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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Sustainability

Producers and Consumers Seek Mutually Beneficial Sustainability MethodsGoing green certainly isn’t a new concept, and unique ways to do so are popping up all the time. However, there are some that are a little easier for companies and consumers to enact together than others.

For example, Daily Camera recently posted an article about a couple outside of Boulder, Colo., who are currently at odds with town officials about ordinances they believe are discouraging sustainability practices. The sustainability practice in question: residential chicken coops. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Electric Vehicles

Trends in Electric Transportation Sure Do Look AppetizingIce hockey immortal Wayne Gretzky said, “I don’t skate to the puck; I skate to where the puck is going to be.”

Let’s see if we can’t apply that outside the confines of the rink.  Where’s electric transportation going to be soon?  In an extremely dominant position, if one reckons the probable effect of announcements like this one: Korean electronics giant LG Chem plans to cut battery prices of EVs by one half next year.

Those who have read my last book (Bullish on Renewable Energy) will recognize this concept from Chapter Eleven: “Electric Transportation Will Become Ubiquitous.”  This announcement by LG Chem, which effect will be to lower costs to the end user as well as improve the range, will further accelerate the EV adoption curve that we’ve discussed so many times here.

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Sustainability

How Going Green Will Save You MoneyAs converting to “green” is becoming increasingly popular, a plethora of energy-efficient opportunities have arisen that are allowing individuals to better the environment. On top of creating a better environment, going green is providing on outlet for individuals to save enormous amounts of money within their day-to-day expenses. Below I wanted to bring up a few ways that going green can help save money while assisting the world in bettering the environment. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Sustainability

What’s So Cool About Biodiversity?   Ever wonder why biodiversity is so important to human civilization?  One reason is that the vast majority of the cures we’re developing for our wide range of diseases comes from various species of life forms, and thus mass extinction of even seemingly insignificant species is removing the possibility of developing important medicines. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Business

Cutting Ties with Fossil Fuels: The Rapid Migration to Renewable EnergyA reader who goes by “Louis” notes: We won’t be 100% free of fossil fuels anytime soon, but like when you start recycling, then composting instead of putting everything in the trash, it is a great start! When I see Germany already at 30% and electricity prices FALLING because of that, I know that we can do it too.

You are correct that we are not close to being 100% free of fossil fuels anytime soon; fortunately, we really don’t have to be.  (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Business

Hard To Get Too Ruffled about Renewable Energy Nay-SayersA friend of mine just called to get my reaction about an editorial in the Sunday paper here in Santa Barbara, written by one Joe Armendariz (pictured left) of the local taxpayers association.  I didn’t see the article, but from what I can gather from his past efforts, Mr. Armendariz is against any effort that would curb oil extraction and/or mandate movement in the direction of clean energy, on the basis that “renewable energy is outrageously expensive” and acts as a “job-killer.”

I could tell from the tone of my friend’s voice that he thought I would be enraged.  Nope.  Sorry, but if every unflattering mention of renewable energy angered me, I wouldn’t last too long.

Three points: (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Business

On a Proposed Carbon TaxFrom a colleague:

In his interview with Vox, Bernie Sanders says, “Are the scientists right or are they wrong? If they are right they’re telling us that the planet Earth will be 5 to 10 degrees warmer by the end of this century Fahrenheit. That will cause cataclysmic changes in terms of drought, weather disturbances, rising sea levels, acidification of the ocean, and international conflict. If they are right — I believe they are right — we have got to move in a very, very bold way. We have to do it yesterday.” (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Politics

Big Oil and Campaign Finance Reform in the U.S.

If I had to name the 10 thinkers on this planet whom I most admired, journalist and activist Chris Hedges would most certainly be among them. He’s been expressing his observations about the environmental and social threats facing humankind in beautifully lucid prose since the 1980s, and, best of all, they normally come along with terrific insights as to what we must do to survive them.

Sometimes, however, as in the case with this breath-taking piece on Western culture vs. the natural world, we’re left wondering where to go. (I know where I went when I got finished reading…outside for a little walk to let it sink in.) (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Science

Ocean Acidification at a GlanceFor those looking for a summary of the issue of ocean acidification, below are two graphs that make the point with shocking clarity. The presence of unprecedented levels of CO2 in our atmosphere have brought about a precipitous drop in the pH of our oceans over a tiny sliver of geological time, and this plunge will accelerate as these atmospheric conditions get worse. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Science

Validity of Solar PV and Wind Energy in the 21st Century EarthFrequent commenter SilentRunning notes:  Dear Craig, you deserve a Star of Peace for allowing Dr. Cannera to pontificate against the two forms of energy, solar and wind as inefficient toys that will not significantly contribute to the global energy challenge in a meaningful way.  My response is simple and straightforward. He should share all his concerns with the global investment community, as all publicized forecasts for total energy investment show by a wide margin that these two renewables garner close to 60 % or more of all the investment in new energy going forward thru 2040. Both technologies will only improve going forward.  Even Shell Oil predicts 60% or more of these two energy forms by 2050. (more…)

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