As I wrote a few weeks ago, there are tiny bits of land all over the world that are swearing off fossil fuels entirely. Who knows which country will be the first household name to do the same. Denmark is certainly a front-runner, with its low population, its solid wind resources, and its ability to sell off-peak production to neighboring Germany. (more…)
What is the single most tangible and immediate effect of our devotion to fossil fuels as the source of the world’s energy? It’s probably disease. Because of the oxides of sulfur and nitrogen, as well as the heavy metals and radioactive isotopes that are spewed into the atmosphere as a result of burning coal, peoples of the Earth are getting sick and dying at unprecedented rates.
But, as we all know from what we read, the long-term effects, e.g., climate disruption, ocean acidification, and loss of biodiversity, are probably more ruinous—even though they take place on a larger time scale. (more…)
There are many small things that bring me delight in my role as “curator” of this site, one of which is the numerous requests I get from people all over the world to use the content here in ways I never could have imagined. The other day a gentleman asked if he could translate one of our infographics (“A Brief History of Renewable Energy”) into Spanish and post it on a wall of his factory.
My response: Absolutely!
Here’s what I just got back. Looks fine to me. 🙂
A friend just sent me this: Craig, you might be interested in reading this book: Atomic Accidents: A History of Nuclear Meltdowns and Disasters: From the Ozark Mountains to Fukushima. I found it informative, entertaining and sobering. Well-written.
Thanks very much. (more…)
Have you moved to a new place and are trying to find yourself a new energy supplier? Or are you dissatisfied with the current plan you have and want to choose a new energy supplier? There are many options available as far as gas and electricity supply companies go. You can even choose to have separate providers for each fuel, or a single one for both. (more…)
My colleague Michael Scholey, CEO of e-bike start-up EMCycle (see picture) just sent me this cool little video on the maintenance process for maintaining London’s 10,000 bikes for hire.
I find this remarkable. The bloke reports: “Bikes work rain or shine.” That’s true, but do Londoners like getting soaking wet and filthy dirty? It’s not like they live in Southern California; London gets a mere 222 days of rain out of each 365! Sounds like a market entry point for the EMCycle to me.
In conversations I had many years ago with people who followed U.S. energy politics closely, I received several suggestions that I not criticize Senator Jim Inhofe (R-OK) too harshly. “He’s a laughing stock,” I was told repeatedly. “The incredible ignorance he reveals in his extreme anti-environmentalist position does his cause more harm than good.” That seemed reasonable, and, accordingly, I backed off.
But now that Inhofe will take control of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee in January, I’m wondering (not that my lone voice would have made a significant difference): Did I make the right call? This guy’s star isn’t rising; it’s soaring. (more…)
Below is a graph that illustrates the pickle the world is in vis-a-vis a sustainable course to energy. Apparently, China has promised to max out its consumption of coal by 2030, and the author of this article seems quite exuberant about this. But what exactly is the cause for celebration? First, check out the graph and project it forward 16 years. Does that look good? (more…)
From May to November 1901, electricity and electric lighting were a major feature of the Pan-American Exposition, a gala event featuring educational exhibits and entertainment set on 342 acres in Buffalo, New York. A number of buildings, including the Electric Tower, were covered in more than two million incandescent light bulbs, producing an incredible display—and using more energy than one could imagine. (more…)
Digital menu boards for restaurants are becoming the trend, quickly replacing the ancient printed paper menus. This is because of the way they are easing the menu updating and management tasks on top of making restaurant management easier. Restaurants are hailing these technological developments for their ability to help manage the content of multiple restaurants with ease and from a single location. (more…)
