Posted by Kelly Smith on Thu, May 27, 2010
U.S. Presidents since the 1960s have recognized a problem with dependence on foreign oil to power American innovation. Each of the last eight U.S. presidents has pledged to help this unsustainable situation. And each of the last eight U.S. presidents has failed. Financier Mike Milken presented the following information at a recent global conference on America’s energy future:
* In 1974 with 36.1 percent of oil from foreign sources, President Richard Nixon said, “At the end of this decade, in the year 1980, the United States will not be dependent on any other country for the energy we need.”
* In 1975 with 36.1 percent of oil from foreign sources, President Gerald Ford said, “We must reduce oil imports by one million barrels per day by the end of this year and by two million barrels per day by the end of 1977.”
* In 1979 with 40.5 percent of oil from foreign sources, President Jimmy Carter said, “Beginning this moment, this nation will never use more foreign oil than we did in 1977 – never.”
* In 1981 with 43.6 percent of oil from foreign sources, President Ronald Reagan said, “While conservation is worthy in itself, the best answer is to try to make us independent of outside sources to the greatest extent possible for our energy.”
* In 1992 with 47.2 percent of oil from foreign sources, President George Bush said, “When our administration developed our national energy strategy, three principles guided our policy: reducing our dependence on foreign oil…”
* In 1995 with 49.8 percent of oil from foreign sources, President Bill Clinton said, “The nation’s growing reliance on imports of oil…threatens the nation’s security…[we] will continue efforts to…enhance domestic energy production.”
* In 2006 with 65.5 percent of oil from foreign sources, President George W. Bush said, “Breakthroughs…will help us reach another great goal: to replace more than 75 percent of our oil imports from the Middle East by 2025.”
* In 2009 with 66.2 percent of oil from foreign sources, President Barack Obama said, “It will be the policy of my administration to reverse our dependence on foreign oil while building a new energy economy that will create millions of jobs.”
Yes, foreign oil imports have almost doubled as each president over the last forty years has pledged to shrink the amounts used. One problem is that there has not been a big focus on energy conservation, energy efficiency, or renewable energy until recently. Increased domestic oil drilling and increased reliance onsupposedly clean coal are not the solutions to America’s energy crisis.
Clearly more people need to get on the green power bandwagon. Many individuals, businesses, and states across America are getting serious about America’s energy future. Colorado is a leader in green electricity. Colorado’s success in harnessing wind power and solar power, combined with their high potential for geothermal power, puts the state on track to get 30 percent of its power from renewable sources by 2020.
Vermont is another state focusing on green electricity development. But until the U.S. has a more unified push for conservation, efficiency, and green energy, the problem of reliance on foreign oil, and fossil fuels in general, is not going to change.
Photo via thinkpanama
Posted by Kelly Smith on Tue, May 11, 2010
Since the dawn of the industrial revolution almost two centuries ago, we have powered our homes and businesses with fossil fuels more and more. Coal, oil, and natural gas have become increasingly important to maintaining our lifestyles and our standard of living. If I want to buy a small swimming pool for my son to play with in the backyard, fossil fuels are used to power the factory that makes swimming pools. Fossil fuels are used to transport the swimming pools from the factory to my local store. I use fossil fuels in my car as I drive to the store to pick out a swimming pool. I use fossil fuels to cool my home so that we are comfortable when we come inside from playing with the swimming pool on a hot day.
The burning of these fossil fuels creates pollution in our atmosphere. One of the pollutants released is carbon dioxide gas, which helps to trap the sun's heat and raise our global temperature. Some people are confused by the term ‘global warming.' Didn't it snow a few times in balmy Mississippi this year? Didn't they get a blizzard in Texas?
As average global temperatures rise with increased fossil fuel usage, the climate starts to change. We start to experience more severe or unusual weather events, such as snow in the southeastern United States. A more accurate term to use is ‘climate change.' Climate change can cause stronger hurricanes and tornadoes, increased allergies and asthma, and even increased volcanic activity. Climate change can cause food shortages around the world. It can contribute to poverty and disease in many ways. The more we continue to power our economies with the use of traditional fuels like coal, oil, and natural gas, the more dangerous carbon dioxide gas builds up and heats our planet.
Fortunately, there is another way. Choosing to purchase green power such as wind power or low impact hydroelectricity through companies such as EcoElectrons can make a big difference. Green energy is a superior energy product that provides renewable, planet-friendly electricity to power our homes and businesses. Businesses can purchase green electricity as a way to counteract the emissions they make through their traditional power supplier and inject green fuel into the power grid.
Businesses that are serious about becoming a sustainable businesses should consider purchasing green power as a means of protecting the earth, attracting customers, and turning away from business as usual. The industrial revolution has long past, and the green revolution is here. The fuel of the future is renewable energy, and the time to invest is now. Green energy can cool our planet better than any swimming pool I might find at the store.
