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Category Archives: Energy Tough Love Blog

Energy Tough Love Blog – A weblog from Community Energy Systems

We Waste 2/3rds Of The Energy We Generate – This is Tragic

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America is in a double bind. We have some of the best energy research and technology in the world. But when we try to talk to the rest of the world about Climate Change. We look like FOOLS.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/07/opinion/bipartisan-energy-efficiency.html
 

 

Op-Ed Contributors

Why Is America Wasting So Much Energy?

By Terry Sobolewski and Ralph Cavanagh

Partisan fights in Washington can leave the impression that we’re hopelessly divided. The truth is there are plenty of bipartisan solutions to the energy and environmental challenges we face, and energy efficiency is near the top of the list.

America fails to capture some two-thirds of the power it generates, much of it through simple waste, according to federal data. In a recent survey, the United States was ranked eighth among 23 of the world’s top energy-consuming countries in efficiency, behind several European nations, China and Japan.

We shouldn’t accept that.

Energy efficiency is one of the most powerful resources we have for meeting our energy and environmental goals. It is also an enormous economic opportunity.

Setting aside the significant environmental impact, this energy waste costs American businesses and households billions of dollars every year. In commercial buildings alone, where annual electricity costs are roughly $190 billion, about 30 percent of this energy goes to waste.

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So SAD. Go there and read. More next week.

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Investing In Nuclear Power and Coal – What happens next is SAD

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I have never been a fan of Southern Company. I ain’t gonna cry crocodile tears for them either. I mean this is some of the dumbest shit I have ever seen.  I mean it has already bankrupted a GE unit. Heh lets throw good money after bad, and more bad, and more bad.

https://www.eenews.net/stories/1060093003

NUCLEAR

Southern Co. to absorb $1.1B in added Vogtle costs

Kristi E. Swartz, E&E News reporter

Southern Co. will absorb $1.1 billion in additional pre-tax costs for its Plant Vogtle nuclear expansion project, the company said in financial disclosures early today.

The costs include $700 million in additional subcontractor costs and an additional construction contingency estimate for nuclear reactors, which Southern’s Georgia Power Co. unit is building with a group of public power companies.

Georgia Power recorded the pre-tax charge of $1.1 billion, or $800 million after taxes, for the quarter, ending June 30.

Atlanta-based Southern released the information shortly after 6 a.m. as part of its quarterly report filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The company’s decision to eat millions of dollars in costs associated with a large power plant is a bitter reminder to investors of its next-generation coal project in Mississippi. Southern took back-to-back quarterly losses amounting to billions of dollars with the Kemper County energy facility because of a settlement with Mississippi utility regulators.

Unlike Kemper, Southern does not own the technology associated with Vogtle. This is also the first year that the company’s nuclear unit and Georgia Power are fully in control of the project.

This means the utilities can no longer point fingers at others if there are problems.

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Go there and read a really long articel. More next week.

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Could We Have Stopped Global Warming – You decide

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Did the New York Times greenwash the big fossil fuel companies contribution? I know they did. But it is an open question. You decide. What is clear is they accepted Global Warming in the early 70s and by the late 70s they were funding organizations that opposed it. Did they synically oppose Global Warming for 30 years to pump up profits? There is a lawsuit so I imagine the Supreme Court will ultimately decide.

I am going to quote the original story or a good representation of it and then list the site with the disagreement.

https://www.livescience.com/63229-losing-earth-climate-change.html

30 Years Ago, Humans Bungled the Best Chance to Stop Climate Change

By Mindy Weisberger, Senior Writer |

NEW YORK — Could the current climate crisis have been averted? Humans may have squandered the best shot at doing so decades ago.

As the 1970s drew to a close, incontrovertible evidence already pointed to the dangers that accumulations of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (CO2) — resulting from the burning of fossil fuels — posed to the planet. During a pivotal 10-year period, from 1979 to 1989, scientists, activists and government officials worldwide took important first steps to address excessive CO2 emissions and to enact policies that would head off the worst of these emissions’ impact on the global climate, according to “Losing Earth: The Decade We Almost Stopped Climate Change,” a single-article special issue of The New York Times Magazine, published online today (Aug. 1).

