Green, ethical, energy issues in the news

Hexane

GreatApe wrote: »

5 million social homes in the UK
Give each one a 3KW smart heater
They just plug it in the hallway

Better give them a free smoke alarm at the same time, because if you plug in a free electric heater in their hallway, one in ten of them will hang wet towels over it to dry them.:exclamati:exclamati:exclamati

GreatApe

Martyn1981 wrote: »

Article looking at bio-fuels to replace petrol during the transition to BEV's, but I suspect it's a little more controversial than that given the scale of fuels needed, and (in my opinion) the potential for slowing a transition away from the ICE, and localised exhaust pipe emissions. But, for air and sea transport, perhaps?

Biofuels Could Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions By 96%

Transport should be plug in hybrids which cover 95% of miles under electric and the other 5% can be biofuels

Something as low as 30 miles real EV plug in range and with plugs everywhere would cover almost all trips in the UK. Average daily useage in the UK is only 20 miles if this is split between 2.5 trips that's just 8 miles average car trip. So 30 miles will cover the bulk of all mileage especially urban miles will be 99% covered with a 30 mile plug in

What remains can be covered by bio-alcohol in place of petrol

This is better than full BEVs which weigh much more and require much more manufacturing and the world capacity of batteries is much more limited in trying to build 300 mile range BEVs Vs 30 mile range plug ins.

Your shareholding in Tesla will make you disagree but the above is the solution to pollution
10 plug in cars replacing 95% of 7,200 miles per year oil = 68,400 miles electrified
1 plug in long range BEV replacing 100% = 7,200 miles electrified

Taxis buses and other high mileage vehicles can be full BEVs as they make sense there

GreatApe

Hexane wrote: »

Better give them a free smoke alarm at the same time, because if you plug in a free electric heater in their hallway, one in ten of them will hang wet towels over it to dry them.:exclamati:exclamati:exclamati

People aren't that thick Even in the UK a million+ resistance heaters are sold per year.
Most the homes in Norway are electric resistance heaters they seem to manage

But fine if you think they don't know better can make it a sealed electric heater which functions fine when towels or whatever are covering them.

But the general point is that with some semi smart software you can do virtual electricity to chemicals rather than actual electricity to chemicals

Cost is 100x less
No land useage
No chemicals waste
No building waste
Conversion efficiency of 110-130% rather than 50-70%
No significant labor cost
If subsidy is required it's going to social tenants rather than a chemicals company

Upto 15GW electricity to gas virtual conversation
Can even extend this to non social homes maybe to pensioners which are maybe another 5 million homes at 15GW

michaels

GreatApe wrote: »

People aren't that thick Even in the UK a million+ resistance heaters are sold per year.
Most the homes in Norway are electric resistance heaters they seem to manage

But fine if you think they don't know better can make it a sealed electric heater which functions fine when towels or whatever are covering them.

But the general point is that with some semi smart software you can do virtual electricity to chemicals rather than actual electricity to chemicals

Cost is 100x less
No land useage
No chemicals waste
No building waste
Conversion efficiency of 110-130% rather than 50-70%
No significant labor cost
If subsidy is required it's going to social tenants rather than a chemicals company

Upto 15GW electricity to gas virtual conversation
Can even extend this to non social homes maybe to pensioners which are maybe another 5 million homes at 15GW

Extra heat is not so much use for solar curtailment.

GreatApe

michaels wrote: »

Extra heat is not so much use for solar curtailment.

The answer to this is simple, don't overbuild solar in the UK

Martyn1981

UK report on shale is out, and there's nothing to see, no seriously ..... there's nothing to see!

'Black wall' of redacted pages as fracking report finally released

The government has heavily redacted a secret report into the fracking industry after it was forced to comply with a court order for its release.

The Whitehall report on the UK shale gas sector emerged on Monday after a years-long battle to uncover the hidden documents – but with three quarters of its pages blacked out. The 48-page report, seen by the Guardian, includes 37 pages that are entirely blacked out and only one – the front cover – that was left uncensored.

