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Thursday, February 3, 2011

Hope

     Carbon Nation film director Peter Byck joined us Monday via Skype after UC Sustainability showed his film. "CCID" is the acronym he used to describe "Climate Change Induced Depression". It is something that anyone who considers the implications of the global climate change on any type of regular basis has to deal with.

     Peter was talking about this because I had asked him (this was a Q&A session) how we could continue to keep a positive message in light of the burdensome knowledge of climate change. I had been inspired by the tone of his film, which had filled me with lots of hope for clean energy.

     Not only is green energy the future, it is now. The film shows how the movement for clean energy has begun, and the strengths and profitability of several types of clean energy alternatives. I can't reccomend this film enough. Wind farms are so profitable, they are saving small towns in the wind belt. Algae fuel and other biofuels promise to cure oil dependency. Geothermal is so energy and cost efficient it is hard to explain why it isn't everywhere. A man named Van Jones gets low-income familes loans for solar panels, and teaches the residents installation so they can get work and pay back the loan. Green energy could be the boost our economy needs.

     As Peter explained, these are the stories that need to be told. Now, let me share one of my own.

     Today, I had the opportunity to hear 2010 Earth Award Grand Prize Winner Carlos Montemagno give a presentation. He is the dean of the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences here at the University of Cincinnati. He has discovered how to replicate photosynthesis. He has methods that are 98% efficent (compared corn ethanol at 6-7%), and he can convert the acellular chemical energy from his foam into fuel OR electricity. Essentially, you take a box of this special foam- it makes sugar, which is converted to fuel or electricity.

     He could frankly hold the solution to anthropeogenic climate change from carbon emissions. Take a moment.

     The solutions exist, and there is money to be made. Foam, anyone?
    

  

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