Chinese Company Hunan Tyen Unveils Its Power Turbine Generator: A Compact, Removable Module That Increases EV Range

      Chinese auto company Hunan Tyen, a subsidiary of Changan, has developed a detachable Power Turbine Generator (PTG), which can address range anxiety for EV owners. EV range is affected by cold weather, high-speed energy consumption, and charging convenience. The  PTG  was designed as a modular auxiliary power system, a fuel-to-electricity method of supplementing available energy.

     According to Car News China:

“Hunan Tyen’s PTG system boasts several advantages, including a more compact structure, higher power density, and stronger fuel adaptability. For the key gas turbine component, the company leveraged its fluid machinery design expertise alongside three-dimensional turbulence numerical simulation to analyse the internal flow fields of the compressor and turbine. Simultaneously, they innovatively developed a high-efficiency ball bearing system, an efficient vaned compressor, and a fixed-guide vane turbine, ultimately boosting turbine efficiency by over 5%.”

“The electronic control unit, serving as the control core of the system, faces thermal load challenges under high power density operation. To achieve coordination with the vehicle system, high-efficiency cooling channel structures were designed, combined with precision thermal management strategies based on thermal flow field simulation, solving stability issues under high-temperature conditions.”

     The detachable and drop-in device can turn a battery electric vehicle (BEV) into an extended-range electric vehicle (EREV). Previously, some Tesla owners had fitted range extenders on their vehicles, but the new PTG is a better design, which focuses on efficiency, compactness, and adaptability.

     The PTG features a fixed-guide vaned turbine, an efficient vaned compressor, and a refined bearing assembly. It is also equipped with thermal management, mainly for cooling. It also features a more compact structure, higher power density, and stronger fuel adaptability.

     While the PTG is made for long EV trips requiring extended range, it can also be used in other applications, such as unmanned aerial systems and portable power supply equipment. It can also reduce reliance on very large, very heavy, and very expensive battery packs.

     According to Interesting Engineering:

“Because it operates independently of the main electric powertrain and can be used selectively, it could appeal to drivers who face significant range anxiety or limited charging networks, especially in regions where fast-charging infrastructure is still developing.”

     Hunan Tyen optimized turbine airflow using 3D turbulence simulations, resulting in the 5% performance improvement. The PTG can be “bolted on” for long trips and removed when not needed. Of course, one day, when EV batteries become more efficient and natural range climbs higher, such detachable range extenders likely won’t be needed. However, at present, they can be very useful.

References:

 

Changan Auto subsidiary unveils detachable power turbine generator to transform BEVs into EREVs. CarNewsChina.com. February 27, 2026. Changan Auto subsidiary unveils detachable power turbine generator to transform BEVs into EREVs

China’s detachable power generator for pure electric cars could end EV range anxiety. Prabhat Ranjan Mishra. Interesting Engineering. February 27, 2026. China’s detachable power generator for pure electric cars could end EV range anxiety

Pielke Jr: Science Under Siege’ by Mann and Hotez Demonizes Detractors as Anti-Science

   A new book by Michael Mann and Peter Hotz, Science Under Siege: How to Fight the Five Most Powerful Forces That Threaten Our World, was recently reviewed by climate impact scientist Roger Pielke Jr. As his title – The Scientists Who Declared War on America – suggests, Pielke Jr. interprets the book as a call to arms by activist scientists. I have argued previously that Michael Mann focuses heavily on demonizing fossil fuel interests. I have read one of his books and a few of his scientific articles. I once heard him speak. I was expecting science, but got politics. Apparently, they mention hundreds of people they disagree with in the book, including Pielke Jr. and Dr. Judith Curry, who I also heard speak, and found her more interested in science than politics. Pielke Jr. suggests that they basically demonize those they don’t like. He says that when people of the future look back at the past politicization of science, they will refer to this book. He also notes that:

“The central argument of the book is apocalyptic.

