Gore Issues Challenge: 100% Clean Energy in 10 Years

Would you agree with this statement offered by Vice President Gore: "We are borrowing money from China to buy oil from the Persian Gulf to burn it in ways that destroy the planet. Every bit of that's got to change." If so, then maybe you'd be interested in joining his challenge.

In an unprecedented proposal, Vice President Gore urges us to reset the way we think about the energy future and the climate crisis. His challenge: that 100 percent of our electricity production come from sources with zero carbon emissions within 10 years. Want to learn more?

First, here's the video:


Second, you can visit the new we can solve the climate crisis web site. The web site is the product of the We Campaign; a project of The Alliance for Climate Protection -- a nonprofit, nonpartisan effort founded by Nobel laureate and former Vice President Al Gore. Their ultimate aim is to halt global warming. Specifically they are educating people in the US and around the world that the climate crisis is both urgent and solvable.

Third, if you're on Facebook, they have a great application that will help inform and motivate you and your friends. Check out the new Climate Champions Facebook application. By taking action to help solve the climate crisis, you can earn points that directly translate into dollars donated to the We Campaign. You can even challenge your friends to beat your Climate Champion score!

Finally, are you wondering how we can meet this challenge? Gore describes the following as components of meeting this challenge:

• The growing wind and solar sectors need to be expanded through continued investment and innovation.
  
• Other renewables should be added to the mix -- geothermal and solar thermal with storage capability -- and we should start planning for that now.
  
• The greatest gains can be made in energy efficiency. For instance, existing technologies can raise household efficiency by 30 percent.
  
• America must invest in a Unified National Grid that would link every household and move cost-effective renewable electricity from places where the supply is vast to where the power is needed most.
• We should retain the existing fossil fuel-free energy production from nuclear and hydroelectric power.
• We must learn to safely store and capture carbon from coal and gas. Until then, these fossil fuels cannot be "clean."

Did you know? Puerto Rico Energy Trivia

Here are a few shocking facts that are shared in the "Coge Pon por al Ambiente" campaign:

• Puerto Rico has more automobiles than people with a license to drive:
  
  • 3.3 million vehicles registered
  • 2.3 million people with a license to drive
  
  Source: Departamento de Transportacioón y Obras Publicas (DTOP)
  
  
• Puerto Rico consumes a thousand million gallons of gasoline per year. This represents 8% of our total energy demand, when the average gasoline consumption around the world is 2%.
  
  Source: Agencia Federal de Protección Ambiental
  
  
• In urban areas, the automobile is the most contaminating mode of transportation.
  
  Source: Agencia Federal de Protección Ambiental
  
  
• The contribution of each Puerto Rican to global warming and climate change is 230% more than the average per person throughout the world.
  
  Source: Consejo para el Avance en Puerto Rico de la Innovación y la Investigación Cientifica (CAPRI)

Flickr Creative Commons Contributor: NARA/EPA via pingnews

Ten ways Puerto Rico can save gas

Today is "Coge Pon por al Ambiente" day, which is sponsored by Banco Popular de Puerto Rico. Today, they are suggesting that, instead of your normal habit of jumping in your car and screeching away, you take a bus, use the Tren Urbano, or catch a ride with a friend or family member (carpool).

According to the publicity campaign for the event, you could save $7 a day, by permanently switching to one of these transportation alternatives. Of course, for some (most?) people in Puerto Rico, these alternatives just don't seem very reasonable. They require too much sacrifice (investment in the future?) to be viable options.

Ten ways Puerto Rico can save gas

For those people that just can't seem to find a suitable alternative means of transportation, then here are 10 ways that you can save as much gas (and Money) as possible:

1. Slow down - Simply reduce your speed.
2. Check your tire pressure - Under-inflated tires are one of the most commonly ignored causes of crummy MPG.
3. Check your air filter - A dirty air filter harms performance and economy.
4. Accelerate with care - accelerate moderately.
5. Keep a constant speed - it takes less fuel to keep moving.
6. Get back to nature - At lower speeds you'll save fuel. At higher speeds the A/C may be more efficient than the wind resistance from open windows and sunroof.
7. Stay with standard tires - Wider tires, will create more rolling resistance and decrease fuel economy.
8. Clean out your car - You could carrying an extra 40 or 50 lbs. of stuff.
9. Downsize - Smaller cars are more fuel-efficient.
10. Don't drive - Duh.
11. BONUS: Turn it off - Shut off the engine when waiting in lineups or picking up friends and family.
12. DOUBLE BONUS: Switch to regular - Most cars today don't require high-octane premium gas. Check your owner's manual for the recommended octane rating.
13. TRIPLE BONUS: Combine all of your small trips - Continuously starting and turning off your car is pretty tough on your gas mileage. If possible, find one location where you can take care of banking, grocery shopping and other chores.

Flickr Creative Commons Contributor: * Jerry *

Unprecedented Increase from AEE

The Autoridad de Energía Eléctrica has announced an unprecedented 22% increase in the cost of the always mysterious combustible component of your power bill. To edefend the raise, Executive Director Jorge Rodríguez cited the obvious reason of rising petroleum

Talk about timing. I probably wouldn't have mentioned anything, but I just thought I'd say "I told you!" I guess your old pal Don Dees isn't so crazy after all, with all his "the sky is falling" and soap-box "The end is near" ranting over the weekend.

While the ten suggestions I gave are going to be a good start, there has to be more we as citizens can do to combat this worrisome trend. I'll have to do some thinking and research, but I'll get back to you. However, if any of you have any suggestion, leave a comment and I'll compile them together and share them with everyone.

