Category Archives: Ships and Barges

The latest monster ships could be a disaster

Posted on September 10, 2016 by

Gray, W. 20 November 2013. Don’t abandon ship! A new generation of monster ships will be even harder to rescue. NewScientist. Should any of the new monster-sized ships run aground or sink, the resulting chaos could block a major shipping … Continue reading →

Posted in Ships and Barges | Tagged , | 3 Comments

How climate change will affect energy production and transportation

Posted on August 1, 2016 by

[ Climate change and extreme weather will harm oil and gas exploration and production, fuel transport, thermoelectric power generation (coal, natural gas, nuclear, geothermal, solar concentrated power), hydropower, biofuels, wind, solar PV, the electric grid, and increase energy demand from … Continue reading →

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The Dark side of Cruise ships. Garbage. Sewage. And more.

Posted on June 4, 2016 by

[ I detest cruise ships which destroy the ambiance of small towns in Alaska and everywhere else they go.  While cruise ships disgorged their sewage and garbage in Alaska’s Skagway harbor, passengers disgorged into shops owned by the cruise ships … Continue reading →

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Sex, crime, and death on the high seas. A U.S. Senate investigation of the cruise ship industry

Posted on June 1, 2016 by

Senate 113–642. July 24, 2013. Cruise Industry Oversight: recent incidents show need for stronger focus on consumer protection. U.S. Senate hearing. 169 pages. Since 2011, cruise lines voluntarily reported 959 alleged crimes to the FBI, and 130 crimes that must … Continue reading →

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NAS 2015 report on how to fix our falling-apart inland waterway system

Posted on February 7, 2016 by

[After reading two congressional hearings, one in 2008, and another in 2013, about how the inland waterway system was falling apart, and had been for 30 years, I was curious to know why such an important asset would be let … Continue reading →

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When Trucks Stop Running, So Does Civilization. Energy and the Future of Transportation.

Posted on January 16, 2016 by

When Trucks Stop Running. Energy and the Future of Transportation. Available at Springer, Amazon, Google Play, Barnes & Noble, Alibris Alice Friedemann   www.energyskeptic.com  author of “When Trucks Stop Running: Energy and the Future of Transportation”, 2015, Springer and “Crunch! Whole … Continue reading →

Posted in Electric Grid, Electric trucks impossible, Electrification, Energy, Oil Shocks, Railroads, Ships and Barges, Transportation, Transportation, Trucks, When Trucks Stop Running | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on When Trucks Stop Running, So Does Civilization. Energy and the Future of Transportation.

NRC study on transporting ocean containers inland

Posted on December 15, 2015 by

[I was interested in this research because if trucks can’t be electrified, civilization ends (see “When Trucks Stop Running: Energy and the future of Civilization” (Springer 2015)).  This paper doesn’t have a solution to getting containers from ports to inland … Continue reading →

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Congressional hearings on why the Inland water way system is falling apart

Posted on November 15, 2015 by

[There are extracts from 2 hearings below.  Alice Friedemann. www.energyskeptic.com] U.S. SENATE. Jan 31, 2013. Harbor maintenance trust fund & the need to invest in the nation’s ports. S. HRG. 113-578. Hearing before the Committee on Environment & public works. … Continue reading →

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Barges are more energy efficient than rail and truck

Posted on June 16, 2015 by

  [After reading two congressional hearings, one in 2008, and another in 2013, about how the inland waterway system was falling apart, and had been for 30 years, I was curious to know why such an important asset would be … Continue reading →

Posted in Ships and Barges | 2 Comments

Oil shortages: Transportation needs to go back to high inventories, not just-in-time delivery

Posted on April 8, 2015 by

Huge amounts of fuel are wasted as trucks arrive half full with just the needed parts at factories and warehouses and return empty. As oil shocks strike, fuel will be less available.  Large inventories will help by cushioning businesses from … Continue reading →

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