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Living Small — A Christmas Gift for Planet Earth

craigshieldsPosted on December 26, 2011 Posted in Sustainability

To wrap our wits around where we truly are as a species and who we need to be to avoid the brunt of the catastrophes heading our way in the 21st Century, let’s observe: How do we actually behave with respect to our consumption of energy?

The answer, generally, is that only a very small minority of people have gotten the message that what they’re doing matters. Almost no one thinks before turning on a light: “I can flip this switch if it’s really too dark to see, and it’s OK to spend that energy if I need to. But if I don’t need to, I shouldn’t, because the world will be a slightly better place if I don’t.” Or: “I could open this (petroleum-derived) plastic container of creamer for my coffee, but isn’t there an open jug of milk within easy reach?” Or: “Walk or ride?” “Bike or car?” — or the dozens of other choices we make on a minute-to-minute basis. Very few people have gotten the message that their personal decisions to use energy actually matter — that they come at a cost to all of us — and worse, that this cost is far higher than we had previously imagined.

Perhaps we can liken this behavioral issue to littering. (more…)

Tagged with: alternative energy, Christmas Present for Planet Earth, clean energy, Energy conservation, green energy, Renewable Energy, Wind Energy, wind power, wind turbines

Another Note on Bill McKibben’s Masterpiece “Eaarth”

craigshieldsPosted on December 24, 2011 Posted in Sustainability

On the cover of the current edition of Bill McKibben’s “Eaarth” is this quote from Barbara Kingsolver: “Read it, please. Straight through to the end. Whatever else you were planning to do next, nothing could be more important.” That’s quite a statement, but I have to say that I agree. As close to all this as I am, I have to admit that I didn’t realize how convoluted — yet at the same time, so critically important — these issues of international relations are as they relate to environmental sustainabililty.

It may be too late to get back the Earth we had 100 years ago (thus the moniker “Eaarth”), but it’s not too late to avert the utter catastrophe that we’re most certainly facing if we pretend that our current energy-related practices can be continued indefinitely.

Tagged with: Bill McKibben, Eaarth

Bill McKibben’s “Eaarth”

craigshieldsPosted on December 23, 2011 Posted in Sustainability

To my shame, I’m just now getting around to Bill McKibben’s masterpiece “Eaarth.” It’s one of those works one reads and wishes there were a way to make required reading for everyone. Not only is he arguably the most visible and important environmentalist of our times, he writes in a supremely warm and accessible way — engaging, but at the same time precise. If you haven’t picked up a copy, I urge you: don’t let another day go by.

Tagged with: Bill McKibben, Eaarth

How Thrilled Would Ben Franklin Be With What We’ve Done To Our Democratic Republic?

craigshieldsPosted on December 22, 2011 Posted in Renewables - Politics

My family and I are out of here tomorrow morning, and back on the 27th. It’s our annual pilgrimage back to Philadelphia, cradle of the Union – ironic to be sure, given my recent writing on how sadly corrupt has become the democracy we so treasure.

I’ll be driving my rent-a-car north from the airport just east of the Liberty Bell when I’ll hear Ben Franklin calling through the centuries:

The bravest and brightest of us here in the late Eighteenth Century worked hard to establish a democratic republic for your liberty and prosperity. We struggled mightily amongst ourselves for quite a while to draft and approve a Constitution that we thought would protect you forever from greedy criminals. Yes, we knew that there would be a never-ending procession of ruthless and increasingly powerful people who we knew would never tire in their attempts to exploit this freedom, at the expense of turning mankind back in the direction of the Dark Ages, rather than forward to even greater lights of wisdom, justice, and happiness for all.

Until recently, I believed that we had succeeded, but now it appears we fell short. Looks like that Citizens United decision was the nail in the coffin. I still can’t believe that happened. If you can’t overturn that somehow, it looks like I will have failed you. Sorry. Over and out.

Having said that, there is hope. And it lies in you and me. Let’s never give up. Stand up for what you believe. Do it for yourself, your countrymen, for Ben.

Tagged with: alternative energy, Ben Franklin, clean energy, Democratic Republic, green energy, Renewable Energy

Electric Vehicles and CO2 Emission Abatement

craigshieldsPosted on December 22, 2011 Posted in Electric Vehicles

Frequent commenter Glenn Doty writes:

What would really be nice is an infographic comparing the cost of mitigating CO2 with various alternatives… just to put the different alternatives into proper perspective.

For instance, how much more does it cost to abate CO2 emissions by setting up a rooftop solar panel in NJ as compared to installing additional insulation in an office building in Texas or setting up a wind farm in the Dakotas?

This would be extremely instructional to your readers in terms of what policies would make more sense… and it would be fun to look at how you graph the negative CO2 abatement value of EV’s.

I respond:

Ha! I was reading along here, wondering when you were going to make your point about EVs, and lo! (a good word for the season), there it was.

Seriously, please send me a high-level treatment of your reasoning.

