I had a great time with my family back east over the holidays, during which the subject came up: Uncle Craig, when you do radio shows and talk about renewable energy in an attempt to promote your books, aren’t you preaching to the choir? Or, if it’s a show that has you on only so they can attack you, aren’t you speaking to people who hate your guts, and would never change their minds?
Good questions, to be sure. There sure is a lot of truth there. But my nephews convinced me that there is a world of people who live in the middle, who need to be pushed forward to understand the truth and take action accordingly. They’re smart young men; I sure hope they’re right here.
At the end of each December, I try to make a hopeful prediction about the year to come. I predict that this year will mark the end of a great deal of our superstitions. Remember the words of the great Stevie Wonder: “When you believe in things that you don’t understand, you suffer…..superstition ain’t the way.”
Considering how far we’ve come with our understanding of climate science, and our virtual certainty surrounding its terrible consequences, it’s time to embrace this science and begin to take a measured look at what we, as a civilization, need to do to put humankind on a course to sustainability. Best wishes to my fellow travelers here on Earth for a rational and sane 2014.
I happened to sit next to Henry van Moyland, the proprietor of this place: “Cefntilla” in Monmouth, Wales on my way home from the East Coast last night. We didn’t discuss the subject, but, according to some of the reports I’ve read on the property, Henry may be interested in turning the place into a high-end resort/spa. (more…)
‘Save the environment’ is the slogan that most citizens across the globe have been harping on and trying their every bit to save the world by putting their own contributions. ‘Go Green’ campaigns have found strong roots among nations all over the world and hence, manufacturers are also doing their bit by coming out with products that adhere to the stringent regulations set by the governments to protect the environment and to save the world from natural disaster. (more…)
It wasn’t that long ago that government officials needed to have the benefits of smart grid explained to them. Now some of these very same people are mandating that the utilities that serve their citizens deploy technology like smart meters, while providing the utilities a path to be compensated accordingly. That’s a positive development, to be sure.
Here’s an article that summarizes the current position in which humankind finds itself with respect to climate change. Spoiler Alert: It leaves the reader concerned that our civilization’s unchecked consumption of fossil fuels is causing a rise in the overall temperature of our oceans and skies, with a host of accompanying phenomena: rising sea levels, violent storms, droughts, floods, wildfires, desertification, etc. The author backs these claims up with a variety of frightening statistics, e.g., the discharge of Greenland ice has increased 632% in the last decade. (more…)
Nearly every kind of human activity raises the concentration of carbon dioxide and other global warming agents in the atmosphere. The greater the presence of these substances in the air, the more of the sun’s heat that is trapped close to the surface. A steadily warmer Earth can have harmful effects on the health of the planet and on human health. (more…)
The history of electric cars is dated back to the 30s of the 19th century, 1832 to be precise. However, in recent years people around the world visualize the revolutionary change in the technology used in these types of cars. You can find that almost every day such cars make headlines for some unique reasons. (more…)
Here’s a Scientific American article on the problems that have been created in the Hawaiian electric power grid by the rapid expansion of PV. Is this an effort on the part of HECO (Hawaii Electric Company) to halt the incursion into its monopoly? Another example of right-wing extremists’ disinformation against the solar industry? Who knows. What is certain is that distributed generation will soon uproot the traditional utility model; it’s inevitable, and it’s very good news for humankind overall. (more…)