Matthew Savage's Blog

Imagine a utility grid that is smart, distributed and more localized. What does that mean? Well, think electricity combined with the technology and structure of the Internet.

In our current electricity grid, the electrons flow from huge, centralized power plants, sometimes quite a distance from the end user, and simply go one way; picture thousands of one-way streets that branch off of a freeway. It hasn’t changed fundamentally for more than a hundred years, except for the capacity of the grid, that is, an increase in the number of power plants. But, the grid is outdated and in need of an update.

There are fundamentally two major problems with the existing grid:

1. Current transmission lines are incapable of transmitting electrons very long distances. For example, we cannot get our electricity in California from a wind farm in Texas.

2. Inaccuracy of the real-time usage data which makes it hard to predict patterns and troubleshoot.

The loss of electrons in transmission is something that only a technological breakthrough will be able to fix. We will have to wait and see on this one. But this is a long way off considering that the transmission lines will have to be replaced.

Now, what if the intelligence and structure of the Internet was a model for our electricity grid? Well, suddenly power companies would be able to track with accuracy, how much power was being used and where. Currently, much of this data is vague and inaccurate. For example, when there is a downed power line, the utility must wait for a blackout or for someone to call it in to diagnose the problem. What’s more, thousands of homes can go out when there is just one problem on the line. In the new grid, troubleshooting would not be a problem.

This new “smart-grid” would be controlled by thousands of wireless transmitters that could “talk” to each other and give the utility accurate data on real-time energy usage. This has many added benefits including:

• Empowering the customers and utility with real-time data.
• Better troubleshooting.
• More efficient use of the power load.
• Less prone to storms and terrorist attacks.

With this accurate information, the utility could begin to more efficiently handle the power loads during peak times. For example, the new smart-grid would be able to turn up the thermostats in thousands of homes by one degree in the middle of summer. Collectively this would make a huge difference in power needs, but on a user-level this would hardly be noticeable. One of the more interesting areas is the “smart appliances” that would be able to power on and off according to the power needs of the grid. Think of a washing machine that turned off on-demand by the power companies if you weren’t using it.

It is amazing that the grid has not changed much since the times of Thomas Edison. This is a huge growth area and very exciting when you consider that much of this will be powered by renewable energy and distributed. Traditionally, the electricity industry is very slow to change, considering the infrastructure changes that are required. However, the “smart grid” will soon be a common household phrase.

China is often perceived as a major polluter on the world stage, sacrificing the environment for rapid economic growth. This perception is often buttressed by images of polluted rivers and smog-infested landscapes.

In some ways, however, China is way ahead of the ball in protecting the environment. One prime example: China just placed a nationwide ban on plastic bags. The move is designed to prevent litter and save millions of barrels of oil each year. In a country where up to 3 billion plastic bags are used each day, the significance of this legislation is huge.

By comparison, the U.S. is still struggling to move away from plastic bags. San Francisco banned plastic bags last year, and last month Los Angeles became the second city in the U.S. to enact a plastic bag ban.

Certainly, change can sometimes be easier accomplished when dictated by an authoritarian government such as China’s. The beauty of our democracy, and the reason most of us would prefer to live in the U.S. than China, is that we can all play a part in making change. Frustratingly, though, this can all too often lead to political gridlock, or the hijacking of our future by narrow business interests.

The challenge is on. Let’s show the world that our democracy can bring about the changes that are needed for a sustainable future.

The spark that started in SF and LA needs to move across the country. Talk to your friends, family, and neighbors about ways to reduce or eliminate the use of plastic bags. Express your opinion in your local newspaper, and persuade your city council or state legislature that this change is needed. Our future depends on it.

“Water is the most critical resource issue of our lifetime and of our children’s lifetime. The health of our waters is the principal measure of how we live on the land.”
-Luna Leopold, hydrologist and professor, UC Berkeley

Global warming is getting all the attention right now and for good reason. Water is an equally important issue, but much less on the radar for the masses, especially in terms of conservation. Think about it the next time you turn on the tap.

