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Posts tagged "Biofuels"

US Energy Security Council Inaugural Event 2011

Posted by Matt Beer - December 14, 2011 - Energy, Geo-politics, Level 4, Oil, Peak Oil Level 4
0

This 105 minute informal talk with a panel of about 10 members of the US Energy Security Council which includes many former heads of the military, US Senate, oil industry and governmental bodies most of which have “honorable” before their names (Ex CIA Boss James Woolsey, Senator and Professor Gary Hart and Alan Greenspan to name a few).

While this is not a new subject, this event attempted to frame the debate as there being a monopoly in one of the most profoundly important sectors in our economy and that monopoly is a great weakness which leave us all exposed if we do not do something about it. I am of course talking about oil being the only real source of energy for all the cars, trucks and airplanes currently operating in the world today. This council argues that the principle role of government is to create markets and have them work. A monopoly is an example of a market not working. In this regard they argue that they are not being anti-oil but rather pro choice or pro fuel choices.

The decades of inaction on developing a proper energy policy has meant that the US has developed one by default. That is: “We do have an energy policy. We rely on a single fuel. We buy it from a cartel controlled by people who don’t like us very much. And every five years we go to war to maintain that privilege”. The council members are deeply worried about the effects that an inevitable oil price shock will have on the US economy and the people within it as history has shown these price spikes help trigger recessions (I will assume they are also concerned about the rest of the world but as they are talking to an American audience we’ll let it slide).

Talk covers a range of issues, such as:

  • How there are many hidden costs to oil – the War on Terror, 30-40% of the US military budget directly and indirectly securing oil, climate change, social tension when oil prices rise, etc.
  • Another supply shock is on the cards. As most of the oil reserves are located in the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region where there is great political instability, especially after the Arab Spring.  How long will it be until the next Libya occurs? There have already been attacks on oil infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, when will there be a successful one?
  • Rise of developing nations. China is securing first rights to purchasing oil around the world meaning when a supply shock comes they will be more insulated and the world market will be that much tighter.
  • Alternative fuels. There were a few on the panel gunning for methanol though some of their arguments sounded a little too good to be true for me. While it theoretically makes a lot of sense the actual practical and economic reality is less clear.

Perhaps the most important point is that all cars built today should be flex fuel vehicles. It only costs $100 to add in a sensor chip that detects the fuel on board and makes small changes to the fuel injection and spark plug timing to enable the engine to burn whatever mixture of ethanol or petrol/gasoline is in the tank. $100 buys flexibility for the fleet of the future and may in the long run save us billions, potentially trillions of dollars. This has happened successfully in Brazil and should be an easy mandate to pass by governments in the rest of the world. Key word should.

The same goes for developing a sensible policy on energy.

Biofuels, Conventional oil, Crude Oil, fossil fuel, Gasoline, Geo-politics, Oil, Transport, United States, Video

Stanford Uni – Evaluating Energy Solutions to Climate Change

Posted by Matt Beer - November 21, 2011 - Climate Destabilisation, Climate Level 4, Energy, Level 4
0

In this video Mark Jacobson, professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Stanford University, tries to objectively compare the main energy sources that could be used to fuel the current US vehicle fleet. In doing so he compares a variety of factors such as life cycle carbon emissions, air pollution, land and water use. He tries to amalgamate these factors into a final weighted score but by that stage it’s clear that the winners are wind and the two varieties of solar (surprise, surprise) and the losers are biofuels and coal, even with sequestration. The main point of this is to try and give policy makers a clearer guide of what to help subsidise. Of course in the real world, where money is involved, things are never that sensible.

Biofuels, Climate Destabilisation, fossil fuel, Renewables, United States, Video

CSIS – IEA Medium Term Oil & Gas Market

Posted by Matt Beer - November 8, 2011 - Climate Level 4, Energy, Level 4, Natural Gas, Oil, Peak Oil, Peak Oil Level 4
0

I would of liked to be able to post the 2011 version of this up but every version of CSIS.org recording of the event (youtube, www.csis.org, itunes) seems to end after 7 mins. Still the 2010 version is quite similar and should give you a decent summary of the shorter term issues and what is in the pipeline for oil and gas at the moment.

Check out the csis.org page on the event for the slides that accompany the presentations.

Biofuels, Conventional oil, GDP, Natural Gas, Oil, Unconventional Oil, Video

Branson to Pilot New Low Carbon Aviation Fuel

Posted by Matt Beer - October 16, 2011 - Climate Level 4, Level 4, Oil, Peak Oil Level 4
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Richard Branson announced that Virgin Atlantic in partnership with Kiwi LanzaTech and Swedish Biofuels would be teaming up to produce jet fuel from recycling waste gas from industrial steel production. They estimate that the process could be applied to 65% of the worlds steel mills potentially saving/recycling a lot of carbon dioxide that otherwise would go straight into the atmosphere. There is still a long way to go however. A ‘demo’ flight with the new fuel is planned in 12-18 months and in the words of CEO of LanzaTech “While there is still work to be done and logistical hurdles to cross,” …. “we are confident that we will have a facility with the capacity to produce fuel for commercial use by 2014.”

Detailed analysis on this next generation technology suggests the fuel will produce around a 50% saving in lifecycle carbon emissions.

Virgin press release and Richard Branson’s Blog.

And I didn’t even notice the pun in the title until after. Maybe when I reach a pun per sentence I can call myself a journalist.

Aviation, Biofuels, Branson, Jet Fuel, Oil, Peak Oil, Virgin Atlantic

Tropical Asian Biofuels?

Posted by Matt Beer - June 22, 2011 - Energy, Level 4, Oil, Peak Oil, Peak Oil Level 4, Renewables
0

While traditional biofuels are very borderline on being energy positive, if a region is going to be able to it, it would likely be places like south east Asia. This talk is an interesting concept about using available land on asian islands to grow biofuel compatible crops. Devil is in the details of course.

Biofuels

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