A Farewell to Fossil Fuels: Answering the Energy Challenge

In this article published in Foreign Affairs, Amory Lovins describes a U.S. transition from fossil fuels--a blueprint detailed in Reinventing Fire-- that requires pursuing transformational change in automotive efficiency, design of buildings and factories, and the electric system.

 

Currents Spotlight on Rocky Mountain Institute

In this interview in Currents, the Navy's energy and environmental magazine, Amory Lovins shares his ideas for an enduring and resilient Department of Defense.

 

Response to RADM Robert G. James (USNR Ret.)'s 2 August 2011 Wall Street Journal op-ed "Of Mustard Fuel and Marines"

Former Naval and CIA officer and oil-industry executive Robert James claimed that military interest in advanced biofuels is a green fad and compromises combat effectiveness. Amory Lovins, who's helped to lead military energy reform for three decades, corrects Dr. James's misconceptions and misrepresentations in this comment posted on 3 August 2011 to his op-ed.

 

Proliferation, Oil, and Climate: Solving for Pattern

In this essay Amory Lovins discusses the problems of proliferation, oil, and climate. These three formidable problems, though treated as distinct, share common causes and solutions. New energy and climate solutions can strengthen security and prosperity by shifting strategy for the NPT Review Conference. Nuclear power’s astonishing eclipse by cheaper, faster, more climate-protective competitors—if acknowledged and exploited—can simultaneously bolster nonproliferation, energy security, global development, and climate protection, all at a profit. Foreign Policy published a condensed version of this paper, "On Proliferation, Climate, and Oil: Solving for Pattern" (RMI document ID S10-03) in January 2010.

 

On Proliferation, Climate, and Oil: Solving for Pattern

Proliferation, climate change, and oil dependence share both nuclear non-solutions that frustrate U.S. foreign-policy goals and non-nuclear solutions that can achieve them. This synthesis of all three issues shows how reconciling foreign with domestic energy policy can solve these and other big problems at a profit. This essay, first posted 21 January 2010 in Foreign Policy, is expanded in the annotated paper,"Proliferation, Oil, and Climate: Solving for Pattern" (RMI document ID S10-02).

 

DOD’s Energy Challenge as Strategic Opportunity

This unabridged version of an April 2010 article published in Joint Force Quarterly, the magazine of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, describes how two big ideas—endurance and resilience—can turn the DoD's energy costs and vulnerabilities into sources of breakthrough advantage, major savings in blood and treasure, and a safer world. The article as it appeared in Joint Force Quarterly (RMI document ID 2010-07) is available to download here.

 

Nuclear Power: Climate Fix or Folly?

This semi-technical article, summarizing a detailed and documented technical paper (see "The Nuclear Illusion" (2008)), compares the cost, climate protection potential, reliability, financial risk, market success, deployment speed, and energy contribution of new nuclear power with those of its low- or no-carbon competitors.

 

Climate: Eight Convenient Truths

In this article from Roll Call, Amory Lovins provides eight arguments for congress to pass climate change legislation.

 

RMI's Top Federal Energy Policy Goals

This 19-page memo to the Obama administration outlines 17 goals that can reduce U.S. oil use and greenhouse gas emissions each by 50% in 10 years. These policies would also create over three million jobs in the next four years, and earning a profit for the nation in under 25 years. The recommendations include both demand and supply side goals in multiple sectors (buildings, transportation, industrial, electricity and heat, and liquid fuels). The recommendations also contain five overarching goals: the Smart Grid is installed, enhancing energy security, enabling distributed resources, and integrating electrified vehicles; better electricity end-use data are available; a new corps of workers is trained to power the clean energy economy; all energy subsidies are consistently reviewed, transparently displayed, and thoroughly addressed; and government purchasing power spurs the clean energy economy.

 

Drilling in All the Wrong Places

In this article from RMI's Solutions Journal, Amory Lovins argues that the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is bad for the United States' national security. He argues that it is insecure and accessible to attackers.

 

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