If you are wanting to see change in the world, you need to become more proactive. Become a leader and lead by example.

I encourage everyone to get informed. Do lots of reading about the issues and try to get a good picture of what’s going on in the world. Many of us are solely dependent on media to hype up the latest trends and news. This is why we are in the “Green” revolution and feeling overwhemed with it all.

We need to read on our own and become informed citizens. Become an inspiring local organizer and leader. Get involved in your local communities to work on things that you feel are important. Make it your job to be as educated as you can. Don’t be complacent.

1. Give your sprinkler time off. Most lawns and gardens get 20-50 percent more water than they really need. You can cut watering times 2 to 5 minutes for every 10 minutes you water and still have a healthy landscape.
2. Water while you sleep. Water only in the early morning or at night when evaporation is at its lowest.
3. Water wetter. Install a “smart” controller, available at an irrigation supply house. This device automatically tells your irrigation system how much to water.
4. If it’s broke, fix it. Check for leaks, pipe breaks or clogged sprinklers and replace or repair if necessary.
5. Replace outdated, inefficient irrigation equipment. Save money through your local landscaping rebate program, if applicable.
6. Shower shorter. Install a water-efficient showerhead that uses 2.5 gallons/minute or less.
7. No drip policy. Because they’re “on” 24/7, leaky faucets, toilets, and showerheads can waste a lot of water.
8. Flush with pride. Check with your municipality for local rebates to install qualified 1.2 gallons-per-flush toilets.
9. Keep it clean & Get green. Use the energy-saving cycle when washing clothes. Use cold water. Rebates are available when you buy a high-efficiency washer.
10. Fill ‘er up. Run your dishwasher on the energy-saving cycle and only run full loads.

Check out H20 Conserve for tons of tips and tricks for saving water as well as calculating you water footprint.

The following is from Maude Barlow and Tony Clarke’s book Blue Gold, The Fight to Stop the Corporate Theft of the World’s Water:

According to the United Nations, 31 countries in the world are currently facing water stress and scarcity. Over one billion people have no access to clean drinking water and almost three billion have no access to sanitation services. By the year 2025, the world will contain 2.6 billion more people than it holds today, but as many as two-thirds of those people will be living in conditions of serious water shortage, and one-third will be living with absolute water scarcity. Demand for water will exceed availability by 56 percent.

Many of us who have lived most of our lives in the industrialized countries of the North may find it difficult to imagine running out of water. We have lived with steady supplies most of our lives and have used it lavishly. But at current rates of use, we will run short. At a time when we are on a rising curve in water use because of increasing industrialization, intensified farming, and population growth, water resources are being depleted at an accelerated rate. Aquifer overdrafts, massive urbanization, and unchecked pollution are withdrawing supplies from the world’s water account, just when we need to be saving more…There is simply no way to overstate the fresh water crisis on the planet today. The alarm is sounding. Will we hear it in time?

WaterHealth International – a FOR-PROFIT company – based in Lake Forest, CA, has a bold and noble vision:

To be the leading company providing innovative and affordable potable water solutions to meet the needs of all people worldwide, including the poorest of the poor.
WaterHealth video

WaterHealth has some innovative proprietary technology that uses UV light to purify water, but the most innovative part is the low maintenance, simplicity and low cost of the units. The systems need very little power and coupled with solar power they become entirely self-sufficient.

For about $2/day, consumers in developing countries can have access to fresh water, helped by the micro crediting techniques pioneered by Nobel Peace Laureate, Muhammad Yunus.

Describing their product…

Our product offerings for underserved and difficult-to-reach communities are based on the concept of decentralized and modular turn-key systems. Our systems are designed for rapid deployment, and are engineered to be easily and sustainably maintained.

Decentralized water solutions are really working for people in developing communities because this enables scaleable solutions for a variety of project sizes. WaterHealth has a true bottom-up approach because they have learned that you have to see this from all perspectives, most noteable the end user. Currently, WaterHealth’s systems supply almost 1 million people in over 500 communities with clean water in India, the Philippines, and Ghana.

