Exxon-Mobile lies and Why the Tar Sands Should be Reconsidered!

Posted on May 2, 2012 by Edward Kerr

Exxon-Mobile lies and Why the Tar Sands Should be Reconsidered!

I’m sure that you have seen the “touchy-feeley” Exxon-Mobil commercial on how the Alberta Tar Sands are going to be a great boon to our economy. The oil from those deposits are going to provide jobs and “Energy Security” all while doing no harm to the environment. The commercial shows a pick-up surrounded by pine trees and all looks well. It’s only 30 seconds long and you can view it here. See what I mean? However, if you saw actual photo’s of what the mining is actually doing you would see this:

Tar Sand Mining Destruction

 

 

 

 

Or this:

Big Hole in the Ground

Tar Sands Mining Devastation

Or this:

What Extracting Tar Sand Oil Leaves Behind

What Extracting Tar Sand Oil Leaves Behind

You get the idea. Sadly most Americans are lacking in the knowledge of what’s happening, and has been happening for a long time, in relation to Alberta’s Bitumen (Tar Sand) deposits and the mining thereof. Of all of the carbon deposits remaining on the Earth  these in Alberta are the dirtiest and least productive of all. The “return” on the energy invested to harvest this resource is the lowest of all of the oil extracted to date in the 150odd years that we have been exploiting Oil for Energy. An enlightening presentation by Andrew Nikiforuk explains the situation in a way that you won’t hear from our Mainstream Media.

The Final Analysis.

In the final analysis even this deposit will be exhausted and mankind (if we don’t kill ourselves) will be forced to find alternatives to fossil oil and coal deposits. Even Exxon-Mobil says that there is only enough oil in the Tar Sands to last a century. That’s the BAD News…Good News is that the Sun provides enough energy to the Earth annually to dwarf all of the Coal, Oil, Natural Gas and Uranium deposits left on the Planet. We simply have to rearrange our energy priorities, develop the technologies that will allow us to move beyond fossil fuels and enter a new Promised Land.

I, for one, understand why corporate interests are doing all that they possibly can to keep thing going in the way that they have been. (Business as Usual)..What I don’t understand is why seemingly intelligent people don’t get that things MUST change. Frankly, it drives me mad and makes me sad at the same time. So, the War continues. At odds are the vested interests who seek to profit from ever last drop of oil and those of us who seek to have the people of the world profit by moving to a sustainable energy future.

What side are you on?

Ed

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CO2- Only Part of the Problem

Posted on April 29, 2012 by Edward Kerr

CO2- Only Part of the Problem

I have, for the most part, not based my arguments that we need to transition to alternative fuels and abandon fossil coal and oil as our main energy sources based on the “Climate Change- Global Warming” argument. Rather I have simply noted that we are depleting those fossil resources and will simply need to find and institute other methods of powering our physical needs. I have avoided the CC-GW issue for several reasons. Primarily because whether the planet is warming or not we will still need to find alternatives to the present energy paradigm. Another reason is that there still seems to be a lot of confusion in the minds of many people on the issue of Climate Change. Based on the information that they get from the mainstream media it’s not surprising that a lot of folks doubt that Climate Change is happening. A professor from San Diego, Naomi Oreskes posted a video on the subject, Merchants of Doubt, which helps explain how the climate debate got so confusing and contentious. You might also want to buy her book. Another fun little video on “climate gate” also addresses the issue. Unfortunately, the world’s climate is changing and what most don’t know is that CO2 is only part of the problem.

Methane looms as a Bigger Problem

A little bit of searching will lead any student of Climate Issues to the fact that Climate Scientists are more worried about Methane than CO2. Methane , it turns out, is a far more potent greenhouse gas than Carbon Dioxide and a lot of it lies trapped in the permafrost of the northern latitudes. That is changing. As the globe warms (and deniers not withstanding it IS warming) it turns out that large amounts of that formerly trapped Methane are now being released from their prison and will surely exacerbate the rate at which the planet does warm. Though you might not be able to hear them, alarm bells are ringing and ringing loudly. So the need to address this problem becomes more urgent daily. Night before last I watched an episode of a program entitled “Earth the Operators Manual” on PBS. In it the author, Richard Alley, does a wonderful job of explaining the problem in terms that even I was able to understand. There are three episodes and they can all be watched at http://earththeoperatorsmanual.com/ which I’ve linked to above. Richard focuses partly on the history of climate change (that’s his area of expertise)  and he also offers some solutions to our dilemma. {I’m ordering you to view the programs or go to bed without your dinner tonight.} No, really, you’ll find them interesting and informative. But why should we be concerned about Methane? If you read this article “Global Extinction Within One Human Lifetime” from Arctic News, you’ll understand a little better. That is why I am adding “Climate Change” to the reasons for this blog and why we should all be concerned. I’ll say it again folks: The Planets ability to sustain life as we know it is being challenged and we really do need to get serious about addressing the issue. Wondermind42 explains why we need to act and not be passive.

