For those concerned about the US economy or national security risks, T. Boone Pickens and data from the US Department of Energy’s Energy Information Administration (EIA) show us that foreign oil imports should be at the top of our list. We rely very heavily on foreign oil and send a good chunk of our money to other countries to supply us with that oil — $25 billion last month alone!

Take a closer look.

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Revealing that China’s current stockpiles have already exceeded the capacity of the first phase of facilities, which the government built over the last two years, China Shipping Group President Li Shaode urged the government to use foreign exchange reserves to finance floating storage capacity in the short term.

Li’s comments come after a string of recent oil- and gas-related events in China. Within the last few months, China has entered into natural gas supply agreements with Myanmar, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan, and has already begun construction on needed pipelines. Just yesterday, China National Offshore Oil Company (CNOOC) signed a 25 year gas supply agreement with Qatar.

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On Saturday, Venezuela’s dictator gave orders to the military to “take control” of all rice-processing mills in the country, including some US-owned plants such as the Minnesota-based Cargill.  Chavez has been enforcing price caps on food commodities since 2003, and is angered by the rice companies’ recent decisions to reduce production rates in order to catch up on lost profits.

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Most electric cars will be powered by lithium batteries, and Bolivia has more lithium than any other nation worldwide. How this development will affect Bolivia is unknown, but will squarely place the South American country at an intriguing and crucial crossroads.

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Few decades ago the share of renewable energy in Nicaragua’s power generation was 70 percent but with growing ties with Venezuela and availability of cheap oil that number declined and now the country gets just 34 percent of its energy from renewable sources. But with the rising oil prices and increasing blackouts the government now seems to be falling back on the locally available and reliable renewable energy sources.

Having close diplomatic relations with Venezuela assured Nicaragua of sufficient oil supply for years but with oil peaking to $147 it became more and more difficult to shoulder the burden of rising energy costs. Although oil-based energy was cheaper than the energy produced from non-conventional sources, the fluctuation in oil prices started hurting the economy of the nation. The government of Nicaragua soon realised that oil-based energy sector is not sustainable in the given circumstances.

Nicaragua, one of the poorest countries in the western hemisphere, is blessed with a wide variety of renewable energy sources - wind, geothermal and hydel energy. The government is now looking to attarct foreign investors to help it develop projects which could eventually reduce the country’s dependence on oil for power generation to a mere 3 percent.

Russia, Iran and Brazil have come forward to invest in renewable energy projects in Nicaragua. A private capital firm, Arctas Capital Group, has invested in a $90 million wind energy project which will start generating 40 megawatts of energy from January. Nicaragua has six active volcanoes and therefore also experiences substantial amount of geothermal activity which it plans to tap through a 250 megawatt project to be build with the help of Russia.

For years the governments of Nicaragua ignored the vast reserves of renewable sources present in their country and increased their dependence on foreign oil as oil-based power plants were cheaper and easy to build but as the oil prices rose to unprecedented levels the already battered economy of Nicaragua seemed to give way. Now the government has set an ambitious but achievable goal of getting rid of costly foreign oil and building a predominantly renewable energy based economy. Other nations need to take the cue and look to utilize the locally available renewable energy sources as it would not only help build a cleaner environment but also build a stronger economy.

Image source: Conor Dupre-Neary at Flickr under Creative Commons License.

There is a debate about how much lithium is available on earth, and how long it will last. After reading this article from The Daily Green, I’m skeptical. An optimistic CEO from a company that sells electric car batteries offers the following thoughts:

I’ve seen some negative reports saying the world is in danger of running out, but I don’t think that’s a productive notion. The amount of lithium in a lithium-ion battery is very low when compared to other substances — it’s three to four percent of our costs for materials. When I look at all the things to worry about for battery cars, lithium supply does not make the list. There’s not likely to be a problem until 2020 at the earliest.

2020 at the earliest? That sounds soon to me, especially given the interest of countries like France, Spain, and Australia in electric cars, and not to mention the U.S., especially now that a very powerful person by the name of Barack Obama has voiced great belief in an electric car future and wants to provide billions to research battery technology as part of the much discussed economic stimulus package.

Even if lithium is available more readily than some people think, is it also possible that while the developed world would lose much of its dependence on oil, it would simply become dependent on lithium instead? Would some people hate Bolivia, and even start to complain that we need to “end our dependence on lithium from Bolivia?”

Even though the price of lithium might only be 3-4% of a battery’s cost, it is called a lithium battery right? It’s a pretty important battery component, correct?

So call me a pessimist in regard to lithium’s longevity– which brings us to a final topic.

Can Bolivia Succeed By Not Exploiting Natural Resources?

Continue reading on page 3…

It’s hard to know if a country can succeed without exploiting its natural resources at least to some degree. But can it be done today better than it has been done in the past? Perhaps in Bolivia’s case, it might involve itself in future carbon cap-and-trade programs, earning money by protecting its areas of the Amazon Rainforest.  Other than that, I don’t know what Bolivia could do to develop its economy in a significant way.

