Energy Miracles: Innovating to Zero CO2
In February 2010, Bill Gates stood up and presented a TED talk on what we can do to improve the lives of the poorest 2 billion people on the planet. Perhaps surprisingly, this talk was not on vaccines or seeds, but instead was focused on how energy – and the carbon dioxide emitted by our energy systems – impacts this population. And how we need “energy miracles,” though innovation that... Read More
From Austin to Boston on Natural Gas
Last summer, Castlen Kennedy went on a 10-day, 2,500 mile roadtrip from Austin, Texas to Boston, Massachusetts. Driving with her friend, Cheryl Dalton, Castlen drove through 13 states in this 10-day period, all in the comfort of a Chevy Tahoe that had been converted to run on natural gas, in addition to gasoline. Over the 2,500 miles, Castlen and Cheryl managed to drive exclusively on natural gas,... Read More
Energy Miracles: Innovating to Zero CO2
In February 2010, Bill Gates stood up and presented a TED talk on what we can do to improve the lives of the poorest 2 billion people on the planet. Perhaps surprisingly, this talk was not on vaccines or seeds, but instead was focused on how energy – and the carbon dioxide emitted by our energy systems – impacts this population. And how we need “energy miracles,” though innovation that... Read More
Guest Post: Food for thought – The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
By Amanda Cuéllar with contributions from Colin Beal The word ‘energy’ usually brings to mind barrels of oil, an electrical outlet, or perhaps a wind turbine. But take a look in your fridge, it is full of energy sources! Although our energy source (plant derived biological molecules) has not changed much since… we started eating, there have been revolutionary changes in how we procure food.... Read More
Waste-to-Energy: a mountain of trash, or a pile of energy?
By, Melissa C. Lott and David Wogan The Baltimore Sun recently ran an article about the need for new power plants in Maryland and a proposal to use garbage as the fuel for some new generation facilities. The article’s focus was apparently supposed to be on how utilities can finance new construction. But, in its opening, the article highlighted the active debate surrounding waste-to-energy... Read More
Drought Could Pose Problems for Texas Power Plants
by Kate Galbraith, The Texas Tribune, 9/16/2011 If the drought in Texas continues well into next spring and summer, some power plants could be forced to stop operating, the state grid operator said. “If we don’t get any rain between now and next summer, there’s potentially several thousand megawatts of generation that wouldn’t be available and would be affected,” said... Read More
Nuclear Fuel Reprocessing – “exploding” in France, banned in the U.S.
On Monday, the explosion of a furnace in a nuclear reprocessing plant in southern France killed at least one person and injured four. This incident also raised concerns that nuclear material could have been released. However, according to Phillipe Renaud, head of the laboratory at the Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN), no contamination has been detected. Nuclear... Read More
Video: Texas Wildfires Move Quickly Through Bastrop
Bastrop Fires From Space
[Photo (c) by NASA Goddard Photo and Video and used under this Creative Commons License] Read More
Ferrari President Says “No” to Electric
Earlier this month, at the Ferrari World Design Contest 2011, Ferrari President Luca di Montezemelo was asked about his thoughts on alternative vehicle technologies. In response, he singled out electric vehicle technology, saying: “You will never see a Ferrari electric because I don’t believe in electric cars, because I don’t think they represent an important step forward for pollution... Read More
