Home › Blog › Page 1366

by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Fossil Fuels

Big Oil’s Role in Our Energy Future

In response to my piece comparing Big Oil to Big Tobacco, Matthew Baxter writes:  Just like big tobacco is around 20 years after people were predicting their imminent demise – big oil is likely to still be around in 20 years. Are container ships and planes going to run on batteries tomorrow/Next year/20 years?

To be clear, I’m aware that the fossil fuel industries will be here for a long time to come, and that’s actually a good thing, as I’ll explain below. (more…)

Tagged with: , , , , , , ,

by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Science

Boyle'sSelfFlowingFlaskAs an example of a strange communication between a reader and me, Mark writes:

Hello Craig:  You may recall we had some discussions earlier this year regarding an emerging new technology which we believed was going to revolutionize the way power could be produced.  Our clients have now finalized an exhibition prototype in which they were able to prove and achieve what was previously thought impossible. (more…)

Tagged with: , ,

by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Fossil Fuels

Big Energy Faces Tough ChallengesFrom my feed at Quora.com, a reader asks: What are the biggest obstacles/challenges facing the energy industry?

Do you literally mean “challenges facing the energy industry,” e.g., the oil companies?  If so, you need to understand that this is very different from “energy-related challenges facing the world.”  (more…)

Tagged with: , , , , , ,

by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Hydrokinetics

Generate Energy from Ocean Waves: Rough SurfI wish I had a dollar for every time I’ve responded to an inventor: “Will it generate electricity?  Yes.  Will it do so cost-effectively?  Not in a million years.”

Here’s the poster child for this phenomenon.  If anything like this has a chance, it’s the Pelamis.

 

Tagged with: , ,

by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Fossil Fuels

A Weird Time for the U.S. to Approve the Extraction of Fossil Fuels on Federally-Owned LandUnfortunately, the folks at Greenpeace are best known for their civil disobedience. I say “unfortunately,” not that I have a problem with refusing to comply with harmful laws, but because the vast majority of what these people do is far more mainstream, as exemplified in the piece below, i.e., circulating a petition to U.S. President Obama, suggesting that he take a stand against the extraction of fossil fuels on public land.

They are correct; this is something he can and should do before he leaves office.   (more…)

Tagged with: , , , , ,

by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Politics

For Those Who Hate Big Government….Lots of Americans want a smaller government, based on the notion that the public sector is bloated and corrupt. I get that. But our government runs like a Swiss watch compared to the one described here.

 

 

Tagged with: , ,

by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Wind Energy

Credit Suisse Projects ~85% Of US Energy Demand Growth Coming From Renewables Through 2025I don’t have a problem with comments on the site that challenge my own bullish viewpoint on renewable energy; in most cases, they provide an interesting counterpoint from which everyone wins as a result.  I DO have a problem with folks who present data that’s completely incorrect, like this post from “MarcoPolo” who writes:

But it’s just absurd to claim solar /wind are viable sources of power for industrial societies. Power distribution networks are not designed to cope with intermittent power generation. (Nor can they be), Most renewable power is simply “dumped”. Nor can society be re-organized to function on solely renewable energy. It just won’t happen.

In the first place, very little power from solar and wind is “dumped.” (more…)

Tagged with: , , , , , ,

by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Sustainability

You already know the big things you can do to reduce your carbon footprint. Commuting on public transit rather than drive a gas-guzzling SUV to work, recycling, and using energy efficient appliances make an obvious and huge difference in the amount of resources you use. It’s not just the big things that matter though; there are many small lifestyle changes you can make that will also have a significant impact on your carbon footprint. (more…)

Tagged with: , , ,

by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Business

Volkswagen America: Sales Are Up in October 2015 Over October 2014If you needed proof that American consumers really don’t care a whit about the ethical standards of the vendors from which they buy their stuff, here’s further assurance.  (more…)

Tagged with: , ,

by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Biomass

Gasification Gasification is a thermochemical process which allows the conversion of materials that are rich in carbon, such as coal, petroleum, or biomass, into carbon monoxide, hydrogen and other gaseous compounds.

The thermal degradation process requires high temperatures (above 700-800°C) in the presence of a sub-stoichiometric proportion of an oxidizing agent, usually air (oxygen) or steam. The resulting gaseous mixture constitutes what is called syngas and is itself a fuel. Gasification is a method of extracting energy from different types of organic materials, and also provides the added benefit of the treatment of waste. (more…)

Tagged with: , , ,