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

Essay By Luke DiTomas

Here is an excerpt from an essay by college student Luke DiTomas at The Ohio State University:

"Due to budget constraints, the government is only able to contribute a mere $150 million to the research and development of ethanol based fuels, which is hardly enough to revolutionize a multibillion-dollar energy market. Private sector investors, Virgin Group's Richard Branson, and technology guru Vinod Khosla have made substantial contributions because they see the possibility of an ethanol boom similar to the one in Brazil. Our government had set these goals of reducing the amount of imported oil, but isn’t providing nearly enough funding in order to reach these goals. The government must re-think their budgeting restraint on this because a revolution of this magnitude would have a much larger affect on our economy than just decreasing our need of oil. Struggling U.S. auto manufactures have a competitive advantage over foreign auto makers on flex-fuel vehicles. Foreign auto makers are skeptical on ethanol vehicles due to the large amounts of water and land needed to produce the necessary amount of corn. This is the spark that U.S. auto companies need to regain their dominance in the U.S. auto industry. The results of this would be seen in other industries as well. The distribution side of this would need substantial growth to meet the demands of the new fuel. The demand of corn, wheat and plant stalks would increase, which would only mean more growth in the agricultural industry. The growth of all these industries would mean a lower unemployment rate due to increases in workers needed to meet the requirements, and a larger GDP due to the expansion of multiple industries within the country."

Time Magazine Tip #14

Ride The Bus!

With transport accounting for more than 30% of U.S. carbon dioxide emissions, one of the best ways to reduce them is by riding something many of us haven't tried since the ninth grade: a bus. Public transit saves an estimated 1.4 billion gal. of gas annually, which translates into about 14 million tons of CO2, according to the American Public Transportation Association. Unfortunately, 88% of all trips in the U.S. are by car. Partly, that's because public transportation is more readily available in big urban areas. One promising alternative is bus rapid transit (BRT), which features extra-long carriers running in dedicated lanes. Buses emit more carbon than trains, but that can be minimized by using hybrid or compressed-natural-gas engines. A study last year by the Breakthrough Technologies Institute found that a BRT system in a medium-size U.S. city could cut emissions by as much as 654,000 tons over 20 years.
Thanks to high gas prices, miles driven per motorist dropped in 2005 for the first time since 1980, according to the Pew Research Center. The U.S. is ready to change. We're just waiting for the bus.

Source: Time Magazine, April 9th, 2007

Winston Churchill Quote

"The era of procrastination, of half-measures, of soothing and baffling expedients, of delays, is coming to its close. In its place we are entering a period pf consequences."

~ Sir Winston Churchill

Wasn't he inspired when he said this? This is also used in An Inconvenient Truth to signify the turning point in human history where we would start to reap what we have sown.

This quote has been posted, not to deter or discourage, but to motivate and inspire to action.

Be A Voice

Al Gore, in his documentary An Inconvenient Truth, talks about people going from denial straight to despair while skipping the most important phase of all; moving to ACTION!

If you are a recent convert to the ideology of Global Warming as a moral issue, there is way too much to be done right now that this relatively small, new community needs you to act. There are a variety of people who may subscribe to the passive thought that global warming is real, but these same luke-warm people decide not to change anything about the way they live. I am not a person with excessive means by any sort, though in spite of my near poverty, I have made changes in my life that make me say "You know, even though I had to sacrifice to make this important change in my life, I know I did the right thing."

Doing the right thing propels us into the productive and rewarding future otherwise unseen by the content and complacent eyes.

Carbon Offsetting

Essentially this picture describes what it really means to offset carbon emissions. When carbon and other atmospheric pollutants enter the air they thicken the atmosphere. What this does is traps infrared heat within our atmosphere in amounts that are higher than normal. Increased infrared energy leads to increased average tempratures throughout the globe and especially at the poles. This is the basic concept on global warming.

What to do?

Offset our carbon output, or better yet, neutralize it. By becoming carbon neutral we allow the atmosphere to heal and over time we can reverse the global warming damage we have already caused. That's why everyone needs to get involved. Take a stand. Move to action.

Because we only have one earth, we must not fail.

Time Magazine's tip #3: "Change Your Lightbulbs"

Embrace the compact flourescent lamps (CFL's) and ditch the incandescent bulbs. These swirly little glowers give more light with less energy. A CFL of 26 watts equates to your standard 100 watt bulb.

These CFL's use only one quarter of the electricity and last several years longer than incandescent bulbs. But because they contain 5 mg of mercury, you can't throw them out with the rest of the garbage. Instead you should recycle them properly. Even though this is a small scale way to reduce your carbon footprint, if half the country made the switch, we could offset 20,600,000 TONS of carbon emissions per year. That equals 41,250,000,000 pounds of pollutants!