January 2010
17 posts
SOTU From an Energy Perspective
Wednesday’s State of the Union address was as much about the subjects the President avoided as about the issues or policies he proposed.
The word “wind” occurs not once in the speech. References to solar energy have to do with the number of jobs created building solar panels. Gone are the promises of a future of Rainbows, Unicorns and Magic Windmills; the Administration seems to...
2 tags
The Leaning Tower of Global Warming
Australian blogger Jo Nova provides a quick recap to help the casual reader keep track of the recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) scandals.
The Four ‘Gates’ of the IPCC
Let’s see. There’s
Climate Gate, showing that the peer review process has descended into a criminal farce of scientific malpractice …
PachuriGate, showing that the man in charge of the IPCC...
Bad Things Happen When We Move Oil Around In Boats
We have to import oil in boats because 1) many Americans are averse to exploring for it at home, and 2) our appetite for oil is unabated.
If we explored more in the U.S., we could move the oil in pipelines, which is much a safer method of transportation. With a pipeline, you have a fixed facility at either end; if something happens to the pipeline, you can tell right away. Any spill is limited...
Energy 101: Hydraulic Fracturing
This week, several news stories converged on an odd topic: hydraulic fracturing.
Fracking Schematic. Note: Vertical scale grossly underrepresents the depth of the producing formation.
Hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking”, has been used since the 1950s to stimulate oil and gas wells. The process involves pumping a sand-laden slurry into a well and subjecting it to enough pressure...
EIA Energy Outlook 2010-2035: Lowered...
Here’s the Executive Summary of Vladimir’s conclusions, based in large part on a highly developed olfactory system, especially sensitive to the aroma of bovine feces:
The U.S. economy uses enormous quantities of energy. Even small changes in the fuel mix are difficult to make, and extremely costly if you’re replacing a traditional fuel with a less efficient one. Absent costly...
4 tags
2 tags
3 tags
