Wherever you go today in the US, when the talk about energy arises, the talk somehow leads to ethanol and how it is such a clean fuel and a renewable energy source?, how it will reduce US dependence on Middle Eastern oil? how it will help reduce global warming? etc etc... To be honest, I also believed it till I saw this video. I never thought about how ethanol is produced, the costs associated with producing it, or where is the corn needed to produce ethanol going to come from.... See the video below to see the so called side effects of ethanol. The speaker is Jerry Taylor of The Cato Institute
Monday, December 10, 2007
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Convincing Argument for Global Action on Climate Change
This is the most convincing argument yet,that I have seen, on the need for global action on climate change.
Tackling the Sub-Prime Mortgage Crisis
The Bush administration this week announced a plan for tackling the growing mess in the financial industry and the US housing market in particular. The foreclosure relief plan claims to bring relief to about 1.2 million troubled home owners by putting a freeze on their interest rate for five years.
On the surface this seems like a good idea and the right thing to do. But this plan comes with a lot of caveats attached. The plan applies only to loans taken out between 2005 and July 31, 2007, and are scheduled for rate boosts between January 1, 2008 and July 31, 2010. Also the home owners must be current on their payments. But the most important caveat is that participation from the lenders is voluntary and not mandatory. Also according to analysis by The Center for Responsible Lending, a group that promotes homeownership and works to curb predatory lending, estimates that only 145,000 households will qualify for the rate freeze. In addition there is the issue of investors. Since these mortgages were repackaged and sold to investors, getting the investors to accept a lower return on their investment would be a challenge.
These are some of the issues and concerns that this plan raises. As we move forward, other issues will crop up and will need to addressed. Though the plan could have been stronger, it is definitely a start at providing relief to some if not all the affected people. And that is a good thing.
On the surface this seems like a good idea and the right thing to do. But this plan comes with a lot of caveats attached. The plan applies only to loans taken out between 2005 and July 31, 2007, and are scheduled for rate boosts between January 1, 2008 and July 31, 2010. Also the home owners must be current on their payments. But the most important caveat is that participation from the lenders is voluntary and not mandatory. Also according to analysis by The Center for Responsible Lending, a group that promotes homeownership and works to curb predatory lending, estimates that only 145,000 households will qualify for the rate freeze. In addition there is the issue of investors. Since these mortgages were repackaged and sold to investors, getting the investors to accept a lower return on their investment would be a challenge.
These are some of the issues and concerns that this plan raises. As we move forward, other issues will crop up and will need to addressed. Though the plan could have been stronger, it is definitely a start at providing relief to some if not all the affected people. And that is a good thing.
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Ten Ways to Cut CO2 Emissions
National Geographic has 10 easy ways to cut CO2 emissions. If they are followed by each of us, we can cut CO2 emissions by as much as 22tons per annum. Read more about them at Cut CO2 Emissions
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Monday, December 3, 2007
A Clean Energy Revolution
Global Warming is one of the most urgent issue facing the entire world. The UN appointed Intergovermental Panel on Climate Change in its recently released report concluded that "most of the observed increase in globally averaged temperatures since the mid-20th century is very likely due to the observed increase in anthropogenic greenhouse gas concentrations via the greenhouse effect. Therefore efforts on a global scale much being immediately to reverse the increase of these greenhouse gases."
Though governments across the world are slowly coming on board to the science behind global warming, there is a Clean Energy Revolution that is being powered by private industries and educational institutions.
This past week Google launched its new strategic initiative RE "Less Then" C which stands for Renewable Energy Cheaper then Coal. The focus on this initiative will initially be to develop electricity from advanced solar thermal power, wind power technologies, enhanced geothermal systems and other potential breakthrough technologies. The goal of this initiative according to Google is to develop one gigawatt of renewable energy capacity that is cheaper then coal.(One gigawatt can power the city of the size of San Francisco).