The remaining paragraphs outline plans to help frackers by countering the public’s rising public opposition to the industry with a government-led campaign to develop a “pro-shale narrative”.

The report, written in 2016, was finally released after an information tribunal ruled that it would be in the public interest to disclose its findings. Greenpeace has fought a long legal battle with the government over the suppression of the document.

Rebecca Newsom, Greenpeace UK’s head of politics, said: “Looking at this black wall of redacted pages, people will be wondering why there’s so little the government is willing to reveal about fracking and so much it wants to hide.

Martyn1981

US Congress commits to act on climate crisis, despite Donald Trump

The US will take action on greenhouse gases and engage with other countries on the climate emergency despite Donald Trump’s rejection of international cooperation, a delegation from the US Congress has told the UN climate conference in Madrid.

Nancy Pelosi, the speaker of the House, struck a defiant stance on Monday, declaring: “Congress’s commitment to action on the climate crisis is iron-clad. This is a matter of public health, of clean air, of clean water, of our children, of the survival of our economies, of the prosperity of the world, of national security, justice and equality. We now must deliver deeper cuts in emissions.”

Her rallying call came as developing countries accused the US president of “ecocide” and the UN secretary-general said the world’s biggest emitters were falling behind.

But they're not the only US representatives:

Heartland Institute Sponsoring Climate Rebuttal At COP 25 Tuesday

I cannot for the life of me understand why I am on the Heartland Institute’s email list. If you aren’t familiar with the organization, it is a captive mouthpiece of Charles and David Koch which has been spreading fear, uncertainty, and doubt about the role fossil fuels have played in rising average global temperatures for the past 35 years.

There is a whole coterie of people who make their living by attaching themselves to the Kochs and the fossil fuel industry and saying whatever they are paid to say. They busy themselves churning out reports and studies that start with the desired conclusion and then work backwards to create so-called data to support the end result. To do otherwise would see their personal gravy train come to an abrupt halt. There are names for people like that and you can probably think of a few of them yourself.

I got an email from the Heartland Institute on Monday letting me know that they were sponsoring a 5-hour long presentation designed to refute what they call “the United Nations’ climate delusion” featuring a string of well known climate deniers, all of whom feed at the same trough where Koch and fossil fuel money flows 24/7 for anyone willing to put aside any shred of intelligence or decency.

Martyn1981

News in Ireland on RE auctions:

Maiden Ireland renewable auction details revealed as solar cleared to compete

Subject to state aid approval, the first auction will be in early 2020 and will be for up to 3,000GWh of electricity. At least 1,000GWh of power is to be contracted for.

If solar were to snap up 10% on the auction, somewhere in the range of 100MW – 300MW can expect to be contracted.

Further auctions will be set depending on the renewables pipeline, but the government estimates that there will be four between 2020 and 2027 in order to meet the 2030 goal.

Martyn1981

Some wave energy testing to take place in Wales:

Welsh port welcomes Oz wave partnership

The Port of Milford Haven in Wales has signed a memorandum of understanding with an Australian wave energy developer.

The MoU, signed by Port of Milford Haven chief executive Andy Jones and Bombora managing director Sam Leighton, will target economic opportunities presented by marine renewable energy within the Swansea Bay City Region and further afield.

Bombora, which is developing a 1.5MW wave energy converter demonstration device, opened an office in Pembroke Dock in 2017.
Bombora’s mWave device sits below the surface of the water where wave pressure causes its flexible rubber membrane to inflate and deflate pumping air through a turbine to generate electricity.

Chapter11

GreatApe wrote: »

5 million social homes in the UK
Give each one a 3KW smart heater
They just plug it in the hallway

When there is excess wind the grid dumps the energy into these heaters for free
110% efficient electricity to gas conversion. Costs ~£100 million for the smart heaters which are slid state totally passive and should last 30 years. Able to absorb as much as 15GW of extra wind power rather than curtailing it

Why pay big chemical companies to do inefficient dirty slow electricity to chemicals back to electricity when you can use electricity directly as above.

But this isn't really an issue for the UK or Germany anytime soon

Then lets not look for solutions to problems that dont exist when we have plenty of problems needing solutions..