environment

Dealing With The Variability of Renewable Energy Forces Us To be Smart
August 24, 2008

I wrote this article for the Huffington Post.  It can be seen in its original context here



The thing about fossil fuels is that they enable utilities, planners and policy-makers to, in effect, be dumb.  Because fossil fuel is essentially stored solar energy, the fuel can simply be pulled out of the ground, transported to a large power plant and burned.  No attention needs to be paid to wind speeds, cloud cover or tides.  Of course, we know that the entire supply chain of conventional energy–from extraction, to processing, to transportation and on to burning the fossil fuel–lead to social, political and environmental degradation, the costs of which are getting higher and higher. 

Moving to renewable energy sources helps mitigate those costs, yet it also forces societies to be smart about energy.  To put it simply, that’s because renewable energy sources are variable, and different regions can posses vastly different renewable resources.  This variability can be a problem for utilities, because they need to constantly supply enough power to meet demand.  According to a recent study by the Rocky Mountain Insitute (RMI), “In the past, utilities believed that they had to compensate for this variability by installing more traditional, fossil-fueled power plants. The more wind or solar power on the grid, the thinking went, the greater the need for backup generating facilities to be there when the wind or sun wasn’t.”

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environment  / Huffington Post  / Renewable Energy

Two Models for Financing the Energy Revolution
August 17, 2008

I wrote this article for the Huffington Post.  It can be read in its original context here

We Don’t Need Better Panels but Rather Better Politicians and Bankers

One of the key aspects of Gore’s challenge to produce 100% of America’s energy from renewable sources within a decade is his belief that we already have the requisite technology to do so.  And in fact, most experts will tell you that while meeting his challenge will require a lot of innovation, (we need to develop better grid control and energy storage systems, for instance) the main challenge is not technological but rather political and financial.  In other words, we’ve got the engineers and designers, but we lack the right kind of politicians and bankers.

The political challenge is best exemplified by the fact that the Congress left for its summer recess without having extended crucial tax credits for wind, solar and energy efficiency.  As Thomas Friedman pointed out, “both the wind and solar industries depend on these credits—which expire in December—to scale their businesses and become competitive with coal, oil and natural gas.” As a result of political infighting, dozens of renewable energy projects slated to begin next year have been put on hold.

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environment  / Huffington Post  / Renewable Energy

Why Cycling is To Transportation What Efficiency is to Energy
August 5, 2008

cyclist going uphill image

The author, on his 2005 cross-country bicycle trip, proving that cycling can be sexy!

I wrote this article for TreeHugger.  It can be seen in its original context here



Until the recent spike in gas prices, much of the discussion about solving our transportation problems–namely, emissions from cars and dependence on foreign oil–centered on increasing the efficiency of the vehicles we drive through higher CAFE standards and new designs.  Lately, the discussion has expanded to include the importance of public transportation, walkable cities and, to a lesser extent, cycling.  However, even as alternatives to driving have become more prominent in public discourse, the fact of the matter is that people get far more excited about the Chevy Volt and the Tesla Roadster than they do about hybrid-electric buses and bicycle lanes.

Shiny Cars and Solar Panels Get More Attention

In much the same way, when it comes to solving our energy crisis there is always more enthusiasm for renewable energy technologies, like wind and solar, than there is for energy efficiency.  When it comes down to it, fancy cars and shiny solar panels are just sexier than riding a bicycle and installing triple-glazed windows.  At the same time, cycling–which is the most efficient form of transportation–and energy efficiency, are by far the cheapest means of addressing a wide range of issues, from climate change, to congestion to high energy prices.

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environment  / philosophy  / TreeHugger Job

Car? What Car?. . .Hauling Furniture By Bicycle
August 4, 2008

I wrote this article for Treehugger.com.  You can see it in its original context here.

bicycle trailer outdoors image

Until Now, A Limit to What I Could Do With My Bike

Here at Treehugger we talk a lot about cycling for transportation as well as recreation purposes.  On a personal level, the bike has been my car for the past five years, during which time I have riding across the U.S., commuted to work and class, and ridden for every conceivable purpose and in rain, snow, hail and heat.  However, one limitation has always bothered me: whenever I’ve needed to carry something larger than what can fit on my rack or in my panniers, I’ve had to rely on someone with a car in order to carry that object.  In other words, I wasn’t living the “true” car-free lifestyle.

