ExxonMobil--Climate Change Case Takes a Step in the Right DirectionIt appears that the prosecution of ExxonMobil for defrauding investors by lying about climate change has taken a turn for the worse for the oil giant, as their attempts to have the case moved from New York to Texas have all been denied.  In fact, New York couldn’t be a worse venue for Exxon, given its extremely powerful laws that protect investors from deceit.  Texas, of course, couldn’t be better for them, as it’s a haven to congressional stooges like Lamar Smith, climate change denier and Chairman of the House Science committee (!) who has relentlessly attacked the EPA and others to provide immunity for ExxonMobil.

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U.S. Renewable Energy ResourcesQuestion: What clean energy resources is the largest contributor to the U.S. grid-mix.  Hint: the correct answer just took the lead in 2016.

Answer: Can be found at Clean Energy Answers.

Relevance: Hydro will be back on top in 2017, though the current leader will retake the lead for the foreseeable future in 2018.

 

 

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Humankind Possesses Superior Intelligence--But There's a CatchIt’s the birthday of primatologist Jane Goodal, who pointed out, “Chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans have been living for hundreds of thousands of years in their forest, living fantastic lives, never overpopulating, never destroying the forest. I would say that they have been in a way more successful than us as far as being in harmony with the environment.”

It really is remarkable that the human species, with its superior intelligence, behaves so poorly in so many ways.  (more…)

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Westinghouse Bankruptcy Shakes The Nuclear World - ForbesMy old friend from high school, Bruce Wilson, now a practitioner of LEED certified building construction, sent me this piece on the Westinghouse bankruptcy and what it means to the nuclear industry.  I respond:

I have to think the author is correct, in that this will not kill the nuclear industry,  any more than Solyndra killed solar. It may even represent an opportunity, by leading to standard designs that can be replicated far more easily and inexpensively than what we’ve done previously in most of the world, i.e., everywhere but France.  (more…)

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Unworkable Ideas in Energy and Electric TransportationIt seems like I do an awful lot of raining on others’ parades, but someone needs to sort out good ideas from bad ones.  Here’s a great example of something that isn’t theoretically impossible, but is supremely impractical.

There is no doubt that some of your car’s energy is lost as you drive over bumps and go around corners, but capturing it is a viciously unworkable idea.  (more…)

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What If Trump Were Just Playing a Joke on Us? It’s been five years since I interviewed my colleague Dr. Tom Konrad of AltEnergyStocks for my book Is Renewable Really Doable?  Now I come to learn that he has even more talent than I actually suspected.  Check out this satire he wrote for April Fools Day, in which Trump’s Press Secretary Sean Spicer announces to the world that all this stupidity and hate emanating from the White House is a joke.  Fabulous. (more…)

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Certain Industries Kick Butt in Terms of Environmental Stewardship If we had to pick an industry (outside of cleantech per se) that sits at the pinnacle of environmental responsibility, beer microbreweries wouldn’t be a bad choice.   (more…)

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Question:  Here are the first two slides from an investor deck seeking investment capital for a diesel fuel additive that claims to create better fuel mileage and fewer emissions.  While I don’t doubt the claims, I offer these slides and ask you to point out two errors from a marketing perspective that I forwarded on to the principles. (more…)

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“Electromagnetic Drive” – Whatever That IsA dear old Facebook friend asked my opinion on this “technology.”

Well, let’s take a peek.   (more…)

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Sweden Joins Elite List: Headed Quickly to 100% Clean EnergyThere are a few requirements that need to be in place for a country to commit to 100% renewable energy in the near future (25 years in this case), and lands like Sweden meet them all.

Obviously, physical resources per capita is one. (more…)

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