Comments on Rob Day's articles RSS Syndication from SeekingAlpha.com http://seekingalpha.com/author/rob-day/articles http://seekingalpha.com/article/179647-five-cleantech-predictions-for-2010?source=feed#comment-821957 821957 Sat, 26 Dec 2009 13:52:28 -0500 http://seekingalpha.com/article/179647-five-cleantech-predictions-for-2010?source=feed#comment-821309 821309 Fri, 25 Dec 2009 11:37:25 -0500 www.Wind4me.com

My estimates up for 2010, 670 million run rate from 320 million]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/179647-five-cleantech-predictions-for-2010?source=feed#comment-819606 819606 Wed, 23 Dec 2009 19:22:52 -0500 http://seekingalpha.com/article/179647-five-cleantech-predictions-for-2010?source=feed#comment-819602 819602 Wed, 23 Dec 2009 19:20:52 -0500
Destroy? look around, virtually everything that we have, all the wonders we now enjoy, has come about because of fossil fuel energy: oil, gas, and coal. Big oil helped build the world as we know it. Without it we wouldn't have the computers we're typing on. Without it we wouldn't be on the verge of a new world of cleaner, renewable energy; we'd still be burning wood and whale oil and riding horses. ]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/179647-five-cleantech-predictions-for-2010?source=feed#comment-819560 819560 Wed, 23 Dec 2009 18:44:49 -0500 There are so many companies evolved in clean diesel as a transportation fuel that is clean of carbon and other noxious products that pollute the air. Synthetic diesel or bio diesel is available now, and machines are here now that cleans cooking oil. A product is here now for helping to clean the air, way is Congress jump on this fact with a TAX CREDIT. Or should we let big oil interfere with some help for the economy and stimulate the economic that they helped to destroy. ]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/163913-the-a123-ipo-a-deeper-look-at-cleantech-and-vcs?source=feed#comment-697442 697442 Wed, 30 Sep 2009 18:52:04 -0400
Batteries in hybrids are used to recapture energy in braking, previously supplied by the internal combustion engine. We'll need a lot of batteries.]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/163913-the-a123-ipo-a-deeper-look-at-cleantech-and-vcs?source=feed#comment-696477 696477 Wed, 30 Sep 2009 03:11:31 -0400 http://seekingalpha.com/article/163913-the-a123-ipo-a-deeper-look-at-cleantech-and-vcs?source=feed#comment-695814 695814 Tue, 29 Sep 2009 15:06:09 -0400
Batteries is the storage medium used by hybrid cars to store the energy created by something else.

How much is a $74billion battery worth if it does not have any energy stored in it?

]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/163913-the-a123-ipo-a-deeper-look-at-cleantech-and-vcs?source=feed#comment-695350 695350 Tue, 29 Sep 2009 11:56:16 -0400 http://seekingalpha.com/article/150764-china-set-to-become-world-s-cleantech-leader?source=feed#comment-599931 599931 Thu, 23 Jul 2009 16:09:33 -0400
Long USA solar (thin film and CIGS) and STP.]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/150764-china-set-to-become-world-s-cleantech-leader?source=feed#comment-599860 599860 Thu, 23 Jul 2009 15:13:46 -0400 http://seekingalpha.com/article/150764-china-set-to-become-world-s-cleantech-leader?source=feed#comment-599472 599472 Thu, 23 Jul 2009 11:20:32 -0400 http://seekingalpha.com/article/150764-china-set-to-become-world-s-cleantech-leader?source=feed#comment-599469 599469 Thu, 23 Jul 2009 11:18:37 -0400 http://seekingalpha.com/article/150764-china-set-to-become-world-s-cleantech-leader?source=feed#comment-599433 599433 Thu, 23 Jul 2009 10:56:08 -0400 I think China will add to RE subsidies as they can't afford not to. RE is the low cost energy even now or in the very near future as fossil fuels go way up in price. In fact it's RE that will eventually bring them back to earth. As soon as the economy come back oil will hit $4/gal again next yr and keep going to until it kills the economy again until we become oil independent. China knows this and why they are buying so much now.

The best, cheapest, most profitable RE is small wind, solar thermal/CSP. China already has 1kw wind generators on sale here for $1k/kw, far under the cost of coal plants. And many small US makers are doing the same if China doesn't run them out of business. Yahoo Magnets4less or axial flux for details. Both these will rule future energy as prices go up for fossil fuels and they get into real mass production. Not much investment opportunities in them except at your own home.

CSP is only a 5hp steam or other heat engine, a 3kw alt, 200sq' trough collector for 3kw electric and 12kw of heat for 4-8hrs/day at the peak rating. One can store the heat and get power 24/7 if you want it or can be fired by any bio, fossil fuel when the sun don't shine if needed.

PV is dropping fast in costs and in a couple yrs will beat coal in price/kwhr.

China is going EV big time as we should as they are 3x's as eff as gas cars are and can run off the wind, sun, etc. In a couple yrs EV's will be lower priced than ICE's as batteries are dropping fast with Lithium batts already lower than sealed lead batteries and the rest of an EV is well known and it's EV drive costs less to buy, drive than an ICE by a good amount.

