Earth Day 2005 | Green Energy News

April 17, 2005 – Vol.10 No.4

EARTH DAY 2005.

For the planet, for all of us living on it (including ALL life on Earth) the messages this Earth Day are simple and not at all discouraging.

Global warming is real, extraordinarily dangerous, and needs to be addressed by all nations. Now.

Though there are no immediate shortages, demand for oil is high allowing oil sellers to receive high prices, high profits.

Oil prices are generally expected to climb in the coming years as supply struggles to keep up with demand. But prices will rise along a jagged, up-and-down curve.

Solutions to cutting toxic and greenhouse gas emissions from the burning of fossil fuels as well as reducing dependence on oil are here, but expensive, in comparison to those conventional sources.

Fuel efficient hybrid vehicles are certainly available but not prevalent enough. Today’s hybrid technology will probably lead to next-generation plug-in hybrids for equivalent fuel economy of more than 100 miles per gallon. After that, vehicles will be battery only or fuel cell, whichever gets here first with the least-expensive, technically-viable, consumer-acceptable solution.

Where there is little opposition to building them, wind farms can continue to be built as long as power from them can be sold the grid.

There is little or no opposition to building large or small solar power plants. The cost of solar energy is still high, even compared with wind energy, but the gap between the cost of solar and conventional energy is slowly narrowing as solar technology improves and cost the of conventional energy, particularly natural gas, rises.

The lack of public opposition to solar and the closing price gap make solar a long term winner.

Other new renewable technologies - such as ocean energy and bioethanol - are beginning to show promise. Biodiesel is already a winner.

Energy efficient technologies such as LED lighting - are here today waiting for mass production and mass demand to lower prices.

Finally, though Washington ( including the White House AND Congress AND along both sides of the aisle) recognizes the problem global warming as well as our over-dependence on oil, it is slow to react.

However, more than a dozen states are coming up the plate to take a swing at those problems. Washington, though it doesn’t like to admit it, often takes its leads from the states. Successful work beyond the Washington Beltway eventually finds its way inside. It takes time, but eventually there is progress.

Progress is the word this Earth Day whether it feels like it or not.