Posted by Kelly Smith on Mon, May 10, 2010
ESRI is a California-based company that offers a mapping software called ArcGIS, which has a wide range of uses. ESRI is an industry leader in the field of GIS (geographic information systems) software. Industries from education to the military use this software for their mapping needs. Environmental uses of this software include modeling distributions of endangered species, keeping track of habitat shifts, predicting land cover and location of natural resources, and monitoring water quality. ArcGIS has now been used to develop a green energy tool called the
Renewable Energy Atlas of Vermont, which was released on Earth Day this year.
This inventive green software application maps current and future green energy projects in a visual, user-friendly format. The Renewable Energy Atlas of Vermont makes it easy for residents of Vermont, or any other interested parties, to view maps of existing renewable energy installations such as biomass, geothermal, hydro, solar, and wind. Users can also use this program to plan the best locations for future green electricity projects. According to an ESRI press release, "The Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund, Vermont Center for Geographic Information, Fountains Spatial, and Overit Media collaborated to develop the atlas in hopes of moving the state's renewable energy projects from concept to reality. ESRI provided professional service support."
The collaboration on such a project to bring more green power to the state is not a surprise in a state like Vermont, where many people are striving to make the state more sustainable. Vermont lawmakers hope to close an old nuclear plant in the next few years, and there is a movement amongst constituents and gubernatorial candidates alike to fill the void with green energy installments. The state of Vermont's commitment to green power can also be seen through the membership of many of its sustainable businesses and colleges in the U.S. EPA's Green Power Partnership. Villanti & Sons Printers, Inc, Middlebury College, and Green Mountain Coffee Roasters are a few of Vermont's leaders in reducing their carbon footprints.
Posted by Kelly Smith on Mon, Apr 05, 2010
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) promotes the use of green power in the United States through its Green Power Partnership. The Green Power Partnership is a voluntary group of businesses and organizations who purchase green power as a means of reducing their carbon footprint. Purchasing green power is a step towards sustainable business practices, and it also can be a good way to boost business.
The
EPA program materials explain, "Addressing climate risk is increasingly recognized as an important strategic issue for businesses and other organizations. Green power purchasing can reduce your organization's climate risk and identify your organization as an environmental leader to important stakeholder groups, such as customers, Wall Street analysts, shareholders, investors, government officials, and employees."
There are a few stipulations for membership in the Green Power Partnership. Green Power Partners must purchase a certain percentage of green power within a few months of joining the Parnership. Partners must purchase between 2% and 10% of their organization's annual power usage as green power, depending on their level of usage. Green Power Leaders must purchase green power starting at 20% of annual usage for smaller organizations.
Purchasing green power is an easy method for a business to increase its sustainability and reduce its carbon footprint. Many other sustainability strategies involve a process of cultivating change in employees and customers and buildings and business practices, but a purchase of green power is an easy investment which can be even easier with a little expert help.
The EPA program is beneficial in many ways. The Green Power Partnership offers advice to organizations about which green power purchase will best meet their specific needs. The Partnership offers a credible means of purchasing green power and differentiating from the competition. The Green Power Partnership also offers publicity and awards to boost recognition of participating companies. It is hard to go wrong with such a resource at hand.
Photo via placbo.
Posted by Kelly Smith on Thu, Apr 01, 2010
The
recent U.S. jobs bill is a step in the right direction for American investment in sustainable businesses. However, the U.S. government is not the only government initiating investment in green energy. Many other countries worldwide are jumping on the green bandwagon as world governments recognize the imminent threat of climate change to the people of their countries.
In the wake of such climate summits as December's 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, many world leaders are brainstorming ways to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and increase the use of green power in their nations.
Politicians in the U.K. have designed a three billion dollar investment bank which will focus on encouraging such sustainable projects as green electricity and mass transit. Government officials envision research and development opportunities for generation of offshore wind power in the windy English Channel and the incorporation of more sustainable waste management practices as just a few of the many opportunities this bank will provide.
The Labour government hopes that this new green investment bank, which will be half funded by the government and half funded through private sector investments, will be successful in pulling the U.K. out of its economic slump and creating new environmentally-friendly business opportunities.
The U.K. has set ambitious climate change targets. By the year 2020, their government plans to reduce carbon emissions by 30% and obtain 15% of the nation's energy mix from renewable sources. Government and private investment in such projects is an important step in realizing those goals. The initial outlay of funds by the Labour government will lower the investment risks for private investors, which should be helpful in encouraging public interest in funding new sustainable businesses and eventually shifting England's business environment to a more low-carbon economy.
Photo via david.nikonvscanon
Posted by Kelly Smith on Mon, Mar 29, 2010
Using green power is one of the most important ways that we can positively impact our environment and alleviate the effects of climate change. A great way to reduce your carbon footprint (your individual impact on the planet as measured by your usage of fossil fuels) is to opt for green power. What is green power? It is basically electricity that is generated from clean, renewable sources, such as wind, solar or geothermal. Homes and businesses can either install their own green electricity sources, such as solar panels, or they can purchase Renewable Energy Credits.
Purchasing Renewable Energy Credits is a very easy way to counteract some or all of your fossil fuel usage from electricity consumption, at home or at work. The concept is simple. A company such as EcoElectrons will inject green electricity on behalf of businesses and/or consumers into the power grid through partnerships it has with companies that own wind farms and solar farms. Companies like EcoElectrons help people reduce their environmental impact by allowing them to offset their energy use through Renewable Energy Credits. Each Renewable Energy Credit purchased is the equivalent of reducing (or offsetting) conventional electricity usage by one megawatt-hour.
