On Guard - VoteVets.org Ad on Oil Spill

Understanding Solar Technology -- Take One

Solar technology is a much touted yet profoundly misunderstood form of technology. Many consumers read articles that talk about saving by purchasing a solar system. But the math never seems to add up. Or does it?


Too often, we place a premium on making decisions "off the cuff." But this can render the decision ineffective because, there isn't any real discipline or analytical rigor in the decision being made. These days couldn't provide a better example of that. And with the current state of economic affairs, no time is more important than now to really sit down and truly analyze things. At any rate, the bottom line conclusion drawn from all the reports recently is that we will have to Work Hard & Save in order to get out of this mess. Tom Friedman wrote a piece that touches on this here. And New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg recently stated in a TV News Interview that it is in these tough economic times that we have to invest for the future.


Oftentimes, a short-term financial analysis renders a solar system as a bad investment -- it just doesn't make sense from that perspective. But a long-term analysis changes things. Simply put, a solar system purchased at full installed cost & financed, costs more per month than the electricity it produces. So, when an article touts it as a way to save, they need to change it to long-term savings.


So, here is an example:

If I spend $100/month on electricity then I would have to pay $45,000, on average, to purchase a solar system to produce that approximate equivalent. If you finance this purchase, with a 30-year fixed rate mortgage at 5.5% you would have to pay about $250/month. So you would, in effect, transfer from making payments to the utility to making payments to the bank. The net effect of such a transaction is a minus $150 for the purchaser. Also, the value of this mortgage would be $92,000 double the initial expenditure. So, how then is this a savings? And why should someone purchase a solar system?


Firstly, by paying the bank, you are becoming the owner of your own production system. This is much the same way as paying off the mortgage of your home. You eventually own it. So, the utility is to solar what renting is to homeownership. "Throwing away money?" ;-)


Secondly, utility rates will rise over time and a solar system that can last over 30 years will continue to produce power at a value that increases with utility price inflation. So over this period, the value of production far outpaces the initial cost of the system. Using a 10% utility inflation rate and using the same amount of electricity as the present day $100 amount for 30 years, the homeowner would spend $215,000 but a solar system could produce almost $185,000 in electricity. The difference $215,000 - $185,000 = $30,000 favors taking the action for the benefit of the savings over inaction that supports the status quo.


Thirdly, there are incentives that help to buydown the purchase price of a solar system. The State of Florida has a Solar Rebate Program that provides up to $20,000. There is also a Property Tax Exemption that can be applied to your property for the full value of the installation for up to 10 years. And the Federal Government allows you to apply a 30% tax credit (capped at $2000 until the end of 2008 and uncapped for 2009) for the purchase of these systems. Overall, the value of these incentives range from approximately: $13,670 to $34,175 for 2 to 5 kW DC Solar Electric Systems.


Fourthly, over the long-term, it is sensible to purchase this solar system that pays for itself 17 times over during its lifetime -- in strict financial terms. So, to bring this discussion full circle, the 5 kW DC Solar Electric System that costs approximately $45,000 would have a net cost after incentives of $10,825 ($45,000 - $34,175). It could produce approximately $100/month that with a 10% utility inflation over time will produce approximately $185,000 worth of electricity. This could fully cover your current electric usage. And combined with net meetering, this would make it a fool proof invesment.


Finally, even if you pay the full price without incentives, the longterm benefits is more than double the initial cost. And by the way, did I mention that you can even purchase a larger system to overproduce and get paid by the utility company? It's not a get rich scheme but it is another source of incentives not calculated here.

Another opportunity not discussed here is Energy Efficient Opportunities. Generally speaking, a home lacks Energy Efficient Opportunities if it's annual electric bill is approximately $0.45/sqft. For example, a 2,500 sqft home would have an annual electric bill of $0.45/sqft X 2,500 sqft = $1,125/12 Months = $93.75/Month. More food for thought: An Energy Star Certified Home could have $0.75/sqft which is considered to be 15% more energy efficient than a minimally code-compliant home.


