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September 17, 2008AlwaysOn Going Green Conference 2008by Joe Katzman
I've been remiss in not posting this. AlwaysOn is running a conference for green technologies, and the sessions are available in real time online in audio, video, and presentations. As I write this, I'm listening to a panel regarding smart (electrical) grids, which have a large role to play in any future energy policy. June 20, 2008Speaking Of No Blood For Oilby Armed Liberal
We signed a contract with Solar City this week, for a 3.1KwH solar roof array. Solar City has apparently put together a lease program that strips the tax advantages, but offers the system for $75/month (escalating 3.5%/year) for 15 years. Since it's guaranteed to save us at least $60/month in electricity (possibly as much as $80 - we live in a funny climate zone near the beach), and since I think utility prices are going to spike hard when all the energy costs, bad employee contracts, and deferred maintenance and needed upgrades in infrastructure come home to roost - it seemed like a smart thing to do. And even if not smart, it seems like the right thing to do. I'll keep everyone posted. My biggest issue now is that the inverter is set to shut the system down during brownouts or blackouts to protect the grid. Because we get brown or blackouts on sunny summer afternoons, I'd love to figure how to use the panels off the grid. I'll be doing some research. No Blood For Oilby Armed Liberal
I'll come back to the news about the oil servicing contracts, but wanted to slip in a bit of interesting good news first. This week, the Pentagon hosted a conference call with Dr. James Valdes, a biotechnology expert with the US Army. He was discussing the Tactical Garbage to Energy Refinery (TGER) - a portable 40Kw generator that runs on diesel or garbage - converting solid trash to low-grade methane through high-temperature digestion, and wet garbage to ethanol via fermentation. 
May 27, 2008Gas-plasma autos on the way?by Donald Sensing
Is this how we will propel our cars in the near future? In, "Buy a Honda, Kill a Polar Bear, " I explored the practicality of hydrogen as a fuel for automobiles, either to use in on-board fuel cells to generate electricity, or to enhance gasoline combustion by adding the hydrogen to the air-intake flow just before injection into the combustion chamber. Fuel-cell technology is proven and the new, all-electric Honda Clarity is being offered for lease (only) in southern California this year. It is powered only by a fuel cell stack. As for whether hydrogen-has (H2) injection into the intake manifold of IC engines really is valid for improving efficiency, there are a lot of web sites that reek of snake-oil salesmanship. Promises of up to 60 percent better gas mileage are made. My reservation was not whether H2 injection actually improves gasoline combustion at least some, but whether there is a net energy gain because of the energy required to make the H2 to begin with, especially with on-board H2 reforming or electrolysis. May 14, 2008Word of the day: "Greenwash"by Donald Sensing
I wish I had made it up. The context: Paul McCartney saying he was 'horrified' because his Lexus LS600H (hybrid), costing £84,000, was flown 7,000 miles from Japan to Britain rather than being sent by ship. Toyota Motor Co. seems to have been so grateful for Sir Paul's promotion of the car that they flew it to him aboard a Korean Air flight instead of sending it by ship, the way the rest of the ultra-rich proles get theirs. April 23, 20085-Year Flights? Enter DARPA's Vultureby Joe Katzman
 Vulture concept (click to view full) Three teams have now received Phase 1 contracts to begin developing develop a radical new aircraft, under a US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) program known as "Vulture." DARPA's goals for Vulture are not trivial: 5 years on station with a 450kg/ 1,000lb payload, 5kW of onboard power, and sufficient loiter speed to stay on station for 99% of the time against winds encountered at 60,000-90,000 feet. The system could act as a satellite substitute for communications relay or reconnaissance, as long as the payload fit within the weight limit. Vulture would be more vulnerable to anti-aircraft missiles than a satellite, and could be targeted by fighter jets as well given the right launch profile; on the other hand, that closeness would improve sensor resolution and communications capability. The engineering challenges ahead are formidable, as one would expect for a DARPA project. The power system in particular must be extremely reliable, and the aircraft's materials will require advances of their own. Odysseus will be exposed to far more warming and cooling than satellites, and more ultraviolet radiation which will affect the aircraft's materials. The design is also likely to require very large wings, both to help keep it aloft and to accommodate the number of solar cells required. Conditions at altitude can challenge the durability of those wings, especially with hydrogen storage tanks attached. Aerovironment's Helios (1998-2003) demonstrated this the hard way in its 2003 crash. So, who is competing, and what are the proposed designs? March 29, 2008Beer Alert: Hops Shortageby Joe Katzman
