R-Squared (100 unread)

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• A Mixed Bag of Oil Projections in the MSM

  As I browsed through recent energy headlines on my Sunday morning - which lately has been the only time slot that allows me to catch up - I saw two contrasting stories in the mainstream media. One is from CNN Money, warning of $6 gasoline if we have a bad [...]

  Posted: June 01, 2008, 6:11am EDT by Robert Rapier

• Thoughts on a Thought Experiment

  As I indicated in the original post - Coping with Gas at $100 a Gallon - here are some of the comments on my thought experiment on $100 gasoline. Comments were varied, ranging from things like "thought-provoking", "great question", "a good exercise", and "interesting" - to "absurd", "silly", and [...]

  Posted: May 31, 2008, 2:17am EDT by Robert Rapier

• National Wind Projects

  I recently received a press release from National Wind, a developer of wind farms. I usually ignore press releases, but I thought this was topical enough to investigate. Further, I haven't written anything on wind in a long time. So, I replied and asked if they could give me [...]

  Posted: May 30, 2008, 7:01pm EDT by Robert Rapier

• Renewable Energy Jobs at Google

  A recruiter from Google recently contacted me and asked if I would put a note on here that they are looking for candidates for their Renewable Energy Group. You may recall that I previously wrote a post covering several companies - Green Job Opportunities. This one is specifically for [...]

  Posted: May 29, 2008, 6:32pm EDT by Robert Rapier

• The Solar-Powered Prius

  
  Solar-Powered Prius (Source: [www.solarelectricalvehicles.com])
  
  At the end of my recent essay on Nissan's electric car announcement, I wrote "For my next calculation, I need to see how much power I could generate by putting a solar panel on the roof of my [...]

  Posted: May 28, 2008, 11:05am EDT by Robert Rapier

• A Solar-Powered Airplane

  One of the things I have stated repeatedly is that even as I see the world moving to solar power by necessity, we will always need liquid fuels for long-haul transport and airline travel. Turns out I may have been wrong about the airline travel bit:
  
  [...]

  Posted: May 27, 2008, 7:01am EDT by Robert Rapier

• Coping with Gas at $100 a Gallon

  I am fond of thought experiments. I like to ask "What If?" This can help me frame a problem. For instance, if I wonder how much land it would take to generate enough electricity to supply the U.S., that's a thought experiment. But it is one that may tell [...]

  Posted: May 25, 2008, 4:05pm EDT by Robert Rapier

• My Worst Fears

  In case you haven't seen it, the peak oil panic really hit the mainstream this weekend:
  
  Energy fears looming, new survivalists prepare
  
  

  Convinced the planet's oil supply is dwindling and the world's economies are heading for a crash, some people around the country are moving onto homesteads, [...]

  Posted: May 25, 2008, 12:21pm EDT by Robert Rapier

• Nationalize the Oil Industry?

  In a post I wrote just over a year ago - Peak Oil: End of the World? - I posed the following:
  
  

  If you think the public is outraged now, wait until gas is $10 a gallon, people are suffering as a result, the economy is tanking, and [...]

  Posted: May 23, 2008, 8:55am EDT by Robert Rapier

• Ford Awakens from a Slumber; Post Office Rejects Ethanol

  It seems that the reality of our situation is sinking in at Ford:
  
  Ford's trouble: $4 gas is here to stay
  
  

  NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Ford Motor Co. executives say they believe that $4 gas is here to stay, resulting in a fundamental consumer shift away from [...]

  Posted: May 22, 2008, 6:12pm EDT by Robert Rapier

• An Amazing Disconnect

  
  Why Are Oil Prices Rising? The Picture Tells the Tale (Credit to Optimist)
  
  The recent, rapid climb in oil prices has started to get everyone's attention. In fact, when people use Google to search for information, and then link in here, I can see [...]

  Posted: May 22, 2008, 8:43am EDT by Robert Rapier

• Crude Cracks $130

  I am still trying to extract myself from underneath an avalanche of e-mails, but thought I would post just a bit on oil prices, which are again in record territory:
  
  Oil passes $130 for the first time
  
  

  In the past year, crude oil prices have more than [...]

  Posted: May 21, 2008, 11:43am EDT by Robert Rapier

• Lumeta: Peel and Stick Solar

  I wanted to thank a reader for sending me the following YouTube link. This is very cool. A solar company called Lumeta - a subsidiary of California-based DRI Companies, has created a peel and stick solar panel. Watch just a bit of this video, as two men install [...]