You can use this example to understand your situation. Or you can call us to help you customize your solution.

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Kindle your fire with this paper...

Kindle: Amazon's Wireless Reading Device.

Check out video HERE.

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Lets Meet This Challenge...!!!

Gore's answer to energy crisis



"It is only a truly dysfunctional system that would buy into the perverse logic that the short-term answer to high gasoline prices is drilling for more oil 10 years from now," Gore said.

SEE ENTIRE VIDEO HERE

Hardest-To-Get Cars

Looking for a new car? Maybe you have your heart set on something fuel-efficient because of $4 gas? Or perhaps you had a good year and feel you're ready to move up to something with a touch of style, luxury or class?

Get in line. Despite tough times for the auto industry in general, there are some car models--across a broad range of classes and sizes--that are so popular that auto manufacturers are selling them faster than they can build them.

The range of hard-to-get vehicles is as diverse as consumer tastes and budgets in general. Case in point: As expected, the most-wanted vehicle on our list is the fuel-sipping $21,500 Toyota Prius hybrid sedan that gets an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) combined estimate of 46 mpg. No. 2 on the list? The not-so-expected gas-guzzling $74,700 Lexus LX Series full-size luxury SUV that gets a combined 14 mpg.

Behind The Numbers

To compile our list of the most-wanted vehicles, we used information provided by Ward's Automotive Group, a publisher of industry trade news and data, as well as automaker-supplied days' supply data as a measure of dealer inventory levels.

A low days' supply and low retail turn rate--the amount of time a car spends on a dealer's lot--means some dealerships may have sold out of a vehicle, have only a few on the lot or may not have the style or trim you desire.

Vehicles with the lowest days' supply made the initial list (Ward's says the industry average is 60 days), which was pared down using J.D. Power and Associates' retail turn rate to determine how quickly a model sold in the month of May. The average retail turn rate for all vehicles is 61 days; we only considered vehicles with a rate of 40 days or less, well below the industry average.

So how did the LX 570, in an age of $4-a-gallon gas, make it to the second spot on the most-wanted list?

Even though the premium SUV seems like an anomaly in a time when consumers are snapping up small cars, auto analysts are quick to note that there's still a demand for luxury vehicles and that the SUV market, while struggling, isn't dead. Furthermore, popular vehicles that undergo a redesign, like the Scion xD and the LX 570, often experience an initial surge in sales, says Tom Libby, senior director at J.D. Power and Associates.

"In fact, Lexus is still working through a pre-sold list of loyal Lexus owners who wanted to get the premium SUV as soon as it hit the market," says Curt McAllister, a Toyota spokesman. "Its new styling and creature comforts appeal to loyal Lexus and premium SUV shoppers."

The LX 570 had an average eight-day supply of vehicles at the end of May and the average turn rate for each model was eight days. It has a more powerful 5.7-liter V8 engine producing 383 horsepower, and leather seats with power extendable front seat cushions for added comfort. It also features new technology, such as wide-view front and side monitors located in the grille and under the passenger side-view mirror to aid drivers with hard-to-view areas.

Waiting List For Luxury

If a high-end SUV isn't your style, but you do hope to make that first step into the luxury segment with, say, the all-new Audi A5, you're going to have to wait a little while before you drive off the lot. The luxury midsize coupe and the high-performance S5 model are selling faster than Audi can make them.

The A5 launched in March of this year (the S5 came out in November 2007) with a base manufacturer's suggested retail price of $41,200, but according to Ward's, at the end of May there was an average eight-day supply of A5s on dealers' lots. Comparatively, the retail turn rate, at 39 days, is higher than that of other cars on the list. But since this is a nationwide average and the days' supply is low, a dealership in one part of the country may have exactly the A5 the customer wants, while a dealer elsewhere has a waiting list.

It's a similar situation for the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, the more modestly priced Benz ($33,675), with an average 29 days' supply of cars. While the supply is higher than that of other cars on the list, this model sells very quickly, with a turn rate of only 26 days, meaning that, on average, the C-Class is sold faster than it's produced.