Over those 10 years, a window of opportunity opened that might have saved the planet. Efforts were launched on an international level to raise awareness of global warming, curb CO2 output and thereby stave off climate change’s most dire impacts. But those efforts stumbled and stalled, and we are witnessing the devastating consequences now, writer Nathaniel Rich reported in the article. [Images of Melt: Earth’s Vanishing Ice]

It almost worked. At the time, the topic of climate change was not heavily politicized in the U.S. as it is today, Rich said here at a launch event for the article yesterday (July 31). Members of the Republican and Democratic parties supported developing strategies to limit CO2, and advocating for the environment was not seen through the same political lens as it is now, Rich explained.

Scientists aren’t impressed with New York Times’ new story on climate change

Experts label 30,000 word piece “historically inaccurate” and “based on logical non sequiturs.”

Joe Romm

Scientists aren’t impressed with New York Times’ new story on climate change

 

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Go there and read. More next week.

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Carbon Tax – The Chicago Tribune Editorial Board thinks it is a really good idea

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The Carbon Tax is long overdue nationally, though California’s seems to be chugging right along. But think how far we have come – worse yet, think how far down the tubes we must be that the Chicago Tribune, as an entity, is advocating for it. Read it and weep, either for joy or sadness.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/editorials/ct-edit-carbon-tax-epa-climate-20180702-story.html

Editorial:

A carbon tax that could put money in your pocket

Editorial Board  Editorials reflect the opinion of the Editorial Board, as determined by the members of the board, the editorial page editor and the publisher.
July 3, 2018 5:20 p.m.

The indications of a warming world are numerous and hard to miss. Last year was the third-warmest year on record for both the planet and the United States — exceeded only by 2015 and 2016. In June, scientists reported that Antarctica has lost 3 trillion tons of ice since 1992 — yielding “enough water to cover Texas to a depth of nearly 13 feet,” the Associated Press reported.

The indications of inaction on the subject are also abundant and visible. Last year, Donald Trump pulled the United States out of the Paris agreement on greenhouse gas emissions. The Environmental Protection Agency has moved to ease regulations on power plants and motor vehicles that were integral to the Obama administration’s efforts to slow climate change.

Bipartisan action – once a normal response to environmental harms – is not on the agenda for Congress or the White House. But a growing group of farsighted pragmatists are nonetheless trying to find a middle ground between the entrenched adversaries.

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Go there and read. Google much more. More next week

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Methane Is A Huge Problem – It is growing everyday

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I have always said that methane was a much bigger problem than CO2 and thus to concentrate on CO2 was a mistake. It also means that natural gas is not a “Bridge” to the future, because it is so much more powerful as a green house gas. In fact if you look at the list,

  • Water vapor (H. 2O)
  • Carbon dioxide (CO. …
  • Methane (CH. …
  • Nitrous oxide (N. 2O)
  • Ozone (O. …
  • Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
  • Hydrofluorocarbons (incl. HCFCs and HFCs)

CO2 is pretty low on the list. I understand that coal is a REAL problem because of its cost and availability, but focusing on it makes it look like if we get rid of coal we are in the clear. No way that is true.

Oil and Gas Fields Leak Far More Methane than EPA Reports, Study Finds

Higher than expected levels of the potent short-lived climate pollutant raise questions about whether natural gas can be an effective bridge to lower emissions.

Sabrina Shankman

By Sabrina Shankman

Jun 21, 2018

The amount of methane leaking from the nation’s oil and gas fields may be 60 percent higher than the official estimates of the Environmental Protection Agency, according to a new study in the journal Science.

The study, led by a group of scientists from the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), presents some of the most compelling evidence to date that switching to gas from dirtier fuels like coal might not be as effective a climate strategy as its proponents suggest unless the gas industry improves how it controls leaks.

