Free Republic

It is hardly an exaggeration to say that the Industrial Revolution began in the UK.It was the mastery of energy–replacing muscle power with fossil fuels that fundamentally transformed everything. We still describe an engine’s output as “horsepower” for a reason: for most of human history the fastest anything could travel was the speed of a horse.Unless, of course, you were falling off a cliff. Then you could go faster, but the ride was short.The UK–which is still led by the Tories only because Labour is even worse–is looking to undo the Industrial Revolution. In a ridiculous bid to save Gaia...

The Department of Energy announced this week that it’s withdrawing the Obama administration’s energy-rationing mandate for certain lightbulbs. Opponents criticized the rule change, arguing that the move would be bad for consumers and the climate. The reality, however, is that families and businesses will be better off, and the change will have a negligible impact on the environment. The Energy Department’s decision to withdraw energy-efficiency standards for candle-shaped, globe-shaped, three-way and reflector lightbulbs is a victory for consumer choice. Whether it’s buying a lightbulb or a new car, families have different preferences and needs. They consider the various trade-offs in...

President Trump is starting his own government-wide environmental sustainability and energy efficiency program through an executive order he signed late on Thursday. The order directs federal agencies to manage their buildings, vehicles, and overall operations in order to "optimize energy and environmental performance, reduce waste, and cut costs," according to the White House. It also calls on the White House Council of Environmental Quality 'to streamline pre-existing environmental orders' by "refocusing agencies on cost-effectively meeting mandates and goals" established by law, as opposed to executive fiat. The White House pointed out that the federal government manages more than 350,000 buildings...

After the Senate gave approval to its budget plan early Friday morning, Sens. Rob Portman, Ohio Republican, and Jeanne Shaheen, New Hampshire Democrat, got a version of their energy efficiency legislation passed by voice vote. The measure, passed when only Mr. Portman and Ms. Shaheen were on the floor, includes provisions exempting certain water heaters from pending Department of Energy regulations, and requires federal agencies to develop an implementation strategy for employing more energy-efficient technology, among other items. Mr. Portman said the bill has garnered widespread support and is part of an energy plan for the country “that can help...

Energy efficient buildings are an important part of tackling the world’s energy crisis. But while these structures can keep drafts out, they also have a hidden threat lurking within. Deep within their crevices and corners, green buildings are susceptible to trapping humid air in which toxic mold can spread. The problem, according to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), affects between 30 and 50 percent of new or refurbished buildings. A number of these homes have become ghost buildings after the damp seeped in and destroyed furniture and belongings. …

Every American knows about the income tax. But how many are aware of the regulatory tax? That’s the cost of all regulations (good, bad and indifferent) imposed on Americans by the 60 or so government agencies that contribute to the 175,000-page (and growing) Code of Federal Regulations. The fact that we don’t hear nearly as much about the regulatory tax doesn’t mean it isn’t substantial. As Heritage Foundation scholar James Gattuso notes, “While the revenues and expenditures of the government are accounted for each year, the costs of regulation are largely hidden from view, paid for indirectly via higher prices,...

By now many of you have seen the legendary chart nearby. It shows that California energy use per person has remained relatively flat, while the trend for the other states has risen significantly during the last 50 years. It has been widely touted by the State of California and environmental organizations that this trend is due to the state’s energy efficiency regulations for homes, cars and industries. This leveling off of California electricity usage since the 1970s compared to other states has received so much unquestioned academic acceptance that it was given the term “The Rosenfeld Effect” after U.C. Berkeley...

Regulation: No longer the stuff of science fiction, a little-noticed change in energy-efficiency requirements for appliances could lead to government controlling the power used in your home and how you set your thermostat. In a seemingly innocuous revision of its Energy Star efficiency requirements announced June 27, the Environmental Protection Agency included an "optional" requirement for a "smart-grid" connection for customers to electronically connect their refrigerators or freezers with a utility provider. The feature lets the utility provider regulate the appliances' power consumption, "including curtailing operations during more expensive peak-demand times." So far, manufacturers are not required to include the...

Why greener technology doesn’t translate into reduced energy consumptionAutomobile manufacturers have been working for decades on improving fuel efficiency. So why aren’t the cars we drive today getting dramatically better gas mileage? Underlying that question is a fascinating paradox about energy consumption. A study by MIT economist Christopher Knittel in the December 2011 issue of the American Economic Review found that since 1980 the average fuel economy of American vehicles has increased only slightly, from 23 miles per gallon to 27. Yet Knittel found that fuel efficiency—the amount of power an engine produces per gallon of fuel burned—increased by 60 percent during...

A SoCal woman says the energy efficient window installed in a neighbor’s condominium is melting the plastic components on cars parked in her carport. Heather Patron of Studio City was dealing with a mystery regarding her Toyota Prius. “The side view mirrors were melting,” says Patron. “Anything that was plastic on the car was melting.” {snip} Patron is not alone. Reports across the country have alleged damages brought on by concentrated sunlight reflected off of energy efficient windows.

