3000 Quads is about energy for the 21st century. The world’s population is now estimated to peak at between 9 and 10 billion people somewhere around 2075. If they use energy at the same rate as the average American, they will consume 3,000 quadrillion btus.
That isn’t written in stone–the Danes use half as much energy per person as Americans and they have a pretty good life. The developing world could aim for a Danish lifestyle instead of Yankee over-exuberance. But if it comes to pass, then we face a dilemma. If most of that energy is provided by burning coal, we face something close to disaster.
My name is Tom Fuller. I have been writing on energy issues for some years now, usually reports with sexy titles like ‘Global Markets for Alternative Energy’ and stuff like that. Believe me, this is more fun.
Your comments are welcome. However, I’d like to ask you to keep this family friendly (in other words, no profanity, please). The reason is that I have hopes that this blog may prove useful in education. Thanks for your restraint.
3000 Quads 
Good afternoon,
I’m curious to know if you’re the same Tom Fuller who was often Dr. Michael Tobis’ foil at “In It for the Gold.”
In any case, I’ve just happened on your site and, so far, pretty interesting.
Hi Hamiltonianfunction, yes, I’m the guy. Or foil. Or whatever. Glad you like it so far. Hope I can keep it up.
Please do, Tom (foil). You might note that I’m catching up tonight after a hiatus and have been more hyperactive than I expected. I do want to now let you know I appreciate not only the information you’re providing, but the attitude you bring to the issues. Being essentially a lurker, who thrives on discussions, I look forward to evermore commenters joining in. Hey, other lurkers, join in!
Kendra, I’m so happy you showed up–lurker or commenter, I don’t care! Good to hear from you.
Well, thank you very much! There was no doubt in my mind I’d follow your writings, wherever they turned up, so your new blog is quite a “convenience”. I read your early posts – various and sundry kept me away til yesterday. I tend to go from one blog to another, reading all I’ve missed – unfortunately can’t always do all the comments – then start back. Included now in my core list, I have yours as well as Tamsin Edwards. When relevant and time permits, I have a whole list of others I visit from time to time.
Just in case I might be speaking for other lurkers too – my must-read including all comments are those with a great discussion going on, with all points of view welcome and discussed, with reasonable and just light moderation (except I simply can’t do all the Curry comments, so I might be wrong in my impression there). And I also enjoy when things get a bit wild – beats TV by far!
I do have a few questions which I’ll probably ask when one of your posts addresses something relevant. Til then…
New Judith Curry Interview Just Published: The IPCC May Have Outlived its Usefulness
Dear Tom,
I just wanted to send you a quick mail to let you know that we have conducted a very interesting interview with the well known climatologist Judith Curry.
It’s a very balanced interview and I thought you and your readers may be interested in reading about Judith’s concerns for climate science, how climate change is affecting the planet, reasons for the increase in scepticism and why climate scientists have lost touch with the public.
You can read the full interview at: http://oilprice.com/The-Environment/Global-Warming/The-IPCC-May-Have-Outlived-its-Usefulness-An-Interview-with-Judith-Curry.html
Some of the questions we asked Judith are:
Q. You have said in the past that you were troubled by the lack of cooperation between organizations studying climate change, and that you want to see more transparency with the data collected. How do you suggest we encourage/force transparency and collaboration?
Q. Do you feel climatologists should be putting more effort into determining the effect of the sun on our climate? As the IPCC primarily focuses on CO2 as the cause of climate change – Is the importance of CO2 overestimated and the importance of the sun is underestimated?
Q. What are your views on the idea that CO2 may not be a significant contributor to climate change?
The full interview is at: http://oilprice.com/The-Environment/Global-Warming/The-IPCC-May-Have-Outlived-its-Usefulness-An-Interview-with-Judith-Curry.html
I hope you find the interview interesting.
