Home › Blog › Page 1572

by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Sustainability

I’m on my way out for lunch with a new-found friend, environmentalist Jen Boulder.  As I wrote in an email in preface to our meeting:

Wow.  I love your site.  Btw, I’m told I’m a half-decent public speaker; you, in contrast, are a FABULOUS public speaker. 

I’m hoping there is some sort of long-term connection, perhaps business-related, that I can cook up between her and what we’re doing here at 2GreenEnergy.   This will require a bit of creativity, but it seems like a reasonable possibility. It won’t be the first time a good idea came to me over a meal at this quaint and relaxing little place: The Vineyard House.

Tagged with: ,

by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Wind Energy

Why is the stock market doing so well when prospects for economic strength in the U.S. are so scary?  It’s because the market – or even the set of large companies that happen to be headed here in the U.S. — doesn’t really care too much about America’s economic future.  General Motors generates most of its profits selling in Asia, and General Electric, with its ever-widening array of renewable energy solutions, understandably believes the U.S. market is something of a joke. (more…)

by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Fossil Fuels

I don’t know what percentage of our readers here are on the Sierra Club’s email lists, but let me tell you something:  they write really well.  I get something at least a few times a week, and I’m always impressed with how clearly and forcefully their representatives communicate with the written language.

Of course, I happen to agree with most of the stuff I get from them, so I suppose it’s easy for me to like their style.  But check out the beginning of this piece, which just arrived with subject line: Fractivate!

(more…)

Tagged with: , , , , ,

by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Climate Change

Here’s an article based upon a recently conducted survey performed by Gallup on behalf of insurance giant Swiss Re that suggests that the world’s population cares a great deal about climate change — that, in fact, global warming is humankind’s number one worry today — even ranking above jobs and the economy.

Living in the U.S. and encountering climate change deniers in our Congress as I do, this came as a considerable surprise to me.  It also inspired a thought: the will of the people all over the world is being badly frustrated by government. (more…)

Tagged with: , , , , , , , , , ,

by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Business

As an author, I’m always happy to receive good reviews of my books.  Having said that, I’m not too sure what to make of this review of “Is Renewable Really Doable?” (2012), as it’s in Spanish.  I’m reminded of the time I told a dozen different parties (poor people to whom my daughter and I were delivering groceries for Thanksgiving) “I have two bags of groceries and a turkey for you,” which I expressed to the Hispanic families as, “Tengo dos bolsas de comita y un polvo,” only to be told by the last group that I was saying “I have two bags of food and some dust.” Of course, this did explain the somewhat quizzical look on all those people’s faces.

Perhaps someone with a greater facility with the language can tell me if this is generally positive — or if the reviewer thought my book was una pavo (a turkey).

Tagged with: ,

by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Climate Change

Yesterday saw the publication of a paper in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society to the effect that climate change caused by human use of fossil fuels played a role in about a half dozen extreme weather events last year.  The paper was written by a team of experts who had examined 12 wild weather episodes in 2012, from droughts in the United States and Africa to heavy rainfall in Europe, Australia, China, Japan and New Zealand.  The peer-reviewed study, called “Explaining Extreme Events of 2012 from a Climate Perspective,” was based on and included 18 research teams from around the world.

What now?  Easy.  The 100-or-so climate change deniers in the U.S. House of Representatives, whose campaign funding comes predominantly from the oil companies, will call the members of these 18 research teams “frauds” and “liars,” and our de facto energy policy, based on fossil fuels, will continue along unabated.

“So it goes,” as Kurt Vonnegut used to say.

Tagged with: , , ,

by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Electric Vehicles

As the success of Tesla becomes more and more obvious, the largest car makers in the world are starting to feel threatened by this small start-up company. Tesla has reported a profit in two consecutive quarters this year, which is quite surprising, considering that the electric car maker had been struggling to hit production targets and its sales figures hadn’t been too good in the last couple of years. But, Tesla’s shares are now at a record high, sales are much stronger than they used to be, and revenues and market share have been significantly increased lately, which means the major car companies have enough reasons to be worried. (more…)

Tagged with: , , , , , , ,

by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Wind Energy

Have you ever reached the end of a long day, thought back to breakfast, and said to yourself,  “Man. That seems like last week?” Today’s up and back jaunt to Portland (Oregon, US) with new 2GreenEnergy client Xzeres (microwind) was a great example of that phenomenon.  Great people with a terrific business — more on this soon.

At a certain point, I’ll get too old for 18-hour business days.  But for right now, it feels pretty good.

Tagged with:

by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Fossil Fuels

Here’s a good article on the Keystone XL pipeline – undoubtedly an ecological disaster of unprecedented scale– the equivalent of adding 51 coal-fired power plants, or adding 37 million more cars onto our roads.  The only reason for approving the project is that it’s inevitable.  But isn’t that the rationale for selling heroin to teenagers?  If I don’t do it, someone else will?

(more…)

Tagged with: , , , , , ,

by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Sustainability

Taking steps to make your construction site more green can have more benefits than expected.

Aside from the obvious environmental benefits that accompany going green you can see a substantial reduction in cost through increased efficiency and recycling or reusing common construction materials.

Here are 5 ways that your construction site can go more green: (more…)

Tagged with: , ,