Finding A Fuel-Efficient Car

Toyota is preparing to launch an updated and improved Prius later this year and therefore won't increase production of the 2008 model. Typically, sales trail off as consumers wait for the new model to launch, but that hasn't happened as gas prices continued to soar beyond $4 a gallon and threaten to reach $5 a gallon this summer.

Demand for the Prius has increased, but the "limited supply of Prius in the pipeline is due to a product plan based on our overall production limitations at the Prius factory" in Japan, says Sona Iliffe-Moon, a Toyota spokeswoman. "We are currently running at full capacity and have been for two years. All along we said we would have a supply ceiling."

But times were different then.

"We saw a major shift in May to small and compact conventional cars," says Libby. "Automakers started May with lean inventory. But the percent of compact cars sold in May was 20.3%, up over 15.8% in May last year. They will have to increase production of small cars."

Diane Elnick, industry analyst at Ward's Automotive Group, says that "if demand continues at the high pace it did in May for these vehicles, automakers will have a hard time providing them."

A model that may be facing this problem is the Honda Civic and its hybrid version, which are among the most-wanted vehicles. The gas-powered Civic gets a respectable EPA combined estimated 29 mpg; the hybrid version, 42 mpg. Tim Bothell, new car director at Showcase Honda in Phoenix, Ariz., says 75% of his Civic sales are hybrids. And with Toyota capping production on the Prius, demand for the Civic could increase even more.

"We are not quite at a waiting-list point yet, but we are approaching that level," says Bothell. Ward's says there was a nationwide average 21-day supply of all Civics at the end of May; according to J.D. Power, Civics turn quickly, at an average of only 25 days.

Whether you have a taste for a luxury model or a simple fuel-efficient one, the good news is that you have plenty of options. The bad news: You might have to be willing to wait for the one you really want.

By Jacqueline Mitchell, Forbes.com

Achieving Energy Independence®

Here is how Energy Independence will occur (in no particular order):

1) Fuel Cell/Hydrogen (Think Honda)
2) Hybrid Technology (Not just the Prius)
3) Cellulosic Ethanol (NOT feed stock)
4) Biodiesel
5) Energy Efficiency (Demand Side Mgmt)
6) Energy Conservation (Supply Side Mgmt)
7-10) Renewable Energy (Supply Side Mgmt): Wind, Solar, Geothermal, Hydro Energy, etc.

This is already happening. Energy Independence is already being achieved!!!

Stand By For Heavy Rolls...!!!

Texas Oil Tycoon Tackles Renewable Energy

An excerpt of an interview of Texas Oil Tycoon T. Boone Pickens:

So you're an oil man who's turning his back on oil?

Foreign oil is costing us $500 billion a year. In 10 years, $5 trillion goes out of the country. It's nuts. It's the greatest transfer of wealth from one area to another in the history of the world.

TOGETHER WE CAN STOP THIS.

Read more here.
By: David Case

Natural Gas appliances as an alternative to electric appliances?

I have heard folks talk about changing out major appliances from electricity to natural gas as a means to save money. Now, while it may be a sensible idea, you need to think beyond step two.

Step One:
Problem Identified -> Need to lower electric consumption to reduce expenditures. Idea: Change from more expensive source to cheaper source.

Step Two:
Solution Provided -> Change out appliances from electric to natural gas.

Step Three:
New Problem Identified -> Natural gas prices rise...

Step Four:
Any guesses...???

"Hmmm... It seems to me that this would be a good idea."

Question: Why isn't it working?

Answer: Think beyond Step 2. How many other clever people are out there thinking the same exact thing as you?

If you read here you will see that Natural Gas prices has risen by about 32%, oil prices have risen by about 54%, and electric utility rates are going to rise by about 16% from about a year ago.

Food for thought: When prices rise again and again and again and yet again. When will you say enough is enough? When will you look beyond the immediacy of now and make a change that targets over the horizon? WHEN?!

