The AEman Blog - Brain Gym for Alt Energy

Here Come the Plug-Ins

2006-04-07T13:17:00.000-04:00

No, it's not an air freshner ... well, maybe it is, sort of. How about a planet freshner? Hybrid cars with electric chords like neck ties. Or in this case, as tails. This announcement signals the arrival of the 100 MPG vehicle. Get ready to diversify Saudi Arabia/Iran/Venezuala.

Anybody Feel A Draft in Here?

2006-03-31T14:06:00.000-05:00

Wind's getting windier. Companies, large and small, are beginning to get it, and get into it. This blows!!!

The End of All Problems

2006-02-08T22:33:00.000-05:00

Well, at least quite possibly the beginning of the end of many very serious problems facing humans in industrialized countries these days. Look at what Honda just announced in both hydrogen cars AND hydrogen homes. AEman was almost dead, but this has given him a racing pulse and sweaty palms for the first time in a long time.

You're Getting Hot

2005-11-28T20:35:00.000-05:00

AEman had the good fortune to catch this hour-long show tonight on new solar tech. In particular, on work being done at Sandia Labs with the Sterling Engine used in conjunction with solar. AEman recalls a post on this some time ago, but as he's been absent on duty for while, it's a litte foggy. Anyway, here's the link. Check it out.

(At Least) One Congressman is Awake

2005-10-05T11:38:00.000-04:00

Congressman Roscoe Bartlett, R-Md, talking to, among others, George W. about peak oil. See here: http://www.fcnp.com/530/peakoil.htm.

Sunflower Power

2005-07-13T12:01:00.000-04:00

The Sunflower Solar Array From the IdeaLab guys, an idea that may mainstream solar faster than previously thought possible. Now more than an idea, the Sunflower hits beta this fall and goes bigtime next year. Check it out.

Nuclear Moves

2005-06-26T07:40:00.000-04:00

AEman's not talking about Iran, he's talking about the US. More info in today in the Boston Globe about Iran, he's talking about the US. More info about the increasingly warm economic climate (warm climate?) for new nuclear power. Note the final paragraph on recent stealth generation expansion.

Brazilian BioFuel Beauty

2005-06-18T10:48:00.000-04:00

Yeehaw! When it rains AE it pours AE. Hold on to your wind turbines, solar cells, and hybrids. Now announcing Ethanol from Sugar Cane ... metric shitloads of it, from that little country down under. Brazil is making tons of ethanol, and is putting infrastructure in place to make tons more. And the market is working too. Cars that can run on ethanol blends and even pure ethanol are a big hit in

Honda Evolves Hydrogen Another Notch

2005-06-13T23:05:00.000-04:00

Honda FCX Hydrogen Car Honda's FCX is its latest generation full hydrogen car. It's got issues for sure, but fewer of them than previous generations and the one's it has are growing increasingly minor. That's the way technology works, you know. Sort of like evolution ... or is that intelligent design ???!!!

Everyone Knows its Windy

2005-06-02T07:26:00.000-04:00

From the Director of the National Wind Technology Center in Golden, Colorado, a few fun facts on the current state of wind power capacity and tech:- 2004 global wind energy capacity: 47.3 Gigawatts- 2004 US wind energy capacity: 6.7 Gigawatts (mostly in CA and TX)- Average utility-sized wind turbine produced today: 1.2 Megawatts- Largest currently produced by US manufacturor: 1.5 Megawatts (GE

A Sneak Peek at the Oil Peak

2005-05-29T20:37:00.000-04:00

MSNBC article today outlines the likely timing the the peak of worldwide oil production ... sometime between 2005 and 2010. Then the inevitable oil spikes while industrialized countries figure out how to make the most out of what's left via conservation and alternative sources. By the latter, I don't mean AE, but actually how to make other materials like coal and tar into things we can run cars

GE's CEO Immelt Kicks Major US AE Ass

2005-05-26T22:55:00.000-04:00

To many the the US gov seems asleep at the wheel when it comes to energy policy, climate change issues, and alternative energy research and support. If you asked them, they'd tell you that things work best when industry takes the lead. Well, industry has just done that, in the form of little ole' General Electric. Check out GE's audacious new energy goals for the next few years.

MIT and "A Crude Awakening"

2005-05-22T08:38:00.000-04:00

The outlook is somewhat less-than-cheery from someone who knows the auto landscape inside and out - the director of MIT's Sloan Automotive Laboratory and codirector of the Ford-MIT Alliance, John Heywood. Read on only AFTER a strong cup of coffee.

The AEman Returneth

2005-05-19T21:37:00.000-04:00

Sorry about that, dozed off for six weeks or so it seems. One of the hazards of working too hard. Anyway, the abundantly energetic man will be back on the beat shortly.