  Posted: May 19, 2008, 5:03am EDT by Robert Rapier

• Redundant Ethanol Subsidies

  The proposed farm bill just sent to President Bush (and expected to be vetoed) contains several ethanol provisions. One is to cut the corn ethanol subsidy from $0.51/gal to $0.45/gal. Forbes explains:
  
  Ethanol For Everyone!
  
  

  It also includes $1 billion for energy-related programs, including several provisions related [...]

  Posted: May 16, 2008, 9:31am EDT by Robert Rapier

• Nissan Enters the Electric Arena

  I am feeling more and more optimistic that we are going to soon have a decent choice of viable plug-in hybrids (PHEVs). Nissan has now announced that they will have an offering in the U.S. and Japan by 2010:
  
  Nissan plans electric car in U.S. and Japan by [...]

  Posted: May 14, 2008, 5:05am EDT by Robert Rapier

• Replacing Gasoline with Solar Power

  Executive Summary
  
  If you don't want to run through the calculations, here is the summary. I attempted a thought experiment in which I calculated whether it would be feasible to use solar power to generate enough energy to offset all U.S. gasoline consumption. My conclusion is that it will [...]

  Posted: May 12, 2008, 6:00am EDT by Robert Rapier

• News on a Lazy Sunday

  First up, Vinod Khosla:
  
  On the Record: Vinod Khosla
  
  On biofuels:
  
  

  I have no question that in 10 years, there's no way oil will be able to compete with biofuels. Even in five years. Now it will take a long time to scale biofuels, but I'm [...]

  Posted: May 11, 2008, 2:20pm EDT by Robert Rapier

• SUV for Sale: Cheap!

  Some of the consequences of very high oil prices are pretty predictable. Homes way out in the suburbs are likely to lose value. Prices will rise across the board for goods and services. Airlines will struggle. And gas guzzlers will be much less attractive:
  
  Gas costs deflate prices [...]

  Posted: May 10, 2008, 3:44pm EDT by Robert Rapier

• Stop Filling the SPR?

  To me, some of the most humorous ideas for relieving high oil prices are the perpetual calls to release oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR). Note what the SPR is actually for:
  
  

  The Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) is the world's largest supply of emergency crude oil. The [...]

  Posted: May 09, 2008, 6:45pm EDT by Robert Rapier

• My Next Car?

  I was talking to my wife on the phone yesterday, and she asked what I knew about the 2009 Prius. I asked what she was talking about, and she started telling me about some of the features. She said that Toyota has been keeping the details pretty quiet, but details [...]

  Posted: May 09, 2008, 6:03am EDT by Robert Rapier

• Shell's Shale Problems

  I have been pretty skeptical of the potential of oil shale for a long time. It is very difficult for me to see how they are going to make a go of it, and I wrote as much here:
  
  “Oil Shale Development Imminent”
  
  And:
  
  Oil [...]

  Posted: May 08, 2008, 5:44pm EDT by Robert Rapier

• Automotive X Prize

  Following on the heels of the $10 million Ansari X Prize, which had the following requirements:
  
  

  The Ansari X Prize is a $10 million purse for the first privately built vehicle that could safely haul a pilot and the equivalent weight of two passengers to the edge of [...]

  Posted: May 08, 2008, 6:43am EDT by Robert Rapier

• Tyson Slocum Testimony

  Consumer advocate Tyson Slocum recently testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure about the record high gas prices. I am going to resist the urge to do a deep debunking, because 1). I have already taken a shot at his credibility; 2). I haven't [...]

  Posted: May 07, 2008, 10:10am EDT by Robert Rapier

• The Aptera

  Flying on the plane back to Amsterdam yesterday, I picked up a copy of Newsweek. Inside, there was a mention of a new vehicle that I had never heard of before, the Aptera:
  
  
  
  10 Fixes For the Planet
  
  

  7. The Aptera: A funky new hybrid-electric [...]

  Posted: May 06, 2008, 7:13am EDT by Robert Rapier

• Stranger Than Fiction

  After 24 hours of traveling, including a cancelled flight, lost luggage, and a passenger's medical emergency that almost forced us to land in Greenland, I am back in the Netherlands. I almost never check luggage, and I got a very valuable reminder why today: United Airlines has no idea where [...]

