Blog Entries

No Coal by 2020: Sign It!

cmr55@cornell.edu — Sun, 16 Dec 2007 16:31:32 +0100

At the close of the Bali climatechange negotiations, we are left again with the disappointment of the Bush administration and all the other climate criminals in Washington. These fossil-fuel-phillic people have slowed down negotiations, stripped key renewable energy provisions in the US energy bill, and pretty much told the rest of the world that [...]

Our National Climate Target: A Worthy Discussion

cmr55@cornell.edu — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 13:32:01 +0100

The U.S. climate movement is rapidly strengthening. Global warming is becoming one of the top issues for business, youth, labor, and other communities, and we hear calls for immediate action everywhere.

In the last two years alone, there has been a surge in public opinion and activism aboutthis issue, including carbon neutral businesses and schools, Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth, the IPCC report and other recent scientific studies, and commitments by other nations to fight global [...]

Climate Tipping Points Get Scarier

cmr55@cornell.edu — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 17:30:42 +0100

The warmest year on record was 2005. Scientists today indicate that the world has warmed by about 0.6C above the pre-industrial average. Earlier this year, the IPCC painted dire consequences for the world as a result of man-made global warming, which included widespread water shortage and famine, more intense floods and droughts (afflicting agriculture), prolonged heat waves, sea level rise, millions of climate refuges, the extinction of up to 50% of all species, etc. Today, we can look at se [...]

On The U.S. Movement's 80% by 2050 Call

cmr55@cornell.edu — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 20:55:49 +0100

I currently support the movement's rallying call for 80% cuts by 2050 in the hope that it will change soon to 95% by 2030 for the U.S. But it is important to think about the serious risks we'll be taking with the targets we're calling for. We have to remember that scientists give theserecommendations, but they never mention to us the probabilities associated with them. Timothy posted about this earlier in It's Getting Hot In Here, www.itsgettinghotinhere.org. I completely disa [...]

"Rosie Revisited"

cmr55@cornell.edu — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 18:36:19 +0100

During World War II, millions of women in the United States worked hard to produce many of the materials needed for all types of equipment, all right after the nation turned into a massive war manufacturing facility in 90 days! At that time, the U.S. saw a real threat, and it acted upon it by tightening its ropes and working hard to get the job done, which at that time was beating Germany and Japan. Rosie the Riveter became the cultural icon that represented these milli [...]

Can the South do more than the North?

cmr55@cornell.edu — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 19:38:35 +0100

One of the arguments for inaction in the United States has been that our reductions in greenhouse gas emissions will be made meaningless by growing emissions in the developing world. This was a key "reason" why the Bush administration refused to sign on to Kyoto. But it is becoming clearerthat developing countries are doing more than developed nations to fight this problem.

A recent UN report showed that the developing world has taken actions that outweigh the emission reducti [...]

New Jersey Sets National Precedent

cmr55@cornell.edu — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 19:37:32 +0100

On June 21st, Trenton voted to overwhelmingly pass the Global Warming Response Act, ground-breaking legislation that will set an economy-wide cap on greenhouse gas emissions to bring levels down to 1990 levels by 2020 and 80% below 2005 levels by 2050. Following California's and Minnesota's leadership, New Jersey has set national precedent by showing what needs to happen politically to begin decarbonizing the world.

It's worth to mention what made passage of this amazin [...]

Hello Induction Cooking / Bye-Bye Burners

nathangdad@yahoo.com — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 23:00:52 +0100

Just about all of us (Geico cavemen excluded) have lived our lives with either gas or electric stovetops. I have no problem with gas or electric stovetops other than their phenominal waste of energy. A gas unit is about 55% efficient which really means45% of the energy heats everything except the food. Electric stovetops are about 65% efficient which means(naturally) 35% of the energy goes to everything except the food. Take those num [...]

Insulated Concrete Forms Have Matured!!!!

nathangdad@yahoo.com — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 11:45:38 +0100

For those not familiar with Insulated Concrete Forms, I will take a moment for description. An ICF consists of two external polystyrene rectangles joined in the center (usually) by plastic connectors. From the side they look like a large, white brick. You stack them end to end and upward for several layers then fill them with concrete. This makes a very solid and strong wall for a new home or business. They have been [...]

Your Bedroom: An Opportunity Zone

nathangdad@yahoo.com — Thu, 24 May 2007 23:41:46 +0100

O. K. - now that I've got your attention - it's a medical, ecological, and financial opportunity zone. I have read a news article stating not only does American society as a whole not save, we went into a negative 1.2% saving rate last month. As a nation we increased our debt load to continue our lives.

We need immediate financial relief in every possible manner. Interestingly, I have also been reading about chronic sleep deprivation. In 1900 the American Medical Association cla [...]

