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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Fossil Fuels

Here’s a good article on the history of carbon capture and storage (CCS).  Why has the goal of preventing the exhaust from the burning of fossil fuels from entering the atmosphere been so elusive?

Not to give anything away, but the author points out something that I talk about constantly: the price of carbon (and mercury, and selenium, etc.) emissions is zero.  The damage to our lungs and to our environment is dismissed as if it doesn’t exist at all; more accurately, it’s blithely passed along for our children – and their children to – clean up.

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Electric Vehicles

As my colleague Jon Lesage notes in his newsletter, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) may be changing the way it does its MPG (miles per gallon) calculations.  Recent news has shown large gaps between claims and truth in the ratings for conventional cars and hybrids, and the car-buying public is rightfully demanding a change.  But the way this works for electric vehicles is an even better candidate for revamping.

Since the 1970s, the EPA has provided ratings for all cars sold in the U.S. in terms of estimated miles per gallon,  but concern for the use of gasoline had been part of our culture for quite some time. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Fossil Fuels

Earlier today I had an interesting conversation I thought I’d share — on a potential video project based on the vicissitudes of the energy industry.  Yes, renewables are making progress, albeit slow, but this is happening in an extremely difficult economic and political climate.  I.e., there are hundreds of millions of dollars being spent in an effort to ensure that the renewable energy industry fails. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Photovoltaics

2GreenEnergy supporter and frequent contributor Brian McGowan sent me this piece just now, illustrating the collision course that distributed generation and the power utilities seem to be facing. There is no doubt that, the way we regulate electric utilities currently is not sustainable. As more people put solar on their roofs and thus reduce the amount of power they’re buying, the cost to those who remain can only go up.

The only solution is a complete rethinking of the laws that govern these companies. Fortunately, it appears that this re-regulation may be in the works.

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Photovoltaics

A note from a reader in Zambia:

Electricity should be safe, clean and affordable to all. Over 6 million people in rural Zambia rely on fuels such as kerosene and firewood for lighting and cooking. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Energy Storage

Frequent commenter Tim Kingston sent me this piece called “Better Batteries, Better World,” and notes, “Interesting topic for Foreign Affairs magazine; they rarely talk about renewables.”

I don’t normally read Foreign Affairs; thanks for pointing it out.  I’m delighted  this subject, i.e., energy storage, is getting the attention it deserves in the larger community.  Good article, with a clever title. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Fossil Fuels

I was just telling frequent commenter Tim Kingston that I’m not sure how much I want to cover the dangers of fracking.  There’s plenty of material on this subject — more every day, and I’m not sure I can add too much value here.  I DO, however, want to make it clear that the concept of natural gas fracking  as a gateway to clean energy is spurious for two independent reasons: (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Uncategorized

The growing concern for environment and greenhouse gases from the number of conventional energy production options has put forth the need to find a competent alternative. Fortunately you have a number of renewable or green energy sources, which can easily produce energy to run the wheels of life. These include solar, wind, hydro, biomass, tidal generation that are operated in a number of ways as compared to the traditional fossil fuel based technologies. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Fossil Fuels

If you invest six minutes into the video in this article, you’ll learn that, unless something changes, 30 towns in West Texas will have run out of water by the end of the year.  Not only are they suffering a terrible and long-lasting drought (that some believe is the result of climate change) but, ironically, they’re offering up a huge percentage of their water supply for use in fracking for oil and gas, a process that requires many millions of gallons per site.  It has to come from somewhere, and it’s being sucked out from the dwindling reserve in their wells.

It’s hard to believe that the world is sitting around watching calamities like this unfold.

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Science

It’s always great to come across people who “get it.” The authors of this article begin their piece: While a clean energy future is inevitable, questions remain about how quickly we will get there.

Exactly.  I wish I had a dollar for every time I’ve said this.  No one really thinks we’re going to be burning coal and driving Hummers in half a century.  But with respect to how long it will take, there are important corollary questions, like:  How much damage will we have done in the meanwhile?

Even Shell Oil predicts that solar will overtake oil by 2060.  The problem, of course, is that 47 more years of accelerated greenhouse gas emissions (not to mention mercury, selenium, etc.) will have had devastating effects on the natural environment, as well as on all life forms here on the home planet.   The race is on.

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