Fossil fuels

Oil prices reach $120

Only two months after reaching $100, oil prices reached $120. As the AFP notes: ” Oil prices surged to new heights Monday, with Brent crude topping $120 a barrel for the first time since August 22, 2008″ It took very little time back to 2008 for oil prices to reach $140 once they had reached …

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A look at deaths per TWh by energy source

With all the agitation around the Fukushima catastrophe, I thought it would be interesting to put some facts and figures on the dangerosity of  energy sources, including oil, coal, natural gas, some renewable energy sources and nuclear… The global death rate for coal is 161 per TWh (15 in the United States), 36 for oil, …

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Can the US stop subsidizing coal and oil ?

Coal and oil are the two most polluting fossil fuels and energy sources to date. Despite this, both are receiving huge subsidies from the United States federal and local governments. To Climate Progress, the coal industry received around $3 billion (2.2 billion euros) per year between 2002 and 2008 and to the New York Times, …

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Can the world be powered by 100% renewables ?

The WWF believes it can be done in four little decades. As they state on their website: ” All of the world’s energy needs could be provided cleanly, renewably and economically by 2050. “ They are right on one point : energy efficiency’s potential is gigantic. Indeed I am reading a book which thesis is …

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Will 2011 be the year of energy efficiency ?

Late last year GreenTech Media published an article stating that this year will be the one dedicated to energy efficiency. As you know the potential of energy savings is quite huge. As the author notes there : ” I believe that this is the year that we will really see cleantech companies which are focused …

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Is peak coal already threatening China ?

To the New York Times green blog : ” China’s ravenous appetite for energy puts the country at risk of reaching a point of  “peak coal,” when demand for coal will outstrip domestic production capacity, a growing number of experts believe.” ” China now consumes approximately 47 percent of coal produced globally but by most …

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China wants 500 GW of renewables by 2020

You know if you have been reading this blog for some time now : China is determined to become the leader on cleantech. But it’s not only about making money in tomorrow’s leading industry : it is also about the environment. Indeed, if China is investing $12 million each hour on cleantech, it is also …

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GHG emissions keep increasing: 2010 hottest year

To the World Meteorological Organization the main greenhouse gases – carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide – keep increasing in the atmosphere, and this despite the efforts and the economic recession. To the WMO : ” The report highlights concerns that global warming may lead to even greater emissions of methane from Arctic areas. To …

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EU biofuels plans to increase climate change

I previously noted that biofuels are more a problem than a solution. It seems I was right as to the Institute for European Environmental Policy, the European Union biofuel expansion plans are worse than burning fossil fuels. As TreeHugger notes: “ Over the next decade the extra biofuels used in the EU will be on …

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