Green Diary Rescue & Open Thread

Robert S. Eshelman writes in The Nation:

Where's the Clean Energy?: It was in Germany that Ed Regan realized Gainesville, Florida, was going about things all wrong. The assistant manager at Gainesville Regional Utility (GRU) was out looking for ways to boost his city's renewable energy capacity. "Germany was a game-changer," Regan says. Wind turbines and solar panels seemed to be everywhere. He soon learned the secret. Before Regan's June 2008 trip, the GRU was trying to promote small-scale renewable energy generation by offering hefty cash rebates to customers who installed solar photovoltaic panels. And it had a "net metering program" that allowed customers who generate their own power to run their electricity meters backward, thereby cutting their electric bills potentially to zero. But the programs weren't attracting a great deal of interest. The utility's rebate program had yielded only 300 kilowatts of solar power capacity--roughly the amount of electricity used by 160 hair dryers--and it cost a lot of money. The difference between Gainesville and Germany was that Germany had a national feed-in tariff. Under this system, energy consumers can become renewable energy producers by installing solar panels on their roof or a wind turbine in their backyard and selling their energy to the local utility. These customers-turned-producers receive above-market prices for their energy, often for up to twenty years. With the feed-in tariff, Germany boosted its renewable energy production from 1 percent of its total output in 1995 to 12 percent in 2005. By 2007 renewables supplied 14 percent of Germany's electricity. Denmark and Spain also have successful feed-in tariff programs. So this past March, Gainesville rolled out its own feed-in tariff. GRU now pays twice the retail cost for every kilowatt of solar power-generated electricity. The extra cost means a small increase in electrical bills for all utility consumers, less than a dollar per month per household. But in order to keep consumer prices down, the feed-in tariff is limited to expand by only 4 megawatts of solar photovoltaic capacity per year, for six years. And the first year's quota was snapped up in just two weeks. The program now has a waiting list through 2016. Rather than a bunch of homeowners each installing a few panels, the Gainesville quotas were mostly taken by commercial investors.

• • • • • • •

Green Diary Rescues appear on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. The diary rescue begins below and continues in the jump. Inclusion of a particular diary does not necessarily indicate my agreement with it.

• • • • • • •

Rei asked Who's killing the electric car again?: "How did a woman who the SEC says planned one of the largest accounting frauds in US history end up as Chief Financial Officer of Aptera Motors? It's just one of many questions swirling around what appears to be a meltdown in progress at the beleagured manufacturer of safe, hyper-efficient electric vehicles.  When a business is running smoothly, there are strong incentives for everyone to be a team player and hide any signs of internal strife.  As the rate of layoffs and "vacations" increases, however, so does the potential for leaks.  And sometimes a simple name can take you places you never thought you'd go."

David Brin offered a lesson in capitalism with his diary Re-allocating energy research: "The Obama Administration, while pumping up funding and incentives to further develop hybrid vehicles, has slashed $100 million (60%) from the budget for George W. Bush’s preferred approach -- hydrogen fueled cars.  Of course, this is one more sign that we are being led by people who want America to succeed, and no longer by technological morons, determined to make every possible wrong decision. Why am I so fierce in my appraisal of so-called ‘hydrogen-power’ -- despite my portraying it positively, in several stories and novels? Because it cannot possibly help us in the near (twenty year) future, as was cogently pointed out recently by Energy Secretary (and Nobel winner) Stephen Chu. "

BruceMcF explained to Build Steel Interstates with $1/barrel and 1% of the Carbon Fee: "The Steel Interstate concept (tagpage) is one that I have been discussing, off and on, in my Sunday Train series. The basic idea is to electrify the Department of Defense STrategic RAil Corridor NETwork, STRACNET (right), and establish 100mph Rapid Freight Rail paths, to allow an estimated (Millenium Institute pdf) half of long haul trucking to shift to electric freight rail at a saving of about 10% of our current oil imports. This diary is about how to overcome the only thing standing in its way: Public Finance. And that is to impose a $1/barrel tax on imported petroleum and petroleum products, and allocate 1% of any Carbon Fee to financing construction."

Mark H appeared with another installment of his wonderful Marine Life Series Sargassum Fish: "Out in the middle of the Southern Atlantic ocean is a roughly million-square-mile area known as the Sargasso Sea. On the surface of this sea is an enormous mat of entangled, floating algae, kept in place by a combination of ocean currents and lack of winds. The movement of the currents which surround this sea, including the Gulf Stream, the Equatorial, the Canary and the Caribbean, collude to entrap anything that floats into this area and keep it, mostly, from escaping."

There was fury over some purloined emails, but Desmogblog wrote that Stolen climate science emails just ain't the conspiracy some want it to b: "I'll admit, as someone who spends most days looking for leaked documents, the package of stolen emails and documentsfrom the Climate Research Unit at East Anglia University is pretty juicy. Anything provides insight into the inner-workings of your opponents is pretty much manna from heaven in this line of work. I have been going through all the files today and I hate to disappoint but it just ain't the scandal climate conspiracy theorists want it to be."

