Organizers for Al Gore's "Live Earth" concerts have announced details of the American concert venue and date. The concert will take place on July 7th at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ (town motto: "We'll Understand If You Don't Stick Around After It's Over"). Tickets go on sale Monday morning, and you can get a more details at the Live Earth website.
Scheduled to perform so far: The Police, The Dave Matthews Band, Alicia Keys, Fall Out Boy, Akon, Melissa Etheridge, Kanye West, Bon Jovi, John Mayer, AFI, Kelly Clarkson, The Smashing Pumpkins, Rihanna, Ludacris, KT Tunstall and Pink Floyd's Roger Waters.
As the Washington Post reports, the concert was originally proposed as a free show on The National Mall, but Republicans would have none of that. You see, if they let a climate change concert take place on the steps of the Capitol, some people might think they were admitting global warming is actually happening. And conservatives would never do something like that.
Republicans always say the environment isn't a partisan issue. But why is it that it's only Republicans blocking a free climate change concert on The National Mall?
Miles, when it comes to global warming, from my perspective it appears the cheapest, the cleanest, and the quickest change which will provide power yet protect the environment, is energy efficiency and conservation measures. you may already know this but check out this website from a alternative energy investor blogger http://tomkonrad.com/blog/Electricity%20generation%20technologies%20comparison.xls the chart compares cost v. energy source and emissions v. energy source.
ReplyDeleteCan you tell me what Arlington County has initiated with regards to implementing some sort of electricity load management program on county owned facilities? Such a program if there is one, would curtail electricity usage and in a sense, cost the county no money and even save appx. 10 to 30% on their electricity bills.
This past Monday Gov. Kaine issued an executed order similarily but for state-owned facilities http://www.governor.virginia.gov/Initiatives/ExecutiveOrders/2007/EO_48.cfm
Secondly, do you know what your electric utility company there in Arlington provides in a form of load management for residential customers? Such a program will allow customers to opt for a switch placed on their electric a/c units and electric hotwater heaters which will then be turned off by the utility for a few minutes, 7 for a/c 12-30 minutes for the hwh, only during the peak days during the summer (10-20 times a year) - generally b/n 3 to 6pm.
This reduces "peak demand" consumption, which is the primary driver for which utilities needs to build new power plants.
In my county PWC, the board of supervisors just passed a resolution to enact a load management program on county property. Also in our county our utility provider, NOVEC, provides these switches for residential customers. Please see this link from the utility company http://www.novec.com/documents/LM%20Brochure.pdf
It seems that admist the discussion of global warming and alternative energy sources to fix the problem, efficiency and conservation is lost because it isn't being touted by Silicon Valley techies or green venture capitalist. There is already enough electricity in NOVA's grid which is being wasted and can be captured to supply enough electricity to replace the existing North Anna nuclear power plant 2 or 3 times overs.
With the re-reg bill passed in Virginia, our state gov't can do little at this time (w/o new legislation) to cut back on GHG and C02 now.
This leaves consumers like you and myself, along with your readers, to actively do something which can decrease electricity consumption w/o a major nor minor affect to oneself, which can effectively reduce GHG and CO2.
I'm sure many of your readers have already switched to CFL - load mgmt is different.
Now considering that Dominion Va Power has proposed a major transmission line for No.Va., the line will utilitize generation from the coal-fired Mt. Storm plant. (You should do a google on Mt. Storm and see how many violations it has had, as well as the millions in fines.) Currently the plant is not at full operation but will be close to being fully powered, should this new transmisssion line get approved.
Furthermore, with PEPCO requesting the shutdown of the Benning Road and Buzzard Point power plants, this puts more pressure in favor of Dominion's power line.
If all of NoVa counties initiated energy efficiency and conservation and if consumers engaged voluntarily in load management with their utility provider, we could avoid the transmission line and keep the Mt. Storm plant operating at its current level, a fraction of full capacity.
Please email me if you know of any county program or who I need to contact if none, and also about your utility provide if you know of any.
Thanks
A. Daniel Thorne
tcsi98@yahoo.com