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donnabarker663-blog · 8 years ago

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Top 7 LinkedIn Strategies for B2B Marketing

In late 2002, a team of old colleagues from SocialNet and PayPal begin working on a new idea. Six months later, LinkedIn launches. Growth is slow at first-as few as 20 signups on some days-but, by the fall, it shows enough promise to attract an investment from Sequoia Capital.

Throughout 2004 growth accelerates with the introduction of address book uploads. LinkedIn also introduces new features like Groups and partners with American Express to promote its offerings to small business owners.

In 2005, LinkedIn introduces its first business lines: Jobs and Subscriptions with the launch of public profiles in 2006, LinkedIn begins to stake its claim as the professional profile of record. LinkedIn finally achieves profitability, and the core features we all love, like Recommendations and People You May Know are introduced.

In 2009 Jeff Weiner joins LinkedIn first as President, then CEO, and brings focus and clarity to LinkedIn's mission, values, and strategic priorities. Under Weiner's helm, the very next year 2010 LinkedIn shifts into hyper-growth! By the end of 2010, LinkedIn has 90 million members and nearly 1,000 employees in 10 offices around the world. By 2014, in just 10 years, LinkedIn has reached 225 million members and is growing at more than two members per second.

In June of 2016 Microsoft acquires LinkedIn for $26.2 billion in the largest acquisition in Microsoft's history, betting the professional social network can rev up Microsoft's revenues. Growth at LinkedIn, which in the first quarter claimed 105.5 million monthly active users of its web and mobile apps, has decelerated in the past two years climbing a bit more than 25% in 2016, which is down from more 35% growth in 2015 and more 45% growth in 2014. In a very short time, LinkedIn has changed from a small community networking site to an enormous worldwide portal.

Ever since its beginning, B2B marketers have been trying to crack the code for B2B success. With all these millions of professionals in one place, surely there's some way to open up the floodgates to leads, isn't there?

The answer is, yes there is a way to open up the floodgates to success. However, the conventional LinkedIn advice isn't detailed enough: 1) Join 2) Be active 3) Get leads. Follow this advice and sure, you might accidentally catch a few falling leads, but in order to really win you need prospecting. And then you need to figure out how to cut through the job seekers, and find qualified people to do business with, and that's the "what" you need to do, and "what" I am going to try and do next is give you some tips on the "How" to open up the floodgates to LinkedIn success. More here https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/top-7-linkedin-strategies-b2b-marketing-misty-lawson

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donnabarker663-blog · 8 years ago

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Startup Marketing Strategies, The path from Thousands of Connections to Thousands of Customers

Uber, Airbnb, and Etsy, have changed forever the way we plan a vacation, get from one point to another, and shop for artisan gifts. Uber, with it's two-sided platform connects people who need rides with people who have rides to offer. Airbnb, does much the same connecting people needing rooms with home-owners.

When you have a two-sided platform, you have to acquire both the customers and the services. You can't have one without the other, but which one do you find first? As a small company you cannot afford to focus on both with the same amount of effort. You may need to prioritize one side.

With Uber, Airbnb, and Etsy, all three platforms concentrated on getting the service side of the equation first, customers second. But there's a catch. It's not just the any service you are looking for, it's getting the right service for the right customer, you have to get this right. This became clear to the founders of Airbnb. They needed to find people willing to list their homes before finding people interesting in staying in them. The problem was, where to find people willing to let strangers stay in their places. They thought like customers themselves, trying to figure out where they would go if Airbnb didn't exist. It didn't take them long to figure out the answer: Craigslist. It didn't take long for them to figure out how they could do a better job of making apartments more appealing than Craigslist, but first they had to siphon away its customers. To do that they created software to hack Craigslist to extract the contact info of property owners, then sent them a pitch to list on Airbnb as well. And it worked famously, with very little risk, property owners doubled their chances of finding a potential renter, and now Airbnb had a ready supply of homes with which it could attract customers.

Once they had apartment owners on the hook, the Airbnb founders realized they had a problem: the subpar photos that property owners were taking for Craigslist on their iPhones would never work for customers looking for an alternative to a hotel. When a person goes on Airbnb, they are comparing the quality of photos to hotels that take professional images, and they needed to compete at that level. To do that they did something that would never scale, they hired professional photographers to go to property owners' homes to take inviting pictures. The gamble worked, making the site much more attractive than the competition, and setting a standard for photography that later property owners rose to match in order to compete against other homes.

Uber at first had a similar strategy. Rather than starting out with Uber drivers using their own cars, the company started with black cars driven by professional drivers. Here they could control the experience and ensure that customers would have a great experience virtually every time they used the service-and they could then rely on customers to spread the news of that experience by word of mouth. That's why you get the supply side first-if you get the right suppliers, the customers will experience their high quality service and then help with the marketing.

Etsy also pursued a decidedly non-scalable strategy. The platform, which serves as an online marketplace for craft vendors, started its business with an offline strategy: scouring craft fairs across the country to identify the best vendors at each, and pitching them on opening up an online store on the site. “They first brought their customers, and then they brought other artisans who followed the customers.” Once Etsy had the first-tier artisans on the site, the next tier naturally followed them.

With early adopters in place, a company can start thinking about how to expand their customer base through more traditional means of marketing.

In each case the strategies are different. While word-of-mouth might work for the first thousand it's not going to get you to a million. You have to be more proactive and control the acquisition process. That's where digital marketing can help, allowing companies to target specific customers through social media. Digital marketing also makes it easy for companies to rapidly test different versions of the messages, to figure out what works best. Some tools are better for the beginning, some are better when you are bigger, It's not about, should I use digital marketing or word-of-mouth or TV ads. The question only makes sense when you say, 'I am at this stage, what approach should I take? Only when you answer that question will you know what tool is most appropriate.”

To get from zero to 1,000 customers, all three faced the issue of attracting suppliers who knew they didn't have users. For example, how could Uber recruit drivers with only a few customers, and at the same time, attract customers if there were no drivers? How could Airbnb convince potential room renters to join its platform without a large catalog of potential places to stay? To overcome those challenges, the startups followed similar strategies, initially focusing more on the supply side than on the demand side.