NellaSelim Monarch to launch into space: "While most of humanity will remain stuck on the this pale blue dot in the ocean of space some Monarch caterpillars are now in residence onboard the International Space Station courtesy of the NASA and the recent launch of the Space Shuttle Atlantis.  The three caterpillars are part of a educational outreach program contracted to BioServe Space Technology in conjunction with Monarch Watch, a research organization based in the University of Kansas in Lawrence dedicated to the study and preservation of Monarch butterflies. The caterpillars will remain on the ISS throughout lifecycle to become hopefully mature Monarch butterflies to study the effect microgravity has upon their development and physiology."
RLMillerBusiness as usual: six degrees of warming. Act now.: "Global temperatures could rise 6C by end of century, reads the Guardian headline.  More alarming, the Independent reports: World on course for catastrophic 6 degree rise, scientists report. (In Fahrenheit terms, that's closer to 10 degrees.)  There's plenty to be scared about in these stories.  Yet they only emphasize that action is required now, more than ever."

tribalypredisposed had a good laugh at the "30,000 Scientists" Who Sued Al Gore for Fraud: "The 30,000 ‘scientists’ are people with at least a Bachelors of Science in some field, including computer science and other non-research science degrees. They signed a petition back in 1998 saying that they did not believe in Global Warming. Many of them are dead now. None have agreed to be party to a lawsuit. After nearly two years no lawsuit has been filed. There are actually no grounds that a lawsuit could be based on against Al Gore on the issue of Global Warming. Over the last twelve years not one single peer reviewed scientific paper has been published that challenges Global Warming. There is no ‘scientific debate,’ and even if there was one a person cannot be sued for supporting a reasonably sound scientific hypothesis, even if it turned out to be wrong."

Patric Juillet told us delicious Tales from the Larder: Olive, the Empress of Oil: "Homer called it ‘liquid gold.’ Olive oil has been more than mere food to us Mediterraneans: it's our way of life. The olive tree, symbol of abundance, glory and peace, gave its leafy branches to crown the victorious in both friendly games and bloody war. Olive crowns and olive branches, ancient emblems of benediction and purifiation, were ritually offered to deities and powerful figures but it is only in recent times that modern scientific research has proven over and over what the peasant wisdom knew a long time ago: its wonderful taste and health properties."

gmoke had high praise for Energy Barnraisings: "Home Energy Efficiency Team (HEET) has been doing monthly weatherization barnraisings for over a year now.  Since then, at least 14 other groups have followed the lead:
In Massachusetts, Watertown, Maynard, Arlington, Marlborough, Waltham, Somerville, Worcester, Boston, Carlisle, Reading, Allston/Brighton, Roxbury/Dorchester, Providence, R.I., and Maine. It would be good to see that growth explode over the next year and extend to solar barnraisings as well."

A Siegel looked at the energy habits of the places most of us buy our food in Clean Energy Jobs Go To the Market: "Clean Energy Jobs Go the Market: $4 billion year for 80,000 jobs. In too many grocery stores across America, turning the aisle into a refrigerated section can require wearing a parka -- even in the middle of summer.  Looking from overhead, too many grocery stores have black roofs. And ... well, energy inefficient practice after energy inefficient practice. Grocery stores, nationwide, are ripe for cleaning up with Clean Energy Jobs.  Not only are the requirements clear, the solutions are straightforward, the financial return is tremendous, and this has the potential for kickstarting some jobs quickly while enabling stores to make more profits even while giving them the opportunity (which we can hope they'll seize) to pass on some of the savings to their customers."

Jeff Biggers via Patriot Daily News Clearinghouse wrote Big Coal and Child Victims: "Last Friday, November 13th, marked the 100th anniversary of the Cherry Mine Disaster in Illinois, when an estimated 259 coal miners lost their lives to fire and the buildup of ‘black damp’ or toxic gases. The St. Paul Coal Company Mine in Cherry was hailed by its consulting engineer as the ‘safest mine in the world.’ While we take time to reflect on the heroic sacrifices of coal miners and their families this week, the Cherry Mine Disaster remains a haunting reminder of the secret legacy of child labor in our coal mines--and its unconscionable use today."

Haole in Hawaii Another Hawaii Photo Diary.

Climate Change Deniers' Smear Campaigns Exposed reported jamesboyce: "In this vain attempt, a small group of Heartland Institute enthusiasts petitioned the American Physical Society's stance on acknowledging global warming and the causal links of human activity. The 206 signatures on the petition challenged the 47,000 member strong stance on the merits of scientific fact. Now the funny part... Not only did the APS reject this lame attempt at spreading propaganda, but it issued a 128-page report debunking the science, exposing the petitioners qualifications, diagramming the how the ‘gaggle is not a consensus’ group try to distort the truth of science."

