Tag Archives: energy

Wind electricity kills many less birds than do windows, coal and cats

What's killing birds
Source: Climate Reality Project
The Climate Reality Project e-book Wind Energy Myths points out that while wind turbines do kill birds, apparently they kill many less of them than do windows in tall buildings, the coal industry … and cats.

The Washington Post reports that “Outdoor cats kill between 1.4 billion and 3.7 billion birds a year.”

About the webinar: What is Energy Democracy and Why Does It Matter?

Denise Fairchild
Source: Webinar Archive of What is Energy Democracy and Why Does It Matter?
Streamed live on Nov 12, 2015
Featuring:
Janet Redman, Institute for Policy Studies (moderator)
Denise Fairchild, Emerald Cities Collaborative
Meghan Zaldivar, PUSH Buffalo
Miya Yoshitani, Asian Pacific Environmental Network

As the climate crisis heats up, and its impacts on the economy and people’s lives become more pronounced, concerned people everywhere are looking for new alternatives. Energy democracy seeks to replace the current corporate fossil-fuel economy with one that puts racial, social, and economic justice at the forefront of the transition to a 100% renewable energy future.

By energy democracy we mean bringing energy resources under public or community ownership and/or control, a key aspect of the struggle for climate justice and an essential step toward building a more just, equitable, sustainable, and resilient economy.

We’ve invited key energy democracy leaders to kick-start a conversation on why energy democracy is so important.

Here’s the webinar archive:

Join EJ rally Aug 11 on Energy Master Plan or comment at a BPU hearing

On Tuesday August 11 from 1-3PM please join Newark residents, the Ironbound Community Corporation (ICC) and allies at a peaceful rally and protest outside of Seton Hall Law School (1109 Raymond Blvd, Newark, NJ) where the Board of Public Utilities will be hosting a public hearing to review the NJ State Energy Master Plan created in 2011, which is in the process of being updated. Some community activists will wish to attend the hearing and possibly, to comment – which is an activity rallying protestors wholeheartedly endorse.

The Sierra Club comments,

The Board of Public Utilities (BPU) is putting together the 2015 Energy Master Plan (EMP) which will help determine where we get our energy from in New Jersey. The plan decides New Jersey’s priorities for clean AND dirty energy and can also set limits on how much energy we waste.

Compelling statements from environmental justice (EJ) and environmental groups were made before the 2011 plan was adopted. But community voices were ignored, with operation of existing dirty fossil fuel and incinerators not only continuing unabated, but expanding. A new 655 megawatt natural gas plant was situated in Newark’s already heavily polluted Ironbound neighborhood; and several other dirty fuel facilities were located around the state.

Let’s not allow community demands for clean energy to lose impetus because New Jersey state has recently opted to label as “clean energy” both nuclear energy and fracked natural gas – which are anything but … are also dangerous to the environment and cause health issues too.

Since the facilitators of public hearings do not listen to the community anyway, the EJ community is taking their objections, concerns and demand for real solutions to the street and demanding JUSTICE across the board, including: Energy Justice, Environmental Justice, Climate Justice. Stefan Ali of the ICC writes,

The last time there were public hearings on the Energy Plan, industry was allowed to speak first and concerned residents spoke at the end when the media had left. We want to make our voices heard by protesting and rallying.

The August 11 action will not be about standing around listening to an endless roster of speakers. Instead, there will be activities, performances, music and some fun street puppets as well. Please join in and support #actonclimate!

Please email or phone Molly Greenberg at 973.817.7013 x217 or 218 for additional information.

Should you wish to comment on the New Jersey Energy Master Plan 2015 and the state’s energy future, you can do so in person or electronically. Here are your options:

  • Comment in person at one of the three public hearings taking place on August 11, 13 and 17; or
  • Submit a public comment electronically through the Sierra Club’s website. Please feel free to edit any information which already appears in the Sierra Club’s form by adding to it or you can entirely replace their wording with your own.
  • Send your comment directly to the State of NJ. Written public comments on updates to the 2011 Energy Master Plan can be submitted by close of business on Wednesday, August 24, 2015 to EMPupdate@bpu.state.nj.us

Resources:

  1. BPU Hearing Schedule for the NJ Energy Master Plan 2015
  2. NJ Spotlight article looks at some issues the BPU needs community feedback on
  3. Download English & Spanish language fliers for the August 11 rally

Indian Point NRC Hearing – raise your voice to shut it down

Indian Point may kill usEarlier this month, a transformer fire at Indian Point resulted in a notable oil spill on the Hudson River and even more worrisome questions about the safety of the aging nuclear power plant. Riverkeeper patrolled the Hudson near Indian Point soon after the fire, and found an oil sheen and notable odor. But Indian Point’s operators, Entergy, are claiming that there wasn’t a spill at all.