“The future of humankind and the health of our planet now depend on surmounting the dark forces of antiscience” (p. 3)

“Unless we find a way to overcome antiscience, humankind will face its gravest threat yet – the collapse of civilization as we know it.” (p. 27)

     Mann and Hotez, a virologist, mainly attack Republicans in the book, he says. They also attack some Democrats and centrists who do not share their beliefs. They apparently see themselves as battling the forces of anti-science and evoke Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings for analogies. They feel that the Republican Party is threatening civilization. Below is an example graphic that Pielke Jr. shows from the book about the ‘ecosystem of anti-science.’ As can be seen, they classify the “enemy” into five types, the five Ps: Plutocrats, Petrostates, Pros, Propagandists, and Press. I don’t see that classification as particularly useful or accurate.

     He notes that they seem to especially vilify a few specific fellow climate activists like James Hansen and David Wallace-Wells. I found that odd, but apparently, they have some strong disagreements.

     Pielke Jr. writes:

“Apart from a self-inflated sense of their own role in their imagined global war for the future of humanity, Mann and Hotez do offer a few real-world policy recommendations: Specifically, eliminating the filibuster in the U.S. Senate and expanding the U.S. Supreme Court from nine to 13, but only after Democrats have won the presidency and the House and Senate.”

“Ultimately, Mann and Hotez are calling for the scientific community to join their war and to organize itself in opposition to Republicans, to become even more partisan.”

“What is notable is the degree to which Mann and Hotez have come to represent and speak for the broader scientific community. From this perspective, they are simply a symptom—an extreme one, no doubt—of a broader trend of intense politicization within the scientific community, and particularly the leadership of authoritative scientific institutions.”

     Pielke Jr. sees the book and its authors as leaders of partisan politicization of science. He notes the biases of scientific journals like Science and Nature and groups like the Union of Concerned Scientists, all three of which were selected to review the book. I will only reiterate that reading and listening to Mann, I am always startled at his degree of partisanship – Pielke Jr. refers to the authors' views as “dark partisanship.”

     He finishes with the following:

“Future historians seeking to understand how science became so hyper-partisan in the early twenty-first century will certainly want to explore the broader atmosphere of polarization that has enveloped American culture. But they will also want to explore how the scientific community went along with the politicization, not just willingly, but enthusiastically.”

“An important part of that story is the scientific community’s warm embrace and promotion of the book’s divisive message: that scientists are in an existential war against their fellow citizens, a war that can only be won by vanquishing the enemy.”

    

   

 

References:

 

The Scientists Who Declared War on Half of America: Michael Mann and Peter Hotez call scientists into a partisan fight. Roger Pielke Jr. The Honest Broker. March 9, 2026. The Scientists Who Declared War on Half of America

Particulate Static Effect-Induced Power Generation Technology Inspired by the Tesla Turbine Produces Electricity Via Compressed Air Flow and Particles

     Researchers from Chung-Ang University in South Korea, working with collaborators from Kumoh National Institute of Technology, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and National Taiwan University, have constructed a device that converts compressed air into electricity using static charge. Their work was published in the journal Advanced Energy Materials. The device was inspired by the Tesla turbine, a design that spins using fluid flow rather than traditional blades. Instead of friction-based contact, the new generator relies on what the team calls the particulate static effect.

“During the research, we were curious about what would happen if high-speed—or high-pressure—wind blows onto the triboelectric nanogenerator. So, we fabricated a Tesla turbine-inspired triboelectric nanogenerator structure that can be operated with high-pressure air and analyzed the data. From these results, we observed the particulate static effect: the particulate matter in air can also generate surface charge on the triboelectric layer,” said Professor Sangmin Lee of Chung-Ang University.

     The new device can harvest static electricity without friction. Shy Cohen of the Brighterside of News writes:

“Compressed air enters the turbine and creates rotational motion through viscous force. Inside, layers with different electrical properties pick up charge from airborne particles. Because there is no sliding contact, the system behaves like a non-contact triboelectric generator.”

