Archive for the 'Energy' Category
France: First All Electric Light Aircraft Flight
January 8th, 2008“As far as I can tell, there is no viable propulsion system on the horizon for aircraft outside of liquid fuels… You won’t see a plug-in Boeing 747 anytime soon.” —Sandia’s Sunshine to Petrol Project Seeks Fuel from Thin Air Nope. You won’t see a plug-in Boeing 747 anytime soon. But this reminds me of […]
Iran: OPEC Can’t Raise Output
January 6th, 2008Via: Reuters: Many OPEC states are now producing as much oil as they can, limiting the ability of the cartel to raise output even if such a decision was made to help cool crude prices, an Iranian oil official was quoted on Saturday as saying. Mohammad Ali Khatibi, deputy director of international affairs at the […]
California to Set Thermostats via Remote Control
January 6th, 2008What could possibly go wrong? For example, hackers will never figure out how to take control of these systems. Oh no. That won’t happen. * chuckle * Via: American Thinker: In the proposed revisions to Title 24 is the requirement for what is called a “programmable communicating thermostat” or PCT. Every new home and every […]
Video of Sleeping Guards Shakes Nuclear Industry
January 5th, 2008Via: Washington Post: Kerry Beal was taken aback when he discovered last March that many of his fellow security guards at the Peach Bottom nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania were taking regular naps in what they called “the ready room.” When he spoke to supervisors at his company, Wackenhut Corp., they told Beal to be […]
Air Force Academy Developing Wave Power System
January 4th, 2008Imagine my shock. Via: Colorado Springs Gazette: Researchers at the Air Force Academy are developing an idea that could use ocean waves to meet much of the nation’s energy needs. The devices used to extract the energy look like the paddle wheels on river steamships of old, but with some new twists added by researcher […]
On the Record with Oil at $100 per Barrel
January 3rd, 2008WARNING: This is not a recommendation to buy, sell or hold any financial instrument. As you can see below, I saved up a bunch of stories for the day when oil finally hit $100 per barrel. In addition to posting all of those stories to mark the occasion, I’m going on the record to say […]
Scientific American: A Solar Grand Plan
January 3rd, 2008Expensive? HA. They could have built this out FIVE TIMES OVER for what the war in Iraq will ultimately cost. Put another way, Chart: The Cost of the War in Iraq vs. Spending on Solar Energy Research: Clean energy is expensive? Hmm. Via: Scientific American: A massive switch from coal, oil, natural gas and nuclear […]
Solar Cell Production Jumps 50 Percent in 2007
January 3rd, 2008“If this society doesn’t come down, if the genetic engineering, artificial intelligence, robotics and surveillance research all continue apace, your children are going to inherit a dystopia that is so incomprehensible that science fiction authors will be struck dumb by it. A total, systemic collapse would be extremely bad, and it’s the best of all […]
Sandia’s Sunshine to Petrol Project Seeks Fuel from Thin Air
January 3rd, 2008I’d love to know the funding allocation for this project, in terms of the cost of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan per second. Now, you might be asking: Why not just put the money and effort into developing some kind of solar electric system. Two reasons: 1) They want to extend the profits that […]
Shell’s $30 per Barrel Oil Shale Process
January 3rd, 2008For years, I wanted to believe that Peak Oil could bring this horror show down. My problem, of course, was that I couldn’t ignore simple, observable realities and the fact that evil people have many plans up their sleeves. Some of you view collapse due to Peak Oil as a given. I understand that desire. […]
