Get Energy Smart! NOW!

 Trade show spaces often have interesting surprises and value at conferences. Currently on through tomorrow in Washington, DC, EcoBuild America‘s trade show has been the source of intriguing leads and items every time I’ve visited. (Note, I was told that this is free to visit if all you wish to do is go to the […]

[Read more →]

Amid their enthusiastic embrace of western consumer technologies, increasingly affluent Chinese are leaving one appliance behind: clothes dryers.  According to Washington Post front-page reporting, For reasons practical as well as cultural, most Chinese consumers simply don’t like clothes dryers. Don’t want them. Don’t trust them. Won’t buy them. And even when they have them around, […]

[Read more →]

If embraced, solar cooking has the potential for providing a meaningful Silver BB in the fight to mitigate climate change, in the struggle to reduce health damage from polluting cooking (such as wood or coal burning in inadequately vented homes), and aiding economic strengthening for some of the world’s poorest people (reducing costs (both monetary […]

[Read more →]

Sad-to-say, the air waves and oped pages and blog posts have been filled with Steven Levitt’s and Steven Dubner’s shallow, truthiness-laden Superfreakonomics.   The continued attention feeds on itself, as ignoring the deceptions and the mediocre interviews booked due to the authors’ Super(freaky)star status has the problem of giving it credence due to non-truthful truthiness and […]

[Read more →]

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. Humanity has treated natural resources as boundless. And, we […]

[Read more →]

The University of Minnesota’s Solar Decathlon team‘s handout to visitors to the DOE Solar Decathlon, which opens Thursday on the Mall in Washington, DC, (which I had a chance to visit earlier today) is subtitled “A New Tradition”. Their ICON Solar House hopefully is just that, a representation and sign of “a new tradition” that […]

[Read more →]

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. […]

[Read more →]

Stimulate Etymology: From Latin stimulatus past participle of stimul? (“goad on”) . Verb: to stimulate: To encourage into action. To arouse an organism to functional activity. Synonyms: encourage, induce, provoke, animate, arouse, energize, energise, excite, perk up Antonyms: de-energize, sedate, stifle For eight long years, this nation has been de-energized, had productive advancing of the […]

[Read more →]

Having a readout on miles per gallon gets most drivers to drive better, in ways that increase safety and reduce fuel usage. With minimal additional cost, these feedback systems can help to improve fleet fuel efficiency through fostering changed behavior by the users (the drivers). This is an impact that better car design, hybrid technologies, […]

[Read more →]

Carbon offsets are something that trouble me, with the analogy to medieval indulgences clearly seeming relevant for at least some who embrace them.  On the other hand, Energy’s Three Rs make much sense to me: Reduce energy use (through efficiency and conservation) Use Renewable Power as much as possible Remediate for any remaining polluting energy […]

[Read more →]