Renewable Energy

Sustainability & Environment Headlines – 2 August, 2005

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Wind Powered Liberty / Windmills generate energy, criticism, praise / Wind farm in gorge may blow others away / New air conditioner to put electricity demand on ice / Ray of sunshine seen in energy legislation / L.A. alternative-energy fees to rise / Afghans see forests, tree by tree / How ‘Green’ Is Home Cooking? / Hot enough for you? June-July top the all-time charts for [north-east N.America] / As planet warms, storms grow stronger / Bad to the Last Drop / Australia claims part credit for “Beyond Kyoto”

Sustainability and Environment Headlines – 27th July, 2005

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Farmers market feeding the poor / Couple does its part to avoid guzzling resources / How To Do Decentralized Energy / Lending a Hand to Argentina’s Protesters / The Green Machine That Could Be Detroit / Academics propose teaching organic farming / Report gives Nova Scotia a reality check, proposes new energy strategy / More and Dumber People – Hot and Hotter Planet / Climate change inevitable: Minister / Rainbow Warrior interrupts Newcastle’s coal operations / Farms spew out nitrogen oxides / Methane May Pack Double the Climate Punch of Earlier Estimates / Planet of the Plants / Mayor calls for action to fight global warming / Congress Told Hydrogen Fuel Decades from Being Practical / With a Push From the U.N., Water Reveals Its Secrets / Power plants worried as heat wave warms Great Lakes

The Tragic Abuse of Corn

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It was one of those things that you can’t quite believe is real. I was flipping through a magazine and saw an ad for a stove that burns corn kernels. For heat. Corn is food, not fuel, I thought, but the ad assured me that “Corn is replenished annually. It is a never-ending energy source, and thus is the new alternative fuel of choice.”

UK Peak Oil Conference – London, 11 October

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On 11 October 2005, in London, a major conference will look at the peak
oil problem and its impact on climate change, the world’s food supply and
the world economy. Speakers include Michael Meacher MP, Tim Lang and
Andrew Simms (of NEF), and the chair will be Dr Ian Gibson MP. The
conference is being organised by East Anglia Food Link, CRed, Sustain and
PowerSwitch.org.uk.

Exponential Enrons Ahead

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There has been a lot of media focus on the $18 billion in tax incentives contained in the Senate energy bill, but almost nothing about PUHCA repeal, even though the latter is by far the greatest prize: according to Lynn Hargis the value of all regulated utilities exceeds one trillion dollars. [PUHCA = Public Utilities Holding Company Act, a cornerstone New Deal financial reform]

There’s no fuel like an old fuel

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Strongly reasoned case put for biofuels as the solution to decline of fossil oil supply. Dr Chia (cardiologist) calmly lays out the Hubbert/depletionists case, dismisses any central role for nuclear energy, and goes on to advocate bioengineered phyto-fuels (for biodiesel etc) and the development of artificial photosynthesis.

The next 50 years: Four European energy futures

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Report considering European energy transition scenarios, four story lines connecting plausible global developments in world energy markets and climate change policies consistently with European energy regime changes and related national innovation pressures. It includes explicit consideration of anti-globalisation arguments and climate change scenario’s, setting a new standard for integrated analysis.