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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Fossil Fuels

Apparently, Lisa Hoyos is a bit cheesed off with Disney.  She sent me an email to the effect that she is “disturbed” that Disney would help dirty-energy companies promote fracking and oil drilling to our nation’s children.  “Disturbed,” perhaps, but not exactly astonished, I would bet.  She writes:

Dear Craig,

News broke recently that Radio Disney is promoting fracking and pipelines to kids in a music-filled show called “Rocking in Ohio.” Funded through a partnership with the Ohio Oil and Gas Association, the road show is being presented everywhere from schools to county fairs under the guise of teaching kids “science.” Worse yet, this initiative may be expanded nationwide in 2014. (more…)

by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Business

The CBS news show “60 Minutes” sports a history of hatchet-jobs that goes back almost half a century.  They’re phenomenally good at selecting a certain conclusion and then supporting it with misleading reporting, trick camera-work, and quotes taken out of context.

Last Sunday’s segment on the demise of the cleantech industry was a beautiful case in point.  People all over America came away with the idea that this business sector is dying — or dead — and, worse, that they, the rank-and-file U.S. citizen had been duped into paying for the failure with their tax dollars.

But couldn’t these handsome, smiling faces at CBS have made even the faintest attempt at fairness? (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Politics

A reader sent me this:

Kudos to General Mills for seeing the writing on the wall and releasing GMO-free Cheerios. This is a huge step in the eradication of this highly destructive agricultural “technology” that industrial agriculture has been pushing on an unsuspecting public since the early 1990s, given carte blanche by government agencies practically owned by companies such as Monsanto and Syngenta. That’s one evil empire that’s crumbling thanks to the public finally learning, understanding the truth and taking a stand.

I respond:  (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Climate Change

Movies such as Oblivion, Elysium, and After Earth show a post-apocalyptic Earth where people are trying to survive the harsh environment. In these movies, man is shown to possess advance smart technologies. These are computers which can think like humans, houses that intimately know its owners and vehicles with built-in safety mechanisms.

However, despite these technologies, man lost the essence of progress by destroying his only home. In today’s environmental state, are you and your children headed to the same thing? As technology progresses, what are its effects to the planet? (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Electric Vehicles

Here’s an article on the per-mile cost of driving the (plug-in hybrid or “range-extended” hybrid) Chevy Volt, written by a Volt owner who, apparently, keeps track assiduously.  Because his daily commute to work is inside the battery-only range and he can charge at work, he averages 382 MPG – more than four times the EPA estimated 93.  (This is an example of something I’ve often mentioned, i.e., that mileage estimates for plug-in vehicles have no meaning whatsoever.)  And, because he charges at home in the middle of the night and gets incredibly preferential electric rates for doing so, his fuel costs are $0.03/mile – pretty enviable.  

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Geothermal

Here’s a very interesting article/video on a twist on CCS (Carbon Capture and Sequestration) called “CCUS” (Carbon Capture Utilization and Sequestration), pointing out that once CO2 is captured, say, from a coal-fired power plant, it can be used to enhance the production of geothermal energy. 

While there is nothing physically impossible or scientifically invalid about this, it strikes me as extremely expensive and risky – and therefore unattractive from the standpoint of capital formation.  I’m glad I invested the time into checking this out, and I encourage readers to do the same, but I’ll be stunned if this ultimately represents a cost-effective approach to new clean energy.

by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Politics

Here’s a piece of good news: according to research giant Navigant, American consumers are beginning to look upon the concept of renewable energy more favorably. 

Here in the States, the whole clean energy industry took a terrible drubbing in the year leading up to the 2012 election.  (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Hydrokinetics

I ran across a very interesting group of folks in Brazil a few weeks ago.  Led by an extremely senior financial/energy professional I’ve come to respect deeply, the team has assembled a package of 13 “small” (1 – 30 mW) and “micro” (less than 1 mW) run-of-river hydrokinetics projects in Southeastern Brazil – in the heart of the country’s industrial and population centers — and its transmission grid.

If you’re an accredited investor, and you’d like to learn more about the project, just click here.  Then, if you’d like to get in touch with the principals, please let me know.

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Fossil Fuels

A friend in Philadelphia sent me this newspaper article and blog post on the efforts of the oil and gas companies to put a pipeline through a very tranquil section of New Jersey’s forestland. Because this region has special meaning for him, he jokingly asked for my commiseration.

I wrote: (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Electric Vehicles

Apparently, Ford is offering its customers an opportunity to improve the range they experience with their new line of electric vehicles, by installing solar PV on the roof.  This is certainly not a unique concept; I recall a company about five years ago that was converting Toyota Priuses to EVs, and took this approach with PV.  

On a sunny day and under optimum driving conditions, I’m guessing drivers may get two or three extra kilowatt-hours, sufficient to drive another 10 – 15 miles.  Not too bad.  

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