     One of the authors explains:

“The viscous force of compressed air induces rotational motion within the device. Tribo-negative and tribo-positive layers inside acquire surface charge from the particulate static effect without the need for frictional sliding, allowing operation similar to non-contact tribo-electric generators. This facilitates electricity generation via electrostatic induction in the rotating electrodes, and the frictionless rotation enables high-frequency peak outputs,” Lee explained.

     This research marks the first time a Tesla turbine structure has been used to generate electricity. Since compressed air is often used in industry in various ways, the research can open the door for electricity recovery from compressed air that would otherwise be wasted when systems are purged. 

     The system can generate negative ions and can also be used for humidity control and air purification in industrial settings. Purifying the air of dust can improve safety by removing potential ignition sources. Without friction in the system, it can also lead to less need for wear-related maintenance compared with contact-based systems.

“The team suggests future work could explore broader industrial integration and other environments where particulate-laden airflow exists. Mining operations, pneumatic transport systems, and environmental control systems all generate similar conditions.”

     Below is a simple movie clip showing compressed air being used to power four 2.5 W commercial lamps.

 

 

References:

 

Scientists generate electricity using Tesla turbine-inspired technology. Shy Cohen. The Brighter Side of News. February 16, 2026. Scientists generate electricity using Tesla turbine-inspired technology

Particulate Static Effect Induced Electricity Generation Inspired by Tesla Turbine. Seh-Hoon Chung, Dongwon Seo, Chanui Lee, Hyungseok Yong, Sunghan Kim, Zong-Hong Lin, Sangmin Lee, and Jihoon Chung. Advanced Energy Materials. First published: 28 December 2025. Particulate Static Effect Induced Electricity Generation Inspired by Tesla Turbine - Chung - Advanced Energy Materials - Wiley Online Library

 

Geochemical High-Resolution Isotope Ratio Logging for Subsurface Hydrocarbon Analysis: Emerging Tech for Real-Time Reservoir Analysis

     As someone who has geosteered many horizontal wells, I have always thought that new methods could be combined with it for more thorough zone analysis and stratigraphic interpretation confirmation. Drill cuttings can be utilized in real-time or in near real-time for XRF/XRD analysis for the geochemical analysis of the zones being drilled. This has been used effectively for the correlation of zones and marker beds. Another geochemical technique being utilized more recently is isotope logging. This involves continuous measurements of chemical isotopes during drilling. For dry gas reservoirs, the isotopes logged are methane (C1) isotopes. For fluids and reservoirs with more liquids, C1-C3 isotopes are logged as well as CO2 isotopes. The ratios of the different isotopes can be used to geochemically characterize a reservoir and determine important information such as source, generation, alteration processes, and fluid properties of the hydrocarbons.

     Isotope ratio analysis has been around for a long time and has been used for many scientific studies involving geochemistry. Carbon isotope ratios in CO2 and oxygen isotopes have been used extensively for paleoclimate analysis. Nitrogen isotopes have also been used in studies. Other types of hydrocarbon analysis utilize ratios of alkanes of natural gas composition, such as methane (C1), ethane (C2), propane (C3), butane (C4), isobutane (also C4), Pentane (C5), as well as heavier hydrocarbon molecules (C6+).

 

SLB’s Isotope Logger (C1 and C1-C3)

     According to Carl Symcox, Director of Geosciences at Edge Systems:

“This advanced gas detection tool can identify depletion trends, fracture and fault contributions, fluid mixing, and distinct “line of death” compositional shifts. Because methane isotopic signatures are fundamentally linked to hydrocarbon fluid maturity, they provide a robust geochemical signal that is less susceptible to operational noise and surface contamination than traditional gas ratio analyses.”

     SLB has a 2016 case study that uses isotope logging to address rock and fluid heterogeneity along Marcellus laterals. Real-time logging involved generating a thermal maturity log that matched well with a vitrinite reflectance map, the standard for mapping thermal maturity trends.