Then there is this initiative called as Vehicle Design Summit, which is a global collaboration between the esteemed educational institutions on six of the seven continents. The goal of this project is to bring to market a super efficient hybrid plug-in vehicle which averages about 200 MPG with minimal life cycle costs and widely accepted in developing and developed countries. The vehicle is called VDS Vision 200 and the groups plans to unvile it by August of 2008. Each of the universities involved is responsible for developing a part/parts of this visionary vehicle.
Though these are some of the examples of the Clean Energy Revolution that is beginning to take shape, more needs to be done on a global scale to reverse the trend of global warming before it is too late. Each of us can contribute to this cause by being more energy efficent in our daily lives. Whether it is switching to energy efficient light bulbs or driving less, every bit matters.
To read more about Google's RE "Less Then" C initiative check out the link Google Goes Green
To read more about the Vehicle Design Summit project check out the link VDS
Though governments across the world are slowly coming on board to the science behind global warming, there is a Clean Energy Revolution that is being powered by private industries and educational institutions.
This past week Google launched its new strategic initiative RE "Less Then" C which stands for Renewable Energy Cheaper then Coal. The focus on this initiative will initially be to develop electricity from advanced solar thermal power, wind power technologies, enhanced geothermal systems and other potential breakthrough technologies. The goal of this initiative according to Google is to develop one gigawatt of renewable energy capacity that is cheaper then coal.(One gigawatt can power the city of the size of San Francisco).
Then there is this initiative called as Vehicle Design Summit, which is a global collaboration between the esteemed educational institutions on six of the seven continents. The goal of this project is to bring to market a super efficient hybrid plug-in vehicle which averages about 200 MPG with minimal life cycle costs and widely accepted in developing and developed countries. The vehicle is called VDS Vision 200 and the groups plans to unvile it by August of 2008. Each of the universities involved is responsible for developing a part/parts of this visionary vehicle.
Though these are some of the examples of the Clean Energy Revolution that is beginning to take shape, more needs to be done on a global scale to reverse the trend of global warming before it is too late. Each of us can contribute to this cause by being more energy efficent in our daily lives. Whether it is switching to energy efficient light bulbs or driving less, every bit matters.
To read more about Google's RE "Less Then" C initiative check out the link Google Goes Green
To read more about the Vehicle Design Summit project check out the link VDS
Saturday, December 1, 2007
World AIDS Day
Dec 1st every year is celebrated as World AIDS Day. In anticipation of this day the UNAIDS (The Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS) released its latest report on the number of cases of AIDS across the world last week. According to this report the number of AIDS cases decreased from 39.5 million to 33.2 million. On the surface this may sound like the world is making progress against the most dreaded disease of our times. But this decrease in cases is just due to the perceived better accounting of victims in India and Africa, the two major battle-fronts in the fight against AIDS.
This drop in numbers is already generating debate about whether the UNAIDS inflated the numbers in the first place to raise funds for the fight against the disease. It may also lure the world into a false sense of complacency and decrease the momentum against the fight for a cure. This should not happen.
The 33 million people infected are not the only victims of this deadly disease. If the families of the victims are taken into considerations, as AIDS does take a very heavy toll on the family, the real number of victims would be more then 100 million. In addition fighting the disease is not about just finding a cure for the HIV virus. It also involves erasing the social stigma associated with the disease. Unless investments are made in better education of the disease, and improving the lives of the poor, this disease will remain a disease of the shadow, very hard to fight and even harder to control.
This drop in numbers is already generating debate about whether the UNAIDS inflated the numbers in the first place to raise funds for the fight against the disease. It may also lure the world into a false sense of complacency and decrease the momentum against the fight for a cure. This should not happen.
The 33 million people infected are not the only victims of this deadly disease. If the families of the victims are taken into considerations, as AIDS does take a very heavy toll on the family, the real number of victims would be more then 100 million. In addition fighting the disease is not about just finding a cure for the HIV virus. It also involves erasing the social stigma associated with the disease. Unless investments are made in better education of the disease, and improving the lives of the poor, this disease will remain a disease of the shadow, very hard to fight and even harder to control.
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