U.S. Air Force Plans Coal-to-Fuel Conversion Plant

MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. — On a wind-swept air base near the Missouri River, the Air Force has launched an ambitious plan to wean itself from foreign oil by turning to a new and unlikely source: coal.
The Air Force wants to build at its Malmstrom base in central Montana the first piece of what it hopes will be a nationwide network of facilities that would convert domestic coal into cleaner-burning synthetic fuel.

Air Force officials said the plants could help neutralize a national security threat by tapping into the country's abundant coal reserves.

And by offering itself as a partner in the Malmstrom plant, the Air Force hopes to prod Wall Street investors — nervous over coal's role in climate change — to sink money into similar plants nationwide.

"We're going to be burning fossil fuels for a long time, and there's three times as much coal in the ground as there are oil reserves," said Air Force Assistant Secretary William Anderson. "Guess what? We're going to burn coal."

Tempering that vision, analysts say, is the astronomical cost of coal-to-liquids plants. Their high price tag, up to $5 billion apiece, would be hard to justify if oil prices were to drop.

In addition, coal has drawn wide opposition on Capitol Hill, where some leading lawmakers reject claims it can be transformed into a clean fuel.

Without emissions controls, experts say coal-to-liquids plants could churn out double the greenhouse gases as oil.

"We don't want new sources of energy that are going to make the greenhouse gas problem even worse," House Oversight Committee Chairman Henry Waxman, D-Calif., said in a recent interview.

The Air Force would not finance, construct or operate the coal plant. Instead, it has offered private developers a 700-acre site on the base and a promise that it would be a ready customer as the government's largest fuel consumer.

Bids on the project are due in May. Construction is expected to take four years once the Air Force selects a developer.

Anderson said the Air Force plans to fuel half its North American fleet with a synthetic-fuel blend by 2016. To do so, it would need 400 million gallons of coal-based fuel annually.

With the Air Force paving the way, Anderson said the private sector would follow — from commercial air fleets to long-haul trucking companies.

"Because of our size, we can move the market along," he said. "Whether it's (coal-based) diesel that goes into Wal-Mart trucks or jet fuel that goes into our fighters, all that will reduce our dependence on foreign oil, which is the endgame."

Coal producers have been unsuccessful in prior efforts to cultivate such a market. Climate change worries prompted Congress last year to turn back an attempt to mandate the use of coal-based synthetic fuels.

The Air Force's involvement comes at a critical time for the industry. Coal's biggest customers, electric utilities, have scrapped at least four dozen proposed coal-fired power plants over rising costs and the uncertainties of climate change.

That would change quickly if coal-to-liquids plants gained political and economic traction under the Air Force's plan.

"This is a change agent for the entire industry," said John Baardson, CEO of Baard Energy in Vancouver, Wash., which is awaiting permits on a proposed $5 billion coal-based synthetic fuels plant in Ohio. "There would be a number of plants that would be needed just to support (the Air Force's) needs alone."

Only about 15 percent of the 25,000 barrels of synthetic fuel that would be produced daily at the Malmstrom plant would be suitable for jet fuel. The remainder would be lower-grade diesel for vehicles, trains or trucks and naphtha, a material used in the chemical industry.

That means the Air Force would need at least seven plants of the same size to meet its 2016 goal, said Col. Bobbie "Griff" Griffin, senior assistant to Anderson.

Coal producers have their sights set even higher.

A 2006 report from the National Coal Council said a fully mature coal-to-liquids industry serving the commercial sector could produce 2.6 million barrels of fuel a day by 2025. Such an industry would more than double the nation's coal production, according to the industry-backed Coal-to-Liquids Coalition.

On Wall Street, however, skepticism lingers.

"Is it a viable technology? Certainly it is. The challenge seems to be getting the first couple (of plants) done," said industry analyst Gordon Howald with Calyon Securities. "For a company to commit to this and then five years later oil is back at $60 — this becomes the worst idea that ever happened."

