Little to no progress made on cleaning up energy, according to research

This week, the Clean Energy Ministerial, an organization of representatives from countries responsible for 80% of today’s carbon emissions, will meet in New Delhi to share environmental experiences and encourage the transition to a more stable, globalized energy infrastructure.

However, according to one representative who will be in attendance, Maria van der Hoeven, executive director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), renewable energy has been shelved in favor of temporarily stimulating national economies. “The average unit of energy produced today is basically as dirty as it was 20 years ago,” she claims.

Modern power plants are the worst polluters of all. Usually dependent upon coal, the dirtiest of all fossil fuels, these power plants emit astronomical amounts of carbon dioxide into our atmosphere. In order to track these levels, the IEA has relied on a system of evaluation called the Energy Sector Carbon Intensity Index (ESCII). The ESCII calculates the average amount of carbon emissions expected in the production of an individual unit of energy. In 2010, the index calculated that, in order to produce energy from one metric ton of oil, 2.37 metric tons of carbon dioxide would be given off – or nearly the exact same number registered back in 1990!

Can you think of any other industry that’s experienced stagnant quality or production costs and actually survived amidst the free-market? Didn’t think so. Hence the reason Apple, Nike, and all of your favorite brands compete for the top designers and then outsource production to manufacturers where laborers have never heard of a “minimum wage.”

The important of developing alternative energy sources has been stressed amongst the media, environmentalist, and politicians alike for decades now. Yet, as van der Hoeven points out, the “growth of coal-fired power is actually outpacing the increase in generation from non-fossil energy sources.”

Why? Because sticking with what’s already in place is usually the easiest option -- not necessarily the right one.

 
Even countries making “honest” attempts to curb their carbon emissions eventually succumb to greed. The United States, for example, is burning less coal than in the past, but is selling their stockpile of unused coal to facilities over in Asia. One way or the other, the stuff is getting burned. It’s polluting our air and waterways. And the problem is only getting worse. Since we consume roughly 50% more energy compared to a decade ago, and yet the ratio of carbon output to energy production hasn’t improved, that means we’re pumping cataclysmic amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

At our current pace, van der Hoeven thinks “the world is on track to have global temperatures rise by 6 degrees Celsius,” or 10.8 degrees Fahrenheit, by the year 2100. If that happens, most scientists agree – we’re done for. (In fact, they estimate that if surface temperatures rise more than 2 degrees Celsius, or 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit, the world as we know it will cease to exist.)

“The overall lack of progress should serve as a wake-up call,” warns van der Hoeven. “We cannot afford another 20 years of listlessness. We need a rapid expansion in low-carbon energy technologies if we are to avoid a potentially catastrophic warming of the planet.”

NRGLab couldn’t agree more. That’s why we developed the SH-Box, a generator that produces electricity with absolutely ZERO carbon emissions. Not only is it a clean and renewable source of energy, the SH-Box is also a penny-saver, generating electricity for as little as $0.03 per kWh. That’s four times less than your current energy provider is probably charging you!

Want to know more? Check out the SH-Box and NRGLab’s other green initiatives at nrglab.asia.com.

As if coal couldn't get any dirtier

Recently, Patriot Coal Corporation filed paperwork with the courts terminating roughly $1.6 billion in health benefits for thousands of American coal miners. The move came as a last ditch effort to avoid Chapter 11 bankruptcy, proving again that big business considers stock holders interest's over those of their own blue collar workers.

According to Patriot Corp, the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) operate at substantially higher labor costs, prohibiting the company from staying competitive in the cut-throat energy industry. Patriot is demanding "more flexible work rules and a significantly lower labor cost structure." Aka work longer for less. Anyone jumping at that opportunity?

"The actions we have taken today are necessary for the survival of Patriot and the preservation of more than 4,000 jobs," said Chief Executive Bennett Hatfield, in defense of the retiree benefit cuts.