By staff reporter Yu Dawei 11.26.2010 15:28 Save Energy, Lose Lives How fast-track scheduling and low-cost, low energy consumption building materials contributed to a tragic apartment building fire (Shanghai) - The Shanghai apartment tower gutted by a deadly fire in November was just one of many high-rises in the city and across China targeted for energy-saving renovations this year. The well-intentioned goal was resource conservation. But two aspects of the execution – a government push for speedy results and a contractor's choice of a low-budget, flammable building material called PU foam – contributed to the tragedy. The building was being...

NOTE The following text is a quote: www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/remarks-president-obama-and-president-medvedev-russia-us-russia-business-summit Home • Briefing Room • Speeches & Remarks The White House Office of the Press Secretary For Immediate Release June 24, 2010 Remarks by President Obama and President Medvedev of Russia at the U.S.-Russia Business Summit U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Washington, D.C. 3:08 P.M. EDT PRESIDENT OBAMA: Well, good afternoon, everybody. It is a pleasure to be here with my friend and partner, President Medvedev, and I want to thank him again for his leadership, especially his vision for an innovative Russia that’s modernizing its economy, including deeper economic ties between our...

Energy efficiency is one of the themes most discussed by those who are interested in issues regarding energy and the environment. The key question is how effective these proposed solutions will be. Will these technological solutions labeled as ‘energy efficiency’ (i.e. an increase in power plants generation efficiency, cogeneration, home insulation, more efficient electric motors, cars, light bulbs, etc.) really lead to a decrease in the global demand for energy? First of all, we should distinguish between two different economic spheres: production and consumption. With respect to production, the proposed solutions (increases in power plants efficiency, changes to EFF1 electric...

Energy-efficiency investments Tangible gains still ahead for $25 billion initiative In Baltimore, the 300 block of East 23 1/2 Street is getting patched up in time for winter. One economic stimulus program is paying to insulate 11 rental rowhouses, another is paying for furnaces and a third is covering the cost for reflective roofs to be installed by prison inmates in a job-training program. The block is part of one of the biggest initiatives ever undertaken by the federal government, a nationwide push to improve the energy efficiency of buildings. But as the national unemployment rate crosses into the double...

WASHINGTON, Aug. 27, 2009 – Multinational Security Transition Command Iraq officials are working to boost energy efficiency in the Iraqi infrastructure to help the environment and boost cost savings, command officials said. Energy efficiency affects the environment by reducing air pollution and the economy by reducing fuel costs. “Since energy impacts the environment and the economy, it makes sense to ensure that the construction of the Iraqi security infrastructure is done in the most energy-efficient manner. This will properly set the conditions needed to encourage cost savings and employ sound environmental practices," Air Force Lt. Col. Thomas N. Williams Jr.,...

Researchers at the University of Maryland in College Park, Maryland have created nanocapacitors capable of both high power concentrations and large storage capacities. Traditionally, capacitors offer high levels of power discharge and batteries offer large amounts of storage but this is the first time scientists have managed to combine both properties in the same device, albeit one too small to be practical.   Arrays of capacitors shown in an electron micrograph overlaid onto a diagram outlining their design (Credit: A. James Clark School of Engineering, University of Maryland) The new battery system, developed by Gary Rubloff and his team...

President Obama announced tougher energy efficiency requirements for certain types of fluorescent and incandescent lighting on Monday, the latest step in the administration’s push to cut the country’s energy use. The new rule , scheduled to take effect in 2012, will cut the amount of electricity used by affected lamps by 15 to 25 percent and save $1 billion to $4 billion a year for consumers, the White House said. “Now I know light bulbs may not seem sexy,” Mr. Obama said, “but this simple action holds enormous promise because 7 percent of all the energy consumed in America is...

Gov. Mark Sanford on Monday assured the U.S. Department of Energy that South Carolina will consider improving efficiency-related building codes and utility policies, in a letter that opened the door to $50.5 million in energy-related stimulus funds for the state. In order to receive a share of State Energy Program stimulus money, governors were required to provide written assurances by Monday that they would consider such policies. In South Carolina, a House bill already has been introduced to bring the state's energy-related building codes, which date to the 1990s, up to the modern standards used in North Carolina and Georgia....

State Treasurer Bill Lockyer on Tuesday proposed a $5 billion bond measure to combat global warming by getting California's largest building owner - the state government - to improve its energy efficiency. Lockyer said he wants the Legislature and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to sign off on a November 2008 ballot measure to retrofit the state's massive building inventory with solar panels and other clean energy technologies. In a meeting with The Bee Capitol Bureau, Lockyer said the state needs to move "as rapidly as possible" to "green our buildings" if it is serious about its commitment to cut California's greenhouse...

When it comes to their role in causing global warming, Californians can feel slightly less guilty than most Americans. The average Californian generates fewer carbon dioxide emissions - the main heat-trapping gas blamed for warming the planet - than residents in all other states but Idaho, Vermont and Rhode Island, according to data from the U.S. Department of Energy. California ranks second in total carbon emissions, trailing only Texas. But the country's most populous state is one of the lowest carbon emitters on a per-person basis. Each person in California is responsible for about 24,000 pounds of carbon dioxide per...