The claim that changing the clocks saves energy is unsupportable by facts. Some say it’s more likely to spur consumption and benefit commercial interests, but I’m curious why the teabaggersparty people haven’t risen up against this alarming government intrusion into our private lives.
Drill And Burn Republicans
John McCain thinks fuel efficiency is for sissies. I guess he figures our oil supply is infinite, or that fossile fuel consumption has no effect on climate change. He probably also thinks the Holocaust was a hoax — somebody should ask him.
For now let’s call him a “drill and burn Republican.”
Eco-Friendly Web Design For Earth Day
Mark Ontkush at ecoIron did some math starting with the Department of Energy data that showed CRT monitors consume less power displaying dark colors than light and determined that redesigning Google’s site in black would save 750 megawatt-hours per year (assuming that 25% of computer users still haven’t upgraded to LCDs and are using power-hungry […] » about 200 words
Damn Daylight Saving Doesn’t Save
NPR covered it like an eclipse or astronomic curiosity, and did little to question the claimed energy saving benefits. But, as Michael Downing asks in Spring Forward, how can something understood by so few be done by so many? And why go through this twice annual madness? Supposedly, we subject ourselves to the rule of […] » about 300 words
Reva “ElectriCity Car”
How crazy is it that we can get neither flying cars nor (affordable) fuel efficient cars today? Anyway, the Reva (shown above) is a tiny little electric that seats two adults, can go 50 miles on a charge, and fully charges in five hours (two hours gets an 80% charge). It’s an Indian company, but […] » about 200 words
This Car Climbed Hubbert Peak
This is probably the perfect bumper sticker for your neighbor’s SUV, at least until your neighbor comes over with the perfect chainsaw for your front door (yeah, try to run from that in Birkenstocks). But seriously, shouldn’t somebody tell these people that the world is running out of oil? bumper sticker, declining oil reserves, energy, […] » about 100 words
Affordable Fuel Efficient Vehicles (Not In The US)
I’m a fan of the Smart, the fuel efficient European roadster that’s smaller than a Mini (see above). It’s coming to America, but indirectly and not without some complexity. Oddly, considering the current energy crisis and that buyers appear to be looking for more efficient vehicles now, there’s a lot of red tape involved with […] » about 200 words
Water Saving Tips
Our physical plant folks sent out this list of water saving tips to followup on the energy savings tips they sent previously. Again, I think they should be blogging them, but what do I know? (It’s a rhetorical question, please don’t answer.) Limit the use of domestic hot water — use cold water whenever it […] » about 300 words
Energy Saving Tips
Our physical plant folks sent out a message with tips on how to conserve energy. Perhaps they oughtta blog this stuff? Here it is: Computer power management — A typical computer monitor uses 60 to 120 watts of electrical power, depending upon screen size. Do not use screensavers as energy savers as they continue to […] » about 700 words
Energy Crisis
Mike Whelan posted the above photo to his Flickr photostream recently. Back in April, when gas prices were still well below the $3-per-gallon mark, it looked like sales of SUVs were starting to slow. Interestingly, we’ve crossed the threshold Keith Bradsher quotes in High and Mighty, his book detailing how the US auto industry became […] » about 200 words
Zygo: The Last Energy Drink
Cola wars are one thing, but “altbev” sure has come a long way since soft drink makers identified the market segment in the 90s. Coke’s Fruitopia was among the entries from the majors, but, as usual, it’s the independents that have lead the way. Water remains the leading altbev, but energy and “health” drinks are […] » about 400 words