Time Magazines Tip #23: Copy California

Arnold Schwarzenegger may have signed the world's toughest anti-global-warming law, but it is Democrat Terry Tamminen, his environmental adviser, who is emerging as the state's real Terminator, winning industry support and the endorsement of a Republican Governor for a mandate to reduce the state's emissions 80% by 2050.

But thwarting climate change isn't a solo effort. Tamminen left his official post to build a national response to global warming one state at a time. "I am trying to Johnny Appleseed what California has done," Tamminen says. His goal is to create a de facto national climate plan out of individual efforts in the 50 states. "He is crisscrossing the country and spreading the word," says Karl Hausker, deputy director of the Center for Climate Strategies. "Terry gets state leaders interested in doing this." Hausker's nonpartisan, nonprofit group handles the technical details after Tamminen plants his seeds. Nineteen states have developed or are developing aggressive climate plans based on the work of Hausker's group and Tamminen. So much progress is being made at the state and regional level, Tamminen says, that "by the time that there is a new Administration in the White House, a majority of Americans will live in states with a meaningful plan that deals with the climate-change issue."

Source: Time Magazine; April 9th, 2007 issue

No Impact Man is an Inspiration

Here is a guy who lives in NYC and has made giant changes in his life in order to minimize his carbon footprint. He is living in a way that eliminates his net impact on the environment. There is a difference between no impact and net impact. Day to day we each have an impact in some way. Generally it's in things we do everyday without thought; things such as keeping our refrigerators or computers running all day, washing our clothes with the washer and dryer, and even riding an elevator. Those types of activities have impact, however, when we take into account the offsetting we do when we recycle, plant trees, or donate to alternative energy funds or carbon neutrality funds, we offset those carbon contributions we have made by working to eliminate carbon and GHG emissions.
Colin Beavan is "No Impact Man". He has a very interesting website that you can visit by clicking on the link located on the right side of this blog page where it says No Impact Man.

Discovery Channel Special

There was a special on the Discovery channel last Sunday about alternative energy and technologies that can bring it about. I was surprised when I heard the facts about some of the everyday things we use for energy regarding their power.

I learned that the sun and the energy it produces is equivalent to 77 million atomic bombs going off every second. I also learned that it takes 1,120 lbs. of coal energy to keep just one standard home computer powered for a year. I learned more about hydro-gas and the benefits that it can bring when other fossil fuels run out, and even though it's methane and its pollutants are very harmful to the atmosphere and eco-system, they are not planning to use it until they've figured out a way to capture its harmful GHG's from escaping into the sky. And harvesting it looked so cool! At the deepest depths of the ocean, were only a few life forms exist is where they find these solidified gas rocks, capture them, and store them for future use. They say that there is enough hydro-gas (solid methane) in the oceans to power the entire planet for over a hundred years.

Interesting how alternative sources of energy are all around us just waiting to be used. These are energy sources that we've had on this planet since the dawn of time; Water, wind, solar...that's just to name a few that we are just now starting to understand and appreciate as a global population. Do what you can to educate those who don't now understand the sense of urgency we are dealing with.

Butanol: The Next Generation Bio-Fuel

Although the science behind this newly found bio-fuel is not fully complete and ready to implement, butanol leaves us with a hope greater than that of ethanol.
But what is butanol? When speaking of it as a bio-fuel, it is an alchol based fuel that, at 85% strength, can be used without any changes to many engines, unlike ethanol. Butanol fuel is produced from fermentation of biomass. Essentially rotting bio-materials can be converted into butanol.

It’s imagery that causes us to reflect on a mad scientist named Doc Brown from a movie called Back To The Future. We see a frazzled man with interesting sunglasses from the future that was dumping trash into his Delorean engine to produce fuel. Just exclude the aluminum cans and plastics, and keep the banana peels, rotting foods, and plants, and we’re not far from a butanol powered engine.
When compared to ethanol, butanol is less corrosive, more sutable for distrubution through existing gasoline pipe-lines, and has more energy available to burn. Although there are no automobiles in production right now that are ready for butanol, it is concievable that we could see more ink about this new fuel in the near future.

