Purchasing a solar power system for your home may be exhilarating at first, but you should not be too amazed by advertisement. Focus on the purely practical aspects of what you have to do, since this will be a pretty hefty investment that needs a careful consideration. The tips ahead will give you a better idea of the things you must face when making your choices and what that entails: (more…)
Here’s an article that brings up a point that I face constantly: given the political controversy about climate disruption, is it wise to bring up the subject in public discourse? I’ve had a number of really interesting discussions with colleagues on the topic. For example, Jeff Siegel, a contributor to two of my first three books, is a financial analyst in the energy sector, and goes out of his way to avoid the topic when he speaks in public.
While I understand that, to me, it depends on my mood. If I’m feeling puckish, I like to nail the audience across the forehead with the science, which is irrefutable, and the implications vis-a-vis moral philosophy. Yet, if I think it’s more practical to lay low, I’ve been known to do that too.
The author here makes a good point: pragmatism is everything. If you can achieve your goals without stirring up anger from misinformed people, what’s the downside of that?
The biofuels produce from biomass briquetting machines serve as an alternative to fossil fuels like wood, black coal, lignite, diesel etc. It is basically extracted from agricultural waste and converted into biomass briquettes under high mechanical pressure. Have you ever thought how rural India get sustainable energy from? (more…)
Here’s a very solid article from Bill McKibben summing up the current approach to energy in the U.S. which, summarizing even further is as follows: a little wind, a little solar, but an enormous effort to substitute natural gas, harvested through fracking, for coal. McKibben presents a very thoughtful analysis that suggests that, when all things are taken into consideration, including gas leaks, it’s possible that this is a step in the wrong direction vis-à-vis emissions that are causing climate disruption.
When we think about how ingrained into our day to day lives electric lighting is, and how we struggle to function without it, it is a bit ironic that only one hundred years ago incandescent lights were novelty items that most homes lacked entirely. (more…)
Imagine 275 pesticides all over your home. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), everyday sprays, liquids and concentrated powders make this collection of poison more of a reality than an exaggeration. The purpose of these antimicrobial pesticides are to disinfect and sanitize; and protect against foul odors, bacteria and fungi. While they’re effective at cleaning, too many also have health risks if they touch bare skin or make contact with eyes. They also consistently kill plant and wildlife after being flushed or poured into the sewer system. (more…)
This afternoon, my wife and I attended a screening of “Disruption,” a documentary on climate change and a presentation of the work that 350.org has done to organize what we hope will be the single largest assembly of people in the history of humankind. The film is a little under an hour in length, and it’s utterly fabulous; I hope you’ll take the time and stream it from the website linked above.
The level of action and enthusiasm on the part of many millions of people here in the U.S. is really heart-warming. It’s clear that Americans are really starting to come around on this issue, and that we will no longer allow our “leaders” to remain the pawns of the fossil fuel industry. We’re starting to demand change here, i.e., a firm, clearly-stated energy policy that phases out fossil fuels over a fairly short period of time. I believe we’ll soon see exactly that.
Of all the renewable energy investment opportunities I’ve come across over the last couple of years, the collection of small run-of-river hydro projects in Brazil is possibly my very favorite, as the collection is enormous, and the technology is arguably the single most environmentally friendly way to generate power. From a business perspective, all the ingredients for success are in place: Brazil is extremely progressive in terms of encouraging renewables, and power is expensive and becoming scarce. Best of all, the front-runner for the presidential election is an ardent environmentalist. Doesn’t get much better.
There are 4339 posts on this blog, and not a single one mentions Hillary Clinton; it’s time to rectify that.
Is she an insincere politician? Obviously. But that doesn’t mean she’s off-base when it comes to climate change and the economic benefits of a cleantech revolution. Check out the performance she put on in Las Vegas, linked above; she nailed that.
It looks like the Tesla “Gigafactory” will be built in Reno, NV, enabling the assembly of batteries for 500,000 electric vehicles annually. That’s a peck of EVs in anybody’s book (see photo).
Tesla believes that their new vehicle, the Model 3, will be quite popular. With an MSRP of approximately $35,000 and a range of 200 miles per charge, it’s hard to argue against that idea. (more…)