  Posted: May 05, 2008, 1:16pm EDT by Robert Rapier

• Visit to New Choren BTL Plant

  
  Figure 1. Choren BTL Production Process. (Source: Choren)
  
  Introduction
  
  I had to dig way back in my Gmail archives to figure out how it was that I first interacted with Choren. I had written several articles on biomass gasification in 2006, and [...]

  Posted: May 03, 2008, 12:27pm EDT by Robert Rapier

• Befuddled by Our Oil Dependence

  In a different context, this might be funny:
  
  Lawmakers being forced to give up gas-guzzling cars
  
  

  WASHINGTON -- Rep. Elton Gallegly of Simi Valley likes his taxpayer-funded Ford Expedition. He isn't worried that it's not the most fuel-efficient car. It's reliable, suits his mountainous district and is [...]

  Posted: May 02, 2008, 8:13pm EDT by Robert Rapier

• Oil to $250 a Barrel?

  In case you missed it, there were several stories this week - and of particular note coming from OPEC - that suggested that much higher oil prices may be on the way:
  
  Oil Price May Go Up to $250, Warn Experts
  
  

  Crude prices continue to baffle analysts [...]

  Posted: May 02, 2008, 12:16pm EDT by Robert Rapier

• Hillary Panders, Bill Whines

  Hillary Panders
  
  Keeping with the recent theme that our political leaders are clueless, today I ran across this gem from Hillary's Indiana campaign:
  
  Clinton visits gas station for cameras
  
  
  

  SOUTH BEND, Ind.—Hillary Rodham Clinton, a former first lady who hasn't driven a car or pumped [...]

  Posted: May 01, 2008, 8:32pm EDT by Robert Rapier

• Inflate Those Tires

  Every time I check the pressure in my tires, it is always below the recommended pressure. Every time! And to be honest, it isn't something I think about on a regular basis. When I had a car, I did get into the habit of keeping a tire gauge in the [...]

  Posted: May 01, 2008, 1:50pm EDT by Robert Rapier

• CNN on Gas Prices

  CNN has a very interesting article this morning on gas taxes, gas prices, and the impact they have had:
  
  U.S. gas: So cheap it hurts
  
  First, a couple of tables that show how gas prices differ around the world:
  
  

  Most expensive places to buy gas
  
  [...]

  Posted: May 01, 2008, 1:04pm EDT by Robert Rapier

• Advanced Techniques for Improving Gas Mileage

  Note: My article on the recent trip to Choren is finished, but I am waiting to hear back from them before I post it. I signed a non-disclosure agreement before I toured the plant, and I want to make sure they are OK with what I wrote. As soon as [...]

  Posted: April 30, 2008, 11:37pm EDT by Robert Rapier

• How to Change the World

  Fortune has a very interesting interview with Google co-founder Larry Page. He hits on a lot of topics that are frequently discussed here, and some that aren't often discussed, but that I have spent a lot of time thinking about (e.g., geothermal). Here is a link to the interview:
  
  [...]

  Posted: April 30, 2008, 5:59pm EDT by Robert Rapier

• A Bright Story from the Solar Sector

  It's no secret that I think the best hope we have for transitioning to a post-petroleum economy is through solar power. I am optimistic that the thin film solar crowd - led by companies like First Solar and Nanosolar - will be able to deliver cost-effective solar [...]

  Posted: April 29, 2008, 11:07pm EDT by Robert Rapier

• Hillary's Stupid Energy Plan

  I had intended for this, my 500th essay on this blog, to be about my recent trip to Choren's new plant in Germany. But Hillary Clinton has just come out with a plan for high gasoline prices so asinine, it had to be addressed. Note that I have already [...]

  Posted: April 28, 2008, 11:11pm EDT by Robert Rapier

• An Open Letter to Our Next President

  Mr. or Madam President,
  
  Vice President Dick Cheney once famously quipped "The American way of life is non-negotiable." I submit that while our next president might not be so brash in stating this, the root of our energy problems can be traced to this attitude. But, nature doesn't negotiate. [...]

  Posted: April 27, 2008, 11:16pm EDT by Robert Rapier

• Please Make it Stop

  The pandering, that is. First up, the presidential candidates take turns accusing each other of not having a plan for high gas prices, which the accuser of course has a neat solution for that will be painless for the public:
  
  Obama presses on gas prices, Clinton highlights energy [...]

