Recent Energy and Environmental News - April 2012

By John Droz, Jr. ~

Friends:

Some recent energy articles of interest —

IMPORTANT BREAKING NEWS

This is a MAJOR news story only recently breaking: China is starting to back off from Wind energy and will almost cease all Solar power plans, and instead, will concentrate on Nuclear electrical power generation.  http://www.elp.com/index/from-the-wires/wire_news_display/1621584677.html

The first alternative source of energy that I am giving an unqualified endorsement.   http://www.courant.com/features/too-shea/hc-shea-politics-0401-20120401,0,4933495.column

More reports about greed energy economics:

The CBO brief about the costs of energy subsidies, etc.   http://www.cbo.gov/sites/default/files/cbofiles/attachments/03-06-FuelsandEnergy_Brief.pdf

How much energy do we get per subsidy dollar?   http://blog.american.com/2012/03/energy-fact-of-the-week-not-much-renewable-energy-for-the-buck/

Some interesting cost vs savings figures for wind turbines. (e.g. “$416,000 worth of turbines have netted $2,800 in energy savings”)   http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2012/mar/30/nv-energy-windmill-program-generates-rebates-littl/

Another powerful article by world renown environmentalist Bjorn Lomborg “Wind Power is too Costly, Inefficient and Won’t Stop Climate Change.”  What else do you need to know?   http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/project_syndicate/2012/03/lomborg_wind_power_is_cheap_only_compared_with_other_alternative_energies_.single.html

Wonderful: Ontario’s Green Dream Was Just a Fantasy.   http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/margaret-wente/ontarios-green-dream-was-just-a-fantasy/article2369422/

“Dubious Green Jobs Count”.   http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/opinion/s_788953.html

DOE’s disastrous mismanagement of loan guarantee programs.   http://oversight.house.gov/doe-disastrous-management-loan-guarantee-programs/

Midwest wind power prices surge.   http://www.seekingenergy.com/seeknrg/?p=1425

“All Cost, No Benefit: EPA Power Plant Rules”.   http://www.americanlegislator.org/2012/03/all-cost-no-benefit-epa-proposes-carbon-dioxide-regulation-for-power-plants/

World’s largest solar plant files for bankruptcy.   http://www.zerohedge.com/news/worlds-largest-solar-plant-21-billion-energy-department-loan-guarantee-files-bankruptcy

More reports about turbine wildlife consequences:

An update on wildlife impacts from turbines.   http://www.energytribune.com/articles.cfm/10100/Backlash-Against-Wind-Coming-From-Left-90-Groups-Seek-Tougher-Rules

US F&WS finally released their “regulations” for wind energy.   http://www.fws.gov/windenergy/

Kudos to ABC for objecting to the voluntary nature of such “rules”.   http://www.abcbirds.org/newsandreports/releases/120323.html

A report about turbine health matters:

Maine adopts somewhat better turbine noise standards.   http://tinyurl.com/6vgydhm

Miscellaneous energy reports:

Here is a list of 732 world-wide groups fighting wind energy. (thanks Calvin)   732 websites

An interesting list of US Federal wind energy related laws.   http://teeic.anl.gov/er/wind/legal/index.cfm

A new MIT study came out about managing intermittent energy sources. Here is a good analysis of it.   http://neinuclearnotes.blogspot.com/2012/03/mit-study-on-managing-intermittent.html

“How Sustainable is Wind Energy”.    http://oregoncatalyst.com/15642-sustainable-wind-power.html

NOTE: AWEA is backing a new PAC and new tactics.   http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-04-04/alternate-energy-group-to-avoid-clean-green-in-campaigns

It’s not “all of the above” after all.   http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/295321/it-s-not-all-above-after-all-robert-bryce

Germany’s Green Extremes.   http://www.spiegel.de/international/business/0,1518,821396,00.html

“A New Dark Age for Germany”.    http://www.canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/30586

An intriguing article that applies to a LOT of the wind energy situation we find ourselves in.   http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bs-ed-mossburg-psychology-20120313,0,6337622.column

Another NYS town passes an ordinance prohibiting industrial wind energy. Kudos to the citizens there.    http://www.uticaod.com/latestnews/x738247097/Litchfield-Town-Board-passes-local-law-banning-industrial-wind-turbines

Renewable energy numbers are all spin.   http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2012/04/green_energy_fuzzy_math.html

UK CO2 lowest in 40 years — and renewables had nothing to do with it.   http://www.powerengineeringint.com/articles/2012/03/nuclear-power-helps-uk-record-lowest-co2-emissions-in-40-years.html

Nuclear Power plants are approved for South Carolina.   http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-03-30/scana-receives-nrc-approval-to-build-south-carolina-reactors

A good, short video about Thorium reactors.   http://www.wimp.com/lftrminutes/

Natural Gas and Nuclear are Better Clean Energy Sources.   http://www.delmarvanow.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2012203280381

Anti-wind attorneys fined for not registering as lobbyists.   http://postbulletin.com/news/stories/display.php?id=1492167

How California Colleges Indoctrinate Students.   http://latinosreadytovote.com/?p=1659

Some recent global warming articles of interest —

“A new paper to be published in Ethics, Policy & Environment argues that serious consideration should be given to mass drugging (‘biomedical modifications’) the population to make them more environmentally conscious”.   http://www.prisonplanet.com/bioethics-professor-drug-the-population-into-accepting-green-world-order.html

A wonderful interview with Dr. Judith Curry regarding the usefulness of the IPCC.    http://oilprice.com/Interviews/The-IPCC-May-Have-Outlived-its-Usefulness-An-Interview-with-Judith-Curry.html

A short 3 minute video that puts CO2 in perspective. Please watch it.    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BC1l4geSTP8

“Lies and Doublespeak of American Planning Association And How to Fight Back”.    http://americanpolicy.org/2012/03/26/lies-and-doublespeak-of-american-planning-association-and-how-to-fight-back/

Mississippi court ends global warming suit.    http://www.forbes.com/sites/danielfisher/2012/03/21/mississippi-court-ends-global-warming-suit/

“Earth Hour” is substantially flawed.    http://www.climatescienceinternational.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=662

IPCC acknowledges that recent weather extremes can not be attributed to global warming.    http://rogerpielkejr.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/handy-bullshit-button-on-disasters-and.html

Some other recent articles of general interest —

“What Has America Become?”.    http://mcfan.org/Documents/Resident_Opinion.pdf

“The Virtue of Questioning ‘Science’” is worthy of consideration.    http://online.worldmag.com/2012/04/03/the-virtue-of-questioning-science/

Please pass this information on to other open-minded, science-oriented people.

Thank you for your support.

John Droz, Jr.

Physicist and Environmental Advocate

Fellow: American Tradition Institute (http://www.atinstitute.org)

Tagged: Environmental Advocacy, John Droz Jr. - Physicist, Renewable Power, Solar Power Generation, Wind Power Generation

Posted in: Climate Change, Electrical Power Generation, Global Warming, Public Opinion