The Top 50 Environmental Blogs – OK maybe not but here are some of my Favs

Posted on November 27, 2009 by Doug Nicodemus

It’s Jam Band Friday – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9ELl0JuMNE get in the Spirit of things

I have the same pet peeves about lists of Blogs as I do about lists of Energy Saving Tips. They are extremely arbitrary and when exactly do you stop? If you googled Environmental Blogs, like you probably did to get here, then you know there are lists of 10 blogs, there are lists of 20 blogs, and there is even a list of 35 blogs. So all I did to pick the title for today was to pick a bigger number then anyone else has. Did I mention I am a google whore…anyway before we go on I should say:

( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsTK2LHZKPQ&feature=PlayList&p=B42B43C4824AE3DE&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=1 )

Community Energy Systems is a nonprofit 501c3 organization chartered in Illinois in Sangamon County. As such we are dependent on public donations for our continued existence. We also use Adsense as a fundraiser. Please click on the ads that you see on this page, on our main page and on our Bulletin Board (Refrigerator Magnets) and you will be raising money for CES. We say a heartfelt THANK YOU to all who do.

( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49t2wozu5yw&feature=PlayList&p=B42B43C4824AE3DE&index=2&playnext=2&playnext_from=PL )

Here is the blog that bills itself as the best green Blog ever. From the Conservation Law Foundation, who covers a story I did but in a much funnier way:

www.clf.org/blog

FOR SALE: One deep sea drill rig, needs TLC

November 15th, 2009 by Sean Cosgrove

A little paint and elbow grease will fix this baby right up and get it ready for the coast of Florida.

Could a little paint and elbow grease fix this baby right up and get it ready for the coast of Florida?

Looking for the perfect holiday gift for the special do-it-yourselfer roughneck in your life? Here is a rare deal for you. Now that the Montara drilling platform in the remote Timor Sea is just a smoldering wreck its likely to be on the market soon at bargain prices. They say it couldn’t fail, but this low mileage, state-of-the-art, everything but fire-proof deep sea drill rig set the international oil cartels abuzz with its flamboyant four day blaze that rendered the quarter-billion dollar roman candle into an island of charred and twisted metal. In fact, everyone but the American media seemed to follow the story of the three month long oil spill that preceded the grand finale inferno.

Actually, I don’t know what the future holds for the Montara rig (also referred to as “West Atlas” in some reports) but there has to be a few options that are better than spending more millions to put it back into the drilling business. How about using it as a movie set for the next dozen apocalyptic action thrillers? What about doing something useful such as recycling the rig into wind turbines? Or, is that too practical? Yeah, probably.

( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0z_e17GJ_Ao&feature=related )

I do not know if I will actually get to 50 but this guy claims to have waded through 1,000s of green content sites to come up with his own list of 35..I got my doubts but I bet he gets alot of hits….plus he lists one of my favorites as No. 1. Many on the list are actually just silly but, He Who Makes the list rules.

http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/top_35_environmental_blogs.php

The Top 35 Environmental Blogs

Written by Josh Catone / October 15, 2007 2:56 PM / 33 Comments

« Prior Post Next Post »

There are hundreds, if not thousands, of blogs dedicated to the environment on the Internet. That’s really no surprise given that environmental conservation is one of the most pressing issues of our time, and has become especially pertinent in recent years due to concerns about global warming and mega-hit documentaries like Former US Vice President Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth.

As part of our participation in Blog Action Day, we waded through much of the environmental blogosphere and picked out our favorites (caveat: not all of these are blogs in the strictest sense of the word, but those that aren’t are generally still long-tail environmentally focused content sites). It’s very likely that we’ve left a few of your favorites off the list, so please feel free to leave them in the comments below. Presented in no particular order:

( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5kRH-0c7Hg&feature=related )

Well he says no order but he lists one of the most read most useful websites first and he lists some pretty silly ones last so their must be some order, yah know:

http://www.treehugger.com/#ch03

Tree Hugger has ruled for years…

Readers, Send Us Photos Of Your Green Thanksgiving Feast!

by Emma Grady, New York, NY on 11.27.09

pumpkin salad recipe
Thanksgiving day feast: roasted pumpkin salad. 101 Cookbooks

Was the centerpiece to your meal an organic turkey on tofurkey? Did you serve the meal with antique cutlery on an organic cotton tablecloth? Were the yummy sweet potatoes from the local farmer’s market? Did you toast with organic or local wine? Prove it! We want to see photos of your green Thanksgiving day feast. We want to know what you cooked yourself, and any other green tidbits you’d like to share. Click through for details, and see the potential for your photo in today’s Readers’ Favorite Antiques and Heirlooms slideshow.

Article continues: Readers, Send Us Photos Of Your Green Thanksgiving Feast!

They only steal from the best sources!

( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JdVoPSzxpU&feature=related )

Jeremy Rifkin Writes A Book For Every Crisis – He usually gets some things right

Posted on November 23, 2009 by Doug Nicodemus

For instance his stand against genetically altered food only makes sense in the context of the chemical and seed companies attempts to patent biology or biological sources. All our food is genetically altered. It has been for thousands of years. Frankly I prefer the genetic altering we can see, so to speak as opposed to the genetic altering that went on before which was mainly guessing.

http://tnjn.com/2009/nov/18/the-dawn-of-the-third-industri/

The news web site of the School of Journalism and Electronic Media | University of Tennessee, Knoxville

The dawn of the Third Industrial Revolution

By Birgitta Anderson

published: November 18 2009 10:13 AM updated:: November 21 2009 05:59 PM

“The most hated man in science” said that it may be too late to save civilization.

Civilization is on the cusp of the Third Industrial Revolution and “our Second Industrial Revolution is on life support,” according to Jeremy Rifkin, president and founder of the Foundation on Economic Trends said.

We are in emergency mode. Our dependence on non-renewable resources for energy is breaking the economic system we rely on, he said.

The National Journal named Rifkin as one of the most influential people in shaping federal policy. He has written 17 books on the impact scientific and technological changes have on the environment, the economy and society.

