I’m thrilled that long-time 2GreenEnergy supporter Gary Tulie has agreed to help me on my new book project (Bullish on Renewable Energy – Eleven Reasons Why Clean Energy Investors Can’t Lose). Not only does Gary’s background render him supremely well qualified to offer keen insight into the subject, but he’s from the U.K. (Buckinghamshire, to be precise — see picture), and thus tends to have a far broader perspective on the key trends in Europe and Asia than I do. (more…)
I accidentally happened across the note I wrote following one of the many hundreds of calls I made over a period of two or three months earlier this year. In my effort to research the appetite of the largest U.S. dairies for building integrated solar thermal hot water heating, I spoke with someone from Leprino Foods, apparently one of our county’s top manufacturers of cheese, a process that requires a huge amount of hot water. The note in my database read:
Receptionist at the Greeley facility insists that I physically mail something; they don’t use email. I thought about offering to send it by pony express, but if she got the joke she might not be amused, and it would violate my personal policy against being mean and condescending–even when provoked with absurd circumstances. I’m betting that a company that doesn’t use email isn’t likely to be an early adopter of solar thermal; looks like a big fat dead end here at Leprino.
I post this mainly to make the point that personal contact still works (though it certainly didn’t here). I developed a number of really good biz dev opportunities for my client (PlexiSun) simply by using the Internet and the telephone.
Biofuels have been gaining a lot of popularity in recent years, due to rising oil prices and increased concern over the effects that fossil fuels have on the environment, but they are still far from being a true and viable alternative to gasoline, as the natural gas. This is largely because oil produced from plants can not generate as much energy as crude oil, and it’s usually of worse quality, as well. This has been one of the biggest hurdles for biofuels, preventing a more widespread adoption, outweighing the fact that they are much better for the environment than fossil fuels. (more…)
Fifty years ago, people weren’t hearing about the number of natural disasters that are so prevalent today. According to AccuWeather.com, a report published by the New England Journal of Medicine stated that the incidence of reported natural disasters is increasing, and the majority of them are climate related.
According to the Office of US Foreign Disaster Assistance, any event is considered to be a natural disaster if it kills at least 10 people, or more than 100 people are evacuated, left homeless, or injured. More unusual events are reported every year. (more…)
A reader, who happens to be an old friend from my days as a marketing consultant, writes:
One of the most useful seminars I ever attended was about rules for introducing a new technology that replaces currently accepted technology. The speaker focused his rules on Edison’s intro of electric lighting to replace gas lamps.
One rule was to use terminology that’s consistent with the current methods. That’s why he originally marketed “electric LAMPS” instead of bulbs. People liked lighting from gas lamps, so using a different energy form to create light wasn’t a stretch.(more…)
A reader notes: If I were advising clean energy lobbies, I’d tell them to ignore coal discussions, and just kick butt in the marketplace. As it is now however, Obama’s statements about putting coal out of business just sets up a straw-man to fight.
It’s true that complaining about coal comes across as whining, but I can see both sides of the coin. My new book is largely about “kicking butt in the marketplace,” but it’s extremely important that people become aware of the incredible level of damage that coal plants cause. The Sierra Club’s “Beyond Coal” campaign has been a powerful force in this direction, but there’s a great deal more work to be done. Did you know that (though this is a complicated issue that brings about many “apples-to-oranges” comparisons) coal plants kill FAR more birds that wind turbines?
Is there anything in this life as important as the security of your family and your home? Not really. Our inner voice tells us we need to do anything and everything in our power to protect our loved ones and when good people have come up with a way to do so (a way such as a security system), we cannot help but feel grateful. Still, what happens if you are an eco-conscious person? Can you get a top-notch security alarm and go green? Yes, you can! (more…)
With the cost of electricity continuously on the rise, domestic consumers aren’t the only ones struggling with their power bills. Power price pains are zapping the life out of businesses too – and it’s affecting both small and large companies. The financial stress of these increasing bills is forcing business owners to take drastic actions and change the way they do business.
Small and medium businesses consume 50% of the nation’s energy output – but yet so many owners are at a loss for where to start with effective energy reduction measures. Whilst most businesses are trying to keep their costs to a minimum, the increased power bills are frightening and many people are facing a desperate battle. To help with the struggle, we’ve taken a close look into some practical tips every business owner needs to know about. (more…)
I’m thrilled that long-time 2GreenEnergy supporter Gary Tulie has agreed to help me on my new book project (Bullish on Renewable Energy – Eleven Reasons Why Clean Energy Investors Can’t Lose). Not only does Gary’s background render him supremely well qualified to offer keen insight into the subject, but he’s from the U.K. (Buckinghamshire, to be precise — see picture), and thus tends to have a far broader perspective on the key trends in Europe and Asia than I do. (more…)
