Al Gore could become world's first carbon billionaire

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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/energy/6491195/Al-Gore-could-become-worlds-first-carbon-billionaire.html

I'll reserve attacking him on this until after I find out if he started his company before or after he started his environmental lobbying, but for now it does look supiciously like he's in it for the money.

For all the choices he has talked about, this one, the Smart Grid, saves existing energy with little effort. It is a smart play, mostly knowledge. He did his research and invested in where it had to happen.

Tesla saw the same, he wanted long distance transmisssion underground through supercooled pathways. The investors went with cheaper wires, and the power loss is no longer cheap.

The grid is where the largest savings could happen, and they are cheaply built.

As a general approach, conservation of energy (i.e. using it more efficiently) is the cheapest source of power. If we can get one third more mechanical work done on the current budget of fuel, it is like discovering a large new oil field.

I am all in favor of non hydrocarbon sources of heat energy (primarily nuclear generation of electricity) but practicing conservation and making smarter generators and networks would buy us some time in making a transition to non hydrocarbon energy sources.

My main concern is cost and getting our energy from an area of the world where the politics and economics is more reliable and predictable. I do not lot the idea of the U.S. being beholden to Muslim thugocracies for vital fuel supplies. It is a national security problem.

Environmental concerns rank lower in my estimate of importance than out of pocket costs and national security. Not that I oppose clean air, mind you. I breath the air and drink the water. I prefer clean and health to dirty and unhealthy.

ruveyn

Hell, take away the free money and they might even have to develop societies that belong in the 21st century and not the 7th. Everyone's a winner.

great wish. But don't hold your breath.

ruveyn

I bet a Chinese wold be the second one --- the Chinese can really earn money out of nothing --- if they find it expensive to emit carbon, I bet they will change technology rapidly to a cheap but cost-effective technique of production... that nets them billions in carbon credits.

Indeed, what they charge for take away food! Highway robbery.

We can imagine how rich they are now.