At the rate of about two or three per month, people from around the globe ask me about internships here at 2GreenEnergy. I try to be responsive, and try to work something out that fits within my (extremely meager) budget and the candidate’s interests.
The latter is seldom a problem, as there are literally hundreds of topics that fit somehow under the umbrella of what we try to cover here. (more…)
Here’s an interesting article whose point is simple: the concept that our civilization will continue its current direction vis-à-vis energy and ultimately extract and burn the last molecule of fossil fuel from the Earth’s crust is “baked into” essentially all of Wall Street’s thinking and behavior with respect to the energy markets. (more…)
It looks like the driverless car game is about to become much more competitive than it has been so far, as electric car company Tesla Motors has started working on an autonomous car project, and we should be able to see the results of that project in about three years. This means that Google should brace themselves for some serious competition, as so far, it has been pretty much the only company that has been able to develop an advanced autonomous vehicle technology. (more…)
The auto industry has not been as innovative as the IT, alternative energy, or the health care industry, mainly due to the fact that manufacturers haven’t been seeing any major potential benefits from making significant changes to the way they do their business, and because motor vehicles have to meet certain requirements and standards, which would have to be changed if a car maker were to introduce an innovative technology that doesn’t comply standards that have already been established. (more…)
Some readers might be shocked by the fact that there are different types of solar installations. I know, because I could hardly believe it myself when I first found out but it turned out to be true. Not only that, but the differences aren’t exactly subtle. Depending on your needs, there are different types you are advised to use and even though you won’t be able to generate 1.21 gigawatts, it will be enough to warm up some water (which is what some types provide) and even power up your household (which is what other types provide). (more…)
Every day across America, tens of millions of people are delivering some type of scrap metal to recycling businesses and making money in the process. What happens to the metal after it’s been dropped off? (more…)
Starting a recycling program is an admirable ambition for a town of any size, but it is important, especially for small towns to decide whether or not it will be economically sustainable to begin a recycling program.
There are many options available to alter the financial and physical responsibilities on a town that is looking to create a custom recycling program in order to maintain its own program. (more…)
For readers who enjoy high-level discussions on the topic of sustainability, I heartily recommend the video linked above. Dr. James Boyce, the director of the Program on Development, Peace Building, and the Environment at the Political Economy Research Institute, and professor of economics at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, discusses the cost-benefit analysis associated with climate change mitigation. (more…)
I attended a terrific event on raising capital for cleantech ventures the other night, and had the good fortune to become acquainted with Tiffany Paige of “GreenWithTiffany.” What a fabulous human being.
I love her rant on Styrofoam: “nothing we use for 10 minutes should be polluting our planet for hundreds of years.”
And here’s her position on the people who claim wind farms are unsightly (which echoes my own): “Really? Since when do gas or nuclear power plants spruce up a neighborhood?”
Right on, Tiffany.
At an average rate of one or two a week, I get suggestions for clean energy concepts that demonstrate a lack of understanding of the laws of physics. The last 24 hours has represented a spike; I received both:
• A call from someone who claimed he can generate 250 mW from 10 acres of solar PV (far more than the incident solar power), and
• An idea I’ve seen before in various manifestations, the notion of extracting energy from cars as they drive along the roadway. (Obviously, you can extract the energy, if you don’t mind slowing the cars down, causing them to burn more gasoline.)
At the core of the discussion, of course, lie the first and second laws of thermodynamics, i.e., you’re not going to get more energy out of a system that you put into it, and there will always be losses along the way.
