Silver lining in high fuel costs

A Secret Cheer for Gas Prices

By Warren Brown

Sunday, May 18, 2008; Page G02

Largely thanks to government mandates and rising fuel prices, the green revolution is revving up in the global automobile industry.

Even Nissan, which once frowned on all things electric and hybrid, is planning to launch several fleets of electric vehicles aimed at markets such as New York and London and at commercial delivery enterprises worldwide.

Washington Post article:

www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/15/AR2008051503023.html

Sun vs Wind: Energy turf war brewing in Germany

Excerpts:

“Thanks to its aggressive push into renewable energies, cloud-wreathed Germany has become an unlikely leader in the race to harness the sun’s energy. It has by far the largest market for photovoltaic systems, which convert sunlight into electricity, with roughly half of the world’s total installations. And it is the third-largest producer of solar cells and modules, after China and Japan.”

“Now, though, with so many solar panels on so many rooftops, critics say Germany has too much of a good thing — even in a time of record oil prices. Conservative lawmakers, in particular, want to pare back generous government incentives that support solar development.”

[further down in story...]

“Defenders of solar energy see the hand of Germany’s power companies behind the effort to change the law. Reducing incentives for solar would favor wind, which is a more natural fit for the utilities, since the cost of building wind farms is too high for the average homeowner with an empty roof and an urge to generate electricity.”

“Solar energy is more decentralized, so the industry sees more competition from solar than from wind,” said Carsten Körnig, the managing director of the German Solar Energy Association.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/16/business/worldbusiness/16solar.html

THIS IS A TURF BATTLE I’D LIKE TO SEE IN THE USA. But we’re not even serious players when it comes to solar and wind. You still have to be rich or take out a line of credit against your house to have solar panels on your roof. We need some big changes in this country, come November which candidate is more likely to embrace and push for alternative energy vs keeping the status quo (going to war for foreign oil).

Living Green Forum

More to add in my green folder, this Sunset magazine ‘Living Green Forum’ is good to find answers to questions and share resources.

IMHO, we can’t get to green living fast enough. It’s not new, it’s just that mankind ignored it for so many years or more likely, big oil fought, lied and paid for keeping the status quo. Stupid stupid. Any comments about this?

Industrial Designers (aren’t licensed)

I’m an industrial design buff and as far as I know, industrial designers aren’t licensed, and they aren’t knocking down doors to get licensed either. I looked at the IDSA web site and I don’t see any mention of “legislation”. If you can find any, let me know.

If you want to compare industrial and interior design and whose job is “more important” to public safety, I’d vote for industrial design any day of the week. They design mass-produced cars, ergonomic chairs, keyboards, forks and knives, motorcycles, table fans, even Ronco dice & slice gizmos.

Sure, while it takes special education, skill and a discerning ability to design and specify for inside a building, is this the kind of work that needs oversight by the state because bad practice kills people? , or is it the kind of work that consumers can easily benefit from what we have now, which is private (state recognized) Certification. I’m neither licensed or certified, I just have not found the time yet to study for the CCRE.

Is there a big difference in the name Registered versus Certified . Does one title have more prestige or give a client a better designer. I don’t know.

As a space planner/designer who works with contractors and architects all the time, I’ve had my share of unwarranted “attitude”. I’ve been called interior desicrator to my face and behind my back. There seems to be an unspoken pecking order in construction, which is not unlike racism. It makes you feel bad about yourself and it wears you down. I think this would occur even if designers were licensed.

Over the years I’ve heard workmen in the field whisper and wonder if I was gay or some real ignorant, come right out and say it to my face. They don’t even know me and they judge me badly because of what I do for a living. (I’m not by the way). There have been many times that I wanted to be higher on the pecking order but then I should have become a Civil Engineer. They’re top dog, the buck stops with them, they have the biggest responsibility of all. But I like design and not math and I don’t want more responsibility (or liability) than I already have. I feel that a state license will bring me more of what I don’t want.

But back to the industrial designers, I have met a few in my life, and they seemed to have good self esteem and didn’t suffer an inferiority complex. I’m sure they get their share of crap from engineers in their field but thats just human nature unfortunately. There’s always going to be ’some’ people who like to tear others down to make themselves feel better. Their work is hard, just like interior designers or even more so, and yet they as a group don’t think they need a state license to protect the public from their work nor to validate them as being good professionals. As a group (and for what they give us), I think they’re pretty cool.

CADAL “Eureka! . . . ” (more on SB 1312)

[be sure to read comments below!]

Tonight I found this site called CADAL which stands for California Designers Against Legislation and their clever tagline is “Eureka! We have found the truth!” (maybe they have, maybe they haven’t, it’s up to each individual to read it for themselves and decide) …… This web site is focused on opposing SB 1312. It’s not very large and looks kinda new but it’s packed with id turf war articles and white papers. One blog entry is called The Running Dogs of Interior Design and I have to side with commentator “Clifford, AIA” where he says NCARB is worse than ASID. Heh.