So, let me get this straight? Not only do ethanol subsidies support products that requires more energy (mostly hydrocarbons) to produce than they generate, and drive up the price of food in the USA and abroad... they're also contributing to shortages of hops for beer. Just when you thought government couldn't get much stupider, they find a way to surprise you. February 20, 20083 Cheers for Solar Entrepreneursby Joe Katzman
Excerpts of a February 15, 2008 commentary by Michael S. Malone, ABC News Silicon Insider columnist since 2000: "Silicon Insider: Solar Companies Glow Despite Economic Slump":
February 19, 2008Starting to Make Senseby Armed Liberal
So I had the nice sales guy from 'Solar City' - Elon Musk's home photovoltaic rollup - come by and pitch me on taking my house solar. I'm interested, and had the feeling that it was close to actually making sense. Here are the rough numbers: December 5, 2007Short Course: Physics of Sustainable Energyby 'Nortius Maximus'
An acquaintance pointed me to this, which looks like it'll be a really dense infodump. Anyone interested in signing up ought to try. The anti-sticker-shocker: it costs $100. For two days. Parking at the venue adds 30% to that ( :) ). Sponsors: APS Forum on Physics & Society and AAPT Physics of Sustainable Energy: Saturday/Sunday, March 1-2, 2008, University of California at Berkeley D. Hafemeister at calpoly.edu is handling registration. In the interest of reducing spam I'm not posting email in the clear. And I have yet to find an online link for this event. I wish I could make it to this... Short Course on Energy Update: Here's the pdf announcing the event . And it would probably help if you are able to pass as an APS or AAPT member. November 29, 2007Time to Short Googleby Joe Katzman
Google got a lot of publicity from their latest RE<C renewable energy initiative, but my first reaction upon hearing it was "short the stock." Companies are not good at everything; indeed, they tend to be good only in rather narrow spheres. When you start hearing a company claim otherwise, be cautious. If their claims seem unbelievable or are explicitly based on nothing (except ego or "we have a lot of smart people here") - run. The last company to sell that line was Enron. Think I'm exaggerating? Check out the tenor of Google's official release: March 13, 2007"The Great Global Warming Swindle"by Demosophist
Oh boy... I tried, but couldn't improve on BBC Four's own headline for this story. [Correction: as some have noted below, it was "Channel Four" and not "BBC Four". (If you have Adobe Flash Player you can view the entire production here. I've been told this version is slightly out of sync, but still watchable.) I'm not sure why this expose' hasn't been propagated and discussed more in American blogs (let alone media), but the documentary is devastating to the hegemony of the global warming case. It turns out there's a fairly large contingent of environmental scientists who think Al Gore has it backwards--that CO2 ramps follow, rather than lead, warming. It isn't exactly clear which side has things right, but the fact that the "inconvenient truth" advocates seem to believe there's no possible counter argument suggests that, not only have they hitched their wagons to some questionable science, but that they're employing the tried and true expedient of an ideological shibboleth to guard against the possibility that they might be seen as, well you know, wrong. February 16, 2007"Consensus" and global warmingby Donald Sensing
One of the claims continually put forth by the media about global warming is that there is a "scientific consensus" about it. So let's take a look at just what is a "scientific consensus" and how does the concept relate to the debates about climate change. At the start we must distinguish between scientific fact and scientific consensus. A scientific fact was defined by geologist Stephen Jay Gould in a Time magazine interview (Aug. 15, 1999) as "a proposition affirmed to such a high degree that it would be perverse" not to assent to it. In this sense it is a fact, for example, that the noble elements are naturally inactive in combining with other elements. The process used to discover facts about the world must be describable by the investigator and repeatable by others using the same method of inquiry. At a very basic level, that is how science works. This process presupposes that nature works the same way now as it worked before and the same way that it will work later. But a collection of facts do not comprise scientific knowledge any more than a pile of feathers makes a duck. Facts, though crucial, are intermediary. Facts must be interpreted. Scientists relate facts to formulate theory. The major usefulness of theories is to make predictions and inferences about nature, what it is and how it works and how it will work. Ultimately, theories that interpret facts, and that can be used to predict