Blog – Page 1573 – 2GreenEnergy.com

The Electric Vehicle Adoption Curve – Two Opposing Views

craigshieldsPosted on November 29, 2011 Posted in Electric Vehicles

In response to my recent piece on electric vehicles, a few readers sent me John Peterson’s position on the subject. Thanks, but I’m already quite familiar with it. John’s a brilliant, honest, and levelheaded guy; in fact, I plan to visit him in Switzerland when I’m in Europe next spring. Having said this, I disagree with him here.

For starters, the concept that EVs are overhyped and destined to failure because “Cheap Beats Cool” does not ring true of the auto market generally. Since the dawn of the automobile, and certainly since World War II, cars may be about sex, or about the wish to appear affluent, but they certainly aren’t about getting around as inexpensively as possible; “cheap” really isn’t the motivating force here. (more…)

November’s Webinar: Top Business Plans

craigshieldsPosted on November 28, 2011 Posted in Renewables - Business

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyrehx520so]In November’s webinar, I discussed some of the best business plans I’ve encountered in renewable energy and electric transportation. This is part of an ongoing project in which I review an incoming stream of clean energy business concepts, apply five criteria to each, and present to investors the small fraction (2.7% thus far) that meet all the conditions that I impose.

In the webinar, I chose a smattering of these plans and presented them to a live audience. Many of those listening wrote in questions, which I fielded as they came across.

Represented here are investment opportunities in electric transportation, wind, biomass, solar thermal, synthetic fuels, hydrokinetics, and concepts in energy storage, both batteries and compressed air.

I hope you enjoy.

Tagged with: alternative energy, business plan, clean energy, electric transportation, free webinar, green energy, Renewable Energy, solar energy, solar panels, solar power, Wind Energy, wind power, wind turbines

We Hail from a Long Line of Alternative Fueled Vehicles

craigshieldsPosted on November 28, 2011 Posted in Electric Vehicles

A quick reminder that we come from a long line of alternative fueled vehicles: It’s the 116th anniversary of the first automobile race in the United States. 89 had entered, but only six actually started, of which half were electric cars. And, as noted in the biofuels section of our History of Renewables piece, Henry Ford built the Model T to run on ethanol.

Tagged with: alternative energy, alternative fueled vehicles, biofuels, clean energy, electric cars, Electric Vehicles, ethanol, EVs, first automobile race in the Unites States, green energy, Henry Ford, History of Renewables, Model T, Renewable Energy

Bringing Global Health and Sustainable Development to Rural Honduras

craigshieldsPosted on November 27, 2011 Posted in Sustainability

My nephew Garrett continues to reflect lasting credit on all of us in the extended Shields family — not only with his scholarship, but also with his participation in incredible activities like this Public Health Brigade, centered around global health and sustainable development. As part of his college major in the subject, he’ll be spending a week in January in rural Honduras, helping people who haven’t had the advantages that most 2GreenEnergy readers enjoy. He’ll be working together with the indigenous people, building a bridge to a world of better sanitation. I hope you’ll check out the video linked above.

This is not the first time, nor will it be the last, that this young man has made me so intensely proud.

Tagged with: alternative energy, clean energy, global health, green energy, Honduras, Renewable Energy, sustainable development

The Basic Renewable Energy Technologies

craigshieldsPosted on November 26, 2011 Posted in Renewables - Science

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AgKgc_Oo1fI]As part of my series of basic videos for newcomers on the main renewable energy technologies, I lay out the basic forms of clean energy and say a few words about photovoltaics, solar thermal (aka concentrated solar power or CSP, biomass, hydrokinetics, and geothermal.

Tagged with: alternative energy, biomass, clean energy, concentrated solar power, CSP, geothermal, green energy, Hydrokinetics, photovoltaic, Renewable Energy, renewable energy technologies, solar energy, solar panels, solar power, Solar Thermal

The Future of Renewable Energy

craigshieldsPosted on November 26, 2011 Posted in Biomass

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73aSNb7EvHg&w=500&h=369]

Here’s a short video in which I discuss the future of algae and other biofuels, synthetic fuels, and cold fusion.

Tagged with: algae biofuels, alternative energy, clean energy, cold fusion, green energy, Renewable Energy, synthetic fuels

What’s Behind America’s Pitiful Abdication of World Financial Leadership?

craigshieldsPosted on November 25, 2011 Posted in Renewables - Politics

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s clarity of viewpoint, not to mention writing style, is quite impressive. In this short masterpiece, Big Carbon’s Sock Puppets Declare War on America and the Planet, he correctly identifies the issues that lie at the core of America’s pitiful abdication of world financial leadership.

Kennedy begins: “It’s now become de rigueur among the radical right wing rhetoricians to characterize any government support of America’s green energy sector as wasteful, fruitless, and scandalous.” (more…)

Tagged with: alternative energy, America’s abdication, clean energy, green energy, Renewable Energy, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Economics of Energy

craigshieldsPosted on November 25, 2011 Posted in Renewables - Business

A friend from Chile just sent me this brilliant article on the economics of energy, adding, “If the author is right, it seems like we are in very deep four-letter-smelly-nitrogenous-compound.”

I reply:

I happen to believe he is, in fact, right on the money. I’ll send you a copy of my new book the moment I get one in my hands. This concept, i.e., that we can’t grow our way out of this, lies at the core of a great many of the interviews, especially my talk with economist Nate Hagens. This will force a great number of new ways of thinking.

Tagged with: economics of energy, Nate Hagens

Renewable Energy and Electric Transportation Face Issue with “Discount Rate”

craigshieldsPosted on November 25, 2011 Posted in Renewables - Business

A fellow I know has developed an incredible new coating for machinery, and points out that the business case for using this is quite compelling. He writes, “Experts estimate that 25 to 30 percent of all corrosion costs (estimated at $276 billion in the U.S.) could be eliminated through better painting practices.” He laments that the world doesn’t seem to have an appetite for this, even though the numbers are so obvious.

I reply:

What you’ve observed here is that we have a very hard time investing for the future — even when the business case is overwhelmingly strong. And unfortunately, this applies to almost everything we’re doing here in renewable energy and electric transportation. (more…)

Tagged with: alternative energy, clean energy, discount rate, electric transportation, Electric Vehicles, EVs, green energy, Renewable Energy, Wind Energy, wind power, wind turbines

From Guest Blogger Jim Stack: Green Holidays

craigshieldsPosted on November 25, 2011 Posted in Sustainability, Uncategorized

How can you have a Green Holiday ? It’s not easy since we often travel to visit friends and family. We also do a lot of cooking and eating.

You could travel less, take a greener form of transportation and of course car pool with others. Even calling to say Hi instead of traveling could be a smaller carbon footprint.

When eating we can eat healthier and a little less. Maybe just once piece of that great pie your aunt cooks special for you. Of course eating more fruits and vegetables is always greener and very healthy.

What are ways you use to be greener on Holidays ?

Tagged with: alternative energy, clean energy, energy, green, green energy, Green Holidays, holiday, Renewable Energy