Tom Taaffe drew some flak for his diary, 3 Stooges Save the Environment - Nukes to the Rescue!: "Senators Kerry, Graham and Lieberman are on a mission to save the climate. Oh dear. With such stalwart defenders of international capital at the helm, who can possible gain from their efforts? Oh yeah, nuclear power. Leave it to the US Senate to turn such a critical issue such as global warming to the best financial advantage of international capital. Talk about going from the frying pan to the fire!"

Among other green diaries were:

3 new wind turbines now supplying power in Maine by Spud1

Enviro gift book: "Forecast" review by Captain Future.

Frugal Fridays - Creative Gift-a-Palooza by asterkitty.

•  From Brin's diary this is the future advance

  I want sooner rather than later

  The future of tissue culture meat... has been predicted by sci fi for nearly 50 years (including by me).  Now there are signs the time may be at hand. "Future flesh" - instead of slaughtered animals - could eliminate 51% of all human-caused greenhouse gas emissions (and 90% of choking victims). A quarter of the earth's land is currently used to grow meat, along with 8% of the world's water.  There’s talk of then being able to "taste" extinct critters like Dodos, since regrowing muscle may be possible, even if we can’t clone the whole animal.  The meat could be more pure, safer and gene-designed to be healthier.

  In sci-fi they're often called things like "cornucopic vats" basically meat (or other food stuffs) grown in tanks. Finally, meat that a vegan could love. OK, tolerate.

  by ontheleftcoast on Fri Nov 20, 2009 at 09:09:50 PM PDT

  •  it's not like we don't have anything

    better to do.

    This seems awfully elitist, not to mention gourmand.

    It's sort of like all that talk about how we should grow everything hydroponically. It's all so high tech. High tech tends to be energy intensive.

    by mieprowan on Fri Nov 20, 2009 at 09:49:20 PM PDT

    •  Actually I don't think that would be the case

      here. The big waste in energy for growing animals is paying to let them wander around with all those organs etc. using calories that we can't eat. Food that doesn't move will use way less energy. We might be able to even beat out plants with photosynthesis.

      by ontheleftcoast on Fri Nov 20, 2009 at 09:59:52 PM PDT

      •  for that matter

        we could beat out plants entirely, via eliminating the small matter of animal waste being important for plant health.

        Or we could just cut to the chase and eat each other, but that's an old joke. Well, except for that Russian story.

        by mieprowan on Fri Nov 20, 2009 at 10:01:55 PM PDT

        •  If we don't do something about the nearly

          7 billion mouths to feed we might need to come up with a solution like those vats. Imagine the chaos if some major food chain collapses. There will be mass starvations, wars, etc. Artificial food might be the only chance we've got. Or, dare I mention, those "soylent" food varieties to which you so cleverly alluded.

          Fry: "Slurm is made from people!"
          Leela: "No, there's already a cola like that, 'Soylent Cola'"
          Fry: "How is it?"
          Leela: "It varies from person to person"

          by ontheleftcoast on Fri Nov 20, 2009 at 10:08:18 PM PDT

          •  I'm pessimistic about this

            I'll admit. I see it turning into border wars everywhere. Lots more refugees and starving people.

            The problem with "artificial food" is that it requires an "artificial factory" and a lot of energy input. I guess it's possible that we could just burn up all the coal and tar sands and keep moving north and making factories...except then we have to move north some more...

            I don't buy it. I think we're all just going to kill ourselves down and the remnants migrate to the newly tropical North Pole sometime later this century.

            But I don't rule out miracles, and I also don't rule out the importance of education. Because even if all of this GreenRoots etc. effort turns out to be a massive failure to get it across, we will still have contributed to a body of knowledge that stands a chance of being passed on to future generations. So that next time, they get it right, or closer to right. That's faith in ecological knowledge, right there.

            Earth abides. This planet isn't going anyplace for a long time, and more to the point, neither is the Sun. Even if we totally fuck it up, that doesn't mean our descendants won't have another chance to get it right. We owe it to them to keep the true stories alive.

            by mieprowan on Fri Nov 20, 2009 at 10:21:16 PM PDT

            •  I share some of you pessimism

              This isn't likely going to be the stuff of heroic poems but could easily be the stuff of epic tragedies. I am, however, hopeful we as a species can still do something before it all falls apart. I won't stand and watch idiots claim that all is well anymore than I'll sit on my hands. I keep cutting down on my and my families impact, I keep pushing my Congress critters (even though my Rep is a complete waste of human skin) and I tell myself that there is hope. The cake may be a lie but hope isn't.

              by ontheleftcoast on Fri Nov 20, 2009 at 10:33:40 PM PDT

              •  I do not doubt

                that we can affect what happens. I do not doubt that we can do more than we believe we can do.

                But what I was trying to say with that comment, is that we should keep on trying even if we believe all is lost, because the fat lady will still be singing far in the future.

