Solar panels being stolen in CA. Welcome to the new crime wave

While the planet is slowly being turned on to green energy, it seems that thieves are seeing dollar signs in stealing solar panels. The panels can usually go for $1500 each, so stealing then selling for $500 each can be a profit. Heck, wreck them and sell the copper, and you can still make a mint.

I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.

Plumbing the oceans for energy

This is an interesting idea. The top of the oceans are warm, the bottom is cold. Pump water through each side, and you’ve got a a way of generating quite a bit of energy. Granted, there’s not enough to fuel everything – but it’s certainly an idea that can bear fruit with some research.

Waxman defeats Dingle for Energy committee – things are changing hard

If you want a sign that the times are changing, look no further than the defeat of John Dingle by Henry Waxman for the House Energy and Commerce Committee in Congress.

Dingle of Michigan, known to be a long time friend of the auto industry, has for years helped prevent stricter miles per gallon regulations. Waxman, though, is a known crusader for environmental causes, and will likely use the post to push through alternative and green energy bills.

Which is exactly what the country needs at this time.

Obama: Part of “change” includes “climate”

President Elect Obama has come out and stated he’s still on task to cut down on global climate change before it gets any worse by cutting carbon dioxide emissions.

In a way, it might be a good time. If the economy is shifted to more green energy, it spawns new jobs and technologies, cut costs for people, increases public transportation.

California energy initiatives go lights out

You see what I did there? Yeah – I made a headline pun.

I rock.

But the real issue is about a pair of energy initiatives in California that failed to pass, which would have mandated the use of more alternative energy and incentives to buy alternative fuels.

Seems that in either case, the biggest issue was money – mainly, the money that taxpayers would have to pay to make it happen.

Oil prices still falling – but for how long?

Based on current economic data, the manufacturing industry is hitting a major slump. Because of that and US drivers habits slowly changing, the price of oil has been tumbling to almost half its value it was just a few months ago.

The good news is that means gas for consumers is cheaper. The bad news is – it won’t last. Right now, there’s a glut on oil from where oil companies were trying to cash out on the high prices. Once that glut is cleared out, expect high gas prices to return – and stay up there for some time.

Meaning: this isn’t the time to go invest in SUV’s and ignore public transportation efforts, folks. This is the time to start on those initiatives before gas goes back up again.

(See how that works – you solve problems before there’s a crisis. Crazy, I know!)

Epic Fail: Illegal Immigrants blamed for global warming

This has to the the stupidest thing I’ve seen yet. Of all of the things to blame for global warming – from consumer habits, lack of public transportation, failure to push for higher fuel efficiency – Californians for Population Stabilization blames illegal immigrants as one of the main causes behind global warming.

:facepalm:

With Gas prices dropping, Picken’s Plan is meeting resistance

I am always shocked at the level of human stupidity. When gas was up to $4, people were talking about the end of oil, the rise of the hybrids. More public transportation, please, anything, save us from high gas prices!

One of the biggest proponents was T. Boone Pickens, oil man who is now pushing wind and natural gas as the solution to our ills (personally, I think the push to natural gas swaps one additional for another). The problem: as the price of oil and gas goes down, people forget. And now the credit crisis is making his plan hard to fund and investors are dropping out.

Great. So six months later, we’ll be right back where we are now, only nothing will still not be done.

How we can negotiate with Iran, get what we want – and still come out ahead

Thomas Friedman’s column details how the US can have talks with Iran and have the leverage to get what we want.

The leverage? Money. With the price of oil dropping, suddenly the Axis of oil of Iran, Russia, and Venezuela aren’t quite so vocal about their issues with the United States and how their going to use their power.

I’d say the best thing that the US can do to keep their position of power in the world: alternative energy. We should be harnessing the wind, the sea in tidal power. We should be moving public transportation, light rail, bullet trains that use publicly generated electricity.

If the country that uses 25% of the world’s oil starts using only 10%, that dries up the power of these three countries. Then, it won’t be about “get these countries to do what we want”, and more about “We really don’t give a shit what they do, because they have nothing we want.”