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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Business

Here’s a conversation I’m having with a friend that readers may find interesting:

Craig: I said something that I regret in our talk on the phone yesterday.  In particular, I said that “clean coal doesn’t exist.” As a broad fact, this is not correct.  Obviously, it depends on exactly what you mean; clearly there are steps that can be – and are – taken to scrub the emissions, sequester the CO2, etc.  I’m not an expert on this, but I’m sure it’s getting better all the time. 

Here, btw, is my take on Solyndra and the stimulus money in energy:  http://2greenenergy.com/arpa-e-stimulus/31601/.

 

Friend:  Good piece on Solyndra.

I believe that you’re right on this issue, but we can’t let the administration off guilt-free by saying “there really is nothing shocking about a loan guarantee like this going south;” or that there was no malfeasance. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Business

I’m looking forward to attending the Renewable Energy Finance Forum, a biannual event put on by the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) this Thursday and Friday. Great content, and a magnificent “networking” opportunity, as I’m constantly looking for the best concepts in clean energy as potential investment opportunites.

I have three appointments with 2GreenEnergy readers lined up in advance, and I’m hoping for more. It’s always nice to put a face with a name, as they say. If you’re in the Bay Area and would like to sit down for a chat, please let me know and I’ll try to make that happen. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Climate Change

A reader just sent me this terrific handbook for debunking myths.   Though it applies to myths of any sort, the examples it provides pertain to global climate change.  What an interesting coincidence that it was just yesterday that I came across PBS’s recent broadcast of “The News Hour” that had actively perpetuated myths in this space. 

 

 

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Sustainable Building

I had a conversation with an old friend last evening, in which we discussed how individuals can make a difference vis-à-vis sustainability in the choices they make in their lives.  He told me about an associate of his, a realtor in New Jersey, who will not sell a house if it doesn’t have a “green designation.”

Apparently, the National Association of Realtors has created this designation, and offers advanced training in green buildings, so that realtors can seek out, understand, and market properties with green features. 

Great idea.  And kudos to that realtor for her commitment. 

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Politics

For American voters looking for guidance in the 2012 election, and yes, I mean all 17 of you, I present this app from the Sierra Club. If you click on your state, you’ll receive a discussion of the candidates’ positions on the environment. If you then enter your home address and the environmental issue that ranks as your greatest concern, you’ll get the name of the local candidates who best address that concern in the club’s estimation.

 

 

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Fossil Fuels

Tim Kingston just sent me this, an article on coal-fired power plants from an apparently credible author that compares coal with other forms of energy, while going out of its way to avoid mentioning the health and ecological consequences.  Regarding coal’s apparent comback in Europe, he concludes:

Who is cheering? EU utility ratepayers who have been taxed and gouged by politically correct but still artificially high utility rates to pay for the green aspirations of their politicians. Call it common sense, call it the revenge of markets, call it economic reality—the Europeans just might be onto something.

Is this guy for real?  I guess I respond:

Who is crying?  The seven billion people and the (dwindling number) of plants and animal species that live on Earth — a planet that’s becoming less capable of supporting life with each passing day.   Call it a tragedy, since that’s what it is.

 

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Wind Energy

This article, “What Is It Like to Live Next to a 136-Megawatt Wind Farm?” is not too condemning of the experience.  I would have preferred its section “The Bats and the Birds” to point out that birds are many thousands of times more likely to get killed by plate-glass windows, automobiles, and house cats — but overall, I think the author did a fine job. 

Though perhaps a more interesting question is:  Would you rather live next to a wind farm or a coal-fired power plant? 

 

 

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Climate Change

PBS’s nightly show “The News Hour” drew vociferous attack for their recent 10-minute segment on climate change.  At issue was their “balanced” program that included roughly equal time for the 97% – 98% of climate scientists who support the theory of anthrogenic global warming and 2% – 3% of remaining skeptics. 

I can understand the rancor.  There are people who think the Holocaust in Nazi Germany never happened, but can you imagine PBS giving them equal billing on a documentary on the subject?  That’s precisely the error the show’s producers committed, from where I sit.

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Electric Vehicles

YouTube is continuing its work in replacing television for casual viewing as it pushes into every imaginable niche, allowing users to find the video content they want with an exactness not previously possible, and taking mere seconds to do it.

One group who is served particularly well by YouTube are is that of car enthusiasts. According to Mashabel.com, we spend around 2.9 billion hours on YouTube and based on cheapcarinsurance.net, automotive is the second most popular topic there (going after celebrities). With thousands of YouTube channels offering everything from car reviews to automotive event coverage, there are literally millions of hours of car-related content available on the website. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Business

I’m headed up to one of my favorite cities in the world, San Francisco, for the Renewable Energy Finance Forum this Thursday and Friday. It’s about a four-hour drive from here, and so I’ll leave a bit before dawn and arrive on time for the opening keynote. I hope to write numerous posts through the two-day event; of all the conferences I attend, either as a speaker or simply as a member of the audience, this is one of the most pithy and relevant.

I’ll take the opportunity to speak with Dennis McGinn, the president of ACORE (American Council on Renewable Energy), the organization that puts on the show. I’ve met with him several times in the past year, and I know he’ll express his pleasure with the work I’ve done to promote the ACORE-driven website EnergyFactCheck.org; it’s always nice to get an “atta-boy” from a retired vice admiral from the US Navy.

If you’re in the Bay Area and would like to sit down for a chat, please let me know and I’ll try to make that happen.

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