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International Emissions Trading
www.InternationalEmissionsTrading.com

International Emissions Trading

What is International Emissions Trading?

International Emissions Trading began with the advent of the Kyoto Protocol and orchestrated by the United Nations which created an international emissions trading system for managing and reducing greenhouse gas emissions to prevent dangerous climate change.  The International Emissions Trading system encourages a path for the deployment of new and existing renewable energy technologies which produce little to no greenhouse gas emissions in the production of power and/or energy.

Carbon dioxide emissions (one of the six greenhouse gas emissions that may be causing climate change or global warming) in the Earth's atmosphere, now (in 2011) stand at 392 ppm (parts per million) by volume.  Carbon dioxide emissions increased by 2.0 ppm during the years 2000–2009.  During the 1960's and 1970's, Carbon dioxide emissions increased at a lower rate which was only 0.9 ppm/yr.  

The increased levels of carbon dioxide emissions in the Earth's atmosphere pre-industrial (before 185) concentrations have  doubled in just the last 30 years.

Carbon dioxide is essential for all life and is essential for plant's photosynthesis.  However, CO2 is also one of the six greenhouse gases thought to be causing havoc with the Earth's climate.  Even though CO2 has a relatively small overall percentage in the total concentration of all chemicals in the atmosphere, it plays an important role in Earth's atmosphere because it absorbs and emits infrared radiation, which plays an important role in the greenhouse effect.

An International Emissions Trading was selected as the method for managing/reducing greenhouse gas emissions as it is superior to a carbon dioxide emissions or greenhouse gas emissions tax or carbon tax.

In the long term, an International Emissions Trading system will lead to a global price for carbon emissions (and the other five greenhouse gases) as well as an international trading system that will be traded like any other commodity regardless of the country, currency or debt markets. In addition, an international price for carbon, as a commodity, produces these new commodities, depending on where the renewable energy generation project is located and whether the country is a signatory to the Kyoto Protocol.

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Related Products and Services

Battery Energy Storage  *  Certified Emission Reductions  *  Clean Development Mechanism 

Clean Power Generation  *   Cogeneration  *  Concentrating Solar Power  *  Demand Side Management 

EcoGeneration  *  Emissions Abatement  *  Engineering Feasibility  *  Engineering Procurement Construction 

Pollution Free Power  *  Trigeneration  *  Voluntary Emission Reductions  *  Waste Heat Recovery

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More about International Emissions Trading

According to the UNFCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change):

Greenhouse gas emissions is a new commodity.  According to several prominent leaders and advocates, greenhouse gas emissions "trading credits" - and one day, greenhouse gas emissions will be the single largest market.  Some expect greenhouse gas emissions trading credits, as a commodity, will be valued in excess of $2 trillion/year. 

Parties with commitments that fall under the Kyoto Protocol - referred to as "Annex B Parties" - have accepted targets for limiting or reducing greenhouse gas emissions.  These emissions reduction "targets" are expressed as levels of permitted emissions, or “assigned amounts,” for the years 2008-2012.  The permitted emissions are divided into “assigned amount units” (AAUs).  For more information on Assigned Amount Units, see our related site:  www.AssignedAmountUnits.com  

Emissions trading, and international emissions trading, according to Article 17 of the Kyoto Protocol, permits countries that have excess greenhouse gas emissions units - i.e. those emissions that are permitted but not "used" - may sell the excess greenhouse gas emissions units or allotments, to those countries that have exceeded their greenhouse gas emissions targets.  This is where a new greenhouse gas emissions commodity was created, in the form of greenhouse gas emissions reductions (or removals).  

As carbon dioxide (CO2) is the leading (or worst offending) of all six greenhouse gases that must be reduced, people generally speak about the/their "carbon footprint," carbon emissions, or trading in carbon.  As a result, carbon is now tracked and traded just like any other commodity, whether that's gold, silver, corn, oil or pork bellies.  Together, this is known as the "carbon market." 

Other "trading units" in the greenhouse gas emissions marketplace

More than just the actual carbon emissions units or credits can be traded and sold under the Kyoto Protocol’s international emissions trading "scheme."

