Comments on: Obama at MIT: “From China to India, from Japan to Germany, nations everywhere are racing to develop new ways to producing and use energy. The nation that wins this competition will be the nation that leads the global economy. I am convinced of that. And I want America to be that nation…. There are going to be those who make cynical claims that contradict the overwhelming scientific evidence when it comes to climate change, claims whose only purpose is to defeat or delay the change that we know is necessary.”

By: Eric

Eric — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 22:48:04 +0000

JR: The link to the obama text is no longer functioning.

This one works out

http://www.whitehouse.gov/ the-press-office/ remarks-president-challenging-americans-lead-global-economy-clean-energy

Thanks

By: Jim Bullis, Miastrada Co.

Jim Bullis, Miastrada Co. — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:25:26 +0000

Though I completely agree with Pres. Obama that we must work to find ways to effectively use the coal, oil, and natural gas that we will have for decades to come, I urge caution. To plunge headlong down every wacko path that comes up is clearly not helpful. In fact it is very alienating to the general public and thus harmful to the process of analyzing and implementing seriously useful measures. The ethanol falacy is a clear story of poorly considered actions. Each chapter of that book seems to open serious questions. Electricity as a energy carrier for transportation seems quite flawed as well.

It is widely stated that there are many solutions that are needed which will work together to accomplish the needed CO2 reduction. Maybe so, but poorly thought out measures get in the way of careful consideration and adoption of meaningful progress.

An example is that of electric cars. Without a doubt, these will shift the energy source for transportation from oil to something else that can be provided by our own resources. That is fine, but when fully considered it turns out that the “something else” will actually be coal for decades to come. This is a clear conclusion from the IEA study at http://www.worldenergyoutlook.org/ docs/ weo2009/ climate_change_excerpt.pdf
see page 26, Figs. 14-15. In their 2030 USA scenario there is still substantial coal generated power in spite of heavy investment in renewables. At the same time many cars are hybrids, but many of the cars are plug-in hybrids or all electric. This is an electric load that makes much of that coal fired power necessary. If the electric cars and plug-ins were good hybrids instead, this electric load would not be there. Of course, it would increase what they call “on-road” emissions, but the magnitude of these increased on-road emissions would be less than the magnitude of decreased CO2 emissions due to coal fired power.

[JR: I'm getting tired of this. Plug ins running on grid electricity have lower emissions than regular cars today. Plug ins have lower emissions than the best hybrids today in California. In the scenario in which we are in the 450 ppm path, your statements are utterly false. Plug in hybrid-electric cars in fact are a critical component of that scenario. In the scenario in which we don't solve the problem, well, then it doesn't really matter what cars we drive does it. I'm snipping the rest so that you don't waste anyone else's time reading it besides me.]

By: David B. Benson

David B. Benson — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:17:30 +0000

James Newberry (23) — Please do send a thoughtfully conposed e-mail to John Holdren.

That will help.

By: James Newberry

James Newberry — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 02:58:04 +0000

We all hope the president is a good and wise man. However, as a longtime clean energy advocate and practioner I must say I perceive a number of confused and poorly thought out statements about renewable energy. So far, I will chalk these up to poor advice on the part of his White House advisors. On the whole, this administration is bringing some light to America where the previous administration only allowed darkness.

By: Stephan

Stephan — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 02:07:19 +0000

Very impressive speach. One of many of course as we are used to from Obama. Copenhagen, here we come. For more info on the environment, have a look at this Green News.

By: Maija

Maija — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 11:18:42 +0000

Pete Best: First of all, your energy consumption rise projection is questionable in the same way stock market projections are questionable: the fact that something has expanded by 2-3% every year until now does not mean that it will continue to do so indefinitely. Part of the green challenge is to cut the current consumption by developing more efficient technologies on both household and industrial scale. If this is done efficiently, consumption will actually start to fall. Point Nr.2 is the general “great challenge problem”: whenever you start to tackle something huge – be it supermarathon or global warming, it is important to just start moving forward. If you just stand there at the start line and account for all the ways how huge the challenge is, you will never make it to finish. If you start taking steps – one after another – eventually you will get there. And I think that’s exactly what Obama is doing – he is encouraging people to start moving in the right direction. If we’re lucky, there will be a tipping point and eventually a momentum will build itself to escalate the green technology much further at a much faster pace. Yeah, there is the obvious threat of not getting to the finish line in time. But nothing can be worse than just standing still because the challenge is/seems too big.

By: windansea

windansea — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 19:25:19 +0000

President Obama will almost certainly not travel to the Copenhagen climate change summit in December and may instead use his Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech to set out US environmental goals, The Times has learnt.

With healthcare reform clogging his domestic agenda and no prospect of a comprehensive climate treaty in Copenhagen, Mr Obama may disappoint campaigners and foreign leaders, including Gordon Brown and Ed Miliband, who have urged him to attend to boost the hopes of a breakthrough.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/ tol/ news/ environment/ article6888165.ece

By: wulfmankarl

wulfmankarl — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 18:07:01 +0000

Funny – Dead Economist Adam Smith Rants About Obama’s Energy Speech at MIT

http://02e56fa.netsolhost.com/ blog1/ index.php/ 2009/ 10/ 24/ adam-smith-rants-about-obama-s-energy-sp

By: David Lewis

David Lewis — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 17:21:48 +0000

What kind of President is Obama? The question came up during a recent New Yorker magazine discussion, The Political Scene.

Dorothy Wickenden, New Yorker magazine executive editor…. “so, Rick, let me start with you, what kind of President do you think Obama is shaping up to be? Is he going to be more moderate in the mold of Bill Clinton, or do you still think there are FDR like goals he can aspire to?”

Hendrick Hertzberg, (senior editor and staff writer for the New Yorker) “…. I admit it, I’m still in love. And so, my hopes and predictions tend to get mixed up in ways that are probably not terribly useful for my predictive powers. I can’t face life without believing that he’s going to be a transformative President, let’s put it that way….”

By: Leif

Leif — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 14:48:02 +0000

Pete Best, # 16: Of course it is daunting, we all know that. However just think about this a moment. If 100 years ago you were charged with melting the Arctic Polar Ice Cap in 100 years, the life time of one long lived individual, what would you have said. Agreed, we have not quite made it but we have made a good obvious start and thrown in a large part of the worlds glaciers to boot. Missing by only 20 or 30 years! Without even trying I might add!!! The alternatives to trying look to be few and dismal. We ether succeed or let the status quo proceed and let the natural systems reboot and shake us off like so much dandruff. The earth will be a far different place for millions of years, and possiably without humans, but hay, it won’t be the first time. So which side of the fight do you want to take?
Got kids by the by??? What do you want for them?