Just when the conditions looked promising for a significant movement to hybrids and EVs, a new roadblock (pun intended) appears.  This, at a time when prices are starting to inch down for the energy efficient vehicles, a necessary move needed for years, it fails to be effective.

This article from a recent issue to Time, http://time.com/3547819/cheap-gas-puts-the-squeeze-on-hybrids-and-evs/, confirms drivers' attitudes and preferences for standard engines now that they are far more efficient than in prior years.  This, plus the benefit of sharply falling gas prices- gallon of regular unleaded is $2.89 here in southeast Florida and about $.15 less in Orlando.  Prices this low, thanks to major discoveries of oil here in the states, serve to maintain the status quo.

There is no mention in the article of the major reasons why even if hybrids/EVs were flying out of showrooms there would be little, if any, impact on trtansportation-related polllution.  First, there are 250 million cars and light trucks on our roads and hybrid/EVs are about 1% of that total.  Second, the average car is more than 9 years old and much less efficient than current models.  Third, pervasive traffic congestion wipes out any MPG gains.  Fourth, too many drivers go much too fast and speed reduces MPG.  A car going 70 MPH, just the speed limit on many highways, reduces MPG by about 21%.

The most effective, near term way to reduce emissions is to take cars off the roads in significant numbers.

2014 could become the hottest year on record - CBS News

2014 could become the hottest year on record - CBS News:
We should start to find out soon if another El Nino is coming our way. That is the weather formation in the Pacific that changes and directs the worlds weather in a BIG way.

Apparently if El Nino forms, then this year will blast through all recorded records, and next year should be record setting as well. It offers up massive droughts in some areas and torrential rains in others.

With several consecutive months (May through September) setting monthly records, El Nino would really push the year over the top of the heat charts.

El Nino is a warming anomaly; La Nina, is a cooling anomaly. Check out this chart of each, showing the years when they existed as weak, moderate or strong events.  El Nino occurs every 3 to 7 years, But it seems to be happening with increased frequency.

But at several researchers are reducing the likelihood of the Big El Nino for this year, from very likely down to maybe 58%. So maybe we might be spared of 2014-2015 as epic climate change event.

Also look at this great graphics from NASA on temperature changes. Climate change and global warming certainly look real from here.

Read more about El Nino at Wikipedia.
'via Blog this'

Highlights from the new IPCC report. 10 charts.

http://www.carbonbrief.org/blog/2014/11/the-intergovernmental-panel-on-climate-change-top-10-charts/?utm_content=bufferf5770&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

The new IPCC report on Climate Change. It is a little bit of a long read...
The report spends some time on probabilities, including what "business as usual" looks. BAU gets ugly, and uglier, and ugliest.
Starting early, not later, seems to make sense...!!!

How Wolves change Rivers.

When They Brought These Wolves Into The Park, They Had No Idea This Would Happen

 YouTube Video.

When the government reintroduced Wolves back into the Yellow Stone area (National Park) they had no idea how it would work.

This is one of the most enlightening videos you will ever see related to biodiversity and good/natural/sustainable ecosystems. In this case, this is recreating a more sustainable ecosystem from the past...

... But we as a people have devoted our existence, to date, of changing the ecosystems were we live and operate. The costs of doing so, are great!:-(

Virtual Event Program | GreenBiz

Virtual Event Program | GreenBiz:


BIG VERGE conference starts today.

Put on by Green Biz.

Virtual if you want to have a baby footprint on a great meeting. The travel time is a little less than going to San Francisco (although you will miss the foods and sounds and local color).

This is a really interesting mix... Including some big companies and some disrupters.



'via Blog this'

The energy we (US) use, and don't!

