Today is Blog Action Day, and given that, this post is about the environment. Many other people today will be blogging about things you can do for the environment as an individual and those are good things; but being who I am, I want to concentrate on some of the opportunities I see in the looming climate crisis for microISVs.
But pay heed: it is a looming, real crisis: various climate models put the average temperature rise between 2.0 to 11.5 °F by the year 2100 [IPCC is wrong – go right ahead, just line up behind those who say cigarettes don’t kill people.
Personally, I think the scientific community is being way too cautious and optimistic: for example the percentage of perennial sea ice that melts in the Arctic each summer has gone from 6.4 to 7.8 each year in the 1970s [Sunlight Foundation who are using the net to make our “public servants” more accountable and further ruin their day:
The Google Junket Map – How about a nice Open Source Web 2.0 mash up of where federal and state officeholders go “on official business”? How about an email service to service to remind them we are watching them?
Delphi Coricle – Take manifestos for change from ChangeThis and other sites, let people vote for them and even pledge money (ala Kiva and other microloan sites) from their nice desktop app written in… 
and then aggregate the results to a Digg-like leaderboard online.
Something Al Gore said Friday in a news conference upon winning the Nobel Peace Prize along with the IPCC has stuck in my mind: The climate crisis is “the most dangerous challenge we face but it is also the greatest opportunity we have ever had to make change.”
That sounds like an opportunity for microISVs to me!
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Politics on your blog is probably a bad idea, but for some balance for the other side – to see what’s really happening, rather than what the media tells you, check out the fabulous blog wattsupwiththat.com , in particular the “How Not to Measure Temperature” series at http://wattsupwiththat.wordpress.com/category/weather_stations/ compiled from the great work of surfacestations.org. And also climateaudit.org which found the Y2K bug in NASA’s climate data a few months ago that completely embarrassed the global warming advocates and forced NASA to correct their climate data (which took away much of the warming in the data in recent years). There is very much another side to this debate and trying to insult it away is not good.
Everyone can make a difference! If you are passionate about stopping global warming and the environment you should check out this website http://www.nvisioncfl.com . Changing to CFLs is a great way for individual people to really make a difference! You should also check out this site http://www.youtube.com/user/helpourworld for more ideas on how to help our world!
Thomas – I tried, I really did. Thanks for the link re weather recording stations in funky places – funny!
Re climateaudit.org and many other sites in a similar vein – plus let’s toss in there Michael Crichton too – please let me know if you know of any other similar sized effort as the IPCC that has come to the conclusion that the climate is not changing. Please.
MicroISVs are in the business of solving problems. Climate change – and a few dozen other environmental issues that now play second fiddle to climate change – are real problems. Those problems are opportunities.
I completely agree with you that climate change is a great business opportunity.
And if Thomas wants to be cynical about whether climate change is really happening, there’s nothing to stop him being cynical about how much money he can make from those of us who want to be doing something about it
Finally, about your electricity bill… I don’t know if you can get a US version, but a Wattson would let you run round the house turning things on and off and find out where all that juice is going.
There IS a uISV (or almost) that provides software to increase your energy efficiency, though it’s tailored more for businesses. Check out: EnergyCap over at Good Steward software!
According to many sources the climate is changing, but not because of us. It has been much warmer globally in the recent past as well as much colder. I would recommend watching this documentary for there side of the story: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1656640542976216573
I would like to add, on top of Kristen, that there is loads going on — and lots of people are afraid that there’s nothing to do — nothing that you can do. I mean, this isn’t a very Green-friendly country, now is it?
So, after years of inaction, Congress finally has a chance to pass meaningful energy legislation. The bill they are about to pass includes the best fuel economy standards ever (35 mpg by 2020) and a renewable electricity standard (15% by 2020) that guarantees the growth of renewable, clean energy. But there is a chance these two key advances won’t make it through to the final bill.
http://www.energybill2007.org
I am working with a coalition to make sure Congress sends the president a strong energy bill with meaningful changes for our environment and planet. This legislation would be a monumental step toward stopping global warming. Go to http://www.energybill2007.org and sign the petition. This is our chance for real progress, don’t let Congress back down!
Hi,
For your home, try the following:
http://www1.eere.energy.gov/consumer/calculators/homes.html
This site has a lot of info on commercial & freely available energy efficiency software.
Best,
Matt
Smoking is damaging but “climate change” is bullshit– the IPCC is not a scientific effort its a political one.
This whole global warming religion is just socialisn in another guise with the same goal- the slaughter of another 100 million poor people.
If humans are causing “global warming” why is mars getting warmer as well? Why is the planet earth actually getting cooler each year? Unless, of course, you look on a longer time horizon and see its been getting warmer since the last ice age.
The reality is there is ZERO scientific basis for the global warming propaganda… but shrill idiot liberals (eg: socialists) have been screaming it at the top of their lungs so long and with such denigration towards anyone who looks at the science that foolish people now blieve its a “Done deal”.
Well, your foolishness is allowing you to endorse the murder of millions. Like the germans who supported the holocaust and turned a blind eye, you will have blood on your hands.
Think seriously before you start propagandizing the anti-scientific and anti-life religion.
Joe – if you want me to consider your rant seriously, offering facts would help.
I too happen to be a strong believer in Objectivism – but either I accept that something like 5,000 scientists have collectively conspired to lie, or they are telling the truth as they know it.
I am not a climatologist. But I do trust my knowledge of people that to create the kind of conspiracy you are talking about is not possible.
I get you feel strongly about this. Do you feel strongly enough to back up your statements with observable facts?