Luft calls for open fuel standard to break oil dependency, promote competition in fuel sector… video
Is an open fuel standard the answer to ending the United State’s dependency on foreign oil? Should the market be given the opportunity to choose which fuel to use? During today’s OnPoint, Gal Luft, executive director of the Institute for the Analysis of Global Security and co-founder of the Set America Free Coalition, explains why he believes an open fuel standard is the most viable option for our future transportation fuel policy. He discusses OPEC’s influence on current energy prices and analyzes the energy plan recently proposed by oilman T. Boone Pickens. Luft explains why he believes relying on natural gas to fuel our vehicles, as Pickens has suggested, would essentially create a new dependency issue for the U.S..
If you prefer to read, here is the transcript

Some very good points in this interview.

Peace,
Bruce

HERE COMES THE “NEGAWATT”!!!

When looking at the looming price of oil, topping $142 a barrel today (7/8/08) and forcasts of $12 - $15 per gallon by 2010 you can’t help but look for alternative and renewable sources of energy. What if it turned out that energy efficiency and conservation was the single biggest solution? Could the campaign for “Drill more, Pay less” be too little, too late for solving our energy crisis and peak oil?

This article by Amory B. Lovins of the Rocky Mountain Institute answers these questions with a litany of facts to clear the air and confusion about how to look at solving our energy needs and keep the environment from further going south.

Peace,

Bruce

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Using smarter technologies, more brains and less money to wring more work from less delivered energy–what energy experts call “end-use efficiency”–is the largest, cheapest, safest, cleanest, fastest, most diverse, least visible, least understood and most neglected way to provide energy services.

How big is it? The 46% drop in U.S. energy intensity, a measure of energy consumption per dollar of real gross domestic product, during 1975-2005 represented, by 2005, the equivalent of a new energy “source.” This source was slightly larger than annual total European energy use, 2.1 times the size of U.S. oil consumption, 3.4 times bigger than U.S. net oil imports, six times domestic oil output or net oil imports from OPEC countries and 13 times net imports from Persian Gulf countries.

Three-fourths of U.S. electricity–69% of which is used in buildings, nearly all the rest in industry–can be saved for less than the price of just running a coal or nuclear plant. This “negawatt” potential is not just in smarter motors, lights, appliances, etc., but even more in their larger systems. For example, three-fifths of the world’s electricity runs motors, and half their shaft power runs pumps and fans. Designing friction out of pipes and ducts can save 10 times as much fuel at the power plant.” -Armory Lovins

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Here is the full article on Forbes.com

The Case for Efficiency
Amory B. Lovins 07.07.08

“We can save our bottom lines, and maybe our butts, by taking economics–and efficiency–seriously.” -Armory Lovins

Physicist Amory B. Lovins has been a leading practitioner of advanced energy efficiency in buildings, vehicles and industry for over three decades. He is co-founder, chairman and chief scientist of the Rocky Mountain Institute, an independent, entrepreneurial, nonprofit think-and-do tank that implements transformational energy and resource efficiency, chiefly in the private sector.

This is a very interesting article that is addressing exactly the same issues we are facing here in the US with moving toward decentralized energy distribution. Note the bold text below. It is exactly what Rob, myself and others have been saying about decentralized renewable energy.

In-joy,
Bruce

excerpts from:

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Will Renewables Trump Nuclear in Ontario?
by Stephen Lacey, Staff Writer and Lily Riahi, Correspondent
Ontario, Canada [RenewableEnergyWorld.com] July 2, 2008

In Canada these days, it’s almost impossible to talk about renewable energy without talking about nuclear power. With the recent freezing of Ontario’s Renewable Energy Payment (REP) system and a proposal from the Ontario Power Authority (OPA) to procure 14,000 megawatts (MW) of nuclear power over the coming decades, many in the industry question whether politicians and regulators in the province are serious about developing renewable energy.

Now Ontario — considered Canada’s most progressive renewable energy market — has become a staging ground for a philosophical war over how to develop the future energy market. The battle cry from the renewable energy industry was sounded at the World Wind Energy Conference in Kingston, Ontario last week, as advocates and businesses called on the OPA and government officials to make distributed generation a priority over centralized generation.

