The Future is Electric

A challenge to Democratic candidates: 

Include pumped hydro in your formal climate plans. Commit to streamlining regulatory processes. Commit federal funds. Create state-level storage targets. Promise to engage coal workers in building pumped storage hydro in their regions. This is a podcast version of the article of the same title in the TFIE Medium publication.

Recently a study was published on the carbon debt of advances in machine learning. It’s a fair subject of study, but the concern was overstated twice, first by the paper itself based on some faulty assumptions and then by media headlines which blared the results. This is a podcast version of the article of the same title in the TFIE Medium podcast.

Recently, Sigal Samuel of Vox asked 9 experts, “How should billionaires spend their money to fight climate change?” It’s a worthwhile question, as right now a lot of billionaires are spending a lot of money on the subject and related concerns, and some of it is a waste of money. This article will look at some of the suggested solutions, and look at a few billionaires and how they are actually spending their money, and make some judgments about the experts and their opinions. This is a podcast version of the article of the same name in the TFIE Medium publication.

There’s absolutely no doubt to anyone whose brain is actually present in this century that climate change is vastly more dangerous than Communism today. That’s why the fossil fuel industry and conservative parties are spending so much to try to stay in the 20th Century. This is a podcast version of the article of the same name on the TFIE Medium publication.

Jacobson's latest study is going to create fireworks because it’s explicit about leaning into the Green New Deal. That eminently sensible set of targets, strongly aligned with the UN IPCC 1.5 degree reports and strongly aligned with the Roosevelt New Deal that arguably did make America great, is understandably a large target for many commentators from the right. This is a podcast version of the article of the same name on the TFIE Medium publication.

The trend in Jacobson’s study as each point is looked, as storage and transmission assessments show, at is that he and his team aren’t suggesting anything radical, but a very conservative approach that is possible to massively improve upon with existing and proven technologies. This is a podcast version of the article of the same name on the TFIE Medium publication.

Jacobson and his team have done an excellent job showing that a 100% renewables, very low carbon electrical supply of all energy needs is easily achievable. Moreover, they make it clear that it’s a lot cheaper in both internalized and externalized costs. This is a podcast version of the article of the same name on the TFIE Medium publication.

The short list are electrification of transportation of various types, economic growth in areas currently with fewer cars, renewables plus grid innovation, urbanization, other uses for oil, and induced demand. Some will hasten and some will defer peak demand for oil. This is a podcast version of the article of the same name on the TFIE Medium publication.

Let’s just run a thought experiment, shall we? Suppose a nice big asteroid was coming for earth. We saw that it had a 99.999% chance of hitting us. From the evidence, scientists figured out that it massed a few tons. This is a podcast version of the article of the same name in the TFIE Medium publication.

New Urbanism is a model of urban development which aspired to remake communities into walkable, live-work places for people, not cars. It failed, but left behind something better. This is a podcast version of an article by the same name in the TFIE Medium publication.