Randy Simon
Randy Simon has over 30 years of experience in renewable energy technology, materials research, superconductor applications, and a variety of other technical and management areas. He has been an officer of a publicly-traded Silicon Valley company, worked in government laboratories, the aerospace industry, and at university research institutions. He holds a PhD in physics from UCLA. Dr. Simon has authored numerous technical papers, magazine articles, energy policy documents, online articles and blogs, and a book, and holds seven patents. He also composes, arranges and produces jazz music
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Heat pumps are highly efficient all-in-one heating and cooling systems. Ordinary furnaces burn fuel to produce heat. Heat pumps move existing heat from one place to another using electricity and refrigerant. A heat pump can act as heater in the winter and an air conditioner in the summer. -
Five species of sea turtles are found in the Gulf of Mexico. All five were pushed to the brink of extinction due to human activity. The Endangered Species Act of 1973 listed all sea turtles in the United States as threatened or endangered except the flatback turtle. Under the Act, it is illegal to harm or in any way interfere with a sea turtle or its eggs. -
Hoover Dam was built in the 1930s during the Great Depression. It is famous for taming the wild Colorado River, providing the power that electrified the American Southwest, and for creating Lake Mead, the largest man-made reservoir in the United States. The dam is as tall as a 60-story building and was the world’s highest dam when it was built. And now, it has real problems. -
Cacti are famous for their ability to survive some of the harshest conditions on Earth, making them symbols of resilience in a warming world. But climate change is altering temperatures and rainfall patterns across many desert regions, highlighting the importance of understanding how these plants adapt. -
The starry night sky has fascinated humanity for countless millennia. For most of that time, it was an untouchable, immutable and vast expanse that was beyond the influence of anyone. But the present-day commercial space race has created new threats to the relationship between people and the celestial expanse by crowding the night sky and polluting the atmosphere. -
The part of the year between the chill of winter and the heat of mid-summer tends to be when renewable energy systems perform best. Longer, milder days when electricity demand is relatively low are when wind and solar power are ramping up and can account for greater shares of grid energy consumption. -
Lithium is the key metal for electric vehicle and energy storage batteries. Viewed as a way to strengthen U.S. energy independence, there has been a growing rush for lithium across the country. By 2030, at least six new mining projects are projected to be underway and another 13 will soon follow, mostly in the Southwest. There are more than 100 U.S. projects to which companies have staked claims. Worldwide, there are over 500 proposed lithium mines as the need for batteries skyrockets. -
Tire pollution consists of a toxic mix of microplastics and heavy metals that are shed into the air, soil, and water as tires wear down as they travel on roads. Over six million tons of rubber and particles are shed from tires globally every year. -
Mangrove forests play a vital role in the health of our planet. They protect coastal regions by acting as natural barriers against storms, erosion, and flooding. Although they cover less than 1% of Earth’s surface, these coastal ecosystems also hold an estimated 15% of the carbon stored in ocean environments, much of it buried in the soils beneath their roots. -
There is organized opposition to renewable energy. Most of it comes from the fossil fuel industry whose market share and business models are threatened by renewables. There is also opposition from conservative political groups, although that opposition doesn’t really have an ideological basis. And then there is NIMBYism: opposition to renewable energy because people don’t want any of it near where they live.
