The House is considering, amid all the energy legislation, instituting a nation-wide renewable power standard (RPS). HR969 is up for a vote TODAY! ACT NOW!
Oh … boring … the snores have begun …
No
Actually
CRITICAL to moving toward a prosperous and sustainable energy future.
These are the Best of Time and Worst of Times for EcoGeeks. We know that Global Warming is already wreaking havoc, that snipping our hair is likely to show mercury, that plastics just don’t go away. But, boy, it is truly the best of times. One can’t pause for a moment without seeming to miss yet another breakthrough, yet another exciting development. And always, more of these are moving from the lab to deployment.While still advancing, wind power is almost becoming blase. Exciting that it’s displacing coal, but once you’ve seen a 1000 windmills, after all, how exciting is 1001? Until we start producing gigawatts of power, how else will they get exciting?
Well, they could go underwater.
One way to look at tidal, wave, and river water power generation is to look at it about a decade behind wind power. Just now moving from the lab into power generation with breakout potential just over the horizon. This month should see installation of one of those exciting tidal power generation systems, a 1.2 mw system to be be installed in Strangford Lough by SeaGen. After years of testing smaller turbines, this is a production level system that is going in the water. This is the last phase of testing and development before large scale installations can occur.
There is a huge potential for inexpensive and predictable power by capturing tidal energy. Get ready for some massive growth in the industry.
digg_url = ‘http://www.digg.com/environment/Tic_Tock_Goes_Carbon_Energy_Clock_Cool_Tool_Environment_on_Desktop’;Lou Grinzo, at The Cost of Energy, often has some of the best commentary on energy issues out there, succinctly catching key elements of major reports and articles from all over the spectrum. He also provides tools of interest, such as the Energy Clock. Want a real time running on your desktop, tally of electricity generation, natural gas usage, wind power generation, CO2 emissions, and much more for the US and the globe, Lou has the tool for you.
We live in a “time of consequences.” We, as individuals and collectively, are setting the path which will determine the living conditions for millenia to come. This time of consequences is both long term and quite immediate.
This is true for the individual. Do you invest in an energy efficient future life? Will you unplug the computer before going to sleep?
And, it is true for society. What is the transportation infrastructure we want 30 years from now? And, what is the legislation that will emerge in coming weeks and months related to energy, farming, and Global Warming?
We live in a Time of Consequences. And, we can chose to live through this time, buffeted by the consequences, or we can seek to act to drive change in a positive direction.
There are many tremendous technologies, processes, and such out there that can help us move toward a prosperous and sustainable energy future. These range from urban bike programs to energy efficient public housing to finding out just how easy it is to cook with the sun. Or, as advertised here, Frying in the Sun.
ANNOUNCEMENT There is a major Solar Cooking Demonstration in Washington, DC, by the US Senate Friday afternoon, 27 July. Information within the diary.
Front-page of the Metro section is not where readers typical turn to a tall tale suitable for the fiction section, something with an “H” for Horror.
In With Close Contacts, Md. Wind Project Gets Boost, Post readers discover that a well-connected industrialist (Goliath) has run roughshod over concerned environmentalists (the David) through a legislative end run to gut environmental protections for the construction of windmills that will “kill millions” of birds.
A compelling story of a lobbyist-connected Goliath running roughshod over that poor citizen activist David? Absolutely.
We each have heroes in our lives, some quite personal and close, others remote to us. Some to whom we can attached face and powerful emotion, others to whom our respect is a less tangible relationship.
For me, those who serve for a greater good, often anonymously, often at great personal sacrifice are a form of loosely associated, numerous (and uncountable), often faceless heroes that can range from volunteers helping rebuild New Orleans to Medecines sans frontiers (Doctors Without Borders) to the teacher who volunteers to help literacy classes to … well, my list is long.
Part of the back of the mind thought of ‘hero’ has been those who struggle to protect the environment amid even the worst of civil strife.
Every so often, need to delve into one of those policy arenas which are — on their face — arcane, but critical pieces of moving the nation on the path toward a sustainable and prosperous energy future, on the path to Energize America.
Just as Renewable Power Standards are critical to helping drive America’s electrical supply away from fossil fuels, so too is Profit Decoupling critical to foster ever more efficient use of that electricity.
On a cold winter’s night, storms outside, wrapped in a blanket by a crackling fire, whiling away the hours reading a good book.
Well, there are an increasing number of great books that suggest that blanket and fire will be required fewer and
fewer evenings in the coming years.
The genre of Global Warming literature has moved from the dusty reaches of little read science shelves to the best seller lists.
This discussion will briefly touch on some of the Global Warming books on my Energy Bookshelf — with an urging to all of you to jump in with comments as to these and others worth reading.
Energize America.
consequences is both long term and quite immediate.
just how easy it is to cook with the sun. Or, as advertised here, Frying in the Sun.
over concerned environmentalists (the David) through a legislative end run to gut environmental protections for the construction of windmills that will “kill millions” of birds.
