Power Hungry (59 page)

34
Reynolds, “First Drive.”

35
Ibid.

36
Phelps's record is about 1:51. See
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bh9F7DMMdVc
; Wikipedia, “World Record Progression 200 Metres Butterfly,”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_record_progression_200_metres_butterfly
.

37
U.S. Government Accountability Office, “Federal Energy and Fleet Management: Plug-in Vehicles Offer Potential Benefits, but High Costs and Limited Information Could Hinder Integration into the Federal Fleet,” June 2009,
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d09493.pdf
, 21.

38
Josh Mitchell and Stephen Power, “Gore-Backed Firm Gets Large US Loan,”
Wall Street Journal
, September 25, 2009,
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125383160812639013.html#mod=most_viewed_month
.

39
Steven Mufson, “A Jump-Start for New Battery Plants,”
Washington Post
, July 25, 2009,
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/24/AR2009072403163.html?hpid=sec-tech
.

40
Phoenix Business Journal
, “Phoenix Companies Get $99.8 Million in Stimulus Money for Electric Vehicle Network,” August 5, 2009,
http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/stories/2009/08/03/daily39.html?jst=b_ln_hl
.

41
U.S. Department of Energy, “Recovery Act Awards for Electric Drive Battery and Component Manufacturing Initiative,” n.d.,
http://www1.eere.energy.gov/recovery/pdfs/battery_awardee_list.pdf
.

42
Katherine Brandon, “Spurring Innovation, Creating Jobs,”
Whitehouse.gov
, August 5, 2009,
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/Spurring-Innovation-Creating-Jobs/
.

43
Associated Press, “China Drives Electric Bike, Scooter Boom,” July 27, 2009,
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32172301/ns/world_news-world_environment/
.

44
For example, see
Urbanscooters.com
.

45
Ultracapacitors.org
, “How an Ultracapacitor Works,” n.d.,
http://www.ultracapacitors.org/ultracapacitors.org-articles/how-an-ultra-capacitor-works.html
.

46
Kevin Bullis, “Ultracaps Could Boost Hybrid Efficiency,”
Technology Review
, August 20, 2009,
http://www.technologyreview.com/energy/23289/
.

47
Lawrence Ulrich, “A High-Mileage Masterpiece,”
New York Times
, November 20, 2008,
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/23/automobiles/autoreviews/23-vw-jetta.html
.

48
BMWUSA.com
,
http://www.bmwusa.com/Standard/Content/Uniquely/BMWEfficientDynamics/ExploreAdvancedDiesel.aspx#Diesel_Vehicles/335d
. The car sells for about $44,000.

49
MBUSA.com
,
http://www.mbusa.com/mercedes/#/greenBluetec/
. See also Jerry Garrett, “Mercedes-Benz to Bring 4-Cylinder Diesels to the US?”
New York Times
, April 8, 2009,
http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/08/mercedes-benz-to-bring-4-cylinder-diesels-to-the-us/?apage=3
.

50
Audi of America,
http://www.audiusa.com/us/brand/en/exp/innovation/audi_tdi/audi_a3_tdi_2_0.html
.

51
Neil Dowling, “Test Drive: Hyundai i30 Diesel,” November 26, 2008,
http://www.carsguide.com.au/site/news-and-reviews/story/test_drive_hyundai_i30_diesel/Carsguide.com.au
.

52
Stuart Birch, “Mercedes-Benz Plans Hybrid Super Saloon,”
Telegraph.co.uk
, September 9, 2009,
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/news/6157048/Mercedes-Benz-plans-hybrid-super-saloon.html
.

53
Greenercars.org
,
http://www.greenercars.org/highlights.htm
.

54
Lawrence Ulrich, “More with Less,”
Popular Science
, October 2009, 24. See also Martin LaMonica, “Ford's EcoBoost Tech Busts into Showrooms,”
Cnet.com
, July 17, 2009,
http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-10288882-54.html
.

55
For more on french-fry grease to motor fuel, see Aimee Levitt, “Wash. U. Turns French Fry Grease into Biodiesel,”
Riverfront Times
, December 1, 2009,
http://blogs.riverfronttimes.com/dailyrft/2009/12/wash_u_turns_french_fry_grease_into_biodiesel.php
.

