The past few weeks have been disheartening for those who believe climate change is a real problem.  While I prefer to push clean technologies by arguing for energy independence and keeping our dollars at home, the scientific evidence behind climate change has always made sense to me.  So depending on how you feel about the climate change debate, you may find this BBC News clip either uproariously hilarious or pathetically disturbing--or maybe both! (more...)

I had almost forgotten about CNN, but today at the gym, I spent my time on the elliptical machine watching Campbell Brown interview's of Thomas Friedman.  I still have not read Friedman's book, Hot, Flat, and Crowded, but I'm motivated to snag a copy after watching him this afternoon.  His point of tying in the current financial crisis with the debate over climate change really resonated with me.  After all, the financial crisis resulted from large financial firms taking huge risks, the cost of which taxpayers are now shouldering.  Buying oil from the Middle East, and sending our currency abroad, for an energy source that has huge geopolitical, financial, and environmental risk, is also a threat to our future.  With the supposed hacked emails causing an uproar in Congress and amongst the right, more of our peers are doubting the size behind global warming.  According to Friedman, that's neither here nor there.  (more...)

Yesterday I attended a talk given by USA Ambassador Friis Petersen of Denmark at UCLA's CIBER (Center for International Business and Research).  Ambassador Petersen was in Los Angeles for the day and somehow UCLA was fortunate enough to get a few minutes of his time.  With the Copenhagen Conference on Climate Change scheduled for next month, I wanted to hear what Petersen had to say about the Danes' expectations for the conference.  It's always interesting to listen to someone from outside of the USA comment on the current political debate occurring in our country.  And as a diplomat for 30 years, the Ambassador's career mirrors that of Denmark's move towards a more sustainable energy policy. (more...)

One of my favorite TV shows was Arrested Development.  Savagely witty and delightfully satirical, this show depicting a riches-to-rags Orange County family will be remembered for its insight in early 21st century living.  One of my favorite exchanges is when Portia de Rossi's character, Lindsey, bemoans her family's crash into poverty, only to recover 5 seconds later when Jason Bateman's character, Michael, informs her that he has to mow down some trees in order to build McMansions that would revive their family's fortunes.  She decries Michael for being "materialistic," only to rush outside to confront the tree-hugger (not Darryl Hannah this time) who's staked out a tree--

 

Lindsey:  Look, I'm an activist, too . . . but we're not the only ones who destroy trees.  What about beavers?  You call yourself an environmentalist . . . Why don't you go out and club some beavers?   Crunchy-granola activist:  You don't really get nature, do you? (more...)

Last year I worked for a company that sent me all over North America for really no good reason.  On one hand, it was a fascinating experience listening to energy executives talk about their corporate strategy when oil was hovering at US$150 a barrel.  But when you are flying halfway across the country spewing out jet fuel for one appointment, you hardly feel green.  One trip that was exhilarating, however, was a quick run to North Dakota, a state that immediately left me smitten.  Bismarck, the capital, was full of Art Deco architecture that would leave most cities envious, and its people were friendly and welcoming.  (more...)