Green, ethical, energy issues in the news

Martyn1981

Whilst I'm very interested in BEV's, given there are more specialist threads, and others have already raised concerns, can I please ask that articles are posted on said 'specialist' threads, as articles/discussion can flood this thread.

Obviously some issues crossover, such as V2G, V2H news etc, in the same way that I post some PV news on here when it's more about green energy issues generally than solely PV. 'Specialist' PV articles posted on the PV thread.

Thanks all.

Martyn1981

Fracking could be about to lose the support of the Tories, the last major party that still 'supports' it.

[Probably a result of backlash fear in the upcoming election, but the latest Public Attitudes Survey (No. 31) is due for publication any day now and fracking has not exactly been popular lately (or ever) in those.]

Boris Johnson poised to rule out new fracking, say sources

The prime minister could be poised to sound the death knell for the UK’s controversial shale gas industry after more than a decade of support for fracking, according to sources.

Boris Johnson is expected to rule out any new fracking in the UK as part of his election campaign following rising opposition among voters and within his own party.

The effective ban is widely expected to emerge within days, and green groups believe the “victory for common sense” could help kill off the industry after years of public protest over the environmental risks.

Daniel Carey-Dawes, from countryside charity CPRE, said the mooted ban on new fracking “would be a victory for communities, climate and common sense” and a “step in the right direction”.

Fracking has taken place at only three shale wells in the UK in three years – all at the Preston New Road site in Lancashire – even though the government’s plan was to establish 20 by the middle of next year.

A spokesman for the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy said: “The government has always said shale gas exploration can only proceed as long as it is safe and environmentally responsible.”

But, but, but - if the government is to move away from a domestic source of energy, then perhaps they will try to make up for it with an increased drive for RE and alternative heating systems. One can hope.

Martyn1981

Coal from six biggest miners in Australia produces more emissions than entire economy

Coalmining in Australia by the nation’s six biggest coal producers ultimately results in more greenhouse gas emissions each year than the entire domestic economy.

In the latest report to estimate the role fossil fuel businesses play in driving the climate crisis, researchers from the University of New South Wales calculated the total emissions from the coal and gas produced by Australia’s top carbon companies, from extraction to the resources being burned for energy, mostly overseas.

They found the top six coal producers – BHP Billiton, Glencore, Yancoal, Peabody, Anglo American and Whitehaven – were in 2018 linked to 551m tonnes of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere. Total emissions from all activity within Australia were 534m tonnes.

When the list was expanded to include Australia’s 10 biggest carbon producers, adding Chevron, Woodside, ExxonMobil and Santos, the combined emissions from their products was found to be 670m tonnes a year, equivalent to that from about 75% of global air traffic.

He said many of the major producers listed in the report had long histories of pollution and continued to hold vast reserves to be extracted in the future. The researchers give the example of Glencore, which last year reported it had 6,765m tonnes of measured coal resources and 1,565m tonnes of proved marketable reserves. Moss said extracting it all could lead to 15.6bn tonnes of carbon dioxide, about 29 times Australia’s annual emissions.

Martyn1981

Big milestone in the US, with 100GW of wind capacity. Imagine what that figure could be today if it had had greater support (nationally and internationally) earlier, but still an incredible feat.

Windy Beginnings: The first 100 GW and what it brought to America.

By 2008 the United States had 25,000 MW (25 GW) of wind power across 35 states, and the industry grew quickly in the years since. While it took 28 years to build the first 25 GW of wind power, it only took 11 years to build the next 75. On top of that, the pipeline of new wind projects is now at a record high of 46.5 GW.

My bold - at that rate, perhaps 200GW in five years? Fingers crossed.

1961Nick

In the latest report to estimate the role fossil fuel businesses play in driving the climate crisis, researchers from the University of New South Wales calculated the total emissions from the coal and gas produced by Australia’s top carbon companies, from extraction to the resources being burned for energy, mostly overseas.

It might have been more constructive to investigate & report on why those export markets aren't deploying renewables to displace imported Australian coal.

JKenH

Martyn1981 wrote: »

Coal from six biggest miners in Australia produces more emissions than entire economy

That’s one take on it but not the only one.

