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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Business

Frugality in Promotion of Renewable Energy BooksA friend noticed that I haven’t been on as many radio and TV shows as I was a few years ago and I admitted that I’ve been a bit more frugal with use of PR firms to promote my books lately.  When she questioned my choice of language, I explained that I’ve always liked the word, insofar as it’s so different from “cheap.” “Frugal” means avoiding spending lavishly on oneself; “cheap” means avoiding spending on others.  We should all aspire to be frugal, but not cheap.

 

 

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Electric Vehicles

The U.S. Has Aggressive Targets for Fuel Economy Improvements—But Are We on Track To Achieve Them?I know many readers are interested in tracking the progress that the U.S. is making in achieving its 54.5 MPG target for 2020.  Fortunately my friend and colleague Jon LeSage has devoted his life’s work to understanding how those measures are being defined, where fuel economy improvements are coming from, and how likely we are to actually achieve our goal.  Above, I’ve linked his latest report on the subject. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Business

Energy Policy: Taking a Stand Against Fossil Fuels I recently instructed the U.S. (as if it takes my instructions) to tell the world:

America as a country, and a heck of an impressive one at that, is proving its moral goodness by phasing out fossil fuels at the maximum practical pace.  We’re doing this largely because we’ve become aware of the huge externalities associated with coal, oil, and natural gas vis-a-vis health and the environment. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Politics

People Who Threaten Huge Organizations Do So At Their PerilFrequent commenter Les Blevins suggests: Craig, I suggest you require all commenters to use their real names.

I’m not sure how I could do that—even if I thought it was a good idea.  I really don’t have a problem with anonymity; I can understand that some people with radical views (in any direction) don’t want to be identified.

I use my real name, but I’m definitely putting myself in some level of jeopardy, with all my rants about the oil companies and the U.S. government.  (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Politics

Is “Ask This Old House” Getting On Board Environmentally? This morning saw the airing of the first episode of the 35th season of PBS’s “Ask This Old House.”  I try to catch it every Saturday morning; even though I’m not particularly handy, I love to learn about the various aspects of building and restoring our dwellings, especially classic ones.

Yet I’ve always wondered how a show like this can cover renewable energy and efficiency in virtually every show and not mention the environmental benefit. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Business

An Energy Policy Should Contemplate ExternalitiesMarcoPolo writes:  …Worse still, attempts to include all sorts of dubious “externalities ” looks like a desperate attempt to cover up old lies and maintain old myths. It may preach well to the already converted, but increases mistrust among the already doubtful, and provides excellent ammunition for skeptics.

That’s a fringe viewpoint if there ever were one.  There are more people who believe in the Easter Bunny than people who believe that burning fossil fuels is benign to our health and environment.

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Climate Change

Norway: No More CoalNorway’s $890 billion Government Pension Fund Global is the largest sovereign wealth fund on planet Earth—and, up until today, was one of the biggest investors in the coal industry around the world.  Yesterday, the Norwegian parliament decided to divest itself of coal, making this by far the largest fossil fuel divestment in history.

I’m so happy that I’ve chosen this whimsical picture for the occasion.  Imagine an entire country taking a stand re: energy policy as it affects climate change.

Is that something the U.S. could consider?

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Fossil Fuels

What We Mean By "Subsidies" for Fossil FuelsReaders “Cameron” and “MarcoPolo” are having a spirited discussion in response to my post Sour Grapes from ExxonMobil’s CEO.  I wish to point out:

This conversation will be tough to resolve in any case, but it will be impossible to resolve as long as you guys continue to use the word “subsidies” in two different senses.  I’m reminded of an essay on the philosophy of pragmatism written by its most famous proponent, William James (pictured), which I’ve reproduced below.

Back to the matter at hand, having spent a decent amount of time at this, I’m personally comfortable with the report compiled by the Environmental Law Institute, which pegs the figure at $70.2 billion annually.  But I also agree with Cameron that it’s proper to include the externalities of fossil fuels in the calculation, (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Business

Can Renewable Energy Scale Up To Power the Entire Planet?A friend of mine just sent me the content below.  As you amuse yourself with it, ponder the assertion: “It’s impossible for renewables to rise to the scale necessary to handle the world’s energy needs,” and think about how often you hear this from the fossil fuel and nuclear people. Then consider the notion of the “tipping point,” coupled with the fact that the cost of energy from solar and wind is falling like a rock.

On Second Thought, Maybe I was Wrong

1.) “The idea that cavalry will be replaced by these iron coaches is absurd. It is little short of treasonous.” — Comment of Aide-de-camp to Field Marshal Haig, at tank demonstration, 1916
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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Electric Vehicles

Study Shows 25% of Cars Are Responsible for 90% of Air PollutionMotor vehicles are among the largest contributors to air pollution, by emitting some of the most common pollutants, including carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons and particulate matter. However, emissions released by vehicles have a significantly lower effect on air quality than they used to have a couple of years ago, largely thanks to the fact that automakers have been developing much more efficient internal combustion engines lately, and because of the introduction of electric vehicles. (more…)

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