Tag Archives: Energy

The Extended Golden Rule

Last week I looked at how Pope Francis used the Golden Rule “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” (Mt 7:12) as an anchor for his call for global change. I ended with an attempt to … Continue reading

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Pope Francis and the Golden Rule

On September 24th, Pope Francis delivered a message to a joint session of the American Congress (September 29, 2015 blog). He anchored his message on the Golden Rule, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” (Mt … Continue reading

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Assessment – Fall 2015: Religion’s Role in Saving the World

I missed my usual summer assessment this year. My main excuse is that it was scheduled for the first two weeks of July, when I was out in China. As it stands, since my last assessment (April 21st, 2015), I … Continue reading

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China – Water, Energy and the Yangtze

It seems right now that when China sneezes the world is shaken. Not only does that apply to the obvious recent economic upset, but it also means that in tackling any global issue we need the country’s involvement. Climate change, … Continue reading

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Back From China

In a previous blog (December 3, 2012) I described a common exercise that I give to students to highlight the important skill of scenario building: In the table below I ask undergraduates from my course (General Education – no prerequisites) … Continue reading

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The Drop in Oil Price and What it Means

The test of any major transition is in its response to a sharp perturbation. Often such disturbances come in the form of a major war. Fortunately, the present global energy transition is being tested in a much more peaceful manner. … Continue reading

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Predicting the Future and its Impacts

In the last blog (June 30th) I started to investigate the impact of the recent large drop in global oil prices on the global energy transition from fossil fuels to sustainable energy sources. The sharp decline in oil prices has … Continue reading

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NIMBY as a Business Strategy

The June 9, 2015 blog focused on traditional NIMBY arguments in the context of attitudes toward wind farms. The main issue I raised was that if we are making the statement that we object to wind farms because they are … Continue reading

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NIMBY: Wind vs. Fossil Fuels

Last week I focused on Texas. In spite of its strong inclination toward state autonomy, reluctance to implement new taxes, and its heavy dependence on fossil fuels, it is playing a vital role in the energy transition: The state is … Continue reading

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Texas

Carbon taxation in any form will probably never make it in Texas. It’s a red state that likes its independence, especially when a Democrat presides in Washington. Historically, its residents have shared an intense hatred of regulations and taxes. To … Continue reading

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