Tag Archives: energy

Minerals & Energy from Ugo Bardi’s “Extraction”

Posted on October 5, 2017 by

Bardi, Ugo. 2014. Extracted: How the Quest for Mineral Wealth Is Plundering the Planet. Chelsea Green Publishing. The limits to mineral extraction are not limits of quantity; they are limits of energy. Extracting minerals takes energy, and the more dispersed … Continue reading →

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Interdependencies of Energy Infrastructure, Water, and Climate Change GAO 2014

Posted on May 28, 2017 by

[ This report shows the interdependencies of Climate Change and the nation’s energy infrastructure, which is especially vulnerable because it’s so old and falling apart already. Another GAO report discusses the energy-water nexus.  Interdependent systems are more vulnerable – climate … Continue reading →

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Drinking water and sewage treatment use a lot of energy

Posted on January 4, 2017 by

[ Water treatment (drinking and sewage) use tremendous amounts of energy. Some of the statistics from this document “Water & Wastewater Utility energy research roadmap” below are: In 2008 municipal wastewater treatment systems (WWTP) in the United States used approximately … Continue reading →

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The effect of high energy prices on small business. U.S. House of Representatives, 2014

Posted on January 1, 2017 by

[ This hearing is about how the unaffordable prices of energy are affecting ordinary people.  Chairman Tipton at one point says that “I do not think that Americans truly realize the significant amount of energy that is necessary to be … Continue reading →

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The Back to the Land Movement: why it failed and why we need to try again

Posted on December 19, 2016 by

[ This is my book review of “Back from the Land: how young Americans went to nature in the 1970s, and why they came back”.   Some succeeded, but most failed, and there are lessons to be learned from the previous … Continue reading →

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National Algal Biofuels Technology Roadmap, Department of Energy

Posted on November 5, 2016 by

[ This is the best document of the many I’ve read. If my post Dozens of reasons why the world doesn’t run on algal biofuels didn’t convince you that the scientists are NOT likely to come up with something, get … Continue reading →

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Climate change impacts on transportation 2008 U.S. Senate hearing

Posted on May 16, 2016 by

Senate  110-1199. June 24, 2008. Climate change impacts on the transportation sector. U.S. Senate Hearing. Excerpts from this 135 page document follow. DANIEL K. INOUYE, U.S. SENATOR FROM HAWAII The transportation sector is a major indicator of the overall economic … Continue reading →

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Schlesinger predicts investments in 2006 will cause oil glut and denial of peak oil in future

Posted on May 4, 2016 by

Energy Security and Oil Dependence. Two Senate hearings from 2006. In these two 2006 hearings (excerpts below), there is a constant refrain of our dependence on oil,  yet now, many congressional hearings are about our energy independence.  Apparently congress has … Continue reading →

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What is most energy efficient mass transit mode: bus, rail, or auto?

Posted on April 28, 2016 by

Before I get started on which of these transportation modes is better, consider how much lightweighting buses, locomotives, (and trucks) would save on energy.  I can’t find similar figures for trucks and locomotives, but the next 2 slides about autos … Continue reading →

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U.S. Senate hearing on our aging water infrastructure

Posted on April 19, 2016 by

[ Even though conventional oil production has been on a plateau since 2005, there is no sense of alarm or urgency to try to fix infrastructure before oil is rationed and not enough exists to replace or repair it. Some … Continue reading →

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