Showing posts with label energy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label energy. Show all posts

16.8.15

Renewable Energy Solutions and Micro-Energy Technologies


There are no technological or economic reasons why the US and the rest of the world cannot largely completely replace fossil fuels with renewable sources of energy over the next 20 years.

  • A recent study by Stanford researchers found that using existing technology, the world can abandon fossil fuels and adopt renewable energy in as little as two decades.
  • The National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s (NREL) also released a study on Renewable Electricity Futures which found that using a diverse array of commercially available technologies, the US could easily supply 80 percent of its electricity needs with renewables by 2050.
  • The Union of Concerned Scientists also recently published a plan for renewable energy to provide 80 percent of our electricity by 2050.

  • As of 2014, Europe accounted for 90% of the installed global offshore wind turbine capacity.
  • China has installed more wind capacity than the US and has half the global market in solar cells.
  • Currently, German and China lead the world in clean-energy exports.
  • US power plants used renewable energy sources to generate about 13% of its electricity in 2014.

With regards to cost/benefits, in addition to curbing climate change causing greenhouse gas emissions, renewable energy will also contribute to improved human health. Minimizing climate impacts and reducing health costs would generate trillions of dollars of cumulative savings and generate hundreds of thousands of new jobs.

Cost and political will are challenges that will need to be addressed, but the bottom line is that its going to happen - it's just a matter of time. For all our sakes, though, the sooner the better.

Germany currently generates about 25% of its electricity by renewable energy sources and expects to generate 35% of its electricity from renewables by 2020. This has created a problem during certain times of day when the surge of solar and wind power flooding into the grid exceeds the demand for electricity, resulting in negative prices. Similar situations are starting to occurr in Hawaii, Texas, New Mexico, etc. - Read "The Zero Marginal Cost Society"

The following are a few selected links to alternative energy sources that we need to consider using in cities and states across the U.S.


Several alternative energy technologies that are often forgotten in discussions include Micro-Hydro and Micro-Wind solutions. Check out these recent articles:

Micro-Hydro Energy


Micro-Wind


Finally, South Carolina is actually in pretty good shape as we move forward with the transformation of our state's Energy infrastructure - and our citizens seem to be very receptive to the changes that need to be made. See collection of recent news articles.


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14.8.15

Investing in Big Oil and Fossil Fuel Companies in the 21st Century


Editorial - The end of the “Age of Fossil Fuels” is fast approaching. More leaders are speaking out against the use of fossil fuels as scientific data mounts showing it is leading to destructive global climate change. Fortunately, competitive alternative energy sources and new technologies now exist that can be used as the world starts to phase out its use of oil and coal to generate energy.

Another clear sign that the end of the “Age of Fossil Fuels” is now upon us can be seen in the growing movement by individuals and large organizations to divest themselves of stock holdings in “Big Oil” and other fossil fuel companies.

To support these claims, check out the following news and information published over the past two months:



As you can see, “Big Oil” keeps lobbying hard and pushing ahead with their attempts to keep us all hooked on fossil fuels for as long as they can, no matter what the cost to our planet.

As the 'Age of Fossil Fuels' slowly comes to an end, oil companies are racing to drill for oil in every sensitive environmental location on Earth they can find while they can - off the Carolina coast, in the Arctic ocean, at the North Pole, off California's coast, near sensitive underwater reefs...

One would thing that if “Big Oil”companies want to survive in this 21st century, they would be trying to invest heavily in the growing alternative energy industry - solar power, hydro-electric, wind energy, fuel cells, nuclear power... Unfortunately, that doesn't yet appear to be happening. Their focus is still on the short term, driving the cost of oil down, and keeping the world hooked on the use of costly, polluting fossil fuels.

Fortunately, we now know that strategy will fail over the long term and more and more individuals and companies will continue to divest themselves of stocks in these companies if they don't change. What do you think? Give us your feedback on the Future of Energy in America.


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5.6.15

Energy and the Environment in 2050

We all ought to take some time to consider what the world in which we live will look like in 2050 and beyond. I know I do, since my kids, grandkids, and great grandkids will hopefully be around then and well into the 22nd century.

The following is a brief collection of predictions about Energy and our Environment by 2050 that you might find interesting. These predictions were extracted from multiple reports and studies by groups around the world focused on the future of America and this planet. [I originally wrote this blog in 2015, but it turns out to still be spot on in 2020]

So here goes! Expect the following predictions and/or future scenarios to become a reality over the next few decades:
  • The official end of the 'Oil Age' and use of fossil fuels on Earth will occur by 2050.
  • There will be widespread emergence and use of a range of renewable energy sources, e.g. wind, solar, hydro.
  • Renewable energy will probably provide up to 80% of U.S. needs by 2050.
  • Nuclear 'fusion' power will become commercially available.
  • Fuel cell technology will also be widely used to power homes, buildings, ships, cars, ...
  • Continent-wide smart 'supergrids' will be used to help manage the world's energy needs.
  • Both the high cost and scarcity of energy on Earth will be a thing of the past.
  • Average global temperatures will have risen by more than 4°F by 2050.
  • Continued climate change will make storms far more intense, e.g. hurricanes, tornados, cyclones.
  • Sea levels across the globe will rise by a little over 3 feet, flooding many coastal cities and areas in the U.S. and around the world.
  • Approximately 5 billion of the world's projected 10 billion people will live in water-stressed and food-scarce areas leading to the potential of mass migrations and regional conflicts.
  • Nearly half of the world's rain forests and jungles will vanish by 2050, but global efforts to halt de-forestation will finally take hold.
  • Deep ocean mining operations around the world will become widespread.
  • Unfortunately, much of the world's fish stocks in the ocean could become extinct by 2050.
  • Major extinctions of many other animals and plant life will have occurred.
  • Cost-effective conservation technologies and solutions will be widely deployed and in use
  • Use of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) will be widespread on farms everywhere
  • Wildfires will have tripled in many regions of the globe by 2050
  • Hi-tech, self-driving 'non-polluting' electric cars will largely dominate the automobile industry by 2050 .
  • High-speed rail routes between major cities across the U.S. and around the world will largely be in place.
  • Many other technological breakthroughs will be developed just in time to solve many of the challenges and problems caused by a growing world population, rapid urbanization, climate change, space travel, ...e.g. AI, VR, IoT, Quantum Computing.
  • Spaceflight technology will take a major leap forward allowing for Inter-Planetary travel across our Solar System.
  • Public and private sector organizations will be aggressively moving forward to explore and exploit resources on nearby planets in outer-space
  • There will be the first permanent human settlements on the moon and Mars by 2050.

What else do you think will happen by 2050?  Quantum Computing's Impact? What does all this mean for you?


* Read about America's Energy Future and go ahead and download a copy of the OECD Environmental Outlook for 2050.  Also, check out more detailed projections documented in 'Our Changing World by 2050'. 

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