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Another problem is when talking about solar panel and wind energy in private homes, many energy company do not want you to swtch from their supply to your own. Permits are required, and burocrazy gets in the way delaying the process or sometimes even deleting it. Once you can have solar panels or wind mills in your property you can sell energy back to your supplier.
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As I frequently chat w/ anti-establishment liberals in my area, there are several key points about the nature of energy consumption that folks who skipped calculus and physics to take art and photography seem completely oblivious to – the most important of which is alluded to but not explicitly stated in this article, and that is –
You cannot store electricity.
All the electricity that is being used needs to be generated NOW.
A second, minor point, is that electricity is not so great at moving things around, especially heavy things. Race a Tyco R/C car around for half an hour, and then be amazed at what they pulled off w/ the Prius.
I hate big oil as much as the next radical, but the above mentioned, very basic facts isn’t anybodies fault, and is not the product of a profit minded conspiracy. It’s just how the universe is.
That said, there are some options not mentioned above, that could mitigate some of the unfortunate circumstances.
One would be a major breakthrough in superconductor/battery tech. While the possibility of new super batteries not being fantastically toxic is low, the fact remains that any increase in humanities ability to store and transmit power with high degrees of efficiany would hhave a significant impact on the structure and constraints of our power grid. And nobody is gonna sit on this tech, there is just too much money to be made off of either of theses techs…
Another possibly midigating factor is the ongoing revolution in design. While suggesting we all use less energy by consuming less is valid, we could also begin to address the massive and largely unnecessary waste of power that occurs because of poor, lazy design. Bucky Fuller has a lot to say on this matter, and it’s all worth looking into. No matter how much the manufactures whine about it, gov’t could have a very very real impact on this situatiuon by simply mandating that manufacturers produce products that use less energy, think of the Energy Star stickers you see on large appliances. Updating building codes to require more insulation and this kind of thing… While the individual energy savings may not seem that significant, when they are implmented on a national scale, the difference is significant. Perhaps even enough to offset annual growth.
That, and people just need to get over it and realize that nuclear power is the future. France has been running off of it nearly exclusively for years and years now with out major incident, and while the waste is seemingly problematic, the truth is that Yucca Mountain and similarly ruggedized holes should be sufficant to contain the poison for a few thousand years, at which point humanity either will be smart enough to deal with it, not care (because we all live in space!!!) or extinct. Say what you will but since nuclear power has basically no other waste, i think we all need to face the facts and realize that it is a nuclear future before us…. And that isn’t so bad. It’s far more renewable than hydrocarbons….
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Biofuels are good-and-fine as long as there is plenty of oil to burn. Getting a massive feedstock of corn husks to create biodiesel can only be done within the hydrocarbon intensive world of petro-farming. Once hydrocarbons are removed from the picture, try harvesting all of that corn by hand. Try not using petroleum-based pesticides and see what your yield will be. Try finding a replacement for the commercial fertilizers that are derived from natural gas.
And if you wanted to power every single truck in America (excluding cars) with biodiesel you would have to cover the entire nation’s surface with crops dedictated to the creation of fuel. Biofuels are great for recycling, not for fueling a massive society of over-consumers.
That’s incorrect. Harvesting Hemp, not corn, would give us all the energy we would need…with plenty of land to spare. We did it before, we can do it again. THAT would have been the wisest energy choice we could have made…obviously now, we are paying dearly for choosing the other.
Fuel
* Farming 6% of the continental U.S. acreage with biomass crops would provide all of America’s energy needs.
* Hemp is Earth’s number-one biomass resource; it is capable of producing 10 tons per acre in four months.
* Biomass can be converted to methane, methanol, or gasoline at a cost comparable to petroleum, and hemp is much better for the environment. Pyrolysis (charcoalizing), or biochemical composting are two methods of turning hemp into fuel.
* Hemp can produce 10 times more methanol than corn.
* Hemp fuel burns clean. Petroleum causes acid rain due to sulfur pollution.
* The use of hemp fuel does not contribute to global warming.
Fiber
* Hemp is the oldest cultivated fiber plant in the world.
* Low- THC fiber hemp varieties developed by the French and others have been available for over 20 years. It is impossible to get high from fiber hemp. Over 600,000 acres of hemp is grown worldwide with no drug misuse problem.
* One acre of hemp can produce as much usable fiber as 4 acres of trees or two acres of cotton.
* Trees cut down to make paper take 50 to 500 years to grow, while hemp can be cultivated in as little as 100 days and can yield 4 times more paper over a 20 year period.
* Until 1883, from 75-90% of all paper in the world was made with cannabis hemp fiber including that for books, Bibles, maps, paper money, stocks and bonds, newspapers, etc.
* Hemp paper is longer lasting than wood pulp, stronger, acid-free, and chlorine free. (Chlorine is estimated to cause up to 10% of all Cancers.)
* Hemp paper can be recycled 7 times, wood pulp 4 times.
* If the hemp pulp paper process reported by the USDA in 1916, were legal today it would soon replace 70% of all wood paper products.
* Rag paper containing hemp fiber is the highest quality and longest lasting paper ever made. It can be torn when wet, but returns to its full strength when dry. Barring extreme conditions, rag paper remains stable for centuries.
* Hemp particle board may be up to 2 times stronger than wood particleboard and holds nails better.
* Hemp is softer, warmer, more water absorbent, has three times the tensile strength, and is many times more durable than cotton. Hemp production uses less chemicals than cotton.
* From 70-90% of all rope, twine, and cordage was made from hemp until 1937.
* A strong lustrous fiber; hemp withstands heat, mildew, insects, and is not damaged by light. Oil paintings on hemp and/or flax canvas have stayed in fine condition for centuries.