“It starts to have a material effect on just how clean a fuel natural gas really is,” said Ramon Alvarez of EDF, one of the authors of the study.

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Go there and read. More next week.

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Time Is UP – Global Warming is HERE

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I dare you to Google: Climate Change and plant life or Climate Change and small mammals. Most people who protest Global Warming, that is  – say it ain’t happening, talk about deserts shifting and extinctions leading to our vary own. They say that since those things aren’t happening, then Global Warming isn’t either. But in the beginning it will be increases in insect born diseases, increases in storm strength, and increases in drought. Here is just one example.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/how-climate-change-is-helping-invasive-species-take-over-180947630/

How Climate Change is Helping Invasive Species Take Over

Longer seasons and warmer weather have combined to be a game-changer in the plant wars

By Michelle Nijhuis
Smithsonian Magazine | Subscribe

Since the beginning of the 20th century, the growing season in many areas of the lower 48 states has expanded by about two weeks. Frosts end earlier in the spring and begin later in the fall. To gardeners in Maine, Wisconsin and Montana, that might seem a blessing. What’s not to like about more lettuce or riper tomatoes?

The longer seasons, however, are also helping invasive plants annex American soil; extended springs mean they can more quickly push aside native species and transform ecosystems. “What’s interesting about climate change is that humans are effectively manipulating how species experience time,” says ecologist Elizabeth Wolkovich of the Biodiversity Research Centre at the University of British Columbia.

Wolkovich and her colleagues have been studying how the first flowering dates of plants have changed over the years in Kansas, North Dakota, Washington, D.C., Concord, Massachusetts—where Henry David Thoreau kept notes about the flowers blooming near Walden Pond in the mid-1800s—as well as Britain.

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Go there and read. More next week.

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I Hope They Hang This Man From The Highest Yardarm – Scott Pruitt is going down

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I despise this man. He is bad for the environment and he is a thief.  Like the rest of the Trump administration he delights in being a prick. They are savage because they can be and then beg for “civility” when the tables turn. Well the tables are turning and I hope he gets capitol punishment.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/scandal-hit-us-environment-chief-could-face-axe-164137894.html

Scandal-hit US environment chief could face axe

Ivan Couronne,AFP 5 hours ago

Washington (AFP) – Facing ever-growing scandals over the spending and behavior of his environment agency chief, Scott Pruitt, President Donald Trump appears close to firing the man he appointed to dismantle Barack Obama’s green legacy.

The list of accusations levelled against the 50-year-old head of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), has grown almost too long to itemize in a single article.

Pruitt has become the focus of multiple investigations in recent months, including by his own agency’s inspector general, two other independent federal agencies and by Congress itself.

All the charges share a common thread — that Pruitt, a former Oklahoma attorney general reported to have close ties to fossil fuels industries, appears to have used the position he has held since February 2017 to enrich his own family’s lifestyle in violation of federal law and has punished subordinates who raised objections to his behavior, or who failed to show sufficient loyalty to him.

It all began with his penchant for first-class and private air travel while on official business, a bill footed by the taxpayers, in contravention of usual government practice.

Then came the reports of the large number of bodyguards he kept around him 24 hours a day, doubling the cost of his predecessors’ security detail.

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Go there and read. More next week.

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Links Here!! Links Here!! – I get asked all the time to post links

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Over the years I have gotten 100s of requests to post links with other Blogs and Internet Sites that are related to the things that I post about; Sometimes tangentially. Sometimes very tangentially. Below I am going to try to post some of those with the text of the request where applicable or sometimes just the link.

I am only one guy by the way. That is it, Community Energy Systems and Energy Tough Love is just one guy with 900 bucks in the bank….so there is no way I can track down each post of mine and put the link on the page. Did I mention I was 63 years old. I would be dead by the time i did 10 or 20 post. Is some of this sarcastic? Well yah. But I never mean it spitefully. Please laugh with me not at me. Consider this:

 

Good day,

I emailed you a few months ago and I apologise if you have already replied to this email already. I am the owner of an addiction helpline called Rehab 4 Addiction. My helpline assists those who require addiction treatment.

