Corporate Knights

Power from the Depths

Oil Price

Scientists are using the ocean to harness energy—and it’s not what you might expect. They’re using the difference in temperature between the top layer of water and the ocean bed (at least 25 km below) to create enough energy to power turbines that generate electricity. It’s called Ocean Thermal Energy
Conversion and a large company—Lockhead Martin—is leading the way for other businesses to utilize this ingenuity.

A European Supergrid that Works

Oil Price

What if you could link renewable energy from Norway to Spain, stopping in the United Kingdom and France along the way? This is what the world might be seeing in about a decade, thanks to new talks between these and other European countries. A renewable energy supergrid would eliminate the big
pesky issue plaguing these green technologies, which is reliability. With a connected network, though, a low-wind day rendering a turbine useless wouldn’t impact energy output because another source, such as solar panels, would kick in. The benefits are tenfold with this kind of grid on a world-wide scale.

Eco Electric Drive Won’t Work Until…

Alternative Energy Stocks

John Petersen knows green energy. He recently spoke at the Annual Partners Conference for CTEK Sweden, a global leader in smart battery chargers for conventional cars, trucks and motorcycles. Here, he goes through the top ten things that need to go before electric drive becomes a part of regular transportation. Here, he talks hype cycles, investments, and the human condition.

Environmental Groups sue Obama for Whales

MSNBC

An alliance of eco groups, represented by law firm Earthjustice, has sued the American government for allowing the underwater sonar testing, which can potentially harass more than half a million sea creatures. Studies have found sea mammals can hear even low-frequency sonar and have sometimes
been found with perforated eardrums. More extreme cases involve dozens of beached whales. The groups say the administration failed in its role to protect marine life and are demanding the testing be stopped outright.

Fracking Lawsuits

Bloomberg

Lawsuits are pouring in over water wells contaminated by fracking. At least 23 cases involving fracking have been filed in the past two years in the United States. The latest is the case of a well that blew up, allegedly due to trapped gas underground. Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking as its called, is a process that injects water, sand and chemicals underground to free trapped gas. There's a potential that all of these suits, along with the public attention on the negative environmental effects of fracking, will slow down an industry. It can lead to high-cost payouts and stricter regulations.