Churchill’s assessment applies to the current oil situation: this is the beginning of the end of OPEC.  That much is obvious; the more interesting question is “why?”

OPEC was founded in 1960 to protect the interest of its members, major oil exporting nations.  That interest is to stabilize world oil prices at levels that balance their competing objectives to maximize both long term oil demand and the short term oil price.   The idea was to keep enough oil off the market during glut periods to elevate the price and insert enough …

[Read more →]

There’s a new green box on the EIS home page that says, “Rx for U.S. Energy Policy.” It brings you to a summary of my policy prescription for dealing with the coming energy catastrophe.

Catastrophe?

Yes. Only a few months of $100+ oil is already starting to cause working class pain in the U.S. This pain in nothing compared with what will be felt during Crunch Time when oil and gas prices will reach extremely high level – perhaps five times what they are now. When? Perhaps as soon …

[Read more →]

With the Israel’s 60th birthday giving the little country a big stage for world attention Shimon Peres took the opportunity to showcase what he considers their secret weapon for fighting Arab terrorism: the electric car.  I previously noted this project, called “A Better Place” and have used it as a model of one part of my recommended energy policy.  Denmark became the second country, after Israel, to adopt this model as a national policy.  Now Peres says it is also part of Israel’s defense policy because it will …

[Read more →]

As The Wall Street Journal (3/27/08) reported, a Danish utility has joined forces with a Palo Alto company to design a personal transport system based on renewable energy.  The utility’s partner is also part of an Israeli consortium that  is  implementing a system for running cars on solar power.  In Denmark, the renewable source is wind, but the principle is the same. 

The elements of both systems are non-fossil-fuel based electricity generation, electric powered vehicles, and a national network for recharging and battery exchange.  Although renewable solar and wind …

[Read more →]

Below is reproduced a post from The Energy Blog, an excellent source of news about green technology.  It concerns a new electric “town car” made in Norway.  What I find most interesting about the announcement is that General Electric is investing more money in both this car company and a related battery company. 

Most interesting of all, I think, G.E. has used the phrase, “the electrification of transportation” to define the mission of which this investment is a part.  I believe that electrifying transportation is exactly what needs to …

[Read more →]

Technology Review, an MIT publication, ran a piece on plug-in hybrids in its recent March/April issue that focused on the green implications of substituting grid-based power for gasoline.   In other words, would it be a cleaner alternative?

The piece caused me to think further about our current hybrid products and the more efficient next generation of lithium-ion based hybrids. Clearly, they are a means to greater fuel efficiency.   They do nothing to eliminate our dependency on petroleum; they only make our fuels go further.   

Fuel efficiency is good, …

[Read more →]

There was a debate regarding the best way to have clean aut0motive transport.  Is it better to substitute biofuels for petroleum or to build plug in hybrids.  Actually, I am not sure the two are mutually exclusive.  Anyway,  Tom Konrad, an astute analyst whose web site, Alt Energy Stocks,  is now listed among “Jim’s Recommended Sites”,  has weighed in with an alternative position.   You can read it here.

It is an interesting discussion for those who come at the subject from a global warming perspective. I’m sure some farmers …

[Read more →]

Here is a link to the NYT coverage of the revolutionary Israeli plan to transform their automotive fleet to electric vehicle over a decade.  We know this is the ultimate future for all vehicles because electricity will be the ultimate energy source as petroleum and then natural gas become scarce.  

It makes perfect sense for Israel to lead the way because

1. the country is physically small enough to use electric cars for most purposes despite the limitations of current battery technology.

2. with high intensity sunlight, Israel is well positioned to …

[Read more →]