Industry
* Almost any product that can be made from wood, cotton, or petroleum (including plastics) can be made from hemp. There are more than 25,000 known uses for hemp.
* For thousands of years virtually all good paints and varnishes were made with hemp seed oil and/or linseed oil.
* Hemp stems are 80% hurds (pulp by-product after the hemp fiber is removed from the plant). Hemp hurds are 77% cellulose – a primary chemical feed stock (industrial raw material) used in the production of chemicals, plastics, and fibers. Depending on which U.S. agricultural report is correct, an acre of full grown hemp plants can sustainably provide from four to 50 or even 100 times the cellulose found in cornstalks, kenaf, or sugar cane (the planet’s next highest annual cellulose plants).
* One acre of hemp produces as much cellulose fiber pulp as 4.1 acres of trees, making hemp a perfect material to replace trees for pressed board, particle board, and concrete construction molds.
* Heating and compressing plant fibers can create practical, inexpensive, fire-resistant construction materials with excellent thermal and sound-insulating qualities. These strong plant fiber construction materials could replace dry wall and wood paneling. William B. Conde of Conde’s Redwood Lumber, Inc. near Eugene, Oregon, in conjunction with Washington State University (1991-1993), has demonstrated the superior strength, flexibility, and economy of hemp composite building materials compared to wood fiber, even as beams.
* Isochanvre, a rediscovered French building material made from hemp hurds mixed with lime petrifies into a mineral state and lasts for many centuries. Archeologists have found a bridge in the south of France from the Merovingian period (500-751 A.D.), built with this process. 2
* Hemp has been used throughout history for carpet backing. Hemp fiber has potential in the manufacture of strong, rot resistant carpeting – eliminating the poisonous fumes of burning synthetic materials in a house or commercial fire, along with allergic reactions associated with new synthetic carpeting.
* Plastic plumbing pipe ( PVC pipes) can be manufactured using renewable hemp cellulose as the chemical feed stocks, replacing non-renewable coal or petroleum based chemical feed stocks.
—From HempCar.org
In 1941 Henry Ford built a plastic car made of fiber from hemp and wheat straw. Hemp plastic is biodegradable, synthetic plastic is not.
This vintage 30-second clip is from Henry Ford’s hemp fiber body car made in 1941, for your reference. It shows a man swinging a sledgehammer at the hemp car and it bouncing off, not even scratching the body.
Economics: Energy, Environment and Commerce
HempCar.org – This Car Powered by Hemp
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The other side of the peak oil story:
PEAK OIL DEBUNKED
Debunking peak oil hype with facts and figures, and exposing the fascist underbelly of peak oil.
http://peakoildebunked.blogspot.com/
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“You cannot store electricity.”
derrrrrrrr….I don’t understand. Could you explain that in pictures?
ps Thank you for finally having somebody who writes about stuff, GNN. You guys are my heros.
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““You cannot store electricity.”
Suppose you have a small windmill and a water tower.
When the wind blows you have excess energy.
You can use it to lift water higher.
High water + gravity—>hydro-electric power
for when the wind isn’t blowing.
Niagara Falls it isn’t, but it should keep some lights on
and the refridgerator cool during grid black-outs.
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Awesome article, Michael Kane. Thanks for this, keep it up.
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IMHO two very important sources of renewable energy are not listed here: Hydropower and biomass (e.g. farmers reusing their cattle’s excrement for covering their energy needs).
BTW: only 30% of energy in my homecountry Austria come from non-renewable energy sources, 70% are from renewable energy sources and there are no nuclear power plants in Austria. At least one reason to be proud of Austria (also homecountry of hydrogen-gouvernor Schwarzenegger ;)
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I already know the part about technology (which is a bitch, cuz I am a tech guy) and about fuelcell (although that doesnt stop me from covering the last in FC technology)
I think the solution would be a combination of railroads, self-sustainable cities and NO cars.
Unless consumption is intentionally slowed down, Americans may be the sacrificial pigs.
What can I say? is your time to suffer now, guys
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Excellent article mkane – more people need to read this type of thing about their fantasy fuels of the future.
Namaste and others did make some interesting points on other energy sources not explicitly covered in a relatively short paper. I see some problems with these but would definitely like to look into them a bit more (mass-scale conversion is too late no matter what though). Hemp may be especially interesting but I am unsure as to how a harvest and conversion to fuel would be done on any large scale. I think such an answer still requires a major “powerdown.” Poop-fuel hasn’t really been something I have followed due to the environmental impacts of such farming in the past and likely low ERoEI, but pig shit worked in Bartertown right?
Corpy is applauding GNN for this article, the end must indeed be nigh.
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oh, thanks for the link to peakoildebunked JayD, I had forgotten to harass those fucktards this month.
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This is just a load of scare mongerring rubbish which is designed to invoke feelings of futility and allow big oil to push the prices up without investing in alternatives.
Firstly – storage of electricity is easily accomplished:
http://www.darvill.clara.net/altenerg/pumped.htm
Like the watertower principal mentioned above, but on a massive scale. 1320 MegaWatts in 12 seconds from a standing start. Wind stops. Water drops. Simple and effective. Are you telling me we don’t have enough mountains / water.
Secondly, the technology that is seldom mentioned but, in my opinion is the real potential saviour, is geothermal.
Iceland has been running on 100% geothermal and hydro power for years now. They are even in the process of converting their entire transport fleet to cleanly produced hydrogen (including their fishing boats!).
Now you may argue that iceland has it easy with all that geothermal power so close to the surface. That is true and has allowed Iceland to be “early adopters” but are you telling me that deep ocean drilling for the last few drops of oil (often kilometers down) is really easier than some land based deep geothermal stations?
We are sitting on a ball of molten rock of which the vast majority is hotter than the surface of the sun.