What’s you position?

Ed

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The Good, The Bad and The Ugly!

Posted on April 24, 2012 by Edward Kerr

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly!

Today I want to talk briefly about three issues concerning Energy. Wind, Nuclear and Attitude.

Wind  (The Good)

A few days ago I ran across and article at Gizmag about a type of wind generator that is also an atmospheric condenser that pull H2O from the air. The look similar to the wind turbines that have begun to spring up almost everywhere (:-} ) but they also produce potable water. You can see the EOLEWATER turbine information here. They are smaller than most generators and are designed to be easily erected at remote locations where resources are scant.

Nuclear (The Bad)

While many people are deluded into thinking that Nuclear Energy is a Green Energy because it produces no CO2 during operation, that is misleading. The mining and processing of Uranium are very energy intensive and Nuclear Plants require “dirty” back-up energy to operate safely. (As an aside here I proffer that there is no safe Nuclear Energy. It’s INHERENTLY DANGEROUS, has serious problems concerning the disposal and storage of the spent fuel.) It was the failure of the “back-up” power that caused the problems at Fukashima. Even though that event seems to be fading into history, in actuality it is an ONGOING disaster that will affect the entire planet. To make matters worse there are problems here in the states concerning oversight of Nuclear Plant here in the states. They are also making plans for the future for new construction and you haven’t been invited to participate in the deliberations, but the BIG BOYS were. Listen folks, we don’t need Nuclear Energy. The SUN provides all the energy that we will ever need. The energy itself is free but the means to utilize it are not. However, in the final analysis it’s less expensive by far that any of the Energy Sources that we utilize today. It’s not an option. We are simply going to be forced to change our method of powering our planet or suffer some severe consequences. Don’t be duped. Demand SOLAR….

Attitude (The Ugly)

I subject myself to various sources to put these post together and occasionally I even read the drivel of the “Drill Baby Drill” crowd. I understand and sympathize with their anger over prices at the pump and when the Utility Bill arrives but we cannot drill our way out of this mess. What I found to be UGLY was the attitude that on Earth Day John Ransom decided that he should protest “liberal socialist greenies” buy proudly stating that “On-Earth-Day-I-Expanded- My-Carbon-Footprint”. It was one of the most inane and offensive articles that I have ever encountered. He is a Climate Change denier (check his other columns) of the first order and sadly is able to influence the thinking of others. The “responses” to his writing in the comment section point that out clearly. Look folks, the Globe is Warming and we are in danger of hurting ourselves when it isn’t necessary. We could rebuild a new Energy Production infrastructure in ten years if we would get our priorities straight and concert our efforts in that direction. It’s only the STUPID the GREEDY and the ILL-INFORMED who are hampering humanity’s progress. The change is underway and it will happen. I just hope that we make it in time. I’ll be gone but my grandchildren will hopefully still be here. Will yours???

Drop a comment.

Ed

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Limits to Food-Water and Why it Matters.

Posted on April 19, 2012 by Edward Kerr

Limits to Food-Water and Why it Matters.

When I first started this blog (almost a year ago…where does the time go?) I choose to focus on the issue of depleting fossil fuels (Peak Oil if you will..) and avoid, for the most part, the other related concerns. Concerns that are all related to the world’s population growth and our increasing demand on all resources necessary to sustain life. Food and Water are, obviously, at the top of that list. Energy is third by just a hair’s breadth. Today’s global population can be directly connected to energy as the ability to feed people in ever increasing amounts is directly related to oil. It has provided the power to plow the land. Fertilize the crops. Kill the weeds. Harvest the crops. Process the raw food into the products that we all take for granted. Deliver those products to your local grocery store just in time for you to pick them up on your way home from work. It’s pretty sweet, yes? Water also is a necessary ingredient in this magical formula. But we are now fully cognizant that the “magical formula” has a fatal flaw. It can’t grow indefinitely. We are seeing the ramifications for the future and that’s why it matters. Our industrial farming practices are causing a problem now with water and are even causing an impact on the levels of CO2 in the atmosphere. A recent lecture at TED by Jonathan Foley points out what he calls “The other Inconvenient Truth”.

Facts or Beliefs?

Our present response to these well known problems are conflicted, to say the least. It appears to me that much of the response has been based on beliefs rather than the facts. Another TED talk that explores the dichotomy was given by Rebecca Costa and talks about the very issue of Bio-Limits. Because a lot of influential people, who could make a difference, don’t believe the facts (or simply choose to ignore them) we are facing a daily compounding dilemma of “How are we going to solve the Problem’s of a World that Needs More and More when there is Less and Less to go around?” Or, does it just seem that there is less and less? Like all answers this one could start with, “It all Depends”…when it comes to arable land, there is less and less. When it comes to clean water, there is less and less. Ironically, it is the extraction of oil and natural gas that is fowling our water at an alarming rate. All the more reason to say thanks and good-by to coal, natural gas and fossil oil. But what are we going to do for liquid fuels? I’ll say it again….