To illustrate that nuclear does not have to play such a prominent role, OSEA has rolled out a Green Energy Act campaign to raise awareness about the possibility of Ontario meeting 100 percent of its electricity demand from renewable resources within the same time frame proposed in the recent IPSP. But only when renewables are made a priority over nuclear can the province achieve such an ambitious goal, say advocates of the Green Energy Act.

“The government priorities are a bit puzzling. You wonder why renewable energy acquisition is put on hold while at the same time big announcements are made about nuclear energy,” said CANREA’s Peters. “It’s a bit difficult to understand how the government can say that renewable energy is the cornerstone of a good policy, while at the same time make such big investments in nuclear.”

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Full Article

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May the long time time Sun…
shine upon you…
all Love surround you…
and the pure light…
within you…
guide your way on.

An old Irish blessing and the golden voice of Snatam Kaur.

Namasté,
Bruce

Massachusetts-based Evergreen Solar has announced a new line of high efficiency solar panels this month.

The new ES-A Series, the 200, 205 and 210 W solar panels are made with Evergreen’s proprietary “String Ribbon” technology. A set of special parallel strings are pulled through a molten pool of silicon and a thin “ribbon” forms between strings as the silicon cools. The ribbon is then cut and fashioned into solar cell wafers.

Evergreen claims the carbon footprint of these new panels is up to 50% smaller than those of competitors, and they have a quicker energy payback — perhaps as fast as 12 months.

With their workforce swelling from 300 to 1,000.Evergreen says it will begin production of its new panels by July and will be built in its new manufacturing plant in Devens, Massachusetts

The company says the new panels will have an easier installation, new clickable connectors and a new low voltage configuration for greater flexibility.

EVERGREEN SOLAR SIGNS TWO NEW SALES CONTRACTS TOTALING APPROXIMATELY $600 MILLION

EvergreenSolar to double plant’s size add 350 jobs.

Enjoy the SUN!

Bruce

Miriam Horn, co-author of Earth the Sequel, introduces a green energy future in Environmental Defense Fund’s video series, Unleash the Future.

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Unleash the Future with Solar Energy…

-Printed Nano thin film solar panels at 1/10th the cost and half the amount of space.

-Conrad Burke, CEO Innvalight

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“The Promise
Every hour, the sun delivers as much energy to the Earth as all of humanity uses in a year. The total energy from just 20 days of sunshine is equal to all the energy available in the total reserves of coal, oil, and natural gas.

If we converted only 10 percent of this solar energy into electricity, a square of land 100 miles on a side (about 0.26 percent of America’s total land area) could meet all of America’s electricity needs.”

-Environmental Defense Fund

Here is the full article

This is such a welcome trend to see educated, environmntally concious consumers, making their choices based upon their concern for our planet and each other. A recent rmarketing eport from Unity Marketing has clearly indentified the luxury market is responding to the green market and it is not a fad or trendy short lived part of the economy. With gas prices exploding and climate change being a real concern not just the treehuggers and fashion challenged granola-heads are voting with their consuming choices and pocket books. Here is an excerpt from the article:

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The Luxury Market Is Going Green — Luxury Brands Can’t Afford to Ignore It

Unity Marketing’s latest trend report uncovers strategies for targeting the affluent “Green” consumer

Stevens, PA June 6, 2008 — The typical ‘green’ consumer is no longer certain to be a fashion-challenged, granola-crunching wearer of Birkenstocks. Today, the consumer looking to go green is increasingly likely to be an affluent professional woman wearing an eco-friendly and animal-free Stella McCartney suit and satin shoes. And if you want her dollars and her loyalty, you need to pay attention to the priorities she finds important when making her selection of luxury goods and services.

Green luxury consumers look for social responsibility before making a purchase

According to Unity Marketing’s latest trend report on luxury, Green Marketing and the Luxury Consumer, luxury consumers are concerned about the environmental issues that hit closest to home, citing fuel and energy shortages and the use of renewable energy sources as top concerns. “With gas prices at $4 a gallon — and this might be the summer low — even the affluent find it hard to ignore the impact of filling your tank a couple of times a week,” says Pam Danziger, president of Unity Marketing and author of Shopping: Why We Love It and How Retailers Can Create the Ultimate Customer Experience.

However, luxury consumers are also looking beyond themir pocketbooks to larger issues, like protecting the environment, global warming and avoiding water and air pollution. And the leaders on these issues are affluent women.