Energy crisis? Please, do the maths.
Even on a small scale with relatively shallow drilling in non-geothermally active areas, geothermal energy is viable in the form of “ground source heat pumps” for domestic heating:
http://www.igshpa.okstate.edu/
I have just bought a house and will soon be installing a combined small wind turbine, solar, GSHP system that will provide the vast majority of my energy requirements. I run my car from home made biodiesel from used cooking oil in an old heating boiler from parts costing less than £200. We are running on energy purchased from a company which only owns renewable generation systems (until I can get my wind / solar installed):
http://www.good-energy.co.uk/
This is only possible because I have reduced my consumption to a trickle. There is not a lightbulb in my house that consumes more than 15 watts (fluro). I have 30cm of insulation in my loft and double glazing throughout the house meaning a small amount of heating goes a long way. I have three computers, non of which consume more than 25 watts each (2 laptops and a low-power desktop with LCD screen). Oh and I don’t have a TV.
Stop complaining and start investing.
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also homecountry of hydrogen-gouvernor Schwarzenegger
Yeah, the Terminator is a great guy
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If we had 30 years to implement a renewable energy infrastructure, maybe it could be done. But we don’t have that time. We are out of time. The majority of the claims in all of these posts that are insinuating that renewables can mitigate Peak Oil on a large scale are not taking all factors into consideration.
I could take each claim on one-by-one but I just don’t have the time. I am preparing for a wilderness survival course that I am taking early tomorrow. I urge everyone who understands what Peak Oil and CLIMATE CRASH are to prepare for the worst. There is no more time to waste making the case to those who don’t want to hear it or who will continually point to promising technologies that still require decades, at best, to make any significant difference. Even the leaders in the field of renewable energy admit to that!
If you all want to believe that renewables will “save” you and a society of over-consumption, that is your choice. But you are not crunching the numbers as to what is truly feasible and what isn’t within the next 10 years. And within that time the bottom is sure to fall out on hydrocarbon production. No question. And Who knows what natural disaster is next to make all of this that much worse. What will NEXT hurricane season be like? When is the next massive earthquake going to strike the west coast? What will drought and agricultural yields be in the years ahead?
Unless all things are considered, you are considering nothing.
The one post I agreed with more than any other was on hemp. While I am very suspicious of the statistic that says 6% of US land is all that is needed to provide ALL of America’s fuel needs from hemp, I am certain hemp is more efficient than soy beans (which is thus far the most energy efficient bio-diesel feedstock).
The Hemp Economy threatens every major corporation in the world. That is why we will only see it implemented Post Peak on small community/eco-village/intentional community levels if at all in the U.S.
peace eternal
m>k<
Post Modified: 10/14/05 08:33:28
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“The one post I agreed with more than any other was on hemp. While I am very suspicious of the statistic that says 6% of US land is all that is needed to provide ALL of America’s fuel needs from hemp, I am certain hemp is more efficient than soy beans (which is thus far the most energy efficient bio-diesel feedstock).“
Even if it takes 10% of US lands to provided for ALL of America’s needs, that’s leaving out hemp production from other nations for bio-diesel. Hemp adapts well to most climates and soils. Let’s not forget that.
“The Hemp Economy threatens every major corporation in the world. That is why we will only see it implemented Post Peak on small community/eco-village/intentional community levels if at all in the U.S.“
That’s why I’ve said many times on these type of threads for nearly the entire existence of GNN ...
HEMP for VICTORY !!!
Tip of the hat to Namaste_Rich for doing the same.
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“Hemp is of first necessity to the wealth & protection of the country.” -“Thomas Jefferson”:http://www.hempcar.org/jefferson.shtml
“Make the most you can of the Indian Hemp seed and sow it everywhere.” -“President George Washington, 1794”:http://www.hempcar.org/washington.shtml
Hemp For Victory
Hemp for Victory is right. WATCH IT.
And call your god damn congressman(or woman), and tell them to pass this bill, NOW!
HR 3037 Would Give States the Right to Regulate Farming of Versatile Hemp Plant
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Good luck with “hemp for victory”
I’m pretty sure that your congress person is going to go for synthetic fuels before the hemp economy.
God help this nation. It is going down.
Post Modified: 10/14/05 19:18:49
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To remind you of what you said regarding synthetics :
“This is not a renewable technology. At best, this is a band aid that will be placed on a severed artery. If synthetic fuels become a major part of our energy paradigm we will soon be facing both a coal shortage and yet another environmental crisis.“
Seems wrongheaded from the start when everybody can grow 40 acres of hemp with a mule.
Agri-business wouldn’t give a crap about switching ‘widgets’ either. Long as it makes a buck.
I trust the wisdom of Jefferson, Washington, and AreolaSharon2 far more than these field lice you refer to as ‘Congress persons.’
HEMP for VICTORY !!!
P.S. It’s going to take a little more than a dismissive “Good luck” to come up with a real solution, hemp being the one I’m behind. It’s going to take standing up and being counted.
Post Modified: 10/15/05 05:35:28
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mkane: “God help this nation. It is going down.”
From the peak, where can one go but down?
As for energy descent action pathways, try this:
http://www.energybulletin.net/9230.html
Noting that over 30,000 Chicago houses
had been cut off from gas heating already,
with many more imminent defaults,
Michael Donovan solicited tips for surviving this winter
(at RMN of all places!).
