Comments dreadsword has made

  • OK

    Ok, you didn't like my link to a very similar post from 11 days ago, so I'll just post it here - it offers my own thoughts/questions on MSR.

    START POST

    The California State Senate Energy Committee passed the reincarnated Million Solar Roofs bill this past week - unanimously. This is apparently only the first in a number of steps needed to put the bill into law, but is nonetheless a symbolic milestone.

    1. $3.2 billion earmarked for solar roof refunds in the territories of 3 utility cos: Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E). Is this a good number or not? I have no context in which to judge, but anything measured in billions qualifies as big.

    2. Removal (or raising) of the Net Metering Cap. One of the fun advantages of solar power, domestic wind power, etc has been the ability to sell excess back to your utility co. and get paid for it. Apparently, however, your ability to do so has been limited by a cap - utilities will apparently pay for contributed electricity up to 0.5% of their total load (the new MSR bill raises this to 2.5%). Err - I'm not really sure what this cap actually means: Why would any kind of cap exist? Is the grid not agnostic as to where it gets its power from? Or is this a costing issue (i.e.: more expensive to payout to homeowners than to generate at big plants)? Or, is it reflective of some kind of physical limit??

    3. Making solar a standard homebuilding option. This one makes sense on a conceptual level - granite counter tops - y/n? Solar roof and support electronics - y/n? Why not make it an option? My question is - why isn't it an option already? Contractors are always looking for a source of margin - yet they haven't embraced solar as an option, and if I'm not mistaken, most solar systems are retrofits. This suggests to me that for contractors to take on solar would be a prohibitive cost to pass onto the consumer - or not enough profit for the contractor. Something seems to be amiss here.

    4. The final point is extra confusing: apparently, the state utilities board that would administer the MSR doesn't have control over the Los Angeles Public Works board; meaning that the bill passed in the State Senate would have a goal of establishing a parallel program in LA. That program apparently would have to be funded by the LAPWB itself, and would chop $800 million off the state budget. Is that chop reflected in the 3.2 b already? Or what? What about other large urban centres?

    Anyway, MSR is conceptually great, but for someone far removed from the debate, raises a bunch of questions. As inspired an idea as it seems to be on the surface, it almost seems like one of those things that should be left to the free market to mediate. Rising utility costs, declining solar costs, increasing awareness, and crappy utility service should drive solar adoption without the need for a multi-billion dollar government morass. Is this a case of superfluous government meddling? Or is it a legitimate case of government tilting the economic balance in solar's power to achieve a quasi-social goal?

    END POST

    http://www.sustainabilityzone.com

    On California's Million Solar Roofs bill signed into law posted 3 years, 3 months ago 1 Response

  • Why not...

    Publish a schedule of future target-level reductions ... i.e.: 5% per year, or something? And, set a exercise date for the credits (i.e.: how long they last) - that would give them a calculable future value, something like stock options.

    http://www.sustainabilityzone.com

    On EU carbon-trading market hullabaloo posted 3 years, 6 months ago 3 Responses

  • How long before...

    ...it gets spuriously included as "news" in some policy wonk's speech??

    http://www.sustainabilityzone.com

    On 60 billion barrels off the coast of Louisiana?! posted 3 years, 6 months ago 4 Responses

  • This got cooking in the beginning of April...

    Rumours were flying weeks ago, sad to see them confirmed.

    Ah! Good to see that the new conservative government is asserting itself; unfortunate that its doing so by massively hacking green program budgets, withdrawing support for wind power and other alternative energy initiatives, and generally toe-ing the US line on prioritizing economic development over unquantifiable environmental savings.

    Canada has the potential to be an environmental hero, but under conservative stewardship, I can't help but think were headed down the villainous path. With the Alberta oil sands pouring massive amounts of money into the federal and Alberta provincial government (the Conservative heartland), I'm guessing that there will be little political will to try and find energy alternatives, or wean the country from oil. As the global demand for oil continues to rise, its Alberta/Conservative proxied influence in Canadian politics will continue to rise as well.

    http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060413.wxclimate13/BNStory/National/home

    http://www.sustainabilityzone.com

    On O' Canada, where have you gone? posted 3 years, 7 months ago 1 Response

  • The Mayor in No Rush to Flush

    Well, at least the mayor of london watches his water usage:
    http://www.sustainabilityzone.com/comments.php?load_this=214

    http://www.sustainabilityzone.com

    On The paper burden posted 3 years, 7 months ago 8 Responses

  • Soviet Repulics?

