User talk:Gralo

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[edit] Why the Energy Portal icon?

Hello, Gralo:

I note that you have very recently added a cute little Energy Portal icon (namely, a jigsaw piece with a keyhole in it) to the Fossil fuel power plant and Syngas articles. I also note from your Contributions page that you have added that icon to dozens of articles.

Perhaps, you can help me understand what that adds to the knowledge or content of those articles. It is cute, it is eye-catching and it does no harm ... but how does it enhance those articles? Could you not have simply placed a Wiki link to Portal:Energy in the See also sections of those articles?

Please educate me. - mbeychok 23:33, 5 October 2006 (UTC)

Hi mbeychok. Re your question about the portal-icons, as it's both an interesting question and one that others might wonder about too, I've answered at some length...
It's suggested that appropriate articles are linked to their corresponding portal using these icons at 'step 4' of Wikipedia:Portal/Instructions. In fact, this page suggests using the icon {{portalpar}}, however on the portalpar talk page this is now depricated in favor of {{portal}}.
As to the positioning, I had a look at what others were doing before starting, and found that there was a wide variation. I've just taken a quick random look again through some of the links to some of the featured portals, and found:
Since the idea behind portals is to 'showcase' the best of the subject matter and provide an easy way of finding other related content, (and links to the key portals are right at the top of the Wikipedia main page, though in text-only format) it seemed to me that locating the links in a reasonable prominent location was appropriate. So long, that is, as they aren't detracting from the content on the page. That's why, if there is an infobox or prominent photograph on a page, I've located the portal-icon below in a less conspicuous position – such as on Energy development and Hydroelectricity. However it's clear from the sample above that there are varied views on this.
I guess when portals become more common, this will become a bigger issue, since I don't think it would be a good idea to have a whole stack of portal links at the head of articles that fall within the scope of several portals. I've tried to anticipate this by not adding links to any energy-related biographies, nor on any 'national' energy pages (except on 'category' pages), since it seems to me that the biography portal and the future national portals ought to take precedence on these articles.
Gralo 01:17, 6 October 2006 (UTC)
Thanks for your response and you've done a good job of explaining the various options for locating links or icons leading to your portal. But you really haven't answered my primary question, namely what does the portal link add to the articles or how does the link enhance the content of the articles? Another way of putting it, what is the primary purpose of the link? - mbeychok 01:56, 6 October 2006 (UTC)
I first came across Wikipedia searching for a small fact on the Holy Roman Empire. Instead of taking a few minutes, I spent several hours online. That was not because of the quality of the article (though even in 2003 it provided my answer), but because the page had links to other interesting articles. Since then the introduction of categories has made it easier to find information, and portals are now adding to this.
So, for me, a page in Wikipedia has 2 elements; the article containing the facts on the topic, and the user interface that links it to other appropriate pages. The article should provide high quality information. The interface should help the user find other things of interest. To answer your question directly, adding a portal-icon is an improvement because it enhances the user interface. It does this by adding a clearly labeled link to a portal, from where a user can navigate through the entire topic area. Gralo 13:49, 8 October 2006 (UTC)
Thanks for your response. At least I understand your perspective now. As for me, the Wiki links in the "See also" section of an article serves the same purpose as your portal ... and perhaps even better because those links are specifically chosen by the editors who wrote the article. In the more than 70 articles that I have written, I always try to include a comprehensive "See also" section. But to each his own! Regards, - mbeychok 16:16, 8 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] New energy power pages

Gralo, there has been a recent block on the energy superpower page by Administrator Perceval. Perceval and I are currently in bitter disagreement about much of the merits of the page, but in an attempt to salvage as much of your work as possible, as well as others on the page, I have compensated for the sudden editing-off of the status of "emerging energy superpower", and "potential energy superpower" (and the corresponding countries) by creating a new page, Great Energy Power, that describes those states that fall just under the category of "energy superpowers". I need your help in getting it up and running, and also we apparently need to be adding more "expert" commentary, so if you should find some, please put it as a source on the page where appropriate. Also, I would be most grateful if you could help me out in creating a category for the states that export moderate quantities of energy each year but have little influence on global energy prices/supply. I want to call them "energy powers" or "regional energy powers". Tell me what you think of those names, and which you find preferable. I'm leaning towards "regional energy power".

