Think you know all about energy? What kind of energy we use? How much we use? How much we can save?
This brain-busting quiz from National Geographic will identify the real energy experts. Warm Home Cool Planet took the quiz and the results were… we passed. Barely.
Beware the trick question.
Harvard University has opened a Office of Sustainability. This marks the formalization of the long running Campus Green Initiative at Harvard. The creation of this organization is tied to the University’s long-term energy use. The goal they are aiming for is simple:
30% reduction from 2006 campus-wide greenhouse gas emissions by 2016.
The office has an interesting business model for funding insofar as only 20% of their operating expenses comes from the Harvard’s general fund. The other 80% is generated from working with various University departments on a fee-for-service basis to produce energy and cost savings on building maintenance and construction, and to help each department adopt green policies in operations and procurements. Way to go Harvard!
The New York Times, whose affluent subscriber base is shrinking by the day, has realized that the affluence of their remaining readers is also taking a hit.
That must explain this article of surprisingly useful tips for making your IT and communications devices work a little longer and your budget stretch a little further. Most important, they keep our landfills a little less clogged.
Businessweek has discovered the dirty little secret behind he success of Germany’s renewable energy industry.
Germany’s renewable energy companies are a tremendous success story. Roughly 15 percent of the country’s electricity comes from solar, wind or biomass facilities, almost 250,000 jobs have been created and the net worth of the business is €35 billion per year.
But there’s a catch: The climate hasn’t in fact profited from these developments. As astonishing as it may sound, the new wind turbines and solar cells haven’t prohibited the emission of even a single gram of CO2.
Even more surprising, the European Union’s own climate change policies, touted as the most progressive in the world, are to blame. The EU-wide emissions trading system determines the total amount of CO2 that can be emitted by power companies and industries. And this amount doesn’t change – no matter how many wind turbines are erected.
This is a story that we all need to read and understand. The bottom line is did we really save anything? Did we really reduce carbon? Carbon cap-and-trade frameworks will have to be modified as green energy alternatives come online. The citizens of Germany must continue to demand both the development of alternative energies and the immediate reduction of CO2 emissions levels. Otherwise, renewable energy producers are simply making things easier for their carbon producing counterparts, who find the price of CO2 emissions certifications dropping to almost nothing.
What remains unsaid here is that EU’s carbon neutral system, while it won’t save the planet, is still ahead of the US who over the last decade has outsourced much our carbon emissions to China. Whose environmental problems are a whole other story.
What this article reveals is that while the technology to solve our problems is developing, our governments has to step up to the plate and constantly spur further progress through new standards.
With the passing of the Stimulus package, we just went another $789 billion into the red. One thing Warm Home Cool Planet noticed missing amongst all the talk about job creation, ‘shovel ready’ projects and tax cuts was the notions of discouraging some of the behaviors that have us behind the 8 ball finance-wise and energy-wise. We need to eliminate the product choices and behaviors that $100 billion spending on energy efficiency and energy creation is hoping to achieve over the next two years.
We like this innovative policy idea from the South African Finance Minister Trevor Manuel. Within his 2009 budget are several revenue generating measures that will actively encourage people to think more about their usage of energy–in the home, at work and in the car. They range from the very grand to the seemingly mundane. For instance:
Also proposed, was the introduction of an environmental levy on incandescent light bulbs to promote energy efficiency and reduce electricity demand. It was recommended that an environmental levy of about R3 a bulb (between 1c and 3c a watt) be levied on incandescent light bulbs at the manufacturing level, and on imports from October 1, 2009. This will encourage the widespread deployment and use of compact fluorescent bulbs, which last significantly longer and use up to 5 times less electricity.
Hey, our new debt won’t pay for itself folks.
Last week, we showed you how a local Cambridge organization (HEET–Home Energy Efficiency Team) ‘weatherizes’ a house for fellow Cambridge residents. Weatherizing a house involves making some basic non-structural changes to a house to reduce the energy needed for heating and cooling and save money on utilities. The homeowner supplies all the materials and HEET provides the knowledge and manpower needed to finish all energy efficiency improvements in a single day.
It’s a great community activity and a fantastic way to meet your fellow Cambridge residents while learning from skilled tradesmen how you can make your own home more energy efficient. And there is always a party to celebrate the completion of another successful Weatherization Barnraising.
The next HEET Weatherization Barnraising is scheduled for Sunday, March 1 between 12:30—5 pm at 120 Chestnut Street and 100 Henry Street, Cambridgeport.
The Work to be carried out on site includes:
The number of participants will be limited to assure that everyone has guidance and support from a skilled team leader. You can sign up today by contacting Steve Morr-Wineman at swineman@gis.net or 617-876-4753.
