Alternative Fuels

Faux Green: Handouts for Toyota Little for Australian Renewable

11:13 AM, 16/6/2008 .. 0 comments .. Link

Yes that’s right slash the solar rebate and incentives to biofuel industries but throw cash at foreign companies that, in terms of energy conservation and emission reduction, produce mildly beneficial products.

What’s even more bizarre about the $70 million dollars worth of taxpayer funds that’s been handed to Toyota is the fact that they were going to build a plant to produce a hybrid version of the Camry in Australia anyway.

In terms of fuel savings and environmental friendliness there is a big argument as to whether the hybrid car really stacks up, and for many it just doesn’t. The new breed of diesels can be just as efficient and cheaper to buy.

Although that might be jumping over what Toyota has actually achieved. It’s not about how green or how economical, it’s the fact that Toyota has brought the concept of the electric car into main stream acceptance. Something GM couldn’t do back in the 90’s with the EV-1.

And there is nothing wrong with Toyota coming to Australia to build a hybrid car (or at least assemble one here), if, they can stand on there own two feet without taxpayer subsidies and tariff protection.

While there is a large emotional attachment to producing an ‘Australian’ car we also need to understand its true cost to the taxpayer. To face the facts we can simply take a look at the current wage rates in Australia compared to India or China. We don’t compete as a manufacturer and are never likely to. You may say but what about quality, well it’s probably time to look again.

Then we need to also remember that tariffs placed on imports also restrict our access to affordable vehicles and the latest technology. This is an important point, if cars were more affordable, we would more than likely update more often and benefit from new technology and from efficiency improvements.

The recent report from the productivity commission provides probably the best insight into the true cost of vehicle production and puts it into perspective just what it costs the taxpayer.

So where should resources go? In the renewable field there is lots of emerging technology in the field of alternative fuels and renewable energy sources. And much of it has received support from government. Unfortunately some renewable industries have lost support from government such as the slashing of the solar rebate and the total disinterest in biofuels, biomaterials and agriculture.

Then there is the 22 billion dollar slush fund for ‘infrastructure’, or in other words 22 billion to speed up the extraction and delivery of coal, gas and oil. Rudds Labor is starting to make Howards Liberals look like eco-hippies in suits.

So back to the question, where should investment go and my answer is - Agriculture. Yep, straight out of left field particularly with the current issues surrounding water supply.

And when you think agriculture and climate change and energy you think bio-fuels. Now, that’s had some bad press lately hasn’t it, relating to using food crops as fuel. Does it deserve it, probably not. In reality it’s probably not to much more than America bashing. We seem to live in an odd world of bagging someone to come to the rescue as apposed to the old way of begging…..

It really is a large debate that must consider a range of factors, including seemingly poor governance of the regions experiencing shortages, including one point that seems to be missed is the rising cost of energy causing the high price rises in food and in some cases causing food producers to not plant at all. So, if they where not producing bio-fuel, that helps to reduce the reliance on oil, what effect would it have on the cost of fuel to the food producer and to end product availability and pricing?

We also need to consider the science that’s leading towards biofuel that’s produced from non-food crops such as switchgrass, miscantha and jatropha with the last being highly drought resistant.

We also need to consider the science that’s producing fuel from agricultural waste product, be it from the production of corn, rice or sugar cane.

We also need to consider some farmers overseas are operating a ‘closed loop’ system where farms are self sufficient requiring very little input to output, producing beef cattle and bio-fuel, with manure powering the biofuel refinery and as a bi-product producing distillers grain that feeds the cattle.

We also need to consider the science that is producing bio-fuels from algae or if you like ‘pond scum’.

Then there are biomaterials, many large companies that were once dependent on petrochemicals for plastic production are shifting towards bioplastics.

That’s just the start of the new agri-tech revolution that’s coming.

Perhaps to some politicians farming and agriculture is boring and not a good fit with their ‘appear to be green’ agenda. Perhaps we also need to look at the lack of water infrastructure development by state governments that have led to farmers being starved of water by thirsty cities.

Perhaps we should be researching a way to engineer a solution to effectively drought proof and expand our farming land. At a time when agriculture is as important as ever we should look to fill the supply channels rather than cap their use.