accurately future events within the theoretical scope, come to form the basis of scientific consensus. Example: NASA doesn't re-investigate the nature of gravity every time it wants to send a rocket into space. There is a scientific consensus about gravity resting on the affirmations of gravitational theory to such a high degree that it is literally pointless to reopen investigations of gravity just to shoot another rocket. True, at the far reach of theoretical physics there is not a consensus about gravity's nature, but theoretical physicists do not launch rockets. Practical scientists and engineers do. And they are in consensus about gravity insofar as gravity affects their work. What the media have generally failed to distinguish in their coverage of global warming issues is the difference between the consensus that the earth is warming overall, and the lack of consensus about the causes of the warming, especially the degree of warming attributable to human activities. January 31, 2007Possibly Miraculousby 'Cicero'
Just passing this along for the Optimism Department: Water from wind ...Max Whisson has come up with a brilliant and very simple idea. It involves getting water out of the air. And he's not talking about cloud-seeding for rain. Indeed, he just might have come up with a way of ending our ancient dependence on rain, that increasingly unreliable source. And that's not all. As well as the apparently empty air providing us with limitless supplies of water, Max has devised a way of making the same 'empty' air provide the power for the process... There's a lot of water in the air. It rises from the surface of the oceans to a height of almost 100 kilometres. You feel it in high humidity, but there's almost as much invisible moisture in the air above the Sahara or the Nullarbor as there is in the steamy tropics. The water that pools beneath an air-conditioned car, or in the tray under an old fridge, demonstrates the principle: cool the air and you get water. And no matter how much water we might take from the air, we'd never run out. Because the oceans would immediately replace it. Trouble is, refrigerating air is a very costly business. Except when you do it Max's way, with the Whisson windmill... ...Usually a windmill has three blades facing into the wind. But Whisson's design has many blades, each as aerodynamic as an aircraft wing, and each employing "lift" to get the device spinning. I've watched them whirr into action in Whisson's wind tunnel at the most minimal settings. They start spinning long, long before a conventional windmill would begin to respond. I saw them come alive when a colleague opened an internal door. August 23, 2006Canary in the Coal Mine, Meet the Sunfish in the Reservoirby Joe Katzman
 As we wonder what's in store for August 22, I thought this was interesting on a number of levels. New York and San Francisco have begun using the IAC 1090 Intelligent Aquatic BioMonitoring System (iABS) developed by Intelligent Automation Corporation (IAC) of Poway, CA to protect public drinking water from contamination and potential terrorism incidents. The system is also being used by the U.S. Army at Fort Detrick, MD, a development partner for the system along with the U.S. Army Center for Environmental Health Research (USACEHR), The US Environmental Protection Agency, and the Department of Defense Legacy Program. The key to this whole system? Well, a neural network processor, and... fish. Bluegill sunfish, to be precise. August 13, 2006Part Of The 3% Solutionby Armed Liberal
So yesterday we took delivery of our new Civic Hybrid (in an attractive shade of Magnetic Pearl, with the dealer-$-packed options including a custom leather interior). We'll be selling the Odyssey in the next few weeks (anyone want a nice 2000 Odyssey?), and this will be our only car (well, we do have four motorcycles...). The tipping point toward decision was a spill TG took on her motorcycle while commuting; minor, little damage except to the cosmetics of her new bike and to my lifespan as the anxiety hit my adrenals... July 22, 2006An Earful Of Warm Ciderby Armed Liberal
Kevin Drum wants one. I would too, if I thought for a minute that it would meet its declared specs - an electric car with a lithium-ion battery that does 0-60 in 4 seconds, has a top speed of 130 and a range of 250 miles. One (or more) of these things is likely not to be true...I'll keep an open ear, but will believe it when I see it proved. July 21, 2006Superconductors, Nanotech, Electric Ships & the Power Gridby Joe Katzman
 Superconductor crystal (cick for explanation) American Superconductor Corporation has received a $1.3 million contract extension for its second generation (2G) high temperature superconductor (HTS) wire from the US Office of Naval Research (ONR), with funding from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). This is the 6th contract or contract extension received by American Superconductor for 2G HTS wire development over just the last 10 months; the total dollar amount is approximately $8.1 million within that timeframe. Superconductivity normally works at temperatures close to absolute zero (-459F/ -273C); "high temperature superconductor" wire has the ability to work in conditions you still wouldn't exactly consider comfortable. Targeted defense applications for 2G HTS wire include ship propulsion electric motors and generators; that area is particularly interesting, and ties into another research effort DID has noticed... July 7, 2006The 3% Solutionby Armed Liberal
