Energy: Sources and Uses

Our economy, any economy involves work and work requires energy. The human body is a very efficient machine in terms of work. A fuel efficient car might be able to travel 100 kilometres on 5 litres of fuel, but the human body only needs 0.8 litres of fuel (energy equivalents) to travel the same distance. We extend our ability to do work by using machines run on crude oil, natural gas, electricity and other non-human sources of energy.

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A New Energy Economy

A new energy economy is necessary, attainable and desirable. Our current extensive dependence on fossil fuel energy makes us vulnerable to price and supply changes as well as to weather and climate changes. All this affects our well-being. Inevitably we are reluctant to change to this new energy economy because change is difficult, especially if the status quo is working so well for us. How well do we understand the potential benefits as well as the risks of continuing with the status quo?

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Managing Water

Bryce Hoye of the CBC wrote an excellent article this week, calling for the Province to move forward with its long awaited, surface water management strategy. I agree – it’s long overdue. 2016 was an exceptionally wet year, and December brought the highest snow amount for that month in 100 years, with the expectation of more to come in this La Niná year.

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Discovering the Behaviour of my Small House in Each New Season

I moved into my small house at the end of September so I am experiencing each season for the first time. My house is 20 by 24 feet

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The Alberta View

My friends and family from Alberta periodically post some version of the line "if you're against pipelines, go turn off your natural gas and see if you miss it." Or "if you're against oil, better tune up your bike."

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