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John Oliver on Climate Disruption

craigshieldsPosted on September 22, 2014 Posted in Climate Change

IMO, John Oliver doesn’t get enough coverage of his terrifically insightful and hilariously funny commentary on life in the 21st Century. Here’s a four-minute-long excerpt from his recent piece on climate change, including this exchange:

Newscaster: According to a recent poll, one-quarter of Americans are skeptical that climate change exists, or believe that concerns are exaggerated.

Oliver: Who gives a *&^%? And whose idea was it to survey Americans on matters of fact? That’s like asking people’s opinion on whether 5 is a bigger number than 15, or if owls exist. All this means is that one-quarter of Americans are incorrect. And how newsworthy is that?

Tagged with: Americans skeptical on climate change exists, Climate Change, climate disruption, John Oliver

On Michael Faraday and Wally Rippel

craigshieldsPosted on September 22, 2014 Posted in Electric Vehicles

It is the birthday of Michael Faraday, whose discovery of the relationship between electricity and magnetism in the 1830s remains to this day one of the most important contributions to the well-being of humankind.

By coincidence, I’m having lunch tomorrow with my friend Wally Rippel (pictured), an extremely senior scientist in this space. In 1968, Wally represented Caltech in the Sunracer project, pitting his school against MIT in a contest to determine who could build the better electric vehicle. 46 years later, Wally’s still making important refinements in the conversion of electrical to mechanical energy and vice versa.

Tagged with: better electric vehicle, Caltech Sunracer project, conversion of electrical to mechanical energy, Michael Faraday, relationship between electricity and magnetism, Wally Rippel

Tesla Motors Get Lots of Ink in Seeking Alpha

craigshieldsPosted on September 22, 2014 Posted in Electric Vehicles

I subscribe to the website Seeking Alpha for news about Tesla Motors, meaning that I receive perhaps three or four emails per day proffering opinions on the value of the company’s stock. Needless to say, some of these make more sense than others. Here’s one that says, essentially, that because Tesla has been successful with a pure EV, that plug-in hybrids are bound to experience a resurgence.

Wow, that’s some seriously flawed logic. Cars have risen to dominate horse-drawn buggies. Does he expect a resurgence in the latter? I’m sure glad this guy isn’t managing my money.

Tagged with: plug-in hybrid EVs, pure EV, Seeking Alpha, Tesla Motors

Climate Disruption, Climate Action

craigshieldsPosted on September 22, 2014 Posted in Climate Change

Want 63 seconds of inspiration to jumpstart your Monday morning? Here’s Morgan Freeman’s video on climate action.

Note the tone of this masterpiece: it’s not about scaring the viewer, or calling out the bad guys, or placing blame on piggish consumers; it’s about pure love and hope. Incredible.

At the end of the day, I think the dude is right, and, in fact, this is essentially the message I’m communicating in my new book “Bullish on Renewable Energy – Eleven Reasons Why Clean Energy Investors Can’t Lose,” i.e., humankind is well-positioned to emerge victorious in the most important challenge it’s ever faced.

Tagged with: Bullish on Renewable Energy – Eleven Reasons Why Clean Energy Investors Can’t Lose, Climate Action, climate disruption, Morgan Freeman’s video on climate action

An Investment in Either Wind Energy or Solar Energy Will Produce More Energy Than an Investment in Oil–But What Are the Implications?

craigshieldsPosted on September 22, 2014 Posted in Renewables - Business

Here’s an article that begins:

French investment bank Kepler Chevreux has produced a fascinating analysis that has dramatic implications for the global oil industry.

It estimates that $100 billion invested in either wind energy or solar energy – and deployed as energy for light and commercial vehicles – will produce significantly more energy than that same $100 billion invested in oil. (more…)

Tagged with: end of Big Oil, global oil industry, Kepler Chevreux, oil dominates the global economy and geo-politics

From Scottish Guest Blogger Conor Macguire: Renewable Heat Incentives Save You More Than Energy

craigshieldsPosted on September 22, 2014 Posted in Efficiency

The Renewable Heat Incentive is for everyone, whether for households, landlords, businesses, schools, hospitals and many more. It is a beneficial scheme which you can be used to save money and energy, both together!

There have been various attempts to enhance the usage of renewable energy across UK. One of the best examples is of the Feed-in Tariffs. A scheme which went live in April 2010 accelerated the installation of renewable energy capacity in Europe. And now comes the more effective, the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) which was launched in April 2014. Through this scheme, who make use of renewable energy to heat their buildings are awarded financially. (more…)

Tagged with: Renewable Heat Incentive, Renewable Heat Incentive Assessment, RHI Assessment

Wind Energy and Compressed Air Energy Storage Represent Environmentally Friendly Baseload Power

craigshieldsPosted on September 21, 2014 Posted in Wind Energy

In a discussion of one of our cleantech investment opportunities that happen to implement wind energy with compressed air energy storage, a friend writes, “compressed air as a storage medium is a commodity along with other storage mediums, so the success of this company depends upon whether the subject company has patented a defensible technology that takes CAES, a technology from the 70’s, and increases its efficiency and cost over other storage mediums. Comparing it to coal and nuclear plants is not a relevant comparison.”

I respond: (more…)

Tagged with: cleantech investment opportunities, compressed air energy storage, eco-footprint of coal mountaintop removal CO2 SOx NOx Cd As Se Hg radioactive isotopes, Environmentally Friendly Baseload Power, LCOE of coal and nuclear and wind, molten salt thorium reactor, Wind Energy

People’s Climate March — Looks Like a Huge Success

craigshieldsPosted on September 21, 2014 Posted in Climate Change

I’m sorry I was unable to be a part of this historic event. “People in the streets as far as the eye can see,” reported the NY Times, a reporter for which took this shot a few hours ago. Wow, that’s good news; it certainly is gratifying to see that the march is proceeding so successfully.

As the great abolitionist and author Frederick Douglass told us, “Power concedes nothing without a demand.” (more…)

Tagged with: CO2 pumping into our ever-warming atmosphere, consumption of fossil fuels, Frederick Douglass, low-carbon future, People’s Climate March

People’s Climate March in New York City

craigshieldsPosted on September 19, 2014 Posted in Climate Change

The 1883 eruption of Krakatoa produced the loudest sound ever known. It could be heard 3000 miles away and it reverberated around the globe 7 times before diminishing. Pictured here is the relatively tiny eruption of the same volcano in 2008.

As long as we’re on the subject of impressive numbers, here are a few that describe the People’s Climate March on Sunday in New York City. I wish I could be there, but since I can’t, I’ll join the solidarity march in Santa Barbara. (more…)

Tagged with: Climate Change, climate disruption, People’s Climate March