Mon, Jul 8

Electrons vs. Molecules

Rocky Mountain Institute: "The Cleantech Revolution." I return from the very font of wisdom with this superb graphic. It demonstrates by area the  share of final energy used on the vertical axis + source of primary energy on the horizontal axis. The blue areas + arrows demonstrate increasing efficiency of end-use energy as a wall closing in the amount total energy we even need. The column on the left shows what we require to produce electricity [geothermal + hydroelectricity lie in the taupe-colored 'other clean' box]. The gray box on the left [dominated by propane + methane] is progressively being squeezed out. The column on the right is molecules such as gasoline + diesel, plus petroleum feedstock for the chemicals industry. Electrification of transportation in particular is taking bites out of the gray box on the right. Fundamentally we need more blue + green. Just like a boomer using hair dye to take out the gray. For good.