The other units or credits which may be transferred under the scheme, each equal to one ton of CO2, may be in the form of:

• A Removal Unit (RMU) which is based on land use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF) activities such as reforestation

• An emission reduction credit or unit (ERC or ERU) which is generated through a "joint implementation"project.

• A "certified emission reduction" (CER) which is generated from a qualifying clean development mechanism project

All transfers and acquisitions of the above credits or "units" are tracked and recorded through the registry systems under the Kyoto Protocol.  An international transaction log ensures the secure transfer of these credits or units between the respective countries.

The commitment period reserve

In order to address the concern that Parties could "oversell" units, and subsequently be unable to meet their own emissions targets, each Party is required to maintain a reserve capacity of AAUs, CERs, ERCs/ERUs, and/or RMUs in each country's respective (national) registry.  This reserve, also known as the "commitment period reserve" is NOT to fall below 90 per cent of the Party's assigned amount - or 100 per cent of five times its most recently reviewed inventory, whichever is lowest. 

Relationships between the domestic and regional emissions trading schemes

Emissions trading schemes may be established as climate policy instruments at the national or country level as well as the regional level.  Under such schemes, governments set emissions reductions obligations that are to be reached/achievedby the participating entities.  At present, the European Union emissions trading scheme (EUETS) is the largest in operation.

What is Concentrating Solar Power?

Concentrating solar power plants produce electric power by converting the sun's energy into high-temperature heat using various mirror configurations. The heat is then channeled through a conventional generator. The plants consist of two parts: one that collects solar energy and converts it to heat, and another that converts heat energy to electricity.

Concentrating solar power systems can be sized for village power (10 kilowatts) or grid-connected applications (up to 100 megawatts). Some systems use thermal storage during cloudy periods or at night. Others can be combined with natural gas and the resulting hybrid power plants provide high-value, dispatchable power. These attributes, along with world record solar-to-electric conversion efficiencies, make concentrating solar power an attractive renewable energy option in the Southwest and other sunbelt regions worldwide.

Why Concentrating Solar Power is one of the Few "Superior" Renewable Energy Technologies

Concentrating solar power plants use the high annual solar irradiance of the geographic location to generate "carbon free energy" and "pollution free power."  

For generating power after the sun sets, many owners/developer of concentrating solar power plants are now installing "Molten Salt Storage" systems that reserves enough energy to allow for electricity generation throughout the nighttime period.  

Steam turbines and gas turbines powered by coal, uranium, oil and natural gas are the fuels used today for generating power and electric grid stability.  These fuels provide both base-load and peak power.  However, these same steam turbines can also be powered by the high temperature heat from concentrating solar power plants. 

Concentrating solar power plants in the 30 MW - 200 MW range are now operating successfully in locations from California to Europe.  Nearly every day now, new concentrating solar power plants are being planned for construction.  The concentrating solar collectors are very efficient and they also completely replace the fossil fuels that were used in traditional power plants.  Today's concentrating solar power plants generate the heat needed to generate electricity at a cost equivalent to $50 - $60 per barrel of oil (equivalent).  This cost is expected be slashed by 50% to below $25 - $30 per barrel in the next 10 years.  

Just like conventional fossil-fueled power plants, concentrating solar power plants generate  base-load and peaking power electricity.  

Just like fossil fuel fired conventional power plants, concentrating solar power plants have an availability that is close to 100 %, but without the carbon emissions, carbon dioxide emissions, hazardous air pollutants, nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds and greenhouse gas emissions that fossil fuel power plants emit.

A concentrating solar power plant with a molten salt storage facility for full load operation during the nighttime period is currently being built in the Spanish Sierra Nevada near Guadix. This concentrating solar power plant will generate 50 MW of power.

