A fantastic article about someone finally actually providing straight talk on climate matters.
They are 100% right. this issue will not be solved except by a dramatic re-thinking of how we live our daily lives, combined by hundereds of billions, if not trillions of dollars of investment in new clean infrastructure.
Scientists are reporting the largest recorded gulf of Mexico dead zone in history.
“the recent increase in corn crops is due to the nation’s increased efforts to find alternative fuel resources, such as corn-powered ethanol.”…….
Aah, the law of unintended-but-known-but-done-anyway-because-it-is-politically-convenient consequenses….
There is apparently a new research report out from Raymond James that has some fairly shocking statistics in it on the absolutely epic growth in international coal demand.
A few excerpts from the article:
First up: coal, the commodity whose supply-demand fundamentals “may be stronger than oil fundamentals,” according to a new report from Raymond James & Associates, the investment banking firm.
This worldwide scramble for coal will continue, Raymond James indicates, citing a report from coal giant BHP Billiton that in 2007-2008 alone, China constructed new coal-fired power plants with output equal to more than one half of the entire U.S.’s coal-fired generation capacity. Despite
No wonder coal prices are going absolutely through the roof: http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/coal/page/coalnews/coalmar.html#spot
http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2008/07/15/225582/farnborough-2008-new-fuel-standards-move-closer-to-approval.html
DATE:15/07/08
SOURCE:Flight International
FARNBOROUGH 2008: New fuel standards move closer to approval
New fuels and the chemical processes to make them are edging closer to approval under key specifications.ASTM International’s Subcommittee D02.J on Aviation Fuels will consider a ballot this summer amending jet fuel specification D1655 to let producers market jet fuel blends with up to 50% content made with the Fischer-Tropsch process.
Presently only Sasol of South Africa has specific approval for fuels converted from natural gas and coal, at 50% blends since 1999 and for 100% synthetic fuels since April 2008. The UK Ministry of Defense granted the approval under Def Stan 91-91, to which ASTM requirements refer.
Subcommittee chair Stan Seto says the OEM/FAA approval process is under way to expand the definition of acceptable synthesized paraffinic kerosene to include hydrogenated fats and oils and a new task force was formed at a June meeting in Warsaw.
“There is much interest for the approval of biomass-produced fuels which would help to reduce key greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide,” he says. The subcommittee agreed to consider a new standard practice guideline for the qualification and approval of new aviation turbine fuels and fuel additives, as a replacement for the current words in ASTM D4054.