Tag: environment

Categories
National politics technology

Ambitious Pronouncement

I’ve already stated that I believe the goal of using only energy from clean, renewable sources is attainable but I think the Green Prophet might be getting ahead of himself.

{Al Gore} said the goal of producing all of the nation’s electricity from “renewable energy and truly clean, carbon-free sources” within 10 years is not some farfetched vision, although he said it would require fundamental changes in political thinking and personal expectations.

“This goal is achievable, affordable and transformative.”

I would love to be proven wrong on this, but I’m skeptical of the 10 year time-frame. The only real question in my mind is, will Barack Obama endorse this idea before I publish this post?

I guess my personal expectations are among those that he predicted would require fundamental changes.

Categories
culture technology

Energy Optimist

Considering that our homes use much more energy than our cars – it’s always nice to see improvements in how we can generate or use energy. I was reminded of that when I saw two articles on better/cheaper ways to harness the power of the sun. One would generate power from energy gathered at windows rather than needing full solar panels. The other promises the possibility of printing cheap solar collectors with special ink (no indication of how the enrergy being collected could be stored for use).

The more I think about such technologies the more optimistic I become that human enginuity will eventually allow is to lower our energy usage and raise our energy production from clean and limteless resources such as wind, solar, and gravity (hydro-electric dams which generate power from the force of falling water) to the point that we will no londer need to rely on fossil fuels. Such a transition should also be welcomed by anyone who thinks we have passed peak oil production or who is worried about manmade global warming.

Categories
culture politics State

Secular Theocracy

Sometimes the truth stings – and Jeremy nailed it:

“We’ll soon have a new law (because you know that our big-government-loving governor will sign it) that will make us feel good, will give us a new source of revenue via law enforcement, and will give the finger-waggers another reason to rag on parents.”

Its not just the governor…it is all of our Republicans. These jokers stick us with more and more nanny government year in and year out yet Utahns keep going back to them.

Sorry Reach but any Republican who complains about too much paternalism in our government isn’t assigning the guy in the mirror enough of the blame. We need more libertarian minded leaders in both parties.

It used to be that I would hear people suggest that Utah is a theocracy and I would think they were just bitter because Utah is so politically resistant to secularism. Tonight I have concluded that what we have would qualify as a theocracy. It’s not a theocracy dictated by the LDS church as many would suggest (that’s what made me resist the idea for so long). Instead it is a theocracy based on an informal secular religion focused on enforcing kid- and family-friendly laws lest anyone face the possibility of making a wrong choice. While it is not dictated by the dominant faith of the state it is very palatable to many followers of that faith.

As I have watched our big-government Republican legislature I have clung to the notion that the state Republican party was out of touch with the residents of Utah and that they stayed in power because the state Democrats were too closely tied to the DNC to approach the majority of Utah citizens on some crucial issues. My new theory is that I am out of touch with the majority of Utah citizens and that most of them actually want the kind of government we have here – one that will do anything possible to “prevent” anyone from making any really bad choices (especially where children are involved), one that will solve our health care crisis since the LDS governor of Massachusetts has shown that it can be done, and one that will lead the way in fixing the global warming crisis so that they can drive everywhere they go knowing that the crisis has been averted by their wonderful government regulations.

  • RJ: That is an S.U.V; Humans ride in them because they are slowly losing their ability to walk.
  • Penny: Jeepers, its so big!
  • Lou: How many humans fit in there?
  • RJ: Usually, one.

(from Over the Hedge)

Categories
technology

Winning the Oil Endgame

Is there anyone who would not want to see our nation profitably end its dependence on foreign oil? I doubt that there is anyone like that (not counting the Saudis of course). If you are anything like me that idea – profitably ending our dependence – sounds like a fairytale but that is exactly what Winning the Oil Endgame is about. According to the book it is not only possible, but even relatively simple.

I learned about this through the video by one of the authors of the book (posted below) and my only two questions are – will we really do it? and is there a catch (such as did they account for the oil necessary to make the carbon-fiber materials referenced in this talk)?

Categories
culture life

Are We Willing to Change?

We took the kids to Timpanogos Cave a couple of weeks ago. One of the people on our tour with us was a soldier who we learned was recently back from a tour in Iraq. At the end of our cave tour Laura took a moment to point him out to our girls and told them “He’s a soldier, he has been fighting for our country.”

He overheard her saying this and commented “Right, fighting for oil.”

This obviously stuck with Laura more than me because she brought it up again recently with this insightful observation, “What is he willing to do about it?”

This is not an indictment against this soldier, or any who feel as he does. This is a legitimate question for all of us, especially those who complain about our war for oil. Al Gore won a Nobel Prize for his crusade about the environment. He has obviously determined that he is willing to give speeches, make movies, and organize concerts to raise public awareness. So far he has not been willing to reduce his own consumption. (Purchasing carbon offsets is nice, but it does not actually reduce consumption – it’s like buying indulgences.)

It’s fun and easy to participate in publicity stunts like Live Earth or Lights Off Utah but beyond their potential for raising awareness, these events are insignificant unless we change our lifestyles to match our rhetoric. We may want to see the state go dark, or attend a popular concert, but are we willing to drive less, use public transit, bike more, walk more, turn off unused lights at home, and use CF light bulbs or other energy efficient alternatives where we do consume natural resources.

I’m not saying that everyone has to do all those things. We have done many of them in our lives, but the real point is that there is no reason to believe someone is serious about the environment so long as they continue to consume as if they are not part of the solution.