energy? We’ll see.

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Politics

Frequent commenter and colleague Tom Konrad of AltEnergyStocks.com writes on my post in which I express my approval of the nomination of Ron Binz to head up the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission:

I was an expert witness (for the Energy Efficiency Business Coalition) in a couple of demand side management cases before Binz when he was the Colorado PUC chair. He’s no knee-jerk enviro, but carefully considers the arguments from both sides.  I thought he was open-minded and intelligent. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Politics

It appears that another one of my wishes was just granted: a progressive force in the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.  If FERC chief nominee Ron Binz lives up to what I’ve read about him, he really is the man for the job, as he appears to be both willing and able to rewrite the way utilities are regulated, paving the way for a far more aggressive tack vis-à-vis energy efficiency and renewables.

One of Binz’ recent projects, “Utilities 2020” is summarized: (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Photovoltaics

Apparently, McDonald’s is deploying a ton of solar PV in the form of canopies to protect their customers’ cars.  That’s good.  But I’m less sanguine on ridiculous statements from company spokespersons like: “We continuously commit to reducing the environmental impact of our restaurants as much as possible….”

McDonald’s itself is an unmitigated disaster for the health of the environment, not to mention for the seven billion people who live in it.  We’re talking about a combination of:

1) deforestation to create cattle yards,

2) dependence on unsustainable farming methods, and

3) products that cause childhood obesity and diabetes.

Three strikes and you’re out.

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