“SLB proposed using isotope logging service to continuously measure isotopic ratios of δ13C–CH4 from surface while drilling to produce a continuous thermal maturity log. A continuous thermal maturity log is the first step toward determining hydrocarbon fluid type in place, and providing this data would enable improved while-drilling reservoir management decisions.”

     Below is the thermal maturity log generated along with the vitrinite reflectance map.

     SLB notes that real-time isotope ratio logging data can be integrated with quantitative fluid composition data via its FlairFlex™ advanced real-time fluid logging and analysis service.

     For C1 Isotope logging, SLB emphasizes a better understanding of depth resolution and small-scale features:

“A continuous, quality-controlled measurement log of isotopic ratios provides dramatically improved depth resolution and enables identifying small-scale features that would otherwise be missed.”

     For C1-C3 isotope fluid logging, SLB notes that this works with a gas chromatograph, which is standard in mud-logging units, and an isotope ratio mass spectrometer.

“Isotope fluid logging  C1–C3 service is composed of two main parts, the gas chromatograph to separate the C1, C2, and C3 components and the isotope ratio mass spectrometer (IRMS). Both parts can be installed in a standard mud‑logging rack. The service is always deployed in the mud‑logging unit.”

     In March 2025, a case study of the Ledong Gas Field in the Yinggehai Basin in the South China Sea, analyzed with isotope logging, was published in the journal Energies. This basin produces from high-temperature/high-pressure (HT/HP) reservoirs. Isotope logging has been used in the area since 2014 and is noted for identifying “gas origins, source rock maturity, and gas source type and help judge the sealing quality of overburdened mudstone caps.” These are vital things to know in an HT/HP reservoir.

     Below are the abstract and conclusions of the paper.

    

Advanced Mud Gas Logging Tools 

     According to a 2019/2020 paper in AAPG’s Search and Discovery, the development of advanced mud gas logging (AMGL) tools in the 2010s involved the incorporation of advanced degassing systems and geochemical analyzers. The geochemical advancements include analysis of C6-C8 isomers and a continuous high-resolution carbon stable isotope composition of methane (expressed as δ 13C-C1). This enabled the determination of the mixing of thermogenic and biogenic fluids, biodegradation of petroleum, and phase separation and leakage via cap rocks.

     AMGL can be used to determine the hydrocarbon charge history of a reservoir through fluid fingerprinting. These methods of deeper real-time geochemical analysis do not have the limitations of conventional mud gas analysis. They can be used in combination with more traditional analysis such as gas ratio analysis of alkanes.

 

 

References:

 

Isotope Logging. SLB. Isotope Logging | SLB

At-surface real-time isotope logging assesses lateral heterogeneity in Marcellus Shale. SLB. March 24, 2016. At-Surface Real-Time Isotope Logging Assesses Lateral Heterogeneity in Marcellus Shale | SLB

Application of Carbon-Isotope-Logging Technology in High-Temperature and High-Pressure Wells: A Case Study of the Ledong Gas Field in the Yinggehai Basin. Heng Geng, Xiaojun Xin, Leli Cheng, Jiarong Su, Yitao Hu, Ting Song, Ruike Wang, and Yongkang L. Energies. March 29, 2025, 18(7), 1728. Application of Carbon-Isotope-Logging Technology in High-Temperature and High-Pressure Wells: A Case Study of the Ledong Gas Field in the Yinggehai Basin | MDPI

Charge History Clues from Advanced Geochemical Mud Gas Logging. Alan Keith Fernandes and Dariusz Strąpoć. AAPG. Search and Discovery Article #42509 (2020). Charge History Clues from Advanced Geochemical Mud Gas Logging, #42509 (2020).