I need a few more experts backing these pages after their creation, and I currently don't trust Perceval to not squash my singular effort so far. Oh, and if you have the time, we're going to need to categorize these pages in the international power template. I think you'll agree with the merits of having this information out there. After all, there are many states that fall beneath the category of "energy superpower", and I want to correlate them to a degree with previously used Int. Relations jargon like "great power" or "regional power". I don't think "middle power" would correlate with anything well in energy, and it would only serve to divide up our work excessively. I've appreciated your many contributions on the energy superpower page. Regards, Drakeguy 03:29, 12 February 2007 (UTC)

Hi Drakeguy. I've taken a look through the comments on the energy superpower page and the elements that were transferred to the temporary page. I've also edited the 'energy superpower' definition, including external links to contemporary usage of the term. This is a 'cutting edge' area, so I can understand that there might be some concerns about original research. If you are able to find some additional commentary, with references, to support the text in the 'emerging energy superpowers' section, I would think that much of this could be added back into the article relatively soon, if supported by further opinion.
For smaller energy powers, I would suggest the term 'regional energy power'; there are references on the Web to the use of this term in relation to Romania and Kazakhstan, for example.
In relation to the potential superpowers, these seem to me just to be those states with significant energy reserves - in which case it would probably be better to start on article on World energy resources by country, in which you could refer to the potential of the country to reach 'power' status one day. This would also tie in well with article World energy resources and consumption
By putting the above together, I think you can avoid the need for the separate 'Great Energy Power' article.
Incidentally, I've just doen a Web search on Canada as an energing superpower, and found the following, for example: [1] [2] [3] . From my quick scan through these it does seem that there is some doubt about whether Canada can actually make it to superpower status. I'd also doubt the position of the UK as a potential energy superpower - though it does have have large coal reserves.
Hope this gives you a few useful pointers...
Gralo 19:08, 14 February 2007 (UTC)
How about labeling Canada a "Potential Energy Superpower"? We can get rid of the contentious "emerging" part of the definition entirely, and transfer much of that definition to the "potential energy superpower" definition. I think it would solve many of our problems, plus we could still include Canada as a great energy power too. This would kill two birds with one stone, allowing us to show which powers may be capable of making the jump and where they are currently. And as for the UK, well, I wasn't responsible for that entry. I was just trying to get the page up and running with energy reserve & production figures for everything first before I really started clamping down. Perceval apparently thought many of the less merited contributions were mine-which is not true, and I told him as much. I'll go talk to him to see if he likes your idea and mine too. Drakeguy 21:20, 14 February 2007 (UTC)
Hi Drakeguy. I appreciate that you are trying hard to get the information 'out there', which is a very worthwhile aim - my comments relate to the 'temporarily removed' section of the article in general, not anyone's specific contributions; your comments about the UK are noted! I should perhaps have prefaced my earlier comments by saying that I don't think it is necessary to obliterate the contents of the 'temporarily removed' section from Wikipedia, but that perhaps, in the light of further research, some of it might be better included in other articles, while there might be a good case for reinstating other portions where they were. What seems to be needed is further research to be able to make and justify the decision.
With that in mind, and in view of your suggestion above, I've been looking at Canada a little more closely and it is a very interesting case. I see that it is the largest oil supplier to the USA [4]. I also see that these exports are around 63% of Canadian oil production, however this only represented around 10% US crude oil requirements [5]. I also note, from the same source, that Canada imports 55% of its oil requirements from elsewhere. Overall, therefore, it seems that Canada only has net exports of 8% of its production. It seems that Canada also sells its oil at prices determined by the world market [6].
In contrast Russia seems to have no significant oil imports and exports around 54% of its production [7], generates 12% of the global oil production, has a 12% share in the global oil export markets [8], and is able and willing to influence world prices [9].
Canada's claim to be a potential energy superpower seems to rely on exploiting oil sands, however as the WP note, the profit margins are not vast - and as extracting the oil is itself an energy intensive process, so as world energy prices rise, so does the cost of extraction. In addition, Canada is under pressure to do this without increasing carbon emissions [10] [11]. And how does this fit into the picture?
Putting all this together, it would seem that Canada's current power over energy is limited, even within the region basis, as it is itself so dependant on imports. Is it an emerging regional energy power? To answer that, it would be necessary to see what the trends are. Is a potential energy superpower? In theory any country with large fossil fuel reserves has the potential to be an energy superpower. In the case of Canada where its reserves are in oil sands, the obstacles - financial and environmental - to achieving this are large, despite the political vision / spin.
Of course if natural gas and uranium are taken into account, perhaps the picture changes? Further research needed.
To add Canada as a potential energy superpower, I think that you need to include this kind of commentary. Since the Canadian government are claiming this status, it does deserve coverage on WP.
Gralo 11:04, 15 February 2007 (UTC)

