Solar Electricity 2012

Solar energy as a percentage of electricity production:

Source: Renew Economy

Chart made using: ChartGo

Renewable Electricity for 3 countries

Renewable energy as a percentage of electricity production:

Source: Renew Economy

Chart made using: ChartGo

CO2 numbers December 2012

[click on image to enlarge]

• December 2011: 391.8 ppm
• December 2012: 394.3 ppm

An increase year-on-year of 0.6%. Inching closer to 400ppm.

UN Food price index 2012

[click on image for original]

UN's FAO food price index, annual average:

• 2011: 228
• 2012: 207

A 7% decrease.

But still more than double the average for 2002-2004 (index = 100).

Source: FAO

Galaxies

(click on image to enlarge)

The image is of a spiral galaxy NGC 4414, about 60 million light years from us. It is about 50 thousand light years in diameter. Source: Wikipedia

Some other facts (estimates?) about galaxies:

• Our galaxy, the Milky Way, contains about 100 billion planets
• The universe contains about 170 billion galaxies
• The space between galaxies is a very thin gas at about one atom per cubic meter
• The most distant galaxy is about 13.4 billion light years from us

Sources: Wikipedia, Next Big Future

Crude Oil Prices ~ 1861 - 2011

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Red line: 2011 dollars per barrel; blue line: nominal. 

 Oil prices used by year:

• 1861-1944 WTI
• 1945-1983 Arabian Light
• 1984-2011 Brent

Grid of 2030: 99.9% renewables?

An academic paper published in the Journal of Power Sources [PDF] outlines a novel approach to renewable power generation. Instead of allowing for load + a peak margin, their least-cost analysis proposes a massive overbuild of renewables (290% of average load for 99.9% renewable power or 180% overbuild for 90% renewable). They also consider a 30% scenario.

They calculate the 99.9% scenario would cost the same as or less than conventional power generation by 2030. The authors argue that current coal-fired plants at 40% efficiency are the equivalent of a 250% overbuild.

Ars Technica also has an article here.