Rifkin co-authored an article in the European Energy Review December 2008 issue, which says that we are facing a triple threat when it comes to the structure of our economy. “The global credit crisis, the global energy crisis, and the global climate change crisis are interwoven and feed off of each other.”

“We need a new economic vision,” Rifkin said. New energy, coming from renewable resources, combined with advancement in communication technology is needed for an effective energy revolution to take place. Rethinking distribution of energy is the solution to the energy crisis, according to Rifkin.

Making a smooth transition from the Second Industrial Revolution into the Third depends on the construction of four pillars, Rifkin said. The first pillar is creating dependable forms of renewable energy. The second pillar is turning buildings into miniature power plants, which can be done by installing solar panels on rooftops. The third pillar is hydrogen storage. “Hydrogen is the universal medium that ‘stores’ all forms of renewable energy,” and allows for easy transport. The fourth, and final pillar is the reconfiguration of the power grid. By changing the way energy is produced and distributed, businesses and homeowners can create and share energy with each other.

Course then there is the other view.

http://www.activistcash.com/biography.cfm/bid/1342

Jeremy Rifkin

Biography

Jeremy Rifkin, the founder and president of the Foundation on Economic Trends (FOET), is the intellectual guru of the neo-Luddites, especially as their anti-technology principles apply to food. He is the author of 16 books, most of them littered with errors and false predictions. A professional scaremonger who has been called “the most hated man in science” by TIME magazine, Rifkin nonetheless has a wide following and genuine influence on public policy debates. National Journal magazine named Rifkin one of the 150 people in the U.S. that have the most influence in shaping federal government policy for his “skillfully manipulated legal and bureaucratic procedures to slow the pace of biotechnology.”

Rifkin’s international campaigns against beef consumption and genetically enhanced crops are motivated by his anti-technology philosophy. Rifkin disparages efficiency, promotes “empathy” with nature, and thinks human beings were better off in less advanced centuries. Always prone to exaggeration, Rifkin wrote in his book Beyond Beef that giving up steaks and burgers “is a revolutionary act” that heralds “a new chapter in the unfolding of human consciousness.”

Background

Founder and president, Foundation on Economic Trends; former advisory board member, EarthSave International; national council member, Farm Animal Reform Movement.

Associated Organizations and Foundations

Organization: EarthSave International
Position: Advisory Board Member
EarthSave began in 1988 as a pet project of John Robbins, one-time heir to the Baskin-Robbins ice cream fortune. His book Diet for a New America had…
find out more »

Organization: Farm Animal Reform Movement
Position: National Council Member
Farm Animal Reform Movement (FARM) is on the outer fringes of the animal-rights universe. Its membership adheres to a strict vegan diet, and its…
find out more »

Organization: Foundation on Economic Trends
Position: Founder
The Foundation on Economic Trends (FOET) is a platform for the neo-Luddite intellectual guru Jeremy Rifkin. Lacking scientific or technical…
find out more »

I got this request today so I will just put it up:

Hi,

Since you have some information about inventing on your site, I wanted to mention http://www.FreePatentsOnline.com and http://www.SumoBrain.com.

They are great, free resources for inventors and intellectual property research. Far faster and more complete than the US PTO, and they provide patents in PDF format.

If you have a spot on your web site, a link would be great.

Sincerely,
James

If We Just Changed People’s Behavior We Could Save The Earth – I used to believe this

Posted on November 20, 2009 by Doug Nicodemus

It’s Jam Band Friday ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJbFVJvRqOQ&feature=PlayList&p=DA3BD18D4E01082D&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=16 )

Until I realized that all the capitol involved for social investments the size of a nuclear powerplant or a huge wind farm of the same megawattage was controlled by people who had a vested interest in one or the other. The simple way to put this is that which Energy Infrastructure we have is a political decision. That means that we will never have an Earth Friendly Economy until we have Earth Friendly governments. Don’t get me wrong people can make a difference. They can try to stop some of the damage being done. They can change themselves and their children to adopt Earth Friendly behaviors. I do not believe that they should have to give up mowing their grass, or back yard barbeques however because it is the big polluters that are causing the problems. But let’s look at the literature:

http://www.nytimes.com/cwire/2009/11/19/19climatewire-how-understanding-the-human-mind-might-save-16335.html?pagewanted=2

I know I know the New York Times is hardly literature and the “difficulty” of changing behavior is well understood by anyone who has ever tried to get someone to quit sucking their thumb or give up their bankey. But it is helpful to show some examples:

How Understanding the Human Mind Might Save the World From CO2

By ANNIE JIA of ClimateWire

Published: November 19, 2009

What will solve climate change? Will it be technology? Policy? A growing number of researchers and activists say it’s what’s behind it all: people. And understanding them is vital to addressing climate change.The problem is that people don’t understand people very well, research shows.

In the 1970s, a researcher at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University named Scott Geller and colleagues conducted a workshop in residential energy efficiency and then measured its impacts. A newspaper advertisement recruited 40 participants on a first-come-first-served basis, and the workshop lasted three hours. Before and after the workshop, subjects took surveys measuring how much they knew and cared about energy efficiency. The change was significant — participants significantly knew and cared more about the issues after the workshop than before.

But when the researchers looked at the actual actions that people took afterward, the results were discouraging. One person lowered the temperature on the hot water heater. Two additional people had installed insulating blankets around their hot water heaters — but they had done it before the workshop. Eight people did install low-flow shower heads — after all 40 participants had been given the low-flow shower heads at the workshop.

If these were people who cared enough about energy efficiency to attend a three-hour workshop, what hope was there for people who didn’t?

Of course since this talk is being given by famous environmentalist Doug McKenzie-Mohr who believes that social marketing is the answer to the question, “how do you change people’s behavior”, I will put up a few more cuts from this article because some of it is intriguing . But infrastructure and public policy are controlled by the moneyed elites and the government officials. Good luck with the social marketing scheme with them.

( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZVzH5yBFQA )

While the study, spurred by the last energy crisis, was conducted in the 1970s, its lessons about human nature still apply today, said McKenzie-Mohr, a professor of psychology at St. Thomas University in Fredericton, New Brunswick, and author of the book “Fostering Sustainable Behavior: An Introduction to Community-based Social Marketing.”

dot dot dot

“Social psychologists have now known for four decades that the relationship between people’s attitudes and knowledge and behavior is scant at best,” said McKenzie-Mohr. Yet campaigns remain heavily focused on brochures, flyers and other means of disseminating information. “I could just as easily call this presentation ‘beyond brochures,'” he said.

dot dot dot

Bridging the gap between attitudes and action

To bridge the gap between attitudes and action, people must first address the barriers that stand in the way of action, McKenzie-Mohr said.

dot dot dot

As the U.S. Senate debates sweeping climate legislation and leaders express increasing doubts that next month’s Copenhagen climate negotiations will lead to a treaty, a poll conducted in October by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press showed that only 57 percent of Americans believe that climate change is happening. Only 36 percent believe humans are the cause.

Individual behaviors can achieve fast, immediate impacts on greenhouse gas emissions, if they are implemented, presenters said. But Anthony Leiserowitz, director of the Yale Project on Climate Change and a leading expert on public opinion on climate change, said that what will have the most far-reaching effect is policy changes. And for that, public opinion is critical.

( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqeSUAlI5uI&feature=related )

As I said before…they always get around to the politicians and public policy WITHOUT talking about the moneyed elites that hide behind their hedgerow.

McKenzie-Mohr gave an example of a town’s efforts to reduce idling at schools. After learning that air quality was something residents cared about, leaders of the effort placed signs by where parents parked to pick up their children from school. The signs had no effect. But when, instead, a person dressed as a public health official spoke to parents personally as they waited, the frequency of idling dropped by 32 percent, while the average length of idling dropped by 72 percent.

dot dot dot

Ultimately, McKenzie-Mohr, Leiserowitz and other speakers said, what the climate movement needs is vision — which it currently lacks.

“I think we have become very, very good at describing that we’re against. … We’re terrible at describing what we’re for. We’re against climate change, we’re against biodiversity extinction, we’re against land-use change, etc., we’re against pesticides … but what are we for?” Leiserowitz said.

For more on the same topic please see

http://www.cbsm.com/public/world.lasso

http://www.conservationpsychology.org/profiles/31/

( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSMW4Gwi0y0&feature=related )

Other approaches have been tried but they always “start from the bottom”…why because they are afraid of the “top” that’s why. More on this Monday. Have a good weekend.

http://eetd.lbl.gov/eetd-org-dc-uecb.html

Washington, DC Projects Office

Understanding Energy Consumption Behavior

Research to understand the psychological, cultural, and institutional context within which energy-related decisions are made and how these factors influence energy consumption. Applying these insights to help public agencies design and implement more effective energy-saving policies and programs.

Projects

Thank god for Burton Cummings and Randy Bachman

( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLQJ4toj-JY&feature=related )

Which Is Better Google Or Bing – In this particular case well…

Posted on November 19, 2009 by Doug Nicodemus

Not very much. Yes it is a Google Whore title but I came by it honestly. I saw this piece at Peak Oil about Green Heroes and Villains:

http://www.peakoil.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=52786

I wasn’t very interest in the Villains though I may post them tomorrow.

http://www.newstatesman.com/environment/2009/11/heroes-villians-have-your-say

20 green heroes and villains: Have your say

Published 18 November 2009

The Heroes:

http://www.newstatesman.com/environment/2009/11/franny-armstrong-al-gore-james-love

In fairness I am only showing you 5 of them. You’ll have to read the rest from the source.

National Grid

Electric lights

For a few hours one morning earlier this month, wind energy provided more than half of Spain’s total electricity needs. Spain’s network of wind farms was generating 11.5 gigawatts, equivalent to ten medium-sized power stations. Why is Britain not latching on to this cutting-edge clean technology with the same vim? After all, we have a much greater wind resource to exploit than Spain. A principal reason is probably the unquestioning acceptance by many of the myth that wind power is too variable in its output and requires a large amount of energy back-up – provided by fossil fuels or nuclear power – to stop the lights going out.

So when National Grid – which should know about such matters – published a comprehensive report in June exposing this myth, it was a huge boost for the wind industry. The 82-page report thoroughly debunked the suggestion that large rises in back-up power will be needed as Britain increases the amount of energy generated by wind.

Later in the year, National Grid weighed in to make the same point again. When the respected renewable energy expert and consultant David Milborrow wrote a report showing that Britain’s energy system is already capable of taking a large amount of wind power, National Grid backed his work.

John Sauven

Back to the top

James Lovelock

The Gaia guy

As one of the people who saw climate change coming, James Lovelock takes a positive view of our impending doom. He evolved the theory of Gaia – that our planet is “a single living entity” – 40 years ago, and showed the delicacy with which our precious atmosphere is balanced.

He wrote in 1979 that “if we stopped burning [fossil fuels] tomorrow it might take 1,000 years for atmospheric carbon dioxide to revert to its normal level”, but he now believes that catastrophic global warming is inevitable and that probably 80 per cent of the human race will be wiped out by the end of the century. Never mind, he says, it will be like the Second World War: once it was under way “everyone got excited, they loved the things they could do, it was one long holiday . . . so when I think of the impending crisis now, I think in those terms. A sense of purpose – that’s what people want.”
Bibi van der Zee

Back to the top

Skykon

Wind firm

When Vestas closed its factory on the Isle of Wight in the summer, there was one company left producing wind turbines in the UK. By then Skykon had already bought another Vestas plant on the Mull of Kintyre, saving some 100 jobs and promising to create around 200 more. The plant manufactures towers for wind turbines and is an important symbol of the green new deal proposed by environmental campaigners and green politicians. Growth in a period of recession: proof that environmental investment makes sense.

