Osha Gray Davidson’s Posts

• meanwhile, back at the DOI ranch ...

  Salazar cowboys-up to fight global warming 0

  Posted 6 days, 8 hours agoWith all eco-eyes focused on the action (or, more properly, inaction) on a climate bill, other critical components of a clean energy economy can be overlooked -- like what Interior Secretary Ken Salazar is up to.

• the roadmap is paved with gold

  A solar energy future: Maybe you can get there from here 2

  Posted 1 week, 6 days agoRep. Gabrielle Giffords' Solar Technology Roadmap Act has drawn enthusiastic support from the business community and the U.S. House of Representatives. Now, can it lure reluctant Senators to support the Kerry-Boxer bill?

• The Mean Streets of Journalism

  On gaming the political spectrum 0

  Posted 1 month, 1 week agoWith the fate of the climate bill depending in part on how it's framed, is the Post doing damage with its easy-peasy political characterizations?

• Will Skyscrape for Wind

  Portland's newest high-rise has wind turbines on the roof 1

  Posted 2 months, 2 weeks ago

  It's so brilliant we wish we'd thought of it: wind turbines on skyscraper roofs. Will a new building in Portland pave the way?

• Power hungry? Eat here!

  The top 10 sources for energy 1

  Posted 2 months, 3 weeks ago

  When you take global warming, air pollution, vehicle power, and other factors into account, which energy sources come out on top? Hint: Not oil or coal.

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Osha Gray Davidson’s Recent Comments

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  Just for the record, the 1981 SERI funding is given in 2008 dollars, so the Roadmap provides more $ over the 5 years. But that's nit-picking. You're absolutely right on the big picture. This funding is inadequate to the task. There's been more pressure -- though still not enough -- to fund R&D at $15 billion/year. FWI, Robert Kennedy, Jr. gave a speech this week putting the cost of replacing all carbon-produced electricity with clean tech at $1.5 trillion.On A solar energy future: Maybe you can get there from here posted 1 week, 5 days ago 2 Responses

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  Well, Buddy, I couldn't have said it better myself. Although I did try. http://bit.ly/2uUEGU

  :>)

  On Sarah Palin, George Will, and Potemkin debates posted 3 months, 2 weeks ago 21 Responses

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  The problem of using desert wildlands for solar power isn't discussed in this piece because the bill I was writing about offers incentives to businesses that make equipment for renewable energy production -- not for producers of that energy themselves. No wildlands are involved, so that issue isn't mentioned.

  That said, you raise a good point. I recently wrote about it here and here.

  As you'll see, I, too, am leery of mega-scale solar farms. But they can be sited on already distrurbed lands, particularly on former irrigated farms. Solar farms can also be sited next to existing transmission lines. But WILL they be built sustainably and with a minimized footprint? That's where we come in (all of us). It''s the job of journalists to keep people informed about how the plans are moving forward, and it's the job of an informed citizenry to act on that information and keep the process honest, real, safe and clean.

  I don't know about the national Sierra Club, but our local Arizona Grand Canyon Chapter is keeping a close eye on the BLM to make sure the process is done right.

  Thanks for raising a vital issue. There's a debate among environmentalists about whether rooftop PV can supply enough electricity to switch from coal and other dirty sources. From what I've seen, I don't think that'll work, and certainly not in time to lower GHG emmissions enough to head off a lot of damage from global warming. I think we need both concentrated solar power and distributed SP.

  On GOP: Solar powered jobs can go to hell (or at least limbo) posted 4 months, 1 week ago 2 Responses