56
Chuck Squatriglia, “Prius Sales Top 1 Million. Want One? Better Move Fast,”
Wired
, May 15, 2008,
http://www.wired.com/autopia/2008/05/prius-sales-top/
.

1
ClimateProgress.org
, “Southern Company Embraces the Only Practical and Affordable Way to ‘Capture' Emissions at a Coal Plant Today—Run It on Biomass,” March 18, 2009,
http://climateprogress.org/2009/03/18/southern-company-biomass-georgia-power-coal-cofiring/
.

2
Matthew Wald, “A Bid to Cut Emissions Looks Away from Coal,”
New York Times
, October 31, 2009,
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/01/science/earth/01carbon.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=wald%20and%20a%20bid%20to%20cut%20emissions&st=cse
.

3
ClimateProgress.org
, “Energy and Global Warming News for November 3: Yet Another Coal Plant to Be Replaced by a ‘Plant' Plant! And South Dakota's Big Stone 2 Coal Plant Is Dead,” November 3, 2009,
http://climateprogress.org/2009/11/03/energy-and-global-warming-news-for-november-3-coal-plant-to-biomass-power/
.

4
Katy Cummins, “Austin Energy Is Key in Race for Mayor,”
KXAN.com
, April 17, 2009,
http://www.kxan.com/dpp/news/politics/local_politics/austin_energy_key_in_race_for_mayor
.

5
Daniel Mattola, “Biomass: A Question of Wood, Not Could,”
Austin Chronicle
, August 22, 2008,
http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Issue/story?oid=oid
:663310.

6
American Renewables data, “Nacogdoches Power,” n.d.,
http://www.amrenewables.com/our-projects/nacogdoches-power.php
.

7
Energy Information Administration, “Electricity: U.S. Data,”
http://www.eia.doe.gov/fuelelectric.html
.

8
Here's the math: 33,629 megawatts x 10,000 tons/year = 336.29 million tons/ year.

9
This estimate is from the author based on United Nations Environmental Program data. In 2004, North American per-capita wood consumption was about 700 kilograms. That's equal to about 1,540 pounds per person for 307 million Americans, and 1,540 x 307 million = 472.78 billion pounds, or about 236.4 macro metric (MM) tons. United Nations Environmental Program, “Global Wood Consumption,”
http://maps.grida.no/go/graphic/global-wood-consumption
.

10
ClimateProgress, “Southern Company Embraces.”

11
Vaclav Smil,
Energies: An Illustrated Guide to the Biosphere and Civilization
(Cambridge: MIT Press, 1999), 118. Note that Smil in this book gives a range for forest output of 0.4 to 0.9 watts per square meter. See also, Smil,
Global Catastrophes and Trends: The Next Fifty Years
(Cambridge: MIT Press, 2008), 85; Smil,
Energy at the Crossroads: Global Perspectives and Uncertainties
(Cambridge: MIT Press, 2003), 265.

1
Steve Connor, “Warning: Oil Supplies Are Running Out Fast,”
Independent
, August 3, 2009,
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/warning-oil-supplies-are-running-out-fast-1766585.html
.

2
BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2009,
http://www.bp.com/liveassets/bp_internet/globalbp/globalbp_uk_english/reports_and_publications/statistical_energy_review_2008/STAGING/local_assets/2009_downloads/renewables_section_2009.pdf
.

3
Selena Williams and Liam Moloney, “Enel, EDF to Build Nuclear Plants in Italy,”
Wall Street Journal
, August 4, 2009,
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124932829249202353.html
.

4
CNN, “China, Australia Ink $41 Billion Gas Deal,” August 19, 2009,
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/BUSINESS/08/18/china.aus.gas/
.

5
BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2009.

6
Masumi Suga and Shunichi Ozasa, “China to Build More Nuclear Plants, Japan Steel Says,” Bloomberg, September 7, 2009,
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601101&sid=a2lUkzmYNGWI
.

7
World Nuclear Association, “World Nuclear Power Reactors and Uranium Requirements,”
http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/reactors.html
.

8
Energy Information Administration, “Mexico Energy Profile,”
http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/country/country_energy_data.cfm?fips=MX
. In 2008, Mexico had about 54,000 megawatts of installed capacity.