WoW! This is the new energy charge for the US. Note that the new chart shows how much energy we waste as well as how much weed is! Far more goes to waste.
And 2013 was the first year that energy consumption was up, since 2010. One benefit of a recession is that you produce less of a carbon footprint, and get more efficient.
https://www.llnl.gov/news/newsreleases/2014/Apr/NR-14-04-01.html#.VCOBhMcpDMK

Green, But Mostly White: The Lack Of Diversity In Enviro Movement, 5 parts - JustMeans

Green, But Mostly White: The Lack Of Diversity In The Environmental Movement, Part 1 of 5—Future 500 | Justmeans:

There are 5 parts to this series. It's talking about who is evolved int the Environmental movement, and why there isn't more diversity. And why that is starting to change?

This is a very interesting 5 part series by several authors.

Part 1: http://www.justmeans.com/blogs/green-but-mostly-white-the-lack-of-diversity-in-the-environmental-movement-part-1 by Danna Pfahl

Part 2: http://www.justmeans.com/blogs/green-but-mostly-white-the-lack-of-diversity-in-the-environmental-movement-part-2-of-5-future by Marvin Smith

Part 3: http://www.justmeans.com/blogs/green-but-mostly-white-the-lack-of-diversity-in-the-environmental-movement-part-3-of-5 by Shilpi Chhatray

Part 4: http://3blmedia.com/News/Green-Mostly-White-Lack-Diversity-Environmental-Movement-Part-4-5-Future-500 by Brandon Steele

Part 5: http://www.justmeans.com/blogs/green-but-mostly-white-the-lack-of-diversity-in-the-environmental-movement-part-5-of-5-future by Nick Sorrentio

The last one, by Sorrentio, talks about engaging businesses to help address environmental issues. SustainZine has long promoted serious action by business (and all organizations) in areas where the payback is obvious and near-term. Conservation, as in reducing energy, improved logistics (so less shipping), and telecommuting (so no travel) are all areas that have rapid payback to business and to the environment. So not only area companies making money in doing this, they are helping out the environment in doing this. Plus, it can become a perpetuity of savings, if properly monitored and maintained.

This is something we call in the triple bottom-line business, a win-win-win... and a perpetuity of savings.

'via Blog this'

Sustainable Universities fall in two

Sustainable Universities falls into to two schools (note the pun).
1) Those that have greener campuses in terms of reduced usage of resources and renewable resources.
2) Those that teach sustainability programs academically.
Of course, doing both is entirely possible... and even highly synergistic.

Here's a few sources of Green campus and green(er) universities:

• Campus Ecology: http://www.nwf.org/campus-ecology.aspx
• Green Report Card: http://www.greenreportcard.org/
• P&P’s Top Green Colleges & Us: http://peopleandplanet.org/greenleague
• People & Plant’s 2013 College Report: http://peopleandplanet.org/green-league-2013/tables

Plus there has been some rather interesting reports on the topic in August of 2014. So this list should be updated soon.

Keywords: Best Universities, Green Education, renewable energy, sustainability, sustainable education, sustainUcation 

First published on www.SustainUcation.com, here.

Building a Business Plan: The basic components - YouTube

Building a Business Plan: The basic components - YouTube: "

Here's the basics about a business plan by yours truly, Dr. Elmer Hall, President of

Strategic Business Planning Company. We help develop the plans that every business needs(tm).

"

All, right. It doesn't have direct application to Sustainability... Except that we aim to encourage sustainable businesses in all the spellings of the word "sustainable". Businesses do need to be profitable. Look at the sustainable growth rate model in finance.

This is the basics of a business plan, but we modify a basic business plan to accommodate Intellectual Property protection (read sustainable competitive advantage). And we modify businesses with environmental foot prints to include, well, a sustainability plan.

#BusinessPlan #SustainabilityPlan #IPPlan
'via Blog this'

Visuals of the planet changes

These visuals of the planet changes over the last 30 or 40 years are impressive, to say the least.
http://nbcnews.to/1uxF6ZM
Here are some cool time lapse photography using satellite imagery over the last few decades.
Check out the Amazon!
Check out the glaciers!
Ouch!
Double ouch!