Best regards,
James Stafford
News Tip – The Limitless Potential of the E-Cat: An Interview with Andrea Rossi
Dear Tom
I wanted to get in touch as we were fortunate enough to interview the media shy Andrea Rossi, creator of the E-Cat this week and i thought you and your readers may be interested in hearing what he had to say.
Mr. Rossi appears to have produced the first working “cold” fusion device, or low energy nuclear reaction (LENR), with his Energy Catalyser (E-Cat) machine. The E-Cat machine could provide almost limitless, clean, cheap energy and could prove to be one of the greatest inventions of all time.
You can read the full interview at: http://oilprice.com/Interviews/The-Limitless-Potential-of-the-E-Cat-An-Interview-with-Andrea-Rossi.html
It’s quite a long interview as Mr Rossi answered over 40 questions.
Some of the questions we asked Mr. Rossi take a look at:
· Why it took so long for him to go public with his discovery.
· How the E-Cat will produce energy costing $10/megawatt hour.
· When he will release more detailed information on the E-Cat.
· Why he believes international media coverage of the E-Cat has been so muted.
· His feelings towards critics and the scientific community.
· His manufacturing and distribution goals.
· How the E-cat will help reduce mankind’s dependency on fossil fuels.
· + Many more details on the e-cat, LENR and Rossi himself.
The full interview is not available for publication – but we are happy for you to use excerpts with a link back to the source.
The full interview is at: http://oilprice.com/Interviews/The-Limitless-Potential-of-the-E-Cat-An-Interview-with-Andrea-Rossi.html
I hope you find the interview interesting.
Best regards,
James Stafford
News Tip: Making Scotland the Green Energy Capital of Europe – Interview with Alex Salmond
Dear Tom,
We have just published a very interesting interview with Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond which I thought would be a very good fit for your readers. In the interview we talk to Alex about Scotland’s renewable energy plans, Independence and what it will mean for Scotland, Donald Trump and many other topics:
In the interview Alex talks about the following and much more:
• How Scotland will achieve its ambitious renewable energy targets.
• The impact North Sea oil and gas revenues would have on an independent Scotland.
• How Scotland can become the green energy capital of Europe.
• Donald Trump’s recent tantrum over offshore wind energy.
• The impact Independence would have on the Scottish economy.
• Why companies are continuing to invest in Scotland’s renewable energy sector.
• Why Scotland would establish an oil fund and how it would be used.
• Why the shale revolution will not affect investment in Scottish renewables.
• The recent partnership between Scotland and Abu Dhabi.
• How Scotland will achieve its ambitious renewable energy targets.
Sadly the interview is not available for publication in its entirety – but we are happy for you to use extracts if you feel they are of benefit and interest to your readers.
Making Scotland the Green Energy Capital of Europe – Interview with Alex Salmond
http://oilprice.com/Interviews/Making-Scotland-the-Green-Energy-Capital-of-Europe-Interview-with-Alex-Salmond.html
If you have any questions regarding the interview or Oilprice.com please do let me know.
Thank you for your time.
Best regards,
James Stafford
+44 203 239 4080
New Bill McKibben Interview Just Published: Solving the Earth’s Climate Problems
Dear Editor,
I just wanted to send you a quick mail to let you know that we have conducted a very interesting interview with the well known environmentalist Bill McKibben.
It’s an interesting interview and one I thought could work for your readers.
You can read the full interview at: http://oilprice.com/Interviews/Solving-the-Earths-Climate-Problems-An-Interview-with-Bill-Mckibben.html
Some of the topics Bill talks about are:
• Why the West should fund the development of renewable energy in India and China.
• How we can help solve the Earth’s climate problems.
• Why Obama needs to step up his game.
• Big oil’s success at keeping climate change out of the headlines.
• Why he fears Keystone XL will shortly be pushed through.
• Why we have to massively deploy clean energy technology Now!
• His views on the Canadian oil sands.
• The economic impact of a massive transition to renewables.
