Today is the first anniversary of the Ukraine War.  I was planning to have a long review today, but decided to skip that because all the news channels have special programs.  Instead, let me only mention that  China has become the peacemaker , calling for a cease-fire and open talks as part of a 12-point proposal to end the conflict. The plan issued Friday morning by the Foreign Ministry also urges the end of Western sanctions imposed on Russia, measures to ensure nuclear facilities, the establishment of humanitarian corridors for the evacuation of civilians and steps to ensure the export of grain, after disruptions caused global food prices to spike .  (To the left, China's foreign policy chief Wan Yi with Vladimir Putin.) I wasn't planning to have a three-part hydrogen series, but I yesterday gave a travel talk at 15 Craigside on our Regent Seven Seas cruise from Dubai to Singapore, and remember well another talk I gave in Japan in the 1990's, which was a disaster, but wi

From  Worldometer  (new  COVID-19 deaths yesterday):           DAY    USA    WORLD      Brazil      India      South Africa 2020 June     9     1093     4732         1185        246       82 July    22      1205     7128         1293      1120     572 Aug    12      1504     6556        1242        835     130 Sept     9      1208      6222       1136       1168       82 Oct     21      1225      6849         571        703       85 Nov    25       2304    12025        620        518      118 Dec     30       3880    14748       1224       299      465 2021 Jan      14       4142      15512       1151         189     712 Feb      3       4005    14265       1209       107      398 Mar      2       1989     9490        1726       110      194 April     6        906    11787         4211       631       37 May     4        853     13667        3025      3786     59   June    1        287    10637         2346      3205      95  July    7         251      8440        1595        817     

This blog site began with renewable energy, added the environment, then expanded in all other directions because of my book,  SIMPLE SOLUTIONS for Humanity .   Today, back to energy, and mostly from  Energy Matters , soundbites from the  American Energy Society . Top 5 hot topics at the end of 2022 Energy security. U.S. policy successes. Hydrogen. Transmission/pipeline infrastructure. Tie:  liquified natural gas and fusion. Five years ago (end of 2017) it was: President Trump. U.S. LNG production. Battery storage. Smart-grids. Autonomous vehicles. Here are the top stories this past year. January. There are 13 new lithium gigafactories under construction, just in the U.S., causing a supply imbalance. Solar power accounts for half of the new electric generating capacity in the U.S. February. Russian invades Ukraine. Global coal markets set new production records. March. Oil prices jump above $100/barrel. Electricity and nickel prices go haywire. Countries ignore United Nations emission r