In addition, they worked hard to find early customers by matching them “by hand” with early suppliers (e.g., Etsy scoured craft fairs to sign up artisans); acquiring them in bulk (Uber ran promotions during concerts and events); and doing whatever it took to make their offerings attractive, even if it wasn't scalable (Airbnb hired professional photographers to take inviting photos of hosts' apartments).

Following those guidelines, they were able to gradually improve their products and identify what made them resonate most with customers and suppliers. Only after that was scaling a possibility, requiring a gradual-not abrupt-shift from catering to the supply side toward catering to the demand side.

After surpassing 1,000 customers, organic opportunities for the companies to acquire more customers and suppliers in bulk became increasingly rare. So Uber and Airbnb turned to digital marketing as a targeted way to reach new people.

More here - https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/startup-marketing-strategies-path-from-thousands-customers-hellum on @LinkedIn "Startup Marketing Strategies, The path from Thousands of Connections to Thousands of Customers"

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donnabarker663-blog · 8 years ago

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How Daimler Built the Worlds First Self-Driving Semi

Christian Urban waves his hands to make a point, then looks at his nails and cracks wise about needing a manicure. He regularly touches his chin and his knees as he talks. There's nothing terribly unusual about this, but for the fact Urban is at the wheel of a 40-ton semi rolling down the I-15 highway outside Las Vegasat 60 mph, and he's not steering. Or even paying much attention.

The truck is called Inspiration. It's a tech-filled version of a Freightliner rig and the worlds first licensed self-driving semi. Urban is among dozens of engineers who spent six months frantically preparing the truck for its spectacular introduction in Nevada this week. What's really surprising isn't that his hands are off the wheel, but that they're not wiping away tears of joy and waving wildly at passing cars.

Christian Urban, a Daimler engineer, calmly lets the 40-ton Inspiration pilot itself down the I-15 at 60 mph. Alex Davies/WIRED

Daimler, which owns Freightliner and built this robo-rig, oscillates between boasting about the Inspiration (it rented Hoover Dam and threw down for a record-setting light show for the truck's debut) and downplaying its significance. As amazing as this thing is-it's a fully autonomous 18-wheeler that works-company execs say it won't can't change lanes on its own, it won't be market-ready for a decade, and could never replace human drivers.

Be that as it may, the Inspiration is a big step forward on the path toward the day when our vehicles drive themselves.

The discussion of autonomous technology usually centers on cars, because that's where many people will realize the benefits of improved safety, better fuel economy, and more free time. Most of the major automakers, plus tech giants like Google, are working on the hardware and software that will let regular drivers catch up on Facebook during their commute instead of holding onto the wheel and operating the pedals. Trucks aren't flashy, but they're critical to the economy.

You don't need an especially advanced autonomous system to make a dent in the crashes that killed nearly 4,000 people on US roads in 2012, about 90 percent of those were caused by driver error. Even a system that works only on the highway-where the technology's already developed and where trucks spend the vast majority of their time-can be a huge help.

The large freight carriers have already started the transition, equipping their fleets with active safety features like blind spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, and lane departure warnings. The economic case for these technologies, the building blocks for autonomy, is clear. “Commercial vehicles are a safety issue,” says Xavier Mosquet, head of Boston Consulting Groups North America automotive division. “And therefore anything that can get commercial vehicles out of trouble has a lot of value.” And the carriers wants more of it.

20 Years, 6 Months In the Making

Daimler, which owns Mercedes-Benz, has been working on autonomous driving for two decades. Much of the technology in the Inspiration-the radars and cameras, the computing power and electrical architecture-has a long track record of commercial use in active safety features like lane departure warning and adaptive cruise control.

Mercedes first equipped passenger cars with radars before Y2K and is now talking about a future in which driving is an option and front seats swivel to face the rear passengers. This year, Daimler started selling a “Detroit Assurance” package that outfits trucks with adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring, and lane departure warning.

The blue lighting theme that marks the truck as autonomous is a subtle touch in the camera displays that could one day replace the side view mirror. Daimler

Work on the Inspiration, which upgrades that system by allowing the truck to steer and control its speed autonomously, started just six months ago. The team was mostly based at Daimler Trucks North America's HQ in Portland, Oregon, with some extra hands in Germany.

The Freightliner Inspiration is a limited take on autonomy. The system will kick in only once the truck's on the highway and up to speed, and then it will maintain a safe distance from other vehicles and stay in its lane. It wont change lanes to pass slower vehicles on its own. If it truck encounters a situation it cant confidently handle, like heavy snow or faded lane lines, it will alert the human that its time for him to take over.

The mechanical side of the project was relatively straightforward, largely because the company's done so much of this work before. Trucks demand different actuators (the hardware that lets the computer physically tap into the steering, acceleration, and brakes), but it's all “well understood,” says Dr. Wilfried Achenbach, senior VP of engineering and technology. Power, for example, is delivered by a pneumatic unit, so Daimler cooked up magnetically activated valves that block or supply air pressure as needed. The sensors used on passenger cars, however, were up to grade: Achenbach points out Mercedes sells cars for use on the Autobahn, where cars going 125 mph requirethe same kind of stopping distance as a tractor trailer.

Daimler engineer David Overton lays out wiring to enable Inspiration's autonomous mode. Daimler

The electrical architecture underpinning the Inspiration is like a central hub with satellites, Achenbach says: The systems (speed control, lane keeping) work on their own, but there's a central device that sees what each part is doing and makes high-level decisions (like when it's time to tell the human driver to take control). That central system has been developed (Daimler's keeping quiet on the details of how it works, exactly) but Daimler's engineers have to lower its cost and shrink its size before it's ready for market. It's similar to what Audi calls the zFAS (for zentrale Fahrerassistenzsteuergert), a system that brings data from disparate systems into one place, like the human brain.

Looking at the Inspiration, it's hard to spot the things that make it different from every other truck hauling pallets. The radars in the front of the cab are hard to spot; the windshield-mounted camera doesn't draw attention. A stereoscopic camera mounted in the upper part of the windshield reads lane lines. Short and long range radars, built into the grille just above the license plate, scan the road up to 800 feet ahead for obstacles. No sensors face backward, because theyre not needed. Theres no vehicle-to-vehicle communication and no LIDaR. The software algorithms are adjusted versions of the ones developed for use in Mercedes-Benzs autonomous passenger cars.