Well, I've got a partial entry on the energy superpower page for Potential energy superpowers. I need you to put those nicely sourced objections to Canada becoming an energy superpower on the page itself. Otherwise you'd be wasting your time doing such nice & thorough research on my behalf. I really think though that we ought to include the figures on uranium and natural gas on the page too. Otherwise it makes the page seem completely one-dimensional and lacking an overall picture of energy. Drakeguy 17:52, 16 February 2007 (UTC)

If you want the figures on Canadian energy production, go to the temporary page and pull the sources and put them on the main page. Let me see, Canada ranks according to this #1 in hydro electricity production, #1 in uranium production, #3 in natural gas production, and #7 in oil production according to that page. I think you might want to consider the fact that Canada's prime minister is not just backing up his claim entirely on oil sands, as by other measurements, Canada already is an energy superpower (particularly in Uranium production!). Drakeguy 19:46, 16 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Energy superpower claims section?

it occurred to me that perhaps we ought to take a look at WHICH state's and their leaders have laid claim to being or becoming energy superpowers. We really ought to include expert opinion on the reasons they believe they will become Energy superpowers versus experts against, or just find expert opinion in general on the claims. Seems to me that otherwise, if someone were to read about the claims of a world leader's country being an energy superpower, that this site would not be able to discuss that topic (or be used as a reference), which is clearly something this page ought to be able to discuss (and verify the arguments for and against) that leader's comments. I think a new section might be a good idea here, in order to address these concerns. Drakeguy 15:36, 17 February 2007 (UTC)

I think you've expressed the concept very well. In the case of Saudi Arabia and Russia there is ample evidence of their status by the way that they have exercised their power. For other countries I think such claims should be included if they are made by a significant figure or group (political leader, government, etc), with views for and against the proposition to maintain a neutral point of view. And, in addition, the facts should be analysed so it is possible to understand what it means in practice - i.e. what leverage do they have over other states in the region / the world markets in terms of market share, etc., or what is the potential in the future. Any well executed work along these lines gets my support. Good luck! Gralo 11:08, 19 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Additions to Energy superpower page

Gralo, I've added some new sections to the the energy superpower page. I need you to check them out, tell me what you think, and if possible, improve them. I think you'll find that they are right up your alley. But more importantly, since I know how much you like to research, could you please add some of your sources to the "Disputed Energy Superpowers" section? That'd be much appreciated, Drakeguy 22:51, 8 March 2007 (UTC)

Hi Drakeguy; I'm a little pressed for time at the moment, but will come back to it... Gralo 23:22, 11 March 2007 (UTC)

That's understandable. Just let me know when you look it over then. Drakeguy 03:27, 12 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] User:SuggestBot

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[edit] Renewable energy in Africa

Nice edit, why did you remove so much? (comment by PriusDriver (Talk | contribs) at 23:57, 9 June 2000 moved here by Gralo)

Hi PriusDriver. I don't like removing content, because I know how much work it takes to write it, especially when it's as well referenced at this article. But to answer your question, my aim was to sharpen the focus of the article.
Some of the main things I edited out overlap with existing articles (you'll see I've added 'see also' links to these articles instead). In the case of geothermal content there was some good additional information that I moved to the geothermal energy article. If I were writing an essay or report then I'd want all the background information, but due to the hyperlinks duplication can be reduced (which also makes it easier to update things in the future).
Also, because I changed the structure to separate out the 'resources' from the 'energy use' into separate sub-sections, I felt that the information could be found without the need to repeat some of it.
If you think there is something vital that would be better added back (or added to another article), then do go ahead. I didn't cross-check every word on wind turbines with the existing articles on wind turbines, for example, so there may be some information that could be added to those articles. If you're unsure then feel free to discuss it on my talk page if you prefer. Either way, do keep contributing!
Incidentally, the following links may also be of some help, though you seem to be going well anyway:
Also, you can sign your name on talk pages using four tildes (~~~~); this will automatically produce your name and the date.
Gralo 06:10, 12 June 2007 (UTC)
In case you've not discovered it yet, I should have added that you can access the previous versions through the links on this page, should you want to do some cut and pasting... Gralo 12:56, 12 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Renewable energy in Iceland

