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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Climate Change

Bank of England governor Mark CarneyAbout half of all the world’s fossil fuel, i.e., the energy in the hydrocarbon bonds that resulted from hundreds of millions of years of life on Earth, has been harvested and burned over the last century or so–and it’s happening at an ever-increasing rate.  That’s a scary thought.  But here’s another one: What if you’re a major bank, say, the Bank of England, and you’re coming to terms with the fact that harvesting the remaining half may not be possible, given the realities of global climate change?  What to do about this enormous quantity of “stranded assets?”  As the article linked above suggests, this must make for some intense discussions.

Pictured: Bank of England governor Mark Carney speaking in August 2015.  (Photo: flickr/cc)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Photovoltaics

Building-Integrated Solar PV (BIPV) Product—The Very Best in ClassI recently ran across a rapid-growth Atlanta, GA-based BIPV company whose product approach I particularly favor.  As I told the executive team when I first met them, this represents an important find for me, since I spend a significant amount of time each year in researching the best solutions that are available in this swiftly expanding market.  Recent cleantech media reports predict that BIPV will be the fastest growing solar industry segment, and I have every reason to believe this is true. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Sustainable Building

Four Reasons Why Emergency Generators are a Great Source for Reliable Backup PowerNo one wants to think about emergency preparations. It’s not exactly the most pleasant thought, but it’s certainly one of the most crucial. Preparing your home, business or family for disaster striking is undoubtedly important. Whether it’s a long blackout that leaves you losing money and struggling to make do or survival in a big crisis situation, being prepared for any case is a smart move. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Electric Vehicles

Lessons Emerging from Volkswagen’s Crime of the CenturyMy colleague Brian McGowan notes on the Volkswagen scandal:  The one thing that all of this does prove again is that no corporation is ever to be trusted to “do the right thing” in spite of the fact that one portion of our political system seems to think that business should be allowed to police itself. Business self-monitoring and policing should never be allowed.

It was most certainly a very dark day for corporate integrity, (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Fossil Fuels

In the Absence of an Energy Policy, Shell’s Withdrawal from the Arctic Is Far from the Last Word on the SubjectWith the Alaskan pipeline (pictured) flowing at only about one-quarter capacity, one can only imagine the disappointment that the governor of the state, Bill Walker, felt about yesterday’s announcement that Shell Oil had scrapped its plans to drill in the arctic.  Walker continues to insist that the White House take action here, e.g., opening the pristine Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for drilling, explaining that “We need to get some oil in the pipeline quick.” (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Climate Change

Climate Change: The Ultimate DispositionHere’s an article, one of several similar pieces I see every day, that I offer to those whose viewpoint on climate change is both a) that its effects going forward are well understood, and b) that they won’t be as catastrophic as the scientific community predicts.  This one happens to be on the “awakening” of now-dormant viruses as the permafrost melts.

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Sustainability

Will the Invisible Hand, I.e., Free Market Economics, Address the Planet’s Woes?Libertarian and frequent commenter MarcoPolo writes: Over population was a hot topic in the late ’60’s and early ’70’s, with an announcement by 93% of the world’s leading scientists endorsing the prophesy that 1977 would see permanent and increasing world food shortages.  But, here we are in 2015, and it hasn’t occurred yet.  The planet is capable of feeding vastly more than 7 or even 9 billion people. There’s no need to resort to draconian measures to “control’ populations. We must place our faith optimistically in our own human ingenuity, and realize that moral hand-wringing will just render us powerless to help ourselves, or the environment.

It is true that this planet can deliver a food supply to 9 billion people.  It is not at all true that it can do so in the absence of our civilization’s making some major changes to its approach to energy and agriculture.  (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Electric Vehicles

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Would Be Reduced By 90 Percent If All Vehicles Were Driverless, Study SaysSafer roads and less congestion are the obvious advantages of driverless cars, but a new study says that the technology has the potential to bring substantial environmental benefits, as well. Eliminating the driver will definitely help improve traffic safety, given that human error is the leading cause of car accidents, but researchers from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory say that it will also help drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Nuclear

Nuclear Energy Still Needs To Deal with Public FearTimothy Maloney writes:  Fear of nuclear radiation is a superstition – a belief maintained in the absence of valid evidence out of deference to perceived authority. Extraction of hydrocarbons cannot be stopped by political or social action. It can be stopped only by a superior energy source, one that beats carbon energy on capitalism’s own terms – reliability and price. Only nuclear fission can do that.

I see your point, but I wouldn’t call it a superstition.  (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Wind Energy

Opportunities in Small Wind?Certain technologies become unfeasible below a certain scale. Concentrated solar power is one. Yes, you can take a solar cooker on a backpacking trip, but you certainly can’t set up a CSP plant on the roof of your house that will compete with PV.

To the chagrin of a great number of investors, this is the lesson the world has learned about small wind, which is defined as anything under 100 kW. (more…)

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