Comments on: The Business Pundit Energy Plan: Electrification, flex power, and a smart grid

By: Caroline

Caroline — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 01:19:09 +0000

Absolutely beautiful article, Drea. love how you included localized renewables. im of course looking at this with medical eyes–its gotta help to eat lower on the food chain and use more human energy for transport. these changes would sure make my job easier! keep the articles coming!

By: Herb

Herb — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 23:00:58 +0000

Someone suggested today, after reading your blog,that we should look at taxing engine displacement per car,as it is done in a lot of European Countries.
He felt that that could be more useful and easier to implement than taxing gas.

By: LK

LK — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 20:15:08 +0000

I dig the idea of rethinking zoning and the suburbs. I’ve never understood why anyone would choose to live somewhere that discouraged walking and interacting with neighbors. Furthermore, why would someone trade corner stores and locally owned businesses for large shopping centers? Not only do big box stores seem to use huge amounts of energy, shopping at them take years off your life when you have to spend a Saturday stuck in a car waiting to turn left to go from Bed Bath and Beyong to Shoe Carnival.

By: Victoria Battista

Victoria Battista — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 15:35:39 +0000

I know many people, myself included, whose main mode of transport is a bicycle, but who also use a car sharing program (Zipcar). Recently a bike sharing program was instated as well, similar to the one in Paris, tho limited to only a handfull of high volume neighborhoods. Might these sorts of programs be part of the mid-term solution as well?

By: Herb

Herb — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 00:11:35 +0000

Great work,I hope that our decision makers have the long term vision and patience to implement your proposal.

By: SKH

SKH — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 00:05:30 +0000

Thank you for the comprehensive, yet concise, info on such a complex and relevant subject.
Carbon-free and renewable energy is an exciting prospect. I truly hope we as a nation can realize this ideal sooner than later. It seems our future depends on it.

By: Alex Plante, PE

Alex Plante, PE — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 22:37:41 +0000

Great article. A few comments:

About restructuring the suburbs: the first essential step is to completely re-write zoning laws. Current zoning is predicated on the idea of segragating areas by function and income levels. Income levels are segregated indirectly by the way by-laws specify minimum set-backs and lot sizes, and by restrictions on building heights and limits on multiple-unit housing.

Zoning laws must be reformed to allow mixed uses and mixed incomes. Of course manufacturing and retailing businesses in these mixed use areas would probably have to be restricted in size, and there would have to be strict regulations on noise, odor and other pollution.

By alowing mixed uses and mixed housing types, by building more tramways, and with people living closer to work, cities (including suburbs) will return to being where each neighbourhood was an urban villages, as they were before 1950.

As to improving building regulations, it’s primarily up to the architects, not the engineers, as they are the ones who specify insulation, windows, doors, etc. As to the engineers, it’s not civil engineers you need on board, but rather HVAC mechanical/electrical engineers, for more efficient heating, cooling and heat exchange systems.

- Regards,

Alex Plante, PE (a civil engineer)

By: Jeff B

Jeff B — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 17:28:28 +0000

Fossil fuels will require a complete retooling of our economy which will mean committing a greater percentage of the available capital to energy. Consequently, we cannot at the same time continue with policies requiring access to this same capital. The current levels of immigration into the US dictates capital expenditures for homes, roads, schools, and related infrastructure. To be successful at this endeavor, we will need to drastically cut back on legal and illegal immigration. It seems simple to conclude that we make the solution more difficult for ourselves if we continue the unsustainable immigration policies of the past decade.

By: Dick Murray

Dick Murray — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 22:36:36 +0000

Great article. I look forward to meeting you when you when you visit Herb in Sept. Make sure Obama is sent this info. Dick

By: Matt

Matt — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 04:27:11 +0000

This is an impressive piece of work. Nicely done and my compliments to the many hours of research that went into this.

I would have to disagree w/ the removing speculators. I would also argue that, while speculators certainly had a role in pushing prices higher, market fundamentals will always play the majority role in commodity prices.

Lastly, high energy prices are sadly the only true “punishment” we can force upon ourselves to force the political structure in the US to change our energy policy. So I don’t really think that $4 – $5 gas is all that horrible.