                Though I do get a bit worried about the prospect of the atmosphere becoming unbreatheable.

                by mieprowan on Fri Nov 20, 2009 at 10:44:31 PM PDT

•  Really mixed feelings about the feed-in tariffs.

  On the one hand, they encourage micro-generation.

  I love distributed energy sources.  We've been at the mercy of oligopolies and monopolies for much too long and we have suffered the disruptions they inflict.  Screw big.  Let's think small, but...

  I hate making energy expensive.  Expensive energy ripples through the economy driving prices up and effective GDP (ie, real goods and services as measured in tires and haircuts, etc, instead of dollars) go down.

  Worse, it doesn't transfer well to emerging economies who are trying to climb out of poverty as quickly as they can -- if only to keep leadership from being toppled by angry masses.

  As a practical matter, we're already screwed.  CO2 ppm are already well above the "magic" 350ppm level.  The only way we're going to avoid 450ppm by 2050 is -- wait! There isn't any way.  Screwed.

  So - might as well direct mighty mighty efforts to ways to pump that energy out cheaply enough that we can interest emerging economies to go green instead of burning coal and oil.

  by dinotrac on Fri Nov 20, 2009 at 09:14:03 PM PDT

  •  Lovelock thinks

    that the only way to do it is char ag wastes and bury them.

    He also thinks that ain't gonna happen, we will instead die down to about a billion by the end of the century.

    He doesn't think that's all that bad a thing. I find him interesting.

    by mieprowan on Fri Nov 20, 2009 at 09:51:03 PM PDT

    •  He is, ummm, a different character.

      I kind of like the charcoal thing for its low tech implementation possibilities. Sequester that CO2!

      by dinotrac on Fri Nov 20, 2009 at 10:22:09 PM PDT

      •  agree

        It's too easy to forget how much energy it takes to implement high tech solutions, and that such energy is not easily just generated from sweat equity.

        by mieprowan on Fri Nov 20, 2009 at 10:53:06 PM PDT

        •  Not only that , but imagine the possibilities

          of partnership with developing economies.

          It's the one variation on cap and trade that makes sense to me -- and I am not remotely a fan of cap and trade.

          This one, though, could be like remote sequestration -- ie, instead of putting all your technology in the smokestack or wherever, you make a partnership with farmers to til in an equivalent amount of carbon.  Developing countries have a lot of subsistence and other farmers who could stand an extra source of income, and developing economies are out biggest problem when it comes to limiting CO2 emissions.

          Getting the dialog moving is not a bad thing.

          by dinotrac on Sat Nov 21, 2009 at 05:13:51 AM PDT

          •  interesting comment

            I hadn't thought it through that far. Thanks.

            by mieprowan on Sat Nov 21, 2009 at 09:41:22 PM PDT

  •  I'm with you .................

    .............. on taking away the dependence Americans are shoved into with our energy usage.

    I'm an older woman with little education in the science field. However it seems not all that hard to make solar panels, so why leave it to big industry to make it and people spending their money to buy the panels? It might take a long time for the production to catch up with demand once home owners get on the band wagon.

    So I suggest some kind of do-it-yourself grassroots movement to take the knowledge into towns and cities all over the nation and have science majors and engeneer majors teach clinics on how to make your own solar panels.

    Towns supply space, tools, and materials (or the people do). And the Students supply charts and knowledge in 2-3 day hands on building clinics.

    It just seems that we can take back some of the expertese that we have been paying others, and keep that money in our own pockets.
     

    by socks on Sat Nov 21, 2009 at 05:23:26 AM PDT

•  Anyone paying attention to Australia and England?

  Australia is facing a catastrophic fire season, say the twits -- temps over 110 degrees.  Isn't this only the beginning of their fire season?  November = May?

  The Lake District in England is having its worst rainfall ever recorded, with flooding eight feet deep.  It's also affecting Ireland.

  Not that climate change has anything to do with any of this.

  by RLMiller on Fri Nov 20, 2009 at 09:14:07 PM PDT

  •  I wonder what impact the messed up

    North Atlantic Conveyor is having on the foul weather in Europe?

    by ontheleftcoast on Fri Nov 20, 2009 at 09:24:02 PM PDT

    •  That's just a bunch of sciency talk

      It's been disproved by like eight billion people and Sarah Palin.

      by You know me man on Fri Nov 20, 2009 at 09:28:57 PM PDT

      •  I see FOX has been counting the crowds

        at Sarah's book signings again. ;D

        by ontheleftcoast on Fri Nov 20, 2009 at 09:31:34 PM PDT

        •  Just showing the videos of the massive crowds

          Um... somewhere else. They also cut out all of the racist signs.

          Fair and balanced. They distort, you repeat.

          by You know me man on Fri Nov 20, 2009 at 09:37:03 PM PDT

•  Meteor Blades, I read your work daily, and sleep

  better at night knowing you just don't stop caring.  Nearly thanksgiving, so ...  THANKS.  ( sincere )

  by jwinIL14 on Fri Nov 20, 2009 at 09:17:13 PM PDT

  •  I'll second that...