Isotope fluid logging C₁–C₃. SLB. isotope_fluid_logging_c1–c3_data_sheet.pdf

Isotope logging C₁. SLB. isotope_logging_c1_data_sheet.pdf

High Resolution Isotopes: A new approach to unlock valuable reservoir insights in Marcellus/Utica. Carl Symcox. Pittsburgh Association of Petroleum Geologists. Meeting. March 19, 2026. (Meeting Abstract).

 

 

Forest Soils May Not Store Carbon as Effectively as Thought, but They May Uptake Atmospheric Methane More Than Previously Thought: Forests Also Have Many Ecosystem Service Benefits

    

     This post involves three separate studies: two that quantify the ability of forest soils to store carbon and one that quantifies the uptake of atmospheric methane by forest soils. It also includes another study of the ecosystem benefits of forests. The first study was led by BOKU University and focused on European beech forests in Central Europe. The results suggest that ignoring deep soil carbon levels could lead to overly optimistic estimates of how much carbon forests are able to store. A preceding study also indicated similar results in pine plantations in Scotland. That study found that soil carbon levels were higher by double in nearby grasslands than under a mature planted pine forest.

Prof Subke said: “Our findings emphasised that we cannot over-rely on forests to mitigate the impacts of climate change because there is still so much that we don’t understand.”

“Despite accumulating tree biomass, we may be losing carbon capital – the carbon stored long term in soils and ecosystems – to the atmosphere.”

     The Scotland study found that carbon left in forest soils was less stable and could break down and be released more easily in the future.

Dr Thomas Parker of the James Hutton Institute, who co-authored the commentary, said: “Forests are an essential for human and planetary well-being for a range of reasons, but we need to acknowledge that they are not a silver bullet for all our problems.”

“There are complexities and trade-offs that need to be understood to maximise the net benefits that we gain from forests.”

     These studies show that quantifying carbon uptake and atmospheric release in forest soils is not what we thought it was, which can affect carbon budgeting in climate modeling.

     The study on methane uptake of forests shows that under certain climatic conditions, which are likely in a warming world, uptake of methane by forests is expected to increase. Researchers from the University of Göttingen and the Baden-Württemberg Forest Research Institute (FVA) have evaluated the world's most comprehensive data set on methane uptake by forest soils. Soil gas monitoring in 13 forests in Southwest Germany, including beech and spruce forests, was conducted and tabulated over a 24-year period for the study. This makes it the largest global dataset of continuous CH4-fluxes. The results of the study showed an increase in CH4-uptake of 3% per year on average. 

     According to the paper:

“This study, however, offers unique insights into long-term CH4-uptake variability, with data spanning up to 24 years in 13 forest soils. We observed a high variability in CH4-uptake between the study plots. On average, the observed CH4-uptake was significantly higher than previously expected for temperate forest soils. The large differences between the plots and sites also mean that we cannot simply take an average value for upscaling CH4 uptake e.g. of entire countries. A more detailed investigation of the ecological drivers of this variability at the plot scale and between the plots and identification of proxy parameter is needed to estimate CH4 uptake over larger areas.”

     These studies indicate that we are still learning about greenhouse gas uptake and retention by vegetation, including grasslands and forests. It makes quantifying such things as carbon uptake and retention via reforestation less certain, as there is a lot of variability in quantities.   

 

The Ecosystem Service Benefits of Forests

     Are forests the lungs of the earth, as often stated? Not really. Ocean plankton generate much of our atmospheric oxygen. Oceans, forests, non-forest soils, and other ecosystems are the planet’s main generators of oxygen. Headwaters in forested areas often serve as the origins of our drinking water in natural catchment areas. Forests take up water that would run off in non-forested areas.

     Along with generating oxygen and regulating water, forests also help to filter and purify air pollutants. Trees intercept particulate matter and absorb gaseous pollutants through leaf stomata. A 2014 study showed that trees in rural and urban areas filter air pollution in this way. However, the benefits to overall air quality were less than 1%.

