Comments eutopianow has made

  • Fed Up With This

    Forget Kyoto, forget AB32.  What we need is to cap global CO2 emissions at 2007 levels and start atmospheric CCS in large enough quantities to achieve the latter century emissions targets.  Sound expensive? It is.  Would you prefer that a nice market mechanism like cap and trade do the job more efficiently? Me too.  Is that likely to happen at the pace we're on now? Highly doubtful at anything even close to those Carbon prices.  

    A global CCS program needs to be paid for by everyone in proportion to the fossil fuel production, combustion, and deforestation taking place in each nation(not solely on the basis of direct emissions). This would surely make an economic stimulus package of epic proportions and something that would make our grandchildren duly proud.

    Then we can take all the time in the world to reduce emissions using cap and trade.On CARB does not recognize the meaning of 'maximum emission reductions' posted 11 months, 3 weeks ago 2 Responses

  • Prisons

    Not sure if public buildings includes jails, but if not this might be a good group of structures to add to the list.On Obama pledges to use stimulus to make schools and public buildings more energy efficient posted 11 months, 3 weeks ago 7 Responses

  • Superfund

    I don't think I say this on the list.  How about putting people to work cleaning up all those superfund sites?On American Progress' 'Green Recovery' plan posted 11 months, 3 weeks ago 21 Responses

  • Underground Coal Gasification

    One possible way around MTR is to convert the coal mining process to UGC. The conditions have to be good and I don't know whether or not they are or not in this part of West Virginia. If we are going to use coal as an energy fuel, then UGC does pose several advantages: 1) No ash or slag removal and handling are necessary, since inert material predominantly remains in the underground cavities, 2) Optimal pressure in the underground gasifier promotes groundwater flow into the cavity, thus confining the chemical process to the boundaries of the gasifier and preventing contamination of the underground environment, 3)The gas is produced under pressure and at a moderate temperature, and easily lends itself to CO2 removal by a range of standard methods, with low energy penalty and at a relatively low cost. A UGC test was done recently in Australia: http://www.lincenergy.com.au/cpb.phpOn West Virginian advocates push to build a wind farm on a proposed mountaintop removal site posted 1 year, 3 months ago 8 Responses

  • Carbon Footprint

    The average urban dweller has a much smaller carbon footprint than the rural. So how about some love?On High oil prices revive urban oil drilling posted 1 year, 8 months ago 7 Responses

  • Degradable Condom

    Can someone make a condom that degrades in compost AND water? Here is a possible step in the right direction: http://www.physorg.com/news94209731.htmlOn Umbra on eco-friendly birth control posted 1 year, 9 months ago 4 Responses

  • Sitting on Boards

    Can't a person or company sit on a board and be opposed to the majority position of the organization?On Companies not following through on pledge to lobby for carbon reduction posted 1 year, 9 months ago 6 Responses

  • Listen to Him Defend the Book

    I was much more able to understand and thus refute Mr. Lomborg's thesis after listening to a recent radio interview (mp3).  To listen, go to www.eutopianow.org and then find the Lomborg link under New and Noteworthy Media.  Stay well.On Lomborg misrepresents possible sea-level rise posted 2 years, 2 months ago 27 Responses

  • Running Coal Plants Harder

    Interesting analysis.  I add a smidgen more information into the hopper.

    The Supreme Court's decision in:
    Environmental Defense v. Duke Energy Corp., Decided April 2, 2007
    may make conventional coal plant upticks more expensive.  Bottom line: for coal fired generating units, a change in operating hours brought about by a physical change to the unit or by a change in the method of firing allows the EPA to enforce a PSD review and permitting procedure for those units, as was the case here.

    For concise and cross-cutting environmental science, policy, research, and law see Eutopia Monthly at www.eutopianow.orgOn Parsing 15 years of electric data posted 2 years, 5 months ago 14 Responses

  • Clarification

    Dear Ron,

    I am referring to this report:
     http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/22/business/worldbusiness/ ...

    This is about the US position on agricultural subsidies.

    Hope that clears things up.On Time to kick it old school on the farm bill. posted 2 years, 5 months ago 22 Responses

  • And Don't Forget Doha

    The subsidies figure presented by Mrs. Susan Scwhab last week (eventual cap at $17 billion when farmers now receive $11 billion) won't be enough to open up world markets to our goods......On Time to kick it old school on the farm bill. posted 2 years, 5 months ago 22 Responses

  • New Rule

    Whenever anyone characterizes 'The American People' as being this way or that let's go ahead and assume that the speaker is really only describing his or herself and promptly deny that the statement has any persuasive effect.On Hold the applause on the administration's posted 2 years, 5 months ago 9 Responses

  • Correction

    Correction on prior post: www.eutopianow.orgOn Random observation of the day posted 2 years, 5 months ago 19 Responses

  • Subsidies

    You need subsidies to compete with all the other subsidies....

    Don't we need to think about what to do with the existing fossil fuel infrastructure?  The coal plants are not going to go away anytime soon.  Whether or not coal is a long term goal, CO2 capture should be a top priority today.

    Supposing we could capture and recycle all the associated CO2 emissions from tail pipes and smokestacks, would coal to liquid then be worth pursuing?

    For some interesting angles on the future of coal take a look under Energy here: www.eutopianiow.orgOn Random observation of the day posted 2 years, 5 months ago 19 Responses

  • Compost

    They may be confusing this with odor issues arising from the thermal depolymerization process.

    As for dust?  Compost stays pretty moist most of the time, I think.

    For more on therm depo, see under Waste here:

    http://www.xyvy.info/EutopiaFeb07.htmlOn Don't Make Her Bust Out That Bustier posted 2 years, 5 months ago 4 Responses

  • Coal's Future

    Please have a look at the New Coal Techonologies section at www.eutopianow.org for some interesting ideas plus the MIT study on Coal to Liquid.  Washington is going to have a hard time figuring this all out in two weeks.On The chair of the Select Committee on Global Warming weighs in posted 2 years, 5 months ago 40 Responses

  • Coal Facts

    Hey Everyone,  For a pretty thorough and in depth analysis of the future of coal, including some more data on the reserves take a look at the MIT study which is available under the New Coal Techonologies section at www.eutopianow.org...Some other interesting options are also presented there.On Turns out we don't know how much there is posted 2 years, 5 months ago 40 Responses