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From Guest Author Christopher Flores: 6 Ways That Colleges Can be More Eco-Friendly

craigshieldsPosted on May 22, 2012 Posted in Sustainability

Individuals, corporations, businesses and even colleges can all play a part in creating a more eco-friendly environment. With hundreds of different ways to reduce energy and waste, a college campus is a great place to put into place some new and environmentally-conscious measures. Here are six of the top ways that a college can be more eco-friendly.

1. Encourage Environmentally Friendly Transportation

In most college campuses, both students and teachers arrive by car regularly. While it might seem impossible to eliminate the use of gas-guzzling vehicles on a college campus, it is still possible to implement measures that encourage other forms of transport. Offer special parking privileges to those who carpool with three or more students in each vehicle. Or you might encourage students to take the bus or even walk to school if they live within walking distance.

2. Reduce Paper Consumption

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Tagged with: CFLs, compact fluorescent light bulbs, eco-friendly, environment, environmentally friendly transportation, environmentally-conscious, gas-guzzling vehicles, recycling, reduce energy, reduce paper consumption, reduce waste

What Sherlock Holmes Would Advise About Global Climate Change

craigshieldsPosted on May 22, 2012 Posted in Renewables - Science

In listening to The Writer’s Almanac this morning, I learned that it’s the birthday of Arthur Conan Doyle, who gave us the character Sherlock Holmes, and thrust the power of deductive reasoning onto the world stage a century ago. Holmes told us, “It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly, one begins to twist facts to suit theories rather than to twist theories to suit facts.”

I bring this up because it’s so precisely relevant to the discussion of global climate change; this is exactly what the deniers claim, i.e., that the theory is based on a manipulation of facts to suit a theory. Having said that, 97+% of climate scientists don’t see it this way.

Tagged with: Arthur Conan Doyle, climate change deniers, climate scientists, deductive reasoning, global climate change, Sherlock Holmes, The Writer’s Almanac

Energy Scarcities Cause Food Scarcities

craigshieldsPosted on May 22, 2012 Posted in Renewables - Business

There are many components to the cost of growing food and shipping it to its final destination – a surprisingly large part of which is energy. Moving water around the state of California uses 18 percent of all the electricity and 31 percent of the natural gas consumed in the state.

And of course, pumping water is only one element of the energy that is part of the food supply chain. Think of the:

• Manufacturing and transportation of fertilizers and pesticides
• Sowing, harvesting, and processing
• Transporting the food to market

The average food item we consume in the U.S. travels 1200 miles to reach our supermarkets, and even “fresh” food is two weeks old (and far less nutritious than it was when it was harvested) by the time it gets to us. (more…)

Tagged with: Aeroponics, eco-footprint of agribusiness, energy scarcity, fertilizers, food desert, food scarcity, global climate change, global warming. extreme weather, high fuel prices, high oil prices, locally grown, maximizing food yield, organic farming, organic growing, pesticides, shortage of energy, shortage of food, shortage of water, synthetic chemicals, toxins

Celebrating a Rare Victory in Civil Liberties

craigshieldsPosted on May 22, 2012 Posted in Renewables - Politics

Every once in a while there’s good news for those of us concerned that our liberties are being subjugated, and our democracy eroded away from under our feet.

As I had written previously:

The 2012 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) provides broad authority for the federal government to use the military in domestic operations in order to detain Americans indefinitely and without trial. This nullifies the 4th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, as well as the natural rights of Americans. (more…)

Tagged with: 4th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, Authorization to Use Military Force Act, belligerent act, Chris Hedges, civil liberties, Magna Carta, National Defense Authorization Act, natural rights of Americans, NDAA, NDAA unconstitutional, U.S. District Judge Katherine Forrest

The Truth Is a Casualty of Political Ads — But Let’s Look Further

craigshieldsPosted on May 22, 2012 Posted in Renewables - Politics

My mother wrote me this morning, suggesting that I “Check out the N.Y. Times article by David Brooks: ‘How Change Happens.’”

Thanks, Mom. David Brooks is an articulate advocate for free-market economics, and this is a perfect example. No surprise here. He’s a very bright guy.

