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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Fossil Fuels

I have a good feeling that U.S. President Obama will axe the Keystone XL Pipeline.  My reasoning has nothing to do with the noise that environmentalists are making, though I’m not discounting that effect altogether.  I’m thinking that none of the other things he seems to want to get accomplished currently (having passed the Affordable Care Act) have any chance of happening. Congress shot gun control dead and said “adios” to immigration reform.  What about a grand bargain?  Are you serious?   (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Fossil Fuels

Here’s news of a current study that suggests that, if it ignores climate change pressures, the fossil fuel industry will suffer a level of public relations so damaging that it will have a crippling financial effect.

From your lips to God’s ears, as they say in cliché-land.  But is it even remotely possible? (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Fossil Fuels

Here’s a reasoned, lively but civil debate on the pros and cons of natural gas fracking.  The guy (pro) generally does a very good job, though I agree more with the woman – particularly that gas, while better than coal, is not good enough if humankind is to address the climate catastrophe that’s coming its way.  It’s also true that the gas industry systematically understates the ecologic issues associated with extraction.

The guy responds that there are far more beneficiaries of gas than there are people who are hurt, which strikes me as a fairly meaningless statement.  Even if it’s true right this minute, it won’t be for long – at least if what our scientists are telling us is correct.

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Climate Change

Here’s a good discussion on the level of certainty (95%) that the scientific community has on the existence of anthropogenic climate change. Even the chief scientist at the Cato Institute (whose spokesperson I interviewed for “Renewable Energy – Following the Money”) is on board with the theory.

Do we need to be absolutely certain before we take action?  Astonishingly, some people say yes.

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Nuclear

According to this article in the New York Times, the nuclear industry is complaining that the energy industry is “rigged against them,” insofar as the price paid to the sources that generate electricity varies on an hour-to-hour basis, and nuclear plants can’t ramp up and down to meet those changes in pricing. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Smart Grid

Does the world pay attention when little ol’ Craig Shields says that the power utilities are in trouble, due to distributed generation and microgrids? Hardly. But when the best minds at Citibank (see article linked above) say essentially the same thing, referring to them as “dinosaurs” – and pointing out that change is happening much faster than anyone could have predicted — that gets some consideration. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Fossil Fuels

Our planet faces huge challenges, mostly created by individuals who are profoundly disturbed in terms of their so-called “moral compasses.”  Here’s a story about those who slaughter elephants and rhinoceros who kill their victims – and any humans who happen to be unlucky enough to be in the way – for the money they gain from selling the pachyderms’ horns to people who are only slightly less depraved than the poachers themselves.  But should these people be shot on site — as the author of the article wonders?  I hope you’ll check this out; it’s good writing on an important topic. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Electric Vehicles

One of the email lists I am on is an organization’s called “Operation Free,” a group of former military personnel who believe that eliminating our use of oil is paramount for our national security. In a missive I received from them today, they are promoting a company in New York City called “HEVO power” that is developing a means to charge electric vehicles by placing wireless power transmitters in the street and parking locations which can then be parked over by vehicles desiring to be charged. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Sustainable Building

The world’s poorest countries are investing more in LED lighting, energy storage, and other off-grid electricity technologies, according to a report by Larry West.

 In cities across the United States, LED lighting like LED wall packs or LED bollards help cut energy costs, carbon dioxide emissions, and excessive light pollution. But in developing countries, LEDs are changing lives. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Electric Vehicles

Here’s an article that speaks to the challenge of creating a viable infrastructure for the charging of electric vehicles.  The problem at its core is a Catch 22: EVs will not become popular without such an infrastructure, but the return on investment associated with building it will not exist until EVs occupy a considerable market share.

One way to look at this is to make this a part of the re-regulation of utilities: forcing them to do the work here, and compensating them accordingly.  (Hint: They’re not doing it on their own – one of the take-aways from the article.) (more…)

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