Come out and voice your concerns about Indian Point. We need to show NRC that there’s strength in numbers.

Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)
Regulatory Performance Public Meeting on Indian Point
Wed 20 May 2015: 6-9 PM
Westchester Marriott
670 White Plains Road, Tarrytown, NY

SCHEDULE
6-7 PM: Open house with NRC staff to answer questions from the public about Entergy’s performance at Indian Point during calendar year 2013, and discuss issues or concerns.

7-9 PM: Question and answer session with NRC, during which members of the public can ask questions or make statements. Time for individual comments at the meeting may be limited to accommodate as many speakers as possible.

An audio recording and transcript of the meeting will be available on the NRC website at a later date.

Background on the NRC Public Meeting on Indian Point

Cute polar bear app helps you control your daily energy use

Screen Shot 2015-05-03 at 12.31.00 PMTime recommends using this cute app to track your energy use helps you learn how much energy you’re consuming and the adjustments you can make to evolve a more eco-friendly lifestyle. If you’re good, the polar bear’s iceberg gets bigger.

The app tracks your energy consumption in areas like electricity, travel and food, and within each category, there are suggestions for doing things differently to help conserve energy. Some of the suggestions are simple (like recycling) and some are complex (like installing a high-efficiency water closet). As you take up the suggestions, you accumulate carbon units and can quickly see how much energy you are saving.

A cute visual device — a polar bear perched on an iceberg — depicts your progress. The more energy you save, the bigger the iceberg gets.

Get the free app on Google Play or iTunes

Once a stable, stone country home features water and light

prior stab le now homeThis comfortable country home was rebuilt to resemble the original stone and mud composition of the stable it once was, but behind the mud bonding stones walls together is concrete to make them more solid. The home features water from two streams that is integrated throughout its design for the convenience of residents, the sound and beauty of nature and to water the landscape.

Energy is generated on site. Water flow powers turbines which supplement in winter months the solar energy captured by panels situated near the house at ground level. The house temperature is partially moderated by being built into the hillside at the rear. In the front, floor to ceiling glass doors slide to create huge openings which allow the moist air of the water collector in the central courtyard area of the house to waft through the building, cooling the air without need for electric powered air conditioning. On winter days, huge shutters on wheels which resemble wooden doors are pulled close to help the house retain heat produced by the sunlight that is collected via the south-facing glass doors.

The structure’s outside is rustic, but the inside is clean, white and stainless modern with bathrooms featuring natural stone sinks and shower enclosures. Who wouldn’t love to spend some time in this magical space?

Obama’s serious about Climate Change

President Obama’s new initiatives around Climate Change protections are soon to be unveiled, and they’re not going to make traditional energy company executives happy. This time, the President is serious about climate change.

obama wipes face at speech
The Washington Post reports:

After years of putting other policy priorities first — and dismaying many liberal allies in the process — Obama is now getting into the weeds on climate change and considers it one of the key components of his legacy, according to aides and advisers.

He is regularly briefed on scientific reports on the issue, including a national climate assessment that he will help showcase Tuesday. He is using his executive authority to cut greenhouse gas emissions from power plants and other sources, and is moving ahead with stricter fuel-efficiency standardsfor the heaviest trucks.

And while he routinely brings up climate change in closed-door meetings with world leaders, according to his aides, he also discusses it in his private life, talking about global warming’s implications with his teenage daughters.

New report shows people of color want more cycling equity

New Majority: cycling equityThe New Majority: Pedaling Towards Equity, a joint report released on May 29, 2013 by the League of American Bicyclists and the Sierra Club, shows that

85% of people of color (African American, Hispanic, Asian, Native American and mixed race) have a positive view of bicyclists and 71% say their community would be a better place to live if bicycling were safer and more comfortable.

It is safer to bike in white neighborhoods than communities of color, where there is less access to bicycles and more bicycle and pedestrian crashes. The report,

… underlines stories of powerful local efforts of communities organizing to address these issues, opening up new lanes to cycling in communities often overlooked by traditional transportation planners and cycling advocates … and … uncovers stories and data that point to consistent disparities and inequities in the manner in which people of color, women and youth — including groups that are bicycling at higher rates and have more to gain in terms of bike benefits — are engaged in bicycling-related matters. For example, data gathered by the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition revealed that neighborhoods with the highest percentage of people of color had a lower distribution of cycling facilities — and areas with the lowest median household income ($22,656 annually) were also the areas with the highest number of bicycle and pedestrian crashes.

Download report