     It has also been found, through studies in the Amazon, that deforestation can increase the incidence of malaria by changing hydrology. In particular, deforestation increases the incidence of stagnant water pooling, which makes habitat for breeding more disease-carrying mosquitoes.

     Forests also interact with the atmosphere to move moisture across continents. They sustain inland moisture transport and precipitation. Thus, they provide a key hydrological balancing function, and removing them can destabilize local and regional hydrology.

     Forests also support local cooling, soil stabilization, and biodiversity. Research suggests that these ecosystem benefits also need to be better quantified.

     According to Everett Sloan at Morning Overview:

“Protecting forests is not only about meeting climate pledges or conserving charismatic wildlife; it also functions as preventive investment in water security, air quality and disease control.”

“At the same time, scientists stress that uncertainties remain, especially around future precipitation patterns and the scale at which mechanisms like the biotic pump operate.”

  

 

References:

 

Deep soil in forests may store carbon less effectively than thought – study. Lucinda Cameron. The Independent. February 10, 2026. Deep soil in forests may store carbon less effectively than thought – study

Forest soils increasingly extract methane from the atmosphere, long-term study reveals. Science X staff. Phys.org. February 4, 2026. Forest soils increasingly extract methane from the atmosphere, long-term study reveals

Forests do far more than store carbon, they literally keep humans alive. Everett Sloane. Morning Overview. February 14, 2026. Forests do far more than store carbon, they literally keep humans alive

Trend analysis of methane uptake in 13 forest soils based on up to 24 years of field measurements in south-west Germany. Verena Lang, Valentin Gartiser, Peter Hartmann, and Martin Maier. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology. Volume 375, 15 December 2025, 110823. Trend analysis of methane uptake in 13 forest soils based on up to 24 years of field measurements in south-west Germany - ScienceDirect

Tree and forest effects on air quality and human health in the United States. David J Nowak, Satoshi Hirabayashi, Allison Bodine, and Eric Greenfield. Environmental Pollution. 2014 Oct:193:119-129. Tree and forest effects on air quality and human health in the United States - PubMed

 

Bjorn Lomborg and the Copenhagen Consensus: Deprioritizing Climate Change in Favor of More Pressing Human Betterment Issues

     HumanProgress.org, a libertarian group associated with the Cato Institute, just did a segment on Bjorn Lomborg by Marian Tupy. He first notes that Lomborg’s 2001 book, The Skeptical Environmentalist, which I have not read, got a lot of pushback from the climate change establishment. Lomborg has focused on prioritizing human and environmental problems. I did read his 2020 book False Alarm, about toning down climate change catastrophism, and his excellent 2023 book Best Things First, which was specifically about prioritizing sustainable development goals. I summarized and reviewed that book on this blog.

     It was the more liberal science groups, such as Scientific American and the Union of Concerned Scientists, who criticized Lomborg’s earlier works, such as The Skeptical Environmentalist. For a while, Lomborg was a sweetheart of the U.S. right-wing pushback against prevailing catastrophic climate change narratives. Lomborg was lambasted for challenging that narrative. He was branded as a climate change denier and was said to be in line with fossil fuel interests. However, that was never actually the case.

“The substance of Lomborg’s crime was simple. He took the environmental litany of doom and gloom and checked it against long-run data from the UN, the World Bank, and other official sources. He concluded that on most indicators human welfare had improved, many environmental trends were not as catastrophic as advertised, and that resources devoted to some flagship green causes would save more lives if redirected to basic health, nutrition and economic development. He accepted that global warming is real and largely man-made but argued that the standard policy mix of aggressive near-term emissions cuts was a poor investment compared with targeted adaptation, innovation and poverty reduction.”

     His branding as a “climate crisis denier” is probably more apt, as I, too, agree that calling it the climate crisis is not necessary. Much of his work, however, has been vindicated. Climate change is a problem and is important to address, but there are other, more pressing human issues also competing for funding that really need to be addressed first. Tupy notes that Bill Gates’ recent memo on deprioritizing climate change issues for more pressing problems utilizes arguments very similar to those used by Lomborg. It is also true that Gates and Lomborg have worked together in prioritizing human betterment issues.

