“If social justice were the outcome COP26 attendees desired, they would do well to articulate how they meant to replicate the reliable, economical, and land-sparing fossil-fuel-based power generation and transportation now within reach of most of humanity.”
The 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, (COP26), concluded last week in Glasgow, Scotland. As usual, activists traveled to the event using carbon-fueled vehicles to demand that carbon-based fuels be left in the ground (including those in the developing world) in the name of social justice.
As many readers of this blog and some local climate change activists know, James Watt (1736–1819) was born and performed his first experiments to improve the steam engine not far from where the UN meeting took place. Watt ended up doing his most important work and is buried in Birmingham, where a series of events were organized two years ago to celebrate the bicentenary of his death.…
Continue ReadingEd. note: This fortnightly Master Resource post excerpts energy and climate material from the Media Balance Newsletter, published every other week by physicist John Droz Jr., founder of the Alliance for Wise Energy Decisions. The complete MBN for this post can be found here.
Of special interest in this issue is Michael Shellenberger’s article on Europe’s return to nuclear power: “Nations Go Nuclear as Prices Spike and Renewables Fail.”
Wind Energy:
French couple wins legal fight about turbines affecting their health
Will Wind & Solar confront its 10 challenges? If not, we need Nuclear, CCS, and more
Norway in legal quandary after wind turbines ruled a threat to reindeer herder rights
Maine Voters Reject Transmission Line, Blocking Renewable Energy Expansion
“Sad” News from Denmark about Industrial Wind Turbines
Wind Manufacturers Blown Off Course
Offshore wind builder tries to calm worries
Solar Energy:
Kerry’s non-response re China using slave labor producing solar panels
Maine towns start to halt solar panel construction
Wind & Solar to Provide 30% of New England’s Consumption by 2050
Short video: Threat of Industrial Solar – Gerrit Cain
Nuclear Energy:
The nuclear industry just got a significant boon from Congress
Nuclear Is Hot, for the Moment
Rolls-Royce To Develop Mini Nuke Reactors To Decarbonize Power Grid
Nations Go Nuclear As Prices Spike & Renewables Fail
Paper on gas and nuclear’s inclusion in EU green finance rules
Nuclear May Be the Ticket to a Carbon-Free Future.…
Ed. Note: Michael Lynch’s Shifting Oil Industry Structure and Energy Security Under Investment Phase-Out’s (EPRINC: 2021) challenges the quest of Faith Birol/ International Energy Agency to cease investment in the petroleum industry. A summary of and excerpts from Lynch’s study follow.
“If we want to reach net zero by 2050 we do not need any more investments in new oil, gas, and coal projects.” (Faith Birol, IEA, 2021)
“… efforts to discourage the production of oil are entirely misplaced since consumption is not driven by supply but demand.” (Michael Lynch, below)
Introduction by Lucian Pugliaresi, President, Energy Policy Research Foundation, Inc.
In May of this year, Fatih Birol, speaking as head of the International Energy Agency, stated publicly that “The pathway to net zero is narrow but still achievable. If we want to reach net zero by 2050 we do not need any more investments in new oil, gas, and coal projects.”…
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