]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/150764-china-set-to-become-world-s-cleantech-leader?source=feed#comment-599268 599268 Thu, 23 Jul 2009 09:34:44 -0400 http://seekingalpha.com/article/130818-oil-as-the-energy-price-benchmark-natural-gas-makes-more-sense?source=feed#comment-462719 462719 Tue, 14 Apr 2009 10:08:45 -0400 2. The press focuses on oil because oil is "glamorous", so the ordinary person and the non-energy investor focuses on oil. Investors want simple metrics, no matter how irrelevant or flawed, and oil provides this metric.
3. Once smart, interactive , electricity meters become pervasive(say in a decade) and people can see the price of electricity every 15 seconds and watch their use on a screen or (multiple screens) electricity may become more tangible and comprehensible to people . Then and only gradually there may be a shift in attention and reporting to electricity. Of course, electricity is regional in its price movements and cannot provide the simple, global metric that oil does or ,in 15 years, LNG FOB Qatar or LNG FOB US Gulf could. As natural gas globalizes and when , by energy content, worldwide, natural gas production exceeds oil(many years away yet) then I think a critical mass of household, media and investor attention may shift to NG prices as the reference metric.]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/130818-oil-as-the-energy-price-benchmark-natural-gas-makes-more-sense?source=feed#comment-462637 462637 Tue, 14 Apr 2009 09:34:31 -0400 ]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/130818-oil-as-the-energy-price-benchmark-natural-gas-makes-more-sense?source=feed#comment-462593 462593 Tue, 14 Apr 2009 09:19:55 -0400 http://seekingalpha.com/article/130818-oil-as-the-energy-price-benchmark-natural-gas-makes-more-sense?source=feed#comment-462584 462584 Tue, 14 Apr 2009 09:17:49 -0400 http://seekingalpha.com/article/112835-2009-the-year-of-the-carbon-market?source=feed#comment-344953 344953 Sat, 03 Jan 2009 15:18:01 -0500
Yes, I too have come to that realization as well. Let us not discount the corruption malfeasance that can flow from cap-and-trade. Politicians, ie people like Gov Blagovich, just found selling a US Senate seat, will be in charge of writing the legislation and decide who gets the cap-and-trade 'credits'. the picking of winners and losers is a trillion-dollar corruption oppty. Ex-Enron traders and the recently bailed-out wall st crowd will be in charge of trading these credits. There are so many ways for the 'little guy' to get the short end of the stick, its a surprise we dont have any of them saying "Hey, I can take the extra 1 degree warming thank you, just leave my electric bill alone."

As for:
"Personally, I don't know, but both presidential candidates in the US thought that there was, and so there is no point in hopping up on a soapbox and proclaiming that it is nonsense."

The point would be to stop letting false fearmongering drive policy. The "global warming is a crisis" claim is baloney.

Personally, many didn't care whether or not the emperor was stark naked or not, they were so enamored with the conventional wisdom they just went with the flow and decided if all the smart people said he was wearing fine clothes, they MUST be right. It took a little girl to point out the truth, because the grownups were too busy worrying about perception instead of reality.
]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/112835-2009-the-year-of-the-carbon-market?source=feed#comment-344018 344018 Fri, 02 Jan 2009 07:48:56 -0500
Is there really global or climate warming? Personally, I don't know, but both presidential candidates in the US thought that there was, and so there is no point in hopping up on a soapbox and proclaiming that it is nonsense. Instead, for theoretical reasons, I prefer to inform anyone who is interested that the carbon tax is best because it might be possible to eventually get a large part of it back to the people who pay it.]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/112835-2009-the-year-of-the-carbon-market?source=feed#comment-343866 343866 Thu, 01 Jan 2009 23:42:48 -0500 http://seekingalpha.com/article/112835-2009-the-year-of-the-carbon-market?source=feed#comment-343445 343445 Thu, 01 Jan 2009 12:26:33 -0500 http://seekingalpha.com/article/112835-2009-the-year-of-the-carbon-market?source=feed#comment-343356 343356 Thu, 01 Jan 2009 11:20:30 -0500 Cap & Trade is working, with minimal pain, for NOX & SOX in the US.

Biochar, the modern version of an ancient Amazonian agricultural practice called Terra Preta (black earth), is gaining widespread credibility as a way to address world hunger, climate change, rural poverty, deforestation, and energy shortages… SIMULTANEOUSLY!

a Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Tool;

POZNAN, Poland, December 10, 2008 - The International Biochar Initiative (IBI) announces that the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) has submitted a proposal to include biochar as a mitigation and adaptation technology to be considered in the post-2012-Copenhagen agenda of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). A copy of the proposal is posted on the IBI website at
The International Biochar Initiative (IBI).

Senator / Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar has done the most to nurse this biofuels system in his Biochar provisions in the 07 & 08 farm bill,
www.biochar-internatio...

NASA's Dr. James Hansen Global warming solutions paper and letter to the G-8 conference, placing Biochar / Land management the central technology for carbon negative energy systems.
arxiv.org/ftp/arxiv/pa...

