Columnists

Kurt Zenz House

A thought for Copenhagen and beyond

9 December 2009

China might still be considered a developing country, but at Copenhagen, Beijing's posture needs to reflect that of the global economic power it has become.

The curious oil and natural gas price differential

18 September 2009

The price of natural gas relative to oil is at a historic low, bucking long-term trends. But it would be imprudent for policy makers to base their energy choices on such short-term fluctuations.

Putting the cost of going green in context

15 July 2009

Plans to retool the country's energy infrastructure, from Al Gore to Google, are better understood when compared with the nation's past efforts to win World War II and build the Interstate Highway System.

Saudi Arabia's big bet on innovation and education

5 May 2009

One of the world's most conservative countries is spending billions to create a world-class university, which it hopes will be an oasis of free enquiry.

Using energy sources wisely

25 February 2009

The United States should take Texas oilman T. Boone Pickens's advice and no longer use natural gas to generate electricity.

The limits of energy storage technology

20 January 2009

Basic physics tells us that crude oil and natural gas store energy better than any human-made battery will in the foreseeable future.

OPEC and the Prisoner's Dilemma

16 December 2008

OPEC will find it difficult to increase oil prices in the near-term as each member is better off cheating on its oil production quotas regardless of what the rest of the cartel does.

Where the presidential candidates stand on energy policy

28 October 2008

Energy policy has become a vital issue in the 2008 presidential campaign, with each candidate offering their own prescriptions. But here's why one candidate is stronger than the other.

Oil: To drill or not to drill

25 August 2008

The United States should expand its domestic oil production, but not for the commonly held reasons.

In praise and fear of France's energy policy

29 July 2008

For 30 years, France has decided to chart a national energy policy centered on nuclear power. Today, this course has presented Paris with both significant costs and benefits.

Breaking the tyranny of oil

1 July 2008

Instead of lamenting record-high prices at the pump, the United States should impose taxes to keep them at such levels in hopes of breaking its reliance on gasoline and diesel.

Profile

Kurt Zenz House (Profile Image)

Kurt Zenz House

House studies and develops methods for large-scale capture and storage of human-made carbon dioxide. He is currently a fellow at MIT, where his work is partially supported by the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology. In addition, he is the president and chief scientist of a venture-capital-backed alternative-energy company. In 2007, Esquire featured him among its "Best and Brightest," and in 2009, he was named by Technology Review Magazine as one of the "Top 35 Innovators Under 35." He holds a bachelor's degree in physics from the Claremont Colleges and a PhD in geoscience from Harvard University.

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