City of Houston ranked 4th largest green power buyer in U.S. Read more: City of Houston ranked 4th largest green power (West: house, organic)

[Wonderful Jellal]

The City of Houston has cracked the top 10 on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s top green power purchasers list.
Houston ranked fourth (http://www.epa.gov/greenpower/partners/partners/cityofhoustontx.ht - broken link) on the list, with 438 million kilowatt-hours of annual green power usage, accounting for 34 percent of the city’s total power. Most of Houston’s renewable energy comes from wind power.


City of Houston ranked 4th largest green power buyer in U.S. - Houston Business Journal

[HookTheBrotherUp]

What a crock. Unless you have a wind generator in your backyard, and wires going straight to your breaker-box, or you have a long cable to those wind generators like in far West Texas, you are getting electricity from carbon. Everyone who buys into that Green Power energy, regardless of the source, is wanting warm fuzzys. I'm not disputing that green energy is generated, only that it goes into the grid, and there is no way to direct "green" electrons to your house.

[houstonfan]

Wait, he wasn't saying it goes directly to your house if you buy it. THe idea is if you buy green energy, your city/country depends less on oil/coal (hence less dependent on foreign countries and all the sequelae of that) and produces less polutants. It's more than warm fuzzies, I'm sure many of those people who buy green are just trying to be responsible/conscientious citizens. If you don't want to do it, fine, but I don't think you should criticize those who do.

[houstonfan]

Renaud: Are you hired by the mayor's office to pump Houston on this website?? Seems like everything you post is 'ultra' positive...sometimes even hard to believe. And I find it hard to believe you're living in France and yet so up to date on everything houston.

[Mod edit - calling people trolls]

[HookTheBrotherUp]

Originally Posted by houstonfan

Wait, he wasn't saying it goes directly to your house if you buy it. THe idea is if you buy green energy, your city/country depends less on oil/coal (hence less dependent on foreign countries and all the sequelae of that) and produces less polutants. It's more than warm fuzzies, I'm sure many of those people who buy green are just trying to be responsible/conscientious citizens. If you don't want to do it, fine, but I don't think you should criticize those who do.

Not disputing the OP, just the fact that people buy into purchasing "Green Electricity". It's like adding $70.00 do your Continental Airlines tickets to offset the carbon footprint. A joke, and business scheme. A friend of mine opened up a business a few months ago, and has the word "Green" in it. For no other reason than to get corporations to seek him out on that alone. And the funny/sad thing is he laughs about it, but it works!

[Oildog]

Originally Posted by HookTheBrotherUp

Not disputing the OP, just the fact that people buy into purchasing "Green Electricity". It's like adding $70.00 do your Continental Airlines tickets to offset the carbon footprint. A joke, and business scheme. A friend of mine opened up a business a few months ago, and has the word "Green" in it. For no other reason than to get corporations to seek him out on that alone. And the funny/sad thing is he laughs about it, but it works!

HTBU dispensing some truth here...tried to rep ya.

[Wonderful Jellal]

Originally Posted by houstonfan

Renaud: Are you hired by the mayor's office to pump Houston on this website?? Seems like everything you post is 'ultra' positive...sometimes even hard to believe. And I find it hard to believe you're living in France and yet so up to date on everything houston.

[Mod edit - calling people trolls]

I'm like that, I'm very very optimist ^^ It's annoying to see bad news since 2008, I like the great news

[vertigo5110]

HTBU I can see what you're saying but at the same time, it's no reason to be discouraging/cynical. People, myself included, try to be as conscious and environmentally responsible as they can. That said, it is true (and unfortunate) that somethings that are advertised as "green" aren't as green as they're advertised to be. Regardless, Houston's rank should at least show that there are people in this city who are dedicated to environmental friendliness and helping the country's quest to become less dependent on foreign oil. That's what I take away from it at least.

[HookTheBrotherUp]

Originally Posted by vertigo5110

HTBU I can see what you're saying but at the same time, it's no reason to be discouraging/cynical.

I don't see it that way, I prefer to say that I'm not a pushover, or living in a cloud. Read my posts, since 2008, and you will see that my posts are positive, and negative.

It's great people want to stay positive all the time, it gives those of us who can see the unattractive truth a reason to post. Maybe the fable 'The Emperor's New Clothes' did click with me afterall.

[houstonfan]

HTBU: Not everybody who is enviromentally friendly is a pushover or lofty. Sure, I'm aware of the "green" and "organic" marketing gimmicks. I'm no granola. I don't buy anything green or organic except energy and filtered water and I try to look for energy efficient homes. I don't drive hybrid cars b/c from what i've been told, it's not better for our environment.
But the reason i do buy green energy is b/c i think it's not all gimmick, you are really reducng the carbon footprint. Is somebody making a profit off of me? Yes, I reallize they do, but I feel I can afford it if it helps - eventhough I reallize that it's a very small amount. Now, if someone was to show me that 'green energy' is worse for our environment or worse for our country's interests, then I'd be more than happy to switch back to the cheaper rates. To be honest, i haven't done deep research into it, but I have friends in the energy sector and nobody has told me otherwise, other than the fact that it's just a minutia of difference.
I'm not saying that all these articles about how great Houston is, is an accurate reflection of the truth. I'm just saying dont categorize ppl who buy green energy as all stupid and gullible, is it really a horrible thing?