Algae……………

Yes, Algae (micro-algae to be more specific). It has the capacity to produce a “drop-in” feedstock for our existing refineries to produce all of the liquid fuels that we presently derive from fossil oil. Gasoline, jet fuel, heating oil and most importantly diesel oil. Being able to be grown in greenhouses that can be located on non-arable land, algae won’t compete with food production as is the case with corn ethanol. (a stopgap plan that has failed to address the issue of “imported oil” as it takes a lot of oil to produce). Recently I came across a plan to grow Algae at sea and I was most impressed. It’s been averred that we could completely replace the need for fossil oil in as short as ten years. Check it out!

Solutions!

It’s been claimed that the World’s Elite have a solution to the problem. Just eliminate a large portion of the world’s population. I don’t know if that’s true but if it is it’s not a solution that appeals to me. True, we do need to find a way to somehow limit the number of people needing food, water and fuel but can’t we do it in a sane and peaceful manner? We will also need to find more efficient ways to feed ourselves and limit our impact on the land. A little imagination will go a long way here. So the issue boils down to will we have enough energy to make the change over and do it before we dig ourselves into our own graves? Joe Jordan (a NASA scientist) says that we do. But he too, wonders “will we make it?” He shows that the Sun (there I go again) provides more energy than we need and we only require a little common sense to reach out and grab the prize. That PRIZE is nothing less than a world that can sustain itself without the wrongly perceived need to resort to war and treachery to secure what we know are diminishing energy resources. (yes, that is an indictment of today’s  politics) So, the choice is now ours. Will we keep looking back or will we turn our eyes to the future? We have simply to decide, Life or death.

Where are you looking?

Ed


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Is It Just “Peak Oil” or are there other “Limits to Growth”?

Posted on April 12, 2012 by Edward Kerr

Is It Just “Peak Oil” or are there other “Limits to Growth”?

When I started this blog last year I never dreamed that it would lead me down a “rabbit hole” of scary predictions. Though I was well aware that humanity was on a collision course with disaster if we continued business as usual, I didn’t realize how dire some of the predictions were. The main point of my blog is concerned with energy. How we derive it and how we use it. In my mind it’s a two part problem, transportation and electricity. Electricity, for the most part has 3 major feed-source components. Coal being the major contributor  at around 48% with Natural Gas and Nuclear each being in the 20% range leaving about 8% renewables. (that is changing though not rapidly enough) Wind and Solar are making inroads and will become the mainstay in time. Oil is a different situation as it is likely to run out long before coal does.  Though it’s still a controversial subject I believe that we have passed “Peak Oil” and prices at the pump and geopolitics support that assumption.  Take a look at this short video on “Peak Oil” to get a feel for what it’s all about. Since much of the worlds economy is based on coal and oil it’s easy to understand why there are limits to economic growth depending on a vanishing resource.

Limits to Growth

Anyway, my fall down the rabbit hole I came across a book written way back in 1972 by Donella H. Meadows entitled Limits to Growth and it details the problems that confront mankind.  Donella H. Meadows was a pioneering environmental scientist, author, teacher, and farmer widely considered ahead of her time. She was one of the world’s foremost systems analysts and lead author of the influential Limits to Growth. She was Adjunct Professor of Environmental Studies at Dartmouth College, the founder of the Sustainability Institute and co-founder of the International Network of Resource Information Centers. So you would think that her ideas would be seriously considered but, sadly, they were often dismissed as needless “Gloom and Doom” and all but ignored by the mainstream of humanity. They simply refused to believe that thing were ever going to change. A book by Ugo Bardi revisits the concept of limits from a more informed modern perspective and is well worth the read . The main idea of “Limits to Growth” is pretty simple (population growth and resource demands will eventually outstrip the planets ability to carry the load and it will lead either to a collapse or, at best, a managed decline of population)… You can get a synopsis in this short video. The idea that we face a looming disaster if we don’t make some significant changes and soon is gaining recognition from even the most ardent deniers. That is the secret….we have to ACT now.

Is it Enough?

We are making some changes. Wind Turbines are popping up like mushrooms and Solar Technologies (both PV Panels and Concentrated Solar Technologies) are coming on line as fast as can be expected considering the resistance from the coal and oil consortium’s but Is it Enough to avert disaster? I believe that we CAN save our cookies if we ramp alternatives up as fast as possible. We will also need to rethink how we produce food and the water issues involved therewith. Much of our industrial base is very dependent on, so called, rare earths and a rethink is also called for in that venue. BUT, none of these things are going to matter if we don’t address the “Energy” issues immediately. The biggest problem is oil and a reasonable replacement that will be cost competitive with fossil oil. As market forces drive the cost of oil ever higher it will be easier to make the required investments to find alternatives. My money is, and always will be, on Algal Oil  as it offers the best chance of developing a liquid fuels system that will be “drop-in” and sustainable, not to mention something that will produce many good jobs and be very cost competitive with fossil oil.

So, let me know what you think….

Ed

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