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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Politics

Here’s a conversation I’m having with a friend on the unlikely combination of climate change and women’s rights that I thought readers might find interesting.

Friend: Check this out.  Really??? Don’t these congressional statements do more harm than good?

Craig:  That most certainly could be.  Your point, if I read you correctly, is that wild, unproven statements diminish the credibility of the source, and that the logic here isn’t exactly something that would impress Aristotle.  Having said that, (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Electric Vehicles

Question:  How many electric vehicles (passenger cars only) are predicted to be sold globally in 2017?

Answer: Can be found at http://2greenenergy.com/cool-guess-answers/8732 .

Relevance:  The  United States is by far the world’s largest consumer of crude oil, accounting for more than 20% of the average of 87.9 million barrels per day (bpd) used around the planet.  The environmental, social, and health-related consequences are terrible.

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Fossil Fuels

photo Drake_Well_petroleum_zps1b1088d0.jpgHere’s a lengthy but excellent article from The Atlantic: “What If We Never Run Out of Oil?”

It certainly is an interesting concept – one that I find quite credible.  For instance, we have recently discovered untapped reservoirs of methane hydrate (think of it as combustible ice) that collectively is the volume of the Mediterranean Sea.  What happens when we develop the technology to extract, refine, and distribute it cost-effectively?   (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Nuclear

Here’s an infographic that summarizes some of the observations on the adoption of small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs). The reader will note that some of this stuff is so vague that it’s really valueless.  For instance, Ambassador Hamad Al Kaabi, Permanent Representative of the UAE to the International Atomic Energy Agency says:

“More than 60 countries have expressed, to the IAEA, their interest in nuclear power, but when you look at grid sizes, many of these countries cannot accommodate a full-sized commercial reactor of today’s standard, given the size of their networks. You can assume that a lot of these countries – if they were actually going to develop nuclear power programs – would be looking at smaller capacity reactors.”

Anyone who takes this to mean that SMRs are right around the corner isn’t thinking very clearly.  Personally, I’m one of the 83% who believes that the “lack of cost competitiveness with other forms of energy” is what will kill this, and render the whole discussion moot.  The falling cost of solar, the already low levelized cost of wind energy will (actually already has) put a spear through SMRs.

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Electric Vehicles

Thanks to 2GreenEnergy supporter Don Harmon for alerting me to this wonderfully accessible piece on the environmental issues associated with lithium.  If for no other reason, this is important because of the frequent argument that the potential for lithium shortages or the ecological hazards of mining the metals make the whole enterprise of lithium-ion batteries unsustainable.

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Climate Change

Question:  Most of us who follow the reports of our climate scientists understand that the average temperature of the Earth’s surface is rising.  When was the last time in our planet’s history that the summer melting of the arctic ice was as severe as it is today?

Answer: Can be found at http://2greenenergy.com/cool-guess-answers/8732.

Relevance:  Melting ice has the potential to cause a “runaway” effect with respect to global climate change, as the darker water absorbs more heat from the sun than the lighter colored ice, which tended to reflect that heat back into space.

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Politics

I usually try to attend these Renewable Energy Finance Forums, though I’m going to skip this one, as it focuses on the Latin American and the Caribbean – a part of the world in which, sadly, I haven’t historically gotten too involved.

It sure would be good if I could change that, and somehow get a consulting “gig” to explore the migration to renewable energy down there.   (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Photovoltaics

2GreenEnergy supporter Steve Levy asks for my opinion and advice on getting a large number of small investors to back the development of solar energy projects.  He sent me his latest paper – one that he presented at this year’s meeting of the American Solar Energy Society, dealing with creating a new kind of ‘investor,’ based on the agglomeration of micro-investments.

He notes: The issue that I am most interested in is, if 95% of the public believes that solar energy is what they want; then, what would be the entry level investment that the public would accept to become an investor in a MLP (master limited partnership)?  How does one convince the public that it is a good investment? (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Science

I try to attend the annual University of California at Santa Barbara Summit on Energy Efficiency, now in its 4th year.  This year’s meeting will focus on “Materials for a Sustainable Energy Future.”  I plan to “join the Institute for Energy Efficiency and leaders from industry, academia, national labs and government to hear insights into the materials challenges, opportunities and latest developments relating to key technologies impacting energy efficiency.”

Outgoing Energy Secretary Steven Chu is speaking at this event, and, since I approve of him generally, I’ll make an extra effort to check out the talk. When we think of the unlovely convergence of energy and politics, it’s hard not to think of what Chu, a person of both passion and intellect, would have done had he not been handcuffed by the will of special interests.  In fact, I may simply ask this question and see what happens. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Sustainability

My talk the other day to the Santa Barbara Savvy Investors’ Club went very well.  As I told my wife when I pulled out of the driveway on my way, “It’s a room full of people who read a lot about sustainability.  If I can’t do well with this demographic, I’m in trouble.”

If there were to be a problem, it would occur from “preaching to the choir.”  After all, 45 minutes of a speaker’s telling you what you already know and believe can get a bit tiresome (more…)

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