Good information on many clean energy topics....

Today's post: Wednesday, 2-2-2011

We need an 80% reduction in fossil fuel use by 2050 to avoid the worst global warming effects. And, practically speaking, we need to also double our electricity generation and double the useful work done per unit of electricity & other energy sources as well during that same time to have a decent economy.

At some point, the oil that we’ve been using to power much of our economy will begin to run low enough that our world economy will shrink due to lack of supply or excessive costs or both. Kuwaiti scientists recently predicted peak oil in 2014 – just 3 years from now.

And, once the demand for oil picks up again with the apparent economic recovery or supply begins to plateau or drop, the prices will again go back up. That will cause more hard times economically unless we have enough alternative sources of energy to turn to.

Today’s post:

Good information on many clean energy topics....

The information I posted earlier on Skyonic’s process to remove CO2, and other pollutants, from the exhaust from coal fired plants was from a clean tech media company called GreentechMedia.

To see all their current articles, go to http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/ .

The article I just read on that site, described a company that made carbon based biofuels from CO2 and water as a way to store or use wind power during those times when the wind generated electricity was in excess of demand.

Since generating electricity by burning carbon based fuels, or using a Bloom Energy fuel cell produces both CO2 and water, locating a wind power generating location to a nearby plant making electricity from coal or natural gas might be worth checking out as one example of how this might be used.

Since this process also can remove CO2 from the air, locating such a wind-powered facility near a river or lake or ocean, might also be a way to remove CO2 and provide carbon based fuels that do NOT come from oil -- and which at some point do so such that these fuels cost less than those from oil.

I’m short on time today. But, if you want a large and regular amount of thought provoking ideas on clean energy and actual companies working in the field from startups to huge companies, check the articles on this site.