Patriot did propose an alternative. Instead of cutting befits, the company offered the union a profit-sharing trust known as the Voluntary Employee Beneficiary Association (VEBA). Yet, union leaders are aware that Patriot may want to file for bankruptcy. Legal loopholes will allow them, and other energy companies like Patriot, to save billions by eliminating employee pensions. Men and women who have dedicated their lives to the mines are being cast aside in favor of protecting the price of a share.

Will the CEO be forfeiting his private jet? Will the President of Patriot forgo his annual bonus for the good of the company?

Heck, no!

Like a cancerous tumor, our current energy industry is corrupt, feeding off of free enterprise, and needs to be cut out if society hopes to survive. But it's difficult in a world where big business dominates the market. Where families have little choice over what energy provider supplies their town. Where gas has topped $4.00 a gallon. Where coal miners' futures are determined by CEOs. We need to eliminate these destructive habits once and for all. How?

The SH-box allows countries, corporations, and communities to invest in a clean, low-cost energy alternative. NRGLab is working towards establishing a new energy infrastructure. A cleaner, freer world. Because no one should be enslaved to the establishment. Break free by learning more about NRGLab at http://nrglab.asia/

Environmental group files lawsuit: fights coal

Yesterday, the Sierra Club, which champions clean air and water practices throughout the United States, filed a lawsuit against DTE Energy, one of Detroit's largest energy providers. The lawsuit claimed violations at four of DTE's coal-burning facilities. The other three remain shrouded in smog and mystery.

The Sierra Club made it's intentions clear way back in November at a press conference along the River Rouge, where one could see the thick columns of smoke being pumped into the atmosphere. Sierra's ultimate goal is to get DTE to switch from coal to a cleaner source of energy. Yet, as even simplest of TV political drama viewers can tell you, policy often gets lost in the entanglements of big business. Are we really expecting people with millions invested in coal mines, refineries, and drilling operations to willing relinquish the choke hold they have on our energy infrastructure?

You would like to think that the innate good in people will ultimately the better of them -- but when millions of dollars are at stake, 'good' goes out the window, and people become unpredictable.

The lawsuit filed against DTE calls for them to make radical changes in order to meet the standards set by the Clean Air Act of 1963. The Sierra Group found over 1,400 violations at four of DTE's coal-burning power plants: River Rouge, St. Clair, Belle River, and Trenton Channel.

According to Patrick Geans, a representative for the Sierra Club's Beyond Coal campaign, the lawsuit “calls on DTE to live up to its often stated claim of being a good neighbor."

Not so fast, says DTE.

“The Sierra Club's announcement is clearly a ploy to grab some headlines and part of their crusade to end the use of coal," wrote DTE spokesperson Len Singer in an email last fall. "All of our plants, including those cited in the news release, operate in compliance with state and federal emissions regulations, which are designed to protect the environment and public health.

Although DTE has spent billions over the past decade taking measures to curb carbon emissions, COAL IS STILL A CARBON EMITTING ENERGY SOURCE. It's dirty by nature. Unclean, and out-dated. No matter if you slap the word 'clean' in front of 'coal', coal is still coal. You know -- the black clumpy stuff Santa Clause brings all the bad children? Ever wonder why he doesn't bring it to the good children? Or better yet, coal's wealthy investors? Because it's dirty!

It's important to ensure that corporations are meeting current environmental standards. But it should be imperative that we work towards a permanent solution to the current energy crisis. No matter what you may think of the available alternatives, no matter how many jobs coal and oil may create, the fact remains -- one day, the wells and mines will run dry. Where will we be then? (Assuming poisonous air and water hasn't wiped us out by then.)

Hopefully, the Sierra Club's lawsuit will send a shock-wave through the energy industry. People are tired of being force-fed the same-old routine and sound bites. They want real answers. Real solutions. Clean-energy.

