Comments on: Two Energy Futures from Shell Oil http://rs.resalliance.org/2008/02/13/two-energy-futures-from-shell-oil/ coping with ecological suprise in a human dominated world Sun, 07 Sep 2008 00:44:36 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Ben http://rs.resalliance.org/2008/02/13/two-energy-futures-from-shell-oil/#comment-124365 Ben Thu, 14 Feb 2008 16:37:49 +0000 http://rs.resalliance.org/2008/02/13/two-energy-futures-from-shell-oil/#comment-124365 Wow, that's a cool idea, Cliff. Is that a realistic possibility? Two gripes on the original article: 1. It looks like the idea of cutting back on energy usage to any extent has been scrapped in both scenarios. 2. "Blueprints" seems like a misnomer for scenario 2. It suggests that our energy strategy for the next 50 years should be laid out in one big blueprint. Instead, what we need is an evolving strategy, with incentives for sustainible energy driving innovation. No predetermined strategy can succeed for a problem this complex. Wow, that’s a cool idea, Cliff. Is that a realistic possibility?

Two gripes on the original article:
1. It looks like the idea of cutting back on energy usage to any extent has been scrapped in both scenarios.

2. “Blueprints” seems like a misnomer for scenario 2. It suggests that our energy strategy for the next 50 years should be laid out in one big blueprint. Instead, what we need is an evolving strategy, with incentives for sustainible energy driving innovation. No predetermined strategy can succeed for a problem this complex.

]]> By: Cliff Gardner http://rs.resalliance.org/2008/02/13/two-energy-futures-from-shell-oil/#comment-124257 Cliff Gardner Thu, 14 Feb 2008 07:00:40 +0000 http://rs.resalliance.org/2008/02/13/two-energy-futures-from-shell-oil/#comment-124257 (Because CO2 capture and storage adds costs and yields no revenues, government support is needed to make it happen quickly on a scale large enough to affect global emissions. At the least, companies should earn carbon credits for the CO2 they capture and store.) What IF the CO2 emissions from traditional industry being mentioned for sequestration (at cost with no useful value) were instead to be utilized as widely available and low-cost carbon feedstock for a new and powerful biofuel which when diluted in water simply fed the planet's microbes and plants with a free lunch? What then? Who might step up the plate first? Might this be Shell Oil or Shell Chemical? (Because CO2 capture and storage adds costs and yields no revenues, government support is needed to make it happen quickly on a scale large enough to affect global emissions. At the least, companies should earn carbon credits for the CO2 they capture and store.)

What IF the CO2 emissions from traditional industry being mentioned for sequestration (at cost with no useful value) were instead to be utilized as widely available and low-cost carbon feedstock for a new and powerful biofuel which when diluted in water simply fed the planet’s microbes and plants with a free lunch? What then? Who might step up the plate first? Might this be Shell Oil or Shell Chemical?

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