As mentioned earlier, lithium can be very toxic and the process to transform it into a usable form is also not very friendly to the environment. Even if Bolivia is able to exploit its lithium for economic gain, there will most certainly be a negative effect on the health of those people working to mine it and those people living near to where it is extracted. So the money will come at a price. The lithium at some point with also disappear from Bolivia. And what then?

So what do you think? Will Bolivia be ruined, improved, or hated because of electric cars?

Photo Credit: loiclemeur on Flickr under a Creative Commons license

Venezuela is currently one of world’s largest oil producers.  In an ongoing effort to reduce their dependency on oil exports to the United States, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has signed a deal with China that could easily triple the amount of oil exported to that country by 2012.  That would bring their oil exports to China up to one million barrels a day.  Recognizing the thirst for oil in a gigantic, developing country such as China, Chavez told the media:  “While the world enters an energy crisis, we are investing.”

Currently the Unites States still buys about half of the total oil exported from Venezuela.

Chavez is now off to Russia, on his 3rd visit to the country in two months.   It is thought that Chavez is seeking to strengthen energy alliances in Russia as well.

And Chavez’ evolving relationship with Russia doesn’t stop there.  The BBC states that in the past few years, Venezueala has signed arms deals with Russia that equal 4 billion dollars.  In fact just last week, Russia sent a navy squadron to Venezuala for “joint manuevers.”  The Associated Press called the move: “an unprecedented deployment of Russian military power to the Western Hemisphere since the Cold War and an obvious snub to Washington.”

Photo Credit: Wikepedia Commons under Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Brazil

There is a debate about how much lithium is available on earth, and how long it will last. After reading this article from The Daily Green, I’m skeptical. An optimistic CEO from a company that sells electric car batteries offers the following thoughts:

I’ve seen some negative reports saying the world is in danger of running out, but I don’t think that’s a productive notion. The amount of lithium in a lithium-ion battery is very low when compared to other substances — it’s three to four percent of our costs for materials. When I look at all the things to worry about for battery cars, lithium supply does not make the list. There’s not likely to be a problem until 2020 at the earliest.

2020 at the earliest? That sounds soon to me, especially given the interest of countries like France, Spain, and Australia in electric cars, and not to mention the U.S., especially now that a very powerful person by the name of Barack Obama has voiced great belief in an electric car future and wants to provide billions to research battery technology as part of the much discussed economic stimulus package.

Even if lithium is available more readily than some people think, is it also possible that while the developed world would lose much of its dependence on oil, it would simply become dependent on lithium instead? Would some people hate Bolivia, and even start to complain that we need to “end our dependence on lithium from Bolivia?”

Even though the price of lithium might only be 3-4% of a battery’s cost, it is called a lithium battery right? It’s a pretty important battery component, correct?

So call me a pessimist in regard to lithium’s longevity– which brings us to a final topic.

Can Bolivia Succeed By Not Exploiting Natural Resources?

Continue reading on page 3…

It’s hard to know if a country can succeed without exploiting its natural resources at least to some degree. But can it be done today better than it has been done in the past? Perhaps in Bolivia’s case, it might involve itself in future carbon cap-and-trade programs, earning money by protecting its areas of the Amazon Rainforest.  Other than that, I don’t know what Bolivia could do to develop its economy in a significant way.

As mentioned earlier, lithium can be very toxic and the process to transform it into a usable form is also not very friendly to the environment. Even if Bolivia is able to exploit its lithium for economic gain, there will most certainly be a negative effect on the health of those people working to mine it and those people living near to where it is extracted. So the money will come at a price. The lithium at some point with also disappear from Bolivia. And what then?

So what do you think? Will Bolivia be ruined, improved, or hated because of electric cars?

Photo Credit: loiclemeur on Flickr under a Creative Commons license

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It may sound simplistic, but Israeli President Shimon Peres makes a good point;  “The problem itself (terror and Iran), is like a swamp with mosquitos.  It’s preferable to dry out the swamp than try to kill every single mosquito.”

While meeting with representatives of the students’ village in the town of Dimona, Peres said;

“When the price of oil rises, the terrorist organizations feel better; the feeling needs to be brought back down.  The way to bring Iran, Venezuela and even Russia in some respects down, is to lower the price of oil.  Attacking oil fields is foolish.  We can attack with energy, meaning create alternative energy.”

Peres made the statement during a celebration of his 85th birthday Dimona, Israel, a town he described as, “one of the most beautiful towns in Israel, a town that is number one in education and urban development.”  He said residents of the community have excelled in turning the desert wilderness into a “beautiful and wonderful town unparalleled in Jewish history.”

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Image: ynet news.com

There is a debate about how much lithium is available on earth, and how long it will last. After reading this article from The Daily Green, I’m skeptical. An optimistic CEO from a company that sells electric car batteries offers the following thoughts:

I’ve seen some negative reports saying the world is in danger of running out, but I don’t think that’s a productive notion. The amount of lithium in a lithium-ion battery is very low when compared to other substances — it’s three to four percent of our costs for materials. When I look at all the things to worry about for battery cars, lithium supply does not make the list. There’s not likely to be a problem until 2020 at the earliest.

