since it is that time of year

As you can imagine, I do not turn the heat on easily. I much prefer bundling up in warm clothes, under a blanket, and if a cat decides to sit on my lap, then so be it.

But, I know I am not the norm. That is why I think this article from Grist.org is very important.

If you are one to use the heater, please, please, please read this article and follow the advice.

Advanced Degrees: on turning down the heat

good research, bad news

I read an very interesting article today that doesn’t bode well for our future, necessarily, unless we make some conscious choices today.

In “Heat we emit could warm the Earth”, found in The New Scientist, the authors have shown that even if we control our energy usage today, there could be long lasting effects in the future heating of the planet.

Their calculations show that if global energy use increases at about 1 per cent per year – slower than in the recent past – then by 2100, the heat dissipated could become significant enough to cancel out the benefits of cuts in emissions.

However, they even take it a step further and have researched which of the alternative energies could do the most harm. Finding that nuclear is the worst, and wind and tidal power being the best.
Also, much of their research is factoring population growth and subsequent energy demands.

how nice to wake up to good news

The Bureau of Land Management on Tuesday partially backed off from unpopular plans to open land near Utah national parks to oil and gas drilling. BLM deferred leasing about one-third of the 93 tracts that the National Park Service had objected could contaminate parks with noise, water, and air pollution; the rest will still go on the auction block Dec. 19.

via Grist.org

fall back

Well, we all woke this morning to a new time. I can never remember if we are on Daylight Saving Time now or did we just leave it…?

I think what is more important to know, however, is that by saving daylight we are wasting energy.

There have been many studies about the actual necessity of this biannual event, but the most telling was reported in the Wall Street Journal.

So the study began with Indiana counties inconsistent on the application of the time change. Then they all did. And then they discovered this:
Having the entire state switch to daylight-saving time each year, rather than stay on standard time, costs Indiana households an additional $8.6 million in electricity bills. They conclude that the reduced cost of lighting in afternoons during daylight-saving time is more than offset by the higher air-conditioning costs on hot afternoons and increased heating costs on cool mornings.

You can learn more by going HERE. Wikipedia has a ton of information about it, as well, HERE

who knew…?

In the coming weeks a monumental decision will be made that will influence the future evolution of global climate policies. A single country has in its power the ability to alter the course of global negotiations and change the dynamics of a political debate characterized by gridlock. That country is . . .

Poland. Yes, Poland. (It is not the U.S. presidential election.) Over the next 6 weeks, the EU, with France taking the lead, must convince Poland (plus other Eastern European countries and Italy) to fall in line with (i.e., not veto) its ambitious climate policies or else see them utterly fall apart.

Essentially you have one country that is very secure in it’s energy, cause it uses coal. And, another country that is dependent on others, and wanting to change climate policy, because it serves their national interest.

I have found two interesting articles about it HERE and HERE.

I think we have an interesting few weeks ahead of us…..

prevention is the best medicine

HERE is an article with Bill Clinton and Al Gore about how we could have prevented this financial crisis if we had embraced green technology and jobs.

Just food for thought…

from GRIST and CLINTON GLOBAL INITIATIVE