Another feature that distinguishes concentrating solar power plants is the opportunity for combined generation of heat and power - a technology that is called "Integrated Solar Combined Cycle" which achieves the highest possible efficiencies for energy conversion. In addition to power generation, such plants can provide steam for absorption chillers and/or adsorption chillers, industrial process heat or thermal ocean water desalination. A design study for such a plant was completed in 2006.  This plant is scheduled to be commissioned in early 2009. This Integrated Solar Combined Cycle will provide 10 MW of power, 40 MW of district cooling and 10,000 cubic meters per day of desalted water for a large hotel in Jordan.

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What is Integrated Solar Combined Cycle?

Integrated solar combined cycle or "ISCC" is a solar power generation technology that combines or integrates solar power generation with natural gas based combined cycle power plant sharing the same power block.  

The Department of Energy and National Renewable Energy Laboratory states that ISCC plants provide the following economic and thermodynamic benefits:

• Incremental Rankine cycle efficiencies are 95 to 120 percent those of a SEGS plant, and up to 105 percent those of a combined cycle plant.

• Daily steam turbine startup losses are eliminated

• Incremental Rankine cycle power plant costs are 25 to 75 percent those of a SEGS plant

• Solar conversion efficiencies are higher than conventional plants, yet Brayton Cycle and Rankine Cycle conditions remain unchanged

• Thermodynamic availability is improved by reducing temperature difference in heat transfer

• Largest Rankine cycle temperature differences occur in high pressure evaporator of the heat recovery steam generator

Thermodynamic Benefits

• The most efficient use of solar energy is displacing saturated steam production

• Corollary: Sensible heat transfer has the smallest temperature differences; thus, the least efficient use of solar energy is feedwater preheating and steam superheating Heat Transfer Diagram for Combined Cycle Plant ISCCS with Small Solar Input
ISCCS with Large Solar Input

 
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All the Electricity the World Needs With Zero Greenhouse Gas Emissions
from Concentrating Solar Power and Integrated Solar Combined Cycle 
Plants Using a Very Small Parts of the Deserts

In the map below, the larger red square on the left shows an area of hot desert that, if covered with concentrating solar power plants, 
would produce as much electricity as the world currently uses. The smaller square shows a corresponding area for providing all of the 
power needed by the European Union.



The map and information above courtesy of www.Desertec.org

The Following Press Release Re-printed with Permission from The World Bank

Over $5.5 billion in New Investment for Clean Energy Technology in the Middle East and North Africa Region

World Bank Press Release No:2010/MNA/183

Washington, DC, December 9, 2009 - The Clean Technology Fund (CTF) approved financing of $750 million on December 2, 2009, which will mobilize an additional $4.85 billion from other sources, to accelerate global deployment of Concentrated Solar Power (CSP). It will do so by investing in the CSP programs of five countries in the Middle East and North Africa: Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, and Tunisia. The CTF is a multi-donor trust fund to facilitate deployment of low-carbon technologies at scale. Specifically, the CTF approved an investment plan which will:

• Enable MENA to contribute the benefit of its unique geography to global climate change mitigation -- no other region has such a favorable combination of physical and market advantages for CSP;
  

• Support the deployment of about 1 gigawatt of CSP generation capacity, amounting to a tripling of worldwide CSP capacity;
  

• Support associated transmission infrastructure in the Maghreb and Mashreq for domestic supply and exports, as part of Mediterranean grid enhancement. This will enable the scale up of CSP through market integration in the region;
  

• Leverage public and private investments for CSP power plants, thereby almost tripling current global investments in CSP; and
  

• Support MENA countries to achieve their development goals of energy security, industrial growth and diversification, and regional integration

The proposed gigawatt-scale deployment through 11 commercial-scale power plants over a 3-5 year time-frame would provide the critical mass of investments necessary to attract significant private sector interest, benefit from economies of scale to reduce cost, result in learning in diverse operating conditions, and manage risk.

Shamshad Akhtar, World Bank Regional Vice President of the Middle East and North Africa, said “This is a most strategic and significant initiative for MENA countries. The initiative would leverage energy diversification, while promoting Euro-Mediterranean integration to the benefit of MENA countries that will be able to exploit one of the major untapped sources of energy. This endeavor is far-reaching with global objectives, implications, and potential impact. It will facilitate faster and greater diffusion of this technology in this region which holds significant potential for CSP".

