Blog – Page 1439 – 2GreenEnergy.com

From 2GreenEnergy Supporter Audrea Cook: Inductive Charging Is Coming To The Electric Vehicle World, But Don't Hold Your Breath

craigshieldsPosted on May 30, 2015 Posted in Electric Vehicles

(Here is the first of what I hope to be many guest submissions from my colleague Audrea Cook. Here, she covers inductive charging, a topic of great importance to the migration toward electric transportation. Thanks, Audrea. – Craig)

Inductive Charging is the wave of the future in an industry that embraces ever changing technology and it is as competitive as any UNC vs Duke Basketball game ever was. First, what is inductive charging? (more…)

Tagged with: inductive charging, Online Electric Vehicle system, primary coil in the charger, what is inductive charging?

Jobs and the Fossil Fuel Industries

craigshieldsPosted on May 30, 2015 Posted in Fossil Fuels

Will there be jobs lost when we retire our last coal-fired power plant? Of course. 80,396 to be precise.

How upset should we be about that? I think about it like this: There are 100 million people worldwide working in the tobacco industry. (more…)

Tagged with: 6.5 million people working in the solar PV industry, Jobs and the Fossil Fuel Industries, retire our last coal-fired power plant

Where Are We Headed with Fossil Fuels?

craigshieldsPosted on May 30, 2015 Posted in Fossil Fuels

I mentioned (ExxonMobil CEO) Rex Tillerson in an unflattering way in a recent post, based on his refusal to put an environmental scientist on his board of directors. Of course, he is not the only executive in the fossil fuel industry who proposes to ignore the vast ecological damage he’s doing and suck the last molecule of hydrocarbon out of the ground and burn it. But I can’t help wondering: (more…)

Tagged with: business as usual in the energy arena, environmental scientist, executive in the fossil fuel industry, ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson, fossil fuels, half of Delhi’s 4.4 million school children have irreversible lung damage

Sustainable Wildlife: Ethical Behavior on the Part of Large Corporations Makes a Huge Difference

craigshieldsPosted on May 30, 2015 Posted in Sustainability

I’ll bet that the vast majority of the people reading this sign several petitions each month in solidarity with ideas that we deem worthwhile. Here’s one I just signed for a cause we don’t hear enough about: putting an end to trophy hunting of large animals.

Bringing an end to poaching isn’t easy, due to the financial incentive associated with things like elephant tusks, rhinoceros horns, shark fins, etc. Sometimes real creativity is required to hamper these cruel and disgusting activities. By following the link above, you’re joining me and hundreds of thousands of others in asking Delta Airlines (the only U.S. airline with direct service to South Africa) to refuse to carry these items, making the world a bit more humane and compassionate. (more…)

Tagged with: Delta Airlines, elephant tusks, Ethical Behavior Large Corporations, rhinoceros forms, shark fins, Sustainable Wildlife, trophy hunting of large animals

From Guest Blogger Izzy: Tips for Arranging a Greener Home

craigshieldsPosted on May 30, 2015 Posted in Sustainable Building

When it comes to living a greener life… it all starts at home. Literally every room in your home can be modified so that it is more energy efficient. This not only produces less Co2 emissions and is much better for the environment, but it also is cost-effective, saving you money on your energy bills each year. When it comes to making these modifications they don’t have to cost you a fortune, many of the modifications you can make will cost a very small amount and will pay for themselves in energy savings, quite quickly.
(more…)

Tagged with: better for the environment, living a greener life, produces less Co2 emissions, room in your home more energy efficient

Comment on Ocean Energy Conversion

craigshieldsPosted on May 29, 2015 Posted in Hydrokinetics

In response to my piece What Will Become of Most Renewable Energy Concepts? a reader notes: Ocean energy conversion is fascinating and is doable.

Yes, ocean energy conversion, in each of its many forms (ocean current, tidal, wave, ocean thermal, etc.) is cool, but it’s currently expensive. The point I was trying to make here was essentially: Who will win the race for a technology based on renewable resources that is the lowest cost, most scalable way to convert a given resource of energy into something useful? For better or worse, it’s going to be hard for anything to catch up to the maturity (and thus levelized cost of the energy) represented by solar PV and wind.

Tagged with: levelized cost of the energy, ocean energy, What Will Become of Most Renewable Energy Concepts?

Why Can’t We Have an Energy Policy?

craigshieldsPosted on May 29, 2015 Posted in Renewables - Politics

Frequent contributor Cameron Atwood writes: (The ever-growing affordability of renewable energy) is one reason why Obama’s “all of the above” (energy policy) is a failure in my estimation. If it were “all of the above ground” it would make more sense. The only government help fossil energy needs is out the door.

I certainly agree with the basic intent here, but because replacing fossil fuels takes careful deliberation, I would but this slightly differently, starting with this: The most egregious aspect to our energy policy is that we actually don’t have one.

What’s the problem with telling the world: (more…)

Tagged with: Congress owned by the oil companies, ever-growing affordability of renewable energy, Obama’s “all of the above” energy policy, phasing out fossil fuels at the maximum practical pace, replacing fossil fuels, Why Can’t We Have and Energy Policy?

Saudi Arabia, Oil, and Renewable Energy

craigshieldsPosted on May 29, 2015 Posted in Fossil Fuels

A colleague writes: Kent Moors might be an interesting person to interview at some point–especially in light of global energy developments, both renewable and fossil-based.

Sounds like an astute guy indeed. And he’s onto a very important theme in energy, i.e., Saudi Arabia’s implementation of renewables, enabling them to sell more oil to the rest of the world. It’s rather like the heroin addict/dealer who is strong enough to kick the habit himself, but remains in the super-lucrative business, selling to those who can’t get clean.

Tagged with: global energy developments, Kent Moors, renewable and fossil-based, Saudi Arabia and Renewable Energy

Most Renewable Energy Concepts

craigshieldsPosted on May 29, 2015 Posted in Renewables - Science

A reader responds to my piece “What Will Become of Most Renewable Energy Concepts?” as follows:

I sell energy every day and I would say watch more closely those you scoff at, as once the tax incentives go away so will solar become a side show…unfortunately. It will require a new energy that defies current thinking and the need for tax incentives. It will not be solar and wind as they are too dependent, I see how businesses make their decisions around these products.

I hear you, but from where I sit I don’t believe you’re correct. (more…)

Tagged with: energy technology breakthrough, EnergyFactCheck.org, new energy, Renewable Energy Concepts, What Will Become of Most Renewable Energy Concepts?

From Guest Blogger Jamie Best: Turbine & Towers — Liberté, Égalité, Sustainabilité

craigshieldsPosted on May 29, 2015 Posted in Sustainable Building

With an increased awareness of the importance of green living, sustainable building has reached new heights – 301 metres to be precise! We’re talking about the recent sustainability changes to Paris’ famous landmark, the Eiffel Tower.

In 2014, the first floor of the tower was redeveloped, improving accessibility with a reception and conference rooms, visitor centre, restaurants, museum, pavilions, shops and even a glass floor. As part of this, solar panels, rainwater catchment, LED lighting and other sustainable technology was being incorporated into the Parisian tourist attraction. (more…)

Tagged with: Eiffel Tower, importance of green living, sustainable building