Category Archives: Alternative Energy

I’d like to live in a world where Obama could have stared right into Romney’s eyes, channeled a little Samuel L. Jackson, and said “Fuck coal.”

By Mark | October 16, 2012

I know I should be writing about Romney’s ridiculous response to the “equal work for equal pay” question, where he essentially said that he didn’t need to pass legislation protecting women’s rights in the American workplace because he hired a bunch of women (or a “folder full” if you will) when he was a Governor, [...]

Posted in Alternative Energy | Tagged 47%, coal, debates, demagoguery, equal pay for equal work, Freeloading 47, Obama, Presidential politics, Romney, solar, wind power, women's rights | 24 Comments

A2Awesome awards its first $1,000 grant. Congratulations to Nathan Ayers!

By Mark | January 29, 2012

As I mentioned a while back, I’m one of a group of people to who decided, not too long ago, to start a local chapter of Boston’s Awesome Foundation. Well, this morning, our group – christened A2Awesome – handed over its first $1,000 grant. The funds were given, in a brown paper bag, to Nathan [...]

Also posted in A2Awesome, Agriculture, Ann Arbor, Awesome Foundation, Detroit, Education, Special Projects | Tagged Alice Liberson, Ann Arbor Public Schools, bike power, bikes, Chiwara Permaculture, Dick Soble, drums, energy storage, Hans Masing, Heather MacKenzie, Hip Hop Congress, home energy storage, Jeff Meyers, Larry Gant, LED light bulbs, Linh Song, Lisa Dengiz, Monique Deschaine, Omari Rush, Paul Saginaw, permaculture, re-skilling, Sustainability, Tanya Luz, Transition Ann Arbor, Transition Town, vegetables, Washtenaw Community College | 10 Comments

Dave Strenski on making Ypsi the world’s solar destination

By Mark | September 19, 2011

I think I may have mentioned some time ago that the folks at Google were working on a video piece about Dave Strenski and his work through Solar Ypsi. Well, the piece is now online and it’s pretty incredible… Congratulations to Dave and everyone else who has pitched in over these past few years to [...]

Also posted in Detroit, Ypsilanti | Tagged Corinne Sikorski, Dave Strenski, opportunity, Paul Schreiber, ruin porn, solar, Solar Ypsi, Sustainability, video, Ypsi Food Coop | 26 Comments

Snyder holds up government success as proof of government incompetence

By Mark | May 14, 2011

A few days ago, Governor Rick Snyder handed out the first of his “Reinventing Michigan” awards. It went to Energetx Composites, a West Michigan manufacturer of wind turbine parts and electric vehicle frames. Knowing a little about the company, which spun out of Holland, Michigan-based S2 Yachts in 2008, I think Snyder made a great [...]

Also posted in Michigan, Politics, Rants | Tagged big government, clean energy, composites, Department of Energy, Energetx Composites, entrepreneurism, green economy, green jobs, Holland, hypocrisy, hypocrisy watch, innovation, Jennifer Granholm, Michigan Business Tax, Michigan Strategic Fund, Reinventing Michigan award, Republican framing, Republican lies, Rick Snyder, stimulus | 8 Comments

Republicans who claim to be deficit-conscious vote to hand-over billions in tax-payer dollars to profitable oil companies

By Mark | March 3, 2011

Remember how, not too long ago, we were talking about the fact that we could save $39 billion by cutting our federal subsidies to the already highly-profitable oil and gas industry? Well, it looks as though we’ll have to find those savings somewhere else – like with cuts in teacher pay – because the Republicans [...]