 Your new post is loading...
Before passing away, Richard Douthwaite wrote this important article, linking money to the energy supply.
Distributed infrastructure, distributed renewable energy and distributed manufacturing enabled by P2P design, makes collapsing infrastructures obsolete
There is no true ambition or justice in a global climate deal that undermines the principles of sharing, equity and justice
“Not hat long ago, I had a conversation with Ioannis Margaris, the CEO of the Greek state energy producer, a technician and economic theorist who is investing a lot of his own energy in transforming Greek electricity production into peer-to-peer production. Before he joined the energy firm’s senior executive team Margaris was a researcher at …
Excerpted from Keith Parkins: “The current energy path is a hard path. Hard paths are brittle. Brittle paths cannot survive sudden shocks and are liable to break.
the power currently used for Bitcoin mining is comparable to Ireland’s electricity consumption * Article: Bitcoin Mining and its Energy Footprint. By Karl J. O’Dwyer† and David Malone. ISSC 2014 / CIICT 2014, Limerick, June 26–27 From the Abstract: “Bitcoin is a digital cryptocurrency that has generated considerable public interest, including both booms in value …
“This paper strives to provide a theoretical study for energy production and distribution. We thus examine and discuss the evolution of energy systems technologies and their impact on the global socio-economic structure. We critically analyze the evolution of the energy production infrastructure and then review the renewable and decentralized energy production technologies, while focusing on the concept of microgrids. Ultimately, we propose an alternative model, inspired by the commons- oriented practices, currently observed in the production of information, that utilizes microgrids in order to create a peer-to-peer energy grid and then discuss the conditions necessary for the “energy commons” to emerge.”
Excerpted from a discussion by Giotitsas, Pazaitis and Vasilis Kostakis: “Energy flows define and determine life itself, so it makes sense that they also influence human societies greatly. For the largest part of the human species’ history, energy surpluses were minimal. According to Ref. [75] approximately 250,000 years ago began what could be described as …
Excerpted from a text from co-organizer Jean Noël Montagné, without associated pictures, sent via te what-the-flok email list, September 2015, announcing a festival on the subject: (english text from native french speaker, not corrected) “I am the founder of a hackerspace in Nice, france, called Nicelab, ” Open Laboratory of Nice”. I started collaborations with …
* Article: Transforming the energy matrix: Transition Policies for the Development of the Distributed Energy Model. by George Dafermos, Panos Kotsampopoulos, et al. Part of a special issue of the Journal of Peer Production, on the Policies for the Commons. Here is the abstract followed by some excerpts: * Abstract “This policy paper examines the …
Well-done documentary by ‘VPRO Tegenlicht’, with english subtitles, on the explosion of bottom-up energy generating initiatives, inspired by the Danish island of Samso, and spreading to many other countries. Here is the description of the program: “”In the Netherlands, ordinary citizens are assuming responsibility for generating their own sources of energy through the installation of …
“The 21st century, he says, “shows signs of producing shifts in energy capture and social organization that dwarf anything seen since the evolution of modern humans.” If you read only one post-Naomi-Klein climate change essay this year, let it be the one by Margaret Atwood. In this essay, she focuses on how different energy regimes …
in the coal energy culture – a culture of workers and production – you are your job. “I am what I make.” In an oil and gas energy culture – a culture of consumption – you are your possessions. “I am what I buy.” But in a renewable energy culture, you are what you conserve. “I am what I save and protect.” We aren’t used to thinking like this, because we can’t see where the money will come from. But in a culture of renewables, money will not be the only measure of wealth
|
One of the most fallaciously accepted beliefs in society today is that there isn't enough space or resources available for everyone. The belief is that the planet is overpopulated and that humanity can't harmonize with the environment symbiotically.
Solar Citizens Australia wants to "ensure that all Australians have the ability to access clean, safe, affordable power"
A thought module proposed by Roberto Verzola, via email: “Please look more closely at net metering and the energy exchanges that happen under it. It seems to be similar to the kind of (economic calculation) mechanism you are looking for, as follows: – It measures the individual contribution of a solar owner’s surplus (the reversal …
A series on true accelerationist technologies that will be instrumental against biospheric destruction. “Although we might prize scarce items highly, civilizations are built on abundance.
Although Solar Citizens are reducing greenhouse emissions, SA Power Networks wants to implement a residential solar tariff.
Watch this video introduction by the Earthworker Cooperative, made at the occasion of the opening of the first factory, and see the explanation of their crowdfunding campaign below: Liz McCarthy explains: To find out more and support the project: chuffed.org/project/givetanks This holiday season, reduce financial stress for low-income earners, support green jobs in worker-owned Australian …
“Relying on green capitalism to implement a prevention program using the usual market-driven mechanisms is a recipe for disaster. Global carbon emissions continue to climb while market-led renewable energy growth is much too slow to replace fossil fuels in such a short window.” This is an excerpt from an interview of biochemist David Schwartzman by …
Interesting recycling project: “The Plastic Bank is turning plastic waste into a currency that can be exchanged to help lift people out of poverty & transition them into a self-sustaining life of entrepreneurship. We are setting up re-purposing / exchange centers for plastic waste in area that have high concentration of poverty and plastic pollution. …
All the signs are of a renewables rollback, a dramatic shredding of the framework that has developed over many years for clean energy.
A case study presented by George Dafermos et al. in the context of transition projects towards renewable energy infrastructures: “Kythnos is a small island in the Aegean sea in Greece. As is typical of islands in general, Kythnos is cut off from the national grid on mainland Greece. It has its own island grid, but …
“There’s nothing wrong with building utility-scale solar. But let’s be clear: it’s neither the most economic nor fastest way to green the electricity sector, and it cements centralized control of electricity system in an era of widespread decentralized innovation. And that may be too high a price to pay.”
There is considerable interest among scientists and citizens to address climate stability. The role of common wealth funds are likely to be a very important component of effective transitional strategy, from a public support perspective. Most any program faces formidable resistance from industry which has sunk assets. Many people feel we don’t have comfortable margins of time enact meaningful policy. Foremost, a functional declining cap on GHG emissions is essential. A cohesive and pragmatic commitment to redirect commonwealth fund revenue is an absolute priority.
|
Scoop.it!
