Get Energy Smart! NOW!

For decades, people have been working on and considering how to get Virginia on the path toward a clean energy future. And, with plunging prices for clean energy paths (solar, wind, storage (batteries), efficiency (think LED lights), electric transportation, etc) with increasing climate impacts and understanding of climate risks along with increased business pressure for […]

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Last week, a broad environmental coalition and multiple Virginia state legislators coalesced for the announcement of the “Virginia Clean Economy Act” (VCEA). When one sees organizations like CCAN and its climate hawk founder/director Mike Tidwell pushing hard to build momentum for the VCEA, the presumption has to be that this is serious action that would […]

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The Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA) targets having 60 percent of Virginia’s electrons ‘clean’ (e.g., low-to-no carbon emissions on generation) by 2036 and 100 percent by 2050. While finally, if passed, legislating a clean power (more prosperous and resilient) future for the Commonwealth, this bill would still leave Virginia a middling player (not a leader) […]

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Let’s play word association. Read the following phrase and what’s the first thing that comes to mind. Rich family … There are, of course, many possible from Hilton to Mellon to Rothschilds to … Yes, there are many that might come to mind.  For me, the ‘first to mind’ would be the Rockefellers.  Robber baron […]

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Last evening, my better 95+% was flipping through the channels and received the rare: stop, go back to that. What was that? A Nissan “innovation” advertisement in which the Nissan Leaf played a prominent roll, “if you never needed to buy another gallon of gas …” Watching this well-done advertisement made me think of Who […]

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Senator Claire McCaskill, who has been anything but a shining star on thoughtful thinking for creating a prosperous and climate-friendly America, has let loose with another doozy. “I think it’s still a work in progress,” said Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill, who worries that a cap would be a loser for Democrats in November. “You know, […]

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Occasionally, it seems worthwhile to resurrect earlier discussions, to try to bring attention to elements that should be part of our national dialogue but which, sadly, seem not ingrained in people’s thinking. No Regrets strategic thinking looks to satisficing — how would this pan out across multiple scenarios. Considering what a No Regrets Strategy would […]

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In a time of year when it can be hard to go into public without being overwhelmed by Christmas carols, the sound of jingling bells can sicken many of us. And, it is hard for many to associate this season and carols with any form of religiousity due to the mass commercialization of across the […]

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Today, Al Gore and a coalition of leading environmental organizations are launching This is REALITY.org. Simply put, despite all the glowing ads that you’ve seen and bipartisan romancing of clean coal, “clean coal” remains not much more than powerpoint slides and technological dreams that might (MIGHT) work in 20 years or so, at a very […]

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Last month, to far (FAR) less attention than it merited, the House of Representatives (facing an Administration veto threat) passed the 21st Century Green High-Performing Public School Facilities Act with $20 billion for greening public schools across the nation. Taking aggressive action to green schools is about one of the smartest steps the nation can […]

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