Along with the re-establishing the value and importance of agriculture, there are also a wide range of alternative fuels that Australia could be developing for its transport needs to help keep Australia's energy security in check.

So, in ending, perhaps instead of floating around the world waving banners and dropping cash there is some real, productive and beneficial work that can be done on the home front. And there is no better time to get behind our traditional industries particularly agriculture and to not get left behind in the coming agri-tech boom..

The Looming Energy Crisis

3:40 PM, 28/11/2007 .. Posted in Peak Oil .. 2 comments .. Link

If oil and other fossil fuels have been the key ingredient in the creation of societies and lifestyle we enjoy today - what happens when they're gone?

Some, or most, would say good riddance and take your global warming c02 emissions with you! The end of the fossil fuel era would cure all of our pain over man-made emissions.

Sounds great but are we ready for it? Our civilization was built on these products, it was the foundation of our growth as a society and as still being proven today energy resources are the key to raising societies above poverty.

One of the key principles of the Millennium Project is to facilitate the supply of energy - "Energy is central to sustainable development and poverty reduction efforts. It affects all aspects of development -- social, economic, and environmental -- including livelihoods, access to water, agricultural productivity, health, population levels, education, and gender-related issues. None of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) can be met without major improvement in the quality and quantity of energy services in developing countries."

When it's the fundamental core of success and the creation and maintenance of prosperous and healthy societies have we done enough to secure future energy resources, supplies and technology? And more importantly to set in place the strategy to de-oil our lifestyles.

Yes, there is plenty of talk about global warming and the need for clean renewable energy but little talk about how to remove our addiction to crude oil. Hooking up clean energy sources to the electricity grid is happening now but there is not much movement on the massive societal and infrastructure change needed to move away from the dwindling supply oil.

The automotive fuels sector alone is a massive energy demand powered by oil and you may say the electric car will solve that one but even if a radical plan to swap the something like 1 billion cars in the world to electric vehicles, that would take many years if not decades, still leaves the burning question - what on earth is going to supply all that electricity when we are yet to even supply homes in the effort to eradicate poverty? And that's just one of the oil dependent sectors of our modern lifestyles.

So are we heading for a civilization collapse? Already we can see the geo-political conflicts taking place around the world in the scurry for what's left of the oil supply, we can look at Chinas current fuel crisis and we can look at past events like the 1973 Oil Crisis to get an idea of the effects of minor supply 'blips'.

Perhaps we need to look a little further into past civilizations and what they may warn us of.

Below is an extract from "The Coming Economic Collapse":
Michael Shermer, for instance, in a column for Scientific American, researched sixty civilizations, both ancient and modern. His goal was to discover the life span of the average civilization. For each extinct culture, he calculated how long it remained in existence. For those still in existence, he used their current age.

Shermer concluded that the average life span of civilization is only 421 years. Even more jarring, modern civilizations do not last as long as ancient ones. Among the twenty-eight most recent civilizations-those that sprang into being after the fall of Rome the average life span is only 305 years.

One reason may be that modern civilizations are more complex. By complex, we mean they have a well-developed division of labor, with most jobs requiring specialized skills and training, and that they have a hierarchical leadership structure, with various levels of government and other social institutions. Modern civilizations are also more likely to be in competition with other civilizations, so they demand more natural resources to sustain themselves and protect their territory. In other words, they are expensive to maintain.

Just because a civilization has been around for two or three hundred years, one cannot assume it will last forever. We have no special knowledge that tells us our civilization is more likely to endure than any other. The next crisis-which will likely be a shortfall in energy production-could be our doom.

The collapse of modern civilization would be a catastrophic event, far worse than the popping of the technology bubble. Never mind the financial hardship that would befall almost everyone-the end of our civilization, and its complex division of labor, would result in mass starvation and a level of violence and chaos not seen since the end of the Roman Empire.

If our civilization is to prevent such a future, we cannot allow the approaching energy crisis to catch us unprepared. We must discover the best strategy for preventing disaster, and implement it. We must learn the lessons of past civilizations-those that survived similar crises, and those that succumbed and try to discover what actions will help us survive.

