Here's some good news from Richard Moore - bringing the climate change debate home to North Carolina.
RALEIGH -- Executives from five of North Carolina's largest companies -- including three Charlotte heavyweights -- said Monday that climate change could be a business opportunity as much as it is a threat.Speaking at a forum hosted by State Treasurer Richard Moore, the executives also outlined the steps their own companies are taking to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and prepare for the risk of long-term global warming.
Bank of America, for example, has committed to investing $20 billion over the next 10 years to develop and encourage new environmental technologies. "We believe that a healthy community creates good business opportunities," said Bob Kee, senior vice president at Bank of America.
Still, the executives stopped far short of endorsing radical change. Myron Caldwell, a senior vice president at Duke Energy, called for a "reasoned policy" to begin "the long process of lowering emissions."
Good for Richard for convening this meeting and for using the leverage of the state's investments to get the conversation going. And shame on the leadership of Duke Energy for offering up such a pathetic response to what is quickly shaping up to be a catastrophic collapse of the global ecosystem. Of course, like war, global warming will likely be very good business for companies that profit from crisis.
Comments
This is a good thing, I suppose.
I wonder - have they committed to using LED bulbs or the cute little curly ones? Are they using recycled paper in their offices? (Yes, scharrison, I know they're mini-fluorescents. I just have to spell that three times before I get it right.)
I love that they're investing millions -- that's terrific. Are they making the commitment for their own companies? I didn't see that in the article.
Be the change you wish to see in the world. --Gandhi
I need something more decorative
for my chandeliers. I will replace the bulbs when they burn out, but I sure wish they could figure out a way to put a tiny cute curly filament/bulb inside another bulb. Hey...or maybe a cute curly bulb that is kinda artsy fartsy looking.....not so symmetrical. Hmmmmmm...
Robin Hayes lied. Nobody died, but thousands of folks lost their jobs.
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Vote Democratic! The ass you save may be your own.
We're looking for LED's to replace the bulbs in our home
They provide a much brighter light than the curly ones, and use even less energy. I worry about what happens if a fluorescent bulb breaks - we've got critters all over the place, and the last time I checked, the gas inside them was toxic.
I haven't found a local source for the LED's yet. Lowes doesn't have them, and that's about the extent of the suppliers around here. But here's an online source, and they have the chandelier light bulbs. They are very expensive, but supposedly last for up to 10 years, and use 80% less electricity. So I guess it balances out the cost in the end.
Be the change you wish to see in the world. --Gandhi
We bought some LED lights
for our attics and deep closets. It's a lot cheaper than hiring an electrician to install extra lights. I didn't see LED bulbs at Costco, but that doesn't mean they aren't there. Thanks for the link.
Robin Hayes lied. Nobody died, but thousands of folks lost their jobs.
***************************
Vote Democratic! The ass you save may be your own.
Just checked out the prices
Let's just hope my bulbs go out one at a time. :)
Robin Hayes lied. Nobody died, but thousands of folks lost their jobs.
***************************
Vote Democratic! The ass you save may be your own.
No kidding.
I'm waiting to hit the lottery (don't read that part, James) so I can install them in my house.
Be the change you wish to see in the world. --Gandhi
Chandolier CFL's...already available
CFL's (Compact Florescent Lights) are available in a chandolier-shaped style. I've seen them at some hardware/home improvement places. They're basically a regular CFL, but they cover the curly part with a candle-shaped covering. I've got two in my bathroom light fixture. I'd put them in my dining room chandolier too, but it's on a dimmer, and CFL's don't run on dimmers well at all.
I've also seen them online: http://shopping.aol.com/compact%20fluorescent%20light%20bulbs/chandeliers-dept-4287/ Just make sure you buy the right size screw.
They also even offer yellow "bug-light" CFL's now....again, it's a regular curly CFL but with a yellow dome covering. Great for the porch light. I got a couple at Lowe's this summer.
Best places for CFL's overall for me have been lamps. A good lampshade will easily tone down the harshness of the light as well as hide the curly bulb.
As for LED's...I have a friend with a few in his place. They haven't perfected a good, bright, white one yet....still have a bit of a baby-blue glow. He uses them mostly as accent lighting, nightlights, and so forth.
