A reader sent me a plan to turn low-skilled people into electricity generating machines, claiming that employees could be paid a reasonable wage. But his math is wrong. A human being produces about 80 Watts with his muscles, e.g., bicycling. That’s 80 Watt-hours each hour = .08 kWhs each hour. At the U.S. average electricity price of 11 cents/kWh, he’d be creating less than a penny of electricity an hour. I know we’ve hit hard times, but I don’t think we’ve quite reached that level.
As the name suggests, OTEC Corporation, whom I’m meeting next week on my trip back East, is one of the leaders in the development of ocean thermal energy conversion, a technology with huge potential to change the world energy picture. Best of all, these folks, while they’re true business professionals and leading scientists, are acutely aware of the environmental benefits that are at stake here.
Their website contains a wonderful section called “Common Ground” which begins with an excerpt from the writings of Amy Maddox: “Underneath We’re All the Same.” (more…)
Here’s a wonderful article that gets at an issue I come across constantly: the implication that environmentalism and job growth are opposed to one another. Considering we have the option to put literally millions of people back to work in renewable energy, energy storage, electric transportation, smart-grid, etc., I’m always stunned when I hear politicians peddling the idea that eco-friendliness must come at the expense of the economy.
Gary Ares, a senior marketing professional in Rhode Island, writes about my article on the 2012 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which provides broad authority for the federal government to use the military in domestic operations in order to detain Americans indefinitely and without trial. This nullifies the 4th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, as well as the natural rights of Americans. (more…)
Ever since solar power became an accepted alternative as an energy resource, the general consensus has been to wait and see what happens. As with anything new that has been introduced as a way of saving money, we are skeptical — and especially so when it is on something that we don’t understand. Whether it’s the environment or technology, the natural reaction is to question it`s function, benefit and place in our world. (more…)
I try to write a short piece on global warming every week or two, but I find it difficult, given that so many people cover this subject so well. Linked here is a short Bill McKibben article that I urge everyone to read.
That we’ve taken this matter out of the hands of science and reduced it to the basest level of politics is one of the most nauseating aspects of our current-day culture.
I have to give my immediate family credit here. Even though they generally don’t follow this stuff too closely, they are enjoying the heck out of McKibben’s masterpiece “Eaarth.” I hope you’ll pick up a copy and share it with friends.
I have 13 meetings lined up over five days next week spread out from Washington, DC to Boston, starting with an interview with Jerry Taylor, senior fellow at the Cato Institute, conservative think-tank in our nation’s capital. I successfully appealed to Mr. Taylor on the basis that I have frequent talks with liberal economists, clean energy advocates and progressive policy wonks, but, as I pride myself on fair-mindedness, I would love to sit down and talk about different perspectives. After all, my next book’s working title: “Renewable Energy – Following the Money” suggests a wide range of political perspectives. He agreed, and we’re on for Tuesday morning, at his office which is walking distance from my next two meetings.
In my use of the word “conservative,” I’m not suggesting that Mr. Taylor is some sort of knee-jerk right-winger. In fact, he’s distinguished himself as a man of incredible objectivity, in a world so pitifully lacking in this rare commodity. Here he is, arguing (very well) that President Obama handled the BP oil spill very well. Try to find that type of sane, levelheaded rhetoric coming out of any of the Republican presidential candidates.
Here’s an article about a breakthrough in solar power efficiency, which serves as a reminder of an important fact: the cost of renewable energy can only fall, while the cost of fossil fuels can only rise.
I’m not saying that there is no technology involved in extracting fossil fuels and building nuclear power plants; in fact, quite the contrary. But renewable energy is completely based on technology, principally materials science and engineering, focused mainly on developing more efficient ways of converting the energy from the sun, in one form or another, into useful work.
Insofar as the Earth receives 6000 times more energy from the sun each minute than all 7 billion of us are using, it’s only a matter of time until breakthroughs like the one above get us to the point where we have an abundance of clean, cheap power.
If I were an atheist I would not care about the state of the world after I’m gone so I would rather pollute more so as to maximize my pleasure while I am here – so it follows I should be a Republican climate change denier…
I’m always surprised when people say things like this. Though I have my own point of view on religion, I avoid discussing it here. But whether I’m going to disappear upon my death, or sit at the right hand of God, I feel it’s my duty to do the right thing during this blink-of-an-eye in geologic time that I’m here on Earth. Fortunately, I think most people agree.
I was delighted with the discussion pursuant to my piece on moral philosophy and energy policy. I note that most comments support my beliefs that a) young minds should be exposed to man’s great questions, b) we all do, in fact, share a set of duties and responsibilities, and c) the way in which we generate and consume energy figures prominently here, as the externalities of burning fossil fuels are causing a considerable number of harmful effects – both to us here on Earth now, and to future generations.
The discussion was by no means unanimous, however. Someone wrote in, taking a run at me for my position that government needs to play an important role. I’ve lost the email, but as well as I can remember, it read:
“No, impressionable minds should NOT be exposed to your braying about the importance of big government.” (more…)