    ...it's wonderful fodder for us environ insomniacs on the East Coast.. THANK YOU METEOR BLADES!!!

    by SolarMom on Fri Nov 20, 2009 at 10:26:59 PM PDT

    •  I'm an activist activated via. education from

      so many here on dKos.  So many good hearts around here, but my measly one is too.

      by jwinIL14 on Fri Nov 20, 2009 at 10:53:04 PM PDT

  •  I'll third it.

    by SouthernLiberalinMD on Fri Nov 20, 2009 at 10:50:48 PM PDT

    •  All in favor put pirate parrot on shoulder and

      coax it to say aye!  ( matey optional - extra credit )     ;o)

      by jwinIL14 on Fri Nov 20, 2009 at 10:59:17 PM PDT

      •  Are you Mr. Cotton?

        Mr. Cotton's parrot?  Same question?

        :-)

        by SouthernLiberalinMD on Sat Nov 21, 2009 at 05:17:52 PM PDT

•  There's no one silver bullet solution.

  I'd like to see a combination of feed in tariffs, rebates, and most of all outright low cost loans to cover the operational length of the payback period.

  If loans can be structured such that they can be paid back at roughly the same rate one would pay for the energy by month/year it would ratchet up interest massively. I'd put solar panels or passive in, in a heartbeat. But I cannot afford the upfront costs.

  by shpilk on Fri Nov 20, 2009 at 09:17:59 PM PDT

  •  What I don't get is the whole tariffs are bad

    See, we have a huge trade deficit. So what happens if countries stop importing our stuff? Nothing. We keep our dollars here. Why am I the only one that sees this?

    by You know me man on Fri Nov 20, 2009 at 09:27:40 PM PDT

    •  It doesn't make much sense.

      If we were forced to go back to the economy of the 1950s and 60s overnight, where we made everything here, we couldn't do it.

      I think a gradual approach would be preferable, but even that can result in trade wars.

      The feed in tariff is a bit different: it's favoring producers of off grid energy who feed that grid in situ, forcing a tariff onto the larger energy companies to accept the off grid power at a much higher monetary rate. That would spur 'for-profit' generation off grid.

      I'd rather see common folks just be encouraged to become a part of the greater whole by generating off grid. It would improve national security, allowing independent power generation in the face of disaster or attack. It would lessen importation of nasty fossil fuels [and would reduce their costs, perhaps allowing a slight tax increase on these fuels which could then be applied towards loan programs encouraging yet more off grid generation].

      by shpilk on Fri Nov 20, 2009 at 09:42:55 PM PDT

      •  I agree with you

        I have read a few articles about how so many companies have there 'buildings' out of country and don't have to pay taxes. I read on the HP today that this has been going on for over 15 YeARS.................
        Also on Democracy Now I listened to today's podcast and the guy was asking where our COMMUNITY ORGANIZER WENT?
        He said Obama ran on a great platform, but when it came time to deliver, he totally reversed his stances..
        The whole show today was totally great. I recommend everyone go and listen to it. He talks about how Goldman Sachs and the rest of the guys in the bailout have totally screwed our country. And how Obama is playing along by having Geithner and SUmmers running his recovery package.

        Amy does a remarkable job covering events of the whole world. Makes me wonder if we even have a chance to change anything. She had a guy on about China and how their GDP is 10% and how much of the USA they own. If they call in our debts, we are screwed.

        On a sad note Bill Moyers is retiring in April. A Great Great voice will be lost. So far, only Keith Rachel and Amy report any really good news.

        Sigh

        by snoopydawg on Fri Nov 20, 2009 at 10:12:24 PM PDT

•  Poetry Jam diary is still open

  for people who like that sort of thing!

  by Seneca Doane on Fri Nov 20, 2009 at 09:21:55 PM PDT

•  My support of cutting the hydrogen approach

  was almost entirely based on my trust of Chu. I trust he understands the issues better than I do.

  In the meantime a lot of materials scientists are still working on the catalyst systems but via different funding routes.

  by chparadise on Fri Nov 20, 2009 at 09:22:41 PM PDT

  •  I think the way Germany mandates higher prices

    for renewable electricity along with their subsidies has been the most successful approach so far. That said, I'm not a scientist, nor do I play one on TV. I think we should throw everything at the wall and see what sticks.

    by You know me man on Fri Nov 20, 2009 at 09:25:02 PM PDT

•  Are these next week's headlines?

  Fire Department Now Recommends Changing Smoke Detector Batteries Once Every Two Years - or until putting your tongue on the terminals doesn't shock you  
  Jiffy Lube Now Suggests Changing Your Oil Every 10,000 Miles is Good Enough.  
  Balance Your Checkbook Once a Year and You're Probably OK, Says Fed Chief Bernanke.
  I imagine Leno, Letterman, or somebody has already done this by now, but I haven't been watching.

  by tomhodukavich on Fri Nov 20, 2009 at 09:23:10 PM PDT

  •  7500 miles is fine, but I get your point

    If this crap keeps up, I mean corporations policing themselves, I'm going to go full on commie.

    by You know me man on Fri Nov 20, 2009 at 09:26:12 PM PDT

  •  Worthy of a diary, I think, with a few ...

