Juggling Dynamite

Copper hitting a new 52 week low this morning as global commodity demand continues in a well earned secular downturn. Too bad more countries, companies and individuals who reaped big income from the secular boom 2000 to 2011, did not save more for the mean reversion period now upon them…

Crude bulls, stung by the worst July on record, should expect further pain as slumping commodity currencies cut production costs.

Drillers from Russia to Canada, the world’s second- and fourth-biggest oil producers, sell crude in U.S. dollars while paying most operating costs in local currencies. The Canadian dollar dropped to an 11-year low against its U.S. counterpart this month while the Russian ruble trades near a six-month low.

Global oil supply has proven resilient. A 60 percent decline in U.S. dollar prices since June 2014 hasn’t curbed U.S. production, which is near the highest level in four decades. Iraq is producing at a record pace and Russian oil output reached a post-Soviet high this year. The world’s oil glut will last through 2016, the International Energy Agency said in an Aug. 12 report. Here is a direct video link.

Technology that helps consumers make smarter choices while saving them money and helping the planet. “Good growth”.

Project Sunroof uses information that’s in Google Maps to figure out how much sun falls on a roof and takes into account stuff like the angle of the roof, the weather, and obstructions like trees and chimneys. Then it uses those measurements to figure out how many panels you’d probably need and how much you could save on your electric bill, including solar incentives in your area. You can see how buying or leasing panels affects your savings, and then send your estimate to installers in your area, instantly.

Visit google.com/sunroof and enter your address to find out how much solar energy could save you. Project Sunroof works in Boston, the San Francisco Bay Area, and Fresno. But anyone can sign up to find out when it expands to their neighborhood.

Here is a direct video link.

We have always had hot spells in summer, but a new report from the American Meteorological Society confirms that 2014 was the hottest in recorded history and the 10 hottest years on record have all now occurred since 1998. Weather trends are likely to continue getting warmer and drier in much of the developed world.

Personally I strongly dislike conventional air conditioning.  It cuts off dwellers from nature, masks the sounds of birds and breezes, makes it more comfortable for people to overeat, and burns energy like there is literally no tomorrow.

After several decades of making wasteful choices, today many people are getting smarter about energy once more.  New technology is taking leaps and bounds and cutting edge buildings are cooling their inhabitants without conventional AC systems, all while recycling water and producing more energy than they consume.  Not too mention being visually stunning, attracting progressive architects and engineers from around the world.  Smart ideas are contagious.  See:  How the greenest office building is handling Seattle’s hottest summer.

Built in 2012, the Bullitt Center has performed well in its short life. It recently earned the prestigious Living Building Certification from the International Living Future Institute, and last year the building “generated 60% more energy than it used,” exceeding expectations and providing tenants with free electricity. Some of its notable features include a 570 panel roof-top solar array, a rainwater capture and purification system, and composting toilets.