Hi Gralo, have been tapping away on the keyboard, but took a break to read this excellent article. Surprised to see that it didn't make featured article status. And I was wondering, have any renewables pages become featured articles? regards, Johnfos 11:49, 14 June 2007 (UTC)

Hi Johnfos, good to hear from you again! I think that it is a valuable contribution to Wikipedia on an interesting subject of global interest - which is partly why I did some work on it too! However the standard for featured articles is tough, so while I don't want to be discouraging I wasn't surprised that it didn't make it this time, as I would suggest that it's probably around B on the assessment scale.
As for your question, it's a good one, and I think the answer is zero. Globally there are only 1,447 on the whole of the English Wikipedia (up from 1,007 one year ago). You can find a list of them here. In fact, I can't see any 'pure' energy articles listed, just a few related to global warming. I suspect that few have been submitted for assessment, but also that there isn't yet a 'critical mass' of contributors to bring them up to standard. I'm sure that will change in time as the growth in energy-related content pulls in more contributors - which is another good reason to keep filling the gaps!
I should perhaps add that I know this can happen; among the 1,447 is one that I started some 3 years ago before I decided to devote my time to energy. But it took over 2 years and some dedicated work by others to get it to standard... Gralo 13:15, 14 June 2007 (UTC)
On a related topic, I hope to put forward the energy portal for featured portal assessment later this month, so it will be interesting to see how that goes. You may even like to watch the talkpage so you can express your opinion when the time comes...
Regards Gralo 12:56, 14 June 2007 (UTC)

Thanks for that. I've had a better look at the Energy Portal now, and think it is really spot on. Good work! Will look forward to the portal assessment process... Johnfos 07:37, 16 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Renewable energy commercialization in the United States

Hi Gralo, and many thanks for casting your eye over the Renewable energy commercialization article and making some changes to cats and See also. Would you be good enough to have a look at this one too please, when you get the chance... thanks again, Johnfos 07:33, 16 June 2007 (UTC)

Hi Johnfos, I can see that you've been working hard; it pulls together a number of articles together in a coherent way and reads well - a good piece of work! I've done a little copyediting, and I've also cut the categories. Category:Energy in the United States should be the top level category for US national articles (which also links through to Category:Economy of the United States and others). This article really falls under Category:Renewable energy in the United States, but I've left it in both for now...
If you have the time and enthusiasm, it would be good to add a little more on the follow two aspects:
  • When did Bush state explain the need to diversify? What has he (or previous presidents) done about it - policies? programs? funding? Which aspects of commercialization have come about due to Federal policies, and which through private or state action? Can these aspects be linked through to Energy policy of the United States (which at present doesn't actually say very much about energy policy!). Incidentally, I took the reference to Bush out of the into because it could have been read as implying that he had been instrumental in the commercialization process.
  • How does usage compare to the rest of the world? For example, in geothermal energy "the USA is the world leader in online capacity" is no doubt correct, and sounds impressive. But, at just 0.37% of national electricity supply, that is tiny compared to the percentage in Iceland (renewable energy in Iceland), which is actually much more impressive.
My final thought is about the title of the article. Should it perhaps just be Renewable energy in the United States? That may depend on how you see the article developing in the future? Or whether there is scope for separate articles?
Regards Gralo 11:53, 18 June 2007 (UTC)

Hi Gralo, really appreciate your input and suggestions, and questions! I will need to think about some of those a little more but at this stage just wanted to say thanks... regards, Johnfos 12:46, 19 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Energy article quality

Hi Gralo, I've been looking more closely at Category:Energy articles by quality and was pleased to see that Renewable energy in Scotland made grade A, as it seems very thorough and well-referenced. But I was a little surprised by the very upbeat and speculative tone of its opening para, about resource potential!