“...Re: TIP TO MEET HEATING COSTS
Michael, if you could pass this list of tips I wrote for people living in cold climate… Thanks. Huguette
>From a Reader living in Quebec, Canada :
Tips to stay warm and sleep tight even if it is rather cold in the house :
- On the whole, get ready for Winter, just like people use to do when things were not that easy. And have fun doing it. – The best trick for all areas where people experience cold and damp nights : Heat up some bricks or nice flat stones in the oven, wrap them up in many layers of newspapers, put them under the sheets at the foot of the bed some time before going to bed. The newspaper will act as in insulator for the bed sheets to not be damaged by the hot bricks and for the sleeper to not burn his feet and it will allow for the heat to be released slowly. It will probably stay warm till morning. And as it provides dry heat, it balances out the dampness in the air that occurs when a room is not heated enough. Try it, it is wonderful. [LD: also a hot-water bottle works, but is a petro product.] – Sleep with a woollen cap (tuque) on or something like that. Body heat escapes from the top of the head. The hat will prevent the body heat loss. And wear wool socks on the feet. – Make your own down comforter. It is easy to fabricate – once you get your hands on some down feathers of course – and duvet is the warmest of blankets you can ever find. If you can’t make it, buy a used sleeping bag of good quality or an old fur coat at the thrift store. – If all family members wear warm clothes in the house â?” good sweaters, body warmers, woolen socks, slippers, you can keep a house at only 60°F or 15°C all day long and it will be all right. Everybody will get use to that temperature and not even notice after a while. This is what I do here every winter. It is important to keep the back of one’s body, the belly and the feet real warm. The rest of the body will take care of itself if these parts are warm and nobody will catch a cold. – Eat hot meals, like porridges for breakfast, hearty soups, stews or crepes for dinner, etc. food that provides heat and burns slowly in the body, without being expensive or taking a long time to prepare. Choose a recipe that requires the use of the oven for a long time, like baked beans. It is the right type of food in a cold season and the oven releases heat slowly, for hours, thus keeping the kitchen warm. And the smell of the food while it is cooking pleases everybody. – Never be cheap regarding heating the basement; keep it around 60°F too. A warm basement assures you comfort on the first floor without spending so much energy. A cold basement on the contrary will not allow you to build a really comfortable temperature on the first floor. – Forget the fireplace to warm up a room; it is a romantic idea that doesn’t stand a reality check. The chimney sucks up almost all the heat which goes out immediately. You can feel warm next to the fire; but if you stand back a little, you notice how cold the rest of the room is. It is not a matter of contrast really. It is because the heat in the rest of the room has gone up the chimney. Unless you have a slow combustion type of fireplace with a system that pushes back the heat into the room or a good old wood stove, forget about buying wood. – Seal the windows by covering them with a layer of plastic if you can feel a draught coming through or see ice forming on the glass. The layer of plastic makes a big difference and it is a cheap material. And curtains are important too. Close all the curtains and shades at nightfall to keep the cold out. – If you have young kids and you want to warm up the bathroom real quick in the morning, run the hot water in the shower or bathtub for a couple of minutes. – If you live in a area where snow is abundant, use it to draught proof the house on the outside. It is an old trick from the pioneers era. Build up a snow bank against the outside walls around the house, as high as you can. Inside the snow bank, the temperature stays the same. Even if it is minus 20-30° outside and windy, the temperature into the snow bank does not change (if I remember correctly, it stays at some 26°F or minus 4°C); so the snow helps keep your basement protected against the wind and the very low temperature, thus assisting you in your effort to keep the basement and house warm. It will also help tremendously if your basement is damaged and shows cracks. In my house, a snow cover stopped the water in the pipes from freezing before I had the basement repaired. It is that efficient. – If the kids have to walk to school in cold weather, you can cook them a hard-boiled egg that they will carry in their mittens to keep their fingers warm. When the egg is cold, they can eat it (fancy eh?).
I wish you a nice time reinventing living amid the changes.
With love,
Huguette….” (unquote)
http://www.rumormillnews.com/cgi-bin/forum.cgi?read=80026
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Hey GNN, remember Jay Hanson of Dieoff.com?
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/the_dieoff_QA/message/4605
(As always, posts to this list may be reposted to others…)
I am shutting the list down (except news) for a month or two. We will discuss the material below when it opens again:
=====================================================
[ Jay: I would put the odds against this succeeding at about a
million to one. It would require (among other things) the help of the
major environmental groups. The problem is that these groups are even
more corrupt and stupid than the corporations they are supposed to
monitor. It would also require the help of the major media. But
without the shop-till-you-drop theory of salvation, they would cease
to exist. Basically, success would require major organizations to
commit suicide. On second thought, make that a trillion to one. We
might as well launch our missiles now…]
=======
If enough people are informed:
(1. About “peak oil”.
(2. That science informs us that peak oil is a death sentence to our
present “consumer economy”.
(3. That America was founded by, of, and for “special interests”.
(4. If our special interest government makes every effort to consume
the last of the world’s natural resources instead of changing
fundamental strategy, then it will lead to a global nuclear holocaust.
(5. Our present social sciences (economics, sociology,
non-evolutionary psychology) are nothing but propaganda.
(6. The downslide of peak oil requires a “common interest” government
instead of a “special interest” government.
(7. A military government isn’t necessarily something to be feared.
In fact, a new “Society of Sloth” — “SOS” (see below) — could
be a good alternative to our present shop-till-you-drop
theory of salvation.
(Although an ad hoc military government implemented only to protect
special interests could easily follow the Nazi example with death
camps etc.)
AND FINALLY #8. Raise enough hell (e.g., marching in the streets) to
influence the powers that be SOON ENOUGH to force change before it
becomes crisis management.
Then the future is as good as it’s going to get. That’s all
activists can do. It’s an enormous challenge, but as Tom says: it’s a
chance to die with our boots on.
=========================================
[ I wrote this in 1999. It a place to start… ]
COLLAPSE: A “SYSTEMS ENGINEERING” PROBLEM
You see things; and you say “Why?” But I dream things that never were; and I say “Why not?”
