fracking | Solar Forward http://solarforward.com Thu, 03 Oct 2013 22:15:24 +0000 en-US hourly 1 Oil spills…earthquakes…jellyfish? http://solarforward.com/oil-spills-earthquakes-jellyfish/ Thu, 03 Oct 2013 22:15:24 +0000 http://www.solarforward.com/?p=414 There are many risks associated with conventional sources of energy, but who knew they came in such a squishy form? This past week, nuclear engineers in Sweden were dealing with a problem they probably didn’t study in their “Fundamentals of Nuclear Engineering” class.

A huge group of jellyfish clogged the cooling pipes at a nuclear power plant, forcing one of its units to shut down. After a couple days, the jellyfish had finally been cleared and the reactor ready to be restarted.

So next time you’re up on your roof giving your solar panels a gentle cleanse, feel secure in knowing that the only thing you have to worry about is some bird poop. And while the jellyfish situation is comical, having to shut down a nuclear reactor can be dangerous. So you’ll be breathing a little easier knowing that going solar means relying less on conventional energy.

Why is everyone looking at me? I was just exploring a cool looking pipe. Photo courtesy of http://www.clker.com/cliparts/W/u/i/2/i/y/cartoon-jellyfish-md.png

Why is everyone looking at me? I was just exploring a cool looking pipe.

]]> Out with Oil & Coal, in with Jobs & Clean Energy http://solarforward.com/out-with-oil-coal-in-with-jobs-clean-energy/ Tue, 24 Apr 2012 19:24:00 +0000 http://www.solarforward.com/out-with-oil-coal-in-with-jobs-clean-energy/ Oil as a fuel source is dirty.  Coal, even dirtier.  Both are leading contributors to global warming, and pose major public health risks from asthma to mercury poisoning.  Nonetheless, oil and coal dominate our energy mix, with about half of all electricity consumed coming from coal-powered plants.  Like lead-based paint and driving without seatbelts, it’s time we add dirty energy to the laundry list of American bad habits of the past.Today, an ideological battle plays out on the campaign trail as “drill, baby, drill” Republican hopefuls claim forward looking energy policy kill jobs and raise fuel prices.  Though politically convenient, it’s a lie.  In a New York Times Op-Ed, Krugman highlights a simple yet key point: domestic oil production has little to no impact on the price of oil, an internationalcommodity subject to worldly influences such as the explosive demand for crude in China.Meanwhile, the EPA released proposed legislation that would effectively eliminate development of new coal plants by placing unreachable emission requirements on power plants.  Implementing the policy would mean demand for electricity would have to be powered by low emitting sources, such a solar and wind, leading to new jobs as these industries grow.The fight over America’s energy future is this: business as usual vs. innovation, job creation, and safe, clean energy sources.  We must move away from policies destructive to public health and the environment (i.e. policies fostering oil, coal, and now fracking).  Alternatives are available in solar and wind.  Let’s not drag our feet in adopting these as our energy mainstays.            

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