Archive for Efficiency
A 38 billion USD green New Deal for South Korea
Posted by: on January 8, 2009 in Tags: Asia, Business, Efficiency, renewables, Sustainable development
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has been advocating for a global green New Deal to restart our economies and I reported that they are not the only ones to think the same.
It seems that there is at least one country so far that listened to their voices and started to implement such a bold move. Indeed South Korea plans to invest 38 billion USD (28 billion €) over the next four years.
These investments are due to create a million jobs (to be compared with a total population of 50 million) in renewable energies, efficiency and other environmentally friendly solutions. Continue reading »
Why passive houses need to become widespread
Posted by: on December 30, 2008 in Tags: Efficiency, Energy, housing
Even if I learned more than two years ago about the theory on passive housing for my Master’s Thesis at the Audencia Nantes Management School, the reality is little known to me.
Even if I knew such houses don’t need any heater it seemed too vague a notion. But an interesting article from the New York Times brought me a most interesting insight of such constructions.
The result is staggering and a lot of energy could be saved if such houses were to become widespread as they use 20 less energy than traditional ones. Continue reading »
An idea of green bailout for The Big Three
Posted by: on December 9, 2008 in Tags: Efficiency, Energy, thoughts, transport
The three large US automakers are facing huge problems. Meanwhile, many people think their cars would be able to sell better if US cars had better mileage.
While driving I had an idea that very topic: increasing the mileage to enable it to reach 50 MPG by 2010 would be great. This would be much better than 35 MPG in 2020 as some think.
Seems like science fiction ? Not so, as the car I drive - A Citroën C2 - already gets 4.5 liters for 100 kilometers (more than 50 miles per gallon). Continue reading »
IEA’s World Energy Outlook 2008
Posted by: on November 12, 2008 in Tags: Climate change, Efficiency, Energy, IEA
The International Energy Agency published today its famous World Energy Outlook. This edition stresses even more than last year’s version the importance of energy conservation and efficiency.
With the booming energy demand from developing countries, energy saving mechanisms have to become more important if we want to avoid massive energy scarcity and climate change.
As oil production fails to answer the rising demand, alternatives - from coal to nuclear and renewables - will play a more important role in the global energy market. Continue reading »
EU bans incandescent light bulbs by 2010
Posted by: on October 20, 2008 in Tags: Efficiency, Energy, Europe
The European Union decided last week to ban all incandescent light bulbs by 2010. This occurs as Australia, Cuba and the Philippines did the same last year.
This is important as the EU and its 27 members accounts for nearly half a billion inhabitants. This law is due to cut by sixty percent the amount of energy used for lightning.
The WWF did more calculations on the projected savings induced by such a move toward sustainability and energy conservation. Continue reading »
The B Zero, a future great electric car
Posted by: on October 17, 2008 in Tags: Efficiency, Energy, transport
At the Paris Motor Show, the French industrial company Bolloré and the famous Italian car designer Pininfarina presented a car they will release next year, the B 0.
All electric and coming with brand new lithium polymer battery, the B0 (or B Zero) has a range of 250 kilometers (155 miles), a top speed of 130 kilometers per hour (80 mph).
Dubbed the best-looking small car by the Car Tech blog, this is typically the kind of car we would like to drive when the train, the bus or the bike can’t be used. Continue reading »
Looking for sound and profitable investments ?
Posted by: on October 14, 2008 in Tags: Efficiency, Energy, housing
At a time where stock markets plummeted around the world, you may be looking for sound and profitable investments that will pay back for themselves quite quickly and last long.
You might think about putting some money in a far away country’s companies or else. The ideal solution is nearer… as a matter of fact, it might be your own house or apartment.
As winter nears in the Northern Hemisphere, Insulating your place would provide you with at least seven advantages for today and tomorrow. Continue reading »
The Grenelle is still alive : some bright ideas
Posted by: on October 3, 2008 in Tags: Efficiency, Energy, France, housing
The cornerstone of the environmental policy in France - the Grenelle de l’Environnement - has been facing wide criticism as it is not going as fast as it should be.
Yet, interesting ideas arose in the last weeks on reducing the light pollution at night and providing financial aid to those willing to insulate their housing.
The French daily le Figaro provide us more data on what could become enacted laws that would cut our emissions and energy consumption. Continue reading »
The panacea to our energy and climate problems
Posted by: on October 3, 2008 in Tags: Efficiency, Energy, Sustainable development
It was obvious and I should have thought about it earlier : energy efficiency (or conservation) is the panacea, the ultimate remedy to all our energy scarcity and climate change mitigation needs.
Whether in our homes and offices, in the vehicles we drive or in the appliances we use, this solution can be applied everywhere and at anytime and represent perfect long-term investments.
It’s time our leaders act on this matter as the OECD and the International Energy Agency are urging them to do so and as the cheapest energy is the one we don’t use.
You perhaps remember the article I published last year on green roofs and how they enable to reduce greenhouse gases emissions and energy consumption.
Now come white roofs, which according to Fortune and other sources, just provide the same advantages. However, these ones won’t purify the air of cities, as their counterparts do.
As 90 % of all roofs in the US are dark, a recent study showed that painting them white would enable the country to save a billion Dollars in air conditioning costs. Continue reading »
