Avery Lovins (RMI) on energy solutions

Avery Lovins of the Rocky Mountain Institute on enrgy solutions for a warming world facing the end of 'cheap' oil.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• globalwarming
• green
• alternativeenergy
• averylovins
• sustainability
• renewables
• rmi

[LatteLiberal]

We need GOD not solar power. We need FAITH not dissent. We need NUCLEAR not hippie power. As a stockholder in normal regular energy companies I dont like these liberals telling people fossil fuels are wrong or expensive. War creates more jobs than peace. Think about that next time you buy a hybrid because you think youre helping.

[UpBeatnik]

Don't you love how along with the amazing freeing of information the internet facilitates, it also allows the most deranged, nutty and misinformed to broadcast their ignorance on a global basis!?! A warmongering religious nut,....whats next? Not censorship, at least not in this quarter. Although with comments like the previous,it sure seems tempting at times!!

Vic Aguilar

aka

UpBeatnik

[juscurious]

The Rocky Mountain Institute hasn't solved any problems. It's a quack organization that makes it's money by fooling the stupid. Give me an idea of something they have done? I repeat. They have solved NO problems. NONE. QUACK, QUACK, QUACK. This is a total fraud. Give me some examples of what they have done? Sure you can do things in a Greenhouse at enormous costs. FRAUD Alert!

[UpBeatnik]

Being the 'poster' of this vid, I am completely within my prerogative to delete this uninformed, unsubstantiated comment. But that would smack of censorship. Besides the rebuttals make some valid points about RMI and Lovins track record. I suggest 'juscurious' watch (or rewatch) the video in it's entirety before making such ignorant comments. Vic Aguilar aka UpBeatnik

[FreesWorld]

Hi UpBeatnik. Please don't do that. Look at the good that has been done. Instead of everyone saying, "what a great vid" we are talking. Perhaps juscurious has an ax to grind. Fine, if he can show where nuclear is such a great idea and it will save us, I'm all for it. Because of your post, the people of the country can have a discussion. That's amazing. Think about it; we don't know each other, but we can bring our individual education and experience online to work on problems. Way cool.

[UpBeatnik]

Don't worry. I firmly agree in a free and open forum. I just wish we could attract more informed, edifying participants instead of all the usual naysayers, poopooers, and generally uninformed voices that seem at times to predominate. No censoship, but a lot of consternation on my part on how we have to waste time correcting these people who clearly have not taken commensurate time in advance to properly inform themselves before they speak.

Vic Aguilar

aka

UpBeatnik

[JBC814]

If there is a "free and open forum" dealing with new technologies, then why can't I get an answer to my question: Why are propeller windmills used instead of the much more efficient and safer vertical-axis windmills? It looks like deals are being made under the table, because prop mills are stupid in comparison. See sauerpower(dot)com.

[commandersprocket]

re: "I guess all the people at Ford, GM, Toyota... just dummies and won't get with the program: No they're not dummies, they are working with a material that they understand AND that they have shaping equipment for. Moving to CF is expensive: it means billions of dollars of retooling, learning a new set of skills and a new set of suppliers. There was an article in Business Week Jul08 suggesting Japanese Co. moving to CF. We did the research for hybrids then threw it away (PNGV) is CF the same?

[juscurious]

Sprokethead,

Show examples of products that are made from this that save energy. I want specifics and not some vague terms like products. Some others have commented that CF cars are viable but the auto makers just won't see the light. Look I guess all the people at Ford, GM, Toyota, BMW, Nissian, Mercedes Benz etc are just dummies and won't get with the program. I guess you will have to proscribe some Lovins Kool-Aid for these stubbon and recalcitrant types. Go Nuclear, it's the ONLY solution.

[commandersprocket]

While negawatts are cheaper than megawatts for the time being. They may not support a world population of 8 billion at a standard of living equivalent to current first world standards. Solar, wind and biofuels as well as nuclear, clean coal, and garbage incineration (and garbage to oil) all deserve research money IMO. It looks to me like we're moving from a petroleum energy based economy to a heterogeneous energy based economy, and all energy sources deserve at least a shot at research.

[commandersprocket]

Irony? Sarcasm? I think that we need to see nuclear power as having enormous potential. Gen I and gen II power plants (those that have been built up till now) are too expensive, use too much fuel,and produce too much waste. Next gen plant designs won't have the same problems. Gen IV thorium plants would produce a small fraction of the waste, be much safer, use cheaper fuel, and potentially much cheaper to build. Inertial electrostatic confinement fusion looks very interesting as well.

[commandersprocket]

RMI started up Fiberforge, you can look them up on line, they've invented a way to rapidly form carbon(or aramid) fibers into products (solving an existing problem of hand shaped carbon fiber being prohibitively expensive) which is making a huge change in the way many products are built today. What business have you started?

[commandersprocket]

Perhaps you didn't read what I wrote. The secondary effect of the natural lighting (and IR insulating glass is available) was that same store sales were up dramatically. A big part of RMI's push to companies is to allow their engineers to solve problems rather than having their business people block the problems. In office spaces where natural light was used, sick days were reduced by >5% (paying for the change in lighting conditions in the first year).

[FreesWorld]

Thank you Commandersprocket,

That's good info. Hope Mr. Lovins is right and some automaker listens to him. Also hopefully they can make it work. I guess we'll see when CF cars are involved in accidents.

If I understand Mr. Lovins correctly, he is saying that we can continue our current lifestyle, just do it smarter. I don't know if that's possible or even desireable. I guess we will see. Anyway, thanks again.

[juscurious]

WOW what a revelation. Natural Lighting is less expendise than using electrical energy for lighting. That ought to win him a nobel prize. This is such common sense and newer buildings have been doing this for some time. However there is a trade off. Too much natural light in warm climates will bring in heat as well and this will cause your air conditioning to work harder. On a cold sunny day this works to your advantage, but on a hot sunny day it will hurt. Things are as simple as you think.

[commandersprocket]

Fiberforge: If/when those cars get built,

Pros:

1. far fewer parts,

2. be easier to assemble,

3. weight savings will also mean a much smaller engine (which in itself will save a lot of weight).

4. designers have more freedom (steel weakens when it's deformed too much).

Cons:

1. Strength of CF is very directional and designers and engineers will need to understand those limits.

2. CF production currently too small for auto applications.

3. More expensive material (balanced out by Pro's 1&2)