The most obvious difference is the suite of blue LEDs the team installed around the vehicle, just like the ones in Mercedes' futuristic F 015 self-driving concept car. They're in the grille and the headlights, and in the screens for the cameras that could one day replace the side mirrors that create drag and aggravate every auto aerodynamicist on the planet. Inside, there are a few more subtle changes. The floor is wood. The back of the cab, usually used for sleeping, is all white and leather seating, specially outfitted to coddle attendees at the debut for test drives.

The UI

The most significant visible alteration inside the Inspiration is the red button that reads “HWP,” lodged between the controls for the lights and the air conditioning. It's the switch that enables Highway Pilot, Daimler's name for the system that keeps the truck rolling at a steady speed, at a safe distance from other vehicles, and in its lane.

Going autonomous is a two-step process: Enable HWP, then once the truck is on the highway and cruising, turn on cruise control. From there, the truck's in charge-until it hits rough weather, loses sight of a lane line, needs to pass another vehicle, or get off the highway.

Daimler

Those are the times when the human has to takeover, which means the system has to be made to make sure he knows to grab the wheel. For its A7 autonomous prototype, Audi based that process on focus group testing in Europe, China, and the US, creating a UI design that's both simple and sleek.

When the truck's out of its league, the driver hears a harsh beep, and the dashboard flashes an alert to give him a few seconds to take over. If the human doesn't respond (maybe he's dozed off) the truck comes to a controlled stop. As Daimler develops the Inspiration for commercial use, it will develop the system much more, along with plenty of testing to make sure drivers respond well. But here, it opted to keep things simple. “It was a six-month program,” says Steve Nadig, chief engineer on the project. “Beeping works.”

Testing

To earn the autonomous vehicle license plate from Nevada, Daimler needed to prove the system could safely cover 10,000 miles on its own. The team spun the odometer using two of the trucks, plus a testing mule (a non-fancy version with the same tech), on a test track in Germany and on quiet public roads in Nevada. Like with the UI, there's a lot more testing to do before it's ready to sell this system to the public. That means driving in extreme temperatures, slogging through rain and snow, for hundreds of thousands of miles, searching for and fixing any flaws they find.

Daimler

But even at this early stage, the system shows a lot of promise for transforming the trucking industry. Daimler can't spend enough time saying it has no interest in getting rid of the driver (We dont want to get rid of drivers, says Sven Ennerst, head of Daimler Trucks development department). Its focus is on making driving easier, safer, and more efficient. It ran a small study (16 drivers on a test track) to see how this autonomous system affects drivers. EEG readings showed they were 25 percent less tired than they were when they had to steer themselves.

That's an advantage in and of itself, since drivers will be more aware when they do have to take the wheel. But it has serious potential: Right now, a truck driver can stay on the road for only 11 hours after 10 consecutive hours off duty. That's a major pain given the major shortage of truck drivers in the US right now, which is only getting worse. In a recent survey by the American Transportation Research Institute, US carriers listed hours-of-service rules as their top concern. If Daimler can guarantee drivers are less tired when using its autonomous system, regulators might be willing to ease those rules. “Then we come very fast to a business case for our customers,” says Martin Daum, CEO of Daimler Trucks North America.

Those customers are very much interested in this system, according to Daimler. That's no surprise: Making driving a job for the computer can reduce accidents, improve fuel efficiency, and maybe keep trucks on the road for longer, says Nol Perry, an economist who specializes in transportation and logistics. “They all love this.”

The driver shortage is restricting demand for new trucks by 50,000 to 60,000 units, Daum says. That financial incentive is at the heart of this technology program: Teach the truck to drive itself, and Daimler doesn't just have a superior product-it has a product that increases demand.

"Why do I need Inbound Marketing ?" https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-do-i-need-inbound-marketing-misty-lawson on @LinkedIn

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donnabarker663-blog · 8 years ago

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Email Marketing vs Marketing Automation Explained

Email Marketing or Marketing Automation? Is there a difference? http://technologyadvice.com/marketing-software/email-marketing/smart-advisor/?utm_source=youtube.com&utm_medium=description&utm_content=email-marketing-vs-marketing-automation-explained&utm_term=buyer&utm_campaign=blog Many businesses we talk to at TechnologyAdvice are under the impression that marketing automation and email marketing are the same thing. Buyers often find themselves comparing two systems that are designed for different jobs. To find the best email marketing solution that fits your business visit:

To find the best marketing automation solution for your business visit: http://technologyadvice.com/marketing-automation/smart-advisor/?utm_source=youtube.com&utm_medium=description&utm_content=email-marketing-vs-marketing-automation-explained&utm_term=buyer&utm_campaign=blog

To download the buyers guide on marketing automation: http://search.technologyadvice.com/marketing-automation-buyers-guide/?utm_source=youtube.com&utm_medium=description&utm_content=email-marketing-vs-marketing-automation-explained&utm_term=buyer&utm_campaign=blog

The business technology marketplace is diverse, and most buyers struggle to determine which options are best for them. At TechnologyAdvice, we don't think this should be such a challenge. That's why our team is dedicated to creating quality connections between buyers and sellers of business technology. We help buyers make well-informed purchase decisions through comprehensive product listings, industry analysis and user-generated reviews. In addition to serving buyers, we work with vendors to grow their customer base through our unique demand generation programs. These programs improve product awareness by placing matched solutions in front of their ideal customers. http://technologyadvice.com

Subscribe to our channel here: http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=TechnologyAdvice1

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donnabarker663-blog · 9 years ago

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Trump said he'd be the president of all Americans. He's already failing | Lucia Graves

President-elect Trump is not even accurately representing his own partys views, so how can he claim to represent the rest of the country?

In the wee morning hours following the election, in the decked-out ballroom of the Hilton Hotel, Donald Trump memorably proclaimed he would be the president for all Americans. It was a remarkable claim for a man whod run a campaign mired in bigotry and xenophobia.

The following week President Obama declared he was certain Trump was sincere in his promise to be every Americans president, and over the weekend, in his final press conference of the year, the president was similarly conciliatory.

