The March/April edition of Harvard Magazine contains an article by Michael B. McElroy, Professor of Environmental Studies titled, “Saving Money, Oil, and the Climate: Using non-fossil energy sources to power our vehicles.”  It’s a survey course on the future of cars and trucks packed with good data and argumentation on why future considerations of cost and environmental safety will required a move away from petroleum.

Prof. McElroy comes out in pretty much the same place I have.  To whit: eventually cars and trucks will be all-electric and electricity will be supplied …

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Here is a report, courtesy of a reader, on global lithium supply. It points to the high concentration in SQM’s reserves, among other things.  There seems to be a lot of lithium around. 

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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 …

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Here is a comprehensive discussion of the properties of and market for lithium and the companies that produce it.  The easiest way to invest in this commodity, as far as I can tell now, is through ownership of a NYSE traded ADR in a Chilean company called Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile, SA, symbol SQM.

I note that a number of astute funds are owners of SQM.  It sports a very attractive chart.  The EIS portfolio has added this stock recently.  There is further discussion of lithium in an post …

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The author of this article argues, among other things, that there is not enough lithium in the world for a complete dependence on lithium ion batteries to power HEV’s.  He advocates a different technology called a Zinc - Air battery.  The piece contains much useful information about lithium and how, where, and by whom it is produced. 

In the end, it seems to me this piece does not offer an effective argument against investing in lithium production.  On the contrary, it points out the strong trends driving growth in lithium demand currently …

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A new ultracapacitor technology invented at MIT using nano-engineering could be a more cost effective way to power hybrid electric vehicles.   Ne plus ultra Jan 31st 2008 From The Economist print edition A new version of an old idea is threatening the battery industry Illustration by David Simonds PUT the pedal to the metal in the XH-150—a souped-up Saturn Vue—and watch the instruments. Sure enough, the speedometer shoots up in a satisfactory way. …

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