Environmental Politics
Greenius Goes All AB 811 Over Green Task Force
Last Thursday afternoon your Creative Greenius took yet another step on my journey to employ my professional skills, talents and resources for greater green good and not just to line my own pockets.
And so it was that I found myself in the Hermosa Beach City Council Chambers addressing the Green Task Force audience you cannot see in this photo as I presented my Finding The Green To Green The Grid House By House PowerPoint. (Click Here to Download a PDF copy of my presentation)
That audience is made up mostly of city staff members from the 17 different cities that make up the South Bay COG plus some interested citizens of those cities. On this day it also included several board members of the Environmental Priorities Network, the Reverend Ron and even Mrs. Greenius.
Fortunately I suffered no stage fright or stress because I had spent many weeks researching, interviewing, analyzing and then crafting a presentation that simplifies the information and makes the subject clear and easy for everyone to understand. For the past two decades I’ve been one of the top freelance pros in the United States doing this kind of work for my multinational corporate clients. I bring the same level of focus, dedication and work ethic to the pro bono work I’m now doing.
But I also bring something more on top of all that.
Continue reading ➞ Greenius Goes All AB 811 Over Green Task Force
Solar Smackdown in Torrance – Installer Sues City on Behalf of the Sun
After a decade in the solar power installation business, Bradley Bartz is tired of being Mr. Nice Guy. He’s tried the sugar and honey approach for ten years but instead of catching flies he’s caught hassles and obstructions from local Southern California city officials who haven’t kept up with modern technology and remain both ignorant and adversarial when it comes to helping their citizens go solar.
“Idiots!” is what Bartz calls them and he’s doing more than name calling. He’s filed suit against Torrance, the proud home of Exxon/Mobil’s refinery, for stopping him from installing solar panels in the Hillside Overlay district.
In this exclusive and wide-ranging interview with your Creative Greenius, the outspoken Bradley Bartz of ABC Solar shares the inside story of not only his legal suit against Torrance, but his broader plans to force cities to live up to the state’s California Solar Rights Act, his unique views on the California’s solar rebate program and his red tape experiences in dealing with Southern California Edison.
Continue reading ➞ Solar Smackdown in Torrance – Installer Sues City on Behalf of the Sun
BREAKING NEWS: Exxon/Mobil Ordered Out of Torrance, Guilty of Greenhouse Gas Pollution
“Pack Up Your Toxic, Fossil Fuel Factory With Its Climate-Changing Products & Get Out of Town By 2020!” Greenius Rules
It’s true, I have declared it thus this very day, marking this date as the beginning of the end of the Exxon/Mobil era.
Consider this fair and legal warning, world’s largest and most polluting oil company – I’m giving you 10 years to pack up and hit the road. Otherwise I will have you evicted and we will seize your assets. Mark your calendar and let’s start collecting empty moving boxes for our poison pals in petroleum.
Greenius To Corporate Carbon Producers: You’ll Pay & You’ll Like It
Last month your Creative Greenius weighed into the issue of carbon cap and trade on the TerraPass Footprint website. I offered my take on an article entitled: “Hacks and Handout-Seekers Hate Obama’s Climate Plan”
If you’re not familiar with TerraPass Footprint this is a great opportunity to check them out. But even if you don’t, I’d like to share my take on carbon cap and trade vs carbon taxes with you after the jump…
Continue reading ➞ Greenius To Corporate Carbon Producers: You’ll Pay & You’ll Like It
Time for Earth Day Green Drinks
The Greenius Goes Into Overdrive
As the climate change crisis goes from bad to worse (while the deniers get nuttier and more cult-like with each passing day) and Australia gives Californians an advanced sneak preview at what is without a doubt headed our way sooner than you expect, your Creative Greenius has only gotten more Fired Up, Ready to Go!
That’s right my friends, while others are cutting back, downsizing, slowing down and pulling back, your Creative Greenius is not only Ready to Go, I’m already going, baby, and I’m moving at Obama speed.
So buckle up and hang on while I take you for a little trip with the Greenius to the places I’ve been and the places I’m going…
Neil Young – Rockin’ The EV World in “JOHNNY MAGIC” Straight from his LincVolt
Legendary singer-songwriter and electric car advocate, Neil Young is out with his latest song and it could easily become the first anthem for the rapidly blowing-up EV movement in America. The rockin’ number is a tribute to Neil’s innovative and totally Greenius re-powering of his 1959 Lincoln Continental convertible with plug-in electric power.
Here’s the story from our friends at Neil Young News:
Tonight, in the latest adventures in LincVolt, Neil Young and the LV Team went out for another test drive.
On this journey, viewers experienced an extraordinary first — Neil debuted a song while driving. Singing to a soundtrack on his Mac laptop, Neil performed the new song “Johnny Magic” while playing air guitar.
The song is dedicated to Neil’s mechanic Johnathan Goodwin.
Right after the jump, TWO great video versions of this new instant classic:
Continue reading ➞ Neil Young – Rockin’ The EV World in “JOHNNY MAGIC” Straight from his LincVolt
Exxon/Mobil To Fund Solar Financing Bond For Torrance Homeowners
In a deal brokered by the city’s newly commissioned Citizens Environmental Task Force, Exxon/Mobil, owners of the Exxon/Mobil Refinery in the City of Torrance agreed today to fund a bond that will make low cost financing of solar energy systems for home and apartment owners. The loans for solar power, authorized under California’s AB 811, are added as assessments to a homeowner’s property tax bills and are passed on to the new owner if a home is sold.
Without Exxon Mobil’s funding of the financing bonds the program would not have had the money to offer loans in Torrance. The city had no money in the budget to make the program possible and no plans to find any in the midst of the on-going economic crisis. But Exxon/Mobil had no such money problems. “We’ve had one record profit quarter after another,” said a spokesperson for the oil company.
“We are so cash rich at the moment that we’re spending money all over the place while everyone else is forced to cut back. We know carbon taxes are coming and we won’t always be floating in a sea of profits we made at your expense. So it seemed only logical that we give a little back to a community we’ve released an awful lot of carbon in. Hell, that entire property our refinery’s on will probably be a superfund site after they force us to stop producing our fossil fuels.“
Continue reading ➞ Exxon/Mobil To Fund Solar Financing Bond For Torrance Homeowners
Torrance Enviro Commish – From Curious to CringeWorthy
I spent another two and a half hours last night (time, like my 401k I’ll never get back) in the always delightful West Wing Commission Room attending the monthly Torrance Environmental Quality and Energy Saving Commission meeting.
My friends, let me tell you right now that we’ve got trouble.
Oh we got trouble,
Right here in Torrance!
With a capital “T”
That rhymes with “C”
And that stands for Clueless…
Come on, sing along with me after the jump –
Continue reading ➞ Torrance Enviro Commish – From Curious to CringeWorthy
Creative Greenius 