Comments on: Cambridge, MA – The 6th Greenest City in America http://energytwodotzero.org/2009/07/01/cambridge-ma-the-6th-greenest-city-in-america/ Energy & Environment Mon, 08 Mar 2010 07:19:10 +0000 http://wordpress.org/ hourly 1 By: nwoebcke http://energytwodotzero.org/2009/07/01/cambridge-ma-the-6th-greenest-city-in-america/comment-page-1/#comment-79 nwoebcke Thu, 23 Jul 2009 12:30:58 +0000 http://www.energytwodotzero.org/?p=1520#comment-79 Every dollar spent on energy efficiency programs in the home are worth $2 to $3 spent on alternative energy sources. It's what Amory Lovins of the Rocky Mountain Institute calls "negawatts". This effort in combination with the switch away from fossil fuels will provide energy relief to the average person, by providing a sustainable means of energy production and use. What you point out about businesses not going solar is really more of a failure of the market than of the government. If the market could solve our energy crisis then all businesses would have gone solar years ago before the price of oil skyrocketed and the polar icecaps started melting. The market tends to treat the environment as a resource to be extracted rather than the foundation on which all life depends. Every dollar spent on energy efficiency programs in the home are worth $2 to $3 spent on alternative energy sources. It’s what Amory Lovins of the Rocky Mountain Institute calls “negawatts”. This effort in combination with the switch away from fossil fuels will provide energy relief to the average person, by providing a sustainable means of energy production and use.

What you point out about businesses not going solar is really more of a failure of the market than of the government. If the market could solve our energy crisis then all businesses would have gone solar years ago before the price of oil skyrocketed and the polar icecaps started melting. The market tends to treat the environment as a resource to be extracted rather than the foundation on which all life depends.

]]> By: LGlick http://energytwodotzero.org/2009/07/01/cambridge-ma-the-6th-greenest-city-in-america/comment-page-1/#comment-77 LGlick Wed, 22 Jul 2009 19:03:47 +0000 http://www.energytwodotzero.org/?p=1520#comment-77 While private industry is an important driver of innovation, public initiatives and programming are critical elements of many successful campaigns. Take for instance the Marshfield Energy Challenge, promoted by NSTAR in coordination with Mass Tech Collaborative, schools, local non profits, the city of Marshfield and the business community. Utility based rebates and energy programs were already in place, but through collective outreach and education they were able to boost audits 10 fold within a year. There are plenty of examples like recycling that required outreach campaigns to before they were adopted by the public. While private industry is an important driver of innovation, public initiatives and programming are critical elements of many successful campaigns. Take for instance the Marshfield Energy Challenge, promoted by NSTAR in coordination with Mass Tech Collaborative, schools, local non profits, the city of Marshfield and the business community.

Utility based rebates and energy programs were already in place, but through collective outreach and education they were able to boost audits 10 fold within a year. There are plenty of examples like recycling that required outreach campaigns to before they were adopted by the public.

]]> By: energyskeptic007 http://energytwodotzero.org/2009/07/01/cambridge-ma-the-6th-greenest-city-in-america/comment-page-1/#comment-70 energyskeptic007 Thu, 09 Jul 2009 13:07:34 +0000 http://www.energytwodotzero.org/?p=1520#comment-70 ....and using the MIT Strata Center building in your pic - what a disaster of a building. Leaky, moldy & mired in operational problems. ….and using the MIT Strata Center building in your pic – what a disaster of a building. Leaky, moldy & mired in operational problems.

]]> By: energyskeptic007 http://energytwodotzero.org/2009/07/01/cambridge-ma-the-6th-greenest-city-in-america/comment-page-1/#comment-69 energyskeptic007 Wed, 08 Jul 2009 13:32:54 +0000 http://www.energytwodotzero.org/?p=1520#comment-69 Committees, programs and alliances are all well and good window dressing but the actual impact the alphabet soup of do-gooders is rather small if measurable at all. Sure, leadership of some sort may have contributed to a small fraction of green-ism in the City but its really market-driven by people who make decisions outside of the 'cheerleaders' for climate change. That's why very few organizations, homes or businesses 'go solar' because it makes no economic sense whatsoever for 98% of all users. Its also why people with 30 year old boilers change them to high efficiency because it makes dollars and sense. It has little do to with the CEA that someone got a free energy audit already provided by utility programs. These alleged green goodness changes have little if anything to do with the committees and programs and alliances that pepper the landscape with mostly political and ideological messages which have little consequence or impact on the average person who needs energy relief but can't afford it. But go ahead, grab all the "credit" you want for whatever imperceptible role you actually play in the so called Greening of Cambridge. Committees, programs and alliances are all well and good window dressing but the actual impact the alphabet soup of do-gooders is rather small if measurable at all. Sure, leadership of some sort may have contributed to a small fraction of green-ism in the City but its really market-driven by people who make decisions outside of the ‘cheerleaders’ for climate change. That’s why very few organizations, homes or businesses ‘go solar’ because it makes no economic sense whatsoever for 98% of all users. Its also why people with 30 year old boilers change them to high efficiency because it makes dollars and sense. It has little do to with the CEA that someone got a free energy audit already provided by utility programs. These alleged green goodness changes have little if anything to do with the committees and programs and alliances that pepper the landscape with mostly political and ideological messages which have little consequence or impact on the average person who needs energy relief but can’t afford it. But go ahead, grab all the “credit” you want for whatever imperceptible role you actually play in the so called Greening of Cambridge.

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