– George Bernard Shaw
“Collapse” is defined as the rapid transformation to a lower degree of complexity, typically involving significantly less energy consumption. [31] Societies “collapse” when they become too complex for their energy base. Thus, the collapse of capitalism is inevitable because capitalism must grow to survive – must become more-and-more complex and consume more-and-more energy.
But a “planned collapse” – a planned simplification – would not only mitigate much of the human suffering, it could also usher in a new golden age of leisure, music, arts and crafts – a simpler, more humane, more spiritual society. It’s more-than-obvious that Mr. Potatohead has no answers, so we must see “planned collapse” as a “systems engineering” problem – not as an “economic” problem (“getting the prices right”).
Think of it this way, if the only tool one has is a hammer, then everything looks like a nail. What other possible solution can an economist recommend to the problem of too much economic growth, except more economic growth? So send the economists into retirement and call out the scientists, engineers, and systems people!
Since true democracy is inherently unstable, the most obvious means to “engineer” our new simple society is repression and coercion. But what about the seemingly insurmountable quis custodiet ipsos custodes problem?
In the seventeenth century, men could not imagine a deus ex machina (god from machine) authority. Four hundred years later, we have the digital computer. Computers would watch people and other computers would watch those computers. A fail-safe deus ex machina system of checks and balances could be designed to insure integrity – in fact, orders-of-magnitude more integrity than can be attained with humans.
What can be done to mitigate the coming nightmare? I propose that we retire “avarice” as our central organizing principle and replace it with a less deadly Deadly Sin: “sloth”. I believe the “Society of Sloth” would be a splendid 21st century replacement for the Society of Avarice.
SOCIETY OF SLOTH
In order then that the social compact may not be an empty formula, it tacitly includes the undertaking, which alone can give force to the rest, that whoever refuses to obey the general will shall be compelled to do so by the whole body. This means nothing less than that he will be forced to be free; for this is the condition which, by giving each citizen to his country, secures him against all personal dependence. In this lies the key to the working of the political machine; this alone legitimises civil undertakings, which, without it, would be absurd, tyrannical, and liable to the most frightful abuses.
– Jean Jacques Rousseau, 1762
(What follows is not meant to be a comprehensive description of a new society, but only presents some conceptual ideas for consideration.)
MY KEY DEFINITIONS
• GLOBAL PROBLEMATIC (after The Club of Rome, 1972): Global tragedy of the commons because people are genetically programmed to more-than-reproduce themselves and make the best use of their environments.
• COMMONS: “A commons is any resource treated as though it belongs to all. When anyone can claim a resource simply on the grounds that he wants or needs to use it, one has a commons.” [32]
• NEEDS: Human “needs” have a scientific basis which is defined by human biology. 35,000 years ago, three million hunter-gatherers “needed” community, shelter, health care, clean water, clean air, and about 3,000 calories a day of nutritious food. Today, people still “need” the same things that hunter-gatherers “needed” then (except fewer calories).
• eMergy: [33] eMergy (with an “M”) is the solar energy used directly and indirectly to make a service or product. In other words, eMergy is the “cost” of a service or a product in units of solar energy.
Why eMergy? In reality, the economy is nothing but a monstrous, energy-gulping Rube Goldberg machine to deliver “needs” to people. But each of those three million hunter-gatherers was the energy-using counterpart of a common dolphin, whereas each of today’s 280 million Americans matches the energy use of a sperm whale. Obviously, the “economy” is incredibly inefficient at delivering “needs” to people.
No doubt my statement will stick in the economist’s craw, because after all, isn’t “efficiency” what economics is all about? The problem with “economic efficiency” is that “money” is not a measure of anything in the real world (like, say, BTUs). Money is power because money “empowers” people to buy and do the things they want – including buying and doing other people (politics). Thus, “economic efficiency” is properly seen as a “political” concept that was designed to preserve political power for those who have it.
For over a century, theorists have sought ways of integrating economics and environmental accounting, often using energy as a common measure. But these efforts met with limited success because different kinds of available energy are not equivalent. The measure of “eMergy” allows us to compare commodities, services and environmental work of different types. “Transformity” – the eMergy per unit energy – allows us to compare different kinds of available of energy.
So we need to totally junk the present economic system and replace it with a new one that minimizes eMergy costs (not money costs ) and delivers basic needs (not Cadillacs) to everyone in a sustainable way.
• SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: Sustainable development both improves quality of life and retains continuity with physical conditions; it requires that social systems be equitable and physical systems circular (industrial outputs become industrial inputs).
• AUTHORITY: Goals (or ideals) are not produced by a consensus of the governed, rather a qualified authority determines goals. For example, physical goals for sustainable development must come from “scientific” authority – because no one else knows what they must be. All contemporary political systems are “authoritarian” with the moneyed class ruling the pseudo democracies.
• COERCION (politics): To “coerce” is to compel one to act in a certain way – either by promise of reward or threat of punishment. Two obvious examples of coercion are our system of laws and paychecks.