2020 at the earliest? That sounds soon to me, especially given the interest of countries like France, Spain, and Australia in electric cars, and not to mention the U.S., especially now that a very powerful person by the name of Barack Obama has voiced great belief in an electric car future and wants to provide billions to research battery technology as part of the much discussed economic stimulus package.

Even if lithium is available more readily than some people think, is it also possible that while the developed world would lose much of its dependence on oil, it would simply become dependent on lithium instead? Would some people hate Bolivia, and even start to complain that we need to “end our dependence on lithium from Bolivia?”

Even though the price of lithium might only be 3-4% of a battery’s cost, it is called a lithium battery right? It’s a pretty important battery component, correct?

So call me a pessimist in regard to lithium’s longevity– which brings us to a final topic.

Can Bolivia Succeed By Not Exploiting Natural Resources?

Continue reading on page 3…

It’s hard to know if a country can succeed without exploiting its natural resources at least to some degree. But can it be done today better than it has been done in the past? Perhaps in Bolivia’s case, it might involve itself in future carbon cap-and-trade programs, earning money by protecting its areas of the Amazon Rainforest.  Other than that, I don’t know what Bolivia could do to develop its economy in a significant way.

As mentioned earlier, lithium can be very toxic and the process to transform it into a usable form is also not very friendly to the environment. Even if Bolivia is able to exploit its lithium for economic gain, there will most certainly be a negative effect on the health of those people working to mine it and those people living near to where it is extracted. So the money will come at a price. The lithium at some point with also disappear from Bolivia. And what then?

So what do you think? Will Bolivia be ruined, improved, or hated because of electric cars?

Photo Credit: loiclemeur on Flickr under a Creative Commons license

The word on the street, as posted at Environmental Graffiti, is Cuba and Venezuela are holding a swap meet: zoo animals for oil. In the deal, Hugo Chavez picks up a giraffe named Evo, in honor of Bolivian president Evo Morales, among other animals; the Castros will gain 92,000 barrels of petro a day.

Photo source: Hans Hillewaert, under Creative Commons Attribution

There is a debate about how much lithium is available on earth, and how long it will last. After reading this article from The Daily Green, I’m skeptical. An optimistic CEO from a company that sells electric car batteries offers the following thoughts:

I’ve seen some negative reports saying the world is in danger of running out, but I don’t think that’s a productive notion. The amount of lithium in a lithium-ion battery is very low when compared to other substances — it’s three to four percent of our costs for materials. When I look at all the things to worry about for battery cars, lithium supply does not make the list. There’s not likely to be a problem until 2020 at the earliest.

2020 at the earliest? That sounds soon to me, especially given the interest of countries like France, Spain, and Australia in electric cars, and not to mention the U.S., especially now that a very powerful person by the name of Barack Obama has voiced great belief in an electric car future and wants to provide billions to research battery technology as part of the much discussed economic stimulus package.

Even if lithium is available more readily than some people think, is it also possible that while the developed world would lose much of its dependence on oil, it would simply become dependent on lithium instead? Would some people hate Bolivia, and even start to complain that we need to “end our dependence on lithium from Bolivia?”

Even though the price of lithium might only be 3-4% of a battery’s cost, it is called a lithium battery right? It’s a pretty important battery component, correct?

So call me a pessimist in regard to lithium’s longevity– which brings us to a final topic.

Can Bolivia Succeed By Not Exploiting Natural Resources?

Continue reading on page 3…

It’s hard to know if a country can succeed without exploiting its natural resources at least to some degree. But can it be done today better than it has been done in the past? Perhaps in Bolivia’s case, it might involve itself in future carbon cap-and-trade programs, earning money by protecting its areas of the Amazon Rainforest.  Other than that, I don’t know what Bolivia could do to develop its economy in a significant way.

As mentioned earlier, lithium can be very toxic and the process to transform it into a usable form is also not very friendly to the environment. Even if Bolivia is able to exploit its lithium for economic gain, there will most certainly be a negative effect on the health of those people working to mine it and those people living near to where it is extracted. So the money will come at a price. The lithium at some point with also disappear from Bolivia. And what then?

So what do you think? Will Bolivia be ruined, improved, or hated because of electric cars?

Photo Credit: loiclemeur on Flickr under a Creative Commons license

The revolution has an emphasis on using Venezuelan produced products like PVC pipes to construct homes. Another major component of the revolution includes an initiative to make Venezuela more self-sufficient in food production, thus quelling the need to import food. Projects to provide additional electrical power through alternative energies like wind and solar technologies are also commencing.

The most notable and measurable success to date for the so-called energy revolution, however, has been Venezuela’s effort to change out standard light bulbs across the country for CFLS (energy-saving compact flourescent light bulbs) exactly like those Chávez donated to Texans. So far, 72.3 million light bulbs have been changed. But the story is perhaps not as simple as it would seem (as is almost any story about Chávez and his schemes).

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