I am looking to raise awareness about my helpline. I have recovered from my own addiction 22 years ago and I set up this helpline to help others. I would be grateful if you could help me by adding a ‘weblink’ on your website to my helpline.

I would suggest you add this to this specific page: www.censys.org/?p=1052

I cite this page because you already have already added another similar resource (www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/debate/myths/myths8.htm) from there.

I am able to add a weblink to your website from my own. I could also feature you on my upcoming newsletter in return.

I’ve included text for you to insert into this page:

I apologise if you are not the right person in your organisation that can do this for me. If this is the case, could I please ask that you forward this on to the appropriate individual.

I have also attached my website logo to this email. Please add this logo along with the above description if it’s possible. I sincerely thank you for this.

Many thanks,

Oliver Clark

Rehab 4 Addiction

www.rehab4addiction.co.uk

or this:

PO Box 10002 Melbourne City Mail Centre VIC 8001 / Reply with ‘Unsubscribe’ in the header if you would like to unsubscribe

On Friday, May 18, 2018 at 2:51 AM, Janet Rogers <janet@your-rv-lifestyle.email> wrote:

Dear Editor,
My name is Janet and I’m a writer at Your RV Lifestyle. I was doing research on things to do in England and just finished reading your wonderful blog post: https://censys.org/?cat=117
In that article, I noticed that you cited a solid post that I’ve read in the past: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/England
I just finished writing a guide that is even more detailed, updated and comprehensive on the 100 best things to do in England. It is over 10,000 words and packed with practical tips and advice. You can find it here: https://www.your-rv-lifestyle.com/things-to-do-in-england.html
If you like the guide we’d be humbled if you cited us in your article. Of course, we will also share your article with our 50k newsletter subscribers and followers across our social platforms.
Either way, keep up the great work!
Warmly,
Janet

 

or this:

 

Energy Tough Love Blog Editorial Team,

I was researching steps to winterize your home and came across your article: Do Not Put It Off – Weatherize today (https://censys.org/?p=3348).

I noticed that you mentioned easy home winterizing checklist https://www.thespruce.com/easy-home-winterizing-checklist-1824721 on the page. I also love that article.

In fact, it inspired us to create a wonderful post on Four Key Steps to Winterizing Your Home that might be interesting for your readers. You can see it here: https://www.thinkcrucial.com/blogs/blog/4-steps-winterizing-home.

Please feel free to share it if you think they’d appreciate it — I’d love it if you did!

Cheers,

Chad Rubin,
Founder – Think Crucial

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More when I get the time.

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Is Fusion The Future – It’s what we have been told

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But will it ever work out? I have no idea but there are still interesting things happening. I know this is kind of the back water from the Russian and the European efforts. Yes – God knows what China is doing. They have their own tokamak but they do not publish much about it. Still I thought this was interesting. How can you argue with Popular Mechanics.  They will probably one day get one to work. Plus it has a real cool animation. I am a sucker for those things.

https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/energy/a21945982/german-nuclear-fusion-experiment-sets-records-for-stellarator-reactor/

 

German Nuclear Fusion Experiment Sets Records

The stellarator was largely replaced by the tokamak in the 1960s, but Germany’s Wendelstein 7-X could be bringing the reactor back from the dead.

By

 

Links Here!! Links Here!! – I get asked all the time to post links

Posted on by
Reply

Over the years I have gotten 100s of requests to post links with other Blogs and Internet Sites that are related to the things that I post about; Sometimes tangentially. Sometimes very tangentially. Below I am going to try to post some of those with the text of the request where applicable or sometimes just the link.

I am only one guy by the way. That is it, Community Energy Systems and Energy Tough Love is just one guy with 900 bucks in the bank….so there is no way I can track down each post of mine and put the link on the page. Did I mention I was 63 years old. I would be dead by the time i did 10 or 20 post. Is some of this sarcastic? Well yah. But I never mean it spitefully. Please laugh with me not at me. Consider this:

Sometimes people even offer to write entire articles –

Hi!

