You may be thinking what I was: define “burning.” They can’t mean “incineration,” can they? Just burn a feedstock whose combustion will choke the skies with poisons the levels of which far exceed what would happen if they were to burn wood? That seems so unlikely, since laws were passed half a century ago outlawing things like this.
The other day a reader asked me about my use of photography on this blog. I responded that I usually spend at least a minute or two looking around before I make a selection—on the basis that a good photo might encourage people to read the post, and perhaps to pass it on to friends. Even more importantly, it often helps me communicate my point.
On a search for a shot of solar PV earlier today I came across this—the gratuitous sexy girl selling whatever it happens to be today, in this case, a solar panel. I guess the thinking is: if it works for beer and auto parts, it will work for renewable energy too.
Here’s a piece on railway disasters involving oil tankers. I could be wrong, but it seems that the ecological damage of these incidents is an externality of the oil business that is seldom counted—even by the people who are counting.
Yes, some of the Cesium 134 from the Fukushima nuclear reactor disaster that got into the Pacific Ocean is making its way towards the West Coast of the U.S. This report from the Weather Channel shows that it’s been detected as close as 100 miles out to sea.
Towards the end of the piece they clarify that the levels are less than 1/1000th a concentration that would still be considered harmless.
Given that, it seems irresponsible to scare people and turn them off to an entire industry—one that will quite probably prove necessary to help this planet turn the corner on the very well-known and well-understood catastrophe of fossil fuels.
A reader asked if supercapacitors are a good solution for storing solar energy.
The short answer to the question is no.
Capacitors have cost-effectiveness only in high power-density applications, i.e., those in which a large amount of energy needs to be transferred in a short period of time. (more…)
My friend and frequent 2GreenEnergy commenter Cameron Atwood just sent me this quote from Lawrence Wilkerson, former aide to Colin Powell, in which he (Wilkerson) talks about Royal Dutch Shell’s two main scenarios for the world in 2075:
What I’m talking about, ladies and gentlemen, is the end of the American Empire. Empires have idiosyncrasies, nuances, complexities. Go back to the Assyrian, move forward to the British, go back to the Roman, move forward to the Third Reich, which lasted not 1,000 years but quite a few less. (more…)
As solar power becomes cheaper, photovoltaic solar panels become more advanced. Today, scientists are looking for ways to efficiently harness the power of the sun, since the current heat to electricity conversion ratio of solar panels is very low. The highest conversion rate that photovoltaic panels can do, with the help of new-found technology is only at 40%.
Iron pyrite — a compound built from iron and sulfur atoms – is a suitable candidate for the creation of solar cells. It’s cheap, and able to convert sun power into electricity. The problem, however, is that iron pyrite converts very little energy from the sun. (more…)
Senior energy analyst Glenn Doty shares my euphoria about the recent advancements in solar energy and suspects that the levelized cost of energy (“LCOE” — one of the most important metrics of the value of an energy source) of the record-breaking solar array (pictured) in the western part of the US will be “close to ~$130-$140/MWh.” He continues, “If so, that’s pretty good. This is looking more and more promising by the year.” (more…)
It’s time to go green! Being energy conscious is something more and more homeowners are focusing on when it comes time to renovate. Even if you are doing major renovations in Surrey, Port McNeill or even in the southwestern United States, the aim remains the same when it comes to energy conservation. Keep these tips in mind when you’re looking over your home and preparing the list you’ll discuss with your renovator. (more…)
More people every day are becoming aware of the environmental problems our planet is facing. From conserving resources to recycling, millions of people have changed their lifestyle to become eco-friendly. However, it is possible for you to be more eco-friendly with simple changes. This is because many things you dispose of can actually be recycled. We all know glass, plastic, aluminum, paper, cardboard and tin can be recycled. However, the items listed below will probably surprise you. The next time you need to dispose of one of the following items, try your best to recycle it instead. (more…)