The Army's Clean Machine

2005-04-02T10:01:00.000-05:00

It's green. It's quiet. It's a Silverado pickup truck on the outside. Very cool, though, you still have to wonder where the hydrogen's going to come from.But with zero tailpipe emissions, we'll have a much cleaner, environmentally friendly battlefield.

Goldman Sachs See Oil Spikes

2005-04-01T06:39:00.000-05:00

And Wall Street has a mini-seizure.

A View to 180 MPGs

2005-03-29T20:59:00.000-05:00

Put super awesome batteries in a Prius instead of standard Nickle Metal Hydride ones and you get a decent PHEV - pluggable hybrid electric vehicle. If the batteries are really good, like those described here by startup Valence Technology Inc., you get a car that rarely needs its gas engine. At least not during a typical commuting type day. Check it this write-up.

First Fuel Cell Motorcycle Arrives ... Quietly

2005-03-24T21:26:00.000-05:00

The ENV Fuel Cell Bike OK, check this out. 100 mile range. 50 mile top speed. Quiet as a mouse. Runs on H2 ... hey, do you have any spare Hydrogen I can borrow for my bike? Here's the write-up. Do you think Harley folks will like this? Probably not, but maybe they'll accept it better when the gas is gone.

East Coast Wind Power? Go to Hull!

2005-03-23T21:35:00.000-05:00

Hull 600KW Turbine The economics work in this small seaside town in Massachusetts. With Cape Wind's 130 turbine project stalling, these ones and twos projects are making money and good will. Even when placed on top of swill on a landfill.

Oil Up

2005-03-20T09:37:00.000-05:00

It's up and it ain't coming down (much) anytime soon. Well, maybe it will drop once we find the next Saudi Arabia-sized oil fields and bring them quickly (~ 20 years) online. Or maybe prices will drop when demand does, due to the US, China and India turning their economies off. Or because everyone puts their mega-pickup in the ditch and switches to Prius-like vehicles. Or starts conserving

Signs of Wind Power Economics Improving

2005-03-18T09:53:00.000-05:00

Though this article is titled "Windpower is Becoming a Better Bargain" (NY Times, registration required), its context is mixed at best. Wind seems to be comparatively more competitive as prices for other fuels rise, but that does nothing to fix the inherently unpredicatable, unreliable nature of wind power.This paragraph begins to explain part of the problem:Because windiness is hard to predict,

High Oil Again = AE Urgency

2005-03-15T15:50:00.000-05:00

The Financial Times reports it's happening again. An Alt Energy groundhog day. AE tech and carbon efficiency is going to happen. Only question is how much/how fast.

Mean or Green Vehicles

2005-03-10T08:26:00.000-05:00

The Meanest The American Council for an Energy Efficient Econony (ACEEE) recently published its list of "meanest" and "greenest" passenger vehicles. Ratings were based on fuel efficiency and emissions. Drivers have a wide range of efficiencies to choose from ... all the way from the Dodge Ram SRT10 which at 9 mpg city gets mileage not much worse than a Bradley Fighting Vehicle ... to Honda

Nuclear Tech Knuckle Dragging

2005-03-04T01:55:00.000-05:00

Nuclear Tech RoadmapThough he's normally excited about the prospects of new nuclear tech as a way out of oil/coal hell, this announcement seems at first glance to be a yawner for AEman. It may have something to do with the "thirty years" part.

Nuclear Reactor Science Cooperation

2005-03-04T01:42:00.000-05:00

Though he's normally excited about the prospects of new nuclear tech as a way out of oil/coal hell, this announcement seems at first glance to be a yawner for AEman. It may have something to do with the "thirty years" part.

Interesting Wind/Hydrogen Concept

2005-03-02T22:14:00.000-05:00

This just in from Hugh F off the hybridCARS.com site. Not sure it's as common an idea as he thinks. I like it:"I am sure this is mentioned alot, but it seems that wind generation just needs to be moved one step off of the grid to increase its value and competitiveness. If wind turbines were used to create hydrogen, and then the hydrogen was stored and used to create the electricity (possibly

The Best Energy Site Bar None

2005-03-01T20:40:00.000-05:00

No question about it: the Institute for the Analysis of Global Security group (aka: IAGS) should have been called IAGES. The institute has an extremely well executed, well documented site for the dissemination of information related to energy security. Some of its topics include "Iraqi Pipeline Watch," a comparision of hydrogen to electric-powered automobiles, an analysis of China's emerging

Cape Wind Takes Another Blow

2005-02-26T10:32:00.000-05:00

This just in: the EPA, an agency that played a significant role in the high visibility Army Corps of Engineers report that overwelmingly favorite construction of the product, has done an about face. It's calling the massive Army report inadequate and saying more studies need to be performed, particularly on the wind turbines' potential to harm birds. While AEman has concerns about the efficacy

