I’m Dreaming of a Green Christmas

Merry Christmas to all!   The year has had some green news some good rains in Northern California.  Our county is now green, all the hills are green, the gardens are green, and our Congressman has given up talking about the drought.    Our reservoirs are full and we can now go about the business of enjoying life in Marin County without worrying about a drought.

George Bush senior maligned our county 12 years ago by calling us Hot Tubbers.  Sadly the former president is not well and is in the hospital.  I wish him well from Jacuzzi that is now full.

http://articles.latimes.com/2002/feb/28/local/me-bush28

Actually there are probably more Nissan Leafs and Teslas in Marin County than there are Hot Tubs.  This county is full of greenies with greenbacks.   I am a bit out of place driving an old C280 but I did fill up at $2.59 a gallon for mid-grade this week.  

Our local Starbucks was open today even though it is Christmas and I did pick up my wife’s daily drink.  The Starbucks is also green.   They give a 10 cent discount if you bring your own cup.  Of course I do not bring my own cup as I prefer the taste of coffee in wax paper.   Starbucks has a big problem with garbage and my guess is they would love to have the Green Machine come up with a plan of how to deal with all those wax covered paper coffee cups that remain after the crowds leave after hours of internet searching on iPads and laptops.    I do hope the folks who search the net go to greenexplored.com and learn about their congressman and assemblyman.

The US was not greener this year.  We used more gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel than last year.  We also used more coal and natural gas than last year.  We simply used more energy than last year and our CO2 emissions as a nation are up by 1.3% this year after also rising 2.5% last year.

http://www.eia.gov/forecasts/steo/report/renew_co2.cfm

So much so for the green energy policy of Mr. Obama and Dr. Moniz.   

I wonder if Starbucks used more energy this year than last as the economy has improved and Starbucks announced 6% growth in global store sales.

http://investor.starbucks.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=99518&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1983914

Yes there are 6% more waste wax coated paper cups in landfills from Algeria to Zambia.   Amazing that Starbucks opened 1,599 new stores in 2014.  Maybe there is even a Starbucks on the Moon that Jerry Brown gets a Venti Decaf Moon Mocha at each morning? 

Gov Moonbeam announced his pick to run the CPUC after Mr. Peevey was essentially booted out for being corrupt. Jerry’s pick is Michael Picker a former aid.  The CPUC has been the focus of my attention in dozens of blogs given the Bloomdoggle under the SGIP.  I hope Picker cleans up the CPUC but it may well be business as usual at this mismanaged commission that gives away lots of money to Al Gore and his friends. 

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-12-23/california-governor-brown-names-michael-picker-president-of-cpuc.html