Maybe I am the only one who had a flash to The Dark Knight Rises during the "Big Game" last Sunday, but the hiccup at the event showed how tenuously our lifestyle rests on the back of an increasingly unstable system, unless we act to stabilize it and make it more renewably sourced.
More blackouts are coming
"The electrical grid is a realtime system with almost no storage capacity – either at the utility or local level. This means that each electron that is sent over the wires from a utility must be consumed immediately or it could cause an issue. Problems occur in every large system – the question is: is the system built to handle such faults without interrupting service? The US grid is not."
At the same time, we are falling behind on our commitments to the rest of the world. We built our wealth and lifestyle using cheap fuels with environmentally damaging emissions, and now is the time to take bold steps that will not only stabilize the world, but our own economy.
US may not meet greenhouse gas emissions pledge without more action
"The findings from the World Resources Institute show the United States could still achieve its goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions 17 percent below 2005 levels by the end of this decade even if Congress won't pass legislation. It urges a 'go-getter' approach that combines rules on power plants, curbing methane, strong state policies and energy efficiency measures."
Needless to say, the answer does not lie in pulling ever more dirty fuels from the earth in ever more damaging ways, then transporting those fuels through imperfect transportation systems....especially when none of those fuels will do anything to improve our quality of life.
Debunking Nature's arguments for Keystone
"Despite the hubbub, it was not the first time the journal had done so. Back in September 2011, it boosted Keystone … in the context of pleading with Obama do to something about climate change. We have always been at war with Eastasia. Neither editorial makes a fully fleshed-out case for Keystone, but together they advance three common arguments, all of which I find unconvincing."
The good news: we learn more and more that the concerns that changing to a renewable energy future will undermine our economy and cause a dangerous collapse were completely unfounded.
Renewable energy now cheaper than fossil fuels in Australia
"'The perception that fossil fuels are cheap and renewables are expensive is now out of date', said Michael Liebreich, chief executive of Bloomberg New Energy Finance. 'The fact that wind power is now cheaper than coal and gas in a country with some of the world’s best fossil fuel resources shows that clean energy is a game changer which promises to turn the economics of power systems on its head,' he said."
Even better news: when we focus on solving a problem, we still have the capacity to develop innovative responses to our problems. From this we can realize that economy is man-made, and we can solve any problem that we WANT to solve.
NREL connects EVs and grid integration
"Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) are advancing a more sustainable transportation future by incorporating advanced electric vehicle technology, expanded use of renewable energy resources for vehicle charging, and grid integration."
Happy Friday!
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