Waste Gas Want Not

2005-02-23T19:19:00.000-05:00

This month's edition of Scientitic American has an article on carbon sequestration AEman says you might want to check out. This is essentially keeping carbon produced from power plants from reaching the atmosphere and potentially accelerating climate change. The SciAm piece focuses on one new technique, called carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS), where CO2 is removed from the waste gas of

Pluggable Prius Uses Even Less Gas

2005-02-21T08:48:00.000-05:00

Additional Battery Pack for PHEV Plug-In Hybrid Electric Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) aka Prius+ are beginning to take shape. You can read about this movement on the CalCars site. Here's the deal in this first proposed mod: 1) add more powerful batteries to a base Prius 2) achieve more miles (and higher speeds) running in pure electric mode 3) get better mileage from 2 above as well as

New AEman Link: CERES

2005-02-18T18:19:00.000-05:00

CERES That is, the Coalition for Environmental Responsible EconomieS. Sounds a little crunchy at first to the Ann Coulter wing, but if you focus on the fact that two of the letters of the acronym are for the word economies, it gets a little heavier. This group documents how insurance companies and others are moving ahead of the mainstream to protect themselves and their insured interests if and

LEED, Follow, or Get Out of the Way

2005-02-17T08:46:00.000-05:00

LEED = Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, and it's "a national standard for developing high-performance, sustainable buildings. Members of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) representing all segments of the building industry developed LEED and continue to contribute to its evolution."As buildings use about 30% of our total energy, and there are many millions of them in all shapes

Hard to Tell Which Way Wind Power's Blowing

2005-02-15T21:30:00.000-05:00

New Mexico Wind Energy Center Though this article is titled "Windpower is Becoming a Better Bargain" (NY Times, registration required), its content is mixed at best. Wind seems to be comparatively more competitive as prices for other fuels rise, but that does little to fix the inherently unpredicatable, unreliable nature of wind power.This paragraph begins to explain part of the problem: Because

Friedman Re-Fries Bush Energy Policy

2005-02-14T12:25:00.000-05:00

The Man Ouch. Iran feels it doesn't need to play nice in this world because the high price of oil (thanks Hummers) has the pyschotic and despotic (though certainly not erotic) Iranian government rolling in dough.NY Times' Tom Friedman nails it again.

Green with a Vengeance

2005-02-12T09:18:00.000-05:00

Conservative ConservationThanks to AEman friend CD in Dallas for pointing out this article. Former CIA director James Woolsey, among other conservative brethren, is now the proud owner of a Prius and is urging others with like minds to join him. In case you don't know him, Woolsey's not thinking pocketbook or emissions or cool factor here. Rather, he's doing his part to lessen US dependence on

Climate Heaven and Hell: Kyoto Update 2005

2005-02-10T20:39:00.000-05:00

In today's article, "Winners and sinners on global warming", Boston Globe journalist David Sandalow outline both the positive and negative outcomes since Kyoto kicked off in 1997.Sandalow writes: More than seven years later, the agreement forged during those long nights of negotiation will finally take effect. On Feb. 16, the Kyoto Protocol -- revered in much of the world, reviled by

Report takes Wind out of the Sales of Large Turbine Projects

2005-02-08T11:50:00.000-05:00

This just in sports fans ... Denmark is the country with the highest density of wind turbines per capita. No, that's not the news, but this is: Danish energy consulting Incoteco just filed a report that concludes that, based on Denmark's extensive wind power experience to date, the UK's plans to achieve a significant portion of power in 2020 from wind sources are way, way out of whack.

Who's Up for Global Toasting/Roasting?

2005-02-05T20:21:00.000-05:00

Earth Climate Model A recent SETI-like massively distributed simulation program modeled a world where the earth's avergage temperature climbed as much as 11 degrees celsius this century. Wouldn't that be pleasant. Please pass the coal, ma!

Nuke Begets Hydrogen Begets The Future

2005-02-03T13:23:00.000-05:00

It's the ultimate two-fer. New-design nuclear plants can make the energy the US and world need to supply electric power to homes, commercial buildings and industry. And as a by-product, can be harnessed to produce hydrogen to fuel the largest chuncks of the transportation sector. And for you skeptics out there, the company that sponsored the attached research - PRODUCTION OF HYDROGEN BY

Wired's New Nukes

2005-01-31T20:56:00.000-05:00

(Small) Size Matters Wired Magazine calls out the need for nukes again in "Nuclear Now" in its Feb 2005 copy, saying renewables are pie in the sky and coal and oil are loading the greenhouse. Chart above shows how much land mass is used up to produce 1 Gigawatt of energy (enough to power one metric shitload of houses, factories, cars, etc.). Note: nuclear, in the bottom left, takes up .33

What it Takes to Win

2005-01-30T09:04:00.000-05:00

Tom Friedman No one sees the world more clearly today than this man. Check out Tom Friedman's recent analysis on how the US could right many wrongs in one swift shift in policy and economics. AE is not the only thing that wins in his world.

