Quick Hit: Short Update On Washington

In the wake of last week’s post, we wanted to give you all
an update on what was happening in Washington with the landslide recovery and
clean-up efforts.  Yesterday, CNN
released an article informing the public that the death toll is now at 35, with
30 of the recovered bodies being identified. News from the White House says
that President Barack Obama is going to visit the site on the 22^nd
of April, the one month anniversary of the landslide. During his visit, he will
confer with recovery crews and offer condolences to the families of the
victims. Hopefully they will take some comfort from his words.

FEMA Quietly Celebrates 35 Years By Contributing to Rescue and Recovery Efforts in Washington

Yesterday, the Federal Emergency
Management Agency (better known as FEMA) celebrated “35 Years of Commitment” to
protecting and serving American citizens. President Jimmy Carter signed an
executive order on April 1, 1979, which started FEMA’s 35 years of working with
communities that have been impacted by disasters of all kinds – hurricanes,
landslides, tornadoes, floods – quite an extensive list.

Unfortunately, the 35^th
anniversary of FEMA occurred around the same time as the horrific
landslide that rocked Snohomish County, Washington on March 22nd. It is a sad 35^th
birthday indeed for the FEMA team, as they work on rescue and recovery missions
in the areas that were affected by that devastating landslide.

The mountain overlooking the valley that once housed the neighborhood of Steelhead Haven partially collapsed the morning of March 22nd.
Washington has received a record amount of rain this year, and the ground
simply became too saturated to hold its contour any longer. As the soil (then
mud) gave way and slammed down the side of the mountain, it picked up trees and
other debris along the way as it crashed into homes in the neighborhood. The
landslide itself was over in a matter of minutes, but the clean-up from the
disaster has been going on up until this point, and will continue into the foreseeable
future.

Sadly, at this point
the death toll stands at 29 people. It is expected to rise, as there are still
22 people on record as missing in the surrounding area. Aside from FEMA, many have
joined the rescue and recovery operations, including the National Guard,
authorities in the area, and the loggers that work and live in the area. Snohomish
County is home to many logging operations, and the technical equipment used in
those operations has been helpful in moving the dried mud from the landslide –
mud that, in some places, stands 70 feet thick.

The homes and community
were obliterated, along with the infrastructure necessary to build the
neighborhood back up. Plumbing systems and electrical lines were knocked out,
turning the mud into toxic sludge in many places. This is where solar energy
can really play a part. While solar can’t do a whole lot for the plumbing
situation, solar-powered generators could help those participating in the rescue effort that need to set up some kind of base for communications,
meetings, and other general information distribution for survivors who are
looking for their loved ones. If the electrical grid is unavailable in that
region, they are going to need to get power somehow.

Solar energy can play a
huge part in disaster relief and rescue operations. All in all, SUNRNR is
looking to the future. We are waiting with bated breath to see what happens
with Snohomish County, and we are keeping the victims and their families in our
thoughts at this time. Hopefully, the 22 missing are found alive and well.

From Blackouts to Independent Power Systems: SolarCity says, "We Can Make It Happen!"

Take a look at this picture...what automatically comes to mind when you see this? My first thought was, “Good lord, where in the world is this?”

As it turns out, that question was pretty appropriate because this picture was not taken in the United States – it was taken in India. Less than two years ago, on July 31^st, 2012, India suffered astronomically when three of its interconnected northern power grids all failed at the same time. The collapse affected an area that held about 670 million people…or roughly 10% of the world’s population. There were enormous traffic jams as there were no working traffic lights, and subway lines were stopped. Shops closed, businesses were halted, and coal miners were stranded in underground mines. Movement absolutely ceased without power.

According to a New York Times article, a historian named Ramachandra Guha said, “India needs to stop strutting on the world stage likes it’s a great power, and focus on its deep problems within.” And indeed, according to article authors Jim Yardley and Gardiner Harris, India does have an “inadequate infrastructure and a yawning absence of governmental action and leadership.” When your power lines look like a giant prehistoric bird nest…well, suffice it to say there are definitely some issues that need to be taken care of.

Despite India’s increased economic success, it is still considered a developing country because it lacks the infrastructure that would allow it to succeed fully, and many areas in India are ravaged by poverty and disadvantage.