Only two coal-to-liquids plants are now operating worldwide, all in South Africa. A third is scheduled to come online in China this year, said Corey Henry with the Coal-to-Liquids Coalition.

The Air Force is adamant it can advance the technology used in those plants to turn dirty coal into a "green fuel," by capturing the carbon dioxide and other, more toxic emissions produced during manufacturing.

However, that would not address emissions from burning the fuel, said Robert Williams, a senior research scientist at Princeton University.

To do more than simply break even, the industry must reduce the amount of coal used in the synthetic-fuel blend and supplement it with a fuel derived from plants, Williams said.

Air force officials said they were investigating that possibility.

In a recent letter to Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Rep. Waxman wrote that a promise to control greenhouse gas emissions from synthetic fuels was not enough.

Waxman and the committee's ranking Republican, Virginia's Tom Davis, cited a provision in the energy bill approved by Congress last year that bars federal agencies from entering contracts for synthetic fuels unless they emit the same or fewer greenhouse gases as petroleum.

Anderson said the Air Force will meet the law's requirements.

"They'd like to have (coal-to-liquids) because of security concerns — a reliable source of power. They're not thinking beyond that one issue," Waxman said. "(Climate change) is also a national security concern."

Source: FoxNews.com

What's Hot in Energy: SOLAR

Shedding Light on the Incandescent Bulb

Good Article on Light Bulbs. Take the Energy Star Change a Light Pledge with us by clicking here!

Thanks! ;-)

read more digg story

South Florida International Auto Show

On November 9, 2007, Spark Plug attended the South Florida International Auto Show on Media Day. I had the honor of meeting Troy Clarke (pictured left), President of GM North America. We discussed GM's initiatives taking the auto industry from gas-guzzlers to gas free. I must commend GM for their leadership in this arena!

GM introduced many hybrids in 2007 and even more in 2008. Of particular interest are the 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe and the 2008 GMC Yukon. These full-sized SUV Hybrids are the first of their kind in the entire auto industry. Unveiled today, the 2008 Cadillac Escalade became not only one of three full-sized SUV Hybrids, but also the first Hybrid Luxury SUV! By these actions, GM is letting consumers know that they are serious about tackling the environmental issues of our day and the future.

While other auto-makers are also producing hybrids, none are taking an active role to meet various consumer needs as GM. GM's strategy is to bridge the gap between Hybrid technology of today and Fuel Cell cars of the future. First generation Hybrids are Belt Alternator Started (BAS) while the second generation, full-sized hybrids, are 2-Mode Hybrids. The Chevrolet Volt concept car, coming out in 2010, is the extended range electric car that will preceed the Fuel Cell car.

Although diesel vehicles have a bigger market in the European Union, it is gaining traction here in the United States. GM and all auto-makers cannot continue to ignore this growing demand. With Biodiesel (Sol Atlantic BioDiesel)also gaining in popularity, this demand will grow even faster. Diesel Hybrids and pure diesel vehicles should be added to the mix of gas to gas-free movement. Thank you GM for your leadership in vehicular clean technology!

Chevrolet Volt - The Future of Green Transportation

On October 18, 2007, Spark Plug (Veterans Energy Solutions’s Blog) was invited by General Motors (GM) to an exclusive event for online media unveiling the Chevrolet Volt concept car in Cocowalk (Coconut Grove). We were pleased with this new clean (green) technology car that will help VES achieve its mission of Energy Independence.

Previously, “The Big Three” gambled on big, gas-guzzling SUVs when gas prices were low, which ultimately put them on the path to be overtaken by Toyota. In 2004, Toyota surpassed Ford to become the number 2 automaker. GM had been the world’s number 1 automaker since 1931, until the first quarter of 2007 (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=9803216). Toyota took the legitimate claim to the title of the “World’s Largest Automaker” because of their work in increasing fuel economy standards. This was a major strategic blunder by GM!

