Get Energy Smart! NOW!

America has developed a 99-cent shopping obsession that has turned Benjamin Franklin’s axiom “a penny saved is a penny earned” on its head. A price of $100 gives us pause, but a price of $99.99 seems like a bargain. Combined with easy access to revolving credit and our disposal culture, our focus on purchase price overshadows the total cost of many of our purchase decisions. We tend to focus on the “cost to buy” rather than the “cost to own.” More often than we care to admit, we are — to trot out another axiom that predates Franklin — “penny wise and pound foolish.”

So began a recent article of mine. This is a theme that I often emphasize in my energy diaries and in Energize America:

The critical importance of moving from

• a stove-piped, limited perspective Cost to Buy mindset to a
• more holistic, inclusive perception as to Cost to Own.

And, this is true in our individual lives, in our communities and businesses, and for our government.

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As reported in Le Monde, after extensive study, the French postal system is undertaking a shift toward extensive use of electric vehicles for mail delivery.

Currently, 60,000 of French mailmen (and women) deliver mail by bicycle (the classic Jaune — yellow — of La Poste).  These will be transitioned to electric assisted bicycles and, to a lesser extent, electric carts.  
Many of the 30,000 who deliver by vehicle will also be transitioned to electric vehicles. First priority will be to transitioning in “Pieton” (pedestrian only) areas.  The biggest problem in the transition:

In a dense urban environment, this is truly the ideal vehicle … One must simply pay attention because its silent operating is such that pedestrians don’t hear them.

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At the YearlyKos Convention in Chicago, four Kossack trainees from The Climate Project took an impromtu opportunity Sunday morning to about 25 conference attendees between the nondenominational prayer service and the Blogger’s Brunch.

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There is somewhat a debate about how to move to a better energy future (sustainable and more prosperous). Some argue that what is required is “education” — let the individual figure out their best choice.  Others assert that it is simply “up to government” and, to a certain extent, even give up on their individual action as irrelevant in the larger schema.  Truth is that both individual and governmental action is required (along with institutional of all types) to be able to manage a move toward an energy future that will reduce/mitigate Global Warming impact while sustaining the world past peak hydrocarbon.In any event, however, to be able to make this move requires that people and institutions have accurate information that will enable action and enable decisions.  

Below is a letter to the editor of Consumer Reports regarding an article comparing LCD and Plasma televisions that failed to give that required material for their readers to be able to make informed decisions.

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Wow …  

The candidates for the Democratic nomination to be the next President of the United States joined the second (and last) Yearly Kos.

Wow …

Yet …

Well …

Hold on …

Were they asked the right questions?  Did we, the community, ask them driving questions on the core issues facing the United States and the Globe?  

From my perspective, sadly, no …

Where was the question on energy policy?

Environment?

That little thing called Global Warming?

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Crashing the Hill … that is the title of the third section of the Energize America presentation come Saturday morning, 0915-1015, Yearly Kos.

Crashing the Hill … has been a learning experience for the Energize America team and community.

Actually, a learning process that continues … and will continue as we fight for a prosperous and sustainable energy future.

We have been engaged … and will continue to be engaged … with members of Congress on the development of innovative energy concepts and legislation.

TODAY  This afternoon, in a few hours, one of those Representatives, a key one, will post a diary on Daily Kos related to Energize America.  Join that diary discussion to learn news about what we can look forward to in the coming months.

NOTE:  ACTION ITEM IN DIARY

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To all the candidates for the Democratic Party Presidential nomination (the next President of the United States) and your staffs, the Energize America community urges you to join us in Chicago, Saturday morning, for the panel Energize America and Crashing the Hill.

If you are not aware of it, Energize America is a people-powered concept for moving to a prosperous and sustainable energy future.

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The House is considering, amid all the energy legislation, instituting a nation-wide renewable power standard (RPS). HR969 is up for a vote TODAY!  ACT NOW!

Oh … boring … the snores have begun …

No

Actually

CRITICAL to moving toward a prosperous and sustainable energy future.

Here is a step that you can take to Energize America.

The Energy Bill is in the House this week.  One of the most critical possible changes is a twenty percent Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) (the Senate considered (and didn’t pass) a 15% RPS).  

You should (NOW) WRITE YOUR REPRESENTATIVE to call on them to support H.R. 969, the Federal Renewable Energy Standards
Act.

Confused, follow over the fold to learn more about RPS and why they matter.

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These are the Best of Time and Worst of Times for EcoGeeks. We know that Global Warming is already wreaking havoc, that snipping our hair is likely to show mercury, that plastics just don’t go away. But, boy, it is truly the best of times. One can’t pause for a moment without seeming to miss yet another breakthrough, yet another exciting development. And always, more of these are moving from the lab to deployment.While still advancing, wind power is almost becoming blase. Exciting that it’s displacing coal, but once you’ve seen a 1000 windmills, after all, how exciting is 1001? Until we start producing gigawatts of power, how else will they get exciting?

Well, they could go underwater.

One way to look at tidal, wave, and river water power generation is to look at it about a decade behind wind power. Just now moving from the lab into power generation with breakout potential just over the horizon. This month should see installation of one of those exciting tidal power generation systems, a 1.2 mw system to be be installed in Strangford Lough by SeaGen. After years of testing smaller turbines, this is a production level system that is going in the water. This is the last phase of testing and development before large scale installations can occur.

There is a huge potential for inexpensive and predictable power by capturing tidal energy. Get ready for some massive growth in the industry.

Cross-posted from EcoGeek.

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Written by A Siegel

Monday, 30 July 2007

digg_url = ‘http://www.digg.com/environment/Tic_Tock_Goes_Carbon_Energy_Clock_Cool_Tool_Environment_on_Desktop’;Lou Grinzo, at The Cost of Energy, often has some of the best commentary on energy issues out there, succinctly catching key elements of major reports and articles from all over the spectrum. He also provides tools of interest, such as the Energy Clock. Want a real time running on your desktop, tally of electricity generation, natural gas usage, wind power generation, CO2 emissions, and much more for the US and the globe, Lou has the tool for you.

Cross-posted from EcoGeek.