Back to the top

Marina Silva

Amazon worrier

The environmentalist and politician Marina Silva was named “Champion of the Earth” by the United Nations Environment Programme for her groundbreaking fight against defores-tation in Brazil. A native Amazonian, she unionised communities and led protests against deforestation and displacement. She became a senator and built support for environmental protection of reserves, and implemented policy that brought social justice and sustainable development to the Amazon region. When she resigned from government last year, a top Greenpeace official said “it’s time to start praying”. These prayers have been answered: Silva is the Brazilian Green Party’s presidential candidate in the next election.

Back to the top

Rajendra Pachauri

The optimist

Some people view the possibility of climate change with apathy or despair; others, such as Pachauri, approach it with boundless enthusiasm and hope. The chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) since 2002, Pachauri is one of the world’s most important scientists. The IPCC’s Fourth Assessment Report, released in 2007, is the starting point for anyone interested in why tackling climate change will be the most pressing political issue of the 21st century.

Pachauri and the IPCC had to work hard to convince sceptics of their arguments. Climate change science is inherently probabilistic and critics exploit that uncertainty to promote alternative agendas. But as a businessman and an engineer, I have always found Pachuari’s approach to problem-solving very refreshing. His motto appears to be: “If you can’t find a solution, you’re simply looking in the wrong place.” Through tireless and dedicated science, the IPCC has created a stable consensus on the need for action on climate change. The message has been projected beyond the scientific community and is now adopted by businessmen, policymakers, religious leaders and civil groups. This is a precious first step.
Lord Browne

But then I thought What Would Google Do (WWGD for those keeping track)? So I typed in “green heroes” at Google. This is what I got:

http://greenhero.greenworkscleaners.com/index.tbapp

http://www.green-heroes.org/

http://www.greenheroes.com/

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20327271.900-better-world-global-green-heroes.html

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/jan/05/activists.ethicalliving

Then I hit the article I was quoting from above.

Then I though What Would Bing Do (WWBD)? So I typed in “green heroes” into Bing. This is what I got.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/jan/05/activists.ethicalliving

http://greenheroes.com/

http://www.go-green.ae/greenheroes.php http://greenseniors.typepad.com/greenseniors/green_heroes/

http://www.greenheroes.tv/blog/

http://www2.btcv.org.uk/display/greenheroes2009

http://greenhero.greenworkscleaners.com/index.tbapp

Google got me to the piece I was interested in but gave me less choices with an emphasis on print sources. Bing produce more and varied sources but never got me back to the original story. I am guessing that is a toss up as they say.

The Smirking Monkey Is Going Out Of Business – Please help out

Posted on November 18, 2009 by Doug Nicodemus

Here is a web site that suffered from lack of support, has 4 no 3 no 2 days left, and a point to make:

http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/25006

Nuclear promises safe, cheap energy, but the truth is less enticing

Energy Policy

by Pierre Tristam

| November 17, 2009 – 11:04am

Energy independence is the new creationism; nuclear power its deity. As the head glow for nuclear’s new dawn, you can’t do better than Aris Candris. He’s president and CEO of Westinghouse Electric, the company aiming to build 14 of 25 new nuclear reactors planned in the United States. Candris also sums up everything that’s wrong with the nuclear power industry’s orchestrated revival — the deceptions, the manipulated numbers, the false promises and the sheer swindle of taxpayer dollars for a technology with a lethal past and an unproven future. Candris’ Nov. 9 tribute to nuclear in The Wall Street Journal tells the tall tale.

You can read all of those lies here:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704224004574489702243465472.html

He pretty much says the same thing no matter where he speaks – More Nukes..More Nukes

Nukes Good – Renewables Bad

Aris says: Only nukes can supply the huge electrical demand. My source is bigger than your source.

Pierre says:

Actually, that’s more true of nuclear, far less so of renewable. Not a single nuclear power plant has been approved and built in the United States since the 1970s. The newest one, Watts Bar in Tennessee, began construction in 1973 and went online in 1996 — a 23-year span that multiplied its initial costs, to $7 billion. Candris gives the impression that a slew of plants are about to be built. Not so. A slew of plants applied for licenses, but only because the federal government is offering up to $1 billion in tax credits per new nuclear plant (once electricity production begins), as long as the application was in by the end of 2008.

Aris says: Nukes planned will come in starting in 2016. My source is faster than your source.

Pierre says:

Look for pigs flying around Turkey Point, too, because Westinghouse’s claims are identical to those of Areva, a French company building what was supposed to be a next-generation nuclear plant in Finland — quick, safe, cheap. The plant, Europe’s first in 30 years, was supposed to open last summer. Finns will be lucky if it’s open by 2012. It was to cost $3.5 billion. The cost is now creeping close to $7 billion and counting.

Aris says: Renewables, conservation, efficiency weak. Look at France.

Pierre says:

But French electricity consumption is 7,200 kilowatts per person per year, 44 percent less than the American consumption of 12,900 kilowatts per person. France is a model — of conservation. (Candris is wrong about France’s independence: it imports all of its oil and natural gas.)In the United States between 1995 and 2008, electricity consumption increased by 22 percent, more than the projected increase over the next 21 years. The country coped without gobs of nuclear power — and can cope again as renewables like wind and solar increase their share of electricity generation, from 5 percent today (compared with nuclear’s 20 percent) faster and safer. Imagine if renewables had the kind of obscene tax subsidies the nuclear industry is receiving.

Aris says: ALL those wimpy girlie technologies are expensive and US manly Nukes are cheap.

Pierre says:

In fact, nuclear energy is more expensive than solar or wind energy. Take Florida Power & Light’s plan to build two new nuclear reactors sometime over the next 12 years (it’s not clear when, though the company is already socking it to customers by making them pay for construction today. No other state but Georgia allows that con). The projected cost of the two reactors is $18 billion. It’ll certainly go up well beyond that by the time they’re done, but go with the $18 billion figure. The two reactors will produce 2,234 megawatts of electricity. That comes out to $8 million per megawatt at the opening bell. FPL just started operating a 25-megawatt solar-power plant in DeSoto County. Cost: $152 million, or $6 million per megawatt — $2 million cheaper than the projected cost of the nuclear reactors. With wind, it’s even cheaper. A Chinese-American consortium on Oct. 29 announced plans for a 600-megawatt wind farm in West Texas. Cost: $1.5 billion, or $2.5 million per megawatt. Cheap nuclear power? Demonstrably not.