• THE ONE-AND-ONLY HUMANE SOLUTION: “Mutual coercion, mutually agreed upon.” [34] A global system of coercion – laws, police, punishments and rewards. In principle, the global commons can only be managed at the global level by people who understand the physical systems involved: scientists. Global coercion can be seen in the worldwide reactions to ozone depletion and global warming. Remarkably, even economists find that authoritarian coercion can make them “better off”:
A group of economists had gathered at my house for dinner. While we were waiting for the food in the oven to finish cooking, I brought a large bowl of cashew nuts into the living room where people were having cocktails. In a few minutes, half the bowl of nuts was gone, and I could see that our appetites were in danger. Quickly, I seized the bowl of nuts and put it back in the kitchen (eating a few more nuts along the way, of course). When I returned, my fellow economists generally applauded my quick action, but then we followed our natural inclinations which was to try to analyze the situation to death. The burning question was: how could removing an option possibly have made us better off? After all, if we wanted to stop eating cashews, we could have done that at any time. [35]
Besides laws and paychecks, coercion can take many forms:
It is not necessary to construct a theory of intentional cultural control. In truth, the strength of the control process rests in its apparent absence. The desired systemic result is achieved ordinarily by a loose though effective institutional process. It utilizes the education of journalists and other media professionals, built-in penalties and rewards for doing what is expected, norms presented as objective rules, and the occasional but telling direct intrusion from above. The main lever is the internalization of values. [36]
Step one would be to establish a global government of some sort with the authority to protect the global commons – our life-support system – as well as protecting universal human rights. This government would also oversee the “clean” manufacturing of “repairable” and “reusable” energy-efficient appliances and transportation systems. It would also insure the sustainable production of staples like wheat, rice, oats, and fish.
Does this new global government sound repressive or restrictive? Not at all. A great deal of freedom is possible – in fact, far more than we have now.
eMERGY CERTIFICATES
Step two would be to replace the organizing principle of “avarice” with the principle of “sloth”; break out of the money-market-advertising-consumption death trap. The Society of Sloth would not be based on money because that would be inherently unsustainable. Instead, it would be based on “eMergy Certificates”. [37]
Global government would determine the “needs” of the public, set industrial production accordingly, and calculate the amount of eMergy used to meet these needs. Government would then distribute purchasing power in the form of eMergy certificates, the amount issued to each person being equivalent to his pro rata share of the eMergy cost of the consumer goods and services.
eMergy certificates bear the identification of the person to whom issued and are non-negotiable. They resemble a bank check in that they bear no face denomination, this being entered at the time of spending. They are surrendered upon the purchase of goods or services at any center of distribution and are permanently canceled, becoming entries in a uniform accounting system. Being non-negotiable they cannot be lost, stolen, gambled, or given away because they are invalid in the hands of any person other than the one to whom issued.
Lost eMergy certificates would be easily replaced. Certificates can not be saved because they become void at the termination of the two-year period for which they are issued. They can only be spent.
Insecurity of old age is abolished and both saving and insurance become unnecessary and impossible. eMergy Certificates would put absolute limits on consumption and provide people with a guaranteed stream of “needs” for life.
With modern technology, probably less than 5% of the population could produce all the goods we really “need”. A certain number of “producers” could be drafted and trained by society to produce for two years. The rest can stay home and sleep, sing, dance, paint, read, write, pray, play, do minor repairs, work in the garden, and practice birth control.
SELF-DETERMINATION
Any number of cultural, ethnic or religious communities could be established by popular vote. Religious communities could have public prayer in their schools, prohibit booze, allow no television to corrupt their kids, wear uniforms, whatever. Communities of writers or painters could be established in which bad taste would be against the law. Ethnic communities could be established to preserve language and customs. If someone didn’t like the rules in a particular community, they could move to another religious, cultural, or ethnic community of their choosing.
In short, the one big freedom that individuals would have to give up would be the freedom to destroy the commons (in its broadest sense) – the freedom to kill. And in return, they would be given a guaranteed income for life and the freedom to live almost any way they choose.
refs: http://www.dieoff.com/page168.htm
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While many of us agree with a certain measure of coercion, we also know that it only takes one frivolous claim to rights to see the Supreme Court bring down a lot of concerted efforts. Attempts at gun control failed because some see it as a right to own an assault rifle.
Showcasing succesful alternatives in communities is probably more efficient because it entails participation.
As an example : Montreal’s green roof movement :
©Montreal green roof movement©http://english.rooftopgardens.ca/
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October 27, 2005 — By ENN
AUSTIN, TX — Renewable energy capacity in the United States supported by voluntary demand rather than regulatory requirements now tops 2200 megawatts (MW) – up more than 1,000 percent in just 5 years, according to a new report from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) released at the Tenth National Green Power Marketing Conference in Austin, Texas. The report also notes that purchases by large businesses, institutions and governmental entities are driving the growth of the U.S. voluntary green power market.
Green power currently accounts for about 2 percent of America’s electricity supply, but voluntary purchasing of renewable energy is accelerating development of new renewable energy sources. The report, from DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), “Green Power Marketing in the United States: A Status Report,” shows that renewable generating capacity in the United States installed to meet voluntary green power purchasing soared from 167 MW in 2000 to more than 2,200 MW by the end of 2004. The report is available at http://www.eere.energy.gov/gr eenpower/resources/pdfs/38994.pdf.
While the number of residential customers buying green power has more than doubled over the past 5 years, green energy purchases by large businesses and other U.S. organizations have increased dramatically. This is further illustrated by new data released today by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Green Power Partnership. The Partnership, a voluntary program that encourages large organizations to switch to green power for a specified minimum portion of their annual electric usage, has grown from 21 Founding Partners in 2001 to over 600 Partners, including Fortune 500 companies, universities, trade associations, and local, state, and federal government agencies.
These Green Power Partners are collectively purchasing over 3.1 billion kilowatt hours of green power annually, a figure which has doubled over the past 15 months. This represents a growth of 1000 percent since the Partnership began in 2001 with Founding Partners purchasing 3.1 million kilowatt hours annually. Three billion kilowatt hours is enough electricity to power about 300,000 average American homes for a year, and is roughly equivalent to the annual output of a 1000 megawatt wind farm.
