Insight and inspiration in turbulent times.
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]
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.
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.
The Cost of Energy is a new grassroots energy education web site from American Lou Grinzo that is outlining the issues (and the jargon!) in an approachable question and answer format. We asked Lou to outline his starting assumptions and provide some background on the project and himself.
Research at Oxford University shows that intermittent renewables, combined with domestic combined heat and power (dCHP) could dependably provide the bulk of Britain’s electricity.
The growing consensus is that only new nuclear power can plug that gap without contributing to global warming.
But a new report indicates that a judicious mix of intermittent renewables – wave, wind, sun and tide – could supply over half of UK electricity.
The anticipated power crisis in Auckland can be circumvented by careful, innovative planning and the deployment of tidal-current turbines, claims retired Professor Dr Anthony Bellve.
GE shows its green colors, with full page ads full of .. imagination.
Penn State environmental engineers and a scientist at Ion Power Inc. have developed an electrically assisted process that enables bacteria to coax four times as much hydrogen directly out of biomass than can be generated typically by fermentation alone.
A conference on oil supply difficulties just held in Edinburgh, Scotland, witnessed a lively a debate about supply and demand in energy markets.
Wind farms, while necessary, are a classic example of what environmentalists call an “end-of-the-pipe solution”. Instead of tackling the problem – our massive demand for energy – at source, they provide less damaging means of accommodating it.
An interesting proposal for an ‘atmospheric vortex engine’, a variation on the solar chimney concept for channeling solar energy as wind to drive a generator.
A shift from burning wood to burning charcoal in African households could save millions of lives and substantially reduce emissions of greenhouse gases, say US researchers.