There are more than 3 million teachers within the U.S. public school system. While some may plan on being work-free during summer break, others might enjoy – or need – to find a short-term job during that time.

As a retired teacher, I thought it would be fun to research and write about summer side gigs for teachers. (Side note: Many of these gigs, especially those that take advantage of the growing sharing economy, can also be worked into the school-year schedule.)

Is this something that would be of interest to your readers? If so, I would love the opportunity to write a guest article at no cost to you. Please let me know, and I’ll start writing.

Thanks so much!

Joyce

Joyce Wilson

joyce@teacherspark.org

Teacherspark.org

 

5 Eco-Conscious Summer Jobs for School Teachers

As a teacher, you need a second job to make ends meet. But as an environmentalist, the idea of driving for Uber or running people’s errands through an on-demand app doesn’t appeal to you. You want to spend less time commuting in your car, not more. So what are the options? Here are five eco-conscious side gigs that teachers can work during the summer and year-round.

Walking Dogs

The school year leaves you sitting inside for most of the day. When summer hits, you want to get outdoors as much as possible. Walking dogs for friends and neighbors is a great excuse to spend time outdoors, and the pay isn’t bad either. According to CostHelper.com, the typical pay for a dog walker is $18 to $22 for a 30-minute walk. Because the gig comes with minimal overhead costs, most of that pay ends up in your pocket. Dog walkers can also offer pet sitting to boost their earning potential.

Building Custom Gardens

Everyone wants a gorgeous edible garden in their yard, but few want to put in the work. Start a business designing, building, and maintaining custom vegetable gardens in local backyards. You’ll help your neighbors eat healthier while reducing their carbon footprint, and you’ll enjoy a paying job that hardly feels like work. The only downside? There’s not much gardening to do during the winter months. However, teachers can offer winter yard maintenance to keep money flowing through the off-season.

Creating an Online Store

According to the Sierra Club, online shopping beats driving to the store when it comes to environmental impact. While boxes and packaging seem wasteful, one delivery truck driving from house to house spends less energy than each household making trips to the store. It’s easy to build an e-commerce website with drag-and-drop website builders, and you don’t have to create a unique product to open an online store. Many online stores earn money by dropshipping popular products like wireless headphones and phone cases from larger retailers. Offer a diversity of products or choose products with staying power so your store remains profitable for the long-term.

Flipping Second-Hand Goods

Our throwaway society has largely moved away from repairing broken goods, choosing instead to replace items the moment they cease to function. The result? Countless lightly used appliances, gadgets, and furniture items headed to the dump when they still have lots of life. If you’re handy and enjoy hunting for treasures, start a side business picking up broken items, repairing them, and reselling for profit. Yard sales and Craigslist are gold mines for free and cheap items in need of repair. Finance Superhero offers tips for getting started.

Blogging

Starting a blog is perfect for teachers who want to explore their interest in energy and environmentalism. Teachers can blog about topics they’re passionate about and generate income through ad revenue. A blog can also be a great platform for sharing information and selling lesson plans on environmentalism with other educators, who can then use the materials in their own classrooms.

Additionally, business ideas such as selling workwear, selfie drones, and electronics online have a smaller environmental impact than driving a rideshare, delivering groceries, or another sharing economy mainstay. They also have minimal start-up costs, so your business doesn’t take months or years to start generating profit like some small businesses. That’s important when your priority is increasing your income, not launching a new career. However, teachers shouldn’t assume their side gig is in the black. Diligent record keeping is key to ensuring you’re meeting your income goals and not putting more into a gig than you’re getting out.

There are many ways to earn an income on top of a full-time job. But if environmentalism is important to you, you may find it difficult to find a job that aligns with your values. While these five side gigs might not change the world, they’re practical ways for eco-conscious teachers to increase their income without increasing their carbon footprint.

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More whenever.

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