    ...additions.

    by Meteor Blades on Sat Nov 21, 2009 at 08:52:52 AM PDT

    •  Gosh, MB, maybe I'll give it a shot

      but any other Kossack is welcome to take a crack at it.

      by tomhodukavich on Sat Nov 21, 2009 at 10:17:07 AM PDT

•  I have traveled well over half of Germany

  and frankly have not  seen a lot of solar panels, and have seen about as many wind turbines as there are in West Texas. I Have seen the nuclear plants here and there. But the country is about the size of Montana, so they may be concentrated in particular areas. The majority of people seem to live in apartments/flats rather than houses, too.

  But the figures are encouraging. They are still way ahead of us on recycling, as you will soon get chewed out if you don't put the right type of garbage you have in the correct colored garbage receptacle, which they have all over the place. If you leave a light on in a room that you are not in, you are sure to get a scolding as well.

  It's a long term type of thinking that we could learn much from.

  by gereiztkind on Fri Nov 20, 2009 at 09:28:33 PM PDT

  •  We saw lots of them in Germany

    We spent a week in Stuttgart a year ago and drove all over Baden-Wurtemburg during that time. We have lots of pictures of solar panels on roofs. We saw one farm where there were windmills and solar panels under the windmills.

    by lynneinfla on Fri Nov 20, 2009 at 09:32:48 PM PDT

    •  Great to hear. I definitely will look for them

      next visit.

      by gereiztkind on Fri Nov 20, 2009 at 10:00:55 PM PDT

•  speaking of thomas friedman,

  brace yourself for 'special needs child-gate" from his interview on charlie rose tonight....

  by CoEcoCe on Fri Nov 20, 2009 at 09:28:43 PM PDT

•  Solar power in Gainesville

  My daughter and her husband bought a 5KW solar panel system this summer. They are very frugal in their energy use, and they are selling more power back to the utility each month than they use. The only system in town to do that!! And they have two children and a 2300 sq ft house. They also bought a solar water heater last year so that helps keep their electric use down.

  They have been actively trying to lower their carbon footprint. They have a large garden. They catch rain water in barrels to water the garden. (My daughter put goldfish in the barrels to keep the mosquitoes from breeding!) My son-in-law rides his bike everywhere and takes the two kids to school on the bike. It is a tandem bike. He takes the 9-year-old to catch an early bus to her school and then goes back home and takes the 6-year-old to the same school where his sister caught the bus to her school. So he rides about 4 miles in the morning up and down hills and gets lots of exercise.

  Oh yes, they also have a wood stove for auxiliary heating, but it provides almost all their heat during the winter.

  by lynneinfla on Fri Nov 20, 2009 at 09:30:37 PM PDT

•  "Feed-in tariff"

  Some of us remember PURPA.

  by ActivistGuy on Fri Nov 20, 2009 at 09:35:58 PM PDT

  •  Indeed. When I was at the ...

    ...Solar Energy Research Institute (1978-81), we wrote about this in every issue of the Solar Law Reporter.

    by Meteor Blades on Sat Nov 21, 2009 at 08:52:20 AM PDT

•  Trollspam alert! Does anyone here remember

  mreinbold at juno dot com, author of bad novels and harasser of green DailyKos bloggers?  He's now Mark Reinbold, aka dontsufferfools at gmail dot com, and he just emailed me with the following:

  I have been adopting as many senators as I can to reject this bullshit hoax. Thank God for Jim Inhofe. Newsflash: For as long as there have been glaciers, they have been melting. It's what they do. Somehow, I suspect you don't know jackshit about glaciers. Ask Algore, who says that the earth's temperature a couple of kilometers down is "millions of degrees." What an f''ing idiot! Why would anybody listen to anything this loser has to say?

  I should feel flattered, as I heard on an open thread that he only harasses the prominent green bloggers.  Anyone who wants to respond to him, feel free -- I'm marking his emails as spam (again) so I should never see them again.

  by RLMiller on Fri Nov 20, 2009 at 09:41:47 PM PDT

  •  oh joy

    by mieprowan on Fri Nov 20, 2009 at 09:42:51 PM PDT

    •  And not the happy happy kind either

      But if his email ID is "dontsufferfools" how does he live with himself? Self hatred is the sign of a deep problem probably from a disturbed childhood.

      by ontheleftcoast on Fri Nov 20, 2009 at 09:53:19 PM PDT

      •  prolly true

        And how many others like that might he have? Just think of the possibilities!

