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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Science

I just read the Garrison Keillor’s Writer’s Almanac and noted that it’s the birthday of May Swenson, an author of the 20th Century who once wrote to a friend, “Not to need illusion—to dare to see and say how things really are, is the emancipation I would like to attain.”

It’s true that we force-fit the facts into our theories. Though we all like to think we’re one of few who doesn’t fall prey to this syndrome, but I sometimes wonder how true that is in my case. My over-arching viewpoint on the world today is that we’ve reached the end of cheap energy and easy credit, and that we’re due for a large-scale correction in terms of our ability to increase our energy consumption, and thus our “standard of living” as we have (erroneously) come to define it. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Fossil Fuels

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As we pay our respects to America’s fallen soldiers this Memorial Day, let’s take a moment and remember what put so many of them in harm’s way in the first place: our dependence on oil.

While we’re at it, let’s keep in mind one more thing: Changing our energy policies will not come from Big Government and its corrupt relationship with Big Oil. If change does in fact happen, it will be driven by you and me, raising our voices and pointing out the reckless, criminal absurdity of our current approach to energy.

If you haven’t already done so, please take a moment and click here to tell your elected leaders how you as a tax-payer feel about shelling out tens of billions of dollars in annual subsidies to make the oil and coal companies even richer.

http://2greenenergy.com/express-yourself/

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Electric Vehicles

I come across new ideas for renewable energy and alternate fuel vehicles at a rate of perhaps a dozen a week. While (fortunately) there are a few good ones, most of them fail the most basic tests of science and common sense. Here’s a good example of the latter that I encountered at the EV show a couple of weeks ago: WattShocks.  In brief, the theory is that a healthy portion of a car’s overall kinetic energy is currently dissipated as heat in a car’s shock absorbers and can be captured and used to recharge an electric vehicle’s battery. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Business

In my ongoing quest to understand the implications of renewable energy into the job market, I came across this video on job creation more generally – a talk by venture capitalist Nick Hanauer. You’ll notice that this was made to be among the famous Ted Talks, but it never got there. For those who may be interested, here’s the reason it failed.

 

 

 

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Business

According to Forecast The Facts, The Heartland Institute’s billboard advertising campaign to discredit the theory of global climate change is meeting with the defection of support at a rate at least as radical as the campaign itself. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Science

I often quote that 97% of climate scientists accept the theory that human activity is causing global climate change, but I don’t believe I’ve ever linked to articles that support that statistic. For anyone who may be interested, please see above.

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Politics

“Stephen Lacey” is a familiar name to many readers here. Stephen is one of the most impressive young people I’ve ever met. Fresh from a journalism major in college, he learned more about the clean energy industry in a few months than most people can manage in a lifetime and became Renewable Energy World’s star writer. When I began to observe this meteoric rise, he and I became fast friends; I interviewed him for my first book, and corresponded with him frequently.

Recently, he headed to Washington D.C. to become an integral part of Climate Progress, a position in which he feels he can make a bigger difference in the outcome of existential threat represented by global climate change. Last time I was back on the Beltway, I interviewed him in the context of my current project, “Renewable Energy – Following the Money.”

Here’s a wonderful article Stephen published the other day, in which he notes that clean energy vs. fossil fuels has become a politically polarizing issue; he notes that in the last year, people who describe themselves as “conservative Republicans” have become far less likely to support renewable energy.

 

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Science

Theresa S. wrote in about global warming doom and gloom Sci-Fi novel “The End of the Dream,” and mentioned that her favorite line is: “Can you really afford to be wrong?”

Hi, Theresa; thanks for writing. Yes, that’s it exactly. The consequences of ignoring the impending disaster is incalculably large.

I’m reminded of the interview I conducted for my next book (“Renewable Energy – Following the Money”) a few months ago with the CATO Institute’s Jerry Taylor. He’s an extremely articulate and well-prepared spokesperson for the right wing perspective on environmentalism, and I learned a great deal from the discussion. But here is where I have to say that I lost respect for his thinking.  He explained (I’m paraphrasing without going back to the tape of the conversation, but this is very close): (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Electric Vehicles

Starting in June, I’ll be wearing yet another hat in this space.  I just accepted an invitation to become a member of the “Stakeholder Advisory Board” for Green Auto Digest.  The board will convene monthly, helping sort out thorny issues concerning the adoption of EVs and other alternative fuel vehicles: charging standards, utility metering, battery recycling, vehicle-to-grid, etc.

Should be fun.

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Electric Vehicles

Here’s a video interview I gave at a recent electric vehicle conference, in which I argue that an appealing  consumer value proposition for EVs is what will drive adoption.  Obviously, at the same time, we need to find a way to power these cars without coal, by increasing the amount of renewable energy that is available at night when most EVs are charged.  To me, this means wind, much of which currently has little or no value at night.

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