There are so many energy articles which seem to need assessment. Is article assessment something you are involved in? regards, Johnfos 12:35, 19 June 2007 (UTC)

Hi Johnfos. Renewable energy in Scotland is a great piece of work, thanks largely to Ben's work; I hadn't spotted that it had been rated A & achieved "good article" status, but I'm sure its deserved. Assessment has an important role to play in increasing quality, but I don't normally get involved in it because I choose to spend my time on other priorities. As with most things energy-related here, in time others with join in, and some of them will see a great opportunity to concentrate on assessments. Gralo 13:26, 19 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Energy Efficiency Topics

After looking at the pages I proposed again, I would create a new topic for home energy rating, but would recommend just adding a section about the US on the 'global' White Certificates page in the pratical applications section. White certificates, white tags, and energy efficiency tags are all essentially the same thing, but called something differnet depending on where you live. I would recommend all searches being re-directed to the white certificates section. I could of course a brand new page, though, for energy efficiency certicates if you beleive it will be more accurate, and just have a link on the global white certificates page. There is no rush so let's of course continue to talk all of this over! Efficiency84 04:45, 21 June 2007 (UTC)

You've clearly been thinking about it carefully, so do as you suggest. The great thing about Wikipedia is that it's always possible to change things later. Though that pre-thinking is a good process to go through first! Do drop by if you'd like to discuss further. Gralo 10:13, 21 June 2007 (UTC)

Here is a rough idea of what I plan to say under Practical Applications for White Certificates


Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Nevada have Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standards and Energy Efficiency Credit (white certificates) trading. More states are expected to follow and national legislation is being proposed. There is also a voluntary market where large corporations are purchasing energy efficiency credits as a way of meeting their corporate commitments to reduce their carbon footprints.


Turned out to be pretty minimal, since there is already a page for white certificates! I think I'll create another page that copies and pastes this but calls it energy efficiency trading. Some of these new concepts are really confusing because there isn't a global standard term. I'll finish up my home energy rating article over the weekend. Efficiency84 16:55, 22 June 2007 (UTC)

Looks good. Just as well you checked that the subject was already started before writing too much. A couple of questions: Does that market have an official name that you could include? Is there a citation (i.e. a web link) you can include that mentions the proposed legislation? Gralo 17:07, 22 June 2007 (UTC)

Sorry it has been awhile. I made my modifications to the white certificates page. Here is my draft for home energy rating.

Home energy ratings are a measurement of a home’s energy efficiency. Home energy ratings can be used by for both existing homes and new homes. A home energy rating of an existing home allows a homeowner to receive a report listing options for upgrading a home’s energy efficiency. The homeowners may then use the report to determine the most effective ways in which to upgrade the home’s energy efficiency. A home energy rating of a new home allows buyers to compare the energy efficiency of homes they are considering buying A home energy rating can be used to gauge the current energy efficiency of a home or estimate the efficiency of a home that is being constructed or improved. A home energy rating of a home prior to construction or improvement is called a “projected rating.” A home energy rating that is used to determine a home’s current efficiency is referred to as a “confirmed rating.” Ratings provides a relative energy use index called the HERS Index – a HERS Index of 100 represents the energy use of the “American Standard Building” and an Index of 0 (zero) indicates that the Proposed Building uses no net purchased energy (a Zero Energy Building).

for capitalizing a building’s energy performance in the mortgage loan, certification of “White Tags” for private financial investors, and by the federal government for verification of building energy performance for such programs as federal tax incentives, the Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR program and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Building America Program. Projected ratings give home owners and builders an estimate or what a home’s efficiency will be like after construction or improvements, so that they may determine the most cost-effective route to improve a building’s efficiency. A confirmed rating, which indicates the home’s current efficiency, requires an inspection of the home from an energy rater. The home energy rater reviews the home to identify its energy characteristics, such as insulation levels, window efficiency, wall-to-window ratios, the heating and cooling system efficiency, the solar orientation of the home, and the water heating system. Performance testing, such as a blower door test for air leakage and duct leakage, is usually part of the rating.

