Comments on: Chronoptimists: Cleantech Is Full of 'Em

By: ela

ela — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 08:06:04 +0000

there is a company producing bio-ethanol starting 2007, and up to this moment they have 3 plants up and working, maybe on a lower production level, but they also have an oil company as client for these products but i think that negative info always gets further

By: HelioVolt Snags First Solar Exec for CEO, Hopes to Be Commercial Someday

HelioVolt Snags First Solar Exec for CEO, Hopes to Be Commercial Someday — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 14:33:18 +0000

[...] June 17th, 2009 at 7:24 am in Energy Thin film solar maker HelioVolt could be a contender for the chronoptimist crown. Earlier this year, the Austin, Texas-based company pushed back shipping its commercial thin film [...]

By: Spaced Out: Is Solar Power From Satellites Achievable? - Environmental Capital - WSJ

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 17:52:19 +0000

[...] [...]

By: Eideard

Eideard — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 04:08:04 +0000

Brendan – thanks for saving me the time to explain something – to someone who won’t get it, anyway. :)

By: C

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 00:22:59 +0000

Great article Katie... The areas that I find the most number of chronoptimists in cleantech are in lighting (LEDs) and electric vehicles (Li-Ion batteries).

People are grossly underestimating the technical and market challenges of introducing these new technologies that are arguably not ready for prime time. Many investors will be burned... not for being wrong, but for being way too early (e.g. Project Better place raising $200M+ for electric vehicle charging infrastructure... last I checked, there were virtually no electric vehicles - anywhere). And, many under-appreciated technologies are going to make a lot of money in the meantime.

By: Brendan

Brendan — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 18:09:31 +0000

Jill, I have to smile at your apparent belief that what would be classed as an "insignificant" component of the atmosphere cannot possibly have a not so insignificant effect here on the ground.

I must ask you: have you ever heard of the Ozone layer? We are led to believe that it is a very large component of the atmosphere (after all, it's ~30km thick!) when the reality is very different. If the whole atmosphere was sea level pressure then it would be about 10km thick (that's 10,000m, or 10,000,000mm). The Ozone layer would comprise only a few mm of that, which equates to (being generous let's say it's 10mm at sea level) a millionth of the atmosphere. Yup, just a single part per million or 1 ten thousandth (0.0001) of 1 percent! That's it! that's all that stops a big chunk of the UV that would otherwise damage or kill lots of life on the ground.

So, getting back to CO2 ... There is over 350 TIMES as much CO2 in the atmosphere (recent measurements say over 380 times, or 380 parts per million and rising) as there is Ozone. Sure, the sun's output most definitely has an effect, and if it changes by much (either up or down) there will be a large impact on this planet, but can you really say without solid undeniable proof that CO2 has no impact on the climate system and life when there is so much more of it than there is Ozone, which is so vital to our survival?

By: What to read on the GigaOM network

What to read on the GigaOM network — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 16:57:10 +0000

[...] speeds in the new MacBooks Pros? (TheAppleBlog) Getting your data from anywhere (WebWorkerDaily) Chronoptimists: Cleantech is full of ‘em (Earth2Tech) Make voice notes during phone calls on your BloackBerry with Berry Record [...]

By: Katie Fehrenbacher

Katie Fehrenbacher — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 16:34:38 +0000

thanks kent I am aware of it and have written a story on it. it doesnt mean they are now producing the energy storage devices commercially yet. I think a "we'll see" approach is very reasonable.

By: Jill whelan

Jill whelan — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 14:55:43 +0000

I have to smile at the chronic believers in the current theory of the hour about global warming. They actually think that an atmospheric component as insignificant as carbon dioxide is going to determine future climate – and take 100 years to do so!! So 1% of the greenhouse system will determine 100% of its behavior. You’d have to paint these folks as cockeyed optimists for their beliefs. I note that the Little Ice Age took less than a decade to
drop temperatures enough to kill almost 50% of food production capabilities. I hope there is global warming. Global cooling is what’ll kill you and millions of others. Warming won’t. And unfortunately, it looks as though the sunspot minima is presaging changes in cloud formations, encouraging them. That effect wil be thousands of times more potent than any carbon dioxide increases and will cool the planet
quickly. It’s probably appropriate that the Earth will face one disaster while the people are out running around like chickens with their heads cut off trying to
prevent an opposite catastrophe that’ll never happen. Humans are so emotional and unthinking. Especially mostly illiterate and non-competitive Americans. This website seems to function just like the CAtholic Church in the Middle Ages – pushing a set of values that are baloney.

By: kent beuchert

kent beuchert — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 14:42:41 +0000

Fehrenbacher obviously doesn't follow EEStor nor Zenn Motors all that closely. She doesn't seem to understand the reason for the delay from a deadline,oh,about 2 years old. Her info is desperately obsolete. Nor does she seem aware of the recent third party testing, which was successful, and the last hurdle to be overcome on the road to production.