Production of energy is one of the most crucial challenges facing many countries across the world. Energy production method varies from one point to another but what makes it expensive is the cost of production. Bio gas is one of the most efficient gases that have gained worldwide recognition because of energy production. (more…)
It’s always good to see credible people debunking the myth that renewable energy is expensive. Though there are many possible dimensions to this discussion, Colorado ex-governor Bill Ritter takes the most obvious tack possible in his Wall Street Journal blog, i.e., explaining that, depending on various conditions, renewables are often far cheaper than coal – and even cheaper than natural gas.
I’ve always liked the cut of Ritter’s jib, ever since I saw him speak at the Renewable Energy Finance Forum a few years ago. Nice going.
Frequent commenter Tim Kingston sent me this article on public transportation, making the point that some cities, Los Angeles in particular, are not well-suited for trains, trolleys, buses, etc.
There is no doubt that this is true. But I’m suspicious that the problem with Los Angeles is at least partly a matter of intent / bad faith, rather than logistics. I base this on the fact that we have Metro lines all over L.A. County – but you can’t take the Metro to the airport! You want to show some sort of honest attempt to bring mass transit to a city, but you can’t get to the airport? Hmmmm.
I just took a break from a bicycle ride at one of the local wineries and happened to strike up a conversation with a guy who had driven up to our valley from nearby Santa Barbara – the site of yesterday’s protest march against the Keystone XL Pipeline, which we discussed for a few seconds. “Oh, I think we ought to build it,” he affirmed. “There’s no way that oil is going to stay in the ground; why shouldn’t we benefit?” (more…)
Please check out this article that a friend sent me on the use of shipping containers are the “guts” for small homes. I’d seen this concept applied to school rooms – for which I think, frankly, it’s a much better idea than in home building. The validity of the whole idea is based on a couple of lucky facts:
• Shipping containers come to the U.S. in amazing numbers from Asia, and are either stockpiled here or returned empty – neither of which represents a happy, eco-friendly solution. (more…)
If U.S. President Obama decides in favor of the Keystone XL Pipeline, we’ll soon be refining and burning enough bitumen (pictured left), after pumping it from Alberta to the Gulf of Mexico, to provide the equivalent of putting an additional 5.7 million cars and trucks on our roads. Dr. James Hansen of NASA calls the pipeline “game over for the planet.”
That’s why I drove my family down to Santa Barbara this morning to join a couple of hundred other protesters, calling for Obama to disapprove the project. (more…)
It looks like this transition to electric transportation is taking root in the U.S. August was the first month that sales topped 10,000 units.
I’ve always said that this transition has the potential to happen very quickly, once word-of-mouth sets in. Your neighbor has a Nissan LEAF, he loves it, and you see it every day. From that moment on, every time you pull into a gas station a gnawing feeling of envy (and perhaps anger/disgust) sets in. (more…)
We’ve been told by government and industry that the US has 100 years’ worth of natural gas in the ground accessible through unconventional means, including fracking. This is what will provide growth in the manufacturing sector, create jobs, lower gas prices, and allow the US to become a world energy leader.
Indeed, in its Energy Plan for America, Dow Chemical maps out society’s transition to a low-carbon economy based on 100 years of natural gas providing its feedstocks and powering its plants. During this time Dow plans to develop renewable feedstocks as well as renewable energy sources that have sufficient base load. (more…)
In the last few hours I’ve recruited a bunch of people to join my wonderful daughter (pictured here a few years ago) and me in the march in Santa Barbara one of perhaps 100 happening on the same day across our great land) in protest of the Keystone XL Pipeline, and in support of clean energy.
President Obama’s recent press conference with Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeld elicited an important comment. The U.S. could learn about sustainable development from Sweden. President Obama believes that Sweden is far ahead in maintaining a sustainable planet as opposed to other countries.
From a policy, political and economic perspective, there are many lessons that the U.S. can learn from Sweden. (more…)