Rev. Sensing, in his post below, sets out the difficulty in replacing oil as a means of providing and distributing energy. I'll agree - that replacing oil in one swell foop is somewhere between unlikely and impossible. But I don't think that matters; I think he's asking the wrong question. Let's step back for a second and talk about what problem we're really trying to solve. Let me do a fast gloss on my position on global warming (something I haven't blogged on before because it kept coming out as a PhD dissertation by someone who didn't know the subject). It's happening. It's not clear how much is anthropogenic (although the answer is probably a lot), and it's not clear what the impact on climate would be if we just stopped producing CO2 tomorrow. It is clear that it doesn't matter, because we're not going to. Neither, to agree with Friedman here, are we going to take on the pain of cutting our carbon emissions enough or fast enough to impact climate in the next decade. And if we did, the ensuing economic collapse would probably kill more people than climate change will. That may or may not matter so some deep greens; but since the odds of it happening are about where the odds of asteroid collision in the next decade are, I think we can shelve that concept. June 24, 2006Fluorescent Sunlightby Joe Katzman
Well, this is an interesting way to save energy - turn sunlight into fluorescent lighting that's also more pleasing to the humans inside. It's limited but still has a broad range of uses, and is installed in parallel with more conventional lighting sources. There's a ways to go yet in terms of production and economics, but the concept is promising. Jay Manifold has more, via Science News. March 17, 2006Protecting Baja's Grey Whalesby Joe Katzman
Baja California is actually part of Mexico (no jokes about it being ahead of the curve). Concrete buildings are sprouting like weeds lately, and the region has been enjoying a boom of the same kind that made Cancun what it is today. Plus a couple of would-be mining operations. This is doubly unfortunate, as this area is also critical to the Grey Whale population. Here at Winds, we've talked about the inseparability of ecology and conservation from economics, and specifically the economics (and culture) of the local population. Whether it's the Bengal Tigers of India, Haiti's self-inflicted Apocalypso, concepts like valuing eco-services, or other kinds of Granola Conservative concerns, the common theme is clear: local incentives matter - and so does governance. Which is why this attempt is pleasing, though also anxiety-provoking: March 16, 2006New Energy Currents, March 2006: Deep Currentsby John Atkinson
Peter and I were unable to get together this month's 'New Energy Currents' postings due to various unavoidable professional and academic obligations - including a mind-expanding take-home midterm for my Alternative Energy Resources class, in which I sit in a room with a bunch of engineers and try and do my best impression of being able to understand these science guys when they talk about the mechanical/physical/chemical principles underlying various alternative energy technologies. Interesting for sure, but no fun - I feel really unhappily out of touch when I don't have time for the monthly energy plow. Fortunately, it's karmically consoling that one of my teachers from that same class, Dr. Klaus Lackner, has just published an excellent paper (with bigshot Jeffrey Sachs), "A Robust Strategy For Sustainable Energy" (PDF) that covers much of the next few years' worth of energy news in one (long) shot. You can read the press release for the report here (via Gary Jones, who has some typically worthy words on this), but the translation into enviro press release-ese doesn't really reflect the breadth of the perspective presented in the full paper, which you can and should check out here [PDF format] if you're at all interested in this issue. The authors themselves sum up their work as follows, emphases added: March 15, 2006You Can Drive My Carby Armed Liberal
Hit and Run just posted a link showing Members of Congress who directly leased cars instead of going through the GSA (at a lesser expense). I’m not privy enough to the campaign-finance implications of this (i.e are there problems given the mixed usage if you have a GSA vehicle), so I’m not jumping one way or the other on the simple fact of their having leased cars. But I thought it’d be an interesting exercise on my coffee break to map the make/model to their vote on Kyoto. In the SUV column, “XX” means a full-size SUV, “X” means a SUV. The vote is on the 2000 House advisory vote (2000-323) on the Kyoto Treaty.