Efficiency84 00:39, 12 July 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Peak oil

Thanks for your contribution re-structuring the Peak oil article. It's starting to take better shape now. However, the whole section dealing with "Unconventional" petroleum reserves which includes Heavy oils, tar sands, and oil shale seems to have been dropped. The naysayers to peak oil contend that there is a 400 year supply of oil left. I feel that removing that section may have removed some of the balancing information in the article. Somehow the article still needs to convey that although there are a lot of heavy oils, tar sands, and oil shale, these sources will never deliver the needed rate of oil production. I fully understand the problem is not a supply problem, but a rate problem.

I will spend some time to fill-in the last stub section on industrialization this morning. Kgrr 13:47, 22 June 2007 (UTC)

No problem - and thanks for the message! Just wanted to polish it a little before including it on the energy portal. As for the unconventional reserves, they may have an important role to play in mitigation, but since the article claims to be discussing "the date when the peak of the world's conventional petroleum (crude oil) production rate is reached" (to quote from the introduction), I moved unconventional sources to their own section in the mitigation article. Gralo 13:54, 22 June 2007 (UTC)
You probably noticed that I've been working on it off and on for a week now. I had taken a couple of days to address another couple of articles. With your help, it's really taking shape. Ok... then I will make a section briefly pointing out that unconventional resources do exist but that they are difficult to extract. Unconventional sources definitely are part of the mitigation article. However, many naysayers point to the unconventional sources as part of their argument. Thus a reference to unconventional sources must be under the supply section or else the article becomes unbalanced.
As soon as it's nice and polished, I would like to submit it to GA status so that it will be likely to be included in the CD version of the Wikipedia.Kgrr 14:25, 22 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Oil shale

I think this article is ready to be added to the Energy Portal selected articles. First time ever I have an ambition to get an article to the FA class, but still some more work needs to be done. I hope you could advice, what will be the best way to continue. To ask for peer review, or nominate for GA or even for FA? Is there something which could be done before nomination? Probably also some copyedit is needed. I appreciate if you could assist with advice or could help to improve this article. Thank you in advance. PS: I proposed some more articles for the Energy Portal. Beagel 18:49, 22 June 2007 (UTC)

Hi Beagel. I'm planning to sign off shortly but will take a look at your progress next time I log on. I would definitely advise peer review as your next step - but be prepared for the extra work in addressing the issues that will get raised. Then go for GA first (unless you get lots of comments suggesting you go directly for FA), as FA is tough and rejection potentially disheartening. I'm sure it will be worth it, and I hope you get there! Gralo 20:15, 22 June 2007 (UTC)
Thank you for your edits. As you suggested I listed it for the peer review, but probably summer is not the best time to get responses. But will see. I agree that better to spend some more time and go for sure. Beagel 17:34, 28 June 2007 (UTC)
No problem. You've obviously put in a lot of work and the result looks good! I've just added it the the selected articles on the portal, although I do have a question: in addition to Estonia, Brazil, China, Germany and Russia mentioned in the intro, you go on to mention its use in Israel & China. And I'm not sure if Canada and Turkey are current users or proposed users - though I'm sure I chould follow up the references to find out. Perhaps you could clarify this in the article?
Good luck with the peer review - I've had no response to the portal featured status request yet either...! Gralo 17:57, 28 June 2007 (UTC)
Information about Israel is controversial. By some sources they operates oil shale-fired pilot power plant, by other sources the power plant is closed currently. There is no oil production right now, the Hom Tov technology is not even in pilot stage yet (but certainly will be after several years). But I will ask at the talk page to clarify Israeli status. Same applies actually to Russia and Germany, both having small scale production. There is no oil shale industry in Turkey, but they have some considerations to use their reserves. I am quite sure there is no current oil shale industry in Canada, but it needs to be verified.Beagel 18:26, 28 June 2007 (UTC)
I listed Oil shale for the new peer review and and related spin-off articles (Oil shale extraction, Oil shale geology, Oil shale industry, History of the oil shale industry, Oil shale reserves, Oil shale economics, and Environmental effects of oil shale industry) for the peer review. Your comments and edits will be the most welcome.Beagel 17:08, 28 August 2007 (UTC)
Awarded for contributions to the oil shale topics. Beagel 14:12, 21 October 2007 (UTC)
Awarded for contributions to the oil shale topics. Beagel 14:12, 21 October 2007 (UTC)

Thank you for your assistance improving the Oil shale article to the GA level. Of course the work continues and I hope that you will be able to continue to contribute also for FAC nomination and improving other oil shale related articles. I think the next GAC could be the Oil shale geology and the Oil shale extraction.