----

And I should note that I don't want to leave the impression that the book is some kind of doomsday rag, far from it. It's actually geared towards the investor and written by a well respected economist/investor Stephen Leeb PhD

For even more insight there have been a number of documentaries produced on a looming oil crash:

We Were Warned
CNN presents: An hour long documentary on our addiction to oil and the vulnerability of it's supply.
Site: http://edition.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/presents/index.oil.html
Watch Online: Stage 6

A Crude Awakening - The Oil Crash
A 90 minute documentary on the planet's dwindling oil resources.
Site: http://www.oilcrashmovie.com

Peak Oil
From the ABC Four Corners team - The era of cheap oil may be over and a growing number of analysts predict production is about to peak before significantly falling behind demand.
Watch Online: http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/special_eds/20060710/

Crude Impact
Crude Impact exposes our deep-rooted dependency on the availability of fossil fuel energy and examines the future implications of peak oil, i.e. the point in time when the amount of petroleum available worldwide begins a steady, inexorable decline.
Watch Online at : veoh.com

Update: SBS will also be screening 'Crude Impact' and 'Energy war' on 18/12/07 so check your guides for those if you are interested.

Albeit a global problem where does it leave Australia, in terms of electricity supply we do have a great number of renewable energy projects in Australia but don't we have a base load solution beyond coal. We do have gas reserves but unfortunately it's easy to see coal and gas being gobbled up fairly quickly in a world of diminishing oil.

If we think solar, wave, wind or geo-thermal it's going to take a monumental deployment of epic proportions to fulfill a base load responsibility even at current demand levels along with a leap in power storage technology. After that is uranium although on an ideologically level that has been written off and without at least scientific development in this field we'll be left standing in the queue for technology from other countries.

So, much like c02 caused global warming, it's a risk of the outcome if we don't act although just far more quantifiable and there can be a 'two birds with one stone' effect with the right technology.

We can make a choice now to accept tough possibly unpopular choices, take action, implement change and ramp up funding on a large scale for alternative energy development and deployment. That's if we want to enjoy a lifestyle we have now and protect that for the future of generations to come. Your choice.

For more information on Peak Oil , energy technology and planning for Australia's Energy Future:
The Queensland Government report - Queensland's vulnerability to rising oil prices - taskforce report
The Government Senate Inquiry - Inquiry into Australia's future oil supply and alternative transport fuels
The Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet - Securing Australia's Energy Future
CSIRO - Energy Technology
ASPO - Australian Association for the Study of Peak Oil and Gas

Wave Energy - Australia could do that

7:17 PM, 19/10/2007 .. Posted in Articles .. 1 comments .. Link

For some time, a number of small companies have tried to develop and commercialise a range of different wave energy technologies as a non-polluting source of energy.

From the Australian Government - Greenhouse Office:
"However, finding a reliable and efficient method to extract that power has long been a barrier to commercial wave-energy production. Over the past couple of years, this has begun to change with the emergence of various new wave-energy technologies. Ocean waves represent the most concentrated form of renewable energy and abundant resources are available around Australia's lengthy coastline."

Yes, believe it or not - The Australian Government has been discussing and investing in renewable energy sources for 11 long years! See: http://www.greenhouse.gov.au/renewable/projects/index.html. Wouldn't that just stop your bed from burning.

Wave Energy in Australia:
CETO is one company pursing wave energy prospects in Australia stating that a small array of their CETO II units will be operating off Fremantle by the end of 2008. The company wants to build the world's first wave-energy farm to produce electricity from the ocean and details are being finalised for a $400 million, 50MW demonstration plant.

Oceanlinx is currently in late-stage negotiations with a major Australian energy company for ten units to be located in Portland with a peak capacity of 15 MW.

A guide to the different types of Ocean Wave Energy Technology:
http://ocsenergy.anl.gov/guide/wave/index.cfm
http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/s1117412.htm
http://discovermagazine.com/2005/dec/ocean-energy

Video:
A system gaining a lot of attention is the Pelamis Wave Power System by Ocean Power Delivery LTD - Video runs for about one hour.

A European Commission video that introduces the Wave Dragon wave energy converter - video runs for a few minutes.

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