Get Energy Smart! NOW!

This guest post is from Bill McKibben who is the co-founder of the grassroots climate group 350.org, and Schumann Distinguished Scholar at Middlebury College.
Nothing tests a relationship like home renovation (well, maybe twittering crotch shots, but I mean for ordinary folks). Fixing the kitchen, putting in a new bathroom: “It can bring up core issues [...]

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The hardest challenges for moving to a clean energy future are not technological or engineering … they are cultural and procedural and shifting incentive mechanisms and so many other intangible — but ever so real — barriers.  Breaking through these barriers to enable tangible progress is a necessary, difficult, and often messy task.
Sometimes, this process [...]

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You can count me among the tens of millions not happy with the caving to give additional tax subsidies the unneedy rich. With this deal, however, unless blocked, the true pain is wondering what we could — or should — have gotten in return.
Why isn’t there $200 billion (or, better yet, $500 [...]

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Today is time to take a moment to make a plug for a specific charity as I am about to write a check and you might want to as well. A bit of background first.
Micro-finance programs are, imo, one of the most empowering developments around the world over the past several decades. Providing sensible [...]

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Sometimes, your kids tell you great things.
We have the coolest house on the street.
Wow.
We’re cool — according to the kids.
Certainly isn’t the non-existent slide for the pool that isn’t there. Our lack of a huge media room and the glaring absence of a gym didn’t contribute. And, while I’ve always thought it cool [...]

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Since diving into the deep end when it comes to energy issues, almost every day sees new fascinating concepts, approaches, and technologies. Fascinating … exciting … even hope inspiring at times. And, as well, as the passion builds, so many of these are truly Energy COOL.
The concept of Silver Bullet solutions concerns me and [...]

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Every day, I strive to Make Energy CENTS from the Home to the Globe. Whether programming the thermostat to low temperatures overnight to providing comments on national energy policy drafts to opening discussions as to Energy COOL technologies and concepts, my efforts to Energize America to a prosperous, climate friendly future cross a broad spectrum.
To [...]

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The biannual Solar Decathlon, sponsored by the US Department of Energy and bringing together 20 university teams from the United States and other countries, is an amazing event that merits far more attention than the hundred or so thousand visitors and the spotty news (and blog) coverage of the event. Truth be told, the [...]

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This guest post comes from down-under.  I had been thinking of writing re JR Ewing’s conversion from stored solar power (e.g., fossil fuels) to renewable solar power.  Unenergy’s post does a great job. And, well, we must recognize that Sunenergy’s ads are great and merit going viral.

I’d put my money on solar energy. What a [...]

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The roof, that is …
Just got off the phone with my better 95+% … Dominion Virginia Power staff are at my home, right now, upgrading the meter to be able to handle net metering.  Fingers crossed … with tomorrow’s dawn, my roof will be part of the power generation system covering over 90 percent of [...]

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