In case you somehow missed it, President Obama on Friday denied the permit for the Keystone XL Pipeline ending 7 years of uncertainty. Below are links to two videos. First is his 9 minute statement and the second is a shorter video from the Sierra Club thanking him. I have discussed this controversy with many of you over the years…
While the US Republican Party continues to be the only major political party in the WORLD to deny that climate change is even occurring, much less that humans are the cause, the world wide business community is becoming increasingly concerned about the consequences to their bottom line. As I’ve been predicting all along, once profitability becomes an issue in this regard,…
I try to keep abreast of the development of battery technology and publish groundbreaking information as it occurs. The following article is kinda wonky and will interest the more technical of you getting this. The important takeaway is the conclusion: “Frankel said he is optimistic that energy storage will cross the tipping points needed to take root on the grid…
The shift to renewable energy is happening and gaining momentum worldwide. This is putting the value of companies that mine, sell, transport or support the fossil fuel industry at great peril. We’re already seeing the effects of dropping market prices of oil, coal and natural gas on the stock prices of fossil fuel industry company stocks. There is another huge risk lurking…
As I’ve said repeatedly, it’s business that will change the climate dynamic and drive progress. We certainly can’t depend on a Republican controlled Congress that is subservient to the fossil fuel industry to lead us forward. But thankfully there are some CEO’s that care about their descendants’ future. And, in this case, the supply of raw materials that the company needs to succeed.…
Most of us, especially those of us in our comfortable homes in Chicago’s Quiet North Shore Suburbs, feel quite safe and secure. We can’t imagine an enormous explosion that could destroy our homes, lives and communities like what happened in the small Quebec town of Lac-Mégantic as described below in Mike Brune’s Blog. Think again. Many receiving this may remember…
There is no doubt that we have not moved quickly enough to avoid the horrible consequences that we are already experiencing from a rapidly changing climate. And it is only going to get worse for the next several decades based on the CO2 and methane that is building up in the atmosphere and will continue to do so for the…
Information continues to come out of China that the leadership there is engineering an about face when it comes to fossil fuels AND transportation. China is beginning to head in a new direction… and relatively fast. And the rest of the world had better take heed. While I have been informing you of China’s moves to clear their air…
I hate say I told ya so (not really) but….. Battery costs for electric vehicles are falling faster than industry estimates — study Umair Irfan, E&E reporter Costs of battery packs in electric vehicles are declining faster than expected, according to a new report. While industry analysts predicted battery pack costs would decline from $1,000 per kilowatt-hour to…
The following article appeared in Crain’s Chicago Business on February 9, 2015. It is a look at the future that is here now. Many people question if we are able to not only build our homes and businesses to be carbon neutral but also whether we can convert the current building stock to be carbon neutral by 2050. The fact…