An infographic by the team at CouponAudit
I wanted to share this with you for it’s eye opening facts. Perhaps, you are one of the many who doesn’t have a nest egg, or can’t afford to invest much. This just may be one of the resources you can manage to tap into once a month, that can make a big impact on your financial future.
There is a current Northwest study in Washington, that is looking into the possibility of diverting excess underground energy, and storing it for later use. Right now, it is the million dollar question, because,the other pressing question that remains, is how feasible is this idea? That question is what is being considered, as to whether it’s economically feasible and doable, here in Washington. The study will determine and have answers to these questions when it wraps up, later this year.
Researchers haven’t drawn up cost estimates for any potential storage system, here in Washington. The facts are,they are a long way from proving that it’s even doable here, or that it makes financial sense to do this type of massive project here, and in this economy.
Image via Wikipedia
But, if we think of this concept of energy storage, as a huge energy bank,where you deposit excess energy when you DON’T need it, and withdraw it when you DO need it, the concept makes perfect sense.
This concept has been used, most notably in our natural gas storage facilities, which are quite common across the entire United States.
A group of researchers led by the Richland, WA-based Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), are currently exploring whether the idea of energy storage can be put to use in a different form, here in Washington.
The goal here, is to store excess energy in the form of compressed air and water in the Northwest’s expansive, porous underground basalt formations. If it becomes successful, the concept could have big implications for our Northwest power grid. There have been times when excess energy has been a problem here, in the past. Just last year (2011),the Columbia River Basin, experienced unusually high flows in our region’s hydroelectric dams, pushing them to maximum capacity.
The well-publicized event ignited a strain between the BPA, and the region’s wind generators, and wind farmers. With the dams at full capacity, the BPA ordered them to shut down to avoid overloading the power grid. Of course, the wind farms objected to the ruling. Just this last December (2011), a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, ruled in favor of the wind farms. Some citizens of Eastern Washington,have become alarmed by the ever-growing presence of wind turbines pumping new energy into the system. So, you can see that BPA and PNNL researchers are hopeful of the new form of energy storage alleviating similar over-generation events, in the future, should this energy storage concept, become a reality. It would be a fantastic solution to those types of problems.
Here is an example of how energy storage could work here in Washington, as reported By Eric Florip, Columbian Staff Reporter. As stated above, this is not a new concept. However, the possibility of energy storage here in Washington, is a perfect example of science and sustainability working together toward a better tomorrow.
SAM is an acronym, that stands for Sustainable Asset Management, while CSR stands for Corporate Social Responsibility.
Sustainability, was once only a core value and concern for a few niche companies.
As few as 500 companies, back in 1999, filed sustainability reports. Today, that number has grown to about 3,500 companies, that file sustainability reports. Concern for the environment and sustainability, have gone mainstream and become a core value of the corporate sector. Therefore, there is a reward, known as the SAM Sector Mover award, and this years winner is Bombardier.
Bombardier (Photo credit: ponte1112)
MONTREAL, QUEBEC–(Marketwire – Feb. 2, 2012) – Following its fifth consecutive listing as an index component on both the Dow Jones Sustainability World and the Dow Jones Sustainability North America Indexes, Bombardier (TSX:BBD.A)(TSX:BBD.B) was awarded SAM Sector Mover, and SAM Gold Class in this year’s SAM Sustainability Yearbook 2012.
As the SAM Sector Mover, Bombardier ranks within the top 15% of its sector, Aerospace & Defense, and has achieved the largest proportional improvement in its sustainability performance over last year. Additionally, Bombardier received the SAM Gold Class award, ranking within 1% of the Sector Leader’s score.
“These awards represent international recognition of our sustainability practices, and are a testament to our performance over the past year. These results are a significant achievement in CSR ( corporate social responsibility) at Bombardier and our commitment to continue moving forward responsibly,” said Mr. Daniel Desjardins, Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Social Responsibility Committee Chairman, Bombardier Inc.
Sustainable Asset Management (SAM), provides benchmark indicators of sustainability. SAM has been assessing and documenting the sustainability performance of over 2,000 corporations on a yearly basis since 1999, and currently holds one of the largest global databases on corporate sustainability.
The world’s 2,500 largest companies (based on the Dow Jones Global Total Stock Market Index) are invited to participate in SAM’s Corporate Sustainability Assessment every year. The survey results determine inclusion in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes. Only the top 15%, from each of the 58 SAM sectors, qualify for inclusion in the Sustainability Yearbook.
The Corporate Sustainability Assessment evaluates criteria within the Economic Dimension, the Environmental Dimension and the Social Dimension. SAM assessed 19 of the total 31 companies within the Aerospace and Defense sector.
For more information about CSR at Bombardier, visit their dedicated website www.csr.bombardier.com For more information about the SAM Sustainability Yearbook 2012, visit: http://www.sam-group.com/int/sustainability-insight/the-sustainability-yearbook.jsp
About Bombardier
A world-leading manufacturer of innovative transportation solutions, from commercial aircraft and business jets to rail transportation equipment, systems and services, Bombardier Inc. is a global corporation headquartered in Canada. Its revenues for the fiscal year ended January 31, 2011, were $17.9 billion, and its shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (BBD). Bombardier is listed as an index component to the Dow Jones Sustainability World and North America indexes. News and information are available at www.bombardier.com or follow them on Twitter @Bombardier. With major corporations stepping up and practicing SAM- sustainable asset management, we are all working toward a better tomorrow!
