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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Climate Change

One of the presenters at today’s practice session for the Clean Business Investment Summit has a cool idea with respect to fire suppression, the details of which I’m sure he’d rather that I not divulge.  But that’s not the point anyway; rather it’s that he began with this blockbuster: In the United States, there have been more “megafires” (those burning more than 100,000 acres) in the last 10 years than in the 100 previous years. 

I noticed that the three (previously vocal) climate change deniers in the room were struck mute at that.

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Photovoltaics

I serve as a “mentor” to the presenters at the Clean Business Investment Summit.  First up this morning was a portable solar PV/battery product, a concept that has merit in certain specific market segments.  Principally I think of disaster relief, movie sets, events in off-grid locations, military, etc. 

Most of the other panelists advised the presenter not to mention climate change and environmentalism, because it could “turn people off.”  I completely (but respectfully) disagreed.  Who’s going to buy this except those who see a problem with fossil fuels? The product doesn’t compete on a price/watt basis with gasoline generators.  If you’re unconcerned with sustainability, you’re not a customer here. 

I also told the young man, “The real task here is barrier to energy.  No offense, but anyone with a solar panel, an old bicycle, and a blowtorch is a potential competitor. I suggest you figure out how you can offer something that provides a unique set of benefits.  Then, make sure you brand the living hell out of it. I can help you with that.”

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Science

One of the real opportunities for our energy future lies in the fact that many of the technologies that consume huge amounts of energy are truly ancient. I often remark how strange it is that if Thomas Edison were around today and happened to look at our motors, generators, grid, etc., he’d recognize most of it as essentially unchanged from a century ago.

And let’s keep in mind that electricity is only one of many opportunities to rethink the way we’re doing things.  I just became aware of the fact that the screw propeller that is used on almost all our power boats and ships was invented in 1827! That’s the year Chopin wrote the E minor nocturne.

I bring this up because, almost two centuries later, it appears that there has been a breakthrough in shipbuilding. Frequent commenter Tim Kingston just sent me this site on the Gamma Propulsion System, which claims to reduce energy consumption in these marine environments by 35%. That’s huge, considering the enormity of the fuel consumption in this space.

 

 

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Business

Here’s a group that takes an interesting approach to sustainability: the Germany-based Borderstep Institute. Their mission:

Through scientific and applied research, the Borderstep Institute contributes to future-oriented solutions and innovations that are economically successful, supportive to climate protection and the conservation of natural resources, and embody the societal responsibility of economic actors.

One of its key players, Dr. Severin Beucker, co-founder of the institute, has asked to interview me some time next month, to get my take on green investment opportunities. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Climate Change

A colleague just asked me if I had seen this article in Forbes.com, whose point is that, since climate change affects businesses, businesses would be wise to cut climate-changing emissions.

I wrote back:

No I hadn’t seen that. It’s pretty good.

What would make it excellent, you ask? (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Wind Energy

There’s a lot to like about micro-wind leader WindStream and its radical approach to small, efficient, highly durable wind turbines that are easy to install on any rooftop.  But there’s only one thing you really need to know at this point: we’re talking about a product that is amazingly inexpensive.  July’s webinar features Dan Bates, CEO of WindStream, a company whose total rethinking of micro-wind has resulted in a product that is so affordable that virtually everyone can lessen his/her environmental impact — not to mention the utility bill.

Don’t miss this one!  Tuesday, July 31st, 10 AM PDT (1 PM EDT)

Learn more and sign up here. 

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Sustainability

We’ve had discussions recently on the amount of subsidies that the fossil fuel industries receive from the federal government here in the U.S. To be sure, there is a great deal of hanky-panky played with these numbers. Let me go out on a limb here and suggest that the accounting method and total number that one chooses is often a function of the case one’s trying to make.

Normally, I simply say that it doesn’t matter; any amount is too much. After all, why on Earth would we want to provide incentive to promote damage to our ecosystems, weaknesses to our national security, lung disease, etc., especially when the subject industry is already the most profitable one on the planet?

But when I read a comment from “Pierre” earlier today: “How much is the ‘polluter not paying’ subsidy worth?” it started me thinking about this. This is a brilliant point, in that there are a ton of subsidies that this whole discussion normally sidesteps:

• The cost of the wars fought to maintain access to oil (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Electric Vehicles

It’s the 109th anniversary of the first sale made by the Ford Motor Company: a Model A. From that moment, the concept of automobile ownership grew steadily and rapidly in importance in the American psyche; in fact, it expanded to the point that many people felt that their car made a more important statement than their home, their education, or anything else about them.

Fortunately, I think people are beginning to rethink this sad notion. Of course, the environment and our chance for survival within it will benefit greatly from smaller cars – not to mention fewer cars and vehicle miles traveled (VMT). (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Photovoltaics

Dr. Hugh Donahue reached out to me late last week and discussed the projects he has under way re: generating small amounts of electricity in wearable fabrics. The projects invoke photovoltaics in the form of thread, and also piezoelectricity, i.e., converting the mechanical energy of putting stress on an object (in this case a thread) into electricity.

Below is a paper Hugh just send me; the entire piece with extensive end notes can be downloaded here.   (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Climate Change

I just had a very interesting phone conversation with Robert Rapier, one of the world’s most senior observers of the energy industry. We discussed the piece I wrote the other day called Energy, the Environment and Climate Change, which I based on his article: The Danger of Misinformation about Climate Change. He made a few points that are difficult to argue:

First, there needs to be less rancor about existence and scope of climate change. Scientists with legitimate, unbiased information should have the opportunity to present their findings, regardless of what those findings are.

Again, it’s hard to disagree with this, as long as what you’re NOT talking about is pseudo-science on climate change proffered by those with an agenda. When people realize that they’re being told lies (and yes, this has happened, and continues to happen) they get upset; I’m sympathetic to that. (more…)

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