Alberta Tar Sands

"Environmental Defence just released a new report on the Alberta Oil Sands, calling it the most destructive project on Earth." Tar Sands: The Most Destructive Project on Earth

"What we know is that oil sands create a big carbon footprint. So the dilemma that Canada faces, the United States faces, and China and the entire world faces is how do we obtain the energy that we need to grow our economies in a way that is not rapidly accelerating climate change." Obama Admits Canadian Tar Sands’ Carbon Footprint a Problem (Phew...)

"Some are calling it a “smear job”, while others are applauding the National Geographic’s rather sobering 20-page publication on the Alberta tar sands, titled 'Scraping Bottom.'" National Geographic Slams Tar Sands – Canadian Politicians Pissed

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"Coal Industry - The Most Trusted Name in Coal"

"Coen Brothers YouTube Spoof on 'Clean Coal'

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90% Pure Energy Solutions?

An outreach and strategy consultant with a background in engineering and real estate who consults on land use issues and is involved in community energy policy, suggested to me that solutions to energy needs need at least the following components:

-- They need to be utterly practical, like making sure there's infrastructure in place for electric outlets in parking garages so that owners of plug-in hybrid cars can commute without fossil fuel burning and then recharge their vehicles while at work so they can get home - in those non-fossil fuel burning cars. And yes, there are things to think about with regards to fossil-fuel burning and electricity generation to run plug-in hybrids as a separate issue.

-- Utilize the engineering smarts within existing utilities and bureaucracies. Oh, if only.

-- Go for 90% pure energy solutions that can work now, with a 20-year planning outlook, vs. waiting for the 100% pure energy solutions and fighting over what those are.

-- Hybridize all systems. This can involve combining solar, wind and geothermal in the same system, possibly even with a fossil-fuels generated backup. This way you can deal with 24 hour and year round availability - along with capacity.

-- Look for community-based, even neighborhood-based solutions. You can have a combination system that distributes energy within a several-block radius. Especially if you're located close to an energy-grid substation.

-- Look for the best possible ratios that are -currently available- and will cover best-case scenarios for several years to come - in terms of net energy between btu's in and delivery out.

(note: image for this blog entry comes from here)

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Interconnectedness of Energy Solutions

"Demand for biologically based fuels has led to the growing of more corn in the United States, but that means fields were switched from soybeans to corn, explained Michael Coe of the Woods Hole Research Center.

"But there was no decline in the demand for soy, he said, meaning other countries, such as Brazil, increased their soy crops to make up for the deficit.

"In turn, Brazil created more soy fields by destroying tropical forests, which tend to soak up carbon dioxide. Instead the forests were burned, releasing the gasses into the air....

"'If we run our cars on biofuels produced in the tropics, chances will be good that we are effectively burning rainforests in our gas tanks,'" she said.

"However, there could be benefits from planting crops for biofuels on degraded land, such as fields that are not offering low productivity due to salinity, soil erosion or nutrient leaching.

"'In a sense that would be restoring land to a higher potential,'" she said. But there would be costs in fertilizer and improved farming practices.

"In some cases simply allowing the degraded land to return to forest might be the best answer, she said."

"Global Warming Increasing Faster Than Predicted"

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BrightSource Wins Large Solar Contract

Photo: At a BrightSource facility in Israel's Negev Desert, mirrors reflect sunlight onto a tower to heat water that powers turbines to produce electricity.

Photo: John Woolard, CEO and Co-Founder of BrightSource.

August 1, 2008 - "BrightSource Energy has shot to the front of a long line of companies jockeying for approval of large renewable energy projects in California's deserts. The reason: It's done this before. 'Unfortunately, it's a very long cycle time to breaking ground,' said BrightSource Energy Inc. CEO John Woolard, also a partner at Vantage Point Venture Partners, BrightSource's lead investor. 'It takes time and patience and a lot of planning ahead to make all of this work well. Fortunately, this is something we're not bad at.'"
"BrightSource goes to front of solar power crowd"

February 11, 2009 - "In what could be the world's largest solar deal to date, BrightSource Energy of Oakland announced Wednesday that it will sell Southern California Edison 1,300 megawatts of electricity from seven large solar plants planned for the California desert. That's enough juice to light 845,000 homes, and it easily eclipses other recent deals signed by utilities here and abroad that are trying to expand their use of renewable power."
"Solar firm announces big contract"


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