Here’s a good example of an important phenomenon in today’s world: things change very quickly. Apparently, Morgan Stanley believes that Tesla Motors is now the world’s most important automaker. Could anyone have predicted this a few short years ago? Or, put another way, was there a single example of change in a behemoth industry like this in the 20th Century – or at any other time in human history? Nope. (more…)
I wonder how many 2GreenEnergy readers are barraged with requests to sign petitions on issues regarding energy, the environment, or some random political issue. In truth, I sign several each week—not that I’m sure I’m doing any real amount of good. But there are several different types I don’t sign, one of which are requests to tell someone to shut up–regardless of who it and what he/she may be saying.
Here I’m asked to: Tell Dick Cheney: “Blaming President Obama for the current religious strife and exploding humanitarian crisis you and George W. Bush created in Iraq is utterly reprehensible. Stop your self-serving attacks on President Obama in your disgraceful pursuit of endless war at any cost.”
Sorry. Cheney: You have the right to speak. I have the right to regard you as reprehensible, which, btw, I do.
Yesterday, a Canadian judge sided with Greenpeace in its claim against Ontario Power Generation, that its proposed “Darlington New Nuclear project” poses unacceptable levels of environmental risk, especially with the respect to the disposal of waste. To me, this is another important reminder of the basics of the debate facing us all: nuclear energy represents a huge boon to our efforts to forge a low-carbon energy future, but we’re desperate for the development of new technologies in this space that pose less threat.
We cannot turn back the clock to the mid-20th Century and reverse our decision to develop the U238/Pu239 reactions, but we can ratchet up our support of other fission reactions, e.g., the decay of thorium, and we can champion the various flavors of fusion, including, perhaps, this kind of aneutronic fusion.
As temperatures climb, keeping your home cool jumps to the top of your list of priorities. Stock up on popsicles, fill the ice maker, set out the sprinklers, and follow these five tips to keep your house cooler this summer.
Draw the Shades
It’s tempting to keep the blinds open all day during the summer so you can enjoy your garden without suffering the heat (and to keep an eyes on the kids in the pool), but because your windows are one of the biggest sources of heat gain, this can raise the temperature of your home. (more…)
When you typically hear people talk about “green restaurants,” you might assume it’s a conversation regarding vegetarian places to eat. However, a green restaurant actually refers to a business that prides itself on being run in an eco-friendly way. Over the years, many restaurants around the world have made a conscious shift and started to utilize environmentally friendly ways to carry out their normal day-to-day business practices, whether it’s recycling waste, sourcing quality ingredients from conscientious food producers, pollution prevention, or by only using energy-efficient appliances. You can read more about green restaurants here. (more…)
Rebecca McKenzie, one of our great interns who did a ton of excellent work in the early days of our sister site SustainabilityRoleModels.com, wrote me a sad note just now:
Hi Craig, Did you see this article on Canada’s approval of Northern Gateway pipeline? I’m afraid it was pretty much inevitable.
Hi, Rebecca. No, I hadn’t seen it, and yes, I’m afraid big oil and the governments it owns can be counted on to want to build pipelines—that much is inevitable. Whether protesters can make a difference in the outcome remains to be seen; I’m a big believer in the power of masses of angry people. It’s sad that they lost here, of course, but I feel they’re often important in the results in cases of decisions like this one. Here’s a salute to them, and the “singing a song of angry men.”
Wow, Harper is bad news, isn’t he? I’ve always found it strange that he’s in power; I perceive Canadians to be quite an enlightened bunch of people.
If there is one thing that people of all political persuasions can agree upon, it’s that “opinion” and “news” are two different things, and that editorials should not be presented as if they were fact. This is why I cringed at the very of idea of this piece in Global Energy World, an online publication normally recognized for the same style of news that we found in “The Daily Planet.” This article, however, was written by rabidly anti-government and global warming denying Institute for Energy Research, a group dedicated to preventing the public sector from placing limits on emissions. The group’s founder, Robert Bradley, argues that carbon dioxide “is not a pollutant but a building block of a living and vibrant biosphere.” (more…)
Apparently, the State of New York is on a path to uproot its current approach to utility regulation and establish an altogether new structure by which consumers are encouraged to buy and sell power that they generate in a distributed setting. Obviously, there are huge benefits to be had, if this is achievable, including resilience, not to mention carbon footprint. Now, (see article linked above) I see that this is touted as a way to slow or even halt the so-called “utility death spiral.” But I, for one, don’t get it. (more…)
A leaky faucet can be one of those vexing little irritations that often pop up around the house. The unceasing Drip! Drip! Drip! can be quite annoying – especially late at night. However, beyond the minor irritation, a leaky faucet can have serious environmental consequences. According to a US Geological Survey, one faucet releasing 10 drips per hour can waste 340 gallons of water per year! This means that the energy expended in pumping the water has been basically wasted. (more…)
High energy bills are only one side of wasting electricity, the other side of the coin being an increased carbon footprint and thus affecting the environment in the long run. Prices for utilities are likely to go up as time goes by, so you would do well to adapt accordingly with some smart approaches to the subject. The following tips will give you the knowledge you need: (more…)
