Author Archive
Friday, December 12th, 2008
Permaculture in the East Bay
Living in the Bay Area comes with major perks for those interested in environmental matters. The East Bay, and Berkeley in particular, is a major hotbed of cutting edge green ideas, businesses, and practices. Berkeley’s Ecology Center, located at 2530 San Pablo Avenue is an incredible resource for students, professionals, businesses, and enthusiasts. In their [...]
No Comments » - Posted in Green Events, Permaculture by Nicholaus Harris
Thursday, December 11th, 2008
Calculating Carbon Before and During Design
My fellow global warming conspirators and I have now effectively convinced the world that action must be taken to prevent future catastrophe. Over the next couple years, we expect to see a price put on carbon, and this will drive the exponential growth of sustainable industries. In particular, the design/construction industry will have to include [...]
No Comments » - Posted in Climate Change, Construction by Nicholaus Harris
Monday, December 8th, 2008
Recycling Downturn a Mixed Bag
An article in the Chronicle today pointed me to the tough times the recycling industry is facing. Essentially, the financial predicament we’re in has led to less demand for recycled materials as cash-conscious Americans cut back on consumption, and the recycling industry is struggling.
It is really interesting to note how a ‘green’ industry is being [...]
No Comments » - Posted in Eco Products, Environment, Environmental Problems by Nicholaus Harris
Tuesday, August 12th, 2008
Inspiration from the Danes
I came across an interesting article in the New York Times today contrasting how Denmark and the United States have pursued energy policy since the 1970s. Here is a great excerpt from the article:
Unlike America, Denmark, which was so badly hammered by the 1973 Arab oil embargo that it banned all Sunday driving for a [...]
No Comments » - Posted in Living Beyond Oil, Renewables by Nicholaus Harris
Wednesday, July 23rd, 2008
Culinary Conservatism
Living in Berkeley makes it incredibly easy to get access to locally grown and sustainably produced foods. With an abundance of farmer’s markets, and incredible stores like Berkeley Bowl, we’re pretty lucky here. The abundance of good food options has been shaped significantly by geography and a highly progressive population.
I was rather surprised then to [...]
No Comments » - Posted in Food + Health by Nicholaus Harris
Wednesday, July 23rd, 2008
Vanity Fair’s McCain spoof on New Yorker’s Obama Cover
Not directly related to all things green, but I just had to post this spoof of last week’s New Yorker cover “The Politics of Fear“:
No Comments » - Posted in Uncategorized by Nicholaus Harris
Tuesday, July 15th, 2008
Cloudy Germany Helping Sunny California at the 1st Solar Symposium
I attended an outstanding event in San Francisco today called the “1st Solar Symposium.” Essentially, the speakers explained the drivers of solar success in Germany (read feed-in tariffs), and discussed how to make solar big in the US, and namely the Southwestern US. The following are notes taken during the symposium:
(I heard the presentations [...]
No Comments » - Posted in Renewables, Solar by Nicholaus Harris
Wednesday, June 25th, 2008
Obama: Renewable Energy in Nevada
Tonight, a good friend sent this article about Obama’s vision for making Nevada a major renewable energy producer. I went to high school in Nevada up at Lake Tahoe, and I still visit my family there whenever I have the opportunity. It is great to hear that Obama, who Strive for green is enthusiastically rooting [...]
No Comments » - Posted in Eco Politics, Living Beyond Oil, Renewables by Nicholaus Harris
Tuesday, June 24th, 2008
Rethinking Plastics at the Berkeley Ecology Center
Tonight I went to an event at the Berkeley Ecology Center called “Rethinking Plastics.” Stuart Moody from the environmental/spiritual organization Green Sangha was the presenter, and he covered all the harm that comes from irresponsibly consuming and disposing plastic.
Plastics are an amazing invention with incredibly valuable applications, but I was astounded to learn facts like [...]
1 Comment » - Posted in Environmental Problems by Nicholaus Harris
Thursday, June 19th, 2008
Smart “Doomsayers” in a 1998 SF Chronicle Article
Browsing the SF Chronicle’s home page today, I noticed a headline titled “Doomsayers predict new world oil crunch” in spot #7 of the Most Read articles section.
I was immediately skeptical given the fact that the word “new” was used in the title! As it turns out, the article is from August 31st, 1998! A striking [...]
