Happy like Vanuatu.
| Where we stand: A new deal for the environment Franklin Roosevelt launched the New Deal in 1933 to help lift America out of the Great Depression. Most historians agree, however, that it was World War II that really turned things around.Today, we are fighting another global war—against climate change. President Obama has launched that war in earnest by calling on Congress to enact a cap on carbon emissions. He has appointed a strong environmental team, including long-time EDF board member Dr. Jane Lubchenco as head of NOAA, the primary climate science agency. Retooling America’s energy infrastructure will not only help save the planet, it also could save the economy. How? By creating jobs for people like Mike Gonzer, a plant manager in Michigan recently laid off from the auto industry but now working assembling wind turbines.In a recent meeting at the White House, Lawrence Summers, Obama’s chief economic advisor, told me that the key to economic recovery is to remake the energy sector. He likened government’s role to that of a pair of scissors. One blade would be green spending in the Recovery and Reinvestment Act; the second blade would be a cap-and-trade program for carbon dioxide. Together, they can help us cut our way out of the recession.Dealing with economic turmoil and global warming together makes perfect sense: Behind every clean energy technology— from wind turbines and solar cells to carbon capture and advanced lighting—a parts-and-labor supply chain runs through the heartland of U.S. manufacturing.For example, Indiana-based SunRise Solar, a maker of solar-powered attic fans, gets plastic and stainless steel brackets from local plants, motors from Pennsylvania, wire from Illinois and thermostats from California. The fast-growing company has helped keep many other U.S. companies afloat in these rough times.Strong cap-and-trade climate legislation will rapidly create new markets and millions of new jobs in virtually every sector of the economy. Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA), chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, has vowed to have a climate bill on the floor by Memorial Day. Momentum is also building in the Senate. Congress should do all it can to pass a strong bill, and quickly, in order to have maximum leverage for December’s UN climate talks in Copenhagen.As the legislation moves forward, we will stand guard on Capitol Hill to make sure that no last-minute loopholes are inserted in the dead of night. The future of the planet is at stake. |
| Hydrogen Fuel Cell Cars Arrive Hydrogen fuel cell-powered cars are now in the hands of consumers, with more on the way. These custom-made cars from Chevrolet, Honda and BMW are paving the way for production models of the future.  |
Clean Energy Patents Reach New High We are familiar with the importance of intellectual property. It is an essential indicator of the economic growth. Number of patents issued in any country in a year indicates the growth of research and innovative development. Growth Factor:Heslin Rothenberg Farley & Mesiti’s Cleantech Group publishes a quarterly called the Clean Energy Patent Growth Index. [.]Posted in: Economy, Industry |
| Global warming bills meet with limited success. Supporters hopeful that the 2009 regular session would usher in sweeping changes in Arkansas energy policy were disappointed by session’s end that only a handful of bills recommended by the Arkansas Governor’s Commission on Global Warming passed the Legislature. |
| Holistic advice on climate change. It’s a tall order from Congress to the National Academies: Analyze issues related to global warming and suggest to lawmakers what the U.S. should do about it. |
New Battery Technology Charges in Seconds For the successful takeover of alternative energy over conventional sources of energy we need a good battery technology too for power storage. The devices we want to keep on using need to be recharged. And we all know that recharge takes hours whether its our mobiles or laptops. If the researchers from MIT has [.]Posted in: Batteries, Inventions |
| Climate change ‘own goal’: Laws to combat acid rain are DRIVING Arctic warming, claims Nasa It is widely recognised that humans are their own worst enemies when it comes to global warming. But the latest research from Nasa suggests laws created to preserve the environment are causing much of the damage. Legislation to improve air quality and cut acid rain has accounted for a shocking half of Arctic warming over the past three decades, the space agency reports. |
| Show Us Your Carbon Cap! We’ve invited you to show us your carbon cap by picking your favorite hat and sending us a "Cap Carbon" picture.Check out what we’ve gotten so far, and comment below to let us know what you think makes the best picture. Is it the funniest hat? The best slogan?And don’t forget to upload a picture [.] |
| Shape Memory Fan Saves Energy Shape Memory Fan SchematicThis idea for a fan that changes shape with temperature could be adapted to room fans, air conditioners, airplanes (cool dense air needs less of a push for the same reaction). |