9
World Nuclear Association, “World Nuclear Power Reactors and Uranium Requirements.”

10
BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2009.

11
World Nuclear Association, “World Nuclear Power Reactors and Uranium Requirements.”

12
Ibid.

13
Ibid., BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2009.

14
Hewitt Crane, Edwin Kinderman, and Ripudaman Malhotra,
A Cubic Mile of Oil: Realities and Options for Averting the Looming Global Energy Crisis
(New York: Oxford University Press), prepublication copy, 188.

15
See, for example, Cesare Marchetti, “On Decarbonization: Historically and Perspectively,” International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, January 2005,
http://www.iiasa.ac.at/Admin/PUB/Documents/IR-05-005.pdf
.

16
Ibid.

17
International Energy Agency, “IEA Executive Director: The Climate Challenge Is Immense but We Have the Clean Technology,” November 25, 2008,
http://www.iea.org/Textbase/press/pressdetail.asp?PRESS_REL_ID=277
.

18
Pew Center on Global Climate Change, “History of Kyoto Protocol,” n.d.,
http://www.pewclimate.org/history_of_kyoto.cfm
.

19
Nicole Winfield and Alessandra Rizzo, “UN Chief Rebukes G8 over Climate Failures,” Associated Press, July 9, 2009,
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jd7k_fE2R4LuS8q9w0fglmjvKlBgD99B03085
.

20
Environmental Protection Agency, “Clean Air Interstate Rule,”
http://www.epa.gov/interstateairquality/
.

21
Roberto F. Aguilera, “The Past, Present, and Future of the Global Energy Market,” EU Energy Policy Blog, March 5, 2009,
http://www.energypolicyblog.com/?p=549
.

22
Robert Bryce, “Energy Tribune Speaks with Duncan MacLeod,”
Energy Tribune
, September 9, 2008,
http://www.energytribune.com/articles.cfm?aid=978
.

23
Reuters, “Exxon Says N. America Gas Production Has Peaked,” June 21, 2005,
http://www.reuters.com/article/Utilities/idUSN2163310420050621
.

24
Ibid. For Raymond's retirement, see
ABCNews.com
, “Oil: Exxon Chairman's $400 Million Parachute,” April 14, 2006,
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/PainAtThePump/story?id=1841989
.

25
Julian Darley,
High Noon for Natural Gas: The New Energy Crisis
(White River Junction, VT: Chelsea Green, 2004), 2.

26
Mike Ruppert, “Interview with Matthew Simmons,”
Oilcrash.com
, August 18, 2003,
http://www.oilcrash.com/articles/blackout.htm
.

27
Richard Heinberg,
The Party's Over: Oil, War, and the Fate of Industrial Societies
(Gabriola Island, British Columbia: New Society Publishers, 2003), 129.

28
BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2009.

29
H. deForest Ralph, “Shale Gas: The Black Swan in the Gas Patch,”
Energy Tribune
, March 4, 2009,
http://www.energytribune.com/articles.cfm?aid=1400
.

30
Leta Smith, “Shale Gas Outside of North America: High Potential but Difficult to Realize,” Cambridge Energy Research Associates, April 2009, summary page.

31
One barrel of oil contains the energy equivalent of 5,487 cubic feet of natural gas.

32
Navigant Consulting, “North American Natural Gas Supply Assessment,” July 4, 2008,
http://www.cleanskies.org/upload/MediaFiles/Files/Downloads2/finalncippt2.pdf
, 14.

33
ICF International, Table 7, “Availability, Economics, and Production Potential of North American Unconventional Natural Gas Supplies,” November 2008,
http://www.ingaa.org/cms/31/7306/7628/7833.aspx
, 51.

34
Potential Gas Committee, “Potential Gas Committee Reports Unprecedented Increase in Magnitude of US Natural Gas Resource Base,” June 18, 2009,
http://www.mines.edu/Potential-Gas-Committee-reports-unprecedented-increase-in-magnitude-of-U
S-natural-gas-resource-base.

35
BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2009.

36
Potential Gas Committee, “Potential Gas Committee Reports Unprecedented Increase.”

37
BP Statistical Review of World Energy 2009.

38
Ibid.

39
Energy Information Administration, “International Natural Gas and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Imports and Exports,”
http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/international/gastrade.html
.

40
International Energy Agency, “Natural Gas Market Review 2009,” 99.

41
Guy Chazan, “Shell Plans to Build Floating LNG Plant,”
Wall Street Journal
, October 9, 2009, B2.