[edit] Mitigation of peak oil

Hi Gralo. I nominated Mitigation of peak oil to appear on the Main Page under the Did you know... section. The nomination hook appears here. There is a five day from creation window for DYK nominations, so I wanted to make sure it was in the queue. Please feel free to revise the nomination hook as you see fit. Great job on the article. -- Jreferee (Talk) 04:40, 26 June 2007 (UTC)

Hi Jreferee. Thanks for your comments - but unfortunately I picked up your message beyond the deadline... Gralo 10:58, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Renewable energy commercialization

Hi Gralo, I've surprised myself and have been expanding this article a bit lately. I find the "commercialization" perspective is a very interesting and extant area. It moves the reader beyond some of the more technical discussions about renewables (eg, Intermittent power source), and some of the more seventies perspectives (eg, Sustainable energy). I'm hoping that this could be an article that one day may move beyond B class! -- Johnfos 04:50, 26 June 2007 (UTC)

Hi Johnfos, another interesting contribution. You will find that REN21 are a very good source of information for expanding the article to meet your goal. Gralo 09:47, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

Thanks for that. And I meant to ask: what was the article you started 3 years ago, that reached FA status? I'm curious! -- Johnfos 12:32, 28 June 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Presbyterian Church (USA) Carbon Neutral Resolution

Hi Gralo. You are off to such a great start on the article Presbyterian Church (USA) Carbon Neutral Resolution that it may qualify to appear on Wikipedia's Main Page under the Did you know... section. The Main Page gets about 4,000,000 hits per day and appearing on the Main Page may help bring publicity and assistance to the article. However, there is a five day from article creation window for Did you know... nominations. Before five days pass from the date the article was created and if you haven't already done so, please consider nominating the article to appear on the Main Page by posting a nomination at Did you know suggestions. If you do nominate the article for DYK, please cross out the article name on the "Good" articles proposed by bot list. Also, don't forget to keep checking back at Did you know suggestions for comments regarding your nomination. Again, great job on the article. -- Jreferee (Talk) 23:09, 4 July 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Strange choice of image for energy portal

You have reverted a perfectly good image for the energy portal with no discussion. Please explain your reasons on Portal talk:Energy. There are many other images that can be used. The one you put back is not even relevant in France. 199.125.109.64 23:21, 10 July 2007 (UTC)

Sure. Gralo 00:04, 11 July 2007 (UTC)
A little help here. We have an out of control user who seems to insist that nuclear power is the only acceptable image for the energy portal etc. and yet refuses to discuss any alternatives. 199.125.109.105 20:03, 13 July 2007 (UTC)
The above anon user keeps pushing his oil rig image as the best one for the EnergyPortal. Please stop by and register your opinion. [1]——Skyemoor 11:39, 21 August 2007 (UTC)
No I do not keep pushing any particular image - see the discussion where the oil rig is my 1st choice, but a variety is my second choice, what I am doing is pointing out that any proposed collage is not workable. There is an RFC right now in the hopes of obtaining wider viewpoints (instead of just recruiting them). 199.125.109.126 13:57, 21 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] TfD nomination of Template:Energy portal selected

Template:Energy portal selected has been nominated for deletion. You are invited to comment on the discussion at the template's entry on the Templates for Deletion page. Thank you. --TheDJ (talk • contribs) 13:41, 12 July 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Hubbert peak theory / Peak oil

Hi. I had added a section to Hubbert peak theory titled Difficulty of a reliable external assesment. I just saw that you moved it to Peak Oil and edited it as Quantifying reserves. Although I don't necessarily object to the move, or even the edit, it would have been nice to mention it on the talk page of the article(s) and briefly justify the rationale for the change - especially in the context of the split and its uncertainties. Sincerely. (NB : please answer on this page for the continuity of the discussion.) - Fils du Soleil 01:14, 15 July 2007 (UTC)