WaterHealth’s approach is what’s referred to as a world-centric business model, which means that they are involved in the entire water supply and purification process from end-to-end, including design, product manufacturing, financing, servicing, and hiring locals to operate the company’s systems. This means jobs in the community, empowerment, and even entrepreneurship opportunities for the locals. And when the loan is paid off, the community can start raising money from the water units.

I want to stress, and WaterHealth is not shy to say, that this is a different approach for two reasons:

1. it’s for profit
2. the world-centric approach

Most non-profits have trouble in the long-run because of capital costs and maintenance.

This should be inspiration to us all. To see an amazing vision like this attempting to conquer one of the humanity’s greatest problems, reveals a simple plan to approach an extremely complex problem. How can WE learn from this innovative approach to solve some of our potentially simpler – in terms of non-life threatening – problems?

Green is now a factor in pricing real estate. It would be great if Solar companies could bundle energy efficiency into their mix somehow though. Is this already happening? I am not sure.

Solar companies are so hyped up on the sexiness of nanotechnology, that they are not taking a leadership role in promoting efficiency and positioning themselves as leaders in these two related and equally important fields. Efficiency and conservation first, BEFORE high-tech add-ons, I say.

I think that LEED certification will become the standard in real estate pricing. Like the ENERGY STAR seal on an appliance, or the MPG rating on a new car, I see the LEED rating factored into building purchases that will directly affect pricing. This means that investing in a sustainable home that is LEED certified, has financial benefits, like high resale values and savings on energy and water.

Check out Arno Harris’s – CEO of Solar Company Recurrent Energy – blog on this topic: http://arnoharris.typepad.com/cleanenergyfuture/2008/06/class-a–its-got-to-be-green.html

This post was authored by my friend, Lee Hwang.

chezpanissefoundation.org

Last week, I attended a lively panel discussion in San Francisco titled “How We Eat and the Slow Food Nation.” The panel featured Alice Waters, one of the most famous chefs in America and founder of the Chez Panisse restaurant in Berkeley, California. Her talk highlighted the ways in which we can strengthen and revitalize our sense of community through a more mindful approach to food. She recounted that when she was a teenager in the 1960s, she visited France and observed that the people there visited the market every morning, buying only the freshest ingredients available that day. No processed food, no food shipped from far away. She noticed how food connected family and friends together in the “rituals of the table,” making life so much more enjoyable and vibrant. Thus inspired, she returned to America with a mission: to bring back that same sense of community, enlivened through delicious food bought directly from farmers and cooked with an emphasis on letting the simple, natural flavors predominate. Eventually, this approach became known as California cuisine, and history was made.

These days, Alice is promoting edible education in the schools. Her program, called the “Edible Schoolyard,” provides urban schoolchildren with a hands-on, concrete learning experience in growing their own organic food and cooking it in a kitchen classroom. In the process, the kids learn about ecology, biology, and nutrition, while also enjoying the tangible fruits of their own labors. As described on the “Edible Schoolyard” website, the program’s mission is two-fold:

Children learn about the connection between what they eat and where it comes from, with the goal of fostering environmental stewardship and revolutionizing the school lunch program.

In this way, not only do kids learn important lessons about taking care of themselves and the larger world through a more direct experience of food, but they also eat more nutritiously. Sounds like a win-win to me!

If edible education sounds like a good idea to you, I urge you to take action. Discuss this idea with others in your community and persuade your local school to establish its own “Edible Schoolyard.” The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Start now and you can make a difference, too!

acumenfund.org

The late Richard E. Smalley, considered one of the early fathers of nanotechnology, founded the appropriately-named Richard E. Smalley Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology in the heart of Houston at acclaimed Rice University, which is now a global leader in advanced energy and nanotech research.

Before his death in 2005 at age 62, Smalley and his team came up with a list of the 10 greatest challenges facing humanity:

1. Water
2. Energy
   
3. Food
4. Environment
5. Poverty
6. Terrorism and War
7. Disease
8. Education
9. Democracy
10. Population Growth

From The Clean Tech Revolution by Ron Pernick and Clint Wilder.