There is an ethanol hysteria going on that defies all logic. This stuff costs a fortune to make, uses more fossil fuels in its production than it replaces and is a terrible use for corn in a world that needs corn for food. Sugarcane would be a much better source but a system of government protections that enriches sugar producers eliminates that source. Companies like Archer Daniels Midland, the massive corporate commodity company, have spent hundreds of millions and years creating a mythology of corn as a fuel source to drive prices up.
Am I ranting or going into conspiracy mode? No. The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) chose corn ethanol as one of their year’s losers in technology stories. They are the most highly respected standards group for engineers worldwide.
We have no time to pursue short term solutions that are nothing more than farm subsidies.

Ok, take a deep breath because we’re about to get a major dose of reality. This article in the magazine IEEE Spectrum proposes a new standard for measuring our energy use on a global scale, a measure that replace units like Joules, BTUs, barrels and other measures that need to multiplied by astronomical scales to reflect actual use.
The new measure is a CMO or Cubic Mile of Oil, the approximate amount used worldwide each year. To put this into perspective this graphic (reproduced here on a smaller scale) shows what we would have to build to replace this oil usage with other energy sources. Here’s one example:

We would have to build 52 nuclear power plants every year for 50 years to replace our current oil needs.

We’re are addicted to a level of energy dependence that is appalling in its scope.

This one hits all my categories which in itself is a pretty big rave. TED is a conference of people from the Technology, Entertainment and Design worlds that takes place each year in Monterey. It costs a lot to attend ($4400. last time) and it’s by invitation only (although you can apply to be invited) so most of us aren’t likely to experience it in person. This is too bad because a lot of really brilliant people get up and do brief talks and demos about things they’re working on or interested in, things that may change the world.
Fortunately they’ve posted these presentations on the TED Talks site and anyone can watch, download and even grab code to embed them into your site or blog. I was orginally going to embed the Al Gore talk from last year but decided instead to provide info and the site link so you can explore what TED has to offer. This is another incredible web resource, one that reminds me of what a remarkable information age we live in.

John Thackara has written a thought-provoking essay on World Changing addressing the global design challenges inherent in moving to a world with much lower carbon emissions. Starting with an epiphany about a concrete column in the Madrid airport, he expands his vision to how a world design consortium may be forming to counter global warming and climate change.

This is not a dull read- it is an example of how a macro POV is critical to understanding the eco-system of climate change and our response to it. When businesses begin to integrate, at a strategic level, enviromental issues into their planning we are at a tipping point. John details the signs that such an event may be occurring. Read it.