tingilinde

montana youth and climate change

Some teenagers sue the state over its fossil fuel promotion. The state constitution makes this interesting, but given Montana's hard turn to the right in the past decade and judges, it seems unlikely,  Still..

 

 

on banning cats and cars.

Bird carnage argument the anti-green energy crowd makes about wind turbines.  Perhaps some other things would have to be banned first.  

 

an important graphic

From today's IPCC report on climate change.  All alarms - action needs to be taken now.  Here's the low hanging fruit.  A carbon "tax" of $50 to $100 would be powerful.

solar panels and agriculture

It turns out it can be a win-win situation - where you produce more food in addition to electricity.

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The cooling effect due to enhanced evapotranspiration and surface albedo from vegetation and soil is more significant than that induced by greater panel height; and the passive cooling adds to solar panel efficiency, compared with exposed soil or gravel, according to the paper. Better yet, however, the temperature drops leads to an improved solar panel lifespan – and improved, long-term economic potential.

“As you decrease the solar panel operating temperature, you can increase efficiency and improve the longevity of your solar modules,” said Williams, “We’re showing dual benefits. On one hand, you have food production for farmers, and on the other hand, we’ve shown improved longevity and improved conversion efficiency for solar developers.”

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a tip of the hat to Sukie

 

home heating

A nice how and where piece.

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There is an irony to America’s current home heating map. The areas that now depend on natural gas — urban, heavily populated areas in states such as New York, California, Illinois — also tend to have the most Democratic voters. In these blue states and urban centers, climate-focused Democrats are trying to ban gas hookups in new buildings.

This means that the areas with politicians most willing to ditch fossil fuels also face the most entrenched interests opposed to it. The switch from natural gas to a heat pump will often save money, but the amounts saved vary by location: In bitterly cold areas, homeowners may also require a backup source of heat that costs more. “The economics get a bit harder to pinpoint,” Tan said.

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gold hydrogen

Although hydrogen is the most common element in the universe, free molecular hydrogen - the sort that stores a good amount of energy per unit mass - is very rare on the Earth.  Or is it?  Hydrogen usually is freed up from carbon based fuels like methane or electrolytically split from water using electricity.  These processes require a good deal of energy, so hydrogen is usually seen as energy storage.  That makes it uneconomical as well as, in the case of hydrocarbon derived H₂, very polluting. There are some sources of free hydrogen. The question is how common is it and is it economically and environmentally viable. 

We have many other alternatives. It's reasonable to search for and, if viable, exploit, but not an excuse to wait. Plus it's not the best choice for most forms of transportation. 

You may have heard about grey, blue and green hydrogen.  The color refers to where it came from.

 

 

 

a rightwing effort to stop solar projects

On the Citizens for Responsible Solar group.

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Citizens for Responsible Solar was founded in an exurb of Washington, D.C., by a longtime political operative named Susan Ralston who worked in the White House under President George W. Bush and still has deep ties to power players in conservative politics.

Ralston tapped conservative insiders to help set up and run Citizens for Responsible Solar. She also consulted with a longtime activist against renewable energy who once defended former President Donald Trump's unfounded claim that noise from wind turbines can cause cancer. And when Ralston was launching the group, a consulting firm she owns got hundreds of thousands of dollars from the foundation of a leading GOP donor who is also a major investor in fossil fuel companies. It's unclear what the money to Ralston's firm was used for. Ralston has previously denied that Citizens for Responsible Solar received money from fossil fuel interests.

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a tip of the hat to Sukie

 

 

 

the pandemic methane surge

Methane, the second most damaging greenhouse gas, surged in 2020 ..  for a curious reason.

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Though economic data showed that COVID-19-related lockdowns had led to improvements in air quality and reductions in carbon dioxide emissions, atmospheric methane still soared—above 1900 parts per billion and nearly triple pre-industrial levels. The annual growth rate for 2020 was the highest scientists had recorded since systematic annual methane measurements began in 1983—an increase of 15 parts per billion, which was exceeded again in 2021.

Climate scientists consider methane to be the second-most important anthropogenic greenhouse gas after carbon dioxide. Twenty-eight times more potent than carbon dioxide over 100-years, it has contributed 15 to 45 percent of the 1.1°C (2°F) of warming Earth has experienced since 1880. The gas also contributes to the formation of tropospheric ozone, which can harm human health and agriculture.

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a crossover point

EVs are getting less expensive faster than expected.

I wonder what would have happened if EV tax credits had a $25k sticker price limit.  Would we see the rapid development of cars with smaller batteries good for the type of driving most people do?

 

 

phev issues

Their IC engines run more often than claimed.  Real world CO2 emissions are much larger than calming emissions.

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Testing by TU Graz, commissioned by environmental NGO Transport & Environment (T&E), has found that the newest generation of PHEVs emit significantly more CO2 than claimed on city and commuter routes. Two years ago, T&E found the technology polluted significantly more than advertised on longer routes. The NGP says the new tests confirm that lawmakers should base taxes for PHEVs on their actual pollution and stop subsidizing their sale.

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