Ed Ring

Here we go again.  The International Rivers Network, based in Berkeley, California, an organization with some incredibly great ideas, now reports that dams (and the reservoirs behind them) cause greenhouse gas emissions.  Courtesy of the IRN, read "Fizzy Science: Loosening the Hydro Industry’s Grip on Reservoir Greenhouse Gas Emissions Research."  This report (click here for full report), of course, damns dams, and demonizes yet another industry - this time those evil people who build devices to store water for irrigation, control flooding, and generate electricity for terrible things like stoves. Aswan High Dam Before we go any further, let's be clear about one thing; this is almost certainly less than meets the eye, and even if it isn't so what?  CO2 as a boogyman seems to have become the...

This week the Los Angeles Auto Show had its 100th annual exhibition at the Los Angeles Convention Center.  In his keynote address on 11-29, Rick Wagoner, the Chairman and CEO of General Motors, congratulated the producers when he said "you have 'arrived' this year as one of the industry’s top international shows." This is more true than the distinguished Mr. Wagoner may realize.  California is the home of automotive industry newcomers Tesla Motors in the Silicon Valley, and Phoenix Motorcars in California's southland.  Tesla Motors is noteworthy because they have the backing of some of the wealthiest, smartest venture capitalists the Silicon Valley ever spawned, and they are using the already commoditized lithium ion batteries used in laptops, with extremely high energy densities, to power their 100% battery powered Tesla Roadster.  Phoenix Motorcars is interesting because they have a supplier agreement with Altair Technologies, who claim they have a...

First Solar, the first company to set up volume production of thin-film photovoltaics, has just gone public, and the market loves them.  According to Morningstar, by mid-day on Monday 11-20, First Solar's stock (FSLR) has rallied 24% after their IPO on Friday 11-17. While the U.S. has fallen behind in production of crystalline silicon photovoltaics, it appears the U.S. manufacturers are poised to take the lead in worldwide thin film photovoltaic production.  The photovoltaic tidal wave gathers...  Photo: DayStar Technologies  Along with First Solar, U.S. companies already shipping thin film photovoltaics include DayStar Technologies, and Unisolar.  Joining them soon are silicon valley debuts Nanosolar and Miasole, who both have thin film...

There are many obstacles to creating an energy future reliant on hydrogen, but it is a mistake to think the hydrogen future must include fuel cells.  In our posts critical of the hydrogen lobby we have oversimplified that point, because hydrogen can be used as fuel for an internal combustion engine.  And even when hydrogen combusts, it is still absolutely pollution free, emitting only water vapor. When we participated in California's hydrogen highway planning sessions a few years ago, there was an obvious disconnect between what the hydrogen zealots wanted, and what the industry engineers claimed was feasible.  I distinctly remember representatives from Ford and Toyota patiently trying to explain how easy it would be to just convert a vehicle to run on hydrogen - keeping the internal combustion engine. Today a BBC report entitled "BMW's Hydrogen Car" describes the experience writer Jorn Madslien has as he...

Today's San Francisco Chronicle ran an article that fairly screams for commentary.  In the story entitled "Honda Rolls Out the Future - A Car Powered by Hydrogen," the reporter informs us of the following "But by one particular yardstick, the car is special -- it doesn't run on fossil fuel. Instead, a fuel cell car uses hydrogen."  That's in paragraph two.  A little further down, in paragraph nine, the truth comes out "The hydrogen can be refined from a number of sources, including coal, natural gas and methane."  Oops. Further still in this report, reality comes out in a quote from David Friedman of the Union of Concerned Scientists in Washington D.C., who says "We have to get a fuel cell vehicle that is durable and cheap enough," Friedman said, "and make sure the hydrogen is clean enough. No one will cheer if, at the end of the day, we make all our hydrogen from coal and melt the planet."  Amen, Mr. Friedman. At the end of the story comes a...

As reported today in a BBC story entitled "Study Hopeful for the World's Forests," a study done by researchers at the University of Helsinki has concluded that the actual biomass of the world's forests is higher than previously thought.  Here are some of the key findings: The study measured biomass instead of just surface area of forests, and using this measurement determined forest biomass is increasing in 22 of the 50 most forested nations. They found that when a nation's per capita income exceeds $4,600 per year, their forest stocks begin to increase - for a variety of reasons including more job opportunities and better enforcement of forest management. According to the U.N. Food & Agriculture Organization, there are 16.8 million square miles of forest per year, and they are being deforested at a rate of 13 million hectares per year, which translates into just over 50,000 square miles per year.  This is only 3/10ths of one percent per year, which tends to...

Just six months after Tesla Motors announced the return of a 100% battery car, the Tesla Roadster, we have another great leap forward.  As reported in the Los Angeles Times in a story entitled "GM To Present A Modified Electric Car" (courant.com) on November 10th, General Motors has announced a series hybrid car.  Early next year they will present a prototype of the vehicle. If you are wondering just exactly what "series hybrid" car means, you're not alone.  But this is a car that will take the market by storm.  A series hybrid means that the car has two engines, hence it is a hybrid, but only one engine is connected directly to the drive train, hence it is a "series" hybrid.  By this logic, your Prius is a parallel hybrid, or just a hybrid.  For a detailed explanation of a series hybrid car, including diagrams and energy conversion charts, read our feature from October 2005 entitled "The Case for the Serial Hybrid Car." The advantages of a series hybrid car are...

If we believe anthropogenic CO2 causes catastrophic global warming, we deforest the earth to grow "carbon neutral" biofuel. The Congo Rainforest Deforestation causes droughts, and deforestation, for a variety of reasons, may be a greater contributor to global warming than rising levels of CO2. What if the deforestation to produce biofuel crops causes more harm (droughts, global warming) than good? SOME RELEVANT FACTS: Land surface of planet earth - 56 million square miles Total arable farmland on earth - 5 million square miles Biofuel potential with conventional crops - 5,000 barrels per square mile per year World biofuel production using all farmland on...

This month the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change meets in Kenya, with the effects of global warming in the developing world at the top of the agenda.  To kick this conference off, the United Nations Development Program has published a report entitled "Beyond Scarcity: Power, Poverty and the Global Water Crisis." As dutifully reported in the world press, this report is filled with dire predictions regarding the impact of global warming on the developing world.  Lead author Kevin Watkins says climate change "now poses what may be an unparalleled threat to human development." The impact of global warming in Africa is being particularly highlighted.  As reported in the BBC in March 2006 "Africa could face more droughts," Africa could be faced with 25% less water by the end of the century because of global warming.  And the situation in Africa is already dire - the Africans are enduring their worst drought in over 100 years. The solution however is not going to be found through most of the programs...

Here come the lawyers.  There is an excellent recent Business Week article entitled "Global Warming:  Here Come the Lawyers" that summarizes the impending wave of global warming lawsuits.  Did global warming cause hurricane Katrina to devastate New Orleans?  If you think the answer is yes, then naturally, it's time to sue the oil companies and their fellow travelers. There are several problems with this.  We really aren't convinced industrial greenhouse gas is the cause of global warming, and even if it is, we are extremely skeptical that anything effective can be done about it.  Read our many global warming commentaries before deciding to jump on the bandwagon.  Or read our feature stories "Climate Catastrophe?" and "Global Warming Facts." authored by noted...