Comments EnviroFan has made

  • Beck's attacks on Holdren are even less credible than this current round of bullshit with Van Jones.  Beck is an inflammatory liar and America would be better off if he outright lost his shows and received a few quick kicks in the ass on his way back to psychoville.

    On Will Glenn Beck bring down Van Jones after all? posted 2 months, 3 weeks ago 47 Responses

  • Could NOT agree more.  I like how their plan would also cost trillions of dollars to implement while they complain about that same point being true of ACES.  It's ridiculous.

    On House GOP unveils energy bill heavy on fossil fuels and nuclear power posted 5 months, 2 weeks ago 13 Responses

  • That is absolutely heart breaking.

    On West Va. Supreme Court affirms toxic coal silo as wonderful playground posted 5 months, 2 weeks ago 2 Responses

  • I agree that a strong RES is necessary, but within a national context, efficiency is still largely untapped.  There are many non-technical barriers which keep companies from adopting the most efficient processes which would lower their bottom line.  The Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance has done research that has shown that there are enough gains to be made from efficiency in the Southeast to eliminate the need to develop new sources of electricity for at least a decade.  The reason it is continually propped up is that it's the cheapest, cleanest "source" of electricity available.  It's also going to be the best way to get Southern legislators to vote for a bill.

    Globally, I have no idea how much can be gained from efficiency, but since this is a national policy, it needs to be looked at nationally.  Read some of Casten's (Tom or Sean) information about his own technologies and solutions and how much those can improve efficiency - there's an incredible amount that can be and should be done in this area.  Renewables are important, incredibly so, but efficiency needs the boost first.  What pollutes less than the energy you don't use?

    On Renewables industry protests weak RES proposals in Congress posted 5 months, 3 weeks ago 6 Responses

  • I think the emphasis on efficiency needs to be bolstered in the legislation.  If we're serious about fighting climate change with legislation, that's the first and best place to start.  I was a bit happy that Waxman allowed efficiency to take up the slack, but I still think that it should playing first chair and not second here.  I don't disagree with the benchmarks the renewable sector is proposing, but allow those to be met by a combination of renewable and efficiency investments.

    On Renewables industry protests weak RES proposals in Congress posted 5 months, 3 weeks ago 6 Responses

  • I know someone whose dog signed that 31,000 one too.  Great source of information.

    On Former Republican Sen. George 'Macaca' Allen shills for dirty energy posted 5 months, 3 weeks ago 7 Responses

  • He needs to figure it out...

    Gates has been sadly failing on a number of these projects lately.  The tar sands come to mind too...

    Let's make this place better.

    On The Gates Foundation's techy vision for African ag posted 10 months ago 6 Responses

  • Crazy People

    Will say crazy things, and evidently to people much smarter than they are.

    Let's make this place better.

    On Landrieu serves up monologue on oil during DOE confirmation hearing posted 10 months, 2 weeks ago 3 Responses

  • Glad he's paying attention

    Nice to know that he's ignoring the international research on what's working and most cost-effective to "minimize" carbon; if Newt looked at the UK's own analysis of what policy instruments were more cost-effective, it'd be readily apparent that regulation was far more effective than subsidies.

    Let's make this place better.

    On Gingrich summarizes the state-of-the-art delayer line posted 11 months, 1 week ago 5 Responses

  • Kinda a big deal

    I think this is a big deal as far as being able to impact the national conversation goes; you can start to build the economic case more strongly if you have this kind of information available - you can at least start to make the analysis look more reliable, less debated.

    From there it's not too hard to argue that other energy sources are better, and the economics might help instead of being reliant on politics.

    Let's make this place better.

    On Massive coal utility agrees to disclose carbon risk posted 1 year, 1 month ago 4 Responses

  • Brookings

    Marilyn Brown and some others have an interesting analysis of carbon footprints for metro areas in the US too, which Brookings put out:

    http://www.brookings.edu/reports/2008/~/media/Files/rc/re ...

    Let's make this place better.