What Would a 2C Increase Mean?

cmr55@cornell.edu — Tue, 22 May 2007 06:25:44 +0100

Based on previous assessments by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the climate movement has embraced the goal of keeping temperature to a 2C threshold by cutting emissions 80% by 2050. This goal has been set because it is believed it will keep the heat balance to a level that will notcause runaway climate change and it is technically feasible under a slow change scenario (40 years or so to do it). While new data shows that the reductions need to happen 20 years earlier, it is int [...]

A Proposed Vision: Linking Problems and Communities to the Climate Crisis

cmr55@cornell.edu — Tue, 22 May 2007 06:23:47 +0100

Here is a proposed vision for a network in New Jersey that will grow this summer. It is not as clear as I think it should be, but it gets the idea across. The main point is that the climate crisis is an opportunity to transform society, and we should take that message to all community sectors.

Background

The climate movement is growing quickly in the United States and
elsewhere. Youth are leading the way through the Campus Clima [...]

New Jersey Set To Follow California's Steps

cmr55@cornell.edu — Tue, 22 May 2007 06:17:37 +0100

On May 21st, lobbyists from state environmental groups descended on Trenton to push for passage of the Global Warming Response Act, ground-breaking legislation that would bring the state's global warming pollution back to 1990 levels by 2020.

After the lobby day, there was a majority inthe state assembly (47 co-sponsors), with 9 other members who were likely to co-sponsor the bill. In the senate, there are 18 co-sponsors, with 4 that are likely to co-sponsor the bill. This mea [...]

Deep Six Your Hot Water Heater

nathangdad@yahoo.com — Wed, 16 May 2007 05:54:56 +0100

Well, actually, properly dispose of your hot water heater as it is a negative product for both the consumer and the environment. First, you cannot adequately insulate a hot water heater either at the factory or in your home or business. The "worked for" constant heat of a water heater will "saturate" the insulation with heat to be passed on to the cooler atmosphere surrounding the tank. Second, a hot water heater is a very wasteful user of energy as it will turn itself on [...]

Ducts: A Major Opportunity to Save

nathangdad@yahoo.com — Tue, 15 May 2007 08:30:52 +0100

This ties in to my entry on insulating paint.

Even those of us with ten or twelve inches of insulation above our ceilings will generally have ventilation duct work above the insulation. Also, many of us will find the ducts without any insulation (if local building codes let builders get by with this) or we will find old insulation wrapped around the duct work that has aged, settled, and therefore lost any benefit to the homeowner or business owner.

Think about it! Your set your th [...]

Insulating Paint

nathangdad@yahoo.com — Wed, 09 May 2007 04:32:33 +0100

Home building provides a very practical education unavailable to the general public. I admire those who specify energy saving windows, unroll or spray insulation to keep heat escaping through their ceilings, and caulk where they perceive an opening to the outside world.

I understand why these people become disheartened as the "amount" of energy consumed shown on their utility bills often reveals these efforts did not produce desired results. Obviously, something went wro [...]

80% by 2050 risks going over 2C

cmr55@cornell.edu — Fri, 04 May 2007 09:38:18 +0100

According to new data and calculations by George Monbiot, a target of 80% reductions by 2050 in the developed world will not be enough to keep temperatures below 2C. New calculations show that the goal should be 90% by 2030 in the developed world and 60% by 2030 worldwide.

To read why, click here.

A New Agenda for the Climate Movement

cmr55@cornell.edu — Fri, 04 May 2007 09:19:18 +0100

Recently, Bluhdorn and Welsh of the United Kingdom published a comprehensive overview of the state of environmental politics in the Journal of Environmental Politics (April, 2007). Titled Eco-politics beyond the Paradigm of Sustainability: A Conceptual Framework and Research Agenda, the journal article concludes that the perceived progress in environmental policies and discussions (including the recent upsurge in media coverage about global warming) is in fact merely a discussion of manag [...]

How to save money by going green

admin@theenergyindependent.com — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 07:16:27 +0100

A blog called Frugalist has posted an extensive article entitled “How to Go Green AND Save a Boatload of Money - 57 Tips, Tutorials, and Ideas.” The tips are arranged in categories like Transportation, Cleaning, Applicances and Electronics. Many of the entries are linked to further sources of information. Highly recommended.

National Day of Climate Action

admin@theenergyindependent.com — Sat, 14 Apr 2007 07:41:14 +0100

Today is National Day of Climate Action. Bill McKibben, the former New Yorker staff writer and author of The End of Nature, started this movement. He did a great interview with Ray Suarez last night on The Newshour with Jim Lehrer. You can listen to or download two Newshour conversations with him here.

T [...]