Potential for Green House Gas (GHG) reduction: The proposed projects will avoid about 1.7 million tons of carbon dioxide per year from the energy sectors of the countries. If the program is successful and replicated, the global benefits will be far larger. The transformational objective of this investment plan is served by accelerating cost reduction for a technology that could become least-cost globally, and then be replicated in other countries with high GHG emissions.

Expected Results from the Investment plan: The results indicators for the investment plan are:

§ GHG reductions of at least 1.7 million tons of CO2-equivalent per year.

§ Approximately 900 MW of installed CSP capacity by 2020.

§ $4.85 billion of co-financing mobilized, including sufficient concessional financing to ensure viability of CSP plants.

§ Cost of typical solar field in US$ per m2 is expected to decline over the life of the program.

The Climate Investment Funds (CIF), implemented jointly by the African Development Bank, Asian Development Bank, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Inter-American Development Bank, International Finance Corporation, and World Bank, is comprised of the CTF to provide scaled up financing for the demonstration, deployment and transfer of low carbon technologies that have a significant potential for long-term greenhouse gas emissions savings; and the SCF, a suite of three targeted programs to pilot new approaches to climate action, each with potential for scaled up, transformational action: the Pilot Program for Climate Resilience (PPCR), the Forest Investment Program (FIP) and the Program for Scaling Up Renewable Energy in Low Income Countries (SREP).

What is Concentrating Solar Power?

Concentrating solar power plants produce electric power by converting the sun's energy into high-temperature heat using various mirror configurations. The heat is then channeled through a conventional generator. The plants consist of two parts: one that collects solar energy and converts it to heat, and another that converts heat energy to electricity.

Concentrating solar power systems can be sized for village power (10 kilowatts) or grid-connected applications (up to 100 megawatts). Some systems use thermal storage during cloudy periods or at night. Others can be combined with natural gas and the resulting hybrid power plants provide high-value, dispatchable power. These attributes, along with world record solar-to-electric conversion efficiencies, make concentrating solar power an attractive renewable energy option in the Southwest and other sunbelt regions worldwide.

Why Concentrating Solar Power is one of the Few "Superior" Renewable Energy Technologies

Concentrating solar power plants use the high annual solar irradiance of the geographic location to generate "carbon free energy" and "pollution free power."  

For generating power after the sun sets, many owners/developer of concentrating solar power plants are now installing "Molten Salt Storage" systems that reserves enough energy to allow for electricity generation throughout the nighttime period.  

Steam turbines and gas turbines powered by coal, uranium, oil and natural gas are the fuels used today for generating power and electric grid stability.  These fuels provide both base-load and peak power.  However, these same steam turbines can also be powered by the high temperature heat from concentrating solar power plants. 

Concentrating solar power plants in the 30 MW - 200 MW range are now operating successfully in locations from California to Europe.  Nearly every day now, new concentrating solar power plants are being planned for construction.  The concentrating solar collectors are very efficient and they also completely replace the fossil fuels that were used in traditional power plants.  Today's concentrating solar power plants generate the heat needed to generate electricity at a cost equivalent to $50 - $60 per barrel of oil (equivalent).  This cost is expected be slashed by 50% to below $25 - $30 per barrel in the next 10 years.  

Just like conventional fossil-fueled power plants, concentrating solar power plants generate  base-load and peaking power electricity.  

Just like fossil fuel fired conventional power plants, concentrating solar power plants have an availability that is close to 100 %, but without the carbon emissions, carbon dioxide emissions, hazardous air pollutants, nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds and greenhouse gas emissions that fossil fuel power plants emit.

A concentrating solar power plant with a molten salt storage facility for full load operation during the nighttime period is currently being built in the Spanish Sierra Nevada near Guadix. This concentrating solar power plant will generate 50 MW of power.