  Posted: April 26, 2008, 10:13am EDT by Robert Rapier

• Book Review: World Made by Hand

  
  
  When I read James Howard Kunstler's (JHK) book The Long Emergency, it had a profound impact on me. I had been aware for many years that "running out of oil" was a [...]

  Posted: April 24, 2008, 9:01pm EDT by Robert Rapier

• Why Oil Prices Aren't Going Down

  I kept expecting a pull-back in prices at $90/bbl, then $100, then just watched as prices kept climbing to today's level of $118. While I won't be surprised if we do see a short-term correction, in the longer-term I suspect we will be going much higher. Why? Here is part [...]

  Posted: April 22, 2008, 10:37am EDT by Robert Rapier

• Letter to My Children

  Given that we are preparing to make another move, I recently wrote my two oldest children a letter explaining why I felt like Dallas is a good place to be (for us) in the near future. Basically, I see some difficult times ahead. I don't believe gas and oil prices [...]

  Posted: April 21, 2008, 9:55am EDT by Robert Rapier

• Trip to Germany

  Been in Germany today, visiting Choren. I will write something up on that trip soon. They have built a Cadillac of a BTL plant in Freiburg. Very impressive.
  
  This was my first trip to Germany since I lived there from 1999 to 2001. Things have changed. Germany is [...]

  Posted: April 18, 2008, 3:10pm EDT by Robert Rapier

• Where Our Oil Imports Come From

  Following the theme of the previous post on where we get our gasoline imports, below is the list of our Top 10 sources of oil imports for 2007.
  
  For 2007, our Top 10 importers of crude oil into the U.S. in million barrels were:
  
  1. Canada 680.533 million [...]

  Posted: April 17, 2008, 7:59am EDT by Robert Rapier

• Where Our Gasoline Imports Come From

  I started this post almost a year ago, but forgot about it. But someone at The Oil Drum just said they wished they had more information on where our gasoline imports come from. No need to wonder, because the EIA publishes this information.
  
  For 2007, our Top 10 importers [...]

  Posted: April 16, 2008, 5:43pm EDT by Robert Rapier

• A Footnote on Jatropha

  Following my recent post on the energy situation in India, I received an e-mail from Sreenivas Ghatty, the founder and CEO of Tree Oils India. Sreenivas told me that I was correct that the jatropha situation in India has been overstated, and wanted to provide some facts on [...]

  Posted: April 13, 2008, 12:46pm EDT by Robert Rapier

• Implosion of the Airline Industry

  I have heard a lot of people over the years predict that one of the first casualties of Peak Oil would be the airline industry. When fuel prices rise, airlines have to raise prices. When they do that, people don't fly as much.
  
  Whether peak is upon us or [...]

  Posted: April 11, 2008, 1:46pm EDT by Robert Rapier

• New Crude Plus Condensate Peak

  Per the latest International Petroleum Monthly (Excel download), world crude plus condensate production for January was 74,466,000 million bpd. The previous record in May 2005 was 74,298,000 bpd. The number is subject to revision, but I have been firm since 2005 that I did not believe that peak would [...]

  Posted: April 11, 2008, 11:34am EDT by Robert Rapier

• The Energy Scene in India

  As I traveled through India on a recent business trip, the topic of energy was constantly on my mind (as it is every time I travel). I found out some interesting things about jatropha, toured a sugarcane ethanol plant, found a wind farm in the middle of nowhere, and encountered [...]

  Posted: April 08, 2008, 7:02am EDT by Robert Rapier

• Winner: Sustainable Production Technology

  As I have mentioned before, I am not going to use this blog to promote my new company. I have said very little about it to this point, but I intend to write one post explaining in detail what we do. I do think we have the best (the only?) [...]

  Posted: April 04, 2008, 4:39am EDT by Robert Rapier

• The Diesel Tree

  Naturally, something like a "diesel tree" is going to catch my attention. (The scientific name for the tree, as best as I can ascertain, is Copaifera langsdorfii, and is native to South America). I have been intrigued by this plant since I first heard about it, but haven't run [...]

  Posted: April 03, 2008, 5:48am EDT by Robert Rapier

• Attempting the Impossible

  I ran across the following today:
  
  Our view on gasoline prices: With crude at $100 a barrel, Big Oil needs no tax breaks
  
  

  It's difficult — make that impossible — to justify taxpayer subsidies for an industry whose top five companies made $123 billion in profits last [...]

