Over the years, 2GreenEnergy has played host to an uncountable number of discussions about the projected adoption curve for electric vehicles. In particular, many of us have wrung our hands over how slow this process has been, while harboring the fear that the future may be just as uninteresting as the past. (more…)
I like to think of myself as a man of righteous conviction. “Damned be he who disagrees with this,” I sometimes think to myself as I pound my chest between keystrokes.
Having said that, it really does feel good when my observations on our civilization’s approach to energy align with those of the ultimate man of peace and wisdom, The Dalai Lama. Here he comes out as a proponent of advanced nuclear, i.e., safe, clean, reasonably-priced nuclear energy that has no capacity to act as the basis of thermonuclear weapons.
His reasoning: all of us on Earth, rich or poor, have a right to a decent future, and none of us wants to despoil the planet’s future. He speaks the usual sooth.
When I first became seriously interested in renewable energy about a decade ago, several people told me: “Renewables aren’t on Big Oil’s radar screen right now, since clean energy’s penetration into the overall energy mix is next to nothing. But watch what happens when solar and wind become a real threat. The fossil fuel people will go ballistic; they’ll fight tooth and nail to put a spear through their new-found competition.” (more…)
Here’s something that will simultaneously amuse and inspire; it’s a reminder of how quickly our society is evolving towards civility, equality and decency.
Do you want your children to live next door to a landfill? The burning of this pile of trash releases toxic chemicals into the air, causing serious problems for our own generation and the ones that follow. There are many reasons why recycling is an earth-friendly and environmentally responsible thing to do. (more…)
As growing populations result in the inevitable larger, messier landfills, more aggressive and viable solutions are being developed and implemented through three major channels: organic recycling, technology, and other creative forms of recycling at every level. While admittedly not totally effective by any means, when combined with other available methods, they can make a noticeable dent in the landfill dilemma. (more…)
I’m having discussions with a start-up in the New England section of the U.S. that offers a unique approach and capability to hydrokinetics; they’re interested in having my team and me deliver a set of “biz dev” actions aimed at helping them advance their concept into real-world projects. (more…)
Re: My recent post Making the Transition from Oil, my friend from Germany writes: Wow, thank you for this insightful response to my question. It is my hope that oil will lose its economic advantage in the near future.
It’s going to take time. As you know, oil isn’t used for electricity, but for transportation. Thus it competes with EV batteries. As long as we don’t care about the consequences of oil (like terrorism, in addition to the health and environmental aspects), it will be around for quite a while. And the world political issues, e.g., the U.S. relationship with the royal family and the mega-wealthy of Saudi Arabia (i.e., the funders of ISIS) doesn’t help.
It’s the birthday of Isaac Newton, perhaps the best-known person in the history of science. Though there was other genius to his credit, Newton’s celebrity derived mainly from his insight into universal gravitation and thus the Laws of Motion that apply to all things on Earth as well as celestial objects. Ironically, his fame was amplified even further because of the stunning nature by which this paradigm was shattered in the 20th Century, not once, but twice. (more…)
A friend from Germany writes: My boyfriend and I were discussing offshore drilling last night, he thinks this will gain momentum once oil prices go up. I am optimistic about renewables and a phasing out of fossil fuels within the next 20 years. As an energy expert, what are your thoughts about the future of offshore drilling in the USA? Thank you for your expert opinion!
What a great question. (more…)