Another feature that distinguishes concentrating solar power plants is the opportunity for combined generation of heat and power - a technology that is called "Integrated Solar Combined Cycle" which achieves the highest possible efficiencies for energy conversion. In addition to power generation, such plants can provide steam for absorption chillers and/or adsorption chillers, industrial process heat or thermal ocean water desalination. A design study for such a plant was completed in 2006.  This plant is scheduled to be commissioned in early 2009. This Integrated Solar Combined Cycle will provide 10 MW of power, 40 MW of district cooling and 10,000 cubic meters per day of desalted water for a large hotel in Jordan.

What is a "Parabolic Trough" or a "Parabolic Trough Collector"?

A parabolic trough or a parabolic trough collector, is one of the components that make up a concentrating solar power plant.

Parabolic Troughs are, in essence, curved mirrors designed to reflect the energy from the sunlight, onto a "Dewar Tube" that  run the length of the parabolic trough's focal point.  Parabolic Troughs are typically constructed with either a coated silver or polished aluminum. 

Parabolic Troughs are aligned on a north-south basis and they track or rotate throughout the day to follow the sun in order to keep the maximum amount of the sun's available energy concentrated on them.

Inside the Dewar Tube is a "heat transfer fluid" that absorbs the heat energy from the sun, which is then pumped from the Dewar Tube to a Heat Recovery Steam Generator, where the heat energy is converted into steam, which then drives one or more steam turbines, which is connected to a synchronous generator, which then generates electricity and is sent to the electric grid. 

The temperature of the heat transfer fluid quickly reaches 750 degrees as the sun's energy is captured by the Parabolic Troughs.  The overall process is very economical and thermal efficiency ranges from about 60% to as high as 80%.

High Concentration Photovoltaic
www.HighConcentrationPhotovoltaic.com

HCPV & Concentrated Solar Power Project Development, Engineering, 
Feasibility Studies and Consulting Services

Email:  info@HighConcentrationPhotovoltaic.com

What is High Concentration Photovoltaic or HCPV?

" High Concentration Photovoltaic" or "HCPV" power plants are fueled with the energy from the sun. HCPV power plants operate at much higher efficiencies compared with typical solar PV panels.  Our HCPV technology is now at 41% efficiency, as compared with standard PV panels that are around 12% to 17% efficiency.  HCPV "concentrates" large amounts of solar energy onto small amounts of active solar material. 

Best of all, our HCPV solar power plants use about 99% less water than typical concentrating solar power plants.  And, our HCPV solar power plants generate 1 MW of electricity on 50% less land than concentrating solar power plants at about 40% less cost.

There is nothing in the solar industry that can compete with our HCPV technology!

What is "Concentration Photovoltaic" or "Concentrating Photovoltaic"? 

Today's typical photovoltaic ("PV") solar panels and energy systems are stationary flat-plate photovoltaic panels that are seen on roof-tops of homes and commercial businesses.  These photovoltaic systems are costly, covered with solar cells, and rely upon the direct illumination of sunlight on the entire surface of the PV panels. Unlike these typical PV panels, systems, "concentration photovoltaic" systems use a Fresnel lens that is located between the sun and the solar cells to focus and magnify sunlight onto the solar cells that are anywhere from 250 to 500 times smaller than the typical "one-sun" PV solar panels.  Concentration photovoltaic systems effectively replaces inexpensive plastic (Fresnel) lenses in place of the expensive silicon solar cells.

The efficiency of any solar-electric system increases if the sun is "tracked" to absorb the most direct normal sunlight.  Today's concentration photovoltaic solar systems integrate "track" the sun, to maintain maximum energy transfer from the sun to the solar cells. They are completely automated and integrate a tracking software control system that is hydraulically-driven.  Concentration photovoltaic solar systems integrate the Fresnel lens, solar cell, and solar receiver plate into the system.

We provide Concentration Photovoltaic, High Concentration Photovoltaic and Concentrating Solar Power:

• Project Development

• Project Finance/Investments

• Engineering

• Feasibility Studies 

• Legal

• Finance/Funding/Investments

• Power Purchase Agreements

• Interconnection Agreements

and other related consulting services.

Our work is performed on a strict adherence to "vendor-neutrality."   We seek to maximize the return on investment from both the economic and environmental aspects while simultaneously minimizing the operational expenses for our clients.