World leaders have likewise made olive-branch gestures. Shortly after the election, the UN secretary general, Ban Ki-Moon, predicted Trump would change his views on climate, and a key dignitary at a major UN climate meeting in Marrakech, Morocco, made a similar argument.

We have for many months listened to the candidate Trump. Today we have to deal with the President Trump, Moroccos minister of the environment, Hakima El Hait, told me days after the election. Those are two personalities.

Already such optimism looks unwarranted.

Since becoming president-elect, Trump has called for the mass deportation of immigrants. Hes also selected a cabinet that is mostly white, mostly male, and mostly business leaders in other words, a cabinet that looks a whole lot like him.

Thats not populism; its cronyism. And its proliferating, even before inauguration day.

After winning over blue-collar workers in middle America with promises to restore their slipping quality of life, for instance, he chose a CEO to head his labor department. His nominee has been outspoken in his opposition to minimum wage increases. And Trump wants a man who was once denied a federal judgeship over accusations of racism to head the justice department.

But perhaps the best barometer thus far of whether Trump will really be everyones president is his approach to climate change, which has emerged as an area of overwhelming concern among Americans, and which, in the decades ahead, will transform the fiscal and political landscape across the world.

It may not rank near the top of peoples priorities list it seldom does. But climate, and in particular renewable energy, has nevertheless emerged as a place where partisan rancor looks increasingly outdated.

Concern about climate change is already at an eight-year high, according to Gallups most recent polling, with 64% of respondents say they worry a great deal or a fair amount about global warming. Nearly two-thirds of Americans now say humans are responsible, and while the percentage of people who think climate will pose a serious threat in their lifetime has ebbed slightly, that number is still well over half the population.

But forget being the president for all Americans; Trump is not even accurately representing his own partys views. A majority of Republicans now believe the worlds climate is changing and that humans play some role in that, according to a recent survey by Republican pollsters. Mitt Romney, the partys most recent nominee before Trump, has gone even further by saying we must do something about it.

And at least some of the incredulity expressed over Trumps recent cabinet picks has come from inside his own party including from a former Republican administrator of the EPA.

The faint hope engendered by an early meeting with Al Gore, and Trumps remarks that he was keeping an open mind about international climate accords, was unceremoniously quashed last week as he proceeded to roll out what looks to be the most climate-hostile administration in recent memory. And even before the cabinet announcements came out, Iowa Republican Chuck Grassley was proclaiming Trump will do away with a wind energy tax credit, over my dead body.

Then theres the fact that Trump didnt even win the majority of votes in America. After campaigning on the idea that the American electoral system is rigged, back when he thought it was rigged in Hillary Clintons favor, hes now espousing exactly the opposite: at a rally in Alabama on Saturday, he called the electoral college genius.

What changed, of course, was who the system benefited. Now that its clear the outdated system benefits him, hes all for it.

The same is true of his claims Russian hackers influenced the outcome of the presidential election. Two years ago Trump said Russian hacking was a big problem. But now it looks to have benefited him, he calls claims Russia played any role in the election ridiculous.

Foreign dignitaries like Hait shouldnt hold their breath, particularly where international cooperation is concerned. Trump isnt going to be the president of all Americans. Hes going to be the president for rich white men like him.

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/dec/22/donald-trump-president-all-americans-already-failing

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donnabarker663-blog · 9 years ago

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How To Implement Solar Energy In Your Life

Solar energy is a concept that is over the heads of many people. They think of it as something that is not worth it due to the amount of time it takes to implement it into your life. While it is a tedious process, it is well worth it. This article will help you better understand the benefits of solar energy.

When it comes to solar energy, the sky is truly the limit, so learn about your options before you buy. How much space are you allowed, by local law, to fill with solar equipment? Can you sell excess energy back to the grid? What sort of regulations are in place?

If you are thinking about using solar power in your home, you must consider how much direct sunlight your home is actually exposed to. In order for solar energy to be worth it, your roof should have full sun exposure a minimum of 6 hours every day. You should also be wary of any areas of your roof covered by shade.

There are smaller options for beginning with solar power. This can be done in a couple of ways. You could, for instance, invest in small solar panels that can be mounted on a window. Another option is to look for solar-powered camping gear like lanterns and stoves. Every small thing that you do saves you a little money and helps the environment.

Try getting recommendations for solar energy home equipment. If you have loved ones or colleagues that have solar energy at home, ask them to provide details of their experience or any issues they've been through with their system. It's important to consider other opinions on what you should or should not do.

If you are buying a solar energy system, make sure your panels can be easily adjusted. As seasons change, so does the angle of the sun. Your panels will need to be adjusted every three months or so. Make sure that you know how to do this or talk to your contractor about seasonal maintenance.

Make sure to have your solar panels professionally installed. The installation of these panels needs to be very precise, and you do not want to mess it up. Having a professional installation also provides you with a warranty, and this gives you somewhere to turn if things are not working right.

Every day there are people all over who introduce solar energy sources into their lives. The above article should help you figure out if this is the best option for you. Combine the advice here with some diligent research. That should help you come up with a plan that works for you.

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donnabarker663-blog · 9 years ago

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World's 'Poorest' to Go 100% Green Energy Before 2020 : News … – Nature World News

Nature World News

World's 'Poorest' to Go 100% Green Energy Before 2020 : News … Nature World News Representatives from 47 of what could be considered as some of the world's most "disadvantaged" nations are pledging to go full green and renewable energy … and more »

Published at Tue, 22 Nov 2016 14:18:00 GMT

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donnabarker663-blog · 9 years ago

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Inside Africa's largest solar farm

De Aar, South Africa (CNN)In the sleepy, sun-blasted town of De Aar in central South Africa, a mighty force is stirring.

The largest solar plant in Africa, Middle East and the Southern hemisphere was inaugurated here earlier this year, a 175-megawatt facility that spreads over almost 500 hectares.

The facility is the brainchild of Solar Capital, led by hotel magnate turned solar evangelist Paschal Phelan, which ploughed $400 million into the venture.

The plant supplies power to the National Grid, but when the heat is fiercest it produces far more than the Grid can use, and the excess power goes to waste.

“It's like you have a Ferrari and you run a small car,” says Massimiliano Salaorno, plant manager of Solar Capital De Aar.

Breaking through

Solar and wind power account for just 2% of South Africa's energy needs, according to research from the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).