Keep in mind that wind and solar farms require zero raw materials to operate, and minimal security. Terrorists aren’t about to crash planes into wind turbines or solar panels. Operating a nuclear plant is said to be cheaper than operating gas- or coal-fired plants — but not when security, liability and potential catastrophes are figured into the equation. And for all the safety advances of the past 30 years, the current fleet of about 100 reactors has a projected Chernobyl- or Three Mile Island-like severe accident rate of one every 100 years. Would you like to live near those odds?

The nuclear power industry can’t even persuade its own investors to bet on it, so it’s going after tax dollars and captive customers to pay for its dreamed-up expansion. Simple solution: If nuclear power can make it on its own, fine. But it’s far too dangerous, too uncertain, too costly and too tempting to terrorists to be subsidized by taxpayers and unwilling customers. So far, the nuclear power industry is betting equally and exclusively on public dollars and gullibility. Don’t let it get away with it.
:}

Pierre is right and Aris is wrong. Please support him.

Electric Cars Are Coming, Electric Cars Are Coming – Just not to your town yet..

Posted on November 17, 2009 by Doug Nicodemus

I mean unless you happen to live in the 25 lucky towns this model covers. Most certainly not if you want an electric car.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-10398375-54.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20

November 16, 2009 9:42 AM PST

CEOs endorse ‘foothold strategy’ for electric cars

by Martin LaMon A group of CEOs on Monday came out favor of a regional roll-out of electric vehicles in up to eight cities to demonstrate the viability of the technology and incubate the fledgling industry.

The Electricifcation Coalition held a press conference in Washington, D.C. and released an Electrification Roadmap, which prescribes the business and policy steps required to ramp up electric vehicle adoption.

There are 13 members of the coalition, including the CEOs of Nissan Motor, FedEx, Pacific Gas & Electric, and battery maker A123 Systems. The coalition was spun out of Securing America’s Future Energy, a lobbying group focused on reducing U.S. imports of oil.

Photos: Plug-in vehicles in Motor City

The Electrification Coalition argues that light-duty electric vehicles are the only technology that can cut oil imports and reduce carbon emissions in the near term. Its report (click for link) focuses on what’s required to make electric cars available at large scale.

“I think we have the conditions for the mass market. But it’s going to take more time,” said Carlos Ghosn, the president and CEO of Nissan. “The investments to be made are huge. To make 50,000 batteries is a $250 million investment.”

Of all the major automakers, Nissan is the most bullish on electrification. It is releasing an all-electric family sedan called the Leaf in the U.S. and Japan next year. It projects that 10 percent of new cars sales in 2020 will be electric, which is higher than most analysts’ projections.

The shift presents challenges to auto makers that are unsure of consumer acceptance. Utilities and municipalities need to prepare in order to make these vehicles more consumer-friendly but they, too, are unsure what the volume of sales will be.

To take some uncertainly out of the picture, the Electrification Coalition advocates a “foothold strategy.” Six to eight cities would create a number of incentives for electric vehicles, such as preferential parking and public charging stations. They would apply for government incentives and then test out the system to help bring electric cars to “critical mass,” explained David Crane, the president and CEO of power generator NRG Energy.

In the first phase, the plan calls for getting 50,000 to 100,000 light-duty plug-in vehicles on the road per year in certain areas starting next year and then expand to 25 cities. Its report sets a target of having 25 percent of new vehicle sales be plug-ins by 2020, which is 5 million vehicles. A jump to 90 percent of new vehicle sales being plug-ins by 2030 would represent roughly 17 million units, according to data from consulting company PRTM.

For consumers, batteries should be owned and financed separately from the car itself, Crane said. Because batteries are an expensive component that makes it more expensive than a comparably-sized gasoline car, auto makers, including Nissan, are looking at ways to keep monthly car payments roughly the same by leasing batteries.

Course, if you want to get around all this hemming and hawing and get going today there is ZAP:

http://www.zapworld.com/

100% Electric – Zero Air Pollution (ZAP)

ZAP is a leading distributor of affordable, efficient, 100% electric vehicles in the United States and has established a network of licensed automobile dealers throughout the United States. Plans for European distribution are underway as well. In January 2009, ZAP unveiled a high performance electric roadster called the Alias which is planned for deliveries in late 2010. ZAP launched the XEBRA in 2006. Our first automotive product comes in a four-passenger sedan version and a two-passenger utility pickup truck.. Almost all EVs sold are LSVs. With speed restricted to 25 MPH. Xebra Zapcars and Zaptrucks are licensed to go up to 40 MPH to fill the growing demand for electric vehicles in use for urban, in-town driving. Other vehicles sold by ZAP include the XL truck, the Zapvan Shuttle, and ATV called Dude and the always popular Zappy3 scooter line.
:}

So quit fooling around.

Peeing On The Compost Pile – When I first saw this on DIGG I thought it was a grab for headlines Butt

Posted on November 13, 2009 by Doug Nicodemus

It’s Jam Band Friday – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmuIkJtL42g

It really is something that some people suggest you do.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/cambridgeshire/8357134.stm

Pee to help make your garden grow

The “pee bale” is only in use out of visitor hours

Gardeners at a National Trust property in Cambridgeshire are urging people to relieve themselves outdoors to help gardens grow greener.

A three-metre long “pee bale” has been installed at Wimpole Hall.

Head gardener Philip Whaites is urging his male colleagues to pee on the straw bale to activate the composting process on the estate’s compost heap.

He said the “pee bale” is only in use out of visitor hours, since “we don’t want to scare the public”.

He said: “For eight weeks now, male members of our garden and estate teams have been using the outdoor straw bale when nature calls.

