Filling the Gaps in Energy Production with Cogeneration

In the late 1970s, John Gofman, co-inventor of plutonium, had second thoughts about his work with nuclear power over the years. He authored a book entitled Irrevy, in which he argued that the use of nuclear power for electrical production amounted to a bad tradeoff of inefficient and expensive power generation for an insoluble toxic waste problem and generations upon generations of unknown cancers and genetic defects.

While the portion of domestic electricity currently produced by nuclear energy is marginal, at that time there were quite a few more nuclear power plants and nuclear energy production. A perfect storm of Three Mile Island and Chernobyl together with movies such as The China Syndrome gave impetus to an anti-nuclear movement, of which, Gofman was a pre-eminent spokesman, which changed all of that.

Now, as the nation faces an energy crisis, not just of gas lines, but of all energy production, the idea of re-introducing nuclear energy with a vengeance has emerged. During the 2008 Presidential campaign, Republican candidate John McCain proposed building 50 new nuclear plants. As the electorate starts to forget why the moratorium on nuclear plants in the US went into effect in the first place and embraces the simplistic argument that 80% of France’s electricity is produced by nuclear plants, it becomes more imperative that we not only examine Gofman’s objections to the ‘nuclear option,’ but take a look at some of the alternatives he proposed.

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Cuyahoga River Fire of 1969, a Spark for Environmentalism

On June 22, 1969, an oil slick and assorted debris caught fire under a railroad trestle on the Cuyahoga River. It was a relatively quick fire, having only burned for 30 minutes. The occurrence was barely covered in the local Cleveland newspapers, and did not receive much attention until a month later, when Time Magazine made it a national issue.

What most people don’t know is that the fire was one of a dozen similar incidents when oil and chemical-soaked debris ignited on the Cuyahoga. And it didn’t happen only in Cleveland – rivers flowing through urban centers often served as sewers for industrial waste.

40 years later, the Cuyahoga fire remains a powerful symbol of an industrialized planet in peril and our impending environmental crises. The event had such a great impact that many credit it as being a catalyst for Congress to pass the Clean Water Act in 1972, and for the creation of agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency.

In recognition of the four decades of progress since the fire, 2009 has been dubbed “The Year of the River” in Cleveland. This year is a celebration of the progress made in cleaning local waterways, and to recognize that additional efforts are still needed to further clean and maintain these natural resources.

Also commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Cuyohoga River fire, Positively Cleveland is has compiled a nice list of the 75 “green” things we love about Cleveland.

Additional Articles and Videos on the Cuyahoga River fire:

• Cuyahoga River Community Planning Organization
• Positively Cleveland – 75 Green Things We Love About Cleveland
• VIDEO: Retired Congressman Louis Stokes talks about his theory for pursuing clean water laws: If we could clean up the Cuyahoga River, we could clean up any body of water in the nation.
• VIDEO: Ben Stefanski II remembers standing at the river with Mayor Carl Stokes the day after the fire, declaring war on water pollution.
• VIDEO: Frank Samsel, retired owner of Samsel Supply Co., wasn’t surprised the river caught fire. He recalls regularly sucking up fats from rendering plants along with fuel and chemical spills.

A Few Things to Consider About Ethanol…

If finding ways to slowly ween America’s dependence on foreign oil is also a welcome opportunity to promote green, cleaner-burning alternatives, it’d be foolish — no — irresponsible not to embrace it right?

Well, when it comes to ethanol it’s not quite so easy. But it seems so simple … almost too good to be true: Grow corn, process corn into ethanol, blend with gasoline and go!

The ethanol industry has been growing for quite some time. Last week marked the 25th Fuel Ethanol Workshop and Expo (FEW) here in Denver. Every existing or under-construction ethanol producer and refiner in the country was invited. This industry expo was packed two years ago in St. Louis. Apparently this year, not so much.

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The Campus Green: Today’s Universities will Ensure a Greener Tomorrow

Going green is becoming all the rage at colleges and universities around the nation, and we’re not just talking about the Cal-Berkley’s of the world. I should know, since I’m a part of the growing crowd of environmentally-aware young adults! Our institutions of higher education are increasingly providing environments to foster critical thinking and creativity in sustainability with new course offerings and majors. Better yet, our exposure to new media and social networking provide access to the information and social “cool” factors necessary to drive eco-friendly actions from our future leaders.

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After Stab in the Back, Geothermal Poised for a Comeback

Whenever alternative energy is mentioned, solar and wind energy come most immediately to mind. Yet as promising as the futures for these energies may be, most Americans may not be aware that geothermal energy has been extensively utilized in the past and present. Moreover, its future appears to be virtually unlimited and initial capital outlay for its development might well be the most cost-effective of all alternative energy sources.

In a story that received very little media coverage at the time and even less coverage when the Bush Administration pulled funding for geothermal research shortly after, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) released a study concluding that a proposed form of geothermal extraction they referred to as “heat mining” could “provide a substantial portion of the electricity that the United States will need in the future.” Furthermore, the MIT study concluded that “heat mining” could do so “probably at competitive prices and with minimal environmental impact.”

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Electric Cars Steal the 2008 Paris Motor Show

In a small step away from oil-based transportation, automakers displayed a wide array of electric cars at this year’s Paris Motor Show.  The green statement is a far cry from a recent history that included lobbying against stricter MPG and emissions standards.

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