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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Sustainability

by John F Robbins  CEM / CSDP

Design, Analysis, Consulting & Education since 1983 to Improve Ecological Performance
859-363-0376
johnfrobbins@insightbb.com
www.johnfrobbins.com

Just read your book, referred to me by a green-leaning architect I know.  Below are my comments.

Your presentation is mostly about top-down options, assuming consumer demands and loads as well as consumer and business m.o.’s do not change.  Yet consumer and business demands, loads and current m.o.’s are all what they are as a result of many years of readily available ad-infinitum access to cheap fossil energy with very little cost for environmental damages or threats to human and ecological health.  I guess the assumption by you and all you’ve interviewed is now that we’re here – energy guzzling, environment-damaging and using beyond our means both in terms of money and resources – we are unlikely to be able to change.  I disagree with this.  (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Politics

Recently, China has been working hard to reverse their image as the world’s most polluted country and the world’s biggest emitter of greenhouse gases. A recent study revealed that they are now the world’s leader in clean energy efforts, leaving other more-developed countries far behind.

The report, which was sponsored by Australia’s Climate Institute think tank, revealed that China is leading the world in renewable energy efforts and is making significant strides toward reducing pollution in their country and around the world.

One major reason China has been named a leader in green energy is because of their efforts to cut pollution from the electricity generation process. The electricity generation process can be blamed for much of the pollution in China, as well as around the world. They are doing this mainly by offering incentives to the people who are responsible for manufacturing the resource. They award incentives, often in cash form, to manufacturers who develop low-carbon ways of developing electricity. (more…)

by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Fossil Fuels

China has committed to long-term development of green energy, as we all can see.  As the world’s largest user of energy – and also its largest polluter – it needs energy to power its growth. China’s latest five-year strategy is quite ambitious – to impose significant taxes on heavy polluters.

Since Copenhagen, China has shown every indication that it intends to live up to its pledge, and has promised to include new policies to curb pollution as part of its overall energy plans. The government plans to close dirty sources of energy: 10,000 MW of small power plants, 25 million metric tons of iron-mill capacity, 6 million tons of steel capacity and 50 million tons of cement capacity, saving equivalent of 16 million tons of coal, said Xie Zhenhua in a press release in the 4th quarter of 2010. Xie is the vice chair of the National Development and Reform Commission.

China has already become a green energy leader, through hydropower, development and manufacture of solar and wind, and through its aggressive energy plan. It also wants to lead in a low-carbon economy and fight (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Science

Frequent contributor Mark Vendetti sends an interesting article that I thought everyone would enjoy.  I believe there is a profound (albeit sad) truth here:

Craig,

Check this out, it might help to explain why some people seem so resistant to change their thinking even when presented with the facts about climate change. 

There is no doubt that people really do hate to change their minds.  We’ve all seen this a million times, and it applies to ourselves just as well as it does to others.  (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Biomass

Question: The dozens of flavors of biomass technologies are all rooted in making use of the chemical energy stored in the bonds of complex, organic molecules, which, in some processes, is released to reform biofuels, normally in the form of alcohol. What are the most common forms of these alcohols?

Answer: Can be found at http://2greenenergy.com/cool-guess-answers/8732.

Relevance: A number of 2GreenEnergy clients employ gasification technologies, using various combinations of temperature controls, catalysts, and metered introduction of oxygen to break down the biomass as cleanly as possible. Our favorite? Thermal anaerobic gasification, as represented by our client Resource Recovery Corporation, whose unique and patented process does not form carcinogenic clag as a byproduct.

　

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Wind Energy

General Electric has shown its intent to become the leading player in offshore wind power. At the start of July GE signed an agreement with two Scandinavian energy companies to install and test four floating 4MW wind turbines off the coast of Norway. The rotors on the turbines will be 110 meters in diameter, and each turbine will be capable of generating power for 1,000 homes.

In all, GE has plans to invest approximately €340 million ($425 million) in offshore wind turbine manufacturing and service facilities in Norway, Sweden, Germany and the UK. More than $90 million of that funding is being invested in Norway on an Offshore Technology Development Center in Oslo and production of its turbine demonstration units. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Science

I played on my college squash team in the 1970s, and every year we made the ride up to Cambridge, Mass. to play MIT. Though we routed them every year, the most pleasurable part of the day for me was meeting someone who was twice the math/science mind that I would ever be.

That whole experience just replayed itself, in my meeting with Dr. Marie Corio, CEO of boutique consultancy Applied Economic Research in Brooklyn, NY. Marie is arguably the world’s most senior analyst of coal-fired power plants and the assessment of their lifespan and viability, drawing on her expertise in economics, metallurgy, organic chemistry, and computer modeling. Marie kept me spellbound as I sat, quietly sipping my coffee, and learning everything I could about her exciting vocation. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Business

I had an amusing experience the other day that I thought I’d share. I was making a phone call to the administrative assistant of a senior partner in a venture capital firm, trying to squeeze in a moment to make a pitch for a certain client whose clean energy solution I happen to favor. A woman picked up the phone and said, “This is April, may I help you?”

I said, “Yes, April, you may. But first, let me tell you that what you just said was the first sentence I’ve ever heard that used two consecutive months of the year – consecutively in the sentence: April and May.”

“Oh my goodness!” she exclaimed. I’ve been saying that for years and never noticed.”

“All right!” I responded. “Now, if you want to set a record that will probably never be broken, here’s a suggestion. When you hire yourself an assistant, hold out for one named June. Then you can say, ‘This is April, may June, my assistant, or I help you?’ Offhand, I can’t think of a way to get ‘March’ in front of all this, but if I think of one, I promise to let you know.”

We had a good laugh about it.

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Business

Linus Pauling is a personal hero of mine. The great chemists of the day (mid-20th Century) admired Pauling’s achievements in quantum physics, but ridiculed his experiments in organic chemistry. “What could a physicist know about our work!” they jeered. One can only imagine how shocked and embarrassed they were when Pauling won the 1954 Nobel Prize for his breakthroughs in protein chemistry.

Obviously, this is an inspirational story on a number of levels, especially for those of us who believe that too much specialization is not necessarily a good thing, or that “pride goeth before a fall.” But I’m reminded in particular of one of my favorite quotes from the genius:

“The way to have good ideas is to have lots of ideas.”

This has everything to do with the 2GreenEnergy mission statement: Taking Good Ideas Forward. This is why I urge a volume of new ideas, and never censor opinions or ridicule honest ideas. Everyone should be encouraged to think outside the box, and stretch his imagination to the fullest.

Pauling’s reminder calls upon me to spend a great deal of my life on the phone, email, and on planes, communicating with inventors and entrepreneurs all over the world. Since I’m serious about forwarding good ideas, I know I have to go find lots of potential candidates.

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Electric Vehicles

For all the attention it is receiving, the Chevrolet Volt is not going to change much about the typical vehicle GM sells.

Chevrolet Volt Marketing Director Tony DiSalle said on July 2 that they plan to produce 10,000 Volts by the end of 2011, and an additional 30,000 Volts during  2012 at its Detroit-Hamtramck facility. In Europe, a sister car, the Ampera, is due to go into production roughly 12 months after the Volt.

During 2011 and 2012 GM will produce approximately 7 million vehicles that run on hydrocarbon fuels. (more…)

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