“Five years ago, the voluntary green power market was focused primarily on residential purchasers, and there were only a handful of significant non-residential purchasers,” said Douglas L. Faulkner, acting assistant secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy at the U.S. Department of Energy. “The entry of commercial, industrial, and government purchasers into the renewable energy market has resulted in tremendous growth in the development of clean and limitless renewable energy resources.”
“Leading retailers, universities, manufacturers and federal agencies are demonstrating outstanding environmental leadership by choosing to purchase clean, renewable energy sources for their electricity,” said Kathleen Hogan, director of EPA’s Climate Protection Partnerships Division.
The new report also notes that over the past 5 years, average renewable energy price premiums for utility programs have declined at an annual average rate of 8 percent as wind-generated power becomes increasingly competitive against natural gas-fueled generation. In Colorado and in Texas, escalating natural gas prices have pushed electricity rates for regular utility customers higher than rates being paid by customers subscribing to green power options.
Leading purchasers
Johnson & Johnson
Johnson & Johnson is the largest U.S. corporate purchaser of renewable energy. The company has committed to reduce its carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions 7 percent below 1990 levels by 2010 in its quest to address the challenge of climate change. To achieve this goal, Johnson & Johnson is investing in green power as an alternative to fossil fuel energy. Johnson & Johnson’s green power use in 2004 equaled 18 percent of its worldwide electricity use.
“Investing in green power not only benefits the environment, but is also a good business decision for Johnson & Johnson because it provides the company with a reliable and stable supply of energy,” said Dennis Canavan, executive director of worldwide energy management, Johnson & Johnson. “We are on track to reach our 2010 goal to reduce our carbon dioxide emissions seven percent below 1990 levels. We hope to see other large corporations institute similar environmental commitments.”
Safeway, Inc.
Safeway purchased enough renewable energy certificates (RECs) for all of the company’s U.S. fuel stations, its corporate and Northern California offices, and all 15 of its grocery stores in San Francisco. The purchase of 78,000 MWh of wind makes Safeway the first U.S. retailer to offset the electricity usage of all its fueling stations. Additionally, Safeway’s purchase of RECs for the company’s 15 San Francisco grocery stores makes Safeway San Francisco’s single largest purchaser of green energy and the second largest corporate green purchaser in the nation.
“Protecting the environment and conserving our nation’s valuable energy resources is something that Safeway and our customers care deeply about,” said Larree Renda, executive vice president, Safeway. “By powering our fuel stations, stores and corporate offices with wind energy, we are taking a leadership role in using cleaner sources of electricity.”
Advanced Micro Devices (AMD)
AMD is the largest corporate green power purchaser in Texas and the fifth largest in the United States. AMD announced that it will tap renewable resources to power 100 percent of its twelve offices and the new AMD Austin Campus when it is completed in 2007. AMD’s utilization of renewable energy is illustrative of why its electric provider, Austin Energy, has had the leading utility-sponsored green power program in the nation in sales for the past three years.
“AMD was among the first companies to participate in Austin Energy’s Green Choice program and is proud to rely exclusively on renewable energy for our Texas operations,” said Craig Garcia, director of Global Corporate Resources, AMD. “Green energy consumption not only safeguards our environment by reducing the use of fossil fuels, but it’s good for our business because it gives us a powerful tool to help manage our energy costs. We applaud Austin Energy and EPA for promoting green energy and we are hopeful that our continued collaboration will help stimulate the adoption of clean energy.”
Harvard University
Eight of Harvard University’s schools and departments are now purchasing renewable energy—collectively accounting for nearly 22,000 MWh annually or 7 percent of Harvard’s total electricity usage. In an effort to make Harvard the nation’s top university purchaser of renewable energy, Harvard President Lawrence H. Summers announced a new, 3 year dedicated renewable energy fund of $100,000 annually to promote the development of renewable energy on campus.
“Our support for renewable energy and green buildings affirms the University’s commitment to developing and maintaining a campus that is beautiful, functional, and founded on sustainable principles,” said Lawrence H. Summers, Harvard University President.
Whole Foods
Natural and organic foods supermarket Whole Foods Market is purchasing or generating more than 20 percent of its total national power load from green power sources annually. In California, Colorado, and New Mexico, Whole Foods Markets are 100 percent green-powered. Whole Foods Market also has solar panels at five stores in California and New Jersey.
“Central to Whole Foods Market’s core values is caring about our communities and our environment, and this includes utilizing wise environmental practices such as purchasing renewable energy,” said Louis Karp, Whole Foods Market green mission task force regional director. “We strive to be a leader in environmental stewardship and plan to make green energy purchasing a priority.”
Hyatt Regency Dallas & Hyatt Regency DFW
In June 2005, Hyatt Regency Dallas at Reunion and Hyatt Regency at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport announced the purchase of approximately 36,000 MWh annually from Green Mountain Energy. This purchase places the two Hyatt hotels among the Top 20 green power purchasers in the United States and the top five in Texas. As the largest national purchase of green power by a hotel property, this purchase represents a significant investment in renewable energy for an industry reaching thousands of potential clean energy consumers and business purchasers. Hyatt Regency Dallas is also the 10th largest U.S. corporate purchaser of renewable energy.
“Our green power purchase makes a public statement about our responsibility to be good community stewards, and it also sends a message to our hotel guests that protecting the environment is important,” said Steve Vissotzky, Hyatt Regency Dallas general manager. “Our purchase complements our existing sustainable business practices. We hope major corporations in Dallas and throughout the United States adopt more sustainable business practices such as purchasing green power.”
Hillwood
In August, Dallas-based Hillwood announced it was purchasing 100 percent renewable energy from Green Mountain Energy for Hillwood’s business parks in North Texas. The purchase encompasses more than a dozen developments, including the 17,000-acre AllianceTexas project. Hillwood is one of the largest real estate development companies in the country to be 100 percent green powered.