    On CAP releases interactive U.S. map of per-capita emissions posted 1 year, 1 month ago 3 Responses

  • ATL

    Here in Altanta they've lifted some of the requirements for the gas so we've got higher sulfur contents down here...everyone's waiting to purchase the "dirty gas", at least for a couple of weeks until we're told the situation will be remedied.

    Let's make this place better.

    On Gas shortages plague the Southeast posted 1 year, 2 months ago 6 Responses

  • Jonas

    That's ridiculous to claim that advocating organic agricultural practices that are not ecologically destructive is somehow worse environmentally than industrial agriculture.  

    Check out the Rodale Institute and their organic farming model.  Their organic fields have been OUTPRODUCING the conventional fields for YEARS.  Perhaps the debate is a little more nuanced than simply claiming that industrial ag is better.  Done properly, organic can outproduce conventional without bringing such horrible ecological effects (eg, the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico).  I would even say that following the Rodale production method would actually lead to the things you claim industrial ag does.

    Let's make this place better.

    On New data show that 2008 organic food sales will reach $32.9 billion posted 1 year, 2 months ago 7 Responses

  • sunflower:

    I don't think it's so much that they are that evil as it is that they are that naive/distrustful of science.  I'd like to think they don't want to damage their kids and grandkids future, and if they conveniently don't believe in facts then they can relieve their moral obligation to worry about their influence on future generations.

    Let's make this place better.

    On Where energy/environment issues stand in the Republican Party posted 1 year, 2 months ago 8 Responses

  • 6&8

    These both seem to be touching on sustainable/organic agriculture.  I don't think I need to elaborate that too much...

    Let's make this place better.

    On The 12 (annotated) principles for a healthy food and agriculture system posted 1 year, 2 months ago 7 Responses

  • American Chestnuts?

    Does that mean that Massey is planting American Chestnuts?  Because that would mean they found a cure for Chestnut blight...which they hadn't, last I'd heard.

    Let's make this place better.

    On West Virginian advocates push to build a wind farm on a proposed mountaintop removal site posted 1 year, 3 months ago 8 Responses

  • Wolverine

    Wolverine, this is the best I can do to answer your questions.

    Costs to become certified organic vary by certifier.  All certifiers receive training and forms, etc, from the National Organic Program, which allows these businesses then to certify specific farms.  To say that a state has 'tough' organic standards is kind of trash because they all require multi-year transitional periods (3) before they are allowed to become certified organic unless the land they are desiring to certify has laid unused for at least 3 years prior.

    The cost of growing organic is typically about the same as growing conventionally.  While the cost of inputs (pesticides, fertilizers, etc) is greater for conventional farms, the increased cost of labor on organic farms tends to even this difference out.

    The cost of getting certified is a different story.  Normal application forms are 20-30 pages long and require serious time investments from the farmers.  Growing organic also requires intense record keeping (your records should be checked by the certifier, so it's important to have them in order) about your operation.  The steps of filling out this application often take a few weeks to get together.  If we're talking about opportunity cost as it applies to organics, combined with the cost of actually getting certified, you're starting to look at a higher bill than I think you believe yet.  The base fee for the best certifier (personal opinion) in Ohio (where I am) is $600 plus potential travel expenses for the certifying agent.

    Your friend sounds like they're lucky and are able to dedicate the time and funds to making it happen.  Personally, I agree with you about the "dishonest" farmers, but I haven't met many of those.  I feel like if you are educated about what you desire, it is like those above discussed:  The ones practicing organics are MORE than willing to tell you about it.  I do work with a number of very small farmers (5 acres or less) who simply don't feel that taking the time or money away from the farm to get certified is worth it.  There's a number of those who actually are far beyond organic standards.  Other farmers of their size in my region do go ahead and get the certification.  It's a personal choice, and it's an economic choice, at least here in Ohio.

    I hope that helped answer your questions.On How to ask hard questions of the people who grow your food posted 1 year, 4 months ago 14 Responses