        And so much to remember. I guess everybody needs a hobby, though.

        by mieprowan on Fri Nov 20, 2009 at 10:04:36 PM PDT

•  I'd like to take this opportunity to say

  that I really like the Duluth Trading Company's ads. And I generally just detest most advertising.

  There are a bunch of them on YouTube, people like them that much. Whoever does their copy should run the entire advertising world. They rock.

  (This comment because there's one of their ads below this post).

  by mieprowan on Fri Nov 20, 2009 at 09:42:21 PM PDT

•  why is anyone worried?

  Actually, the GOP has been the leader in starting good environmental programs in this country.

  so says virginia so-not-a foxx.  and don't forget to thank her and her gop buddies for all that civil rights stuff, too!

  
  larger version

  by nonnie9999 on Fri Nov 20, 2009 at 09:43:52 PM PDT

•  Get your groove on

  by lockewasright on Fri Nov 20, 2009 at 09:47:41 PM PDT

  •  Love it!

    Allman Brothers beat all.  

    by SolarMom on Fri Nov 20, 2009 at 10:37:38 PM PDT

    •  However -- love for the Allman Bros.

      ...does not translate to to Locke-o-philia.

      Just clarifying.

      by SolarMom on Fri Nov 20, 2009 at 10:42:37 PM PDT

      •  It doesn't have to. You can love the music and

        have a disagreement with myself or John Locke at the same time.

        by lockewasright on Sat Nov 21, 2009 at 05:53:01 AM PDT

•  GRU

  That's an unfortunate acronym.

  Or maybe I'm just reading too much stuff about Russia these days.

  by Page van der Linden on Fri Nov 20, 2009 at 09:54:34 PM PDT

  •  GRU

    Soviet Military Intelligence
    {insert joke here}

    by JML9999 on Fri Nov 20, 2009 at 10:22:42 PM PDT

    •  Wow...I never thought of

      Gainesville Regional Utilities that way before.

      Not even when the bills were really high.  

      by SouthernLiberalinMD on Fri Nov 20, 2009 at 10:53:15 PM PDT

•  Depressing story on the Aptera

  I didn't follow all of it, I only read financial/management things when I need to fall asleep really fast, but I think I got the gist of it:  American can't make a damn thing anymore.  We're so infested with psychopaths in top positions that anyone with any competence is putting out fires or having someone following along behind them knocking the blocks back down.  It made me think of the story, that got little coverage, of the billions we spent during the Bush Disaster on destroyers that never managed to float.  While we're pointing fingers at Karzai's corruption, the ship is sinking.  BAIL!  BAIL!

  Sorry to be so negative.  I know there are plenty of positive stories, but really.  Today I wasted my time reading about psychotic ravings of a group of mad "Christians" who, instead of being in an asylum, are creating such havoc that some of our smartest are having to parse the details of their hallucinations.  I read about what Sarah Palin has to say, and what all sorts of smart people have to say about her "thoughts."  If she were a sales clerk, I wouldn't waste more than two minutes with her before asking for someone who knew what they were talking about.  There is no such things as straightforward science anymore.  The health of women means nothing to the people more interested in, and I'm just guessing here, a bj from the secretary and a golf junket paid for by a lobbyist than doing anything productive for our country.  Or maybe they just have a hard-on for power and wrecking things.  Who knows.  It's psychopathic behavior at the top levels, and we are up the mythical creek with no visible means of propulsion.

  Sorry for the rant, but that Aptera article is seriously depressing.

  by geomoo on Fri Nov 20, 2009 at 09:57:34 PM PDT

  •  not only that

    but we're up a tree without a paddle!

    Hopefully the worm will be on the other foot soon, though.

    Great comment. Srsly.

    by mieprowan on Sat Nov 21, 2009 at 12:19:21 AM PDT

•  Feeding America blog-a-thon THIS WEEKEND

  Please read, rec, learn and, if possible, donate in these diaries:

  Saturday, Nov 21 (all times EST):
  11:00a -- blue jersey mom
   2:00p -- Patriot Daily News Clearinghouse
   5:00p -- buhdydharma
   8:00p -- JayinPortland
  11:00p -- rb137
  Sunday, Nov 22 (all times EST):
  11:00a -- noweasels
    2:00p -- TheFatLadySings
    5:00p -- Timroff
    8:00p -- teacherken
  11:00p -- boatsie

  by noweasels on Fri Nov 20, 2009 at 10:00:53 PM PDT

•  Palin Vs Prejean: Battle of The Media Whores

  Diary and a poll!

  http://www.dailykos.com/...

  Offended? Then drop by for some personalized abuse.

  by bernardpliers on Fri Nov 20, 2009 at 10:01:30 PM PDT

•  Kinda sad.

  Rather than a bunch of homeowners each installing a few panels, the Gainesville quotas were mostly taken by commercial investors.

  Rather than decentralizing energy It seemed to have centralized in another way. And rather than it being taken by those who have an interest in providing clean energy it was taken by those who were only interested in making profits in large scale commercial investment.

