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by Craig ShieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Science

John Boehner, soon-to-be Speaker of the House, told a crowd recently:

The idea that carbon dioxide is a carcinogen that is harmful to our environment is almost comical. Every time we exhale, we exhale carbon dioxide. Every cow in the world, when they do what they do, we’ve got more carbon dioxide.

I know there are people who don’t know the difference between carbon dioxide and methane, or what a carcinogen is, and I’m completely fine with that; ignorance in the general population, the result of a failing school system, “is what it is.”  But when stuff like this comes out of the mouth of one of the most powerful lawmakers on Earth, I’m not at all OK with that.  We need to do a better job in electing people who have a basic command of the core issues that affect our survival.

　

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by Craig ShieldsPosted on Posted in Electric Vehicles

My friend Paul Scott (EV/renewables consultant and all-around good guy) announced that his employer, Nissan/Renault, began its transition to electric in earnest on Saturday. In his blog on electric transportation, he points out:

Nissan could have delivered the first LEAF to a celebrity to get maximum coverage but, to their credit, they delivered it to Olivier Chaloudi, CTO of a tech company in the Bay Area who happened to be the first person to put down a $99 deposit. I like that!

I love the pure joy with which Paul writes.  He’s not afraid of calling out the bad guys, but there is no nastiness in any aspect of his bearing — least of all his wonderful command of the written word.  Tell it like it is, Paul.

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by Craig ShieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Science

As a civilization, we’re in trouble whenever politics trumps science — and we’ve seen plenty of that lately. That’s why the world is so frustrated with the inaction of the COP meeting in Cancun, as we listen to diplomats drone on in vague, glib language while scientists beg for resolutions to save us from what virtually all of them believe to be impending disaster. Clearly, mankind is never well-served to put its scientists in a position of subserviance to big money/power, where they feel they must toe the line on any issue, whether it’s global warming, cold fusion, “clean coal,” etc.

Yet, while I’m a bit reluctant to raise this issue, I would argue that we face an even bigger problem when religion and science cross paths.  (more…)

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by Craig ShieldsPosted on Posted in Electric Vehicles

I had a chat with a friend at lunch just now who asked me for a summary of the migration to electric transportation.  I tried to sum it up as follows:

We know pretty-much where we’re going and why we’re going there.  100 years from now, we won’t be driving gas-powered cars and trucks.  We can’t, for several reasons — peak oil chief among them.  I.e., we couldn’t find that much oil even if we weren’t concerned about the other enormous problems as well: national security, environmental damage, lung disease, etc. 

So I suppose you could say that we know where we’re heading (electric vehicles) — and why.  But we don’t really know when, how, or who.  In other words, we’re still trying to figure out:

When, i.e., how quickly, will all this happen?

How  will all the key issues (charging infrastructure, battery chemistry, etc.) work themselves out?

And, the question that underlies all the others: Who is going to make a buck in the process?  (Figure that last one out, and you’ll have a huge clue to the others.)

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by Craig ShieldsPosted on Posted in Electric Vehicles

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I notice that Shai Agassi of Project Better Place was interviewed on NPR again this morning. Holy cow, that guy has wonderful PR; it’s hard to turn around without running into him presenting his idea (ubiquitous electric vehicle battery swapping stations).

But does it seem practical for a landmass the size of the US? Agassi’s talking point is the “ABCs” of EVs: Automobiles, Batteries, and Charging, in which he reminds us that all the money we’ve invested in the first two will not win the day if we fail to deal properly with the third. Of course this is true – and battery swapping is a wonderful solution for certain parts of the world, e.g., countries like Israel (its first customer). Israel is extremely dense, and surrounded by oil-rich enemies.

I’m no fan of big oil myself, but I just can’t see battery swapping stations all over a landmass like the continental US — 3.5 million square miles, 600 times the size of Israel.  And I certainly don’t buy the idea that the entirety of the charging infrastructure has to be in place before consumers will accept EVs. 

Far more credible, in my opinion, is the following scenario: (more…)

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by Craig ShieldsPosted on Posted in Energy Storage

The ability of nanotechnologies to deliver cost-effective renewable energy and energy efficiency solutions has come under attack in a recently released report by the environmental campaigning organisation Friends of the Earth.

The nano technology industry has over-promised and under-delivered, according to the report. The performance of nano-based renewables has been considerably less than predicted. Efficiency of solar energy conversion by nano solar panels is still about 10% behind that achieved by silicon panels, while the energy and environmental costs of the  nanotechnology industry are far higher than expected.

(more…)

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by Craig ShieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Business

We’ve all had the experience of being turned on by a charismatic public speaker. Personally, I stand in awe of those who can create such a wonderful effect on an audience – perhaps because I know how profoundly difficult it is. As the spokesperson for 2GreenEnergy – and for my marketing services company that I ran for almost 30 years, I’ve found myself, literally hundreds of times, presenting to an audience – the pressure sitting squarely upon my shoulders to explain, to enlighten, to motivate – and I’ve concluded that it’s no piece of cake.

But you’ll travel a long way to find a public speaker on the subject of sustainability more compelling, more credible – and more entertaining than Dr. Woodrow Clark. Last time I heard him speak (at the Renewable Energy Finance Forum in San Francisco last September), he had the place – at various points in his talk – in both tears and stitches.

I’ll be interviewing “Woody” this Friday in preparation for my next book on the macroeconomics of clean energy, and I have to say that I’m counting the days. If you’re interested to know precisely why he’s perfect for the task at hand, check out his website, here.

I’ll do another post following the interview, but this sounds like a sure winner to me.

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by Craig ShieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Business

Do you ever worry that launching your products — aimed as they are on disruptive innovation – will fail to resonate in the marketplace of ideas?

…that your “elevator pitch” – perhaps even your entire business model – will fail to differentiate you effectively from everyone else?

… that your attempts to clarify your true uniqueness to the market will fall flat?

And here’s another question: Do you ever wish there were an easy and inexpensive way to get some strategic, multi-disciplinary business advice from someone with a background of success in this space? (more…)

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by Craig ShieldsPosted on Posted in Wind Energy

A near full-scale prototype of an airborne wind energy system that generates power from constant, high-speed, high-altitude winds will be tested in Piedmont, Italy, in the coming weeks.

When fully operational, KiteGen should be capable of generating 3MW of power. The KiteGen concept was recognized at the Copenhagen Climate summit as among the top 20 leading innovations.

The prototype 150m2 kite will be automatically operated from a revolving dome at ground level – similar to a ship’s gun turret – that contains the electronic control systems and the mechanism to feed the kite in and out. As the kite climbs its fast-turning cable spool generates electricity. When the kite reaches its maximum height, tension on one side is released and the kite begins to drop groundwards. The falling cable is rapidly rewound, needing only a fraction of the energy that was generated as the kite climbed. Once the kite reaches its minimum height, tension is restored to both sides of the kite and it starts to climb once more. When the system has been fully tested, it is intended to use a 500m2 kite. (more…)

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by Craig ShieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Business

I’ll be on the East Coast (heading north from Washington DC to Boston) for the week between Christmas and New Years.  If anyone wants to meet me to discuss a clean energy business idea over a cup of coffee (or a beer, depending on the time of day), please hit “Contact” and let me know.

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