    Comparing an environmental mandate in an american state to the economies of former soviet republics is spurious at best. It reads dramatically, I guess. I agree that market distortions aren't always economically healthy, but addressing externalities is one of the core justifications for the existence of any government at all. Low flow toilets and shower heads are good examples of what Jamais Cascio refers to as beneficial "eco-stalinism" or mandated change - I take it you'd just leave it to the market to manage water resources?

    http://www.sustainabilityzone.com

    On Will Washington state take on Big Oil? posted 3 years, 11 months ago 4 Responses

  • Price difference

    Here in Canada, the Civic hybrid is MSRP'd at 28,000 - that's almost 12 grand over the nonhybrid at 16,800. Hybrids would see more if the didn't have a FREAKING 71% PRICE PREMIUM.

    http://www.sustainabilityzone.com

    On SUV nation posted 4 years, 1 month ago 7 Responses

  • How about a Honda Jazz instead?

    http://www.triplepundit.com/pages/hybrids-vs-the-honda-jazz-001503.php
    On Umbra on used cars posted 4 years, 1 month ago 16 Responses

  • FedEx Sucks

    There's a fair amount of debate about the need for corporations to protect their trademarks (i.e.: MikeRoweSoft), but in this case, Jose isn't even selling anything - just getting creative. Any company that turns down a chance to capitalize on some green, grassroots brand equity is spaced out.

    http://www.sustainabilityzone.com

    On Fedex doesn't want you reusing their boxes posted 4 years, 3 months ago 2 Responses

  • Holy Smokes

    I need to blot up my tears of mirth with a kleenex(tm). I think I'll print this out and xerox(tm) it for my friends. Maybe I'll mention it in a podcast(tm).

    What a strange email to recieve. I mean, as a marketing person, I have to wonder what sort of organization (profit oriented or not!) would resist their name entering the cultural lexicon in a positive way.

    http://www.sustainabilityzone.com

    On ... oh, and R.I.P. posted 4 years, 3 months ago 13 Responses

  • Is this penned in an ironic tone?

    Is this penned in an ironic tone, or what? As a canadian, I'm sort of out of touch with US politics, so I can't figure out if this is subertively pro-liberal, or openly pro-conservative.

    http://www.sustainabilityzone.com

    On Liberality posted 4 years, 3 months ago 5 Responses

  • Heh - whoops!

    Yes, you did indeed link to another version of that article with your Chris Horner link - missed it first go around. Just want you to know that I'm not trying to take uncredited snipes of your links!

    Anyway, yes, agreed that the tobacco/climate change comparison is spurious at best - just knee-jerk right-wing rhetoric.On Inuit fight climate change with human-rights claim against U.S. posted 4 years, 4 months ago 13 Responses

  • Cheers!

    Thanks amazingdrx!On Inuit fight climate change with human-rights claim against U.S. posted 4 years, 4 months ago 13 Responses

  • Competitive Enterprise Institute

    Thanks for the great article, Emily. You might find the Competitive Enterprise Institute's writing on the Inuit case an interesting read, have a look:

    http://www.cei.org/gencon/019,04401.cfm

    My own thoughts are here:
    http://www.sustainabilityzone.com/comments.php?load_this=134On Inuit fight climate change with human-rights claim against U.S. posted 4 years, 4 months ago 13 Responses

  • What's more green?

    Which is more green?

    eBooks, that: require an electronic reader; are loaded with strip mined precious metals and hazardous materials; are extremely unlikely to be recycled; and,are likely manufactured in a very non-green way by a pacific rim jobber?

    Or...

    A quality book, printed on recycled paper, which can be passed along for decades, or easily recycled itself?

    http://www.sustainabilityzone.com

    On Is the popular Potter author a 'Luddite fool'? posted 4 years, 4 months ago 5 Responses

  • WRONG LINK!

    Whoops, here's the Cdn Tire one:
    http://www.canadiantire.ca/assortments/product_detail.jsp ...

    On Umbra on micro-wind posted 4 years, 4 months ago 9 Responses

  • Airx at Crappy Tire

    Us lucky Canucks can also grab a coffee at Tim Ho's and head to our local Canadian Tire to pick up a 400W roof mountable home turbine from South West Wind Power:

    http://shop.altenergystore.com/go~ic~SOUAIRX-12M~agent~airxentry.htm
    On Umbra on micro-wind posted 4 years, 4 months ago 9 Responses

  • World Changing article on secretly green corps

    Here's an article on WC about the phenom you're alluding to Dave - companies with green policies like Nike, Levis, and so on, that don't publish those policies or trumpet them in any way.

    http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/002282.html

    http://www.sustainabilityzone.com

    On Pick on the bad guys, not the kinda bad guys who claim to be good. posted 4 years, 4 months ago 9 Responses

  • St. Lucie pollution is from fission reactors...

    ...amazingdrx, I'm not sure what you're saying with that sprol link. The st.lucie reactors are both old school nuclear fission which aren't really comparable to the fusion power source being researched by the ITER consortium. Different energy source, fuel, techniques, etc. Agreed that there may yet be unexpected downsides to fusion power, but a link to something about Chernobyl would have had as much meaning as that sprol post in this context. Of course, you and I are in agreement that there are plenty of other alternatives to big budget centralized power production which should continue to be explored and developed in the meantime.

    http://www.sustainabilityzone.com

    On Hot off the wire posted 4 years, 4 months ago 7 Responses