What we want is power
“We don’t give a damn about energy. What we want is power.” ~Power Hungry, Ch. 1 The difference between energy and power… Energy is the ability to do work. Power is the rate at which work gets done. The two can be related using time: Power = Energy/time We care about how much power we have, not how much energy. It is more power that allows us to move more quickly. Power... Read More
Power Hungry by Robert Bryce
This week, I read Robert Bryce’s book, Power Hungry: The Myths of “Green” Energy and the Real Fuels of the Future. The book was published in January 2010 and for those who have grown tired of dated commentary that has lost its applicability, Bryce’s writing is a great find. The ideas and analysis presented run head-on into the tangle of political ideologies, propoganda, and... Read More
June 28: TEDxOilSpill
On June 28th at 9am, an independently organized TEDx event on the BP oil spill will be held in Washington, DC. The live webcast can be viewed here starting at 9am. Read More
BP Removes Cap – Flow Increases
Flow of oil into the Gulf of Mexico increased today, as BP was forced to remove a cap that they previously placed on top of one of the oil leeks. This cap has been collecting about 700,000 gallons (~16,600 barrels) per day, piping it into nearby tankers. This removal became necessary after an underwater robot “bumped” into the venting system. This system has been preventing the formation... Read More
Smarter Grids in Texas
Kate Galbraith wrote a piece for today’s Texas Tribune on the smart grid concepts and how they’re being implemented in Texas. The article can be found here. In this piece, she mentions the Pecan Street Project, which I’ve previously written about and a project in San Marcos (just south of Austin). Read More
Power Hungry: The Myths of “Green” Energy and the Real Fuels of the Future
This week, I’m diving into a book written by Austin-based author, Robert Bryce. Of Bryce’s four books, I’ve decided to first dive into Power Hungry: The Myths of “Green” Energy and the Real Fuels of the Future. This choice was ultimately made when this book was the first to become available via the Austin Public Library system. The book arrived at my local branch yesterday. I’m... Read More
Energy Independence According to 8 Presidents
I highly recommend that y’all check out Sheril’s Kirschenbaum’s post today on Discover Magazine’s blog, The Intersection - which includes a video of John Stewart’s piece on energy independence. The video is not only informative and interesting, but quite funny. Definitely worth the ~8 minutes. It’s interesting to see how this topic is not isolated to one party,... Read More
Gulf Oil Spill gets the Red Carpet Treatment
The BP oil spill disaster in the Gulf might find its technological savior in Hollywood. Kevin Costner, actor and apparent tech-aficionado, has a technology that is designed to separate oil and water to minimize environmental damage from oil spills. For more than 15 years, Costner has funded the company Ocean Therapy Solutions (OTS) and its team of scientists to work this technology, originally obtained... Read More
Time to change – Our Role in Creating the BP Oil Slick
According to Mark Mykleby, it is time for us to pony up and make the choices in our lives that will reduce our dependence on oil – driving us to a more sustainable future. These views were expressed in a letter written by Mykleby, in response to the BP blame game, and became the subject of Thomas Friedman’s column this past week. The title of the column – This Time is Different –... Read More
Ohio’s Work in Weatherization
Ohio has reached a significant milestone in its plans to weatherize more than 32,000 homes as a means of achieving greater energy efficiency in the state. According to the State, as of April 30 they had successfully weatherized more than 36% of their target homes, making them one of only seven states to reach this 30% mark. These projects were made possible by $266.7 million in federal funding under... Read More