At a minimum, there are two things I don’t get. (more…)

Tagged with: addiction to oil, alternative energy, clean energy, CO2 emission abatement, Electric Vehicles, empowering terrorists, energy storage, evolution to EVs, evolution to renewables, EVs, Glenn Doty, global climate change, green energy, lung disease, national security, ocean acidication, Renewable Energy, smart grid, solar energy, solar panels, solar power, Wind Energy, wind power, wind turbines, Windfuels

Renewable Energy in Europe

craigshieldsPosted on December 22, 2011 Posted in Renewables - Business

I’ll be in Europe from April 26th through May 10th, 2012, attending conferences, meeting colleagues known to me now only through Skype, and conducting interviews for my third book, “Renewable Energy – Following the Money.” In fact, including a robust European presence in the book is vital to telling the story. Where investors may be sitting on the sidelines in the U.S., this is most certainly not the case elsewhere in the world. Europe is proving to be a critically important part of the world in this regard — both for implementing existing clean energy technologies, and as a breeding ground for innovation as well.

Let me take this opportunity to ask you for suggestions. I’ll have plenty of time between conferences and strolls up the Champs Elysees. If you have any connections to people who are in the process of making a difference in the deployment of renewables in Europe, please let me know, and I’ll try to arrange to meet them.

I plan to start in Paris, then head east and south, winding up in Rome. Having said that, detours are always possible. I’d like to speak with entrepreneurs, investors, leaders in government, executives in the energy and automotive industries, top consultants and industry analysts, as well as those directly related to finance and the economy. Tres bien.

Tagged with: alternative energy, Champs Elysees, clean energy, consultants and industry analysts, entrepreneurs, Europe, executives in automotive, executives in energy, green energy, investor, leaders in government, Paris, Renewable Energy, renewable energy in Europe, Wind Energy, wind power, wind turbines

EVWorld’s Holiday Message of Warmth and Humanity

craigshieldsPosted on December 22, 2011 Posted in Sustainability

My good friend Bill Moore is not only a terrific writer, but a man of great compassion for humanity. I thought I’d post his holiday message for those who may not have seen it. As I wrote back, “That is absolutely lovely, Bill. On behalf of all seven billion of us, thanks for being a voice of reason and compassion in a world some believe to be headed the other way.”

Dear Friend and Colleague,

Judy and I extend to you and your loved ones our warmest regards as 2011 comes to an end and a new year begins, one that is filled with as much promise as uncertainty. The year now fading saw the first tentative sales of three pioneering electric-drive cars from GM, Nissan and Mitsubishi, as well as the emergence of the Arab Spring and Occupy Wall Street movements. These events would seem to suggest the beginning of a shift — albeit an unsteady one — not only in how we power our vehicles, but more significantly, how many of us are starting to see the world and our place in it: that we aren’t alone in our desire for a safer, cleaner, more equitable global society, and that we can do something about it when we work together.

Curiously, if you research the origins of many of the customs of Christmas, you’ll find (more…)

Tagged with: alternative energy, clean energy, electric transportation, Electric Vehicles, EVs, EVWorld, green energy, Renewable Energy

Climate Control — If It’s Going to Be, It’s up to Me

craigshieldsPosted on December 22, 2011 Posted in Sustainability

When I spoke with top-notch author Peter Kusterer at Raleigh, NC-based Nvestntech a few weeks ago, I knew from the conversation that he’d come up with something cool as a summary of our talk.

I just received this:

My sincere apology for taking so long to get this out: Climate Control — If It’s Going to Be, It’s up to Me

Best,

Peter

I respond:

NP. And wow! That was certainly worth the wait. Thanks. Please call anytime. Let’s promise one another to stay in touch.

Tagged with: alternative energy, clean energy, Climate Control, global climate change, green energy, Nvestntech, Peter Kusterer at Raleigh, Renewable Energy

A Lot To Like About Forester Media’s Distributed Energy

craigshieldsPosted on December 21, 2011 Posted in Efficiency

The heavyweights from Forester Media came up from their office in Santa Barbara to have lunch with me in Santa Ynez earlier today. Publisher Dan Waldman and Group Editor John Trotti met me at the terrific local Trattoria Grappolo for a discussion of a few of their six titles, and a conversation about some sort of cooperative relationship with us at 2GreenEnergy.

One of their properties is “Distributed Energy,” covering energy efficiency and, of course, distributed generation. I have dozens of ways I can add value to what they’re doing there, one of which I’m doing right now, urging readers to check them out, and subscribe to their free printed and electronic publication. Here’s the link to “Distributed Energy.”

Tagged with: alternative energy, clean energy, Distributed Energy, distributed generation, energy efficiency, Forester Media, green energy, Renewable Energy

Renewable Energy’s Connection to Peace and Freedom

craigshieldsPosted on December 21, 2011 Posted in Renewables - Politics

During the holiday season, we talk a great deal about peace: world peace, the Prince of Peace, and so forth — all good things. But isn’t it a shame that, in large measure, we trot these concepts out at Christmas, only to go back to beating the holy hell out of one another during the balance of the year?

For a moment, ponder the connection between world peace and renewable energy. At first, this may sound like a concept from the 1960s. But in truth, our dependence on oil empowers tyranny all around the world (more…)

Tagged with: alternative energy, autocratic kingdoms, Bahrain, clean energy, democracies in the world, dictatorships, green energy, James Woolsey, regular elections, Renewable Energy, renewable energy peace and freedom