  On top of all that it comes out as a regressive tax on all energy users. At least in Germany they have measures to buffer the lower classes from the added cost - what do people in Gainesville have?

  I am skeptical.  

  by thethinveil on Fri Nov 20, 2009 at 10:06:15 PM PDT

•  The good new is that

  the found one of Galileo's missing fingers.

  I don't think he knew they were gone, though.

  by edwardssl on Fri Nov 20, 2009 at 10:08:36 PM PDT

•  Joel McHale on The Soup recut Oprah-Palin intv

  For Oprah's questions, he used footage of her interviewing porn star Jenna Jameson, then used Palin's answers from her intv. Seamless and freakin' hysterical.

  by Redmond Barry on Fri Nov 20, 2009 at 10:26:30 PM PDT

•  Hooray!

  My home town got a shout-out! Go Gainesville! :-)

  May the green economy blossom down there...

  by SouthernLiberalinMD on Fri Nov 20, 2009 at 10:49:34 PM PDT

•  what a great round up.

  thanks for this MB - wonder how long it will take to get through it all.

  by canadian gal on Fri Nov 20, 2009 at 11:29:45 PM PDT

•  Thanks...

  ... for writing about issues that affect us all, Meteor Blades. Whether it's your Green Diary Rescue, or your posts on jobs, or the Afghanistan war, I really appreciate it.

  Thank you for not focusing on the shiny object of the year that seems to have enthralled liberals so.

  by Page van der Linden on Fri Nov 20, 2009 at 11:54:37 PM PDT

  •  oh, c'mon

    the "Going Rogue Unofficial Index" was great fun.

    However, yes; she's junk, and addictive junk at that.

    by mieprowan on Sat Nov 21, 2009 at 12:16:34 AM PDT

•  Watching Charlie Rose and Tom Friedman

  Not bad.

  Friedman ticked me off over Iraq, but he's a visionary of sorts. Smart SOB. I'd vote for him - but he won't run since he's convinced that our system is broken.

  I agree.

  by Anthony Page aka SecondComing on Sat Nov 21, 2009 at 12:16:51 AM PDT

•  TVA's Generation Partners program just changed -

  now pays for power you generate 12 cents more per kwh than the current kwh charge for what you use.  We just upgraded our solar panel system to 6kw - in the first month, under the new rate (10 year contract for this), we had a credit of $78.

  I'll say it again, putting solar panels on our roof was the best thing we've ever done.  I wish more people could/would.

  by cumberland sibyl on Sat Nov 21, 2009 at 01:14:45 AM PDT

•  EU buildings to be zero net energy by 2019 !!

  From April 2009- seven months ago:

  The WWF is cheering today’s vote by the European Parliament, which proposes that all new houses, offices and shops built in the EU produce the same amount of energy as they consume by 2019.

  The deadline for all new public buildings is 2016.

  "We commend the vision of the legislators in making zero net energy buildings the cornerstone of the revised directive," said Arianna Vitali Roscini, WWF’s policy officer for energy conservation in buildings. "Technically and economically there is nothing standing in the way of an earlier deadline for all new constructions, which could help the EU achieve the 2020 emissions reduction targets."

  by ezdidit on Sat Nov 21, 2009 at 02:34:38 AM PDT

•  So. how did it happen that GRU can be

  so innovative?  The answer is simple.  GRU is a municipally owned utility.  Yes, the people of Gainesville own it and the elected representatives oversee its operation.
  Although there were a number of concerted efforts to "privatize" the enterprise in the 1980s, we beat back the effort and retained ownership by the people.
  The innovation of the power generating component isn't the first or only innovation.  The waste-water utility imported an innovative treatment process from South Africa that allows is to pump drinking-water quality effluent from the treatment plant directly into the aquifer to recharge it.  It doesn't require the addition of chemicals such as chlorine with which effluent that typically goes into surface waters are often treated.

  One argument that was used to promote privatization that actually had some merit had to do with the fact that the utility was expected to make an annual "contribution" to the city's general fund, in lieu of taxes and uncertainty about the amount made it difficult to anticipate how much of its revenue was available for capital improvements or to pay off expansion bonds.  That is, the finance people were put off by the risk they perceived in the possibility that an elected body's claims on revenue would be capricious.  
  We solved this problem be formulating an agreement about a fixed percentage (comparable to what a private corporation would consider equitable) of revenue that would be set aside by the utility for payment to the city's general fund.

  by hannah on Sat Nov 21, 2009 at 03:01:23 AM PDT

•  seems like

  Germany's success at solving the problem of how to go green quickly into clean energy is that they treat all of their citizens as 'shareholders' not just the walled off shareholders of corporations like US...

  ( of course same is true with their national health services - all citizens are shareholders in the national economy  AND same time the countries productive resource so they can maintain more stable growing economy they invest to keep citizens healthy.... they solved that problem way back )

  by anyname on Sat Nov 21, 2009 at 04:00:02 AM PDT