I will look
we buy our CFLs at Costco, so I can honestly say I haven't bothered looking since we moved. I don't really need the flame shaped ones as much as I don't want the corkscrew. Who would have thought something as simple as a lightbulb would cause this much trouble? :)
Robin Hayes lied. Nobody died, but thousands of folks lost their jobs.
***************************
Vote Democratic! The ass you save may be your own.
The price of conservation,
in both time and money (which are often related), is something we all have to come to grips with in our own ways. Replacing incandescent bulbs with CFLs can have a substantial impact on energy efficiency across the board, and the costs of the bulbs themselves are relative, as many studies have shown.
But there is another cost associated with CFLs that I fear may keep them from being widely used, unless we can come up with an easy system for collection/disposal. From N.C. Greenpower's site:
The whole point of Anglico's post
was that at the behest of our State Treasurer and candidate for Governor, several large corporations based in NC have committed (cautiously, timidly) to investing in renewable energy. This is a good thing. I didn't mean to hijack it talking about curly light bulbs.
Be the change you wish to see in the world. --Gandhi
In order to avoid NSA complications,
the new word for "Hijack" should be derailed, so we can...wait a minute. We can't use that, because it sounds like someone's messing with a train. How about "Tangential Appropriation"? :8)
Back on track:
Of course you do, which is why we can no longer allow you to make all of our energy decisions for us. North Carolina is dirty Mister Caldwell, and you know it. You know it because you're making us dirty.
"Gradually" doesn't cut it, pal. We need radical change, and we need it now. And we're watching to see who tries to bring about this needed change, and who tries to stop it.
Innocent redirection
Robin Hayes lied. Nobody died, but thousands of folks lost their jobs.
***************************
Vote Democratic! The ass you save may be your own.
exactly!
Be the change you wish to see in the world. --Gandhi
Thank for the redirection.
This is just the kind of dirty talk I've come to hope for from you, scharrison. :)
Gradual change isn't good enough. Maybe I'm wrong, but it seems like we could afford to make big change, fast, particularly if our largest corporations - oh, like the ones that got a huge giveaway from the government would make big changes.
NC - and indeed, our country - needs leaders who are comfortable saying "I'm sorry, your gradual change is not good enough. Next?"
Be the change you wish to see in the world. --Gandhi
As long as we allow
those with vested interests to determine what is "econimically feasable" and what is not, we will continue to look at only part of the equation.
Frankly, we can't afford not to. There are high costs associated with either changing or not changing, but it's real hard to get people in power to reasonably discuss the costs of not changing our ways.
Our air quality is for shit in many areas of the state, and downright dangerous in some. While a slight rise in ocean levels might not impact some states, it would be catastrophic for a big chunk of Eastern North Carolina. We're actually pretty close to the level at the end of the last Ice Age where the melt flooded the entire Coastal Plain.
North Carolina being the #4 carbon emmitter in the country is akin to teasing a bear—It ain't real smart, and will most likely end in tragedy.
No Kidding.
According to the North Carolina 2006 Child Health Report Card (PDF), in 2005, 17.8% of children living in NC were diagnosed with Asthma. Based on census estimates, that means that roughly 376039 kids suffered from asthma that year. (At least that we know about. There were probably some who were never taken to the doctor because there was no insurance, but that's another issue). Our grade on the report card? D. Unsatisfactory
There are many things that can cause asthma - but it's certain that air quality doesn't help. In fact, it probably hurts. A lot. According to the National Resources Defense Council:
scharrison wisely said:
That's why we play their game - and show them how much their dirty air costs us. If childhood asthma is costing the nation $2 billion dollars a year (and those were 2002 dollars), then let's assume for just a few minutes that NC's share of that is $40 million dollars. Per year.
Where do these suits and tie guys think that money comes from? What do you imagine we could do if we could prevent even 30% of the childhood asthma cases in NC? You've got to talk about money with these folks. It's the only thing they understand.
Be the change you wish to see in the world. --Gandhi
We just had a showing of a great documentary
called Kilowatt Ours. A part of it dealt with children with asthma and the increases in their numbers. The film also focuses on the SE USA. and they spend some time talking to Folks in the Smokies and Blue Ridge.
Here a link
Person County Democrats
I actively oppose gerrymandering. Do you?
Thanks!
I have several uses for this!
Be the change you wish to see in the world. --Gandhi