Companies can improve their sustainability as well as their attractiveness to an environmentally conscious consumer base by opting for green power. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has a Green Power Partnership program for businesses and organizations to encourage the use of clean electricity. Some of the companies that participate in this EPA program include Intel, Kohl's, Great River Organic Milling, Whole Foods Market, Johnson & Johnson, Codero, Walmart, and Office Depot. Some companies only use green power for a small percentage of their annual electricity usage while other companies choose to offset 100% of their electricity.
It has never been easier for individuals and companies to go green with the ready availability of such green power and related carbon offset programs. Carbon offsets and green power (or Renewable Energy Credits) is slightly different. See our FAQ for more info. Of course, all providers of green power and carbon offsets are different. So be sure to research your choices to find the company that invests most effectively in a healthy planet.
Posted by Rahul Chitrapu on Sat, Mar 06, 2010
"At TED2010, Bill Gates unveils his vision for the world's energy future, describing the need for "miracles" to avoid planetary catastrophe and explaining why he's backing a dramatically different type of nuclear reactor. The necessary goal? Zero carbon emissions globally by 2050."
Posted by Rahul Chitrapu on Mon, Mar 01, 2010
The Center for Resource Solutions or CRS, a non-profit that administers the Green-e program which provides certification and regulatory oversight to the renewable energy industry, launched a year long campaign called Buy Clean Energy 2010.
This campaign will promote renewable electricity purchases among individuals and businesses across United States. I am proud to say that EcoElectrons is one of the sponsoring organizations to this campaign that is focused on the 40th anniversary of Earth Day and has the ambitious goal of 1 billion unique kilowatt hours of new purchases made in 2010.
Buy Clean Energy 2010 will utilize its website, www.buycleanenergy.org, to encourage individuals and organizations to buy renewable electricity in support of the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. On the website, visitors are given tools to find out how much electricity they use, research local green electricity programs, buy renewable energy credits through a 'Buy Now' button, and share testimonials about why they purchased renewable energy. "Buying clean energy is one of the most important tools consumers and businesses have to reduce the impact of their electricity use," said CRS Executive Director Arthur O'Donnell. "That's why this campaign is so important. No matter what our politics or our perspectives on climate change, we can all agree that building more renewable energy will result in energy security, job creation, fewer emissions, and less pollution. This is the one thing consumers can do now to make a big impact."
The campaign with the tag line, '532 Reasons to Buy Clean Energy. What's yours?', has numerous sponsoring and supporting organizations.
Posted by Rahul Chitrapu on Mon, Feb 22, 2010
Facebook recently announced plans to build a data center in Oregon. The data center is supposed to be efficient and save on energy and cost. The plan was to use conventional electricity from fossil fuels to power the data center.
Some folks from Greenpeace picked up on this and started a Facebook group petitioning Facebook to purchase renewable electricity for the data center instead of electricity from coal and natural gas. The membership of the group has exploded. About 3,000 members joined the group just today. Purchasing renewable electricity can be as simple as buying renewable energy credits like many of these companies that already do. Tech companies like Intel, Dell and HP are already doing it.
This just goes to show how badly consumers want companies to adopt sustainable initiatives. Facebook will probably have to pay 3-5% more for renewable electricity. Will Facebook listen to its user base and switch to renewables?
Posted by Melia Dicker on Thu, Feb 04, 2010
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) aims to help businesses decrease their carbon footprint in many ways. One specialized route that the EPA takes when promoting green businesses is offering Partner Initiatives through the Green Power Partnership.
Partner Initiatives focus on boosting collective green power purchases in specific sectors. The targeted programs offer information on how specific business sectors can decrease their carbon footprints by buying Renewable Energy Credits. Businesses that participate in the Partner Initiatives programs often receive special recognition from the EPA.
Throughout the 2009-2010 school year, the EPA is running the College and University Green Power Challenge. This Partner Initiative divides participating schools into groups by athletic conferences and tracks the schools' green power purchases. The group that buys the most green power within the school year is awarded the title of ‘Champion Green Power Conference.' The initiative also recognizes the top single purchasers within each athletic conference, which gives schools even more reason to participate.
The ABA/EPA Law Firm Climate Challenge is designed to help law offices increase their carbon offset. The Partner Initiative, which is a joint effort of the EPA and the American Bar Association, encourages the offices to participate in the Green Power Partnership by racking up enough green power purchases to meet or exceed the EPA's requirements. The initiative also encourages the participants to adopt green business practices such as reducing paper use, increasing recycling efforts and instituting energy-management plans to reduce total use of electricity.
Partner Initiatives programs are a great way to get targeted advice about building and maintaining a greener business. Some programs, such as the College and University Green Power Challenge, are ongoing. New initiatives are also introduced periodically, so keep an eye on the EPA's Partner Initiatives Web site to learn about fresh opportunities.