But experts argue this represents encouraging progress.

“It is still relatively small but we have to see where we came from,” says Dr. Tobias Bischof-Niemz, head of energy at the CISR. “Just two or three years ago we had 0% of renewables on the grid…and to bring (the proportion) to 2.5% is actually quite fast.”

South Africa has the capacity to produce 45,000 megawatts of power, the largest capacity in Africa. But even greater demand has led to ongoing blackouts, and the government is supporting a wave of renewable energy projects as part of its response.

The cost of renewable energy is 40% less than coal, says Dr. Bischof-Niemz, and he sees potential for rapid advances.

“We can go for a 70% renewable energy share by 2040 at the lowest cost,” he says.

The path ahead

Renewable sources will not solve South Africa's energy shortage alone. Two new coal plants are imminent, and there are plans to build nuclear energy capacity.

Solar facilities such De Aar will also require greater resources to flourish. Solar Capital has been forced to import solar panels and Phelan is determined to build domestic capacity.

“(We have imported) 700,000 panels for this farm alone and in terms of volume it is only going to increase,” he says. “I reckon we can produce 75,000 jobs based on manufacturing these simple items here.”

The plant is already producing 15% profits per year, the CEO says, with vastly more potential for growth.

As South Africa's green energy revolution accelerates, De Aar is providing the engine.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2016/12/12/africa/de-aar-solar-south-africa/index.html

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donnabarker663-blog · 9 years ago

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Easy Solution That Help You Better Understand Solar Energy

You may have heard the words solar energy before, but it may not have ever registered as something important to you. However, you may not have understood that solar energy can save you significant amounts of money in years to come. The following article will help explain how solar energy works and how it can benefit you.

Install panels a few at a time to break down the cost in setting up your home to operate off of solar power. There is no need to buy everything all at once, as there is much planning involved. You need to give yourself time to make adjustments and learn more as you go along.

Start small when you start using solar energy. Start by purchasing a few solar powered energy landscape lights. You can locate these at quite a few retailers, like home improvement businesses and big box retailers. Just insert them into the ground, and you're good to go.

If you are thinking about having a solar system installed, make sure that your home or business is suited for it. Sometimes the layout of the roof will not accommodate the proper angle for maximum energy production. Talk to more than one company to ensure the contractor is being honest about your solar situation.

A lot of governments throughout the world could offer tax credits for those that use solar energy. In some places, you could get approximately 30 percent of the money you put into your system back. Seek out information online, and speak to someone in your area concerning programs that are available to you.

Think about the money that you send to your power companies each month. How would you like to keep that money in your pocket? Changing to solar power will do that for you. After you pay off the initial investment, the money you used to pay to the power company will stay in your wallet.

When you're planning on installing a solar energy system, you should shop around and get a few quotes. You'll be able to see how much prices vary between providers. While you shouldn't be completely swayed by price, it's crucial that you don't just go for the cheapest since cheaper components can cost you a lot more later.

It is not easy to get acquainted with solar energy, as there are many aspects of this topic. The Internet is filled with valuable information on the subject and hopefully this article has helped you get started with understanding it. Apply all the information you've learned today to make the decision to incorporate solar energy into your everyday life.

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donnabarker663-blog · 9 years ago

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Jerry Brown On Trumps Proposed Attack On Climate Science: 'We're Ready To Fight'

California Gov. Jerry Brown (D) told scientists on Wednesday that he would protect climate research in his state, even as President-elect Donald Trump presents retrograde ideas and proposals to quash studies on the subject.

“We've got the scientists, we've got the lawyers, and we're ready to fight. We're ready to defend,” Brown said while addressing the American Geophysical Union in San Francisco.

The governor unloaded on Trump while referencing the president-elect's proposal to scrap NASA's climate research program in an effort to, as a senior adviser said, crack down on “politicized science.”

“If Trump turns off the satellites, California will launch its own damn satellite,” Brown said to cheers and applause. “We're going to collect that data.”

Brown offered support in response to reports that some climate scientists are copying information from public servers to independent servers because they're afraid that a Trump administration may try to alter or dismantle the federal government's reams of climate data.

“If they start deleting databases, look, we've got a lot of databases in California,” he said. “We can take a few more. We're here. We're here to collaborate and stay on the course.”

He also pledged to protect any labs within the public University of California system that are doing climate research.

“As long as the University of California manages those labs, we're not going to have political interference, we're going to have honest independent science,” Brown said. “You can count on that.”

Trump has previously denied that climate change is real, saying instead that it's a hoax created by the Chinese. He falsely claimed over the weekend that “nobody really knows” if climate change is real. However, scientists are overwhelmingly in agreement that climate change is occurring, and at least 97 percent of active climate researchers say it's “extremely likely” that human activities have caused the warming trends in recent decades.

“We know the data, we know what's happening in the world, despite the deniers,” Brown said. “The climate is changing, the temperatures are rising, the oceans are becoming more acidified, habitats are under stress. The world is really facing this tremendous danger.”

Brown also made a jab at former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who Trump has tapped to head the Department of Energy, by criticizing the Lone Star State's economy. California has a long history of embracing renewable energy, and its economy has improved under strict environmental regulations.

“We have more sun than you have oil and we're gonna use it,” Brown said.

Brown was referring to a 2013 radio ad, in which then-Gov. Perry encouraged California-based businesses to relocate to Texas. At the time, Brown lambasted the ad, saying, “It's not a serious story. It's not a burp. It's barely a fart.”

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/jerry-brown-donald-trump-climate-change_us_5851a720e4b0ee009eb52598

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donnabarker663-blog · 9 years ago

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Dear President Trump: Heres How to Make Space Great Again

President-elect Donald Trump often says that Americans no longer dream and must do so again. Nowhere can dreams be more inspiring and profitable than in space. But today, expanding space enterprise is not foremost on the minds of Americans or military strategists. As a recent CNN special showed, defense thinkers feel embattled in space, focused on protecting our existing investments rather than developing new ones that seize strategic advantage.

WIRED OPINION

About

Major Brent Ziarnick, Lieutenant Colonel Peter Garretson, Everett Dolman, and Coyote Smith are members of the United States Air Force's Space Horizons team. Space Horizons is a research group chartered by the Air University to explore the future of American space activity. The opinions herein are those of the authors alone and are not necessarily the views of Air University, the US Air Force, or the US government.