  Posted: April 02, 2008, 11:20am EDT by Robert Rapier

• Pacific Ethanol in Trouble

  Don't say I didn't tell you so. I warned about PEIX's poor fundamentals a year and a half ago, and the share price has fallen steadily since then.
  
  Pacific Ethanol suffers a bigger-than-expected loss
  
  

  Pacific Ethanol Inc., a California biofuels darling that boasts political connections and [...]

  Posted: April 01, 2008, 4:59pm EDT by Robert Rapier

• Dog and Pony Show Scheduled for Today

  The familiar dog and pony show of calling oil company executives to Washington to testify before a pandering congress begins today:
  
  Congress has big questions for Big Oil
  
  

  WASHINGTON - Big Oil is once again being called on the carpet. Senior executives of the five largest U.S. [...]

  Posted: April 01, 2008, 6:15am EDT by Robert Rapier

• LCA on Renewable Diesel

  Thanks to a reader for this tip. Argonne National Laboratory has just published a Life-Cycle Analysis (LCA) of biogasoline, biodiesel, green diesel, and petroleum diesel:
  
  Life-Cycle Assessment of Energy and Greenhouse Gas Effects of Soybean-Derived Biodiesel and Renewable Fuels
  
  I have just skimmed the report so far, [...]

  Posted: March 31, 2008, 11:34am EDT by Robert Rapier

• Barack Obama Panders

  
  
  He's got my vote. He doesn't take money from oil companies, and is going to punish them for their "windfall profits." For some reason, Oil Watchdog does show him as having taken $157,390 from oil companies, and I still haven't heard anyone define "windfall profits." Of course [...]

  Posted: March 30, 2008, 7:30am EDT by Robert Rapier

• How Corn Ethanol Destroys Rain Forests

  At least according to a new story in Time, which is a blistering critique of our ethanol policies. It also documents the change of heart that has taken place among some prominent ethanol boosters.
  
  The Clean Energy Scam
  
  

  In Brazil, for instance, only a tiny portion of [...]

  Posted: March 29, 2008, 2:00pm EDT by Robert Rapier

• Truckers Back Speed Limit

  In my opinion, one of the quickest ways to reduce our oil consumption in the U.S. is by lowering the speed limits. I suggested this in an essay a couple of years ago: I Can Drive 55. There were a fair number of negative comments regarding that essay from [...]

  Posted: March 27, 2008, 10:57am EDT by Robert Rapier

• Biogasoline from Shell

  I think the general consensus was that the recent claims of agricultural researcher J.C. Bell don't appear to be too compelling. However, as I mentioned, the conversion of biomass into oil or gasoline should be technically achievable. And today, Bob Rohatensky sent me a link to a story [...]

  Posted: March 26, 2008, 6:57pm EDT by Robert Rapier

• Newsflash: Chavez to Increase Oil Taxes Again

  When ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips walked out of Venezuela last year instead of accepting radical changes to their previously agreed upon contracts, I think they could see the handwriting on the wall. As long as Chavez has influence down there, oil companies are not going to be allowed to consistently [...]

  Posted: March 26, 2008, 9:50am EDT by Robert Rapier

• Any Biomass into Oil

  I have mentioned LS9 here on several occasions, because I think what they are trying to do is pretty cool. They are trying to engineer bacteria that can consume biomass and excrete hydrocarbons. I have said before that I think someone will crack this problem sooner or later.
  
  [...]

  Posted: March 24, 2008, 6:49pm EDT by Robert Rapier

• Condensed Summary of India

  
  My Host Kapil in the Back
  
  Overall Impressions of India
  
  Here is a condensed summary of my overall impressions of my recent trip to India. The trip was business, but I got to see a lot of country. For a full blow by [...]

  Posted: March 20, 2008, 7:30am EDT by Robert Rapier

• Off to India

  Update: March 19 - Updated my travel blog. I will probably have to split that up into two essays when I have time, and I will add some pictures.
  
  
  Some Local Color
  
  Update: March 18 - I have been without Internet for [...]

  Posted: March 19, 2008, 8:09am EDT by Robert Rapier

• Solar in Abu Dhabi (and Arnhem)

  One of the consequences of higher oil prices is that a tremendous amount of cash is flowing into the Middle East and funding business ventures there. I see this a lot in my business dealings, as more and more ventures are being backed by Middle Eastern oil money. Here is [...]

  Posted: March 13, 2008, 2:17am EDT by Robert Rapier

• Someone Muzzle This Woman

  Would someone please stuff a sock in this woman's mouth?
  