February 28, 2006Crunchy Cons: The Growth of Granola Conservatismby Joe Katzman
 There are neo-cons, who began as leftists disillusioned with the left's "Hate America" aspect. They quickly morphed into a comprehensive critique of leftism that emphasized the value of liberty, drew on rather than rejected social science research, and revitalized the GOP in the late 1970s. There are paleo-cons, classical conservatives who see themselves as guardians of tradition and our Western heritage. There are theo-cons, evangelical conservatives who are fighting back against what they see as a hostile state and media culture. There are right-libertarian, or economic conservatives. Heck, there are even PersiCons these days. It's a big tent, as any majority party must be. Use these terms, and folks generally grok what you're talking about. But Granola Conservatives?!? What do you call those - "Crunchy Cons?" I've referred to my resonance with the term "granola conservative" a few times before on Winds: in July 18 & 19, 2002 roundups; in an August 31, 2002 article about "Sustainable Development and Industrial Ecology"; and in M Simon's Guest Blog of February 5, 2003: "Energy Efficient Vehicles; Getting There" (looks like Callimachus got there). Winds of Change.NET, which runs regular briefings like "New Energy Currents," is shaped in part by these sensibilities. So, just what is a "Granola Conservative," anyway? And how do birkenstocked Burkeans, gun-loving organic gardeners, evangelical free-range farmers, hip homeschooling mamas, right-wing nature lovers, and their diverse tribe of countercultural conservatives plan to save America (or at least the Republican Party)? Glad you asked... February 25, 2006Hybrid Feverby 'Callimachus'
As a Prius owner and fiercely competitive gas-mileage miser (600 miles at 57.1 mpg -- beat that, biotches!) I yet can sympathize with the correspondent who wrote recently to Glenn Reynolds with a note to hybrid drivers: It is NOT OK, in a 55 MPH no-passing zone on a rural highway, with cars behind you, to drive at a slow enough speed to avoid engaging the gasoline engine. Ah, I've known the temptation. I've heard the little cartoon devil whisper in my ear. But I've resisted, and with tears in my eyes, pressed down on the gas. Having a hybrid changes the way you drive. January 10, 2006Energy Policy and Markets: 2006-01-10by John Atkinson
In an attempt to broaden our coverage of energy news here at Winds, we're splitting off the 'policy' section of our New Energy Currents posting, adding news on private sector initiatives, market trends, and international energy-related relations, and making it a separate post. My good friend, housemate, and soon-to-be Columbia B-school student Peter Wolfgang will be taking the lead on these, and we hope to run both segments more or less concurrently and more or less regularly every month from now on. The format and our methods are very much 'under construction' - please e-mail us at newenergycurrents at gmail dot com with any comments, suggestions, or sources that would improve the quality of these briefings. Here's the first: January 4, 2006New Energy Currents: 2006-01-04by John Atkinson
It's the first New Energy Currents of 2006, and boy, it's pretty amazing to see how much things have changed in the past year. Look at where we were in January 2005 - struggling with natural gas supply issues, wistfully reading about how much we could be saving with cogeneration over at the Engineer-Poet's place, waiting impatiently for breakthrough hydrogen and solar energy technologies, searching for ways to make biofuels make any economic or environmental sense, worrying about the Putinization of Russia's energy supplies... Wait, seriously, we've seen and learned a lot in the past year! These winds of change are blowing steadily, if (seemingly) slowly, and it's New Energy Currents' monthly pleasure to help you keep track of the latest news and innovations in energy technology, policy, and markets. Now in two parts - tech today, policy and markets tomorrow or Friday - by John Atkinson and Peter Wolfgang. December 2, 2005New Energy Currents: 2005-12-02by John Atkinson
After a two-month hiatus to 'adjust' to some new academic obligations, New Energy Currents is back, and better, with a more robust selection of links and significant expansions in two different directions. First and foremost, I'm happy to announce that this bulletin will now be a collaborative effort between myself and my friend/partner in crime Peter Wolfgang. Second, with the expanded staff will come expanded coverage - we will now run two segments here at Winds, with our regular monthly news on new energy projects and technologies supplemented by a second monthly posting, tentatively titled New Energy Politics and Markets, focusing on domestic and international energy politics as well as domestic and global energy market trends. Please e-mail us at newenergycurrents Back in the saddle again - September 2, 2005NEW ENERGY CURRENTS: 2005-09-02by John Atkinson