“Purchasing renewable electricity products from Green Mountain Energy Company is another way for Hillwood to help improve the quality of our environment,” said Ross Perot Jr., chairman of Hillwood. “With the open spaces, parks, trails, wetlands management and tree programs that we incorporate into our developments, Hillwood has a long history of taking care of the environment.”
U.S. Government
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Federal Energy Management Program announced that the federal government is now purchasing over 2.5 percent of its electricity from renewable energy sources, reflecting successful achievement of a goal first articulated in Executive Order 13123 back in 1999, making the federal government the nation’s largest green power purchaser. The top three federal purchasers are the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. EPA and the U.S. DOE. Additional details are available from EPA’s list of the nation’s Top 25 green power purchasers at http://www.epa.gov/greenpower/partners/top2 5.htm.
More than 100 consumer products are now labeled with green power
The Center for Resource Solutions (CRS) announced that 115 consumer products are now “Made with Certified Renewable Energy” and labeled with the Green-e logo to designate their environmental advantage. Products including chips, juices, syrup, wine, fabrics, carpet, and paper products are being manufactured using Green-e certified renewable energy and now feature that information on their packaging. This represents a 65 percent increase over the past year in the number of product manufacturers communicating renewable energy commitments through on-packaging labeling featuring the nationally recognized symbol for renewable energy excellence – the Green-e logo.
“Renewable energy use is the next generation of distinction for consumer products, taking its place alongside other consumer labels such as those for recycled products, organic content, and energy efficiency,” said Jan Hamrin, president of the Center for Resource Solutions. “Product labeling by major U.S. corporations and product manufacturers brings renewable energy to the attention of millions of consumers.”
About the National Green Power Marketing Conference
The National Green Power Marketing Conference, which is organized annually by DOE, EPA and the non-profit Center for Resource Solutions (CRS), reviews the status of green power marketing and explores strategies to increase the development of new renewable energy resources. Green power is electricity generated from environmentally- preferable renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, geothermal, biogas and low-impact hydro and biomass resources. These renewable energy sources are cleaner than conventionally generated electricity sources which rely on combustion of fossil fuel and create emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), a greenhouse gas linked to global warming. Additional conference information is available at http://www.eere.energy.gov/green power/conference/tenth.html.
About the U.S. DOE Green Power Network
The Green Power Network provides news and information on green power markets and related activities. The Network’s Web site provides up-to-date information on green power providers, product offerings, consumer protection issues, and policies affecting green power markets. It also includes a reference library of relevant papers, articles and reports. The Green Power Network is operated and maintained by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory for the U.S. Department of Energy. Additional information is available at http://www.eere.energy.gov/greenpower.
About the U.S. EPA Green Power Partnership
The Green Power Partnership is an EPA voluntary program working to standardize green power procurement as part of best practice environmental management. Partners in the program pledge to switch to green power for a specified minimum percentage of their electricity needs in return for EPA technical assistance and recognition. The Green Power Partnership currently includes more than 600 Partners, including Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, and universities. Additional information about the Green Power Partnership, including a full listing of all Partners and the Top 25 List, is available at www.epa.gov/greenpower.
About Green-e and the Center for Resource Solutions
The Green-e Renewable Energy Certification Program is the leading voluntary certification and verification program that sets standards for renewable electricity-based products in three markets for renewable energy: restructured, regulated, and renewable energy certificates (RECs). Nationally, Green-e certifies renewable energy products sold by over 100 marketers and utilities. To learn more about certified renewable energy available throughout North America, visit www.green-e.org, or call 1-888-63-GREEN. Green-e is a program of the Center for Resource Solutions (CRS), a national nonprofit working to build a robust renewable energy market by increasing demand and supply of renewable resources. CRS administers a portfolio of national and international programs in renewable energy. To learn more about CRS, visit http://www.resource-solutions.org.
Source: CSRwire, Green Power Marketing Conference
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this was the top drawing article of October for GNN.
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That’s not surprising; it was very educational.
I especially liked dannyboy77’s link to
www.darvill.clara.net/altenerg/pumped.htm
I’d only thought of this on a small scale, and theoretical, but there it is
in Wales, large and fully functional.
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In the matter of green power purchasing, it should be noted that no matter how much a customer pays for the right to claim they are buying renewable energy, the energy they use from the grid is exactly the same as that used by their less conscientious neighbors.
They are in theory promoting the installation of renewable energy sources, but is it actually making a difference to the use of conventional sources? With wind power, for example, the production is so variable and unpredictable that it is handled as negative demand rather than a dispatchable energy source, which means that its only effect as the wind rises is to switch a spinning reserve plant from generation to standby. That plant continues to burn as much fuel as it is kept ready for the wind to drop again, when it has to switch immediately back to generation.
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You would agree Quebec’s winter are harsh. A gentleman designed a low level geo-thermal house. Pipes running in a grid under the ground’s freezing point carry water as warm as 48 F . A thermopump extracts the heat. Does reverse during summer. His heating electricity bill fell by 70%.
Post Modified: 11/29/05 20:13:15
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So as more wind comes on line, it is all but certain that more hydrocarbon reserve capacity will be required, further demonstrating how renewable energy is used to supplement over-consumption
you are trying to predict the future situation with current technology..
It appears those financially involved with the technology were waiting for the right time to deploy it for the highest profit yield
everything I’ve read on the subject says it is because the technology for storage has slowly gotten better, and now the oil crunch is pushing mainly Germany and Japan to buy up an enormous amount of solar power materials.
Now renewable projects are being massively deployed by the military to fine tune its killing machine as it battles for dominance over the last remaining hydrocarbon reserves on the planet
what the hell does this mean?
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These critical times.
Sometimes no Peace
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Forum : Environment
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