Since then, GM has turned things around and has put out a number of Flex Fuel and Hybrid vehicles, one of which VES owns. VES bought GM’s 2007 Saturn Vue Hybrid. This, as does everything VES does, has some strategic implications behind it. In Florida, transportation is ranked number one in fuel consumption by end use sector (http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/state/state_energy_profiles.cfm?sid=FL):

1. Transportation – 33%
2. Residential – 30%
3. Commercial – 24%
4. Industrial – 13%

VES has chosen to attack the top two end uses and GM just became a partner in helping us achieve our mission of Energy Independence.

After touring the Volt and taking a few photos, we had dinner with the Senior Creative Designer from GM’s Advanced Technology Studio Team Mathieu Boimare at the Jaguar Restaurant. We carried on further discussions over wine and fine dinning. I was impressed by the wonderful buzz surrounding the Volt and by how receptive Mathieu was to our suggestions and how helpful he was in explaining how the design and concept came about. The Chevrolet Volt is an electric car ahead of its time. Its posh design and green technology puts it in a class of its own. It’s just too bad we could not take it for a spin. The Volt is slated to come out in 2010.

For more on the Volt go here. For more pictures of the Volt go here.

VES will keep you updated on all new clean (green) technologies that will help reduce the top energy end uses in the State of Florida. Look for another post after the South Florida International (Miami) Auto Show at the Miami Beach Convention Center on November 9th-18th. We would like to thank Mathieu Boimare, Gloria Huang and the rest of the GM team that made this event possible. And remember, every little bit counts. Thanks GM!

FIU Energy and Business Forum on E-85 Ethanol

South Florida, preparing for the arrival of E85

FIU's Energy and Business Forum and General Motors held an open symposium discussing the status of E85 ethanol in South Florida. Presentations about E85 ethanol infrastructure, technology, and availability was discussed by senior engineers from General Motors, and distinguished panelists from the areas of academia, government and industry. An announcement was made about the first Ethanol gas station in Miami, FL: the U Gas at 210 NW 79 Ave. Read more about it here: http://www.miamiherald.com/business/story/235713.html

For future events on Energy or Business go here: http://krcem.fiu.edu/energyevents.html.

Attending this forum was not only educational but motivational! Seeing the growing support for Energy Independence helped fuel my already growing enthusiasm and excitement of executing on our vision: "To serve as an economic engine that will drive us to become energy independent."

However, with excitement there is always some negatives that are discovered. Most people argue that certain technologies are not efficient enough or they create more negatives than positives. Ethanol is a great example of this. Most critics argue that it uses more energy than it produces and that it uses food stock and water inefficiently and inappropriately. These critics fall in various places in the spectrum and while their criticisms are valid to a certain extent, it does not solve the broader issue of environmental degradation and energy independence.

Technology, just like education and just about everything else in this world, does not exist in a vacuum. In order for it to become better, people must buy and comsume those products. In turn, they will complain along with those famous critics to make the product better. Technology evolves; it does not jump from one extreme of the spectrum to the other. There is a middle ground that must be traversed. In that middle ground, prices change (mostly declining) as the product improves.

If we sit by and wait for the technology to become "perfect" then it will never get there. All it does is hinder the process. Everyone knows that there are three types of people in this world:

1. Those who make things happen,
2. Those who watch things happen, and
3. Those who wonder what happened.

Which one are you?

Be a part of the solution NOT the problem. While serving on active duty in the military, I always made my guys come to me with a possible solution to whatever problem they were having. This had the effect of catapulting the issue to successful mitigation. The same can be true of the challenges we face today.

The 2007 Alternative Energy Summit: Powering Florida's Energy Independence

Russ and I attended The 2007 Alternative Energy Summit: Powering Florida's Energy Independence held in Jupiter Monday, August 30th 2007. It was a fast paced flow of information that touched on all of the initiatives underway in the state. Quite frankly, it's remarkable to find that there are a lot of very smart, talented, and hard working Floridians undertaking the hard task of getting us to become Energy Independent.