I am speechless/blogless on the unprecedented disaster of Hurricaine Katrina, other than to link again to Instapundit's massive-and-growing list of charities and to offer my prayers, thoughts, and meaningless condolences in the face of all this - I spent two seriously magical, unforgettable days in New Orleans almost exactly two years ago, and will remember it with love. And it's not just a human tragedy of unspeakable proportions, it's provoking at least a mini-crisis for US gas prices - as noted below, Geoff Styles and Mike Millikin are examining the repercussions for the US energy industry from a variety of angles. The rest of this post, as usual, is an attempt to provide you with a wide-ranging overview of scientific, commercial, and political developments in the energy industry for the past month - by John Atkinson. August 22, 2005Environmental Warship: HMS Northumberlandby Joe Katzman
 HMS Northumberland The Type 23 frigate HMS Northumberland began her journey back to Devonport on Aug 11/05, following a year-long, GBP 20 million (USD $36.1 million) refit at Babcock's dockyard in Rosyth. That refit added a number of combat enhancements, and also made the frigate the first Royal Navy ship to have a revolutionary silicone paint called Intersleek 700 applied to its hull. Why does this matter? Until now, foul toxic substances known as "anti-foulings" have been used to keep ships' hulls clean, and prevent marine growth from attaching. This innovation not only avoids toxic substances, it may actually improve performance and save the Royal Navy money...[Read the rest at DID] August 5, 2005New Energy Currents: 2005-08-05by John Atkinson
Much like the thank-God-it's-finally-over Energy Bill, New Energy Currents for July is a little late. Hey, it's summer. New Energy Currents is a broad, monthly roundup of new developments in energy science, technology, and policy, by John Atkinson of chiasm. July 9, 2005Production As An Ecosystemby Joe Katzman
Wish I had more time to go into more depth re: various aspects of this one, but it's going to be more like a whirlwind tour. Commenters, feel free to fill in. Willie Nelson has a new biodiesel company, and it's getting penetration in the trucking industry. Problem: producing biodiesel actually increases fossil fuel use when you do the math. Worldchanging.com notes, however, that many of the key reasons for that net loss could be changed. Maybe one day that "eco-economic ecosystem" will come together. Meanwhile, that same post flips me to a bit about Integrated Food and Waste Management Systems (IF&WMS), which combine farming of livestock, aquaculture, horticulture, and agro-industries, so the output of one feeds another. A modification of basic permaculture principles, really. IF&WMS has been successfully employed in Brazil, Mauritius, and Namibia, and there's growing interest in India. Lots of potential positives in the developing world, but as an additional option for food production it could have real benefits for us all. Note esp. the re-use of water, which will become more and more critical. You can also apply these ideas to industrial processes, by the way. In August 2002, I wrote about organizations turning money-losing waste into money-making product, covering Interface, Inc., Ecover (and see interview), and ZERI as agents of change. Production as an ecosystem. A "winds of change" type idea that you'll be seeing more and more of during your lifetime. June 17, 2005New Energy Currents: 2005-06-17by John Atkinson
This week, debate in the Senate began in earnest on the federal energy bill - and the debate in the US, around the world, and on the internet shows no signs of abating. In a widely cited poll, Yale University researchers found that an overwhelming majority of Americans are worried about dependence on foreign oil (92%) and want government to develop new energy technologies to address it (93%). Apparently, they haven't been reading their Kunstler, or else they'd know that there are no solutions other than the long-overdue destruction of our sinfully consumptive civilization - or maybe they've been reading their Engineer-Poet instead, and know better than to buy into sci-fi catastrophilia. ...Or maybe they've been keeping up with New Energy Currents here at Winds of Change, a broad, monthly roundup of new developments in energy science, technology, and policy. By John Atkinson of chiasm June 11, 2005Pollution-Eating Bacteria That Generate Electricityby Joe Katzman
