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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Science

My team and I are working hard to develop a series of infographics that introduce relative newcomers to the subject of energy — and renewables in particular.

I had fun with the first one, which looked at the history of renewable energy on this planet.  The second one, which pointed out that all energy on Earth has come to us as a result of the Big Bang 13.7 billion years ago, was even more interesting, in that it inspired a bit of controversy among certain religious folks that I hadn’t even imagined when I put the idea together.

I’d like to see this bloom into a dozen such graphics over the coming year or two.

 

 

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Politics

Here’s a piece of U.S. legislation that is unimaginably unAmerican: the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2012, Section 1031 which provides broad authority for the federal government to use the military in domestic operations in order to detain Americans indefinitely and without trial. Such a move nullifies the 4th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, as well as the natural rights of Americans. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Fossil Fuels

2GreenEnergy financial guru Bill Paul has a natural gift for looking at the macro issues affecting renewables. Here’s a high-level summary of his thinking on clean energy vis-à-vis shale gas, in which he summarizes:

There’s a distinct possibility that Wall Street’s going to start diverting big bucks away from green tech and into shale gas, if it hasn’t already. I see the billions going into shale gas infrastructure posing a huge impediment to developing clean tech. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Fossil Fuels

It’s hard to find too many people who approve of the job that U.S. President Obama is doing. The right wing thinks he’s essentially a socialist who’s done a terrible job with the economy, that he’s pushing for bigger, more repressive government and a redistribution of wealth. The left is disappointed that he’s backed away from many of his more progressive campaign promises, and believe that he’s just as much a product of Big Money as are the Republicans.

However, from my perspective as an observer of the energy scene, he’s a whale of a lot better than the guy who preceded him. Here’s some gratifying action aimed at dirty coal plants, of which everyone with lungs should approve.

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Efficiency

Here’s a story of a German Village that produces over three times as much energy as it needs. And I bet fathers (like me) are STILL telling their kids, “Mach das Licht aus!” (Turn off the light.)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Electric Vehicles

Here’s an article that describes a collaboration between GM and BMW on fuel cell vehicles.

Wow, that’s remarkable. Just when I had started to trust the car companies based on the sincerity of Nissan/Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn and his people who build and promote the LEAF, I see this.  A few basic points:

• The oil companies are the main supporters of the hydrogen economy. They see hydrogen as a mechanism for them to continue to retain a service station which will continue to provide the consumer with something they can pump. Electricity, on the other hand, is ubiquitous.

• Creating hydrogen suffers a 4:1 efficiency issue. I.e., generating hydrogen in a renewable way requires four times the number of solar panels that would be needed to make the electricity to put into my battery.

• Fuel cell vehicles’ fuel pods cost $500,000 to $1,000,000 apiece. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Business

While I’m waiting for delivery of my second book (“Is Renewable Really Doable? – Exploring Clean Energy’s Opportunities and Tough Realities”), I wanted to run a couple of ideas for my third book by you.

Concept #1: “Renewable Energy – Following the Money,” focused on the U.S., featuring interviews with:

  • Investors (VCs, private equity, institutional)
  • Department of Energy
  • Key people in important states (e.g., California, New York, Texas, etc.)
  • Industry executives
  • Representatives of think-tanks
  • Media (e.g., Wall Street Journal)
  • Stock analysts

Concept #2: “Renewable Energy: A Global Issue – Interviews with Top People on Six Continents”

An exploration of the migration to clean energy in the most populous areas of the world, perhaps China, India, Africa, the Middle East, U.S., Brazil, France, Germany, Japan, and Oceania, based on interviews with key people who could speak to:

  • The prevailing political and economic climate
  • The efforts of key people
  • The cultural zeitgeist
  • Alternate fuel transportation
  • Smart grid and energy storage
  • Efficiency and conservation
  • Global climate change and the U.N. conferences on the subject

I’d appreciate any feedback. Thanks!

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Fossil Fuels

This article is submitted with the hope that it will set the tone for a series of others that will follow by covering the origins of the petroleum industry in the United States. The main objective of these pieces is to provide the reader with a historical understanding of shocks in oil prices. Later on, other writings will cover more recent material on the subject and a final piece will offer the reader some predictions of what the future of oil prices might look like in the short, medium and long term.

The task at hand is ambitious, but its value is considerable. Everyone feels a pinch when the prices at the pump crawl higher and higher with no end in sight. History has repeatedly proven to be the best thing we have to go on and that’s exactly what we’re going to do. As a result, we will establish a solid foundation from which we will make an educated guess about the future of the oil industry and what it means for civilization. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Politics

Predictably, the international climate talks in Durban, South Africa yielded little if any real progress, but some truly wonderful rhetoric. In his article Australia Wants Clean Energy Cheap Rather Than Dirty Energy Expensive, Alex Trembath quotes this piece in the Canberra Times:

Our goal should be to create a world with abundant, clean and cheap energy for all. This is an objective that reconciles progress and planet. This is a challenge that can bring rich and poor countries together in a common goal. If we are to address climate change, we must turn to humanity’s familiar benefactor – technological innovation – and apply it to developing better clean energy.

ZZZzzzzzz. Oh, sorry, must have dozed off there.   (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Sustainability

I just had a lovely meeting with Karen Palmer, a local environmentalist who wanted my advice on a board game for children called “Let’s Save Our Earth.”  The game is won by correctly answering questions about ecology, sustainability, and the relevant aspects of biology — a terrific idea from a wonderful person.

As I told her, my 30 years’ experience as a marketing consultant doesn’t contain too many projects with consumer products, and not a single one with games. Having said that, I gave her this free advice — possibly worth exactly what she paid for it:

Sure you can sell this through stores of various types, but the promotion required to make this a success would be huge. I would concentrate on the school system.  Funding for education has been tragically cut, but there is still an appetite for low-cost ways of achieving important objectives.  Since funding for public education comes from the state level, be prepared to create different versions for each of the 50, starting with the most obvious choices. The “California Edition” could have a preponderance of questions about the ecosystems here, the specific endangered species, the shortage of water, the marine and desert habitats, etc. (more…)

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