I don’t doubt the statistics but is it not the fault of consumers and industry that burn the coal rather than the producers who are only responding to demand? It is like blaming obesity on MacDonalds. If we didn’t consume it they wouldn’t produce it. It just fits better with the Guardian’s campaigning role to tell it as “the role fossil fuel businesses play in driving the climate crisis”

We all know the ‘facts’ about CO2 and AGW. It is in our power to stop the FF industries dead in their tracks by refusing to buy their products, but we don’t. The bottom line is we consume !!!!!! out of habit and it is just too painful for us to give them up. We are to blame but because we abdicate personal responsibility we shift the responsibility to others. Everyone of us who gets in his car today or switches on his central heating is as guilty (indeed more guilty) than the FF company who supplied the product.

ABrass

It is mostly to Japan, China, India and Korea according to the Australian government.

https://www.rba.gov.au/publications/bulletin/2019/sep/the-changing-global-market-for-australian-coal.html

Japan is easy to explain, they've decided that Nuclear isn't worth the risk. China is ramping up fast and has a large pipeline of new plants on the way. India is similar but less well publicised and I haven't looked into Korea.

GreatApe

michaels wrote: »

18kw = about 80A continuous - gonna put a lot of strain on your wiring even before you charge the ev, run the dishwasher and washing machine etc which will blow the 100A main fuse.

Also 1000l x 50 degree temp rise = 60kwh and you wouldn't want the water to go below 45C to be useful for heating and bathing so you need a bigger tank to store 72kwh.

It's a pressurised tank just had a look at one says 9 bar for water which probably means it's actual limit is a good deal higher so the water can be heated well above 100 centigrade

Anyway let me modify the idea to a tank at 10 bar pressure and heating the water between 45 and 175 centigrade. Simple pressure relief valve to outside to avoid going above tank limits

This way you can have a 500 litre tank which can hold 75KWh of storage

Internal copper tubing acts as a heat exchanger for the radiators (like now)
And a mixer to limit hot water temp to 60 to avoid scalding
Radiator temps can be limited by flow rate and length of heat exchanger

Simple circuit can limit power useage to below 80% of 100AMP limit
3 x 6KW elements each one can be turned on off by a controller depending on other loads in the house

Would cost about £1,000 for the tank
Only maintenance would be DIY replacing cheap elements every few years
Tanks have 30 year guarantees would probably last twice that time

Allows a cheap way to store excessive electricity as heat
75KWh for £1,000 = £13.33/KWh and lasts 60 years and can be be fully 'charged and discharged' with no degrading and it's just simple steel and copper which is easily recyclables and abundant

GreatApe

JKenH wrote: »

That’s one take on it but not the only one.

I don’t doubt the statistics but is it not the fault of consumers and industry that burn the coal rather than the producers who are only responding to demand? It is like blaming obesity on MacDonalds. If we didn’t consume it they wouldn’t produce it. It just fits better with the Guardian’s campaigning role to tell it as “the role fossil fuel businesses play in driving the climate crisis”

We all know the ‘facts’ about CO2 and AGW. It is in our power to stop the FF industries dead in their tracks by refusing to buy their products, but we don’t. The bottom line is we consume !!!!!! out of habit and it is just too painful for us to give them up. We are to blame but because we abdicate personal responsibility we shift the responsibility to others. Everyone of us who gets in his car today or switches on his central heating is as guilty (indeed more guilty) than the FF company who supplied the product.

No one is guilty because dispute the fanatics like Marty the 99% know and accept that fossil fuels are a big net positive for health and wealth and security of humanity

In the long term they will be replaced by alternatives as technology moves on but historical, current, and medium term future useage of fossil fuels is a big net positive

Martyn1981

JKenH wrote: »

That’s one take on it but not the only one.

I don’t doubt the statistics but is it not the fault of consumers and industry that burn the coal rather than the producers who are only responding to demand? It is like blaming obesity on MacDonalds. If we didn’t consume it they wouldn’t produce it. It just fits better with the Guardian’s campaigning role to tell it as “the role fossil fuel businesses play in driving the climate crisis”

We all know the ‘facts’ about CO2 and AGW. It is in our power to stop the FF industries dead in their tracks by refusing to buy their products, but we don’t. The bottom line is we consume !!!!!! out of habit and it is just too painful for us to give them up. We are to blame but because we abdicate personal responsibility we shift the responsibility to others. Everyone of us who gets in his car today or switches on his central heating is as guilty (indeed more guilty) than the FF company who supplied the product.

I doubt the FF companies own PR departments could have put it better. :rotfl: