Hybrid cars are fast becoming commonplace and rightfully so as these cars are cutting carbon dioxide emissions down and in the process saving our environment, cleaning up our cities and even saving people money on car tax.
What are Hybrids? (more…)
As tremendous amount of intelligence and brains about “sustainability” picks up vapor, one’s framework can get lost in a myriad of terms, views, meanings and possibly, idea delusions.
World issues like – sustainability, resource scarcity, labor concerns, environmental costs, economy and finance and community development – are no longer singular and rare rather persistent and are considered growing challenges in a global scale. (more…)
Most individuals and organizations consider electric cars are environment-friendly vehicles. They are viewed as important components in the battle against global warming. It is almost taken for granted that electric cars have a far less toll on the environment than cars which run on fossil fuels.
But to say that for sure, what is the exact data that needs to be looked at? (more…)
Good news from the State of New York. These people appear to be in the process of addressing an issue that’s absolutely crucial to a migration to renewable energy; they’re contemplating a wholesale rethinking of the way they regulate their power utilities. The heavy-weights back in the Empire State recognize that the instructions they provided Con Ed and the others a century ago are no longer valid in a world of distributed generation, energy storage, smart-grid, electric transportation, etc.
If these folks can successfully re-architect the way their utilities work, and if the rest of the U.S. can use this as a template in the other 49 states, this will indeed be cause for celebration.
Many industries all over the world have started to go green and become more environmentally friendly. Thankfully, there has been a palpable surge towards eco-friendly products and services in recent years, and large companies around the globe have been busy “greening” their businesses. One of the most important aspects of this move towards eco-fuelled awareness is to teach children the significance of going green, and how to maintain a love for the world around them. We have to educate on the implications of our collective actions and how what we do will have direct consequences on not only our own futures, but also the futures of our children, grandchildren, and so on. (more…)
As you may already know, flooding damage is a serious threat to homeowners as we see more and more extreme weather events due to climate change. In England, there are approximately 5.2 million properties that are at risk of flooding. Current estimates on the annual expenses incurred by flood damage are set at £1.1 billion. However, the House of Commons anticipates that a rise to upwards of £27 billion annually in flood damage expenses could occur by 2080. (more…)
Electricity is a formidable component of daily life. We use it to heat, cool, and power our homes, offices, airports, and industrial endeavors. Electricity is so prevalent that we often forget where it comes from, much less how it is generated. (The author conflates “energy” and “electricity” and, as a consequence, makes many misstatements here, e.g., that transportation represents 3% of our energy use, since we have such a low implementation of electric transportation; transportation is actually about 30% of our total energy consumption. – Ed)
Only when we dig deeper into statistical data do we begin to realize how much electricity is generated, consumed or wasted. (more…)
I see this solar/wind tower thing about once a week, and I have to presume it’s a hoax, perhaps to see how credulous we green energy folks are, or to test our grasp on sixth-grade math. It costs $1.5 billion and will generate 435 MWhs of electricity per year? That’s about $30,000 per watt, about 2,000 times more expensive than solar PV with a capacity factor of 20%. Or, presuming a lifespan of 20 years and zero operation and maintenance, it’s $150 per KWh — seems a bit steep.
I think I feel someone pulling my leg — or perhaps they really do think we’re all dunces; I’m not sure.
Sadly, progress in smart grid is slow and incredibly painstaking. In particular, there are people who oppose smart meters, largely on the basis of health issues (i.e., the scientifically unfounded claim that the meters emit dangerous levels of radiation), as well as privacy. It’s true, your utility will be able to infer something about your family’s personal habits from the way you consume electricity. Personally, I think that’s a small price (very close to zero, in my mind) to pay for the benefit of reducing the environmental impact of our society’s energy generation and consumption. (more…)
The indigenous people of the part of California in which I reside are the Chumash Indians, who, anthropologists believe, came here about 15,000 years ago in the Bering Strait Migration, across the “Land Bridge” formed when that part of the Earth was frozen over. In the early 1500s, the Chumash began to notice ships in the channel between the beach and the islands that lie about 20 miles off the coast. 100 years later, concerned that the Russians who had claimed the Pacific Northwest could move south, the King of Spain ordered a preemptive settlement to be formed,which would be called “Santa Barbara,” after the 4th Century Christian saint.
Like all Native Americans, the Chumash have a reverence for the land, and for sustainable practices in managing that land and other resources. At their Earth Day celebration, which I attended yesterday, I was impressed to learn how committed they are to the many various aspects of permaculture. More information on the Chumash and permaculture can be found by following the link above.