The SH-box: because sometimes it's cloudy, rainy and windless

Opponents of alternative energy, namely oil corporations and those currently with the most to lose financially, are quick to point out the shortcomings of current options. Electric cars don’t have a far enough range. Solar panels are useless on stormy days. Windmills are impractical eyes-sores that work best on stormy days. Obviously, there are some conflicting ideas here on which direction the world should take, even among the environmental enthusiasts. Solar. Wind. Nuclear. Hydrogen. The list goes on, and on, and on…

Yet every point brought up by the skeptics is valid. Solar panels are limited due to their reliance on photovoltaic cells. Wind doesn't produce enough energy to meet staggering demands. Nuclear is dangerous (See: Japanese meltdown). Hydrogen is too expensive. So, should we just give up and stick with a doomed infrastructure; counting the days until the oil’s all dried up, and the skies are black, and the water’s tainted, and the Earth wilts away?

At NRGLab, their answer is a resounded, “Heck, no!” Based out of Singapore, NRGLab has developed poly-crystalline technology for producing low cost electricity from natural heat. Self-contained generators called SH-boxes pump out electricity for as little as $.03 per kw, and with absolutely no carbon emissions! The SH-box will run for more than ten years, too. It will outlast your cell phone, your car — most things being produced and sold in this disposable world we live in. But not the SH-box. No need to mount it on your roof, either. The SH-box can be installed anywhere and can be integrated into any current energy grid.

Have I caught your interest? Want to know more? Check out NRGLab on Youtube: NRGLABSGD. You can even get a copy of their business plan here: http://nrglab.asia/images/NRGLAB_Str…3_SH_Boxes.pdf

NRGLab is working towards creating a renewable, reliable, and sustainable future for billions of people across planet Earth. All it takes is vision backed by innovative thinking. Luckily, the scientists and partners at NRGLab are brimming with both.

Forward on Climate Rally -- Feb. 17th

On Februrary 17th, the Forward on Climate Rally will be held in Washington D.C. People are expected to gather to urge President Obama to address climate change; a promise he made during his inaugural speech when he first took office five years ago. The rally is being organized by the Sierra Club, 350.org, the Hip Hop Caucus and a few dedicated environmentalists.

The Rally’s message focuses on minimizing the environmental footprint the United States is currently leaving on the planet. If the President continues to support the nation’s outdated and obsolete infrastructure, and we continue to depend upon coal mines, oil pipelines, and hazardous fracking operations, the US will be left on the wrong side of history as the rest of the world moves towards renewable, clean energy. (Politicians like to use the term ‘clean coal’ but, lets face it, that’s like saying ‘jumbo shrimp’ — a bit bigger, and better, sure, but still coal at the core.)

It’s time congress puts aside their moral differences on social issues like gun control and abortion and focus on something we can all agree on: we need clean air to breathe, for instance. The U.S. energy policy must reflect what the rest of the world already knows — we need to decrease carbon emissions. Plain and simple. Legislation on tax breaks only rewards corporations with lawyers clever enough to find the loopholes. Climate change isn’t something that can be negotiated, or treated like a stock option. It has to be dealt with seriously; scrutinized from every angle. No bad ideas. All suggestions welcome.

I know what you might be asking: who cares if there’s a little more carbon in the air? I hear cows, and their methane gas emissions (farts) have also contributed to global warming.

The latter happens to be true, but that doesn’t mean that man-made carbon emissions haven’t already taken their toll. Just look at the super-storms that have ravaged the U.S. over the last several years. The droughts. The floods. Scientists have linked these so-called ‘natural’ disasters to elevated levels of carbon in our atmosphere.

How can we undo the damage? Only with time and by changing our energy habits. We need new sources of affordable and efficient energy — not more nuclear power plants, or drills. We don’t need to open more coal mines. What we need is the SH-box by NRGLab.

The SH-Box produces clean electricity from patented crystal technology for pennies per watt. What’s holding NRGLab back? A lack of global government response and cooperation. It’s time for America to take a stand, and the Forward on Climate Rally might just be that motivating voice, screaming, “Get up off your butt, already!”

If you live near Washington D.C., or have the ability to take off of work and make the commute, I encourage you to join the Sierra Club February 17th. Let your voice be heard. Tell President Obama you’re ready for the change you were promised. And while you’re at it, you might tell him to look into NRGLab, and the way we’re approaching energy reform.