Comments by Jesse Parent Subscribe

On Reaching Energy Limits in a Finite World

Agreed, Rick.

On What Nuclear Energy Can Learn From Spectra Natural Gas Pipeline Campaign [VIDEO]

Don't get me wrong, though - Nuclear Energy needs a ton of PR help in my opinion. I wish there were more videos and statistics and 'happy people' talking about the benefits of nuclear energy. I guess to be devil's advocate - at least this is a video that tries to engage people on something - but this being TEC and us being the energy scrutinizers that we are - we're going to have our opinions.

More is  in order - even those sappy, we're all one big family, here I care about us kind of videos -- if that's where substantial PR (alas, even marketing) would dictate. I don't generally push for  more 'marketing' or image-pushing, but, in the case of nuclear energy, there is a steep hill to climb. A steep hill, and very little positive inertia on its own.

Even regarding things here in New York, I've heard more about basically every other type of energy - natural gas / fracking, solar, wind, even biofuel - rather than nuclear.

On Ozone Pollution from Oil and Gas Linked to More Health Clinic Visits

Nice - I haven't heard that much about the ozone connection. Will be looking into it more.

On Reaching Energy Limits in a Finite World

As always, awesome stuff. Glad to see the journals, research, publications, and so on - it's nice to see that patiently putting together all the different pieces can lead to something usefl, and that people do want to hear about it, get it published. Gives me hope.

On What Nuclear Energy Can Learn From Spectra Natural Gas Pipeline Campaign [VIDEO]

Eh, not sure Indian Point is really an ideal location, however you want to cut it. Seems like a curious choice for an ailing Nuclear PR campaign.

On Reaching Oil Limits: New Paradigms are Needed

This is great stuff, Gail - perhaps one of the best summaries of where we are in today's world on some of the biggest macro level issues we're facing. This is the kind of stuff we have to be aware of, the more complete picture, when making other decisions - policy or personal.

“We are facing a financial collapse scenario that is likely to wreak havoc on all energy sources at once.”

Indeed, and I think this situation is only going to further 'wreak havoc' on many of the conventional ways of talking about and discussing 'important issues' of our time; the way people are trained (including academically), or news is delivered, that kind of context is far and wide not there. Or if it is, it is alarmist and defeatist, usually.

This post touches on some of my motivations for what I strive to do - and I'm glad to see the subject material covered reasonably, and with proper respect.

Finally, the closing section I find particularly refreshing and appropriate.

"We have come to believe that we can and will fix all of the problems of tomorrow. Perhaps we can; but perhaps we cannot. Maybe we need to simply take each day as it comes, and solve that day’s problems as best as we can. That may be all we can reasonably accomplish."

At this point in my understanding of the world we're in, it's clear that there is a Heisenberg/observer effect at play - there is only so much we can know or see at a given time, and while grand strategies are important, understanding where headway can be mead in the more near or medium terms is just as, if not more, vital. There are some unknowns that will only be revealed as the present evolves.

... I think a lot of discussion, 'energy' (mental, emotional, enthusiasm, etc), time, and words are wasted on arbitrary or highly contingent states - in large part because they are easier to deal with than all of the moving parts that compromise actual reality.

But that's the nature of the beast; that's the challenge we have if we are looking seriously at this world.

So thanks for sharing more substance, more good things here. 

On Stepping Forward on Offshore Drilling

Unpacking how energy security is used by various groups and interest includes understanding 'economic security' of those making suggestions; what is good for utilities, what is good for a well-established organization, what is good for different segments of a country's population, and what is good for an individual - these are all very different things, subjectively.

But I more or less agree with you, David - if someone was benevolently guiding a country to prosperity, getting them out of volatile dependency & markets while boosting their own ability to be self sufficient would seem like a path to security. 

On Learning the Right Nuclear Energy Lessons: A New Paradigm for the Future

Yes; with all the talk of renewable energy taking a hit from the develpment of shale gas & tight oil, nuclear is only further put on the back burner. Where are the APA, Energy Tomorrow, Vote4Energy 's for the nuclear energy sector? I think it will be very hard for nuclear innovation or even generic advancement here in the US - yet is there a lot of potential in the US? Absolutely. 

On Banks Reluctant to Finance Energy Efficiency

This is one of the most curious paragraphs I've read in a while: "The lack of education and demand surrounding energy efficiency is one problem, but so is the lack of data and the resulting difficulty in securitizing the loans. “We’re trying to sell Kool-Aid, but people won’t drink the Kool-Aid because there’s insufficient information to make decisions on it,” said Jeff Pitkin of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), which issues tens of millions of dollars in energy efficiency loans."

Kool-Aid, hmm...

Lack of education, yes. Lack of general prioritization of energy, you bet. 

On Hydraulic Fracking & Water Pollution

Also, "After all, effective risk management is an entirely different animal to prior restraint." Yes - and, as much as this is what I always say... I'm more concerned about human folley and awkward political/economic inhibitors, rather than the actual science. 

And I'm still not entirely settled on the health and full-spectrum safety of fracking, in any case. But I'm attemptiong to keep an open mind and find more sound data, case studies. The trouble is finding a good report and a good example, positive or negative, involved the tedious task of really checking out who did the report, who supported it, and what their collective leanings are. So it takes time, especially in this world of data saturation. 

On Hydraulic Fracking & Water Pollution

Out of fairness to TEC, Mr McDermott, and Siemens, I think it's not exactly on point to suggest that Shell is essentially pimping out cronies to write stuff here. The Future Energy Fellows program is a fairly legit idea to try to engage young/er, involved people in the discussion. I support that idea, and even, generally speaking, how TEC goes about fostering discussion here. It is mostly laissez faire - there posts from APA  propaganda outlets as well as super liberal greenies, but that's more or less how it goes in any field ot study, especially when there is supposedly serious discussion on the internet. 

I'm sure Mr McDermott will come into things more so over time, but, I more or less am set to trying to encourage and challenge people, especially my generation, to participate in more debate, discussion, and so on - so I don't find much fault with him. I think this is a good post, if my opinion is of consequence.

There are only so many things and so many ways you can write about things, which is part of the frustration - at least personally. But where else, and how else are we going to talk about things? It's part of the process. 

On Bill McKibben Gets the Math Wrong on Fracking

Good points Adam