Home › Blog › Page 1842

by Craig ShieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Business

Here’s a conversation that I hope you find interesting. The other day, I got this from a friend:

I was particularly shocked to see this one: Most teens have never used telephones with cords.

MILWAUKEE – For students entering college this fall, e-mail is too slow, phones have never had cords and the computers they played with as kids are now in museums.

The Class of 2014 thinks of Clint Eastwood more as a sensitive director than as Dirty Harry urging punks to “go ahead, make my day.” Few incoming freshmen know how to write in cursive or have ever worn a wristwatch. (more…)

Tagged with: ,

by Craig ShieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Politics

This was published last year somewhere. I take no credit for it except to share with you. It’s fun but also leaves an educational lesson.

Once upon a time the government had a vast scrap yard in the middle of a desert. Congress said, “Someone may steal from it at night.” (more…)

Tagged with: ,

by Craig ShieldsPosted on Posted in Electric Vehicles

I spoke with Honda’s Steve Ellis yesterday about the position I took in my book re: hydrogen fuel-cell-based cars. Steve is a vocal proponent for this controversial technology, and his job, I’ve come to learn, involves busily correcting misinformation on the subject – of which there is plenty.

His position is that all technologies that have the potential to help move us toward clean energy and transportation should be on the table for discussion, and that the advocates of batteries should be as supportive of hydrogen as the hydrogen people are of batteries. As I knew he would, he took exception to my position I took in my book (and that of the spokesperson for EPRI) that hydrogen as a fuel source is inherently inefficient, and that the infrastructure by which fuel would be delivered lags too far behind electricity.

Steve points out that the four-to-one advantage of fuel energy to kinetic energy in battery-electrics vs. fuel-cells applies only in the very worst case scenario – one that no one is seriously suggesting. He also notes that Honda would not make a bet like this if they didn’t think they were going to win.

I can see these points, but I don’t know, Steve. You’re obviously a dedicated, knowledgeable and honest professional. But, as I’ve often said, I hope you’re paid well; you certainly deserve to be given the size of the task you so energetically take on.

　

Tagged with: , , , ,

by Craig ShieldsPosted on Posted in Energy Storage

Xcel Energy, a Midwestern electric and natural gas company, released its preliminary test results in early August 2010 on its wind-to-battery storage technology. After one and a half years of testing, the preliminary results are a success, it says.

Luverne, MN, serves as the test center with the battery installation connected to an 11 MW wind farm owned by Minwind Energy, LLC.  The twenty 50 KW battery modules are about the size of two semi trailers, weigh about 80 tons and can store about 7.2 MW-hours of electricity. Fully charged, the battery modules could power 500 homes for more than seven hours, said Xcel Energy on August 3, 2010.
Xcel Energy revealed the following in the preliminary report:
(more…)

Tagged with: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

by Craig ShieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Science

The work that Brazil has done in renewable energy is legendary. Clean energy – mainly ethanol made from huge sugarcane fields — accounts for more than 85.4% of their domestically supplied energy.

The country stands as a model of decision making that spans the public and private sectors. After the volatility of the oil markets of the 1970s, Brazil made concentrated attack on developing alternative sources of energy. In addition to powering its fleets with a minimum of gasoline, Brazil has been extremely effective in diversifying its energy portfolio with wind and hydrokinetics.

It is for this reason that I can think of no better host for an energy conference. One of the directors of the Renewable and Alternative Energy in the Southern Cone asked me to let readers know about it, and I said I’d be happy to; just click the link above.

Tagged with: , ,

by Craig ShieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Business

In a must-read story — Deutsche Bank’s Asset Manager head warned that US is missing out on an “industrial revolution in the energy industry,” Kevin Parker told Reuters that he is focusing billions in investment money on Chinese and European companies. Heads up, everyone who plans to listen to my webinar on companies that could see 100% stock-price gains.  There’ll be more than one non-US firm in the mix.

Tagged with: , ,

by Craig ShieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Science

Some of the recent conversations here have touched on the idea of geoengineering, i.e., taking pro-active steps to mitigate the greenhouse gas problem more aggressively than simply cutting emissions. This is a hot topic, if I may use the pun, in many of the current conferences on sustainability – albeit a fiercely controversial one.

Rightfully, the concept of shooting particles into the mesosphere (the layer above the stratosphere) to shield the Earth from incident sunlight that is melting the polar icecaps is quite contentious, yet I personally recommend that everyone have at least a surface level of understanding of the topic. To that end, here’s one of the magnificent “Ted Talks” by scientist David Keith, who, in 16 minutes, presents the basics of the subject in a quite accessible way.

Tagged with: , , , ,

by Craig ShieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Science

We are imposed to lead a mechanical life.  Whether we accept or not, we are being forced to live more and more sedentary and mechanical life.  Right after waking up, including our exercise which is customized by ourselves to suit our imposed mechanical lifestyle.  After the so called our time, till we go out for work – travelling, working, watching Television or any other almost all the dimensions of so called entertainment and till sleeping,  everything is mechanical.  It is only weekends we get and these weekends also like exercise depends on several other parameters of our life.

These are the main reasons behind our passive lifestyle – accepting what is offered by the system and our thought process revolves around this restricted circle itself and not beyond.  Discipline is an important dimension for life but, that should not be an imposed or compromised dimension of life.  This weakens our thought process and in the long run, we cease to think and this will continuously reduces our emotional and spiritual quotient. But, do we need these two dimensions in our life ?  Answer is a big Yes, as these two dimensions in equilibrium with our intelligence quotient keeps our life in the worthy dimension. (more…)

Tagged with:

by Craig ShieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Science

But the Politicians don’t trust Science to believe it is Reasonable. Please read it all don’t stop without the entire picture! There is a SOLUTION to “Global Warming”

The efforts of Humans to control carbon-dioxide emissions and thereby reduce global warming is at most a few percent (95%)most of the emissions come from plants at night and some is converted back to oxygen and the carbon used in the plants in daylight. Our feeble efforts will have little effect.

(more…)

Tagged with: , , , , , , , ,

by Craig ShieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Business

Most of the citizens of Earth understand humanity is approaching limits. In the EU, a great deal of companies understand they have a responsibility and ability to exert positive change on the world’s economy, environmental and social conditions.

In terms of the Triple Bottom Line (TBL), the goal is to expand the traditional reporting framework to take into account not only financial performance, but ecological and societal, as well. But we seem to have a challenging contraction when it comes to the role of the VC. Yes, traditionally, a company’s responsibility lies with shareholders, the owners for profit, not stake holders or those  influenced directly/indirectly by a company’s actions. (more…)

Tagged with: , , , , , , , ,