The first step to make space great again is for the United States to offer a constructive vision that can satisfy many American space needs, including defense. The Trump administration has an opportunity to transcend pessimism in space and focus America where it thrives: aggressive yet peaceful competition. Interested readers can view our complete recommendations, but a new Trump national space policy should declare:

The US will be the first nation to mine an asteroid. The trillions of dollars in mineral wealth from asteroids can fuel a vibrant in-space economy capable of lifting up all humankind. America must lead this process.

The US will be the first nation to extract resources from Earth's moon to operate a commercial transportation service to and from the lunar surface. Our moon offers vast resources and tremendous logistical advantages for the development of that in-space economy. The US will conduct research and establish public-private partnerships to advance the technology and the development of self-sustaining commercial services. The US should also commit to being an early customer of such services, and it should take a leadership role in helping private industry develop businesses based on lunar exploration.

The US will be the first nation to operate a propellant depot and on-orbit refueling service. Being able to refuel on orbit is key to an agile and fully reusable space transportation system. The United States will be the first to prove this technology and offer it as a commercial service to others.

The US will be the first nation to operate a private space station. A thriving space economy must provide broad, affordable access to space across society, and it must have ordinary citizens living and working there permanently. As someone deeply knowledgeable about the hotel industry, the president-elect might understand the value of a US-branded orbital tower.

The US will operate the first fleet of fully reusable launch vehicles. Central to assured access for our citizenry is the ability to come and go to space with aircraft-like operations. A fully reusable architecture, technically feasible but never championed by the government, makes private spaceflight and even greater projects possible. America will provide the transportation system that fuels the larger global ecosystem of innovation.

The US will build the first profitable solar power satellite. No single innovation in space could be as transformational as unlocking the vast potential of space-based solar energy generation to power Earth's electrical needs; that could provide the hundreds of terawatts of renewable energy necessary to provide first-world living standards to the entire planet in a green and environmentally sustainable manner. The logistics system to create this space-power grid would require moving millions of metric tons of satellites to geostationary orbit and, consequently, will be orders of magnitude larger than any envisioned government-centric space program.

The US will build the first comprehensive system to defend Earth from hazardous asteroids and comets. This planetary defense capability will initially start small, providing adequate defense against both 50-meter and 300-meter diameter objects with years of advance warning, and be built to provide comprehensive protection against extinction-level events. The United States will design, construct, and seek to test this capability in the current administration, and aim to maintain a standby global defense capability soon thereafter.

The US will fly the first mission to another star. Interstellar spaceflight will be the ultimate expression of humanity mastering space travel. The American people must be the first to be ready.

This list of goals sounds audacious, perhaps outrageous, but it is entirely within the capability and character of the people who built the Transcontinental Railroad, the Hoover Dam, and conquered a continent. Americans are leaders in every one of these fields. It is only necessary for the new President to unleash America's potential-once unleashed, American innovators will move these dreams toward reality faster than anyone can imagine.

Read more: https://www.wired.com/2016/12/dear-president-trump-heres-make-space-great/

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donnabarker663-blog · 9 years ago

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Great Tips About Solar Energy That Anyone Can Use

When it comes to solar energy, there is no question that it is very beneficial to the environment. However, many of you may not understand how exactly solar energy works and how to install it in your home. The following article will serve to answer any questions you may have. Read on and learn.

If you're leasing your solar energy system rather than buying it, ensure the contract you sign gives you the option of transferring the lease. This is vital since selling your home could mean you have to pay for a unit you can't use. Transferring the lease give new homeowners a chance to use the solar energy while allowing you to break the contract.

Not every solar panel is created equally. Always buy from a reputable dealer that has been in business for a number of years. The solar energy marketplace is littered with businesses that do not succeed. Make sure the company you buy from will be around if you need help or have problems with your system.

Before you pull the trigger and buy a system, take a look at how long the manufacturer guarantees the product for. You want a fairly long warranty because the system will have to pay for itself over time and help you begin to generate a profit. Therefore, make sure the warranty is for at least 25 years.

Fossil fuels that are used around the world do not help our environment. In fact, the cause a great deal of damage to the world we live on. Solar energy will provide us with the power we need without causing any damage to our earth. There will be no more gases, carcinogens or even carbon dioxide produced by solar energy.

Do not be discouraged at the cost of starting solar energy. You may find it pricy to get the products you need for setting up a solar energy system. But, you will find a much cheaper electric bill every month, paying off the initial start up cost and then some.

Most people do not know that having a solar energy system does not require a power grid. You are able to operate independently, something your family may really prefer. You can say goodbye to your monthly electric bill and can even be paid by the electric company if you produce excess power that they buy from you.

Having read the article above, you should now have a better understanding of how solar energy works. Use the information provided to help you make the decision as to whether or not you should invest in this form of alternative energy. At the end of the day, you will be helping the environment, and reducing your expenses on power.

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donnabarker663-blog · 9 years ago

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Get Started With Your Green Energy Plan Today

There has been increased discussion during recent years surrounding the importance of green and renewable energy. Thankfully, many solutions exist in the marketplace for individuals seeking green alternatives to solve their energy problems. This article contains an abundance of advice and information to help you reduce your environmental footprint and protect the environment.

To help you use more green energy in your day to day life, contact your current energy or electricity provider to see if they offer a renewable-energy alternative. Many energy companies are beginning to offer environmentally sound, even higher priced energy services to cater to more socially conscious individuals.

Try to use cold water for washing clothes. Almost 90% of energy consumption during clothes being washed is a result of the hot water usage. Cold water will do the job just as well; all you need is an effective clothes washing detergent. Furthermore, remember to always wash a full load, as this is more energy efficient.

Once you make the switch to green energies, let everyone know. A lot of people are not even considering this option because they are not educated enough about green energies: you have a chance to make a difference by using your own system to demonstrate how green energies work and convince more people to make the change.

To make your home more energy efficient on a tight budget, write up a green improvement plan. Knowing what you want to upgrade or change will give you a check-list and help you to break your efforts down into more attainable short-term goals. Every week, check the flyers for home improvement stores to see if any of the necessary supplies are going on sale.

