Category Archives: Infrastructure

This site makes the case that collapse will take decades, not centuries. And the worst that ever has been or will be, it is fossil fuels that enabled 8.2 people to exist on the planet

National security implications of international energy and climate change policies, Senate hearing

Posted on June 26, 2016 by

[This is an excerpt of a very interesting senate hearing that looks at how war can be caused by climate change (i.e. drought, hunger, rising sea levels) and how climate change will affect infrastructure. The European emissions trading scheme and … Continue reading →

Posted in Climate Change, Congressional Record U.S., Energy Infrastructure, Middle East | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on National security implications of international energy and climate change policies, Senate hearing

Hybrid electric trucks are very different from HEV cars

Posted on June 7, 2016 by

Preface. The National Research Council paper I review in this post explains why it is hard to transfer auto hybrid technology to trucks.  They are entirely different animals — medium-duty trucks weigh up to 10 times more, have up to … Continue reading →

Posted in Batteries, Electric & Hydrogen trucks impossible, Trucks: Electric | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Hybrid electric trucks are very different from HEV cars

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 →

Posted in Ships and Barges | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on The Dark side of Cruise ships. Garbage. Sewage. And more.

Electric truck & car range less in cold weather

Posted on June 4, 2016 by

Preface. What follows are two articles. The first has excerpts from Calstart’s study of the effects cold weather had on lithium and Sodium Nickel Chloride e-truck batteries. The second article is from Consumer Reports, which says that half of driving … Continue reading →

Posted in Automobiles, Batteries, Cold weather, Electric & Hydrogen trucks impossible, Electrification, Trucks: Electric | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

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 →

Posted in Congressional Record U.S., Ships and Barges | Tagged , | Comments Off on Sex, crime, and death on the high seas. A U.S. Senate investigation of the cruise ship industry

Book review of Door to Door and the amazing world of transportation

Posted on May 19, 2016 by

Edward Humes.  2016. Door to Door: The Magnificent, Maddening, Mysterious World of Transportation. HarperCollins. A book review by Alice Friedemann at www.energyskeptic.com  author of “When Trucks Stop Running: Energy and the Future of Transportation, 2015, Springer] I was in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Energy Books, Transportation, Travel | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

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 →

Posted in Climate Change, Transportation, Transportation Infrastructure, U.S. Congress Transportation | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Climate change impacts on transportation 2008 U.S. Senate hearing

China consumes mind-boggling amounts of raw materials

Posted on May 2, 2016 by

September 10, 2015. China Consumes Mind-Boggling Amounts of Raw Materials. Visual Capitalist.           Over the last 20 years, the world economy has relied on the Chinese economic growth engine more than it would like to admit. … Continue reading →

Posted in ! PEAK EVERYTHING | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Most energy efficient: passenger bus, rail, or auto?

Posted on April 28, 2016 by

Preface. Weight reduces energy efficiency, so one way to make transportation more efficient is to light-weight rail cars, buses, trucks, and cars. For every 10% reduction in weight, up to 7.6% more fuel efficiency can be gained (Joost 2012). While … Continue reading →

Posted in Automobiles, Mass Transit, Railroads | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Most energy efficient: passenger bus, rail, or auto?

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 →

Posted in U.S. Congress Infrastructure, Water Infrastructure | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on U.S. Senate hearing on our aging water infrastructure