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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Climate Change

George Will is a “Climate Change Denier”—But Why Does He Have a Position on the Subject in the First Place?Dr. Alex Cannara, who holds no fewer than five degrees in physics and engineering, writes about my post on George Will and climate change:  (Will’s column) displays ignorance that he is smart enough to correct, if he cared about facts…..Fortunately, there are many more responsible adults addressing the problem, while Will just exploits his readership.

If this is the case now, i.e., that he just exploits his readership, it’s extremely sad, because it wasn’t always so.  (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Climate Change

Is Climate Disruption an Absolutely Certainty?Over the last decade, George Will has written dozens of articles expressing and defending his skepticism on climate change.  He comes to this conclusion from an array of different angles, each a subtle variation on the central theme:  our civilization should be suspicious of its scientists who shout warnings that climate change is here and has just begun to wreak its horrific effects.

In this piece, Will refers to those of us who urge action to mitigate global warming as “Cassandrans,” i.e., those who can foretell the future but who are not taken seriously (see picture below).  Here, he supports his “denialism” with two books that identify various points in time where the Earth’s climate changed, during which human society was clearly not the culprit. Of course, neither of them discusses the rise in carbon in Earth’s atmosphere that began with the Industrial Revolution.  This glaring omission renders the whole argument asinine.

But even if that weren’t the case, who finds this sort of logic compelling?  (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Biofuels

Are Great Energy Technologies Being Suppressed?We’ve all been told that this was so, and we’ve all had the notion that it might be true.  Forty or fifty years ago we had claims of the auto carburetor that gave drivers 400 MPG (but the car companies made it illegal). More recently, we saw gadgets (also banned by the auto companies, and rejected by no-nothing chemists and physicists) that involved various forms of water and hydrogen.

Now, we read claims about waste-to-energy or other sources of (relatively) clean energy, like this one:

(more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Electric Vehicles

Has the Environmental Benefits of Electric Vehicles Been Finally Established?Micah (a subscriber since August, 2009–one of our very first) writes:

Hi Craig, Could you point me to the body of facts that point to electric vehicles being dirtier than gas vehicles? This is news to me that it had been effectively decided. Thanks.

Micah:   Here are five posts in chronological order.  If you read them, and all the dialog in the comments between Glenn Doty and me, you will understand this.  (Please be sure to read all Glenn’s comments on the first one, to both me and to “Richard”; he explains this very carefully and thoroughly.) (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Photovoltaics

Cheap Solar Causing Fossil Fuel Infrastructure to CollapseOne of the 14 reasons that I’m “bullish on renewable energy” (the title of my new book) is covered in a chapter called “cheap solar.”  How cheap?  Had you asked me a year ago, I would have guessed $0.10 – $0.11 kWh.  But according to this article, in Dubai, the current market price for wholesale energy from PV is under $0.06 per kWh.

Those of us who are paying attention are realizing that the whole horrible apparatus that was the fossil fuel infrastructure is coming crashing down.  And not a moment too soon.

 

 

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Business

Investing in the Technology SectorA friend has advised me to diversify into several different ETFs that focus on different sectors.  People still like technology, most which, I suppose, largely means is better and cooler communications gadgets.  There is no doubt Microsoft, Google and Apple have kept this arena afloat for many years.  (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Efficiency

Green Business Energy PoliciesIn the modern world, it is becoming more commonplace for businesses to take control of, and responsibility for, the role that they play in energy consumption and their effect on the environment. As such, many businesses now include an environmental or energy policy at their core, and as part of their business’s values and ethos.

If you feel that it’s time for you to join the ranks of green businesses out there, then there are a number of areas that you could address to make your business more eco-friendly, and to lessen your business’s impact on the environment. After you decide how best you can green your business, then you’ll have a better idea of the notions and actions to include in your business energy or environment policy, if you wish to write one. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Sustainable Building

How Your Roof Can Make Your Home More Energy EfficientAn upgrade to a roof can make your home more energy efficient in several ways to reduce the costs of climate control. If you are not a construction expert, then understanding how replacing a roof makes a difference with energy costs is essential. Roofs have multiple layers to reflect sunlight, shed moisture and seal in climate controlled air. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Geothermal

What is the Future of Geothermal Energy in the US?Geothermal energy is a growing field in the United States and the world. As we look for more sources of clean energy that can be used by consumers at low costs, geothermal energy is becoming a commonsense solution. It is efficient, effective, inexpensive to use, and totally clean in that it produces no pollution and does not harm the environment to access or use it, according to Business Wire. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Efficiency

From Guest Blogger Blake Meredith: Consumer Electronics Show 2015 Home Automation Technologies | Smart & GreenHome automation has come a long way from when the first caveman bred a colony of glowworms to illuminate his stickman murals. Now, homes have IQs.

At the 2015 Consumer Electronics Show, hosted January 6-9 in Las Vegas, the best and brightest from the world’s biggest showcased their technological prophecies. LG unveiled a television barely thicker than a fingernail. NVidia introduced a mini super-chip powered by 10 watts and capable of a teraflop of processing power. Bragi showed off its Dash wireless in-ear headphones, which monitor heart rate and exercise intensity while pumping out tunes. (more…)

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