Framingham-based Bose Corporation has long been known for it’s innovative and high-quality sound products. The Bose Wave we have at Warm Home Cool Planet HQ is without a doubt the best investment we have made in the last 3 years.
Now, Bose will be part of the revival of an American icon. Right after the first Chevy Volt hits the road in 2010, GM will be releasing a newer version with a Bose Energy Efficient Sound Series that uses 50% less energy than any previous car-based Bose system. This will go a long way towards achieving the Volt’s promised 40 miles operating range on electrical power only. That number is significant as it covers the daily commute of over 70% of the working population of the US.
After a great deal of political posturing, the Senate passed its version of the stimulus bill yesterday.
Within the bill are several important measures aimed at increasing our energy security, encouraging investment that will create new green jobs and start to addresss climate change. Given the last eight years of inaction on these fronts, Warm Home Cool Planet is hoping that this spending–which adds up to just under $100 billion of the $815 billion approved–will prove to any doubters that the interests of business and the environment can be mutual. Indeed, it would be impossible for one to have much of a future without the other.
As with all things political nothing is settled until the ink is dry on President Obama’s signature. There are some significant differences between the Senate Stimulus bill and the one passed by the House last month. Here’s the breakdown on energy spending for the respective bills. How those differences are resolved will decide how good the Stimulus Package is for our economy–and our planet.
The President has already made his feelings known on energy efficiency provisions within the bill. From yesterday’s press conference on the Stimulus package:
“When people suggest that, ‘What a waste of money to make federal buildings more energy-efficient.’ Why would that be a waste of money?
We’re creating jobs immediately by retrofitting these buildings or weatherizing 2 million Americans’ homes, as was called for in the package… that right there creates economic stimulus. We are saving taxpayers when it comes to federal buildings potentially $2 billion. In the case of homeowners, they will see more money in their pockets… we’re reducing our dependence on foreign oil in the Middle East. Why wouldn’t we want to make that kind of investment?
Warm Home Cool Planet encourages you to contact your local members of Congress and make your voice heard. Here in Cambridge, our House member is Michael Capuano, the former mayor of Somerville.
To find your local member/s, go here and type in your zip code.
Warm Home Cool Planet wants it’s readers to be as efficient as possible. That’s why we bring you stories from around the Web that help you live the life you want without increasing your carbon footprint. From our recent travels on the information superhighway, we’re pleased to note many other fine media outlets are also sharing information on keeping it green close to your body.
One of Warm Home Cool Planet’s favorite political sites, The Huffington Post, has figured readers might be all caught up on Barack Obama and ready for some other useful info. If you’re reading this article from the campus of one our fine educational institutions here in Cambridge, you’ll find this article on how to make your own hacky sack a must read.
Beyond the weird, the well intentioned, and all the other advice on recycling your old duds that could make you look a homeless person trying to get through winter, Warm Home Cool Planet has noticed a couple of welcome trends from clothing manufacturers. First, their ability to recycle other materials beyond the soda bottle used in your favorite fleece includes some interesting and inspired ideas.
Second, more clothing companies are taking back old clothing from customers and recycling themselves, including every greenies’ favorite premium label, Patagonia. Check out out this video where one of their sponsored climbers, Tim O’Neill dons a cape and attempts to rescue Japan from mountains of old underwear. Not quite the threat Godzilla represented to our friends in the land of the Rising Sun–but frightening nonetheless.
Amazon has just released the new version of their book reading device, the Kindle 2. The new hard drive (2GB) holds 1500 books and features a new “Read to Me” feature which allows the…. user to hit a button and let the Kindle read for you. In other words it’s a book that comes with it’s own ‘Books on Tape’ mode. All improvements over the first Kindle, which was essentially a high resolution black & white screen with a hard drive attached.
Many media pundits are using this launch to dust the cobwebs off their Books Will Soon Be Extinct storyline. Many of these people have also speculated that if Amazon can’t make the leap to digitally delivered products, their future looks awfully shaky. An ironic twist given many of these experts are working for media companies who are practically on life support themselves. As an example, the New York Times live blogged the launch event.
Perhaps you’re asking yourself why Warm Home Cool Planet is getting all tangled up in the launch of yet another interactive media product. It’s the same reason we take an interest in all different types of technology. Will they lead to more effective and (energy) efficient ways of doing things?
There is no question human thoughts–and the words we use to express them–will always be an integral part of our society. Think of the book–or the Kindle–as a delivery system for those words and it makes things a little clearer. Do people have a stronger attachment to books than they do for newspapers? Is the long form of the book more conducive to an ‘analog’ reading experience?
We have no doubt someone with more time on their hands than Warm Home Cool Planet is calculating the carbon footprint of getting a book into a reader’s hands versus beaming it their Kindle. We’ll bring you those facts and figures when they become available.