Sustainability - - A Focus On Carbon

My post on how EVs will be taking over our roads in the not too distant future raises a question.  Where will they be produced and under what conditions? While working on Smart Grid and electricity to EV charging stations regulations, a theme that I heard at every conference was how the regulatory regime under which utilities operate was stifling innovation.   What I was witnessing was the integration of communications with an industry that placed a high value on stability.   In fact, as we rely more and more on digital technology and integration of all parts of life via the Internet, the need for quality power increases.   Yet, what I’ll call the “Young Turks” from communications companies wanted regulators to unleash the electric utilities so that innovation could flower.   That, at the time when concerns about security of utility operations were morphing beyond security of the physical plant to now include communications networks with hundreds, if ...

A Story in Business Insider claims that the everywhere in the world, all new vehicles will be propelled by electricity.  Not just Portland.  Not just North America.  In every country on the planet every new vehicle will be propelled by electricity.  They report that's the conclusion of a think tank that analyzes disruptive technologies.  Now, the article's title claims that every fossil fueled vehicle will vanish within the next eight years. While the Preface to the report begins with "The analysis in this report is based on detailed evaluation of data on the market, consumer and regulatory dynamics that work together to drive disruption," there follows a lengthily disclaimer that begins with the following, "Any findings, predictions, inferences, implications, judgments, beliefs, opinions, recommendations, suggestions and similar matters in this Report are statements of opinion by the authors, and are not statements of fact. You should treat them as...

Image courtesy of dnrec.deleware.gov No.  To be sure, its of great concern but there are other gasses that cause the earth's temperature to rise and they're referred to as greenhouse gasses.  The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has a nifty list , which is reproduced below.  To be sure, CO2 is the leading culprit, by far. Carbon dioxide (CO2): Carbon dioxide enters the atmosphere through burning fossil fuels (coal, natural gas, and oil), solid waste, trees and wood products, and also as a result of certain chemical reactions (e.g., manufacture of cement). Carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere (or "sequestered") when it is absorbed by plants as part of the biological carbon cycle. Methane (CH4): Methane is emitted during the production and transport of coal, natural gas, and oil. Methane emissions also result from livestock and other agricultural practices and by the decay of organic waste in municipal solid waste landfills. Nitrous oxide (N2O)...