Tepid Alt Energy Venture Capital Update

2005-01-28T09:30:00.000-05:00

Cleantech Venture Network Sustainable energy venture capital (VC) analysis and events firm Cleantech Venture Network just posted its investment trends review for the 3Q2004. AEman notes signs of life though no stampede. Investment in AE companies in the US Northeast is strong and getting stronger, the west is declining, Europe is coming online, and the number of first round financings is

Alt Energy 101 and PhD: Read or Die

2005-01-24T22:52:00.000-05:00

Winning the Oil Endgame by Amory Lovins This is one of those cases where the normally dispassionate AEman just shouts out a directive emanating from pure primal instinct. AEman was blogging "Oil Endgame" by Rocky Mountain Institute founder and freaking new power genius Amory Lovins in late 2004 and wanted to make sure new folks didn't miss this. It's an online book and/or a paperback you can

A Hybrid Double Double

2005-01-22T21:29:00.000-05:00

Silverado Hybrid V8 AEman sees both good news and bad news coming out of Detroit's latest hybrid sales news. The good news is that the number of hybrid cars (and now light trucks) is doubling every year. It did in 2004, it's going to happen again in 2005, and it looks like it's going to keep happening. The bad news is that part of that rapid increase is going to come in categories that have

Go with the Flow

2005-01-22T07:55:00.000-05:00

Underwater = No Angry Psychos Virginia-based Verdant Power (www.verdantpower.com), working with DOE and with support from the city, is running an experiment in the East River that may soon bring some (not too much) extra power to Gotham. Unlike the Cape Wind hysterics still playing out off Nantucket with wind turbines, water turbines go down easier, even for the most sensitve neo-aesthete. May

Nuclear Power: Sleeping Giant Begins to Stir

2005-01-20T21:41:00.000-05:00

Recent articles, like this one today in the Chicago Tribune titled: "After 30 years in exile, nuclear power is back", are indicators that something is up. The mainstream press doesn't seem to understand why nuclear is starting to come back, but it will report the events as they unfold and replay the history each time. This article misses the signifance of the emmissions difference between

Wind Power Home Style

2005-01-17T20:53:00.000-05:00

Windsave home turbine OK so you want to play a part in the campaign against global warming and you want the home version and you want to spend some money now to save some money later? Does AEman have a deal for you. Oh yeah, you'll have to pay in pounds - one thousand of them plus VAT. You know, 5% value added tax. . And go to Scotland. And fill out a form. And wait till the wind hits 10 mph

Molehills into Gigawatts

2005-01-12T08:23:00.000-05:00

A recent edition of New Yorks "The City" Journal makes a clean case for going with the densest fuel around. You'll like this: [Here's] the stunning thing about nuclear power: tiny quantities of raw material can do so much. A bundle of enriched-uranium fuel-rods that could fit into a two-bedroom apartment in Hell’s Kitchen would power the city for a year: furnaces, espresso machines, subways,

Can Coal be Kleaner?

2005-01-11T22:12:00.000-05:00

Coal Stack Publically traded newco KFx is refining a process to make its patented K-Fuel®, the result of transforming sub-bituminous coal and lignite into "clean, affordable, efficient energy supplies." In addition to water, the process removes mercury, SO2 and NOX. AEman notes one compound the KFx web-site and the annual report fails to discuss in any detail in C02 - the primary culprit in

Plainly Spain is into Wind

2005-01-10T21:28:00.000-05:00

Spanish Turbines The conversation on wind power is so different in Spain today than it is in the USA, and not just because in Spain they speak Spanish. A current NY Times article (registration required) describes how Spain is moving quickly to make the most of this resource despite opposition. Thanks to MN for this find.

It's Greased Lightning!

2005-01-09T22:56:00.000-05:00

GM H2 Prototype Hydrogen, hybrid, hydrox, hysterical, hydromatic. Good news abounds with new tech underfoot in the light vehicles category, even at tech laggard GM. "Yeah, but where's the H2 going to come from?" AE "Hey, enough with the negative waves, AEman." "OK, you're right. It looks cool." AE

The Great Escape

2005-01-06T18:44:00.000-05:00

2005 Ford Escape Hybrid Ford is making them and selling them now. AEman's brother owns a small Ford dealership and just got his first allotment of to Escape Hybrids ... one pre-sold before it hit the lot. It's the first SUV hybrid and as such represents the best and the worst of what's available today. Best for its use of hybrid propulsion technology; worst for being a fucking SUV (AEman has

US Getting Into Position on Clean Tech ... Left Out

2005-01-03T21:19:00.000-05:00

While some US companies are making moves to take advantage of the pro-active climate change policies in other countries (like China), most are asleep at the wheel. This article describes what some co's are doing, and gives three main points investors and companies should be considering to maximize their return as many non US countiries and companies minimize their emmissions: First,

MIT on Nukes

2005-01-02T22:31:00.000-05:00

Several of the larger-brained folks at MIT have expressed their support for the return of nuclear power to ward off more CO2 emmissions in the future. Beyond issues of pure technology, they point out the four most significant hurdles to widespread new adoption: - Cost/Efficiency - Waste disposal/storage - Safety - Proliferation More in the article; More to follow on AEman.

