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January 18, 2017 in Sustainability
Surface temperatures are heading toward levels that many scientists believe will pose a threat to both the natural world and to human civilization.
Source: Earth Sets a Temperature Record for the Third Straight Year – The New York Times
September 14, 2016 in LEDs, Sustainability
In September the DOE issued, Energy Savings Forecast of Solid-State Lighting in General Illumination Applications (PDF, 116 pages), the latest edition of a biannual report which models the adoption of LEDs in the U.S. general-lighting market, along with associated energy savings, based on the full potential DOE has determined to be technically feasible over time. The new report projects that energy savings from LED lighting will top 5 quadrillion Btus (quads) annually by 2035. Among the key findings:
Don’t have time for the full report? Download the report summary.
September 9, 2016 in Sustainability
Despite already low costs, the installed price of solar fell by 5 to 12 percent in 2015
Source: The Price of Solar Is Declining to Unprecedented Lows
April 21, 2016 in Codes, Sustainability
San Francisco has this week passed landmark legislation requiring all new buildings under 10 storeys in height to be fitted with rooftop solar panels.
The city’s San Francisco Board of Supervisors unanimously passed the new rule on Tuesday, making the metropolis the largest in the US to mandate solar installations on new properties
Source: San Francisco adopts law requiring solar panels on all new buildings
August 27, 2015 in Sustainability
Scientists say warming waters and melting ice were to blame for levels rising faster than 50 years ago and ‘it’s very likely to get worse’
Source: Global sea levels have risen 8cm since 1992, Nasa research shows
August 24, 2015 in Sustainability
For decades we have discussed solar as an energy of the future . But it’s already changing the game.
Source: Solar Energy: The Future Is Here – Plugged In – Scientific American Blog Network
One of the biggest challenges to the shift to renewable energy is that the supply is not consistent. The sun sets or the wind stops blowing and one is left without power. A number of researchers and companies are working on storage solutions. This article describes a storage system being developed by Tesla Motors.
Tesla Motors says it is making a foray into the challenge of how to use the sun’s energy when it isn’t shining, with a fleet of battery systems for homeowners, businesses and utilities.
Source: With New Factory, Tesla Ventures Into Solar Power Storage for Home and Business
April 30, 2015 in Codes, Design, Sustainability
Mayor Bill de Blasio’s administration and a host of environmental advocates agree that light pollution should be addressed, but some are disputing parts of a proposed City Council bill.
Source: New York Plan to Save Energy May Mean a Dimmer Skyline
January 17, 2015 in Sustainability
By now you have, no doubt, seen the headline that 2014 is the warmest year since reliable record keeping began in 1880. This was jointly announced by two US agencies – NASA and NOAA – and corresponds with an announcement by a similar agency in Japan. I’m not going to retell that story here, but I do want to repeat some of the most alarming points.
Here’s a graph illustrating the trend.
For those who think that climate change is a liberal conspiracy, my suggestion is to take it up with the Pentagon. In 2012 the Pentagon formed a climate change working group. The result of their work is the DOD 2014 Climate Change Adaptation Roadmap, which was released in October 2014 and accepts climate change as a fact. About the report, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said that “Politics or ideology must not get in the way of sound planning.”