Well, according to this article written by Stephen Lacey, a company called SolarCity might have the answer for many Indian citizens who want a reliable source of energy! In the third quarter of 2013, SolarCity installed “nearly a third of all U.S. residential PV [Photovoltaics],” and is now looking to move overseas! The company provides solar services to people who can’t necessarily afford to pay upfront for a power system. They have invested $7 million into Off-Grid Electric, a company based in Tanzania that provides solar energy services in Africa.

SolarCity CEO Lyndon Rive said in a statement, “Solar power is already more cost-effective than kerosene and other polluting power sources that are common in the developing world. Many emerging economics skipped the build-out of phones lines to go straight to cell phones, and the combination of solar and storage can obviate the need for more power lines. Off Grid’s growth could have a profoundly positive impact on the economics, human health, and air and water quality in the markets it serves.”

Eliminating the need for power lines in India seems like a pretty great option when looking at that picture, and solar energy seems like a great option for people who are concerned about their health, their finances, and the health of their environment. Solar companies are ready to take off…they just need everyone else to demand lift-off!

 

How to Solve the Energy Crisis...

Happy Friday everyone! Here is a quick cartoon to get us all thinking about energy and energy policy today. How do we solve the energy crisis? The sun, which we can finally all see today, just might be the answer. Check this cartoon out, and then go outside and enjoy the beautiful weather!

 

Quick Hit: Five Facts About Wind Energy

Even though SUNRNR is a company that puts its interest most
solidly in solar power, it is also a proponent of other alternative,
sustainable energy sources. That includes wind energy! Thanks to “Into the Wind,” the AWEA blog, here are five
quick facts about U.S. wind energy:

1.      
U.S. wind energy development is currently on
track and even ahead of the goal of producing 20% of America’s electricity by 2030.

2.      
American wind power has grown by more than 29%
on average every year for the past five years.

3.      
The land based American wind resource alone
could electrify the nation more than 9 times over.

4.      
It would take the fuel of a coal train 9,000
miles long (enough to cross the U.S. 3 times) to produce as much electricity as
U.S. wind turbines generated this year.

5.      
With technology advancements, the price of wind
energy has dropped by 43% over the past few years, delivering one of the most
competitive forms of power.

...what do you think about that?!

Jobs AND Environment: The Solar Industry Economically Benefits Our American War Veterans

Let’s face it; the environment is currently a seriously hot topic. The first Earth Day took place on April 22^nd, 1970, and launched the modern environmental movement. Ever since that initial launch, traditional American pastimes – like tourism or farming, to give some examples – have tangled with more modern “green” views – like preservation and sustainability – to create a new American value. As Americans, we can say to the world that we value the environment and all that it has to offer.

All that being said…the environment is not only a hot topic, but it is a topic that causes many Americans to “get all hot and bothered.” We not only value the environment, but we also value the concept of the American Dream and all that it has to offer – happiness, prosperity, and the cash that it takes to achieve said happiness and prosperity. Oftentimes, these two ideas are pitted against each other in debate: would we rather improve the environment or the economy? It always seems like the argument is “Jobs vs. Environment,” with a capital “J” and a capital “E.”

A great new report highlights the fact that this doesn’t have to be the case! We shouldn’t be talking about Jobs vs. Environment – instead, we should be talking about how we can make the environmental movement benefit the American economy…

…because it can! Check THIS REPORT out. Operation Free and The Solar Foundation have released a new report that details some really exciting news for proponents of the “Jobs AND Environment” argument. This report details, “the U.S. solar industry employs 13, 192 veterans of the armed forces, a figure which represents 9.2% of all solar workers in the nation, exceeding the percentage of veteran employment in the overall economy.”

According to THIS recent article released by the Washington Post this past Veteran’s Day, the unemployment rate for recent veterans is around 10%...a rate which is abnormally high. The solar industry, an industry that depends on the push for more sustainable energy and a cleaner environment, creates economic support for those veterans that may not have it otherwise. 

If, as a nation, we can stop arguing “Jobs vs. Environment” and start looking for solutions to the strain that many Americans are feeling on their wallets, then the solar industry (or the sustainable energy industry in general) might be able to flourish more readily. The environment will benefit, our American citizens will benefit economically, and seemingly binary American values will both be able to thrive within the concept of the American Dream.