I’ve had numerous productive conversations with Brian Nordwall, the proprietor of Seattle E-Bike, a company with a very bright future. Because my business background is more in the business-to-business space, I tend not to know as much about consumer products, so I tend not to notice the subtle dynamics of markets like electric-assisted bicycles. (more…)
I just got off the phone with a fellow trying to raise investment capital for these guys. I bring this up not to ridicule anyone, but to make a point about the energy industry. The main technology featured here is a device for run-of-river hydro. Will it generate electricity? Absolutely. Unfortunately, that’s not the issue, but rather, could it possibly do so cost-effectively and without major ecological consequences? The answer there is: absolutely no. In fact, this thing will be fabulously expensive on a dollar/watt basis, and would make an excellent sushi knife. (more…)
What the Sierra Club has done with its “Beyond Coal” campaign is pretty impressive, making a huge swath of the American public aware of the health and environmental issues associated with coal-fired power plants – not only their CO2 emissions, but also their heavy metals, SOx, NOx, etc. It’s really one of the most effective public education efforts I can remember.
But what does success in community awareness really mean? How, if at all, does this translate into change? (more…)
“As the nation continues to suffer from rising energy prices, businesses with high energy needs are being put under even greater pressure by their ever-increasing energy overheads. Thankfully, renewable energy solutions are helping these businesses fight back in the battle on fuel bills,” says Dulas CEO Sanjay Bowry.
As part of its commitment to combating climate change and its efforts to secure a sustainable future for our country, the UK Government introduced a number of financial incentives to encourage homeowners and businesses to adopt renewable energy technologies.
The climate on planet Earth is changing; there is no denying this fact. It might remain up for debate the extent to which human actions have accelerated the changes occurring in the climate today, but it is clear that actions can be taken by societies around the globe to help slow down or reverse the course of change.
For decades the United States has been one of the biggest contributors to climate change, but efforts are underway across the country to lessen that impact. The residents of North Carolina are among those at the forefront of change, looking to create communities that live sustainable lifestyles. (more…)
One way to analyze the political spectrum, normally thought of as “conservative to liberal” or “right to left,” is to look at our conception of human rights, i.e., what we believe to be the set of basic and inalienable rights that should be given to all people, merely by virtue of their being born into this world and living in the 21st Century.
In the parts of the planet where it is possible, I think most people would say that all people, regardless of their ability to pay for it, ought to receive a certain level of nutrition, clean air and water, and protection from criminals. But what about education? A job? Health care? A safe, warm place to live? (more…)
I know I have a tendency to carp about dozens of issues: Chevron in Ecuador, the lack of an energy policy in the U.S., certain senators who don’t know the difference between methane and carbon dioxide—and others who use certain lines from the Bible to block climate change mitigation, etc.
Here, however, is the mother of all my gripes: the world consumption of coal is going through the roof, and shows no sign of abatement, due to the growing urban population in Asia. We either solve this problem, or we doom humankind to a level of suffering not seen since the Middle Ages.
2GreenEnergy has a new relationship with a publicity company down in Los Angeles called Jones and O’Malley. Terrific folks. They’re trying to get me a gig as a blogger at the Huffington Post, and, to that end, I just submitted a 1000-word sample article. I can’t publish it here right now, but when I’m able to, I’ll certainly do so.
I bring this up now because of the struggle I went through in crafting it. (more…)
I know many readers are following the Chevron/Ecuador case, in which the oil giant has been ordered to pay $18 billion to clean up the environmental catastrophe they deliberately caused while operating as Texaco in the 1960s – 1990s, and in restitution to the indigenous people who continue to suffer incredible rates of disease as a result. In a new but hardly unexpected twist, Chevron is suing the attorney who brought the case against them.
As I’ve mentioned, if I’m still on this planet at all, I expect to be a very old man indeed when Chevron finally pays these damages. ExxonMobil dragged its 1986 Valdez oil spill case out until 2006, a time during which over 8000 of those waiting for restitution died, mainly of old age.
Obviously, the world cannot simply turn off its fossil fuel-based power plants overnight. What can and must happen, however, is that each country take an inventory of its energy situation: current grid-mix, renewable resources, unemployed labor force, national wealth and credit standing, etc., and develop a realistic plan to migrate toward clean energy and transportation within a sensible time-frame.
Apparently, Germany’s rapid adoption of renewables, with its huge feed-in tariff for solar, is causing a backlash from consumers, angry about power prices. Having said that, the figures quoted in the article, suggesting that consumers are paying six times what they would on world energy markets, are poppycock (unless the Germans installed their solar panels in the basements). Here’s the latest prediction for the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) from different resources; note that renewable energy is quite competitive.
I hope readers will note the macabre cartoon, fitting as it is for Halloween.
