Get Energy Smart! NOW!

Links can come in from all over the blogosphere and any/all material one writes on the web are open for quick and easy citation/linkage/quotation. The other day, a prominent Australian climate denier columnist (a good example of a mass media distorter of science who is in the Hall of Shame) chose to quote from a discussion here: Sourcing Skepticism … what factors drive questioning of Global Warming? As will be made clear below, the “quote” is taken out of context and thus something true (the words quoted did appear in that post) is utterly untruthful (since the quote misrepresents). That columnist, Andrew Bolt, is quoting from here as part of an argument seeking to link those concerned about Global Warming with religious fanaticism, engaged in religious “mumbo-jumbo”.

In fact, there is such a clear parallel between green faith in apocalyptic global warming and Christian faith in the Apocalypse that some have simply married the two:

“Global Warming is, obviously, a good thing because it is one of the signs of the End of Times.“

That sentence is absolutely, without question, accurate in terms of the exact words being a direct quote in terms of what I wrote.   It is, however, a very clear and utter misrepresentation both of my beliefs and the material from the post.

[Read more →]

Watching Barack Obama and the appointments since the election has created the foundation for an emotional roller coaster while  been a serious one for those concerned about energy and environmental issues.  When it comes to Obama’s own actions, elation that his first major policy statement/engagement after the election was a strong statement on the need for action on climate change and his desier to lead. Confusion (concern) that, however, his targets for action fall far short of what science recommends.

Elation comes with many appointments.  John Podesta as head of Transition, Hillary Clinton as SecState, Bill Richardson at Commerce, Carol Browner in the White House on Energy/Climate Issues.  Truly, elation. All of them ‘get’ global warming and the challenges we face and the opportunities we have in creating a clean energy future.  And, it goes further than that with many appointments. Steven Chu as Secretary of Energy: Super Elation.

But not all the appointments are as clear cut for standing ovations when it comes to energy and environmental issues. Jim Jones, as National Security Advisor, is coming from a Vice-Presidency at the global warming denier / delayer supporting US Chamber of Commerce where he developed energy policy that is best described as ‘climate delayer’ in tone.  Tom Vilsack, perhaps due to the state he governed, is a massive promoter of questionable (fiscally, environmentally, energy balance) corn-based ethanol.  Ray LaHood, for Transportation, has (generously) an uneven record on energy and environmental issues and strongly supported drilling and increased oil supplies as an ‘answer’ to our petroleum addiction.  Being generous to the situation on those and other appointments, confusion about the centrality of sensible energy and global warming policies to an Obama Administration.

Today, science and better paths in the face of global warming hit the trifecta. It is Congresswoman Hilda Solis for the Department of Labor, Professor Jane Lubchenco to direct the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and John Holdren as the Presidential Science Advisor (and director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy).  A massive turn back to ELATION!

[Read more →]

Anyone who suggests that Global Warming is a straightforward issue is either selling you a bill a goods or doesn’t know what they’re talking about. (They don’t know what they don’t know.) While, it is clear that current, rapid shifts to the atmosphere are drving change that, writ large, will be catastrophic without major shifts in our polluting and land-management patterns, one of the complexities is the dating of significant human impact on the climate and what the implications of that impact might represent.

The other day, several University of Wisonsin scientists (climatologist Stephen Vavrus, John Kutzbach, Gwenaëlle Philippon) presented a paper at the American Geophysical Union that “provided detailed evidence in support of a controversial idea” that human impacts began, in a globally noticeably way, millenia ago and might, in fact, have “prevent[ed] the world from entering into a new glacial age”.

A couple quick notes before exploring this further. (1) This is not an arena of expertise and I’ve not had a chance to read this material in detail. (2) To place a footnote of items into perspective, a point to highlight: amid the complexity, while perhaps a ‘little’ warming (or avoided cooling) accumulating over 1000s of years might represent a good thing, far more extensive warming occuring over decades (or even years) is a far riskier (and disastrous) path to follow.

And, to be absolutely clear, Vavrus is not a climate denier / skeptic:

“My views are very similar to those expressed by IPCC,” said Steve Vavrus, an associate scientist at the UW-Madison Center for Climatic Research.

[Read more →]

Yesterday, Barack Obama formally introduced Dr. Steven Chu as the next Secretary of Energy. In his formal statement ( video / transcript), Dr Chu quoted from a study he helped lead, Lighting the Way toward a Sustainable Energy future which was released on 1 August 2008 by the InterAcademy Council.
[Read more →]

Hybrids are too often thought of simply in terms of personal vehicles.

They are also penetrating the big vehicle market space. Consider the average delivery truck and all its starts/stops. There is a lot of energy to capture there, which is why UPS is pursuing hybrids. And, as per Walmart and its hybrid trucks, they are hitting the semi-trailer world. There are also efforts to apply hybrids to trash trucks and offer the opportunity to silence those squealing brakes at 5:45 am. Ann Arbor, Michigan, has started to get hybrid buses as is London. And, well, now they’re coming to a school system (maybe) near you.

[Read more →]

Eight months ago, I opened an effort to Vote Energy Smart, not Energy Dumb!

The opportunity is before us to bring focus to [energy and global warming] across campaigns, across the United States, and make Energy/Global Warming a winning issue come November and a higher priority for serious Congressional and Administration action come January 2009.

The Energy Smart Act Blue page worked on the philosophy of supporting underdog challengers, who were not “expected” to win when added to the page. And, most importantly:

The challenger understands energy / environmental issues and will bring a radically different perspective to the Hill compared to the incumbent.