The easiest and best way to decrease energy expenses in the home is to simply turn off lights and devices when you exit a room. You might be amazed at the amount of energy savings you can gain over time, simply by making it a point to turn off lights. You will also save on your electric bill.

Many homeowners overlook wasted energy in the garage when they are trying to conserve. Heat in an uninsulated garage can literally go out the windows and doors. If you are interested in green energy, start by making sure your garage is properly insulated. Be sure to check with your county about building codes before you start.

As this article has previously discussed, it is clear that green energy and environmental efficiency are of greater importance today than ever before. If you are aware of the alternatives and solutions out there, living a green life is much easier than you think. Apply this article's advice and you can live a green lifestyle too.

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donnabarker663-blog · 9 years ago

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Rick Perry is Donald Trump's choice for energy secretary

(CNN)President-elect Donald Trump has selected former Texas Gov. Rick Perry to be his nominee for energy secretary, multiple transition sources told CNN Tuesday, which would make him head of an agency he once sought to eliminate.

Perry, twice an aspirant for the White House and for decades a swaggering figure in the Texas Republican Party, returns to the national limelight after his career in politics withered amid scandal and embarrassment.

If confirmed by the Senate, Perry will inherit a department that has focused on promoting clean energy and reducing dependence on fossil fuels, but has also seen domestic production of oil explode. And his selection is a nod to the traditional GOP emphasis on energy sources like coal and oil.

A hallmark of Obama's Energy Department has been the grants and loans it issues for research. The loan program was expanded to include renewable energy projects as part of Obama's economic stimulus package in 2009, and more than $30 billion in loans have been issued since then.

These loans have also been a source of controversy. In 2011, Obama administration had to defend its loan to Silicon Valley energy startup Solyndra when it filed for bankruptcy and taxpayers had to foot a $535 million bill. For all its support of green energy, the department has also presided over a massive oil boom.

Who's in Trump's Cabinet?

Obama's current energy secretary Ernest Moniz is a longtime supporter of fracking, which he sees as a “bridge” to a low-carbon future. He has lauded increased domestic production of oil and natural gas via the technique. Hydraulic fracturing technology, more commonly known as fracking, now accounts for more than half of all US oil production - a massive jump considering fracking made up less than 2% of the country's oil output in 2000. The production of American crude has nearly doubled in the past decade, putting U.S. behind only Saudi Arabia and Russia in world rankings.

Trump has made it clear he wants the US to play an even bigger role in the global oil ecosystem.

“I've never understood why, with all of our own reserves, we've allowed this country to be held hostage by OPEC, the cartel of oil-producing countries, some of which are hostile to America,” Trump wrote in his book “Crippled America.”

Trump: 'Nobody really knows' if climate change is real

Experts say pumping more oil could decrease the country's dependence on foreign crude, but there's also a risk it would send prices crashing again. Oversupply caused oil prices to plummet as much as 75% between 2014 and earlier this year.

Perry's selection culminates a four-year effort to rebuild his political image in the aftermath of his disastrous 2012 run. A late entrant into the presidential primary, Perry was recruited as the sought-after alternative to eventual nominee Mitt Romney, but his policy stumbles failed to install confidence and his career sputtered.

The crystallizing moment came when Perry blanked and painfully could not recall the name of the third federal agency he vowed to eliminate as president while speaking on a primary debate stage. It was none other than the Energy Department that he will now lead, and the gaffe became known primarily for the word with which he ended his live misery: “Oops.”

Four years later - under the threat of prosecution for allegedly promising to strip funding for a county agency if a local official would not leave her post - Perry's campaign was more modest. He became one of the first candidates to attack Trump, labeling him at one point a “cancer on conservatism,” but dropped out in September 2015 amid fundraising troubles. He eventually became an occasional surrogate for Trump during the general election.

Trump picks Scott Pruitt to head EPA

In his first 100 days, Trump says he'll roll back Obama-era regulations on the fossil fuel industry, bringing jobs back to coal country. Many of these regulations fall under the Environmental Protection Agency, but leadership from the Energy Department could play a key role.

Since 2015, Perry has served as a director at Energy Transfer Partners, which is developing the Dakota Access Pipeline. Energy Transfer, together with Sunoco, sought federal intervention to stop political protests last month at the pipeline.

White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest took a swipe at Perry Tuesday while explaining why the administration rejected a request by the Trump transition team for information about Energy Department employees who worked on climate change.

“Our principle - this is a principle that presidents of both parties have long abided by - is that we should observe the protections that are in place that ensure that career civil servants are evaluated based on merit and not on politics,” Earnest said.

“I'm sure the President-elect used the same kind of criteria when choosing his new Department of Energy secretary as well,” he said, smiling. “Don't you think?”

Trump has also pledged to expand drilling on federal land, which would require approval from the Interior Department. The Army Corps of Engineers, which reports to the Department of Defense, oversees the permit process for the contentious Dakota Access Pipeline.

Trump picked Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt to lead the EPA last Thursday. He has not yet announced his choice for Interior secretary.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2016/12/13/politics/rick-perry-energy-secretary/index.html

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donnabarker663-blog · 9 years ago

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Eco-friendly Spending: A Look at Renewable Energy Investment Essentials

Natural resources that can be renewed and turned into fuel or energy sources are known as renewable energy. It's increasingly considered as a really good alternative to power sources, like nonrenewable fuel source, which are restricted and tough to securely get rid. Considering this trend, renewable energy investment options are plentiful.

Examples of renewable energy include geothermal heat, sunlight, tides, rainstorm, wind, and wood. Of the energy eaten worldwide, 16 % originates from renewable energy sources. This figure can increase. To illustrate, wind power use rises by 20 % each year in locations like Asia, the USA, and Europe. Some sustainable energy projects are large-scale; others are focused in rural and developing locations, where people have limited access to traditional electrical power sources.

Why Invest in Renewable Energy?

Mother Nature isn't the only one you assist when you get timber investments and so forth. Oil prices generally rise due to high need combined with exhausting supply, so repositioning to replenishable fuel resources may indirectly add to oil price law. Governments have likewise been supporting of renewable energy projects. In fact, the International Energy Agency plans that many of the world will use solar power in 50 years.

