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The future market for hybrid-electric vehicles, at least those that are affordable, isn't necessarily paved with lithium. Researchers in Australia have created what could be called a lead-acid battery on steroids, capable of performing as well as the nickel-metal hydride systems found in most hybrid cars but at a fraction of the cost. The so-called UltraBattery combines 150-year-old lead-acid technology with supercapacitors, electronic devices that can quickly absorb and release large bursts of energy over millions of cycles without significant degradation. As a result, the new battery lasts at least four times longer than conventional lead-acid batteries, and its creators say that it can be manufactured at one-quarter the cost of existing hybrid-electric battery packs.

Sunset technologies tend to be resilient against reports on their demise. But eventually, they have to go - cf carburators, word processors, ... But some of us have a chance to retire before the lead-acid battery does.

Fred Pearce has framed his latest opinion piece in Yale Environment 360 as one about Europe fiddling around with its climate change commitment (with German Chancellor Angela Merkel as lead violin), while the US is poised to reengage with the world under the Obama administration. What it's really about though is what the US would need to do to take that lead, and it all has to do with renewable energy. Though some of this may be recap for avid TreeHugger readers, it's worth repeating: Stephen Chu Appointment a Good Sign Beyond his stated commitment to dealing with climate change during the campaign, Pearce indicates that the appointment of Stephen Chu as energy secretary is the real sign that the US could soon lead the renewable energy/climate change race. Not only has he done pioneering research on solar power, energy efficiency and cellulosic biofuels at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, he's also an advocate of a nationwide expansion of the electric grid to bring renewable energy from where it's most easily generated (west of the Mississippi) to where the greatest demand is (east of the river).

"The objective of this study is to:  compile the available recent literature on ILUC emissions;  compare these emissions with the assumed gains of biofuels;  assess how ILUC changes the carbon balance of using biofuels;  formulate policies to avoid these extra emissions associated with ILUC. Trends in land use, with and without biofuels All the studies on global agricultural markets reviewed predict that new arable land will be required to meet future global demand for food and feed. Although there will be increased productivity on current arable land (intensification), food and feed demand will probably grow faster, which means that mobilization of new land is likely to occur. Biofuels produced from crops (the current mainstream practice) will add extra demand for crops like wheat, rice, maize, rapeseed and palm oil. This will increase prices for these crops (as well as for land) and lead to two impacts: intensification of agricultural production and conversion of forests and grasslands to arable land. In this report we consider the issue of indirect land use change initiated by EU biofuels policy and seek to answer the following questions:  What is the probability of biofuels policies initiating land use changes?  What greenhouse gas emissions may result from indirect land use change, expressed as a factor in the mathematical relation given above?  What technical measures can be applied and what policy measures adopted to limit or entirely mitigate indirect land use change and the associated greenhouse gas emissions? We first (Chapter 2) broadly discuss the mechanism of indirect land use change. We next discuss why there is a perception among stakeholders that there is a serious risk that EU biofuels policy will initiate indirect land use change (Chapter 3) and consider the figures cited by other studies as an indication of the magnitude the associated greenhouse gas emissions  (Chapter 4). We then broadly consid

"Owenite Community Robert Owen 1771-1858 Owen's ideal community was drawn up in 1817 by the architect Stedman Whitwell. A large scale model was built and Owen used it on his lecture tours. The designed village spread Gymnasiums for Exercise attached to the Schools and Infirmary Conservatory in the midst of Gardens Baths, warm and cold Dining Halls with Kitchens beneath them Schools for Infants, Children and Youths, and the Infirmary Library, Detached Reading Rooms, Bookbindery, Printing Office etc Ballroom and Music rooms Theatre for Lectures, Exhibitions, Discussions. Museum with Library of Description and Reference Rooms Brew-houses, Bakehouses, Washhouses, Laundries, Dining halls Suites of adult sitting rooms and chambers Esplanade one hundred feet wide about twelve feet above the natural surface. Paved Footpath The Arcade and its Terracegiving both a covered and an open communication Sub-way leading to the Kitchens. As well as dwelling houses and dormitories for up to 2000 inhabitants. For more information visit Robert Owen's House in New Lanark."

Wind comes out the clear winner. Concentrated solar power, geothermal, solar photovoltaics, tidal, wave, are good additions to the mix. Hydroelectric is added for its load balancing ability. Nuclear and coal are less beneficial. Corn and cellulosic ethanol should not be included in policy options. Hopefully, the next administration will be wise enough to follow Pr. Jakobson's recommendation . . . and align its subsidies with the right kind of technologies.

He also considers other surprising effects of going car-less, like feeling a greater connection to and awareness of his community and immediate surroundings, being in public (versus within the protective, private confines of the car), that cars travel so very, very fast (!), the joy of a car-free vacation, and how living without a car can lead you to be more contemplative.

Junk Science has a selection of quotations from "leading climate change scientists" that I think are worthy of spreading so people can see what kind of people they are and what their real aims are.

Large-scale power storage is crucial to our energy future: the Electric Power Research Institute, the U.S. utility industry's leading R&D consortium, says that storage would enable the widespread use of renewable power and make the grid more reliable and efficient.

Insensys, the leading provider of fibre optic load measurement systems for blades and Garrad Hassan the leading developer of pitch control algorithms have combined forces to develop an integrated package which enables turbine manufacturers to achieve significant reductions in rotor, shaft and tower loads. The collaboration is non exclusive and both organisations will continue to offer products and services independently of each other.

Leading UK scientists say there is no single solution to meeting future energy needs and tackling climate change.\n\nIn a report, Towards a low carbon future, for the Royal Society, the scientists call for an end to the UK's "half-hearted" approach.\n\nThe country lacks a coherent energy system able to meet the challenges ahead, says the report, and needs a new vision for the future.\n\n"It is time for us to break away from the endless debate which is so often dominated by vested interests and the search for a silver bullet," says lead author of the report, John Shepherd.

"Business calls for urgent action on "oil crunch" threat to UK economy Taskforce warns Britain is unprepared for significant risk to companies and consumers Poorest to be hit hardest by price rises for travel, food, heating and consumer goods New policies must be priority for whoever wins the General Election Recommended packages include legislation, new technologies and behaviour-change incentives Fundamental change in demand patterns triggered by emerging economy countries London, 10 February, 2010: A group of leading business people today call for urgent action to prepare the UK for Peak Oil. The second report of the UK Industry Taskforce on Peak Oil and Energy Security (ITPOES) finds that oil shortages, insecurity of supply and price volatility will destabilise economic, political and social activity potentially by 2015. Peak Oil refers to the point where the highest practicable rate of global oil production has been achieved and from which future levels of production will either plateau, or begin to diminish. This means an end to the era of cheap oil."

"Every continent on the planet is surrounded by a cleaner, safer, more efficient answer to our energy needs. The power in ocean waves. Ocean Power Technologies (OPT) is a leading renewable energy company specializing in cost-effective, advanced, and environmentally sound offshore wave power technology. The electrical power generated by OPT's technology is key to meeting the energy needs of utilities, independent power producers and the public sector. OPT's PowerBuoy® system extracts the natural energy in ocean waves, and is based on the integration of patented technologies in hydrodynamics, electronics, energy conversion and computer control systems. The PowerBuoy is a "smart" system capable of responding to differing wave conditions. The result is a leading edge, ocean-tested, proprietary system which generates reliable, clean, and environmentally-beneficial electricity."