     Lomborg noted that other human problems outweighed climate concerns, particularly in developing countries where quality of life and access to needed basic services were lacking. Tupy writes that Gates’ memo was right in line with Lomborg’s analysis:

“The key line could have been lifted from a Copenhagen Consensus report: “The biggest problems are poverty and disease, just as they always have been,” and limited resources should go to interventions that deliver the greatest gains for the most vulnerable. That is Lomborg’s central thesis restated by one of the most influential philanthropists on the planet.”

     Tupy also writes that Gates’ and Lomborg’s views are that “health and prosperity are the best defences against a warmer world.” Lomborg argues that the focus for poor countries should be on economic growth and adaptation to adverse climate and weather.

     Tupy focuses on three ideas that Lomborg’s opponents tried and failed to delegitimize. First is his emphasis of longer-term trends over recent headlines in assessing and ranking problems. Second, he considered climate change one problem among many, instead of some overriding issue that deserves all the attention. Lomborg is always focused on doing the most good with the lowest costs. Overly focusing on climate change does not do that at all, he argued. Thirdly, Lomborg focused on prioritization, specifically subjecting each human problem to cost-benefit analysis, to show where we could do the most good at the least cost. Tupy calls it putting analysis into a framework of applied welfare economics.

     Tupy concludes:

“That is what it means to say that Lomborg was driven by science rather than dogma or emotion. He did not deny problems. He asked how big they are, how fast they are changing, and what works best if we care about human flourishing. His opponents often responded not with better data but with attempts to brand him as illegitimate, to sic committees on him, and to deter others from asking similar questions.”    

“There is a broader lesson. Modern societies claim to revere science, but too often turn scientific disputes into moral battles in which heretics must be shamed or silenced. Lomborg’s experience shows what happens when a researcher challenges a powerful narrative with inconvenient numbers. The attempt to punish him did not change the data. It only delayed a necessary conversation about trade-offs, priorities and the best use of scarce resources.”

     Lomborg, like Gates, is deeply involved in understanding and solving human problems, especially those in the developing world, which are often dire and have life and death risks. He favors the promotion of health, education, the reduction of corruption, the development of durable institutions, and poverty reduction as human goals that simply should outrank climate change.

 

    

References:

 

A Vindication of Bjorn Lomborg: Lomborg’s experience shows what happens when a researcher challenges a powerful narrative with inconvenient numbers. Marian L. Tupy. HumanProgress.org. March 3, 2026. A Vindication of Bjorn Lomborg - Human Progress

 

Putin’s Unwavering Determination Amid His Massive Failure: Is It Enabled by Russia’s Totalitarian Government? So Much Lost and So Little Gained in Ukraine

     The war in Ukraine, or rather the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, as it should be called, just passed its 4-year anniversary. The senseless war has resulted in the unnecessary deaths and injuries of millions of soldiers and civilians. All for what? Some Russian idea of entitlement based on an imperialist past? Russia has also ruined its economy, its international reputation, and strongly increased suppression of its citizens, all to rid Ukraine of the absurdity of perceived fascism.

     Putin’s conviction that Ukraine is an artificial construct with an illegitimate government is apparently what is driving him and his co-conspirators to force the death of millions of people as well as the mass propagation of torture, cruelty, poverty, imprisonment, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and human rights abuses. In an ideal world, we might say, bring NATO in to push the invaders out in a big way and allow Ukraine to join the EU and NATO.

     But Putin failed in nearly all of his goals aside from annexing territories after bombing towns and cities into rubble.  

