Insight and inspiration in turbulent times.
-Debunking wind energy myths – At a glance
-Merkel’s Other Crisis Spurs German Quest For Energy Holy Grail
-Dark clouds gather over China’s once-booming solar industry
-US solar PV market more than doubles to topple Europe
-Biofuel fails EU sustainability test, German researchers claim
-Keiser report: Monopolies, Military, Mayhem
-In Drought, Should Corn Be Food Or Fuel?
-China to spend $372 billion on cutting energy use, pollution
-China’s mega coal power bases exacerbate water crisis – in pictures
-Thousands being moved from China’s Three Gorges – again
-China and its controversial carbon appetite [Book review]
In Extraenvironmentalist #47 we discuss the global energy picture with Chris Nelder as he describes the energy stories we tell ourselves and explains exactly how many natural gas wells it will take for the United States to gain energy independence. Then, we speak with Gregor MacDonald about the recent blackout in India that cut electricity to 10% of Earth’s population.
At this writing, the Tres Hombres schooner-brig is just reaching the Netherlands, on its way back from Copenhagen.
This we are sure of: as petroleum dependence continues to wreak havoc on our Earth’s sensitive environment, and the energy alternatives do not comprise an immediate solution, sail power emerges as the most viable energy source for trade and travel.
The documentary takes a penetrating look at overpopulation, what fuels it and why the world has become complacent about the issue after making a good start in addressing it during the late 60s. The film dispels some key myths about overpopulation – chief among them the belief that it’s long been solved – even if it stops short of admitting the inevitability of a world population crash as the Earth’s resources deplete. And it conveys its message in an engaging, visually immersive style that finds just the right balance between hard facts and ordinary human involvement.
-Every Household in India to Have Electricity in 5 Years: Indian PM
-India’s other power failure (and its opportunity)
-Smart Grid Solutions in India [White Paper]
-Asia’s real power struggle
We talk about the possibility of reducing fossil fuel use by 80% by 2050 and ramping up renewables at the same time, to help prevent climate change. If we did this, what would such a change mean for GDP, based on historical Energy and GDP relationships back to 1820?
-Zero Blade Turbine Could Revolutionize Wind Power Industry
-As Coal Sinks, Renewables Soar: Emissions Report Shows Start Of Clean Energy Transition
-Counting the carbon cost of the EU’s woods
-Rare-earth mining in China comes at a heavy cost for local villages
-Reports: China moves to further restrict rare-earth exports
-Google-Backed Asteroid Mining Venture Attracts Billionaires
Gibson Mill prides itself on being entirely off-grid, with 100% of its electricity, heating and water sourced on site. Electrical power is from water turbines and a 4kW solar photovoltaic array, water comes from a spring on the estate and heating is provided by a biomass (wood) boiler, using wood exclusively sourced on site.
I have not kept it secret that I’m a fan of solar power. Leaving storage hangups aside for now, the fact that the scale of available power is comfortably gigantic, that perfectly efficient technology exists, that it’s hard-over on the reality axis (vs. fantasy: it’s producing electricity on my roof right now), and that it works well almost everywhere—what’s not to like? Did you trip over that last part? Many do. In this post, we’ll look at just how much solar yield one may expect as a function of location within the U.S.
Lower oil and US gas prices saw Q2 profits down at most of the oil majors, though Exxon recorded another record quarterly profit of $15.9 billion due to asset sales…