  
  
  She is making an absolute fool out of herself every time she speaks:
  
  Ferraro: My comment wasn't racist, it was fact
  
  First she says that Obama is only where he [...]

  Posted: March 12, 2008, 2:44pm EDT by Robert Rapier

• Debunking Robert Zubrin

  A reader asked me a while back to take a look at the claims of Robert Zubrin, and comment. So I took a look at his claims, and while I found things that were wrong, I was generally in agreement on his big picture stuff. I concluded with:
  
  [...]

  Posted: March 12, 2008, 9:11am EDT by Robert Rapier

• Today's Stories of Interest

  There were quite a few interesting stories today, so here are a few Drumbeat-inspired headlines and excerpts.
  
  Gasoline: Painful, and getting worse
  
  

  NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- So gasoline prices are at an all-time high. But after adjusting for inflation, rising incomes and better fuel efficiency, how bad [...]

  Posted: March 11, 2008, 5:22pm EDT by Robert Rapier

• Farm Prices Headed North

  What prompted my previous essay on the vicious circle that has been started was this story:
  
  Farmland prices continue to jump
  
  

  The latest results mirror a trend noted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in an earlier report. USDA officials found that the average value of an [...]

  Posted: March 11, 2008, 6:19am EDT by Robert Rapier

• A New Gasoline Price Record

  Update: I am gasoline-centric like most in the U.S., but as a reader pointed out, diesel prices are way up there as well. Whereas gasoline just barely beat last May's record, diesel is currently $1.00/gal higher than it was last spring.
  
  --------------------
  
  There have been various reports over [...]

  Posted: March 10, 2008, 6:05pm EDT by Robert Rapier

• A Vicious Circle

  What a vicious chain of events our politicians have set into motion. It just continues to worsen.
  
  It started out innocently enough. Oil prices were climbing. Our energy production was shifting to an ever greater extent to countries that are hostile to the U.S.
  
  So, Step 1 is [...]

  Posted: March 10, 2008, 7:34am EDT by Robert Rapier

• Slow Squeeze

  I have been thinking a lot lately about the impact of $100+ oil prices on the world economy. Like many others, I am trying to work out the probable implications - for the overall economy, for the U.S. economy, for the energy sector, for my personal finances, and for the [...]

  Posted: March 09, 2008, 8:17am EDT by Robert Rapier

• Cellulosic Ethanol is Dead

  Cellulosic Ethanol is Dead! Long Live Biomass Gasification!
  
  My thunder has been stolen. I have been kicking around a post in my head for the past couple of weeks. I just haven't had time to get around to it, with the move and all. But this has been nagging [...]

  Posted: March 07, 2008, 5:26am EST by Robert Rapier

• 70 MPG Volkswagen Golf Hybrid

  Thanks to a reader for calling this story to my attention. I will be spending most of my time in the U.S. by summer, and I think I am going to have to get a car. Right now, I don't own a car, and am happily biking to work. :-) [...]

  Posted: March 06, 2008, 6:22am EST by Robert Rapier

• Understanding EROEI

  Introduction
  
  The concept of energy return on energy invested, or EROEI, is terribly misunderstood. I have heard people argue that EROEI doesn't matter, only economics. This misses a very key point: EROEI is going to have a huge impact on economics, because it shows that in order to [...]

  Posted: March 05, 2008, 5:07am EST by Robert Rapier

• Book Review: Gusher of Lies

  
  
  I have been a fan of Robert Bryce’s writing for a long time. His style is witty and entertaining, and he is a debunker-extraordinaire. His newest book, Gusher of Lies: The Dangerous Delusions of Energy Independence,[...]

  Posted: March 03, 2008, 8:00am EST by Robert Rapier

• A Melancholy Goodbye

  It's actually been an entire month of melancholy for me - ever since my family got on the plane to fly back to the U.S. on February 2nd. Today marks four weeks without them. But then yesterday was my last day of work, and I said my goodbyes to a [...]

  Posted: March 01, 2008, 8:19am EST by Robert Rapier

• Green Job Opportunities

  Since I was a kid, I have always wanted to "make a difference" by making a significant contribution to society. I have a soft spot for families and especially for kids, and I really wanted to contribute toward the quality of life for those groups. A big concern is that [...]