Yahoo!'s Top Ten Greenest Cities

The following are the top ten "greenest" cities according to an ongoing research project being conducted by Yahoo!.
1: Pelzer, SC
2: Hastings, NE
3: San Carlos, CA
4: Mill Valley, CA
5: Topeka, KS
6: Dover, DE
7: Spring, TX

8: Lawrence, KS
9: Walnut Creek, CA
10: Fairfax, VA

"Ecare" Alternative Energy Fair

At St. Francis University, Loretto in Somerset, PA something special is happening this weekend. Something that will hopefully create a trend in cities nationwide. We're talking about an Alternative Energy fair. An exhibit that is dedicated to the use of alternative energy driven products and services.
Some of the exhibitors will have vegetable oil-diesel conversion samples on display, as well as other small scale bio-diesel demonstrations available to the public.
It's not just the average customer their looking to sell to, although they will certainly sell to whomever will buy, but they are also in the market for businesses who will either install, buy, or market their technologies.
During the Fair there will be seminars and presentations about how bio-fuels work, what their advantges are, and how other alternative energies may be implemented. This is to inform the public about the technologies and products that will be featured at the expo.
There is a fee to gain entry, and it will be open to the public this Saturday from 8am to 8pm, and on Sunday from 9am to 5pm. For more information visit www.ecarefair.com.

Alternative Energy Market Survey

They have done it again. About 450 alternative energy industry big-wigs complete a survey every year that gives us details regarding what kind of profitability alternative energy companies can expect from producing or distributing items such as wind turbines, solar panels, and even research and development. It's sort of a grand council of all the industry leaders to see where this growing market is expected to go.
And the forecast is good. The biggest, and prbobably the most substantial figure is simply the annual projected revenue growth. In 2005 the expected revenue was to be 74% more than in 2004. In 2006 it was projected to be 77% greater than 2005, and now 2007 is projected to be 83% higher than 2006 profits.
The report also indicates that governments on every level from federal to local will be a key factor in furthering the industry. It also suggests that these governments in general are in favor of implementing renewable evergy sources by passing important legislastion. Tax credits will be the tool they will most likely use to encourage alternative energy companies to grow.
According to the report biofuels and wind energy will continue to lead to pack until 2012 partly because biofuels are just about in full swing, and wind energy seems to be the most economical mass scale renewable source of energy we can institute as of yet.

Time Magazines Tips for being green # 17

Most of the 25 tons of CO2 emissions each American is responsible for each year come from the home. Here are some easy ways to get that number down in a hurry without rebuilding. Open a window instead of running the AC. Adjust the thermostat a couple of degrees higher in the summer and lower in the winter. Caulk and weatherstrip all your doors and windows. Insulate your walls and ceilings. Use the dishwasher only when it's full. Install low-flow showerheads. Wash your clothes in warm or cold water. Turn down the thermostat on the water heater. At the end of the year, don't be surprised if your house feels lighter. It just lost 4,000 lbs. of carbon dioxide.

Source: Time Magazine, April 9th 2007 issue

Exxon to Discuss Alternative Energy

Today the shareholders at Exxon Mobile meet to discuss the future of their investments into the development of alternative energy sources. Of course, company management does not think it to be a profitable endeavor and will discourage shareholders from proposing such investments, citing them as unprofitable and unnecessary.

In it’s yearly proxy statement Exxon said “The corporation’s traditional business areas remain critical and promise far greater value than renewables, which currently lack the scale and economic competitiveness of our core business opportunities”. It makes sense that a company that specializes in fossil fuel production and distribution would make this statement, but the portion regarding the scale and economic competitiveness is somewhat true, unfortunately. The possibility that Exxon’s shareholders could decide to invest in more R&D would be a monumental business move in the green direction, but still looks unlikely. It’s just progressive that they’re even bringing it up at the meeting!

With over $300 billion in sales in 2006 and record profits in the last quarter of 2006, Exxon mobile has the revenue and means to research and develop many types of alternative energy…so here’s hoping the shareholders think of the world as well as their pocketbooks.

Energy Refuge on Ethanol

I was just hired by this alternative energy website to do some blogging for them. So here is some information that they have provided regarding ethanol:
"During a time when gasoline and ethanol prices are already so high, refueling more often can become very costly. Another issue is that e85 ethanol gas stations are not that prevalent. Of the 176,000 gas stations in the country, only about 800 sell E85. Until more ethanol stations spring up, people would have to map routes when traveling, just so they could refuel. The head of market development at the American Coalition for Ethanol, Ron Lamberty says, "If you're concerned about emissions, you should use E85. If you want to make sure the money you spend is circulated through the American economy rather than some South American or Middle Eastern country, the choice is E85."
So where does the average American who purchases an ethanol friendly SUV stand? Why go through the heartache and extra troubles? Is it really worth it? Hmmm...It is better for the environment, it can always be filled with regular gasoline, and it is renewable. Works for me!"

Source: http://www.energyrefuge.com/archives/ethanol_reduces_mpg.htm, 2007