Does "Clean Coal" Have Soul?

2005-01-01T21:14:00.000-05:00

AEman's had a hard time finding good introductory sources on the current state of affairs in the coal industry. This piece from The Economist is over two years old, but seems a good place to start for the layperson. AEman will be digging for more on clean coal approaches in the coming months.

Hey Sherlock - Now There's Near Zero Energy (NZE) Homes

2004-12-31T15:39:00.000-05:00

If you're a northeastern US dweller noticing how $2 a gallon oil is impacting your bottom line this winter, it may be time for you to move south. But if you don't want to move that far, you may want to consider a new pad. And I don't mean an igloo. The Oak Ridge National lab just cranked out it's fourth NZE home this fall for about $100K. A veritiable McMansion of energy efficiency and improved

RealClimate.org Added to AE Links

2004-12-30T07:45:00.000-05:00

There's so much debate in the media and confusion in the language coming from government on the impact of human activies on the climate. AEman has identified a good source for the science. Here's how these guys describe themselves: RealClimate is a commentary site on climate science by working climate scientists for the interested public and journalists. We aim to provide a quick response

You Can't Say Nuclear, That Really Scares Me ...

2004-12-29T22:13:00.000-05:00

This line, taken from the jibjab.com Bush-Kerry pre-election parody, had Kerry making fun of GWB's inability to articulate the N word in a conventional way. Kerry, though, despite his superior enunciation of many words, didn't win. And his pro AE stance (apart from his hypocritical oppositon to the Cape Wind project) had him framing nuclear power as an evil to be eradicated. AEman advises

US Right to Criticize Kyoto, Wrong to have Head up Ass on AE

2004-12-27T15:45:00.000-05:00

If you're into greenhouses, get psyched. You're about to live in one. Coal's low cost, high availability, and lack of middle-eastern-ness is driving a huge coal plant build out in China, India and of course, the US. The CS Monitor's "New Coal Plants Bury Kyoto" says it all. Makes debates on wind turbines and solar seem rather academic, does it not?

Bending Over Backwards and Beyond

2004-12-27T08:33:00.000-05:00

A Boston Globe piece this morning "Yarmouth would get wind farm windfall" shows how far the Cape Wind developers have to go to pay off local townsfolk, while they still get to endure unremitting reamings from local selectmen and others. Once again, we're exploring the outer reaches (or maybe the foul inner core) of NIMBY. Here we see Not In My Back Yard even though: It's windpower, not coal/

AE Mainstream

2004-12-24T13:46:00.000-05:00

When what to AEman's wondering eyes did appeal but a BusinessWeek article yesterday called "Alternative Energy Gets Real". Far better than gushing enthusiasm, this one strikes a balance. Around here we sometimes say, "Is light dawning on Marblehead?"

Lord Howell Sees Windmill Emperor Naked

2004-12-22T20:59:00.000-05:00

That's right sports fans, looks like AEman's found himself a new hero, in none other than that folksy little UK brewpub, the House of Lords. Howell, a former energy minister, says that windmills, pretty though they may be, are a dangerous distraction, an ineffectual energy sink for would-be energy pro-activists that won't get us any fucking closer to getting off oil and coal than we are today.

California goes to School on Deutschland , Sort of

2004-12-22T07:10:00.000-05:00

German solar farm Germany is moving out on AE. With a mixture of incentives (that make building and using solar and wind power profitable) and fees (that make continuing reliance on gasoline and goal onerous, not to mention oderous), the country is being built out. Today 10% of Germany's power comes from renewables and it appears to be on track to hit 20% within a decade or two. Twenty years

Meanwhile, a Report from Germany Suggests Wind Blows

2004-12-20T19:43:00.000-05:00

AEman readers have to know they'll get the bad news with the good when it comes to new power tech. It ain't all roses, that's for sure, especially when theory meets reality in the wild. This sobering account, paraphrased from the Solar Austin AE group on Yahoo. Germany has more wind power installed than any other country; half of Europe's capacity. The report seems to be unusual in making

You've got that Lovins Feeling ...