In terms of the content of this particular piece, is it possible that the Obama ad is grossly unfair? Of course! That’s what most political ads do: deliberately misrepresent stories so as to mislead voters by inspiring a misplaced hatred. No surprise here either. (more…)

Tagged with: Citizens United, David Brooks, How Change Happens, misleading Obama ad, New York Times, total spending on the 2012 election

New Research Fellow at the American Center For International Policy Studies

craigshieldsPosted on May 21, 2012 Posted in Sustainability

In a note I just received from Ted Hoeller (pictured here), Chairman of the American Center For International Policy Studies, I learned that I’ve been honored to have been named a Research Fellow. One of the Center’s areas of interest is the “need for global sustainable development with regard to shelter, agriculture and enterprise.”

The group published my article on sustainable energy policy.

Tagged with: Chairman of the American Center For International Policy Studies, global sustainable development, Research Fellow, sustainable energy policy, Ted Hoeller

Predicting the Future in Energy Policy — Thanks to Survey Respondents

craigshieldsPosted on May 21, 2012 Posted in Renewables - Politics

My thanks to everyone who has participated in the recent 2GreenEnergy survey. I note that Dr. David Doty, one of the greatest intellects I’ve ever run across, boldly predicted the following for the coming five years:

Oil, coal, and gas will steadily become more expensive at a mean rate of ~20%/year. EVs will have negligible impact on oil usage – for decades.

Global economic growth will still continue at a rate of ~2%/yr, and inflation in the U.S. will remain low.

The gap between the rich and the poor will continue to widen. It will take 10-12 more years of this before something close to revolution (major rioting) comes to the U.S. We will not see another period of sustained strong growth in the U.S. until several years after that happens.

We will not see serious and effective commitment to reduced CO2 emissions until after we’ve seen several years of strong economic growth.

Much of what you’ve written here is so counter to most people’s thinking — not to say that this means it’s wrong. 20% CAGR? (more…)

Tagged with: alternative energy, clean energy, coal prices, David Doty, energy policy, environment, environmental responsibility, gap between rich and poor, gas prices, green energy, inflation, oil prices, Renewable Energy, renewables

Energy Policy Should Be Based on Reason

craigshieldsPosted on May 21, 2012 Posted in Renewables - Science

Perhaps the greatest single threat facing mankind today is our failure to apply reason to effect solutions. In fact, we appear to openly defy and ridicule the findings of our scientific community, writing them off as so many liars and frauds. At least here in the United States, a significant segment of our population has bought into the idea that science has conspired to fabricate the notion of global climate change, fudging the figures so as to create the appearance of a problem, in order to generate ongoing funding for additional research. (more…)

Tagged with: Cal Tech, cold fusion, energy policy, Fleishman and Pons, global climate change, global warming, House Committee on Energy and Commerce, John Shimkus, MIT, Peter Hagelstein, politics trumps science, Union Oil, United States Energy Policy, Wally Rippel, X-ray laser

Displays of Excellent Character Despite the Risks and Temptations

craigshieldsPosted on May 21, 2012 Posted in Sustainability

When I find examples of steadfastness to truth and decency in a world that pulls us so forcefully in the opposite direction, I often remark: “That’s character.” To be honest, every time I write those words, as I did in this little piece on coaching soccer, I’m in a way plagiarizing this wonderful commentary of a man I much admire, Michael Josephson, who made these comments about what was perhaps the greatest moment in sports history.

I hope you’ll take a moment out of your day and check this out, and that you’ll pass it along to the young people in your life who so desperately need the reminder that character really does count.

Tagged with: displaying character

Sustainability: Let’s Not Buy Over-packaged Products

craigshieldsPosted on May 20, 2012 Posted in Sustainability

Here’s a great example of a pervasive trend in our consumer world: over-packaging. For a century or so, soap has come to us wrapped in a piece of paper that can be discarded or recycled, or perhaps a thin, light-duty cardboard box. Now, we have 7.5 ounces of liquid soap, sold in plastic bottles, each equipped with a pump that mixes the soap with air to form a pleasantly fragrant foam. The whole bottle-pump machine is disposable. In fact, even if you’re a reasonably eco-conscious consumer and wanted to re-use, CVS doesn’t even sell the soap in large bottles for those wishing to refill their pump bottles. (more…)

Tagged with: CVS, eco-conscious consumer, over-packaging, recycling, recycling plastics, reduce reuse recycle, trends in our consumer world