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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Sustainability

Writing on Renewable Energy—Or Anything ElseBy the time I was four or five years old, I had become aware that I was growing up in a family that paid a great deal of attention to the correct use of the English language.  Not only was my grammar and word usage continually (not continuously!) being corrected, but I also recall my maternal grandfather’s (Baba’s) claim that no two words in the language mean precisely the same thing, and the contests he’d regularly offer, asking all of us family members to try to invalidate his theory. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Politics

Koch Brothers Hard At Work To Kill Wind EnergyThe effects of Big Money on politics are loathsome indeed, though it’s gratifying to know that there are places that this corruption simply can’t reach.  Take Oregon, for instance.

Far be it from me to tell the Koch Brothers how to spend their money, but (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Sustainability

Species Extinctions Rates At An All-Time High, But….One calculates the rate of species extinctions the same way we measure mortality in a certain population.  We want the number of deaths per thousand individuals per year, so we take the total number of deaths in a given year, divide it by the total population, and then multiply it by 1000.  Knowing the rate of species extinctions relative to the total is important, if we’re to determine what effect humankind is having here.  Yes, there were no humans here ten million years ago, but there were fewer species as well. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Sustainable Building

Seven Ways to Have an Energy Efficient Home This WinterMost homes are more expensive to heat each winter than necessary. There are many options for homeowners to drive down these costs. A few options are suitable for do-it-yourself-types, while others might be best left to the professionals. Take action before the cold weather arrives and spend less this winter on your energy bill. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Sustainability

It is safe to say that global warming has moved from a myth to a reality. Things are getting serious and it is the responsibility of all people to do what they can, where they are to mitigate the full effects of global warming as much as possible.

Eco-friendly web designers

So we reduce, re-use and recycle, we switch off our TVs to reduce the carbon footprints, we walk and bike as much as we can to avoid driving, but how can we ‘save the planet’ as web designers? Well, we can borrow a few things from what we do at home and then there are others specific to a web designer. Let us take a look: (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Business

Here a Silver Lining for Environmental Groups in the Wake of the U.S. MidtermsIf you’re looking to award a prize to the best environmental group in terms of articulating what they see as a “silver lining” after yesterday’s drubbing in the U.S. midterms, you can’t count out the Union of Concerned Scientists.  They write:

…nothing in the results should change anyone’s mind on these clear truths: we know Americans trust science, support cutting global warming emissions, and want help for communities struggling with the very real consequences of climate change.  

I’d like to believe that’s true.  But even if it’s not, clean energy will soon win the day as its costs continue to plummet and its efficiencies keep improving.   It really won’t matter how dim-witted U.S. voters and their leaders are as soon as the market economics of clean energy prove irresistible.  The good news:  we’re very close to that point.

 

 

 

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Politics

Core Concept of the MaydayPAC Must Succeed If Clean Energy Is To Prevail

Among other casualties in the U.S. midterms was the MaydayPAC, the self-proclaimed “political action committee to end all political action committees” which hoped to begin the removal of Big Money from the American political process. The relevance here should be obvious: until and unless this goal is accomplished, there is no chance to defeat the propaganda that Big Oil brings to the public discourse on energy.

Even though the project took it on the chin last night, the MaydayPAC’s founder and spokesperson, Lawrence Lessig (pictured here), was philosophical, writing: (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Politics

Climate Change Deniers Now Control the Legislative Branch of the U.S. Government, But Here's Why CleanTech Will Not Be DefeatedWhen I published this piece just now and found this pic of Mitch McConnell eagerly demonstrating his support of the gun industry, I was reminded that the new Senate majority will have other jobs in addition to rolling back the progress that the U.S. has made recently vis-à-vis energy and the environment. Their attention will be at least somewhat diluted across different duties, one of which is expanding Americans’ access to firearms, or at least thwarting the will of 89% of U.S. voters who want to expand background checks for prospective gun owners.

Congress will be taking on other jobs as well, including killing Obamacare, which, when effected, will instantly cancel healthcare coverage for more than 25 million Americans, including over 520,000 in McConnell’s home state of Kentucky alone.

 

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Hydrokinetics

New Hydrokinetic Device

This morning, I had the pleasure of speaking with the inventor of a new hydrokinetic device who happens to reside in Prague.

Every time I needed to go to Europe on business as a younger man I prayed that it would be because a client had scheduled a must-attend meeting in Prague; I secretly hoped for something—anything—that would give me a good excuse to go experience that breathtaking pearl of a city, virtually unscratched in the War. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Politics

Climate Change Deniers Now Control the Legislative Branch of the U.S. Government, But Here's Why CleanTech Will Not Be DefeatedIn response to my post yesterday: Not a Great Day for Those of You with Lungs in which I lamented the sad outcome of the U.S. midterm elections vis-a-vis the environment, frequent commenter Brian McGowan writes:

Relying on the government will not work. We have to do this ourselves individually. It is up to us. I imagine we will see a hard push for the Keystone pipeline, underfunding or total defunding of the EPA, reduction or total removal of any kind of green energy tax credits at the same time as enhancements of credits for dirty fuel companies.

I hear you, and you’re right that it is up to us as individuals. And yes, the U.S. federal government is now in the hands of those whose paymasters are commanding them to dismantle all the work we’ve done recently in moving towards clean energy and environmental stewardship.  I’m deeply saddened, and I won’t sugar-coat that.   (more…)

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