Hi Fils du Soleil. The extent of the reserves will have a major impact on the date of peak oil, and the difficulty in assessing the extent of the reserves significantly adds to the uncertainty over forecasting the date. However even a very significant change in the date of peak oil will not, of itself, prove or disprove the theory. That was the reason for the changed location. The title change was partly to cut the title length, and partly because the text implies that internal assessments are difficult too (e.g. for Shell), not just external ones. On your more general point, I would agree that mentioning the move on the talk page would have aided continuity, and I'm sorry if it took you a little time to locate your contribution (which, incidentally, is an important one). Regards Gralo 21:35, 16 July 2007 (UTC)

Thanks for your answer. Like I said, I see the logic in the changes you made. But specially in the somewhat confused context of the split, keeping track on the talk page of the whats and whys is even more important than usual. Best. - Fils du Soleil 00:00, 17 July 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Oh dear...

I'm sorry. Don't know what I was thinking/looking at. Apologies, Smokizzy (talk) 21:32, 16 July 2007 (UTC)

No problem. The beauty of Wikipedia is that everything is reversible! Regards Gralo 21:35, 16 July 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Minor Barnstar

The Minor Barnstar
Thanks for your efforts in helping clean up the Peak oil article. Your edits have helped to improve the quality of the article to attain GA status. Kgrr 14:18, 20 July 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Re. Energy portal review

Thank you for telling me about this discussion. I reviewed the portal and found it a very good candidate for featured status. I commend you on your excellent work. Keep it up! :-) Best regards, Húsönd 01:05, 2 August 2007 (UTC)

Thanks for taking the time to comment - and for your encouragement! Regards Gralo 02:37, 2 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Chapeau

Great work on Post-Kyoto negotiations on carbon emissions! —Nightstallion 22:18, 3 August 2007 (UTC)

Thanks! Just added some more. Seemed like a good idea to pull all the threads together before they get too numerous... Gralo 22:46, 3 August 2007 (UTC)
Very good work on the detail and references too, keep it up like that and it'll be featured in no time. :) —Nightstallion 22:50, 3 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Nuclear power/energy categories

I understand your point about Nuclear energy in (country) being used for all misselaneous items related to nuclear energy in a country, but the best of my knowledge, it just hasn't been used as such yet. If nuclear technology is meant to contain military related stuff instead, then that's fine, but so far, that's not the case - go check the categories.

When I was building articles centering around Nuclear power in Japan I was slapping the Category:Nuclear technology in Japan tags on the articles for companies, fuel cycle sites, government regulatory bodies, research institutes, and all sorts of others because that was the president. If we want to change that president, I would be happy to help reorganize, as long as everyone is co-operating and it's logical (which this change seems to be).

I also really don't care if something says nuclear power versus nuclear energy. That's just not worth our time to worry about. -Theanphibian (talk • contribs) 21:43, 7 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Thank you

Hi Gralo. Thanks for the barnstar - and congratulations on the portal's FA status. And thank you for your proposal. I think I will add this little shiny black box to may user page. Beagel 18:03, 11 August 2007 (UTC)

Congratulations
Congratulations on FA status for the Energy portal. Anon 18:18, 11 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Graphic - IPCC AR4 WGIII GHG concentration

Hi Gralo,

Thank you for releasing this image into the public domain. I am working on a documentary that touches upon global warming and plan to use the image. I'd like to credit you in the end credits. Would you like "Gralo" or your full name? Could you email me at erikkai@yahoo.com? Thanks! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.224.116.54 (talk) 18:49, 28 September 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Renewable energy in Germany Translation from Spanish?

I was interested in doing the translation but saw in the Wikipedia:Translation/Renewable energy in Germany Request for Translation that Icehcky8 started to do the translation. However the status bar indicated '0'. I was wondering if Icehcky8 had completed it and relevant sections were shifted to other articles. If it has been finished, perhaps you could update that Request for Translation or you could drop me a note at my userpage. Otherwise I may assume it hasn't been finished and I may start to try to figure out what has already been done and go from there. However, a note either way would be very helpfull. Thank you. AnFu 01:37, 12 October 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Portal Catholicism DYK

Thanks for adding your suggestion. I'm sorry that, because of a spelling mistake I had made, I did not find your suggestion, but now it is included and will appear every Wednesday. --Thw1309 12:10, 19 October 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Prod

[edit] Rising Tide UK

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