'Fossil fuels are the new whale oil', says environmentalist Amory Lovins
The energy expert and physicist describes his vision of how the world can attain a green energy future by 2050
Amory B. Lovins is fond of referring to the Rocky Mountain Institute, where he serves as chairman and chief scientist, as a "think and do" tank, and it's clear that to Lovins the doing is every bit as important as the thinking. Hardly lacking in confidence or ambition, Lovins — in conjunction with his colleagues at the institute — has published Reinventing Fire, his step-by-step blueprint for how to transition to a renewable energy economy by mid-century.
Impressive in both its scope and detail — Lovins discusses everything from how to redesign heavy trucks to make them more fuel efficient to ways to change factory pipes to conserve energy — the book lays out a plan for the U.S. to achieve the following by 2050: cars completely powered by hydrogen fuel cells, electricity, and biofuels; 84 percent of trucks and airplanes running on biomass fuels; 80 percent of the nation's electricity produced by renewable power; $5 trillion in savings; and an economy that has grown by 158 percent.
In an interview with Yale Environment 360 senior editor Fen Montaigne, Lovins discusses how business and society can pull off this transformation even if the U.S. Congress keeps failing to act, why climate change need not even enter the discussion, and why the oil industry will ultimately forego fossil fuels and jump aboard the green bandwagon. "One system is dying and others are struggling to be born," says Lovins. "It's a very exciting time."...
<Interview follows>
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/feb/21/fossil-fuels-whale-oil
Nuclear proponents always attack Lovins because his writings in the 1970's revealed that nuclear power had profound problems associated with its use. Since then, they attempt to portray him as a supporter of fossil fuels because he works with all comers, including fossil fuel companies, to reduce energy consumption and effect a change to a distributed renewable grid. His work with WalMart, for example, is causing an industry revolution in the energy efficiency of long haul trucking and is expected to reduced petroleum consumption about 6% in the US.
Expect such balderdash anytime he is discussed. Revealing the silliness of their claim is as easy as reading anything that he writes - he has been working against climate change since the 1970s and has arguably done more to reduce carbon emissions than any other singe person.
= new reply since forum marked as read
The development of lithium batteries has changed the equation for personal transportation use. If the choice is gasoline or hydrogen fuel cells - as it was in 2003 when the paper was written - then hydrogen is the way to go. If the choice is gasoline, HFCs, or 'lithium or better' battery electric, then battery electric is the way to go.
There is a definite role for fuel cells, but personal transportation isn't it.
... (not to mention demands per person) since then.
Mind you, I'm sure that it is remains profitable for his analogy to be lacking,
not just for his sponsors but so that he can put out yet another "revised"
version in another book a few more years down the line.
No-one here is saying Lovins is stupid ...
Mind you, I'm sure that it is remains profitable for his analogy to be lacking,
not just for his sponsors but so that he can put out yet another "revised"
version in another book a few more years down the line. 
Peace
Have a good weekend!
It's wrong for the USA and it's wrong for the world.
If we shut down all of the nuclear reactors in the world the only thing that would accomplish is to vastly increase the use of coal and building of new coal power plants.
That is why I say the anti-nuclear cultists are killing the planet; they are directly responsible for thousands of coal plants being built worldwide and the planet killing pollution that each of them emits. What we need to do is to build Generation 4 nuclear plants and close down the old nuke plants while at the same time embarking on a massive build-out of solar, wind, energy storage, geothermal power plants, tidal and wave power as well as every possible energy efficiency improvement technology like electric vehicles, LED lighting, better insulated buildings, geothermal heating and cooling for residential and commercial buildings, and passive solar building techniques that can be added to existing structures and designed into new construction. These few changes would reduce our energy usage so we will need to build fewer renewable energy generating plants to meet our needs than would otherwise be needed.
Electric vehicles, even if powered by 100% coal-generated electricity are still less polluting than the vehicles on the road today. There are no places in the US which rely 100% on coal for their electricity so it's a moot point. Electric vehicles are better for 90% of Americans (those who drive more than 100 miles per day will have to wait till 2020 to buy an EV car or truck with the mileage capabilities they need at a reasonable cost). For the rest of us, the Leaf and Volt can both be leased (15,000 mile lease) for under $400 a month (which was the payment for our gas guzzler till we paid it off). Don't be fooled by the tv ads for car leases that stick it to you with a low-miles lease: they offer a cheaper monthly payment but they'll ream you at the end of the lease with mileage charges.
I just bought my 10th LED light bulb 
I'm slowly replacing the old bulbs, buy an LED bulb once every 1 or 2 months - when I see a sale especially). LED light bulbs use 80% less energy than incandescent bulbs and even a little less energy than CFL's (my CFL's use about 13 to 15 watts and 12.5 watts is the highest wattage LED bulb I've got, the most recent purchase was for a 10 watt LED bulb that puts out more light than a 60 watt (or equivalent) bulb. And no mercury in LED bulbs!
