Bits of Energy

Nuclear future on balance: world has not responded to Fukushima, Europe has

And of course Japan has too – as suffering such damage demands a general policy reevaluation. Apparently different political systems apply different forms of logic, a new report states. But we have just one investment market…

New polyamine CO2 adsorbent may be step forward for CCS technology – and CDR geoengineering

Policy makers find CCS too expensive, climate activists call it an excuse for coal and none of us want it applied in our own backyards. But fortunately science also has a way of silently progressing, as we will be needing … Continue reading →

54,000 gallons of spilled bunker oil can be enough to devastate a commercial herring population

Such an oil spill, which occurred during the 2007 Cosco Busan collision (container ship vs bridge) in San Francisco Bay, is (supposed to be) peanuts compared to for instance the 1989 Exxon Valdez’s 32,000,000 gallons of crude, or the BP … Continue reading →

E. coli produces commonly used biofuels

Cellulose is the major combustible component of non-food energy crops. Recently ways have been devised to turn it into bioethanol. An important step in a more widespread use of food-friendly biofuels. But as it turns out, besides Brazil and the … Continue reading →

Sustainable energy possibilities rarely find their way to consumers

Test projects in which governments and companies demonstrate sustainable energy and material inventions are not adopted by the market and other companies. Research by the VU University of Amsterdam shows many such inventions are done, but the amount that ends … Continue reading →

CO2 highlights of new IEA report

We already know the downturn of 2009 led to a 4 day CO2 emissions pause and (thanks to another IEA release) that 2010 brought a new fossil fuel CO2 emissions record (of 30.6 Gt) – which contributed to a record-high … Continue reading →

IEA World Energy Outlook 2011: ‘we need to invest 10,000,000,000,000 dollars in oil’

On Wednesday the International Energy Agency will release the 2011 edition of the World Energy Outlook. Some energy investment figures from the new IEA report have already been made available though – including a proposed 10 trillion dollar investment in … Continue reading →

UNEP hands world homework for Earth Summit 2012

Among green geopolitical milestones there are a few true megaliths. Probably one can count in the world assemblees in Copenhagen and Kyoto, but the real foundations for international environmental cooperation were laid decades before.

Biofuel production from forests increases CO2 emissions

Biofuels are gaining more and more ground as a replacement for fossil fuels. Especially because they are carbon-neutral or even reduce atmospheric CO2, but also because of the need for energy security and oil price spikes. In their search for … Continue reading →