China’s solar technology industry has experienced explosive growth in just a few short years as it becomes the principal supply of solar product. But in early October the challenge of getting enough raw material to satisfy demand has caused valuation concerns over listed Chinese solar businesses. At issue plaguing the global industry is an acute …
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Category:4 Energy
New data underpins need for pragmatic precaution on nuclear
As the 50th anniversary of the Windscale nuclear disaster occurs (the worst in the world at that time) new research published in the journal Atmospheric Environment shows the incident generated twice as much radioactive material and could have caused more cancers than was previously thought. Although the scale of that disaster was modest by modern …
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Energy, credit and big picture change
This statement from hedge fund manager Hamid Hakimzadeh bears serious reflection. The global financial system is critically predicated on future energy supplies meeting projected demand. The credit pyramid presumes that future expansion is adequate collateral for today’s debt. The emerging reality on energy undermines this assumption, which in turn erodes the valuation of wide variety …
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Further indictment of US oil industry corruption
The US love of energy has been supported by subsidies and protection of the oil industry. Last month the administration took a step to reducing those subsidies in a new energy bill. And now a report confirms the collusion and apathy among regulators and the industry. A report has unsurprisingly declared that the Interior Department’s …
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Nuclear, the GMO of energy, is gaining ground as a “convenient” solution
There have been several reports recently of the increasing popularity of nuclear as a solution to rapidly emerging concerns with fossil fuel energy. But this may be more a result of propaganda than pragmatism and principle. A collaborative approach, which had been adopted in the UK, is breaking down. Recently the UK government initiated a …
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Green auto design: light, lean and cheap
That’s the objective of Gordon Murray, ex-Formula 1 car designer who recently launched a new company to design a green family car, the T25. Production will be outsourced for this concept car which Murray would like to have online in 18 months. He’s aiming for safety, efficiency and cost competitiveness. Let’s hope this initiative helps …
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Oil prices rising again
Oil prices are reaching new highs as September draws to a close. They are peaking above $82 a barrel. If winter in north America and Europe comes in hard these prices will add to economic difficulties, though the majors will benefit as usual.
IEA reports on poor record of energy consumption
Energy Use in the New Millennium by the International Energy Agency published on 10 September draws a gloomy picture of efforts made by the 26 IEA member countries to control their energy consumption since 1990, the reference year of the Kyoto Protocol on climate change. “Final energy-use increased by 14% between 1990 and 2004. This …
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