Ten ways to save energy in Puerto Rico

So after that little bogeyman post, let me get back to what I started this morning. There are some pretty simple things each of us can do to reduce our power bills. And no matter how green I think casa Don Dees is, there are still a few things on this list that I've yet to get to. Hint, we've got to go vampire hunting....So I hope you'll find a least one or two worth trying.

Ten ways to save energy

1. Fluorescent Bulbs - Replace traditional, incandescent lighting with Energy Star^® compact fluorescent bulbs and fixtures (especially in the lights you use most).
2. Ceiling Fans - Installing ceiling fans in all of your bedrooms and using them instead of air conditioning can drastically cut your energy costs. Of course, this really isn't an option in Puerto Rico between May and September. Your use may vary, but most winter nights are cool enough with just a ceiling fan.
   
3. Nazi Light Police - Keep lights off in unoccupied rooms and get in the habit of turning off the light every time you leave a room for more than a few minutes.
4. Buy Smart - Purchase an Energy Star^® rated high-efficiency furnace, water heater, washer/dryer, and dishwasher when it’s time to replace worn-out models
5. Turn Down the A/C - Depending on the size of your home, you can save 3% on your cooling costs for every degree you raise your thermostat in the summer. Raising the thermostat from 73 to 78 degrees can mean savings of up to 15% in cooling costs.
   
6. Keep the Filters Clean - Check the A/C filter once a month by holding it up to a bright light. If you can't see through it, it's time to clean or replace the filter.
   
7. Line Dry Some Clothes - Install a clothes line in the backyard, well if you have one. Make sure to wash your clothes using a fabric softener, and just hang'em out to dry. This works for a variety of clothes, but is clearly not for everything.
   
8. Turn Down Your Refrigerator - Refrigerators account for about 20% of Household electricity use. Use a thermometer to set your refrigerator temperature as close to 37 degrees and your freezer as close to 3 degrees as possible.
9. Keep A Lid On It - Always cook with lids on your pans, as this keeps the heat inside and speeds up cooking time.
10. Vampire Electronics - I left this till last to give a bit more background. Disconnecting electronics equipment that use stand-by power can save you at least 5% off of your current power bill. It's estimated that each home has anywhere from 10 to 50 of these energy sucking vampires. Some examples of products that consume stand-by power are:
    
    • internal clocks and sensors (computers)
      
    • external clock displays and panel display LEDs (microwaves)
      
    • remote control sensors (televisions)
      
    • battery rechargers
    • communications between a base unit and a portable unit (portable phone).
      
    
    The recommended solution to this problem is to buy a power strip. Plug your vampires into it, and use the power strip on/off switch to completely shut off power to the equipment.

Flickr Creative Commons Contributor Today: Steven Fernandez

Dark Future for Puerto Rico

This morning as I was just about to start writing about the 10 things you can do to survive the energy crisis, when the lights went out at home. I then had a very bad premonition. A premonition so bad that it's been haunting me all morning. And because I'm such a giver, I thought I would share my premonition and bum out the rest of your day too.

Just imagine for a second that petroleum continues to rise in price. And if you didn't already hear, it hit another record high yesterday to $138,54. This was mostly based on continued instability in the Middle East and the subsequent prediction by Morgan Stanley that prices may reach $150 within a month.

Puerto Rico's Economy

The 2008 energy crisis is killing Puerto Rico's economy. A continuation of that trend will only accelerate that effect and place it on life-support. There are three basic legs to the Puerto Rican economy: Government, Tourism, and Manufacturing (specifically Pharmaceuticals); extremely high energy costs would take away two of those legs (tourism and manufacturing). And no one can stand on one leg for too long before falling down completely, well unless Puerto Rico's economy is a flamingo.

We are already starting to see the impact of rising petroleum on the airline industry, which counter to what you are hearing in the local news, will directly impact the tourism industry. If you look at any Caribbean islands tourism strategy, adding more flights is ALWAYS at the top of the list, maybe second only to adding more rooms. So it only goes to follow that less flights, means less tourists. Remember less IS ALWAYS less.

One of the main reasons so many manufacturing facilities are closing up shop, beside the disappearance of the last vestiges of 936, is the rising price of energy on the island. An important component of the newly signed incentives package that the Governor signed is a subsidy to pay for energy. If petroleum prices continue to rise it will nullify the impact of the incentive or it will bankrupt the government. Either way, rising energy cost will force more manufacturing off the island.

Way too little - Way too late

So a monkey could have predicted last week's' pronouncement by Acevedo Vila and Fortuño that they were "committed to seeking alternatives that would alleviate Puerto Rico's dependence on oil." But the time have made those pronouncements was probably about 8 to 12 year's ago. Of course it is hard to fault anyone when big oil continues have their way with the executive and legislative branches of the United States, as was just witnessed by the Senate successfully stopping a vote on the climate change bill.

According to the Governor, 74% of Puerto Rico's energy is produced by the burning of petroleum, where as the average use of petroleum in the United States is only 4%. Reasonably speaking, it will take decades before Puerto Rico is about to reduce the amount of petroleum it consumes to produce energy. And unfortunately, by then our economy may be completely unplugged from life support.

My Premonition

So as I sat there momentarily shocked by the blackened house, it hit me. Imagine what it would be like if black-outs in Puerto Rico became MORE frequent. Imagine what it would be like if gasoline was $3.00 a liter. Stop and consider for a moment having to drastically rearrange your life, just so that you could save energy, save gas, live closer to work, or move off Puerto Rico, just to make ends meet.

I'm now beginning to believe that it wasn't Rogelio Figueroa who was smoking something when I dogged his suggestion that making Puerto Rico independent from foreign oil was the key to Puerto Rico's long term economic security. And also my hat goes off to Gabriel Pagan over at "I can't spell" for nailing the same solution.

Flickr Creative Commons Contributor Today: ArtNow314