“The pee bale is excellent matter to add to our compost heap to stimulate the composting process; and with over 400 acres of gardens and parkland to utilise compost, we need all the help we can get.

FROM THE TODAY PROGRAMME

Tuesday, January 23, 2007

Pee on your Compost

Judging from comments and our web statistics you people out there love discussing poo. So it’s about time that we move on to pee. Why waste your perfectly good urine? Indeed, both Ghandi and Jim Morrison drank their own urine for it’s reputed health benefits. But we ain’t gonna go there.

Our suggestion for the day is to save that piss for your plants. Urine is a fantastic source of nitrogen and it’s estimated that we all produce enough urine to fertilize all the wheat and corn that we as individuals consume. And urine is sterile and safe unless you’ve got a bladder infection.

Urine should be diluted before applying directly to plants since salts in your pee can build up in the soil. Dilution should be at least 10 parts water to one part urine. Peeing directly on plants can burn them as anyone who owns a dog already knows about. Urine is easiest to apply to non-food crops, though it’s perfectly safe to use on fruit trees and bushes. Applying it to root crops is more controversial, and frankly seems like a practice best left to hippies, so if you try this at least cease application at a respectable interval before harvesting.

There is even a book called Liquid Gold on the subject of pee as fertilizer and the ever more resourceful Europeans have developed a number of urine diverting flush toilets similar to the one we profiled earlier to take the labor out of urine saving.

( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AW5_hqNcj74&feature=related )

I know, I know…I keep this post going because it is hysterical, I get to keep posting great Paul Butterfield tunes and because I can..Still everything good must come to end:

http://www.english-gardening.com/green_up_your_thumb/compost_3.htm

Q. I’ve heard that urinating on a compost heap helps, is this true, or is it a joke?

A. Urine contains nitrogen that will help feed the microbes and speed up their break-down of the brown carbon-rich material. Also, the water content will help keep the heap moist. I regularly pee on my compost heap – but only when no-ones looking.

Everybody does it when no one is looking or at night…why not pee in a pitcher, keep it cold (and well labeled) in the fridge and just dump it when you have the time? HAHAHAHA

( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nqa6tMwvgFA&feature=related )

Energy Efficiency – What does Google tell us

Posted on November 10, 2009 by Doug Nicodemus

Just for kicks I typed Energy Efficiency into the Google Search engine and guess what turned up? You would think it would be pages devoted to helping you out. What you get instead are major corporations that…well are a big part of the problem.

http://www.eaton.com/EatonCom/ProductsServices/Recovery/index.htm?WT.srch=1&s_kwcid=TC|7518|energy%20efficiency||S||3614129274&gclid=CK7kwYnOgJ4CFSUMDQodHCfhow

Eaton?

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) envisions a modernized, more energy-efficient America. Through targeted investments, the ARRA seeks to update and renovate our infrastructure, making us more energy-efficient and self-sustaining far into the future.

At Eaton, we have been living this vision and are ready to do whatever it takes to help the country get back to work.

link arrow Browse Products by Category
Eaton’s ARRA Buy American Provisions

Applications

Eaton has the power management solutions you need to make your products and business more productive, efficient and sustainable. From electrical power quality and distribution systems to innovative solutions in power control systems for performance, fuel economy and safety, Eaton has the solutions that power businesses across nearly any application.

Buildings
Courthouses
Data Centers
Hospitals
Learning Institutions
Military Barracks & Family Housing
Offices
Public Housing

Infrastructure
Airports
Bridges
High Speed Rail
Highways
Network Power Grid
Water/Wastewater Treatment Plants

Siemens?

http://www.usa.siemens.com

News & Events

:}
WTF?

http://www.greenorder.com/?ID=Strategy&gclid=CKD2sMnQgJ4CFQ_xDAodZ3tapQ

SERVICES

Learn more about our services:


	Overview
	Core Competencies
	Business Strategy
	Marketing and Communications
	Green Real Estate
	Efficiency Roadmap
	Climate Risk & Opportunity Assessment


	Case Studies Read about how GreenOrder clients have cut costs and increased revenue through environmental innovation.

Business Strategy & Change Management

Sustainability can be a source of innovation and value, but companies must make it their own — figuring out how green can enhance their unique business situation.

A major shift is underway in how large companies are thinking about energy and the environment. Once seen simply as costs associated with regulatory compliance and risk reduction, now some of the world’s smartest corporate leaders are using sustainability to win – making it a source of innovation that creates better products, stronger profits, and greater enterprise value.

“If you just create a green ghetto in your company, you miss it. You have to figure out how to integrate green into the DNA of your whole business.”
–GreenOrder’s Andrew Shapiro, quoted in Thomas Friedman’s New York Times magazine cover story, “The Power of Green” (2007)

There are many reasons for this, including the need for energy security, concerns about climate change, increased transparency, and changing consumer preferences.

What’s clear is this: Companies today need a robust sustainability strategy and implementation plan – just as, a decade earlier, they had to reinvent themselves in response to globalization and the digital revolution.The historical comparisons are instructive. The most successful companies in the 1990s realized that the Internet could not be relegated to the IT department, but rather required a strategic response across the company. Sustainability is a similarly transformative trend that affects company functions ranging from research and product development to human resources and sales.GreenOrder has the hands-on experience and diverse expertise to deal with this complex challenge and craft game-changing green initiatives in response.

How does a business make green part of its unique “genetic” identity?StrategyIt starts with the right strategy. GreenOrder has helped to create some of the most successful green initiatives in business history, including GE’s award-winning ecomagination initiative. We know how to align sustainability with a company’s business goals.