2004-12-18T18:49:00.000-05:00

NPR just did an hour-long show with Amory Lovins, founder of the AE-promoting Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI). The show was on Energy Independence, and also featured Leon Lederman, 1988 winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics, former director of the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory and former President of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and Paul Gompers, professor of

Fly Me to the Moon

2004-12-18T10:16:00.000-05:00

AEman, sometimes less than circumspect, says if you don't ready Tom Friedman these days, you've must be living on another fucking planet. Here's his column in the Dec 5 NY Times. My how it warms AEman's cockles. See what it does for yours: Of all the irresponsible aspects of the 2005 budget bill that the Republican-led Congress just passed, nothing could be more irresponsible than the fact that

MIT Bellows "Cape Wind!"

2004-12-17T10:20:00.000-05:00

AEman attended two hours-worth of last night's Army Corps of Engineers public hearing on the Cape Wind offshore wind turbine project. Many bulging brains were present and during their 2-minute presentations all ... and I do mean all ... voiced support for the project. It was splendid spectacle from an AE point of view, though the muckraker bastard in AEman nearly threw out an objection just to

Dr. Dom on Gas Efficiency and Humans

2004-12-15T19:08:00.000-05:00

The good doctor observes fuel efficiency graph in the previous AEmanic posting and articulates the following nugget of wisdom: Hi AEman, Just a quickie today. The graph you recently provided us with is of interest. Four of the 6 countries listed have very high gasoline prices to account for their improved mpg. China, however, has low prices. The reason mpg is improving there is that the

Positive Energy in Bushdom?

2004-12-12T23:47:00.000-05:00

From The Economist, 9 Dec 2004 The most recent article in The Economist to catch AEman's eye is called "Energy Policy and the Envronment: Heating up at Last?" It essentially pokes the Bush administration energy policy with a pointy stick, which has been lying face down in the dirt for some time now, to check for life signs. And sure enough, wouldn't you know it groaned and wheezed a bit. It

Chess 101: ENDING THE ENERGY STALEMATE

2004-12-11T07:39:00.000-05:00

Published just a few days ago, this 150 page report is intentionally apolitical. As the diverse panel says, they are "REJECTING MYTHS ON THE LEFT AND RIGHT". AEman finds AE getting shrift here, but otherwise generally likes their attempt to bolster fuel efficiency, energy security and greenhouse gas amelioration. Below find an excerpt from the executive summary. Commissioners found ... common

AEman's agent writes the Army Corps of Engineers a note

2004-12-10T20:12:00.000-05:00

Dear Army Corps of Engineers,I am neither Cape Cod dweller, energy magnate nor rabid environmentalist. I am a father of four cute, smart and wonderful children and we live just to the west of Boston. I am a business person, and, perhaps stereotypically, I most often make decisions using a cost-benefit analysis type approach. To me, while there are clearly competing

According to Broecker, Kyoto will not Work

2004-12-09T09:50:00.000-05:00

Professor Wallace Broecker of Columbia University has spoken out again, damn him. He's reminding world leaders (again) that Kyoto isn't going to cut the mustard. Why won't he just go away or study a different subject? His critique of Kyoto is that it sucks. It's a lame attempt to appear to be doing something to appease the masses. But by failing to bind CO2 emmissions from developing countries

Cape Wind Opponents put the Ass in Aesthetics

2004-12-08T06:59:00.000-05:00

Word is the discussions at the Army Corps of Engineers public hearings are very polite. Isn't that sweet? While supporters list of compelling reasons is about a mile long, not the least of which are: regional economics, additional jobs, clean air, reducing dependance on middle east oil, etc., the detractors line up like modern day peaceniks missing only love beads and bongos. The war room cry

Shocking News Just In: US Car Makers as Brain Dead as Ever

2004-12-07T21:47:00.000-05:00

The Union of Concerned Scientists (think: knit, deeply furrowed brows, pocket protectors, MIT) has just released their Automaker Rankings 2004: Environmental Performance report and guess which companies continue to suck the most? That's right! How did you know it was the US's Big Three? Psychic, huh? GM in fact, still the biggest (though slipping fast) has managed to get consistently worse since

Excerpt from "Oil Price Trends Through 2004 – 2010"

2004-12-05T22:20:00.000-05:00

Respected energy analyst Andrew McKillop just published an oil price update on EnergyPulse. Here is the money quote: Under any scenario, the basic need is for higher and less volatile oil and energy prices, accompanying serious and committed energy conservation, transition to renewable energy and restructuring for a low energy economy, habitat and society. This will be forced on energy consumers

How you Gonna Pay for all this AE Goodness, AEboy?

