Lester R. Brown
The heat in the upper six miles of the earth’s crust contains 50,000 times as much energy as found in all the world’s oil and gas reserves combined. Despite this abundance, only 10,700 megawatts of geothermal electricity generating capacity have been harnessed worldwide.
Partly because of the dominance of the oil, gas, and coal industries, which have been providing cheap fuel by omitting the costs of climate change and air pollution from fuel prices, relatively little has been invested in developing the earth’s geothermal heat resources. Over the last decade, geothermal energy has been growing at scarcely 3 percent a year.
Roughly half the world’s existing generating capacity is in [...]
Geothermal: Getting Energy from the Earth
A Global Shift to Renewable Energy
Lester R. Brown
As fossil fuel prices rise, as oil insecurity deepens, and as concerns about climate change cast a shadow over the future of coal, a new energy economy is emerging. The old energy economy, fueled by oil, coal, and natural gas, is being replaced by one powered by wind, solar, and geothermal energy. Despite the global economic crisis, this energy transition is moving at a pace and on a scale that we could not have imagined even two years ago. And it is a worldwide phenomenon.
Consider Texas. Long the leading U.S. oil-producing state, it is now also the leading generator of electricity from wind, having overtaken California in 2006. [...]
Solar Day – celebrate the opportunities of renewable energy
After thirty years, the importance of Earth Day is recognized globally. But another environmentally-related celebration is fast on its heels.
June 19th is the second annual celebration of Solar Day, an event honoring solar as an alternative way of providing electricity and light to an estimated more than 1.6 billion people with no direct access to it.
Solar Day will focus on aspects of green living and climate change, with events throughout the U.S. to educate consumers about renewable energy programs, rebates and incentives that are available at city, state and federal levels.
Last year was a sort of virtual event, said Addison Huegel, Executive Director of Solar Day 2010, with one physical [...]
Apples to Apples: Solar and Wind less costly than Coal and Oil
The following is a guest blog by Tom Rooney of SPGsolar.
Everyone knows solar and wind power are more expensive than oil and coal.
Everyone except the National Academy of Sciences.
So they put it to the test: They found coal and oil and natural gas are artificially cheap because they impose health and financial and environmental costs that all of us pay for — above and beyond the price. Whether we know it or not.
Whether we like it or not.
Sounds kind of like a subsidy, doesn’t it? It’s exactly like a subsidy.
Apples to apples? Solar and wind are often less expensive than coal and oil.
The Academy estimates that coal and oil drain [...]
Dart makes recycling styrofoam easy
Everyone tosses that foam packaging that comes with our favorite electronics, right?
Not any more.
Since the 1990’s, Dart Container Corp.– a leader in the polystyrene foodservice product industry – has been collecting polystyrene (generally called StyrofoamTM, a product developed by the Dow Chemical Company) at their drop-off centers, keeping it out of landfills.
They began at their corporate headquarters in Michigan, says Michael Westerfield, Dart’s Corporate Director of Recycling Programs.
Since then, the drop-off program has grown.
In 2007, Dart collected and recycled 106 tons of foam at the Michigan location. In 2008, doing nothing different, they recycled 200 tons of foam. In 2009, they recycled 250 tons, again altering nothing.
Since the 1990’s, the [...]
Top Ten Ways to Cook Eco-Healthy
Get you and your family involved with the cooking and give your lives an eco-overhaul. Watch those lbs drop off whilst reducing your carbon footprint – and having fun (what more could you want?!)
1. Get your Five a Day – If we’ve heard it once, we’ve heard it a thousand times, but getting your five a day is good for you (and the environment!). Filling up on un-processed fruit and veg helps your digestion, clears your skin, rids your body of toxins and keeps your blood-sugar level consistent – stopping you from snacking! The benefits of this are obvious. Un-processed food uses fewer chemicals, machinery, oil, energy [...]
Business Group pushes for climate and energy legislation through advertising
National companies and grassroots organizations 3,000 strong have launched a national advertising campaign calling for swift action on energy and climate legislation. The group includes a wide range of companies - from American Businesses for Clean Energy (ABCE) and the US Climate Action Partnership (USCAP) and mom-and-pop companies, to brands ranging from national brands like Google, Nike and Timberland.
The print ad, titled A Question of American Leadership will run in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Ohio, South Carolina and Florida. It calls on the U.S. Congress to enact bipartisan climate and energy legislation that “…increases our security and limits emissions, as it preserves and creates jobs.”
The group represents a a broad spectrum:
American businesses
faith-based groups
national security [...]
PaperMate goes green
PaperMate has been one of America’s go-to pens for decades. Users of these durable, reasonably priced products cover every age and economic bracket from schoolkids to corporations.
On Earth Day 2008, PaperMate’s parent company, Newell Rubermaid, established their sustainability policy, which included a commitment to energy and waste reduction and to sourcing green materials for their products.
With the approaching 40th anniversary of Earth Day, PaperMate has achieved creating two green product lines.
Their Biodegradable pen and mechanical pencil line was launched in November 2009. These durable writing tools have a soft touch yet are made to the high quality standards of all PaperMate’s products. Writing with them is smooth and comfortable.
These handsome [...]
Pharmaceutical product stewardship moves towards greater reality
Almost a year ago I wrote about the growing problems of medications in our nation’s water supply.
Since then, the problem has grown. At the same time, a number of states and organizations have been pushing for product stewardship from manufacturers. To date, Maine holds the distinction of being the first state to pass Extended Producer Responsibility legislation. It’s widely held that the first products recommended for manufacturer “take backs” will be pharmaceuticals.
Today, Coventa Energy- which develops, owns and operates waste-to-energy facilities throughout the U.S. and Europe - announced it has begun a a free service to local governments as part of its national program to collected unwanted and unused pharmaceuticals.
It’s a good next step. But what’s really needed is [...]