Posts by: orrin

Energy tip #3: replace your car’s air filter

Replacing your air filter could help you save up to $150 a year...and allow you to afford your favorite coffee maker, a thermos, and finally drop those pesky disposable cups. It will also eliminate over 1,000 lbs of CO2 emissions. The air filter (a slightly meatier version of the coffee variety) is a necessary part of your car that cleans… read more →

Energy tip #2: inflate your tires

Fresh off the heels of Tip #1, I bring you Tip #2: inflate your tires. It's often said that the best things in life are free. And while I'm still waiting for someone to send a free bag of coffee beans to headquarters, inflating your tires doesn't cost a penny. In fact, it pays you about $57 a year. According… read more →

Energy tip #1: don’t be a dim bulb

Introducing a new series of conservation tips: How To Finance Your Monthly Coffee Or Yearly TerraPass (HTFYMCOYT). I've been spending a good portion of the budget lately on coffee. Every morning at 8:30, $1.65 goes into the barista's outstretched palm. Now, I happen to think the coffee is worth it, but I thought I'd do some quick math on what… read more →

Cheese curds, thunderstorms, and hospitality in Wisconsin

The annual Midwest Renewable Energy Association (MREA) Renewable Energy and Sustainable Living Fair was held this past weekend in central Wisconsin drawing people from all over the Midwest. Roughly 15,000 festival goers made the trip from Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Ohio, Kansas, Indiana, Michigan, and other nearby states. I even managed to meet a woman who journeyed 18 hours from Oklahoma… read more →

CO2 Wedges: Superheroes?

The wedge is a nifty little device with tremendous mechanical impact for its limited size and shape. Most recently the wedge has popped up as a key concept in climate change mitigation strategies. Pacala and Socolow originated the idea of the climate wedges through their "stabilization triangle." Al Gore made use of the concept in An Inconvenient Truth. Princeton and… read more →

California alternative energy ballot initiative: grab some popcorn and pull up a chair

Nothing wakes voters from a slumber like the possibility of $4 for a gallon of gas. Last week, the alarm clock went off and 1.18 million signatures were submitted to county registrar offices across the state of California to place the issue of an energy supply shift on the ballot this November. The California Clean Alternative Energy Initiative seeks approval… read more →

New electric car film is…electric

Who killed the electric car? That's both the title and the question at the heart of Chris Paine's remarkable whodunit documentary on the history of the electric automobile. The film, which traces the development of the electric car from its popularity in the early 1900s to its near-death in 2003, drew a packed audience and received a standing ovation at… read more →
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