  Posted: February 28, 2008, 6:27am EST by Robert Rapier

• Investing in Energy Storage

  I attended a presentation last year where a number of alternative energy technologies were discussed, and I was asked whether any major topic had been missed. I responded that I felt like the single most important topic had been missed: The enabling technology of energy storage. An efficient and cost [...]

  Posted: February 25, 2008, 3:02pm EST by Robert Rapier

• Running the U.S. on Solar Power

  How much land would it take for solar power to satisfy the electricity demands of the U.S.? I made some attempts to calculate this before, but a recent story may enable me to calculate some more reliable numbers:
  
  Solar Power Heats Up: Another Plant Planned for Southwest
  
  [...]

  Posted: February 25, 2008, 8:25am EST by Robert Rapier

• World's First Zero-Carbon City?

  World's first zero-carbon city? In Dubai? I must have been asleep when this story started making the rounds a couple of weeks ago. I just saw the story in a local newspaper, but a Google search shows that the story first hit the wires about 2 weeks ago:
  
  [...]

  Posted: February 25, 2008, 7:41am EST by Robert Rapier

• There Will Be Blood

  Update: My wife informed me this morning that lead actor Daniel Day-Lewis won the Oscar last night for best actor for his performance in this movie. While I don't know who he was up against, he certainly did an outstanding acting job in this movie.
  
  This being my last [...]

  Posted: February 24, 2008, 3:10am EST by Robert Rapier

• Drowning in Gasoline

  It sort of crept up on me, but last night as I reviewed This Week in Petroleum, I was struck by just how fast the U.S. has built gasoline inventories. Currently at 230 million barrels, I could not recall ever seeing gasoline inventories that high. So, I went [...]

  Posted: February 23, 2008, 3:01am EST by Robert Rapier

• Ethanol in the News

  And the news is bad. First up, an issue that is shaping up to be a major battleground between states. Nate Hagens brought this issue up on yesterday's API call, but it was part of the lost transcript:
  
  Ethanol Boom Saps Water
  
  

  Mike Adamson remembers when water [...]

  Posted: February 22, 2008, 6:49am EST by Robert Rapier

• API Conference Call on Biofuels

  After missing about 10 API conference calls in a row, I finally found time yesterday to participate in one on biofuels. Participants per the API web site were:
  
  

  Devil’s Advocate of Copious Dissent, Nate Hagens of The Oil Drum, Bruce McQuain of The QandO Blog, Robert Rapier of [...]

  Posted: February 21, 2008, 2:34pm EST by Robert Rapier

• Due to Censorship at Huffington Post....

  I had posted a response to Judy Dugan's latest hysterics at Huffington Post, but it has been "pending moderation" for 4 days now. I suppose because I didn't violate any of the rules that would cause it not to be posted, but I challenged Dugan's competency, they figured they [...]

  Posted: February 19, 2008, 3:33pm EST by Robert Rapier

• Disgusting Tactics from the Hillary Clinton Campaign

  Or, Why I Would Rather See Obama Win the Democratic Nomination. First off, this is not a post about energy policy. Nor is it an endorsement of anyone. I am not overly inspired by the energy policy of any of the candidates in either party. I think there was [...]

  Posted: February 17, 2008, 4:13pm EST by Robert Rapier

• Critiquing Robert Zubrin on Energy

  A couple of weeks ago, I said that I would be working on several posts. One of them, a book review for Robert Bryce's new book, Gusher of Lies, is finished but I won't post it until the book is officially released on March 10th. Beyond that, I [...]

  Posted: February 17, 2008, 5:45am EST by Robert Rapier

• Impending Food Crisis?

  I know this is my second pessimistic post this week, but along with an energy crunch, I have been concerned about a food crunch. The whole ethanol love affair has had me worried for a long time about the impact on food supplies. My concern has been that as we [...]

  Posted: February 15, 2008, 2:34pm EST by Robert Rapier

• Infinite Underwater Energy

  I am always on the lookout for novel energy sources that don’t have obvious knockout factors. I have kept vaguely abreast of developments around tidal energy, and it always seemed like this should be a very attractive option for the energy needs of coastal communities. I was present at an [...]

  Posted: February 15, 2008, 7:00am EST by Robert Rapier

• Unintended Consequences

  The Politics of Biofuels
  
  In response to a recent query from an independent student newspaper in the UK, I wrote up this editorial piece on the politics of biofuels. The original can be found here.
  
  One of the intentions was to explain for European readers why the [...]