Which is really this:

LRN

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HOME ABOUT LRN

About LRN

LRN has a singular mission: to help inspire principled performance in business. We believe that a corporate culture that governs according to shared values is the ultimate driver of productivity, profit and long-term value. Companies with a reputation for responsible conduct attract and retain the best employees, customers, partners and investors – yielding long-term, sustainable competitive advantage.We provide everyone in an enterprise with the knowledge, tools and solutions they need to make better decisions, take better actions and work according to higher standards of business conduct. Our offerings mitigate the risk of costly ethical lapses and compliance failures, while building trust and earning the company a reputation for lawful and ethical conduct.Experience and expertise
Our dedicated team of nearly 300 business professionals brings a wealth of diverse experience and expertise – ranging from law and philosophy to education and multimedia, as well as software and technology – to develop innovative solutions that address critical business needs.We also maintain extensive relationships with subject-matter experts from business, government and academia who focus on governance, ethics, compliance and culture management issues. We also draw upon our proprietary expert legal network.Like-minded community
We are proud to be at the center of a community of like-minded organizations that have a common vision for acting lawfully and ethically, according to higher standards of business conduct. Our community includes companies of all sizes and industries as well as affiliations with professional associations and trade organizations with the shared purpose of promoting responsible conduct among employees, clients, suppliers and shareholders.

Our long-term partnerships with more than 350 client companies, including some of the most respected and successful businesses in the world, have enabled us to create an active and growing community with a common interest. Together we acquire and disseminate proven strategic and tactical insights and develop solutions based on real-world experiences. Over our history, we have provided millions of people in more than 100 different countries with the knowledge they need to foster a better understanding of the legal, ethical and cultural considerations that impact their culture and their business.

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Looks like it is all GREEN WASH TO ME

Can Children Change The World – Yes they can

Posted on November 3, 2009 by Doug Nicodemus

If everyone did this the world would be a better place.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-green-schools-03-nov03,0,5196889.story

Composting at schools: Students get into the act

In Oak Park, Villa Park and Naperville, students begin putting their food scraps in compost bins

By Noreen S. Ahmed-Ullah Tribune reporter

November 3, 2009

When they’re done with lunch, students at an Oak Park school sort uneaten morsels into bins — empty milk cartons and juice boxes into one receptacle, orange rinds and banana peels into another, and anything non-recyclable into a third, that one clearly labeled “landfill” to drive home the point.

Hatch Elementary this year joined a national movement to reduce waste headed for landfills. Not only are students and teachers composting leftover fruits and vegetables, but they’re also promoting zero-waste lunches and moving away from plastic spoons, straws and biodegradable trays. Instead, the school is installing dishwashers and buying reusable trays and silverware.

After mastering — and then teaching their parents — how to recycle pop cans and paper, elementary school students are moving beyond Recycling 101 and into more sophisticated terrain.

Zero-waste initiatives at schools across the Chicago area have students aggressively reducing the garbage they produce and trying to avoid anything not biodegradable. Now they’re separating food, determining what can and can’t be composted. They do the composting themselves in outdoor bins or with worm composting in the classroom. They’re learning how to reuse paper towels and use fewer of them. And they’re no longer taking home endless fliers — many schools now post announcements online with “virtual backpacks.”

When a new state law goes into effect in January, expect some of these measures to become more mainstream. The law, passed in August, designates food scraps as organic — not waste — and will lead to widespread efforts to compost food waste.

It’s a skill the little ones have already adopted. At a recent lunch at Hatch, parent volunteers asked a question: “If you don’t eat all your broccoli, what do you do with it?”

“Compost” came the resounding answer.

Simple Method For Beaming Energy From Space – But somebody will get hurt in the process

Posted on October 30, 2009 by Doug Nicodemus

It is Jam Band Friday –

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=you+can%27t+always+get+what+you+want&docid=1345780778117&mid=16E7403197023CEB494316E7403197023CEB4943&FORM=VIVR10

Everyone in this country has been programmed by rampant science fiction to believe that everything for the future comes from outer space. So the Japanese launch a press release about using a satellite to beam microwaves back to Earth.

http://www.physorg.com/news172224356.html

Let’s see, first you have to clean up the 13,000 pieces of space debris…then you got to up our payload capacity and multiple the number of vehicles available by at least 1,000. Just to START such a project. Hell we can barely generate enough capacity to keep the International Space Station running which is 160 volts in DC. Which gets us back to this final meditation on “living off the land”. There are somethings we will have to give up on and the first one is Space Flight. Why? Not because of the money and effort that could spent elsewhere. Not because of the hellishness of the logistics. NASA’s dirty little secret is Cosmic Rays. They would destroy any unshielded human and that is why the International Space Station is not in geosynchronous orbit or higher. Stewardesses and Pilots who regularly fly at high altitudes are exposed to enough Cosmic Rays to have a slightly higher chance of developing some cancers. That is why NASA limits the space station stay for astronauts to under a year. But what is the point of going out there?

GROWTH

If we replaced that with

Quality of Life

As a principle the world would be a much nicer and longer lived place.

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=you+can%27t+always+get+what+you+want&docid=1322404807369&mid=9E85A21DF312D9016FDC57CBDDDC180567D96A9A&FORM=VIVR12

For those of you who want what you need and a simpler life there are many resources out there

http://www.livingoffgrid.org/

Tips for Off-Grid Living – How To Live Off The Grid

Off Grid Solar Power Array Welcome to our free online resource for off-grid living.
We are here to help you along in the rewarding challenge of living off of the power grid. Whether you are a veteran off-grider living in an RV or cabin in the woods, a seasoned rural farmer, a third-generation rancher – or someone just looking to get out of the rat race – we have the information you seek.

What to look for when buying real estate off the grid >>

Though sometimes a challenge, the many benefits of living off grid make it all worthwhile. How can one describe the feeling of running your house or business off of clean energy sources like natural gas and propane, or renewable energy sources like solar, wind and hydro? Who could explain the effect being out of the city and suburbs has on your sense of well-being? How many of us would enjoy more fresh produce grown organically on our own property?

This website isn’t just about owning property that happens to not be connected to the big power company’s grid. It is about living closer to the land; Being responsible for the culture, values and environment we leave behind to our children; knowing that life was meant to be enjoyed, rather than working in a tiny cubicle to earn enough to accumulate stuff we didn’t need in the first place.

