On Thursday, May 17, The Common Good hosted the Hulk of Clean Energy, Mark Ruffalo, for an open talk on clean energy, fossil fuels, and Mark’s organization: the Water Defense Fund. http://www.waterdefense.org
For more on The Common Good’s speakers series, and more on the issue of civility and civil dialogue, in society and politics, please see us at http://thecommongood.net. And let us know what you think here.

Duration : 0:43:28

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Technorati Tags: clean energy, Energy (Dimension), Energy Alternatives, fossil fuels, global warming, Hulk, Mark Ruffalo (Film Actor), TCG, The Common Good, TheCommonGood, Water Defense Fund

Clean Energy Victory Bonds (CEVBs) are proposed U.S. Treasury bonds that will finance the production of innovative energy technologies in the US. At a time when we are facing record unemployment in the US and are falling behind other countries in the race to produce clean energy technologies, CEVBs will create 1.7 million jobs and position the US to be the leader in one of the fastest growing sectors in the world: clean energy. CEVBs will also create a secure energy future for all Americans, decreasing our reliance on foreign oil and utilizing energy sources that are free.

Why Victory Bonds?

During the First and Second World Wars, the US government sold bonds in order to finance the costs of war. These war bonds were dubbed “Victory Bonds” because of the crucial role they played in the war effort. In the spirit of patriotism and national sacrifice, Victory Bonds generated $185 billion during World War II (over $2 trillion in today’s dollars). They gave ordinary Americans ownership in the efforts of their military overseas and afforded individual and institutional investors access to a risk-free asset. We can learn from that experience.

From coal to nuclear to oil, no new energy source was ever developed without significant government funding. As the fossil-fuel driven economy falters, the need for an alternative path forward becomes ever more urgent.

Around the world countries are competing to develop and deploy the next generation of clean energy technologies at an astounding pace. China alone is investing up to $12 billion per month in its clean energy sector. Meanwhile American clean energy capacity languishes for lack of financing and companies are unable to develop cutting edge technologies or create employment for American citizens. Clean Energy Victory Bonds are designed to play a role akin to the Victory Bonds of wartime — to mobilize Americans towards the common goal of a globally competitive U.S. clean technology industry and, ultimately, a greener economy.

Wartime Victory Bonds often yielded interest rates lower than the going market rate, but Americans found them hugely popular as a way of investing in their collective future. Clean Energy Victory Bonds, however, will pay interest equal to or greater than the market interest rate on regular government bonds. Clean Energy Victory Bonds will provide a competitive government-backed investment vehicle that Americans will be excited to purchase, and a chance to invest in our collective future.

Duration : 0:0:56

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Technorati Tags: bonds, clean energy, climate, Energy, Green, jobs, solar, Treasury Bonds, wind

Some people say transitioning to clean energy will simply cost too much – “leave it to future generations.” In Edinburgh, Scotland, Richard Alley explains that if we start soon the cost of the transformation could be similar to that which was paid for something none of us would want to do without – clean water and the modern sanitation system.

Duration : 0:4:19

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Technorati Tags: affordable, bathroom, carbon, clean, clean energy, climate, climate change, CO2, documentary, earth, Earth The Operators Manual, electric, electricity, Energy, Energy (Dimension), environment, footprint, global, global warming, Green, grid, hygiene, manual, mini-series, operators, Ostrich (Animal), PBS, power, renewable, sanitation, science, septic, sewer, skeptic, smart, solar, sustainability, sustainable, the, toilet, toilets, warming, wind

Panel following the “Energy at the Movies” TV event at KLRU’s Austin City Limits studio 6A on March 9, 2011. Panelists included Turk Pipkin (http://nobelity.org ), Matthew Chapman (http://matthewchapman.us ), Dr. Charles Ramirez Berg (http://rtf.utexas.edu/faculty/media-studies/charles-ramirez-berg ) and Sheril Kirshenbaum (http://sherilkirshenbaum.com ) in a discussion moderated by “Energy at the Movies” host and creator, Dr. Michael Webber.

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“70 Years of Energy on the Big Screen”

http://energyatthemovies.com

From the gushing geysers of Giant, to the plutonium-powered time machine of Back to the Future, Hollywood has entertained us with unforgettable, often iconic images of energy. Whether intentional or not, films frequently serve as a snapshot of society, capturing sentiments of each time period. Many films have themes or scenes that memorialize collective optimism, fears, and observations about energy. Using film clips as a historical road map, Energy at the Movies is an entertaining lecture that will enlighten audiences about the ways films influence how we think about energy, and in turn, how we influence energy policy.

All copyrights reserved of their respective corporations. This was an educational event held on the UT campus with support from KLRU TV, Austin PBS. It was sponsored by the American Clean Skies Foundation with additional support by AMD, the CleanTX Foundation, Scientific American and Kulabyte.

Duration : 0:59:32

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Technorati Tags: Austin, Austin City Limits, Charles Darwin, clean energy, clean tech, Cockrell School, dallas, Dr. Charles Ramirez Berg, Dr. Michael Webber, Energy, Energy Policy, Engineering, film, Giant, Griffin Gardner, Juan Garcia, KLRU, Lawrence Littleton, lecture, Matthew Chapman, Movies, Nobelity Project, PBS, plan II honors, Scientists, Sheril Kirshenbaum, superhero film, sustainable, Television, television series, Texas, Turk Pipkin, TV, UT Austin

Stearns on C-Span’s Washington Journal takes viewer’s comment on transition from fossil fuels to clean energy, 10/25/2011

Duration : 0:2:23

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Technorati Tags: c-span, clean energy, congressman stearns, Florida, rep. cliff stearns, sixth district