What Does The IEA 2023 Renewables Update Tell Us We Should Pay Attention To?

Credit to Author: Michael Barnard| Date: Wed, 07 Jun 2023 02:51:05 +0000

DALL·E generated image of batteries and biofuels, digital artWe don’t need to make 25 times as much biofuel, we need to make perhaps four or five times as much as we do today. And we have to stop wasting it on ground transportation.

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The Pathways To Biofuels: A Survey Of Why We Should Stop Fretting

Credit to Author: Michael Barnard| Date: Tue, 23 May 2023 18:35:58 +0000

DALL·E generated image of turning plants into fuel, digital artWe have enough waste biomass feedstock to fulfill all of our transportation needs, and the market and a bunch of bright people will figure out which ones are cheapest and lowest impact.

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Is Green Hydrogen Always Green?

Credit to Author: Michael Barnard| Date: Tue, 25 Apr 2023 19:01:31 +0000

DALL·E generated image of a green hydrogen industrial facility beside a coal generation plan, digital artGovernments shouldn’t be rewarding firms that are actually emitting more CO2e just because they are making hydrogen.

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Dismissal Of Methanol As Marine Fuel Leads To Pushback

Credit to Author: Michael Barnard| Date: Sat, 11 Mar 2023 00:13:45 +0000

DALL·E generated image of a clean electric container ship sailing past islands under a beautiful blue sky with small clouds, digital artMethanol is like hydrogen. Job one is to decarbonize existing uses before inventing new ones. As a marine fuel, it’s not the best choice.

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Atlantic Crossing By Methanol-Powered Ship Is Neither Viable Nor Carbon Neutral

Credit to Author: Michael Barnard| Date: Mon, 06 Mar 2023 11:30:46 +0000

DALL·E generated image of an electric container ship sailing on a beautiful sea under a clear sky, digital artOver the past couple of years, I’ve reached the end of my first set of scenarios for marine decarbonization through 2100. My bets are on batteries for all inland and two-thirds of short-sea shipping, and biofuels for the rest. It took me years to work through the aspects of synthetic and biologically fossil fuel alternatives, […]

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Buses, Trucks, Trains, Shipping, & Aviation Will Electrify More Than US Transportation Blueprint Thinks

Credit to Author: Michael Barnard| Date: Thu, 02 Mar 2023 17:35:45 +0000

DALL·E generated image of a US multilane highway full of electric semi trucks, digital artThe US will waste a lot of time, money, and energy on bad decarbonizing transportation approaches and end up less competitive as a result.

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US Transportation Blueprint: Good Intentions, Weak Diagnosis, & Possibly Irrelevant

Credit to Author: Michael Barnard| Date: Wed, 01 Mar 2023 17:37:30 +0000

DALL·E generated image of people walking and cycling beside canal with electric container ship, digital artWhile the US will waste a lot of time, money and energy getting there and end up less competitive as a result, most US transportation will decarbonize regardless, although often not as the new transportation blueprint supposes.

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Why Aren’t Energy Flows Diagrams Used More To Inform Decarbonization?

Credit to Author: Michael Barnard| Date: Mon, 13 Feb 2023 15:59:22 +0000

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) Sankey diagram of US energy flows for 2021The primary energy fallacy is the assumption that all of the energy in all of the oil, gas and coal we burn today must be replaced. We don’t need to replace it, we need to replace the unwasted energy services.

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