The best ways to Invest in Renewable Energy

It's important that you initially obtain a good understanding of how the renewable energy market works. Purchasing set up renewable energy companies may prove to be less risky compared with investing in small start-ups. It may additionally assist to invest in Temperature Action Partnership members, renewable energy concentrated stock funds, and exchange traded funds. Keeping abreast of replenishable energy-related news does not hurt either.

Coming Renewable Energy Sources

Cellulosic ethanol, ocean energy, and renewable methanol are a few of the creating technologies in the renewable resource industry. Cellulosic ethanol is generally fuel from plant mass that includes cellulose. Ocean energy, on the other hand, is pushing on, specifically in locations that face the west in latitudes within the 40 to 60 qualification assortment. Sustainable methanol is created from a combination of hydrogen (which is obtained from water) and carbon dioxide.

“Renewable energy” is an expansive term, and it's getting even broader as appealing research about the like rises. As renewable energy sources boost, so do your options for financial investment. For intriguing details on sustainable energy sources, review science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/green-science/five-forms-alternative-energy.htm.

For more details, search renewable energy investment options, and timber investments in Google for related information.

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donnabarker663-blog · 9 years ago

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Trump to tap Rick Perry to lead Energy Department

Former Texas Governor Rick Perry walks through the lobby of Trump Tower in New York City, Dec. 12, 2016.

Image: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Rick Perry, the former governor of Texas, once said the U.S. Department of Energy “needs to be done away with.”

Now, Perry is poised to lead that same agency.

President-elect Donald Trump plans to name the Texas Republican as his secretary of energy, transition officials told reporters Tuesday.

SEE ALSO: Donald Trump's anti-climate science shakedown just started

Perry would fit right in with Trump's other cabinet picks, a fact that climate scientists and environmentalists say they find particularly troubling.

The former governor has said he doesn't think carbon emissions a main driver of climate change are harmful pollutants, and Trump's nominee for attorney general, Sen. Jeff Sessions from Alabama agrees.

Rick Perry gives a thumbs up to supporters on June 4, 2015, after announcing that he would run for president in 2016.

Image: Ron jenkins/Getty Images

Perry also champions increased production of oil and natural gas. So does Trump's pick for secretary of state, Rex Tillerson, CEO of ExxonMobil Corp. the biggest oil company in the world.

And like Perry, Trump's nominee to head the Environmental Protection Agency opposes the very agency Trump wants him to run. Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt has a long record of suing the EPA and has described himself as a “leading advocate” against the EPA's “activist agenda.”

Perry previously vowed to eliminate the Energy Department in 2011, when he was seeking the Republican nomination in the 2012 presidential race. The cut was part of Perry's broader plan to shrink the federal budget and revamp the tax code.

Before he said any of that, however, he forgot what the agency was even named.

During a televised debate, Perry turned to Ron Paul and proclaimed he would list off the three federal agencies he wanted to cut: “Commerce, Education and, uh, um, what's the third one there?”

Trump has chosen @GovernorPerry to lead the department he forgot in a list of agencies he wanted to abolish in 2012 https://t.co/t6JU9ajRiE pic.twitter.com/FlOxKLLhaI

POLITICO (@politico) December 13, 2016

After the debate, Perry met with reporters and clarified what he had intended to say on stage.

“Those three agencies of government Education and Energy and Commerce are part of it, and the bottom line is, I may have forgotten Energy, but I haven't forgotten my conservative principles,” Perry told reporters.

“Everybody tomorrow will understand that the Energy Department needs to be done away with,” he said.

The Energy Department, with a budget of $29.6 billion, has a broad and complex mandate.

An engineer walks through the biofuels testing center at the Energy Department's National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado, March 3, 2009.

Image: john moore/Getty Images

The agency manages the country's nuclear weapons stockpile and oversees cleanup of nuclear waste. The department also funds research and development for clean and fossil energy technologies, electric vehicles and basic energy research.

Its 17 national laboratories serve as the nation's leading institutions for scientific research in areas such as climate change, computer science, biology and the origins of the universe.

Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz, a nuclear physicist, has jokingly referred to his agency as the “department of everything.”

Despite its varied roles, the department remains one of the most important drivers of low- and zero-emissions energy technologies in the U.S. and around the world.

For instance, the department's Loan Programs Office helped finance early-stage solar projects that ushered in a massive expansion of large-scale solar farms across the U.S.

Perry isn't necessarily opposed to clean energy. During his tenure as Texas governor, the Lone Star State became one of the world's top producers of wind energy, according to the American Wind Energy Association.

Wind turbines spin in Colorado City, Texas, Jan. 21, 2016.

Image: Spencer platt/Getty Images

But Perry is a major proponent of fossil fuels. The former governor sits on the board of Energy Transfer Partners, the Dallas-based company building the controversial Dakota Access Pipeline through North Dakota.

If Perry revives his plans to slash Energy Department spending, the nation's progress on clean energy research and development could slow, leaving other countries like China or India to pick up America's slack, said Jonathan Levy, a former deputy chief of staff to Secretary Moniz who is now a director at Vision Ridge Partners, an investment firm focused on sustainable technologies.

“The choice that the next administration has is, do you want to keep pushing hard on this trillion-dollar clean energy market opportunity, or step aside?” Levy told Mashable. “Do we want to lead, or do we want to follow?”

A panel-washing robot cleans a row of solar panels at Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas, Feb. 16, 2016.

Image: ethan miller/Getty Images

Geoffrey Supran, a renewable energy researcher and activist, said he was disheartened by the “climate-denying cabinet” that Trump is seeking to build.

Supran said his doctoral research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology was funded entirely by the Energy Department. He is now a post-doctoral researcher at MIT and Harvard University, and one of the labs he works in recently received a large federal grant to model future energy systems.

“Now there's huge uncertainty as to whether we can use that money” in the next administration, Supran told Mashable. He noted that Trump has vowed to slash funding for other major science agencies such as NASA and the EPA.

“All of us work every day to invent these solutions and bring them to the market, and these policies threaten to completely undermine America's ability to contribute to global decarbonization,” he said.

BONUS: 'Longtime friends' Kanye West and Donald Trump meet up

Read more: http://mashable.com/2016/12/13/donald-trump-rick-perry-energy-secretary/

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