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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
(more…)

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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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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Fossil Fuels

Pope Francis: A Real LeaderI thought I’d publish a conversation I just had with a reader, who commented on my piece Sour Grapes from ExxonMobil’s CEO.

Reader:  You sent me the story of a pathetic anti-leader.  Here is some hope for a Friday….from a real leader:

Thank God, finally we have found a leader among the world’s mindless, money drunk, short sighted minions who call themselves “leaders.” (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Electric Vehicles

Electric Transportation, Solar PV, and the EnvironmentHere’s an article that takes us back to what I believe is an important discussion: how environmentally clean are electric vehicles? The basics:

In the U.S. right now, EVs are a net negative environmentally, because an incremental load on the grid is met almost always by burning more coal, whose ecological consequences are far worse than oil.

Having said that, (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Business

Is Halliburton a "Buy?" I'm the Wrong Guy To AskA friend who follows the stock market writes:

I just purchased TNK (an oil and gas transportation company).  I also see some potential upside in HAL (Halliburton); this JPM article says they do too.

(more…)

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