Get Energy Smart! NOW!

Blogging for a sustainable energy future.

Get Energy Smart!  NOW! header image 4

Entries from December 2009

Dr Seuss Traveled to COP15

December 21st, 2009 · Comments Off on Dr Seuss Traveled to COP15

Dr Seuss’ Lorax remains one of the most powerful works re the implications of placing “environment vs economy” rather than understanding how they are intrinsically combined along with a powerful indictment of placing economy over environment in terms of the devastating implications for health, quality of life, and other issues. Here is the clearest summary […]

[Read more →]

Tags: climate change · energy efficiency · environmental · Global Warming · global warming deniers · government energy policy

A far from FAB deal … and an unsigned one at that

December 19th, 2009 · Comments Off on A far from FAB deal … and an unsigned one at that

When it comes to achievements in Copenhagen, the flowery rhetoric issued from (some) world leaders isn’t matched by the substance of accomplishments. And, from the other angle, physical reality and the necessity for serious action to mitigate (and, sadly, adapt to) climate change is unaddressed by the reality of what derived from Copenhagen. As President […]

[Read more →]

Tags: climate change · Global Warming

Barton can’t see Arctic or Himalayas from his porch

December 18th, 2009 · Comments Off on Barton can’t see Arctic or Himalayas from his porch

While Sarah Palin might be able to see Russia from her front porch, evidently Representative Joe Barton can’t see the polar ice cap from his.  Throwing aside the adage that politics ends at the water’s edge, Barton and some Republican global warming denying colleagues traveled to Copenhagen to try to undermine the COP15 talks. As […]

[Read more →]

Tags: carbon dioxide · catastrophic climate change · climate change · climate delayers · climate legislation · Congress · energy efficiency · environmental · Global Warming · global warming deniers · government energy policy

Filling in the X-Y draft

December 18th, 2009 · 1 Comment

Another day, another leak from COP15. As final (???) negotiations go on, from the outside it seems clear that there is no possibility that world leaders can leave Copenhagen having put in place a fair, aggressive, and binding (FAB) that would provide a good deal of assurance (insurance) that the world community will successfully act […]

[Read more →]

Tags: climate change · Global Warming

Rep Linder’s Calls for US to Be Blindfolded Lemmings

December 17th, 2009 · Comments Off on Rep Linder’s Calls for US to Be Blindfolded Lemmings

In a recent Politico OPED, Representative John Linder calls on the US to not jump off the cliff for climate. Looking at his truthiness-laden and error-filled opinion piece drives to the conclusion that Linder doesn’t want Americans to jump off the cliff, but more simply to wear blindfolds and walk over the cliff into catastrophic […]

[Read more →]

Tags: climate change · climate delayers · Congress · Energy · politics

Real Climate Gate …

December 17th, 2009 · 4 Comments

A leaked document from COP15 negotiations shows that the concept of putting civilization on a path toward survival simply isn’t even on the table. Until a few years ago (including in the IPCC reports), the ‘consensus’ seemed to be that flattening CO2 levels at 550 ppm might be acceptable in terms of the planetary system’s […]

[Read more →]

Tags: climate change · Global Warming

The Bells Tolled for us at the Department of State

December 17th, 2009 · Comments Off on The Bells Tolled for us at the Department of State

Across the globe, yesterday, church bell towers chimed 350 times in a mass call for COP15 negotiators to achieve a fair, aggressive and binding (FAB) climate agreement. As the bell tolled, key environmental organizations were being locked out of the negotiations building (despite being accredited to enter) and a group of young climate activists sat […]

[Read more →]

Tags: climate change · energy efficiency · Global Warming · government energy policy

The Bells Toll For Us

December 16th, 2009 · 1 Comment

“Ask not for whom the bell tolls”, since, today, it is for us, our children, and our childrens’ children for whom the bells toll across Denmark. As Danish police assaulted peaceful climate activists, as non-governmental organizations accredited to the COP15 face lockouts, and youth activists sit in protest inside the building calling for a FAB […]

[Read more →]

Tags: climate change · Energy · energy efficiency · Global Warming · government energy policy · politics

Green Schools Include Green Cleaning

December 16th, 2009 · 4 Comments

Try an experiment with paint. Paint one side of a piece of wood with low-VOC (volatile organic compound) paint and lay it to dry somewhere in the house. Wait a day or two, paint the other side with traditional. The difference will be clear. When it comes to cleaning, however, too many of us have […]

[Read more →]

Tags: building green · environmental · green

Some Solar Gifts for the Festival of Lights and other holidays

December 16th, 2009 · Comments Off on Some Solar Gifts for the Festival of Lights and other holidays

This is a guest post from GMoke, who has a life-long passion for making solar power and energy efficiency a reality. Here are his thoughts for the holidays. Every year over the last decade and more, I’ve bought trees ($60) and bees ($30) from Heifer International.  Usually, I pick the project and designate where I […]

[Read more →]

Tags: Energy