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There is a $230 billion marketplace that exists for products and services that meet the needs of consumers who buy based on their personal, social and environmental values. This marketplace is predicted to grow to $845 billion by 2015! Here is Colette Chandler, Green Marketing expert, talking about the effects of Green Marketing and how consumer trends are driving profit… GO GREEN!

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So going green and having some green now go together. It is great to see how the power of one person making green choices with their consuming can in deed change the world. I think another major shift is happening in the choices for the quality of the foods we eat. Qrganic, non-irradiated, Monsanto-free foods should be the norm. If the corporate strangle hold of our FDA drives their decisions… we can undernine the corporations by what we are willing to purchase…. one person… one purchase at a time… :~)
Peace,

Bruce

Unity Marketing article

Can Green Consumers & Industries

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Why Say Yes to Green?

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An interview with Professor Bebo White regarding the SayYesToGreen.org initative…

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One of the best solar energy commercials….

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In a Nova episode from April 2007, the successful business model of SunEdison is described by founder Jigar Shah. They own and maintain the panels, and sell the power to the business at below retail power rates. SunEdison has become the largest solar energy services provider for North America (currently 25MW), providing solar-generated energy at or below current retail utility rates with no capital investment, for commercial and government applications.

Can’t wait for Citizenre to make take this concept to an entirely different level… Go Ecopreneurs!!!

In-joy,

Bruce

Here are a few new discussions on Renewable Energy & Peak Oil…. very interesting.

Keep in mind the whole point of identifying the Peak OIl situation is to motivate us toward taking action with solutions. Debating and getting mired in the problem solves nothing

No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it. - Albert Einstein

Peace,

Bruce

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With Amory Lovins, Randy Udall, Marvin Odum. Moderated by Jack Riggs. The Aspen Institute and National Geographic magazine host the first ever Aspen Environment Forum, in Aspen, Colorado—a powerful, three-day exchange examining the future of our shared environment.

Aspen Environment Forum

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Here is a wonderful education in the explanation of peak oil from a congress man.

This part 1 of an 8 part series..

Congressman Roscoe Bartlett on Peak Oil [Part 1]

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Dr. Hirsch Discusses Peak Oil on CNBC

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T. Boone Pickens (a Texas Oil Man) on CNBC Discussing Peak Oil, Wind & Solar and cleaning up coal. 5/20/2008

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A first glance it seems like a good idea to have prisons become more ecological and sustainable. What a great application of solar power! The inmate numbers in the US are growing and the burden on the taxpayer is growing.

At a deeper analysis this is even a better idea. It goes beyond money and the problem. Instead the focus is on people & solutions and is one of the “shifts” happening in the world. Where looking for the best in others, showing compassion, love, forgiveness, cooperation and getting in touch with the earth and nature becomes a healing. This is true re-hab. When you have a prison that someday will release an inmate that could be your neighbor you want that person to have gone through a personal shift to have seen the error of their ways and enter into the joy of being alive and thriving in our society. Todays prisons, especially in the US…. turn out people worse than when they entered “the system”… and the number of inmates is growing faster than the ability to house them. More of a coping mechanism rather than a healing and re-hab process. Something is wrong with that picture.

I truly hope this Norwegian prison can set an example for others to emulate and that we hear a lot more about it.

Here are the articles and a video….

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From the Environmental News Network…

Norway Unveils “First Ecological Prison”

Justice Minister Knut Storberget said the most important idea behind the “ecologically driven prison” is to develop a sense of responsibility in inmates and prepare them for life outside its non-existent walls.

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Some of Norway’s most notorious criminals are doing time in the world’s first eco-prison. The focus is on an environmentally friendly jail sentence. It’s aimed at easing the transition for prisoners about to be set free. Al Jazeera’s Nick Clark reports on an experiment which is producing positive results.

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From TreeHugger.com…

Strange But True: Norway Announces First “Ecological Prison”

Prisons probably aren’t the first buildings that spring to mind when you think about green design and architecture. Yet one small island in Norway is set to change that perception with the recent introduction of the “world’s first ecological prison” — a facility powered by solar energy that will put its inmates to work coordinating daily operations, such as recycling and food production, and learning their part to protect the environment.

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Visualize World Peace,

Bruce