At the end of the day, considering that these were all ‘underdogs’ and, in some cases, sentimental extreme long-shot picks, the “list” didn’t do poorly with two (of four (with footnote)) elected Senators and five (of ten) elected Congressmen. Aiming for ‘underdog’ candidates, a 50% win rate isn’t so bad. Writ large, some of these were among the closest elections in the nation, with four of them not called definitively election eve.

Join below the fold for a recap of the 2008 candidates and the Energy Smart list.

This is electoral politics, thus: The 2008 election season is over, long live 2009 and 2010. Thus, the first two Energy Smart candidates of the 2009 election cycle are from the Commonwealth of Virginia: Brian Moran for Governor and Miles Grant for the House of Delegates in the 47th District. See a few words on them after the fold as well.

[Read more →]

One of the key Energize America principles is to strive to

Make the right choice the easy choice.

Right now, throughout the United States, structural issues of regulation, financing, taxation policy, and otherwise make it difficult for individuals, businesses, communities, and governments (at all levels) to make the right choice when it comes to holistic approaches to energy choices. Home Owner Associations (HOAs) ban solar power; tax policy favors deducting energy costs now versus longer-term deductions of building improvements to reduce energy use; purchase and operations budgets are separated, hindering investment in better quality purchases that lower long-term operating costs; and so on …

What creates these disincentives and what might be done to change the situation? Two Top Line Strategy studies offer some insights when it comes to solar power.

[Read more →]

Earlier this week, I spent some time at EcoBuild. At meetings like this, I always seek to spend time wandering the exhibition hall, never knowing what ‘cool technology’ will be there, what information to learn, what interesting people to meet. These are hours spent valuably, learning and exchanging thoughts. While there was much interesting there, there was a quite incongruous moment when at the Foametix booth.

Now, spray foam insulation is something of interest, both in regret that I don’t have spray foam in my home and in believing that it is one of those simple technologies that, if deployed and used more widely, could enable us (the US) to achieve great improvements in energy effiicency in our buildings at relatively low cost. Thus, consider me an enthusiast. And, Foametix claims to be a ‘green’ variant.

Okay, at a booth of a “green” insulating product at a ‘green’ trade show, this was not the expected commentary from one of the Foametix representatives.

This can save so much energy that we’d easily be able to cut the natural gas used to generate electricity and heat homes. That natural gas could then be used to power cars and we’d make all those windmills across Texas unnecessary.

While this is not a verbatim quote (hard to take notes while pulling one’s jaw off the ground), attacking wind mills while saying good things about coal-fired electricity (other words, about how “coal can provide the electricity”) isn’t what we expect to hear from ‘green’ product representatives speaking at a ‘green’ trade show.

[Read more →]

It must be that time of year again. [DIGG this story.]

Just like last year, the Minority on the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Commitee (read James Inhofe (R-Exxon)) has just released another “report” somehow proving that the globe isn’t warming or, if that fails, that humanity has nothing to do with the warming or, if that fails, that it really doesn’t matter or, if that fails, that we can’t do anything about it anyway.

Let’s make some things clear:

• As a taxpayer, to start with, I am outraged that my taxes are used to support such truthiness and distortions.
• As a human being, I am outraged that such deniers (Roadblock Republicans) are able to stand in the way toward moving the nation and the Globe toward a more sensible energy future.
• And, as an analyst, I am outraged that such mediocrity and mendacity is allowed to be pedaled as a “report” with the imprimateur of the US government and a US Senate Committee behind it.
• A full throated examination of the mediocrity of this collection of misleading climate denier and climate skeptic and delayer material is beyond the ability of one single post or a single blogger.

Inhofe and sidekick Marc Morano merit credit for using their positions of power quite effectively to do great damage to our abilities to move toward sensible policies that might actual provide a prosperous and secure future for Americans. Giving credit where credit is due is, to me, a quite pleasurable task. Lou Grinzo’s Inhofe Scale captures the delusional nature of the Senator from Exxon.

The Inhofe Scale will be used to measure statements (but most definitely not the speakers who make them) that exhibit a noticeable and willing detachment from reality. The scale is calibrated so that 100 equals the detachment seen in Senator Inhofe’s “greatest hoax”, polar bear, and Mars quotations, seen above. Extra consideration is given to positions espoused with an excessively cavalier attitude or downright meanness, and those from people or organizations that have a obligation to get it right.

This past week, Inhofe and his sidekick Marc Morano published yet another deceptive piece, recycling much of the deception from a year ago and throwing in more material to confuse and deceive, UN Blowback: More Than 650 International Scientists Dissent Over Man-Made Global Warming Claims Study: Half of warming due to Sun! –Sea Levels Fail to Rise? – Warming Fears in ‘Dustbin of History’. Quite sadly, Morano knows how to manipulate the system and gain attention, with a massive spread of such malicious information just before the Christmas break on the Hill, when other members and staff simply are not around to put accurate information out on behalf of the entire committee (rather than simply deceptive truthiness and outright lies from the Minority side).

As with last year, journalists working in the blogosphere are starting the investigative journalism to discover the truth behind the reports claims. For example, Joe Romm at Climate Progress yesterday published a piece with one quoted scientist reacting strongly about how the Inhofe/Morano monstrocity not just misquoted her work, but actually represented it exactly opposite its actual conclusions. The title of the piece is a pretty good summary: Scientist: “Our conclusions were misinterpreted” by Inhofe, CO2 — but not the sun — “is significantly correlated” with temperature since 1850.
[Read more →]