The full interview is at: http://oilprice.com/Interviews/Solving-the-Earths-Climate-Problems-An-Interview-with-Bill-Mckibben.html
I hope you find the interview interesting.
Best regards,
James Stafford
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Hi, I’ve just discovered this blog by following a link. Very interesting and both sides in the climate debate should be able to share your concerns.
In the spirit of constructive comment, respect and appreciation may I ask some questions please?
1. The world’s human population increases 50% every 30 years. The 6 billion milestone came up on the odometer late in 1999. It took 13 years to add the next billion and by my calcs we’re on track for 9 billion by the year 2030.
2. I’m sure that by 2075, economical alternatives to coal will be available and the nuclear waste problem will be solved. If the deadline is advanced to 2030, however, the “coal death of the universe” (a pun I borrowed from cosmology) is a proximate reality. Why isn’t the money spent on wind turbines rather used for research into economical and practical energy sources?
3. Pictures of Beijing smog. The average American must be saying, “You stole our jobs from us, now suck it up cupcake.” Coal pollution in China and India: how is this the West’s problem?
Many years ago I used to commute between Johannesburg and Mbabane, passing through the thermal power station belt early every Monday morning, and I remember the heavy smog. Irrational maybe but that’s when my opposition to coal first formed.
Keep up the good work.
New Anthony Watts Interview Just Published: Climate Change without Catastrophe (News Tip)
Dear Editor,
I just wanted to send you a quick mail to let you know that we have just conducted a very interesting interview with the well known figure in the climate debate Anthony Watts.
It’s a very interesting chat and whether you agree or disagree with his comments I thought you and your readers would find some value in taking a look
A few of the topics we discussed are:
• The difference between “global warming” and “climate change”
• Why CO2 is partially responsible but oversold
• Why recent major weather events cannot be linked to CO2
• Why we should be more worried about another ice age
• Why carbon taxes won’t have any effect on the whims of Mother Nature
• How the climate debate has taken on religious proportions
• Why the Keystone protests are all for show
• Why Mother Nature will be the final arbiter of truth
• What we should and shouldn’t be doing to address global warming
• Why “climate change” has become a favorite bogeyman
• Why scientifically we’ve only scratched the surface of climate change
You can read the full interview at: http://oilprice.com/Interviews/Climate-Change-without-Catastrophe-Interview-with-Anthony-Watts.html
I hope you find the interview interesting.
Best regards,
James Stafford
Thomas,
There is one fundamental law that needs to be understood. You can believe in and want all the technologies you like. But if they aren’t cheaper than fossil fuels, they will not replace them. I get the sense you haven’t recognised that.
These are the essential and desirable requirements for electricity systems for the world:
Energy supply requirements
The most important requirements for energy supply are:
1. Energy security (refers to the long term; it is especially relevant for extended periods of economic and trade disputes or military disruptions that could threaten energy supply, e.g. 1970’s oil crises [1], world wars, Russia cuts’ off gas supplies to Europe).
2. Reliability of supply (over periods of minutes, hours, days, weeks – e.g. NE USA and Canada 1965 and 2003[2])
3. Low cost energy – energy is a fundamental input to everything humans have; if we increase the cost of energy we retard the rate of improvement of human well-being.
Policies must deliver the above three essential requirements. Second order requirements are:
4. Health and safety
5. Environmentally benign
Why health and safety and environmental impacts are lower priority requirements than energy security, reliability and cost:
This ranking of the criteria is what consumers demonstrate in their choices. They’d prefer to have dirty energy than no energy. It’s that simple. Furthermore, electricity is orders of magnitude safer and healthier than burning dung for cooking and heating inside a hut. The choice is clear. The order of the criteria is clearly demonstrated all over the world and over thousands of years – any energy is better than no energy.
Thomas I hope you respond to a post in the comments section. Please notice the #1 reply.
https://www.quora.com/Are-many-scientists-saying-global-warming-is-out-sheilaand-global-cooling-is-in