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What is "Decentralized Energy"?

Decentralized Energy is the opposite of "centralized energy."  Decentralized Energy energy generates the power and energy that a residential, commercial or industrial customer needs, onsite. Examples of decentralized energy production are solar energy systems and solar trigeneration energy systems.

Today's electric utility industry was "born" in the 1930's, when fossil fuel prices were cheap, and the cost of wheeling the electricity via transmission power lines, was also cheap.  "Central" power plants could be located hundreds of miles from the load centers, or cities, where the electricity was needed. These extreme inefficiencies and cheap fossil fuel prices have added a considerable economic and environmental burden to the consumers and the planet.

Centralized energy is found in the form of electric utility companies that generate power from "central" power plants. Central power plants are highly inefficient, averaging only 33% net system efficiency.  This means that the power coming to your home or business - including the line losses and transmission inefficiencies of moving the power - has lost 75% to as much as 80% energy it started with at the "central" power plant.  These losses and inefficiencies translate into significantly increased energy expenses by the residential and commercial consumers.

Decentralized Energy is the Best Way to Generate Clean and Green Energy! 

How we make and distribute electricity is changing! 

The electric power generation, transmission and distribution system (the electric "grid") is changing and evolving from the electric grid of the 19th and 20th centuries, which was inefficient, highly-polluting, very expensive and “dumb.”  

The "old" way of generating and distributing energy resembles this slide:

The electric grid of the 21st century (see slide below) will be Decentralized, Smart, Efficient and provide "carbon free energy" and “pollution free power” to customers who remain on the electric grid.  The electric grid of the future will be comprised of both Onsite Power Generation plants and "utility scale power plants" that are fueled/powered with Biomass Gasification, Biomethane, Concentrating Solar Power, B100 Biodiesel, Distributed PV, EcoGeneration Systems, Geothermal Power Plants, Synthesis Gas, Rooftop PV, Solar Cogeneration, Solar Energy Systems, Solar Power Parks, Solar Trigeneration and Wind Power Generation  - located at Residential, Commercial, Industrial and City/Municipal Locations. 

Some customers will choose to dis-connect from the grid entirely.  (Electric grid represented by the small light blue circles in the slide below.)

The transmission grid will be upgraded to a "Unified Smart Grid" with green electrons now being wheeled via "High Voltage Direct Current."

Typical "central" power plants and the electric utility companies that own them will either be shut-down, closed or go out of business due to one or more of the following:

• failed business model

• inordinate expenses and high operating costs to run central power plants

• utilities and their central power plants are inefficient and generate excessive pollution/emissions

• continued reliance on fossil fuels to generate energy

• the failure of utilities to provide efficient, carbon free energy, clean power generation and pollution free power. 

Decentralized energy, carbon free energy, clean power generation and pollution free power technologies ARE the future - whether the utility giants recognize this fact or not.  These green and sustainable energy technologies will reduce, and one day eliminate America's dependence on foreign oil - making America energy independent while reducing and eliminating Greenhouse Gas Emissions - and could mean the end of central power plants as well as the utility companies that own and operate them!

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Hubbert's Peak Oil Predictions Now Proving True?

Marion King Hubbert was a geologist and scientist who worked at Shell Oil company's research lab in Houston, Texas.  Hubbert made several important contributions to geology, geophysics and petroleum geology.  Hubbert is most recognized for the "Hubbert Curve" and " Hubbert Peak Theory" which is now referred to as " Peak Oil. 

Hubbert's life work determined that the world has a finite amount of petroleum that can be produced.  (Similarly, there is a finite amount of coal.) Many scientists and engineers believe we have reached Hubbert's "peak oil" limit.  Hubbert's espouses that when 50% of domestic crude oil production has been reached, that there will be such significant upward demand on prices of the limited supplies of oil production, that the U.S. economy will experience severe economic, social, and political turmoil.

