One of the first anti-pollution laws ever enacted was in 1272 in England, when Edward I, at the urging of several wealthy and powerful petitioners whose noses and lungs were over-tickled by the smog, banned the burning of coal on the penalty of death. The law was largely ineffective (the threat of the death penalty was for the most part not carried out) and arose because of sensitive aristocratic dispositions, but its interesting to think about how far we've come in terms of environmental legislation and how far we have yet to go.

As an urban planner coming to UGE for an internship I was purely focused on learning how to incorporate VAWTs into existing built environments.  In school, urban planners preach the negatives of sprawl and benefits of mixed use, so why were the most aesthetically pleasing small turbines not popping up everywhere like solar panels?  With a quick Google search you can learn it has to do with policy, public acceptance and certification.  These barriers are catching up to the market demand, but slowly.  I used to imagine the built environment as what we see them here in Amer

As I watched President Obama brilliantly deliver his State of the Union address last night, I was proud to be in a country which has a leader motivated on tackling the important issues which drive us here at UGE. Finally, a powerful politician who is passionate about making a difference, with a vision and a plan to implement these changes in the real world. What a relief! President Obama did, however, focus mainly on renewable (and cleaner non-renewable) energy sources. What of the two other keys to the clean energy solution which need to be developed?

How can an iPhone that fits in your pocket run on coal, or oil? The truth is, the energy that powers the telecoms network comes mostly from fossil fuels, and for off-grid cell phone towers, this typically means diesel generators. Think about the carbon footprint of your next phone conversation or text message. Now multiply that by 2,000,000,000.