Modern Pyrolysis of biomass is a process for Carbon Negative Bio fuels, massive Carbon sequestration,10X Lower Methane & N2O soil emissions, and 3X Fertility Too.
Every 1 ton of Biomass yields 1/3 ton Charcoal for soil Sequestration, Bio-Gas & Bio-oil fuels, so is a totally virtuous, carbon negative energy cycle.

Ultimately we must leave the combustion age behind. Charcoal to the soil is a bridging first step as other energy conversion technologies bloom from Nano and bio reasearch. Thankfully we can do soil sequestration now.

Oil interest must come to see the overwhelming value of their fossil carbon as the feedstock for the manufacture ( via carbon nanotubes, fullerines, DNA programed nano self assembly, etc.) of virtually all things in the near future.

This convergence of different technologies will end the Combustion age.

Terra Preta starts as a soil nano technology with increased CEC, than a micro tech with our wee- beasties / fungus, and macro with bugs and worms.

Biotic Carbon, the carbon transformed by life, should never be combusted, oxidized and destroyed. It deserves more respect, reverence even, and understanding to use it back to the soil where 2/3 of excess atmospheric carbon originally came from.

We all know we are carbon-centered life, we seldom think about the complex web of recycled bio-carbon which is the true center of life. A cradle to cradle, mutually co-evolved biosphere reaching into every crack and crevice on Earth.

It's hard for most to revere microbes and fungus, but from our toes to our gums (onward), their balanced ecology is our health. The greater earth and soils are just as dependent, at much longer time scales. Our farming for over 10,000 years has been responsible for 2/3rds of our excess greenhouse gases. This soil carbon, converted to carbon dioxide, Methane & Nitrous oxide began a slow stable warming that now accelerates with burning of fossil fuel.

Wise Land management; Organic farming and afforestation can build back our soil carbon,
Biochar allows the soil food web to exponentially build much more recalcitrant organic carbon, ( living soil biomass & Glomalins) in addition to the carbon in the biochar.

The recent EU permits granted 3RAgroCarbon 3ragrocarbon.com , after 4 years of testing show Biochar's massive increase in yields of more than 100%
"Doses: 400 kg / ha – 1000 kg / ha at different horticultural cultivars
Plant height Increase 141 % versus control
Picking yield Increase 630 % versus control
Picking fruit Increase 650 % versus control
Total yield Increase 202 % versus control
Total piece of fruit Increase 171 % versus control
Fruit weight Increase 118 % versus control"

Biochar data base;
terrapreta.bioenergyli...

Carbon to the Soil, the only ubiquitous and economic place to put it.

In a recent National Public Radio interview, Michael Pollan ( Food author) talks about how he was approached by a Democratic party staffer about his New York Times article, The "Farmer & Chief" an open letter to the next president concerning U.S. agriculture/energy policy. The staffer wanted Pollan to summarize the article into a page or two to get it into the hands of Barack Obama. Pollan declined, saying that if he could have said everything that needed to be said in two pages, he wouldn't have written 8000 words.

Michael Pollan is well briefed about Biochar technology, but did not include it in his "Farmer & Chief" article to President Obama, (Which he did read & cited in a speech) but I'm sure Biochar will be his 8001th word to him.

Cheers,
Erich J. Knight
540 289 9750]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/112835-2009-the-year-of-the-carbon-market?source=feed#comment-343296 343296 Thu, 01 Jan 2009 10:16:28 -0500 Bailout packages that foresaw the failure before it happened, and helped a pig to buy lots of lipstick.]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/112835-2009-the-year-of-the-carbon-market?source=feed#comment-343216 343216 Thu, 01 Jan 2009 08:51:51 -0500
Way to go fellas and gals. The European scheme is a distinguished failure, and I am preparing a long article dealing with some of its shortcomings. As a matter of fact one of my New Year's resolutions is to give carbon trading the attention that I gave electric deregulation, which obtained my good self a wonderful visiting professorship in Hong Kong. Of course, my attitude, body language and terminology meant that a return ticket was out of the question, but at least I said what was necessary. The same will be true here. Carbon trading is both a scam and goofy. ]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/112835-2009-the-year-of-the-carbon-market?source=feed#comment-343094 343094 Wed, 31 Dec 2008 22:44:29 -0500 Look to nucleat (DNN..URPTF...CCJ)..I'm staying away big time from KOL and BTU...and nat gas..What else is ready to go and will buy time for alternative infrastructure to develop??]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/94154-energy-independence-it-s-about-demand-not-supply?source=feed#comment-265997 265997 Fri, 26 Sep 2008 11:42:33 -0400
Put bicycle lanes along existing commuting routes, if you want to see immediate benefit. Most people are scared to death of riding in the way of commuters' cars, and many commuters are enraged when a bicycle impedes their progress. Then put a floor under gas prices, using the tax to build the infrastructure.
]]> http://seekingalpha.com/article/94154-energy-independence-it-s-about-demand-not-supply?source=feed#comment-258516 258516 Thu, 18 Sep 2008 21:37:08 -0400 http://seekingalpha.com/article/94154-energy-independence-it-s-about-demand-not-supply?source=feed#comment-248756 248756 Mon, 08 Sep 2008 17:17:11 -0400