Tag Archives: fossil fuels
In Focus: The Post-Subsidy Solar World
Let’s start out with a fact: the free market for energy is a myth. Every country uses subsidies in some way to encourage production and dictate consumption of different forms of energy. According to the International Monetary Fund, global post-tax subsidies for fossil fuels (which includes the external costs of pollution) amounted to $1.9 trillion in [...]
WTF? NASA Claims Nuclear Power Saves Lives
Have the dangers of nuclear power been overhyped? If former NASA scientist and climate activist James Hansen is to be believed, the use of nuclear power over the past few decades has actually saved lives. A recently-published paper by two researchers at NASA‘s Goddard Institute of Space Studies has run the numbers and found that, despite [...]
Solar Manufacturing: Not as Toxic as Fossil Fuels
Everybody knows that once solar’s installed, it doesn’t pollute. But some of the materials in some photovoltaics can be hazardous. Even so, the amount of toxic waste is far, far less than is produced during conventional energy production, according to data from the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC). For instance, between the period [...]
Islands without Fossil Fuels
Have you ever closed your eyes and wondered what a solar utopia would look like? If you are like me, you would think of sandy beaches, a lot of sun, a healthy native population. Maybe you wouldn’t see solar collectors or solar panels in such obvious places. You need not dream any more. The three [...]
Infograph: Alternative Energy in the UK’s Southwest
The Infograph below shows how the southwest region in the UK is working to embrace sustainability through alternative energy. In typical English style, some of the energy generation figures are given in cup-of-tea equivalents, surely the easiest way to make an English create a analogy with the real world.
In Focus: Dupont’s Solar Quality Standards
Solar installations were removed from twenty-four San Diego Unified School District campuses after corrosion was discovered that threatened the possibility of electrical issues that could lead to fires. The 4.3-megawatt installation was built in 2005-06 by Solar Integrated Technologies (SIT). SIT was acquired by Energy Conversion Devices (ECD) (PINK:ENERQ) in 2009. ECD’s Uni-Solar manufactured the [...]
Solar + Nanotechnolgy: The Future of Energy
One of our Solar Energy World Facebook fans requested a blog post about solar power and nanotechnology. These two technologies combined could pave the way for even more efficient and cost effective solar power generation in the future. This post will give an overview of the concept of nanotechnology, and the effect that it may [...]
Mitt Romney Loves Fossil Fuels
Republican Presidential nominee Mitt Romney’s “new” energy plan, relies on 19th century fossil fuel technology. It is but the latest incarnation of a longstanding Republican obsession with oil and gas. Romney’s energy strategy is reliant on Canada’s environmentally disastrous tar sands. He wants to expedite the Keystone XL pipeline, reduce regulations on hydraulic fracturing and ease the permitting process for offshore [...]
The 4 Best Ways to Fight Climate Change
I’ve been thinking about my up-coming meeting with Dr. Raj Pachauri, who, among other things, serves as the chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Pondering this in advance of the meeting, I wonder what I would do, given the power, to deal with climate change. I suppose the overarching principle I would [...]