“Solar may be the way to go for millions of poor people around the world, at least for starter off-grid energy. I rely on solar power for my nifty water fountain and fun outdoor Christmas tree lights. But I don’t try to power my refrigerator, hot water heater, washing machine, or other household appliances with solar.”
For prosperity and human flourishing, how much energy is enough? American settlers survived and over time prospered burning wood for cooking and heat. Later energy innovations brought higher-density energy from the earth, with coal, oil, and natural gas providing industrial and household heat and electricity.
Across the developing world though, hundreds of millions still burn wood and dung for cooking and heat. Lack of clean energy killed some 124,000 in India in 2015, according to Lancet: Pollution Due To Burning Of Cow Dung & Wood As Fuel Killed 1.24 Lakh People In One Year (IndiaTimes, updated June 4, 2018)
… Continue ReadingIndoor pollution, which is not often seen as potentially harmful, is actually fatal.
The Alliance for Wise Energy Decisions (AWED) is an informal coalition of individuals and organizations interested in improving national, state, and local energy and environmental policies. Our premise is that technical matters like these should be addressed by using Real Science (please consult WiseEnergy.org for more information).
A key element of AWED’s efforts is public education. Towards that end, every three weeks we put together a newsletter to balance what is found in the mainstream media about energy and the environment. We appreciate MasterResource for their assistance in publishing this information.
Some of the more important articles in this issue are:
Large NY Wind Project seeking major property tax reduction
China to speed up ending wind and solar subsidies
Investigation Concludes: Turbine Noise ‘Detrimental and Unreasonable’
US Courts Ordering Wind Developers to Buy Out Noise-Affected Neighbors
Dr.…
Continue Reading“The Trump folks seem to believe that anything that has Obama’s fingerprints on it, no matter how sensible, they’re going to rescind, revoke and demolish, and it makes no sense at all.”
“[The climate conundrum] is scary and I’m not sure we’re gonna be able to turn it around.”
– John Holdren, December 2017.
This is Part II of a transcribed interview with John Holdren, leader of the energy/climate Malthusian school, by Climate One. Yesterday’s post critically assessed Holdren’s views on federal energy research and development, the Paris withdrawal, and China’s energy policy. Today’s post looks at his views on most other issues in the “energy sustainability” debate.
Holdren quotations are below in red, followed by my rebuttal comments indented in black (subtitles added).
Technology Boom in Renewable Energies
“… there have been huge improvement in battery technology.…
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