Well, that’s what it’s about for me at least. But more importantly:
What is living off grid about to you?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_vcFUAUXzY

You can even be a Dad and do it:

http://frugaldad.com/2009/04/05/living-off-the-grid/

Living Off The Grid

Ever wish you could just unplug from your current hectic life? Maybe quit your stressful job, move to a farm with several acres, and spend your remaining time living off the grid. Yeah, me too.

The problem is that this type of lifestyle seems so simple, but is terribly difficult to pull off these days. Why? Because we have become slaves to our stuff – myself included. We have our houses, our cars, our expensive hobbies, our electronic gadgets, our new furniture, our designer clothes, etc.

We spend the majority of our lives working to pay for the stuff that keeps us from living a life with more freedom. Along the way we usually manage to accumulate debt buying more stuff than we can afford. So then we spend even more time working to repay the money we borrowed to buy the stuff that we work to pay for in the first place. Whew! It’s a vicious cycle.

farmhouse040509
Photo courtesy of iLoveButter

How To Break The Chains of Stuff?

So how do we break the cycle? How do we join others who are living off the grid? It isn’t easy. I believe the very first step is to stop accumulating stuff. Draw a line in the sand (or on your front porch), and vow not to allow anything else to enter your home unless it is a necessity or improves your quality of life in some way. If something qualifies under those two conditions, you must save for it and pay cash. No more borrowing!

The second step is to take a look around your house, and your budget. Are you paying for things that you could really live without? The $40 gym membership, or the $15 Netflix membership, may not seem like much by themselves, but how much of a nest egg would be required just to cover those expenses? I mentioned the multiply by 25 concept in a previous post. The idea is that you can estimate how much of your nest egg would be required to maintain your current expenses. I used Netflix as an example:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iX1OVXTplos

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymLRWZG4u24

The movement is not just limited to the US.

http://www.off-grid.net/

Top govt advisor attacks Big Power

Section:

EVENTS

— by Alexbenady, 30 Oct

Simpson: Local hero

The UK is in the grips of a power cartel, says an insider from the governing UK Labour Party.

That cartel actively hinders the fight against global warming by lobbying for its own narrow commercial interests at the cost of local democracy and the future health of the planet. It’s an argument that off-gridders and anti-capitalist campaigners will be familiar with. It’s not really what you expect to hear from an advisor to Her Majesty’s Government. Yet it is precisely the belief of Alan Simpson, who occupies a place close to the heart of political power in Britain as energy advisor to the Secretary of Energy and Climate Change, Ed Miliband and Member of Parliament for Nottingham South.

>>Keep reading Top govt advisor attacks Big Power Your Comments: 0
Submit this story to: Twitter Digg Del.icio.us StumbleUpon:}

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=you+can%27t+always+get+what+you+want&docid=1346708637036&mid=00EB313253A0B35936F300EB313253A0B35936F3&FORM=VIVR34

Some people even thrive in an “off the grid” living:

http://www.eartheasy.com/blog/2009/06/what-its-like-living-off-grid/

By Greg Seaman Posted Jun 9, 2009

In the summer of 1980, my wife, three-month old son and I moved “off-grid”. We loved living in San Francisco but wanted to live a simpler, more independent lifestyle, and so we bought a small cabin with land on a rural island in the Pacific Northwest. Since there were no services to the island, our home had no electricity. Residents of the island had to create their own electricity or do without.

Now here I sit, almost 30 years later, with the kids grown and their rooms empty, and with some time to reflect on our experience living and raising a family off-grid. But before even considering the challenges and solutions in dealing with our energy needs over the years, one observation seems to leap out: how little things here have changed. We’ve done very little over the years to enhance our energy needs, aside from installing two solar panels last year to power the computer I’m using to write this article. (Alongside my computer on the table here is a kerosene lamp, and a candle for added light.) This lack of change is testament to the feasibility of off-grid living, and my vision for the upcoming years is to keep things pretty much the way they are.

But keeping it simple hasn’t always been simple. We had to learn alternate methods of preserving food, how to build things without power tools, how to cook on a wood stove, how to clean diapers without a washing machine, entertain ourselves without TV, and accept that many common tasks can take longer and be more difficult without electricity. Here are the main challenges we encountered in living off-grid, and how we managed with them.

For much more:

http://www.emagazine.com/view/?2650

http://www.coyotecottage.com/

http://science.howstuffworks.com/living-off-the-grid.htm

http://www.bringaboutgreen.com/

Oh yah and the people that made the song famous:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPCRIFLjfPo

Community Energy Systems

Censys.org

Category Archives: stewardship

The Top 50 Environmental Blogs – OK maybe not but here are some of my Favs

FOR SALE: One deep sea drill rig, needs TLC

Readers, Send Us Photos Of Your Green Thanksgiving Feast!

by Emma Grady, New York, NY on 11.27.09

Which Is Better Google Or Bing – In this particular case well…

20 green heroes and villains: Have your say

National Grid

James Lovelock

Skykon

Marina Silva

Rajendra Pachauri

The Smirking Monkey Is Going Out Of Business – Please help out

Electric Cars Are Coming, Electric Cars Are Coming – Just not to your town yet..

CEOs endorse ‘foothold strategy’ for electric cars

Photos: Plug-in vehicles in Motor City

100% Electric – Zero Air Pollution (ZAP)

Peeing On The Compost Pile – When I first saw this on DIGG I thought it was a grab for headlines Butt

Pee to help make your garden grow

Tuesday, January 23, 2007

Pee on your Compost

Energy Efficiency – What does Google tell us

About LRN

Can Children Change The World – Yes they can

Composting at schools: Students get into the act

In Oak Park, Villa Park and Naperville, students begin putting their food scraps in compost bins

Simple Method For Beaming Energy From Space – But somebody will get hurt in the process

Tips for Off-Grid Living – How To Live Off The Grid

What to look for when buying real estate off the grid >>

Living Off The Grid

How To Break The Chains of Stuff?

Top govt advisor attacks Big Power