Blog – Page 1698 – 2GreenEnergy.com

Viewpoints on Global Climate Change

craigshieldsPosted on June 15, 2012 Posted in Renewables - Science

When I do radio or television interviews, it’s very common for me to be asked about “my opinion” on global climate change. The article linked above captures the heart of my response. I.e., I really don’t know how to have a viewpoint on a subject that is at odds from the established scientific consensus. The reason I believe in quarks and supernovae isn’t that I’ve experienced them personally, but rather that people I trust assert their existence. I’m really not interested in what some guy at the supermarket thinks.

Tagged with: global climate change, global warming, opinion on global climate change, quarks, supernovae

Next Week: The Renewable Energy Finance Forum

craigshieldsPosted on June 15, 2012 Posted in Renewables - Business

I’m headed back East again next week, primarily to attend the Renewable Energy Finance Forum in New York City. I have to say that I love this event; everything about it is first-rate, starting with the venue (The Waldorf Astoria).

As always, I’m trying to “do as much damage” as I possibly can during my trip, lining up book interviews and other meetings. If anyone in that part of the world wants to meet, please let me know.

Tagged with: alternative energy, clean energy, green energy, New York City, Renewable Energy, Renewable Energy Finance Forum, sustainability, Waldorf Astoria

Oil and Coal Companies Deeply Entrenched

craigshieldsPosted on June 14, 2012 Posted in Fossil Fuels

Guest blogger Brian McGowan sent me this nauseating piece on the entrenchment of the oil and coal companies.

As we’ve noted often here, one of the leading drivers of environmentalism in the US is the military. This carries with it a certain irony, of course, in that one of its main functions is ensuring our access to oil. Having said that, the military understands that the need to protect oil supply lines in the field is an extremely dangerous proposition – one that costs a significant number of young people’s lives each month. (more…)

Tagged with: access to oil, alternative energy sources, Brian McGowan, environment, environmentalism, gas companies, Jim Inhofe (R-OK), oil companies, Pentagon, protecting oil supply lines, Senate Armed Services Committee, US Congress, US military

Castle Energy Offers Solar Power On The East Coast

craigshieldsPosted on June 13, 2012 Posted in Photovoltaics

It’s always a thrill when people I’ve known since my childhood grasp the opportunities that renewables represent. When my brother Geoff and I were teenagers, we had a fine friend, JR Castle (James Rutherford, if I’m not mistaken), who came from a very dignified family. Though JR himself was something of a “wild man” at the time, he always had a smile of his face, and impressed me as someone who was headed somewhere.

40 years later, I learned that JR is a managing partner at Castle Energy LLC, which has produced some terrific results in the installation of solar.

Keep up the good work, my friend. We had some fun back then, didn’t we?

Tagged with: alternative energy, Castle Energy, clean energy, green energy, Renewable Energy, solar energy, solar power

Climate Solutions Sounds Like a Good Group To Know

craigshieldsPosted on June 13, 2012 Posted in Renewables - Business

Class reunions are designed to reconnect old friends, and that’s what happened in spades when I returned to Trinity College for my 35th last weekend. But where some of these encounters were just opportunities to play a few games of squash, reminisce, or throw down a couple of drinks, others had long-lasting value. An old buddy who had gone to work at Microsoft now stands ready and willing to connect me with clean energy groups in the Pacific Northwest.

Check out these guys: Climate Solutions, a group that “works to accelerate practical and profitable solutions to global warming by galvanizing leadership, growing investment and bridging divides.” Now there’s a group I want to know.

Tagged with: clean energy groups, Climate Solutions, Microsoft, Pacific Northwest

Coal Won’t Be Easy To Replace

craigshieldsPosted on June 13, 2012 Posted in Biomass

I just had a very interesting call with a private equity company that I thought I’d share, as it illustrates what we’re up against when it comes to energy.

When I asked about the firm’s energy practice, he said, “We trade coal; we set up deals between mines and utilities around the world.”

“All right,” I replied. “Any interest in going beyond that, perhaps into biomass? I would think that there are pressures on the coal industry that will eventually have an effect.” (more…)

Tagged with: biomass, coal industry, coal-fired power plants, environment, private equity, sustainability, wood pellets

Getting To Know the 287 Private Equity Companies in the US That Focus on Energy

craigshieldsPosted on June 13, 2012 Posted in Renewables - Business

At any given moment in time, I support a dozen or so business concepts in renewable energy, electric transportation, and sustainability more generally. I arrived at this list by poring through on the order of 1100 business plans that have been submitted over the past couple of years. Each needs funding from one of a set of different types of capital sources: angels, VCs, private equity, institutional investors, etc.

Through a phone call with an old friend not too long ago, I realized that I’ve probably not been as active and aggressive in courting investors as perhaps I should have been. Though we are connected with a great number of investors, we’ve come across them with an approach I’d call “passive,” waiting for investors to find us online and calling or writing in, rather than our actively reaching out in a disciplined, methodical way. (more…)

Tagged with: alternative energy, clean energy, energy, green energy, private equity, Renewable Energy

Start-up Pvilion Offers Unique Approach to Architectural Use of Photovoltaics

craigshieldsPosted on June 13, 2012 Posted in Photovoltaics

When I was in the Bay Area last week, I had a meeting with Pvilion, a start-up company with a unique approach and capability to the architectural use of solar PV, and I’m happy to report that they represent a really good prospect for our marketing and public relations services. I haven’t been too excited about BIPV (building integrated photovoltaics) over the years, but for some reason, this seems quite appealing, for the right client. Suppose you’re a forward-thinking company and you want a large sculpture or a futuristic parking garage on your campus. Why not integrate PV, and demonstrate your interest in sustainability?

Tagged with: alternative energy, architectural use of PV, BIPV, building integrated PV, clean energy, green energy, photovoltaics, public relations, PV, Renewable Energy, start-up, sustainability

The Human Race Could Benefit From Better Planning and Vision

craigshieldsPosted on June 13, 2012 Posted in Sustainability

Frequent commenter Cameron Atwood sent me this gem on sustainability from a beautifully wise and youthful 76-year-old oceanographer Sylvia Earle that I heartily recommend. Audio is here.

Thanks, Cameron. That’s an incredible insight into our responsibilities as human beings vis-a-vis planning for the future.

I’m reminded of my friend Tom Konrad, whom I interviewed for my 2nd book, who said, “We’ve evolved as hunter-gatherers, whose premise is: if it worked last year, we’ll do it again this year. Long-range planning is not our strong suit. I don’t want to offend the creationists, but if we had been designed, we would not have that flaw.” (more…)

Tagged with: Cameron Atwood, fossil fuels, hunter-gatherers, long-range planning, ocean scientists, Sylvia Earle, Tom Konrad, we the people