Insight and inspiration in turbulent times.
– The electric car age just got a little closer (Deutsche Bank on peak oil)
– Robert Rapier’s Top 10 Energy Related Stories of 2010
– EIA Annual Energy Outlook 2011: Don’t Worry, Be Happy
– Renewable and fossil electricity generation costs compared
– With Peak Oil Looming, Gulf States Consider Ending Fossil Fuel Subsidies
– Coal Interests Fueling Gingrich’s Cash-Burning 527
– When energy comes to a Senegalese village, do people get more healthy, wealthy and wise?
– Poor people’s energy outlook 2010
“…we don’t know when exactly the oil is going to start peaking and production is going to start running down, but…we don’t as a nation want to be putting ourselves in hock…to these sorts of markets…” So said UK Energy Minister Chris Huhne speaking on Radio 4’s Today Programme on Thursday. ODAC believes that this is the first time a UK energy minister has actually acknowledged peak oil as a factor driving policy. While the statement remains vague on timing, this is nonetheless a very welcome shift.
A year ago peak oil author Dave Cohen christened 2009 “A Year We Will Live To Regret.” But as it happens, 2010 has brought its own mother lode of discouragement, failure and tragedy. It began on the heels of the bungled climate change summit in Copenhagen, a major blackout in southern France and news of a disastrous crash in Yemen’s oil revenues. Before the year had rounded its halfway mark, it had presided over the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the worst environmental disaster in U.S. history. And as if all this weren’t enough, 2010 also saw the sudden and unexpected death of one of the very icons of the peak oil movement, the revered Matthew R. Simmons.
-Using Waste, Swedish City Cuts Its Fossil Fuel Use
-Africa mulls biofuels as land grab fears grow
-Biomass – a burning issue
-EU plans to tackle unwanted impacts of biofuels
-Cornell to develop algal biofuels
It has an appealing symmetry to it: If we got ourselves into this climate mess by digging up and burning coal, maybe we can fix it by creating some more coal and putting it back into the ground.
Intelligently and broadly applied and ethically managed, the production of biochar and its incorporation in the soil has the potential to lower carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere, not on a millennial time line, but within a few decades. We have the possibility of reversing climate change.
Personally, I don’t believe large-scale commercialization of cellulosic ethanol will ever be viable due to the aforementioned fundamental issues with biomass conversion and efficiency, and will ultimately be relegated to the role of a niche fuel provider.
Wood stove dealers are often faced with challenging questions from customers or from reporters about the environmental suitability of wood as a home heating fuel. We thought up some really hard questions and answered them as briefly as possible.
…When a local journalist asks for an interview you never know what kind of question you might be asked. With negative news about wood smoke pollution in the media these days, there is a good chance you will be asked an awkward question. You don’t want to be stumped, first because it is embarrassing and second because you’ll miss an opportunity to set the record straight.
– Kjell Aleklett in Australia: Scary new best friend for politicians – peak oil
– Tom Whipple: What ONE Policy Change Would You Make?
– Energy and immigration (peak oil and Mexico)
– Why Is Canada Freezing out Geothermal Power?
Large and complex systems, particularly in remote and environmentally challenging environments such as wind farms, especially off shore, will probably be early renewable energy casualties of the decline in oil supply.
America is beginning to look a lot like the dark “Pottersville” vision in Frank Capra’s “It’s a Wonderful Life”. Jimmy Stewart’s character George Bailey is shown a town where the middle class has been destroyed and lives in poverty under the thumb of evil Big Banker Henry Potter. Bailey’s heroic efforts to help the middle class saved Bedford Falls. America can help the middle class prepare for energy shortages with energy retrofit loans — or funnel billions to Potter-like promoters of Too Big to Fail energy projects. Where’s that angel Clarence when we need him most?