Hubbert's Peak Oil predictions have proven to be true and this is validated as the U.S. in the early 1970's produced about 60% of its' oil demand and imported 40%.  That equation has flipped since then, because our domestic oil production has been on the decline since 1970, so now, due to our declining domestic oil production, we have to import 60% of our oil supplies, to meet our country's oil/energy demands.

The Next Oil Shock Could be the "mother" of All Oil Shocks

How severe our economic calamity and next "oil shock" will depend upon a number of factors, including when this occurs, as well as the following:

1.  the dependence of the individual country upon its own crude oil production to meet its energy needs and to subsidize consumer imports; 

2.  the rate of relative decline in crude oil production; 

3.  the degree of difficulty encountered in replacing missing energy inputs; 

4.  the degree to which our country had prepared in advance for this inevitable geological and economic calamity.

Examples of past "oil shocks" and the economic and political calamities that followed:

United States: Our peak crude oil production of domestic oil occurred in 1970; the first "oil shock" and oil crisis followed in 1973 with the Arab/OPEC Oil Embargo.

Iran: Their peak crude oil production occurred in 1974; They had their islamic revolution 1979 that overturned government and replaced it with radical islam.

Soviet Union: Their peak crude oil production was in 1989; what happened next? 
Their country disintegrated and the collapse of the Soviet Union followed in 1991. 

Indonesia: Their peak crude oil production was in 1991; their financial and government crisis followed in 1997.

Iraq: Iraq's crude oil production was in 1989; they then invaded Kuwait (for their oil) in 1991.

Using Mr. Hubbert's predictions, that beginning around 2000  we would see peak (global) oil production, then, if the country's not weaning themselves off of their oil addiction, and had not begun making the switch to renewable energy, that the negative economic and political calamities would soon follow, including ever-increasing prices of energy that is from fossil fuels. 

Now is the time to begin weaning ourselves off of fossil fuels and making the transition to and increasing the use of renewable energy. If you don't believe in climate change, or global warming, GREAT! Join us in the switch to renewable energy and a fossil-free economy!

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America's Clear and Present Danger

America Has INCREASED its' Dependence on Foreign 
Sources of Energy by 50% Since 1973.

America is even more "addicted" to foreign oil today, than we were in 1973 - 1974 when OPEC, Saudi Arabia and other suppliers from the Middle-East  stopped selling us their fossil fuels, and created a significant blow to our economy.

According to Monty Goodell, Founder and Chairman of the Renewable Energy Institute, "our increased dependence and reliance on foreign energy supplies represents a Clear and Present Danger to our national security, our economy, and the lives and livelihood of every American. Energy - including the energy we use from imported fossil fuels, is the very "lifeblood" of the American economy as it is for every industrialized country.  An economy dies without it's lifeblood of energy. This Clear and Present Danger we face is far more serious than the problems related to greenhouse gas emissions.  And while greenhouse gas emissions are very serious issue, in the long-term, pales in comparison to America's vital national security interests and America's economic stability in the short term.  For this reason alone, America needs to transition away from its addiction to foreign energy supplies. And America's abundant renewable energy resources such as the energy we receive from the sun, and renewable energy technologies such as concentrated solar power (CSP) plants - can supply 100% of America's power requirements with a concentrating solar power plant measuring 75 miles by 75 miles, located in the Southwest U.S.  By generating America's power from concentrating solar power plants, America resolves its' short-term Clear and Present Danger as it relates to importing its energy from foreign countries, and the long-term problems relating to greenhouse gas emissions."

Continuing, Mr. Goodell states that "too many Americans have forgotten what happened to us in 1973, when the Arabs and OPEC brought the United States economy to a screeching halt during the OPEC Oil Embargo.  This happened because they (mainly the country of Saudi Arabia) disagreed with our foreign policy and is the reason why they "turned off the tap" of our need for their oil supplies. When Saudi Arabia and OPEC stopped the vital flow of oil to our country in 1973, they caused an "oil shock" that severely and negatively impacted our economy. 

