This environmental disaster in Tennessee is sad:
"Millions of yards of ashy sludge broke through a dike at TVA's Kingston coal-fired plant Monday, covering hundreds of acres, knocking one home off its foundation and putting environmentalists on edge about toxic chemicals that may be seeping into the ground and flowing downriver."
and this:
"About 2.6 million cubic yards of slurry — enough to fill 798 Olympic-size swimming pools — rolled out of the pond Monday, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Cleanup will take at least several weeks, or, in a worst-case scenario, years."
and this:
"Coal ash can carry toxic substances that include mercury, arsenic and lead, according to a federal study. The amount of poisons in TVA's ashy wastes that could irritate skin, trigger allergies and even cause cancer or neurological problems could not be determined Monday, officials said."
"Could not be determined." Yeah right.
Moving toward a more sustainable, renewable, and efficient world.
How do we get there?
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Wishful Thinking
*Before adding PV, wind, or solar thermal to your residential or commercial structure, the first step is to analyze this structure's energy consumption through a professional energy audit. I'd like to see some public education on the importance of an energy audit for any structure. Remember Smokey the Bear's forest fire shtick drilled into our heads over the last few decades? How about something like, "Henry the House" desperately wanting to know how much energy he consumes and wastes throughout the day?
*With over 300 sunny days a year on the Front Range is it too much to ask for solar PV and thermal modules on every residential and commercial unit (after an energy audit of course)?
*How about affordable plug-in electric cars that go more than 100 miles on a charge with PV and wind powered recharging stations?
*Dreaming of companies large and small adopting business sustainability practices to maximize profits, reduce their carbon footprint, and enhance the lives of their employees and the communities that surround them.
*With over 300 sunny days a year on the Front Range is it too much to ask for solar PV and thermal modules on every residential and commercial unit (after an energy audit of course)?
*How about affordable plug-in electric cars that go more than 100 miles on a charge with PV and wind powered recharging stations?
*Dreaming of companies large and small adopting business sustainability practices to maximize profits, reduce their carbon footprint, and enhance the lives of their employees and the communities that surround them.
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3 comments:
I agree with your 'wishful thinking' about having an energy audit BEFORE installing solar. I work for Standard Renewable Energy located here in Boulder, Colorado - and our main focus in on what we call the RE3 concept - Review, Reduce, Renew! We help homeowners find out exactly how to seal leaks and fix gaps on their homes before slapping panels on their roof! But you are right - knowledge is power, and public education is key. We try to promote energy efficiency through workshops and seminars whenever possible - but we're open for more opportunities! Let us know if you know of any such things!
Kelly Whiteford
www.sre3.com
Kelly - I like the three R's concept. I'm glad you decided to drop me a line. If you need to correspond further, please use the email address in the "Correspondence" section on the right hand side of the home page (I just added it, realizing that there was no way to get a hold of me besides the comments section). As far as opportunities to promote energy efficiency, I have some ideas but too many to list here. I'll try to find your email address on the sre3.com web site. Cheers!
-Justin
http://denversunsponge.blogspot.com
Coal is not clean
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