     Lawrence Freedman writes about this in The I Paper:

“This is exactly the situation he was trying to prevent in 2013, which provides the measure of Putin’s failure. Then the Ukrainian president was a Russophile. Now, Russia will be hated and distrusted by Ukrainians for generations to come. Successive moves by Putin have ensured that his ideal end state of a compliant government in Kyiv is now beyond his reach. And this is before we bring into the equation the hundreds and thousands of dead, injured, and traumatised, the distortion of the economy and the impact on the well-being of the population, the break with the West and the loss of the European gas market, the dependence of China, and the need to ask favours from North Korea and Iran. In a democracy, a strategic blunder of this size would have been called out years ago. In autocracy, one man can have the power to keep this futile war going and not be called to account.”

     Note that at the end, he says that only in an autocracy would such failure be tolerated. In a country where a government has no accountability to its own people due to its control of those people, such toleration of abject failure can occur. The mass sacrifice of human life for small territorial gains is barbaric and needs to be stopped. As well as being barbaric, it is nonsensical. There is simply no way Putin can really win anything. The loss is so huge that few, if any, winning scenarios can replace it.

     The Kremlin is not interested in peace. It is seemingly locked in war mode, and there is no intention that it seeks to change that. Its demands of the rest of the land on the provinces it seeks is a demand that Ukrainians are not willing to accede to, nor will they or should they trust Russian peace efforts, which they have never lived up to in the past. Will Russia ever stop the endless “meat grinder” that the war has become for them?

     The Kremlin may get some reprieve with increasing oil prices due to the war against Iran. Hopefully, the risks of drone attacks in the Strait of Hormuz can be mitigated, and oil prices can come back down. Other forces are working against Russia, including tightening sanctions, more and better sanctions enforcement, more pressure on buyers of Russian crude such as India, and Ukrainian attacks against Russia’s energy exporting capabilities. Other factors working against Russia include its loss of Syria as a Middle East foothold, its loss of sanctions evasion partners Venezuela and Iran, and its vulnerability even in the Mediterranean, where Russian tankers have been interdicted and where a sanctioned Russian LNG tanker was attacked, presumably by Ukrainian drones. With polls showing Hungarian leader Viktor Orban trailing his opposition, it looks very possible that Putin will lose an ally, which would be good for Ukraine and the EU.

References:

 

Putin cannot disguise the true scale of his failure. Russia is on the brink. Lawrence Freedman. The I Paper. February 24, 2026.  Putin cannot disguise the true scale of his failure. Russia is on the brink

Utica Shale Drilling and Dry Gas Production in Northeastern Pennsylvania: Nearing 1TCF of Cumulative Production

     According to the latest Appalachian Basin Digest Monthly Overview, which I get via email subscription from Ayers Petroleum, the Utica Shale dry gas play in Northeast Pennsylvania is nearing a cumulative gas production of 1TCF. Currently, there are 127 producing wells in the play. The digest highlights an area or company every month, and this month it was the Northeast Pennsylvania Utica play. Drilling in the play is confined to just a few companies in just a few counties. Seneca Resources and JKLM Energy are the two main operators in the play, with Greylock Energy having a few producing wells as well. The bulk of the play is drilled by Seneca Resources in Tioga County. JKLM is drilling in Potter County. Greylock is drilling between the two in Eastern Potter County.

     The graph below shows that 2018 and 2019 were biggest drilling years in the play, as was 2024.

     The graph below shows both annual production and cumulative production. Cumulative production is nearing 1 TCF, which is an interesting milestone for the play. It looks like the new wells drilled in 2024 led to 2025 being the biggest productive year in the play, with over 160 BCF produced.

     As shown in the old Utica structure contour map below from 2016, the formation is about 9000 ft below sea level where it produces, and with high ground level elevations, it is below 10,000 ft in vertical depth. Thus, it is much deeper than drilling for Utica in Ohio.

     

 

References:

 

Appalachian Basin Digest Monthly Overview January 2026.

Structure Map of Utica Formation. Energy Information Administration. 2016. Utica play, structure map of the Utica formation