Mr. Goodell's question for us to ponder is, "do these countries who sell us 60% of our daily energy requirements, like us and our foreign policy, or might they leverage our addiction to their fossil fuels, and turn off the tap to make us adjust or revise our foreign policy??  Like any addict, America's foreign policy may be held hostage to its addiction, and in this case, our addiction to foreign oil, may over-ride our national interests."

Have American's forgotten the gas shortages and long lines at 
their gas stations to get gas during the Arab Oil Embargo of 1973? 

"Apparently so."  Mr. Goodell states that "in 1973, America was 'addicted' and 'over the barrel' of foreign oil to the amount of 40%.  Forty percent of our energy 'needs' in 1973 came from countries - many of which didn't like us then, and I'm afraid, many of them still don't.  The difference between 1973 and today - is that today we receive 50% MORE foreign oil now than we did in 1973.  And now we know about the problems relating to greenhouse gas emissions that we didn't know then.  America needs to change course, and change course now, in terms of its' energy supplies and how we keep America's economy strong, without the threat of being held hostage to a middle-east tyrant or regime, that could once again, turn on us, and turn off our supply of foreign oil." 

Remember ????

"Sadly," Monty Goodell continues, "most Americans have forgotten the long lines of people waiting in their cars - lined up and waiting for gasoline at their nearby gas station, with lines that were many blocks long.  And, after waiting 4-5 hours, many even waiting overnight in many places, to finally take their turn to fill up their car with gasoline, only to find that the gas station had run out of gas." 

"Let me Repeat.... That was 1973 when we imported 40% of our daily energy requirements in the form of crude oil from overseas, and from foreign countries - and many of these from countries that don't like us.

Today, over 35 years later, America has yet to learn the lesson.  We cannot continue our reliance on energy from foreign countries that supply us with 60% of the crude oil that our refineries use as a feedstock for producing gasoline and diesel fuel for our cars and trucks comes from overseas. 

America is "over the barrel" and it's not our barrel, but the barrels of oil that we are addicted by and owned by other countries.  Why have we not learned the lessons we needed to learn in 1973 when we were cut-off from the vital energy supplies we need? 

Countries like China, are growing rapidly, and have an insatiable need for crude oil. China, with their booming economy, is increasingly growing in its clout and control over international supplies of crude oil - whether they do this through their ability to buy as much oil as they need on a daily basis, or whether they simply but American drilling rigs, technology, and explore and produce oil and gas from their own fields. China, is buying large amounts of oil for their country, and causing upward pricing on declining supplies. What happens if Russia, with all of their oil and natural gas, along with China and Venezuela, with or without the help of OPEC, decided to NOT sell oil to us????

To be sure, greenhouse gas emissions are a problem, and to some, greenhouse gas emissions are also a Clear and Present Danger, but not to the extent that it presents an imminent Clear and Present Danger. 

America's reliance for 60% of our energy "needs" coming from foreign suppliers is un-acceptable.

The "driver" to get America to begin reducing and eliminating fossil fuel use should be our nation's national security and the welfare and safety of its citizens. And this can all begin with developing and investing in our own renewable energy resources and renewable energy technologies, let's start by putting solar on every rooftop that has a clear and unobstructed view of the Southern sky. See www.RooftopPV.com  or  www.DistributedPV.com  for more information.  Let's create incentives begin with adopting a national "Feed In Tariff" as Germany did in 1990. 

America, we simply do NOT have the luxury of time on our hands.  We need to end our dependence and reliance on foreign fossil fuels, especially from countries that don't like us! We need to rapidly begin expanding renewable energy resources and renewable energy technologies from our vast and abundant renewable energy resources, such as; solar, solar energy systems, solar cogeneration, solar trigeneration, "solar on every roof," waste to energy, waste to fuel, biomass gasification, B100 Biodiesel, Biomethane, Synthesis Gas, geothermal, E100 Ethanol (from sugar cane and NOT from corn), and wind, where it makes economic sense."   

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The Renewable Energy Institute is "Changing The Way The World Makes and Uses Energy by Providing Research & Development, Funding and Resources That Creates Sustainable Energy via 'Carbon Free Energy' and 'Pollution Free Power' Through Expanding the use of Renewable Energy Technologies."

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