  Posted: February 14, 2008, 11:34am EST by Robert Rapier

• A Storm on the Horizon

  Trouble is brewing. Trouble I have been warning about since I started writing this blog. Trouble that was a big factor in me starting to write this blog:
  
  Energy leader sees clouds
  
  

  "An oil crisis is coming in the next 10 years," John Hess said at the [...]

  Posted: February 13, 2008, 9:05am EST by Robert Rapier

• Chavez Targets "Big Milk"

  After threat to cut off oil, Chavez says Venezuela may expropriate milk plants
  
  

  CARACAS, Venezuela: President Hugo Chavez warned that some milk plants may be expropriated to ease shortages, singling out Italy's Parmalat SpA and Switzerland's Nestle SA.
  
  Chavez mentioned the two companies during his weekly program [...]

  Posted: February 13, 2008, 7:18am EST by Robert Rapier

• The Politics of Biofuels

  In response to a recent query from an independent student newspaper in the UK, I wrote up an editorial piece on the politics of biofuels. I will post it over here in a few days, but for now it is hosted at their site:
  
  The Politics of Renewable [...]

  Posted: February 10, 2008, 3:22pm EST by Robert Rapier

• Biofuels Aren't Green?

  At least that's what a new study says. I think it paints with a pretty broad brush, because I do in fact think some can be green. But a new study published in Science, echoing the themes of an earlier study I highlighted, concludes that almost all biofuels in [...]

  Posted: February 08, 2008, 2:25am EST by Robert Rapier

• Exxon Freezes Venezuelan Assets

  This came as a surprise to me:
  
  Exxon wins freeze on $12 billion of Venezuelan assets
  
  

  NEW YORK (Reuters) - Exxon Mobil Corp has won court orders freezing up to $12 billion in Venezuelan assets around the world as it fights for compensation for operations lost to [...]

  Posted: February 08, 2008, 1:57am EST by Robert Rapier

• Instant Energy Savings

  The latest issue of Mother Earth News has an interesting article on ideas to reduce your carbon footprint:
  
  8 Easy Projects for Instant Energy Savings
  
  Some of them are going to be familiar to everyone here, but others may not be. This is what the author [...]

  Posted: February 07, 2008, 8:28am EST by Robert Rapier

• Brother, Can You Spare Chavez a Billion?

  Now that Chavez has run Venezuela's oil production into the ground and needs a new cash infusion for his social programs, he is inviting oil companies back in to make investments:
  
  Venezuela seeks oil investment after 2007 crusade
  
  

  CARACAS (Reuters) - Less than a year after Venezuelan [...]

  Posted: February 06, 2008, 4:22pm EST by Robert Rapier

• Consumers Boil

  This is quite timely coming on the heels of my previous essay. I talked about the press picking up and running with the comments of Oil Watchdog’s Judy Dugan as if she were actually a credible source of information. Here’s a perfect example:
  
  Consumers boil over oil profits
  [...]

  Posted: February 06, 2008, 2:08am EST by Robert Rapier

• The Intellectual Dishonesty of a "Consumer Watchdog"

  I am having an internal debate with myself regarding which aspect Oil Watchdog I find most annoying: Their intellectual dishonesty, their reprehensible tactics, or just their plain old-fashioned stupidity. I can give lots of examples of each, but I really think it's their dishonesty that bothers me the most. [...]

  Posted: February 05, 2008, 10:22am EST by Robert Rapier

• Coal-Based Ethanol

  The handwriting has been on the wall on this issue for a couple of years. In fact, I first mentioned it in March 2006 in Improving the Prospects for Grain Ethanol. Here is an excerpt of what I wrote:
  
  

  This is an option that most environmentalists will abhor. [...]

  Posted: February 04, 2008, 11:18am EST by Robert Rapier

• Corn Ethanol Economics

  Someone e-mailed a few days ago and asked some questions about the present economics of corn ethanol. I did a few calculations, which I think are interesting enough to share. (Note that because this is a snapshot, the numbers will change over time. But you should be able to use [...]

  Posted: February 02, 2008, 2:09pm EST by Robert Rapier

• Alone Again

  I just put my family on a plane back to the U.S., leaving me alone in Europe (again) for a little while. The reason they are headed back is because of my new job. I will be moving shortly to the Netherlands, and my wife and I wanted the [...]

  Posted: February 02, 2008, 3:12am EST by Robert Rapier