Well, that all changed last week when I received my new trailer from Bikes at Work.  There are lots of different trailers out there, but I decided on this one because it is designed to carry up to 300 pounds and has an innovative hitch design.  Not only that, but on their web site you can see amazing pictures of people hauling everything from fridges to sofas to lawnmowers–that’s the kind of trailer I want!  I finally got to test out the trailer earlier today when I went to Office Depot to buy a new office chair.  See how the trailer performed (as well as more photos) after the fold. 

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environment  / TreeHugger Job

Throwing Out “Reduce. Reuse. Recycle.”
August 3, 2008

I wrote this article for the Huffington Post.  You can read it in its original context here.

The Old Mantra

For a long time one of the defining mantras of the environmental movement has been “Reduce. Reuse. Recycle.” It’s the kind of simple message that is easy to remember and makes for fantastic bumper sticker reading, yet it’s also a message that utterly fails to inspire.  The problem with the “Three R’s” of environmentalism is that they are representative of flawed thinking: that in order to reconcile humans with nature, humans must restrict themselves while engaging in several select token activities, such as recycling, changing light bulbs, or buying hybrid cars. Yet these activities are just that: token. They can’t begin to scratch the surface of global climate, energy, poverty, water, and health issues.

A New Mantra

All this is not to say that we should not do what we can in our personal lives to affect change; rather, it means that we need a new, inspiring message, one that presents global problems as opportunities, galvanizes people to action, and unleashes human potential and creativity.  We simply won’t “Reduce.  Reuse. and Recycle” our way to Utopia.  The scale of global problems requires a message that invites big thinking and reaches all segments of society. So I propose a new mantra, not just for environmentalists, but for all those working toward the common good.  It is a mantra that just so happens to still be simple and concise enough to fit on a bumper sticker: Invent. Invest. Implement.

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environment  / Huffington Post  / philosophy

My Challenge to America: Don’t Ignore Gore’s Speech
July 20, 2008

I wrote this article for the Huffington Post.  The article can be seen in its original context here



Last Thursday Al Gore gave a speech, the full text of which can be read here, that challenged America to “to commit to producing 100 percent of our electricity from renewable energy and truly clean carbon-free sources within 10 years.” It was a speech that should have inspired and excited Americans of all walks of life at least as much as, if not more than, President Kennedy’s famous speech calling on America to put a man on the moon within a decade. Instead, Mr. Gore’s idea has been met with a chorus of criticism, with the naysayers claiming that it would be too costly, too impractical, and too risky to attempt to meet such a goal.

Apollo and Gore’s “Moon Shot”–A Flawed Comparison

The comparisons between America’s mission to the moon and Gore’s “moon shot” proposal, while useful, are flawed.  Both represent great challenges, yet it must be remembered that in 1961 we did not possess the technology to get to the moon; we do, however, have the technology to achieve 100% renewable energy.  But perhaps more importantly, although the Apollo program was great for national pride and beating the Soviet Union, it was by no means essential to our nation.  Switching to renewable energy, on the other hand, can not only dramatically reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, it can also help us regain our stature in the world, create jobs, rein in unpredictable energy costs, lower health care costs, get us off foreign oil (provided we also electrify our transportation system) and force American companies to innovate in ways that will be good for them and good for America.

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environment  / featured  / Huffington Post  / Renewable Energy  / TreeHugger Job

Al Gore Gives Electrifying Speech, Calls for 100% Renewable Electricity Within 10 Years
July 18, 2008

Gore Gives an Electrifying Speech

Yesterday Al Gore gave an electrifying speech (the full text of which can be read here) that challenged America “to commit to producing 100 percent of our electricity from renewable energy and truly clean carbon-free sources within 10 years.” That’s right: no “reduce carbon emissions by 80% by 2050” or “generate 10% of electricity from renewables by 2020.” Rather, Gore issued a challenge that both captures the enormity of the challenges we face and forces us–all Americans–to devote our passion, creativity and genius toward creating a healthy, clean, and just America.  Of course, meeting the challenge will require not only that the government provide strong incentives for renewable energy, it will also entail getting all sectors of the economy to radically change how they think about, procure and use energy.  And while we already have all the technology we need to produce 100% of our electricity from renewable energy, we lack the transmission lines, control systems and policies that will be needed to make that a reality.  Old jobs will be lost, and hundreds of thousands of new ones will be created.  Where once rooftops contributed to the urban heat island effect and nothing else, solar panels will silently, poetically convert solar energy into electricity; off-shore and on-shore wind turbines will sprout up to harvest the breeze and, in the process, protect land by making it more valuable; in short, the impacts of shifting to 100% renewable electricity in a decade will be far-reaching, all-encompassing and deeply transformative.