Anyhow, I'd like to mention some things I heard there - some of which I'd heard before. Treat them as food for thought. Here they are:

About 1,000 people move into Florida everyday.

“There may be no more pressing issue in our state than the impact of our country’s current level of use of fossil fuels on the state and global environment. The relationship between our energy sources and our security, economy and environment demand a bold vision. Of all the states, Florida has the most at stake - and must take a leadership role.” - Century Commission, First Annual Report to the Governor and the Legislature (2007)

Sustainable energy is the efficient use of renewable resources to provide society's need for energy while minimizing the impact on our environment
• Efficient Use
• Renewable Resource

Reduce Global Warming with ICE. I=Insulation, C=Conservation, E=Efficiency.

Get more info here:
http://www.mae.ufl.edu/Energy/index.php?src=news_summit_0807
http://www.publicforuminstitute.org/activities/2007/fl/

FIU Green Forum on Water Issues

On Friday, August 10th Russ and I attended a forum called FIU Green Forum on Water Issues. It was a small but well attended event. It was essentially a networking breakfast with a panel discussion featuring speakers from the government, the private sector and academia.

The panel of experts discussed projects and concerns related to the management of water resources, water quality and water quantity in South Florida. Also discussed was active and planned projects dealing with concerns about water that have a direct impact on the quality of life in South Florida.

It was a very enlightening forum with lots of information about ongoing projects. Questions were held for the end and the exchange was pleasant yet interesting. At any rate, it became evident that the issues facing our county and even the state is much bigger than most folks realize. And this issue underscores a few developing concepts:

1) Energy is not the only "major potential" problem we're faced with.

2) The "major potential" problems we face arise due to our consumptive habits that affects the environment.

3) Conservation is a bad word.

4) We need need to educate the public, remain informed & connected, and build more awareness.

5) We underpay for the resources we consume.

All of these concepts seem to apply to any environmentally related issue we face today.

Anyhow, the many projects that are currently being worked on are of great importance to solving this problem. And that was the recurring theme throughout each presentation. Nevertheless, one presenter talked about things a bit differently that I thought was the missing ingredient until his presentation.

He stated that it doesn't take a genius to understand these issues.

1) We have 1000 people moving into Florda everyday.

2) We are borrowing water now for high levels of consumption that is creating long-term deficit issues.

3) We need to educate the public, remain informed & connected, and promote interaction.

Essentially, we are digging ourselves into a hole that would be difficult if not impossible to get out of unless we start taking action now. Every issue seems to have some ominous development that threatens our survivability in the future. Yet we are not fully aware of these issues, nor are we well educated on them and even worse not doing much to address them. Education doesn't exist in a vacuum and so a lack of knowledge on the issues, the disconnectedness I alluded to here and in previous posts (see post on You can't handle the truth) will continue to haunt us.

So then, perhaps my dad's little quip suffices: "If good can't get better, then worse will have to continue".

Knowledge is power: Wield it.

Miami Tree Summit at Jungle Island

Russ and I attended the Miami Tree Summit at Jungle Island (formerly known as Parrot Jungle Island) on Wed, July 18, 2007. Click here to read more about it: http://www.ci.miami.fl.us/cms/comm/1724_4186.asp.

The talk was focused on a few things. One of which included how municipalities could join the Tree City USA organization as one of the starting points to growing more trees (dubbed as increasing tree canopies). The benefits of trees were discussed and touted. And ideas were shared -- some came from successful programs such as the one in North Miami Beach and Coral Gables.

Trees are needed for a few reasons: They have been identified as a good source of Carbon Dioxide (aka See-Oh-Two) Gas reduction and a good way to cool local areas. Of course, there is the added benefit of the aesthetic aspect of having more trees. It seems there is a trend developing here: Society would like to move back into balance with nature.

In the past we lived in the jungle of trees then we developed the land which included cutting down trees and turned it into a concrete jungle. This leads me to wonder: What kind of jungle is next?