The Desulfitobacterium are known for their ability to break down and detoxify some of the most problematic environmental pollutants, including PCBs and some chemical solvents. Now, it seems, they also produce electrinicty. Better still, they're one of those extremely hardy spore-forming varieties that are very resistant to heat, drying, and radiation. So their use in microbial fuel cells is also a possibility down the road. May 21, 2005New Energy Currents: 05-20-2005by John Atkinson
[JK: Originally posted May 20th. Moved up to the 21st because it also fits our "Good News Saturdays" theme.] As the US energy bill is being written in the Senate, the debate over our energy future is in full swing. Hydrogen fuel cells, or "gas optional" hybrids? Nuclear, or not? Coal... or not? As these different technologies begin to compete in earnest for your attention, acceptance, and tax dollars, New Energy Currents does its best to give you a broad overview of developments in energy science, technology, and policy. By John Atkinson, of chiasm. May 17, 2005Australia: Ours is Bigger - and Hotterby Joe Katzman
Proving that missiles and skyscrapers aren't the only way to erect a huge phallic symbol:
April 30, 2005Fuel Cell Membrane Advanceby Joe Katzman
M. Simon came across this item, and submitted it to the comments section of last weekend's Earth Day post. It's worth highlighting:
April 27, 2005Wind Power at Gitmoby Joe Katzman
That's right, the U.S. Navy has just installed four 275-foot tall wind turbines at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Apparently, they're the most visible sight in the area - and the Navy's biggest wind power project to date. Details over at Defense Industry Daily. For maximum fun, the next time you're discussing Gitmo with a liberal, look confused for a minute: "Gitmo, Gitmo... I've heard of that place somewhere. Oh, yeah, that's where the Navy installed 8 million kilowatt-hours/year of wind power to reduce greenhouse emissions!" Keep a straight face throughout, brighten and smile at the end, then keep your expression and look at your counterpart expectantly. If engaged further, return to your subject enthusiastically and begin to recite emissions figures. Come to think of it, this trick probably works equally well if you're a liberal talking to a conservative. April 22, 2005New Energy Currents: 04-22-2005by John Atkinson
Spring is in full bloom in the NYC, and the energy bill season is in full swing - a great time to be alive, in other words. As different technologies begin to compete in earnest for the public's attention, acceptance, and tax dollars, New Energy Currents will do its best to give you a broad overview of developments in energy technology and policy. By John Atkinson, of chiasm. April 16, 2005World-Changing Science from Around the Globeby Joe Katzman
On my America West flight to California, I picked up a copy of Technology Review's April 2005 issue and found a neat set of articles about cutting-edge technology reseach in various countries: Brazil, Chile, China, Germany, the Netherlands, South Africa and the United States.
There's lots of neat stuff going on. Fortunately, these articles are all available online - and there are some interesting graphics measuring key global technology indicators as well. April 15, 2005Environmentalist Heresiesby Joe Katzman
Guess who?
How about futurist Stewart Brand, one of the original enviros who founded the Whole Earth Catalog and wrote The Clock of the Long Now. Brand makes a strong case in each of these areas, and as usual he comes at these things from an angle that makes him worth listening to by all sides of the political spectrum. This observation was also particularly acute: April 9, 2005Ocean Power Updateby Joe Katzman
It's a good article, with a number of useful links. March 18, 2005New Energy Currents: 2005-03-18by John Atkinson
Kyoto is one month old, and we're no closer to figuring out a masterplan to solve the world's ginormous energy problems - not that that's necessarily a bad thing, at this point. With all the feverish activity in the realms of energy science, technology, and policy, we've got at least a couple of thousand flowers getting ready to bloom. Spring isn't quite here yet in the freezing NYC, either, but I'm trying to be patient, you know? As all the brightly colored new technologies and approaches begin to compete in earnest for the public's attention, acceptance, and tax dollars, New Energy Currents will do its best to continue giving you a broad overview of the... bouquet. By John Atkinson of chiasm. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||