2004-12-05T18:32:00.000-05:00

You know, for all of AEman’s enthusiasm about what’s happening in the power tech space, one simple fact needs airing: We don’t need ANY tech breakthroughs at all to effect radical economic, goeopolitical and environmental improvement. As you’ll see, AEman’s special guest commentator Dr. Dom doesn’t mince words: Here it is ... it's all about politics. Never mind technology, money, research,

The Happy Hybrid

2004-12-04T09:13:00.000-05:00

Summary - Hybrid gasoline vehicles and new-design nuclear plants, lots of them, are the short term answer. They buy time for the better longer term combo’s while immediately boosting supply, cutting oil consumption, reducing oil and coal pollution and overall knocking down greenhouse gases. If this approach offends thine eye, then pluck it out. Let’s go. The two chewiest energy problems, right?

Sign of the Times: "California company offers workers 'hot deal' for purchasing a hybrid"

2004-11-30T21:53:00.000-05:00

Not only do they save you money but they save you money and you can save money while saving money (notice AEman didn't resort to mentioning saving the planet or any other such wussy notion). Click 'n read from the Detroit News today.

You Wanna Start Something ??

2004-11-29T19:45:00.000-05:00

Do these things for they are doable and matter. Begin doing them now: 1. When you need a car, buy a hybrid. And not the Lamborghini hyrbrid that'll be out in 3 years that generates 1500 hp, but one of the ones that's nice, smart and fuel efficient. See previous post for ideas. This saves lots of money. 2. Conserve at home. Insulate. Keep thermostat down in winter and up in summer. Use energy

Great Hybrid Site for Yous to Peruse

2004-11-28T16:06:00.000-05:00

You'll be a-wanting to expend the 1/100,000th of a horsepower required to get to the hybridCARS.com site as soon as possible. It's very well designed, highly informational, and seems to contain zero bullshit. How much is AEman being paid to gush thusly? A gentleman never tells ...

Nuclear Energy in the US: A Strange Love Indeed

2004-11-27T20:42:00.000-05:00

Well, AEman wouldn’t actually say love, not in 2004, though it might have been love a long time ago. And if you refer to the previous post on what China is up to with pebble reactors, it may be love again. But lately it hasn't even been "like." For many of the more environmentally-oriented in the US and especially Europe, nuclear power is essentially the energy anti-christ. AEman though, is

Wired on China's Safe Nuclear "Hydrogen Machines"

2004-11-25T22:06:00.000-05:00

Pebble Reactor design AEman strongly recommends reading Spenser Reiss's article "Let a Thousand Reactors Bloom" in Wired this month. Here's an excerpt that describes the fantastic modular, meltdown proof new design that's being fielded in China as we eat Turkey. How a Pebble-bed Reactor Works: Hot Rocks: Thousands of billiard ball-sized fuel pebbles power the reactor. The balls are coated

Union of Concerned Scientists added to AEman links

2004-11-24T20:05:00.000-05:00

"Union" - wage/benefit leverage, or marriage; "of" - innocent participle; "Concerned" - this can only be a good thing vs. aloof or disaffected; "Scientists" - more than one scientist ... strength in numbers. And they're local to AEman too, with their HQ near MIT. Here's what the AE-focused UCS guys say they do: We examine the benefits and costs of the country's energy use, and promote energy

Red States & Blue States Agree on This:

2004-11-24T07:07:00.000-05:00

Waiting for their legislators - most wedded intimately to entrenched old power interests - to take action ahead of the curve on AE is a formula for boredom ... and failure. Well, an entire state just got off its ass and bypassed the deadwood. Below find an excerpt culled from the NY Times this morning: Colorado voters said much the same thing when they approved, over the vehement objections of

Religion and AE

2004-11-21T22:59:00.000-05:00

It’s Sunday night and that always puts AEman into an introspective, reflective, spiritual frame of mind. Well, no it doesn’t. But let’s just say for the sake of argument it did this time. Religion’s been in the news a heck of a lot lately, and usually for not very life-affirming reasons. AEman assumes most of his readers keep themselves up to speed on current events including the ways religion

Brain Gym Email of the Day - Nov 20

2004-11-20T13:06:00.000-05:00

This just in from C. Davis in Texas: Regarding the tide turbine approach, what if you were to: add a wind turbineadd photovoltaicuse abandoned oil rigs as the basis for your structurecapture the economies of putting multiple energy production sources on one structurecapture the economies of putting multiple production sources at a common node on the gridThis would let you capitalize on the fact

EnergyPulse Added to Links

2004-11-20T08:11:00.000-05:00

AEman cited these guys in previous post/rant on oil before checking them out. Just checked them out. They check out ... peer review and all. If you really want to Czech out, however, I'd recommend Kundera.

