Imagine if half of the US were without power. The country would come to a complete standstill. Some people would be able to travel and those with generators would be fine, but work and the economy would slow to a halt. Now imagine the entire US population was without power; then double that. That’s what …
Tag: energy
Apr 09
Unsustainable Consumerism Part 4: Disposal
After three posts on the materials economy we’ve followed the story of our stuff through extraction, production, distribution, and consumption. What’s left? Well, what do you think happens to our stuff after we’re done with it? I mentioned in my last post that 99% of the stuff we purchase gets thrown away within 6 months. Today …
Apr 06
Fukushima y Deepwater Horizon: reacciones políticas
Read this post in English Abril 2010: Deepwater Horizon, fuga de petróleo en el golfo de México. Durante tres meses, el petróleo fluye sin cesar. Este fue el mayor derrame de petróleo en la historia del oro negro. La explosión mata a 11 hombres. El derrame causó daño ambiental en los hábitats marinos y en …
Apr 05
Simply Brilliant
Renewable energy is the wave of the future. Eliminating our dependence on fossil fuels and relying solely on renewable energy sources would be a boon for our environment unlike anything we have ever seen. However, even the United States, a very advanced nation, only satisfies 11% of its electricity needs through renewable resources. Simply put, …
Mar 30
Fukushima vs Deepwater Horizon: political reactions
April 2010: Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. During three months, oil flows unabated. This is the largest accidental marine oil spill in the history of oil extraction. The explosion kills 11 men. The spill caused extensive environmental damage to marine and wildlife habitats, as well as economic damage to the fishing and tourism industries. March 2011: …
Mar 02
Pipeline Politics
It’s no surprise that over the past few months, gasoline prices have been skyrocketing. Today’s national average price for a gallon of gasoline is $3.73, quickly approaching the highest recorded average price of $4.11. One issue that seems to be a recurring topic in this discussion is the decision to postpone the construction of the …
Jan 27
Natural Gas, Not Renewable Resources… At Least Not Yet
Renewable energy, the wave of the future, right? Yes and no. What if I told you that I think we should curb production of renewable resource technology such as wind turbines and solar panels? Most people would think I’m crazy even environmentally irresponsible. However, I have an alternative to the immediate deployment of our current …
Jan 25
A Micro Solution to a Massive Problem?
In today’s world exercise has become a daily routine for millions of people. Just about every town has at least one gym where herds of people flock in hopes to drop a waist size or two. We’ve all seen them, rooms that house a sea of stationary bikes, with pounding music, rhythmic humming of the …
Jun 15
Inside the coal industry, part 2
Coal and the future of energy In a recent post I commented about the problems that communities in Kentucky face against coal industries and mountain top removal procedures (see here). People concerned about mining’s environmental impact propose a return to “deep mining. Deep mining is not as damaging as mountain top removal, and it also …
Jun 14
Inside the Coal Industry, Part 1
The case of the eastern Kentucky’s Appalachia Mountains Last week I was part of a delegation to Kentucky with Witness for Peace (to learn more about the organization click here). Its goal was to learn about coal extraction and its impacts on the communities and the environment of Eastern Kentucky. During the three-day trip, I was …
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