Can Americans still think big?

The only question now is, have Americans lost their ability to think big and boldly?  Have 8 years of the Bush Administration made us so complacent that we no longer believe in our ability to meet great challenges?  I for one can say that as a young American, I am extremely excited and inspired by Gore’s challenge.  I want to devote my energy to renewable energy, peace and prosperity.  Just as Obama’s campaign has made so many Americans–young and old–feel hopeful about the country, Gore’s speech makes me feel hopeful and excited about the future of the world.  There are simply too many exciting trends going on for us to sit back and feel there is nothing to be done about climate change, poverty and pollution.

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environment  / Renewable Energy

Residential Wind Installations on the Rise, Some Barriers Remain
July 11, 2008

I recently discussed the fact that renewable energy projects are becoming increasingly large and centralized, a trend that has led some to fear that the “residential revolution” of small-scale wind and solar in every home would never come to pass.  But now, thanks to “reductions in their size and cost, along with improvements in efficiency,” sales of small wind turbines “have been growing steadily since 1990.” 7,000 small turbines (classified as producing no more than 100 kilowatts) were sold last year, a number that is expected to reach 10,000 this year. These turbines are typically rated at between 2 and 10 kilowatts, are from 33 to 100 feet in hight, and range in cost from $12,000 to $55,000.  (For comparison, large wind turbines are rated at up to 3 megawatts, or 3,000 kilowatts, and stand up to 300 feet tall).

Several Factors Behind the Trend

Several factors are driving the increase in sales.  Concern about climate change and energy costs are certainly important, especially considering that “a 10-kilowatt turbine in an area with an average wind speed of 12 miles per hour can lead to a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions equivalent to removing 1.3 cars from the road.” But perhaps the most compelling reason to “go wind” has to do with the economics. 23 states in the U.S. offer net metering, which means that if your wind turbine generates more power than you use, then your meter will actually spin backward as you sell that power back into the grid.  Additionally, Congress is considering a measure that “would offer a 30 percent federal tax credit on turbine purchases” capped at $4,000.  That same federal tax credit is already being offered to residential solar installations.  Lastly, various state incentives can further sweeten the deal.

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environment  / News  / Renewable Energy

Small Is Beautiful. . .Right?
July 11, 2008

image

Large scale solar collectors such as this 100,000 square foot array are becoming Increasingly commonplace in the desert

In 1973, a collection of essays titled Small is Beautiful: Economics As if People Mattered, was published by the British economist E.F. Schumacher.  In it, Schumacher argued that our economies had become “too big and too centralized,” defined by dehumanization, mechanization and unsustainable growth.  Instead, Schumacher proposed what he called “Buddhist Economics,” which stressed the importance of decentralization for creating dignified, just and meaningful interactions between people and their work, environment, and the larger world.

Renewable Energy=Global Village?

I bring up Small in Beautiful because one of the most enticing features of renewable energy is its potential for realizing Schumacher’s vision of a global economy that functions at the level of the village. Because new forms of energy production-wind, solar, methane capture-are productive rather than extractive, and local rather than global, they can sustainably support economies that function on a human scale.  When combined with new methods of communication and collaboration (namely, information technology and the open source revolution), a new era can be ushered in, an era defined by the concept of a ‘Global Village:’ powered by the sun, globally interconnected yet culturally, politically and geographically unique.  A global village is self-sufficient (to the extent possible), empowers individuals, and is free from the hegemony of large corporations and institutions. 

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environment  / philosophy  / Renewable Energy

Worried Wind Will Spoil the View? Float The Turbine Out to Sea!
July 11, 2008

image

There are several ways to deal with the opposition to off shore wind farms: litigation; legislation; proving economic benefits; or siting them only where opposition in minimal. So far, none of those methods have led to a single off-shore turbine being built in the United States. A combination of NIMBYism, red tape, and powerful lobbies have held up proposed wind farms off Cape Cod as well as the Rhode Island coast and elsewhere.  While I am frustrated that the world’s fastest growing source of energy isn’t being installed at breakneck speed in the U.S., I believe it is well worth the effort to continue pushing for more wind energy, offshore or otherwise.  However, alternatives do exist that bypass many of the problems associated with current wind projects.

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environment