Oil Vey

2004-11-19T23:32:00.000-05:00

AEman has said that the primary focus of his blog is to highlight requirements for … and advances in new power tech. But sometimes statements and data about the old guard sources, upon which we are still completely dependent, come out that really jolt him. And of course, it’s his duty to share these precious moments with you, the concerned citizen and beloved reader. Remember, all alarms are not

Coal Case

2004-11-17T15:06:00.000-05:00

Wherein AEman will attempt to articulate a short but coherent case in support of broader US use of coal power. First of all, let's admit that coal used to be for choo choos and is today best suited for power plants and steel production, not to power cars and light trucks. Second, let us note that the WSJ had an article yesterday titled: "Global Surge in Use of Coal Alters Energy Equation" which

Fools (Not) Rushing In

2004-11-15T20:39:00.000-05:00

Bill Paul wrote in the Motley Fool last week that though investers might be tempted to get in on some of the early stage AE companies with the price of oil so high, they might want to keep their powder dry. Dotcom-chastened Paul, now invests in companies that are already making money big time and his recommendations seem to AEman to require near-zero risk. And you know how the risk reward thing

Do'st A Mighty (Solar) Wind Approacheth?

2004-11-14T09:20:00.000-05:00

DARPA and venture cap-funded Nanosolar in Silcon Valley seems to be building up a head of steam as it attempts to substantially adance the state of solar energy. Assuming the claims on their site are not too exaggerated, they certainly are kicking the ass of current solar approaches. As follows: Current Crystalline Silicon versus Nanosolar's printed solar cells - Key Differences Production:

2004-11-13T01:29:00.000-05:00

Is this cool or what? Sometimes words fail AEman ... or he, them. Anyway, see if this concept art doesn't get you more than a little aroused (AEman is consciously not noticing the fairly phallic configuration). Beautiful, sleek, and nary a landlubber senator can see it. Here's the UK-based co. that's working in it: MCT .

Picking on George

2004-11-10T23:58:00.000-05:00

"You said you wouldn't harp on GWB; said what would be the point?" AEman knows ... he's sorry. Won't happen again. It's probably Laura that's making him do all this crazy stuff. Behind every great man, there's a manipulative former librarian. God only knows what she whispers into his ears when he's sleeping. That poor man.

The Burning Bush: Kyoto Still No Go for This Guy

2004-11-10T23:39:00.000-05:00

Our man in Washington continues to give AEman the heebee jeebees on climate change. Four more years of office looks like it's going to mean four more years of US emissions moving farther and farther from the Kyoto targets which it played a major role in setting. Guess he's a man of his principals and he's not going to change his mind for anything trivial like, you know, the Earth, the economy,

Army Hard Corps on Cape Wind Goodness

2004-11-09T21:25:00.000-05:00

This just in: that radical group of do-gooding tree huggers (NOT), the US Army Corps of Engineers just issued its impact statement and Cape Wind came out smelling like roses. This Boston Globe article provides some great highlights.Here is a summary of 9 of the Army Corps of Engineers' key findings sure to set the Wind-haters teeth to gnashing: Cape Wind will reduce energy costs in several ways

Double Take: World Energy Outlook 2004 Bitchslaps

2004-11-08T22:36:00.000-05:00

The soothing language of large NGOs attempts to lull AEman and others into complacency. But no, a true perusal (vocab builder: that's a close read, not a quick scan) reveals multiple cases of major league mischief for the US economy and the global environment. In no particular order I give you: "Well over two-thirds of the projected increase in emissions will come from developing countries"Great

IEA's Publishes "World Energy Outlook 2004"

2004-11-07T21:08:00.000-05:00

The International Energy Agency released its yearly appraisal of the state of global energy affairs a couple of weeks ago. You can read the 10-page summary gratis or shell out ~ $150 for the full report. AEman's short take is that the IEA is a bit more sanguine about oil reserves than many other folks, saying they think we can continue to experience increases in supply that match the rapid

Rememberence of Things Not Passed: Bush's First Term Energy Plan

2004-11-05T22:41:00.000-05:00

He's nothing if not bold. Though bold isn't quite the right word. How about ballsy? As in clearly supporting what appear to be mid 20th century policies 50 years later and not seeming to worry about being exposed as an anachronistic hack ... a wanton huckster for the oil power-industrial complex. Is AEman (with some vestigial circumspection still in place) being too harsh? Me thinks not. OK -

Bush is Back: The Perfect [Energy] Storm

2004-11-03T13:33:00.000-05:00

You asked for it … you got it. AEman doesn’t want to overestimate the impact any one man can have on our world … he doesn’t want to sound alarmist. Zen quandry: can one sound an alarm without being an alarmist? Think so. Part of me , the Kirk side, would say it this way: “we’re fucked”. Another part, the Mr. Spock component, might hold forth as follows: “our life support systems are in

Nov 2: On the Election ...

2004-11-02T22:35:00.000-05:00

It's 10:40 PM EST and it's still up in the air. If Bush wins, AEman remains a subsersive undergroud operation. I don't expect much of the man or his cabinet in terms of new power energy policy. We'll keep advancing the technology and business case nevertheless, but won't spend much time Bush bashing. I mean, what's the point? But if Kerry prevails, however, AEman will attempt to regularly