Finally, 195 countries around the world came to an agreement on how to address climate change through such measures as curbing greenhouse gas emissions, and financial aid from rich to poor countries as they follow their individual paths to economic development.
Only time will tell whether the ambitious agreement will take hold once countries are able to begin signing, and then ratifying the measures from April 2016. Moreover, the agreement will only come into effect if 55 countries, representing 55 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions ratify the agreement by 2020. Even then, the text only contains "aims" and "promises" from countries rather than more specific targets attached to negative consequences for not adopting them within a set time range. (For the full text of the agreement, click on the hyperlink: 2015 Paris Agreement.)
Following suit, the first video below offers a brief summary of the agreement itself, while the second explains some common misconceptions about climate change.
What you need to know about the Paris climate agreement (video: USA Today, 12/12/2015)
What people get wrong about climate change (video: VOX, 12/12/2015)
This year's climate conference in Paris may be the most significant such meeting since 1998's conference in Kyoto. Despite the number of international signatories gathered in Japan, including US President Bill Clinton, the agreed greenhouse gas emission cuts failed to be adopted into law by many of the countries after that conference's close. The primary reason was that five of the worlds largest polluters, namely Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (also known as the BRICS) were exempt from the emissions cuts to 1990 levels due to their "developing" economies that all other countries still had to adopt.
This year's Conference of Parties (or COP21) aims to expand the dialogue on climate change. Recent agreements between the world's two largest polluter's, China and the United States, may give the needed push to set the wheels of sustainable development, clean energy and environmental resilience in motion.
The video below summarizes COP21 as it takes place from Monday, yesterday through next Friday, December 11 in Paris. Compliments for the video would be in order to the production team at GreenTV.
Thanks for reading. See you with a summary report on the conference on December 15.
Fuel cells transform chemical energy from a fuel into electricity. The chemical reaction that happens inside the cell takes positively-charged hydrogen ions, and becomes electricity when combined with an oxidizing element like oxygen. (i.e. hydrogen + oxygen = H2O = Steam!)
These devices will be one of many energy storage options that will provide for the seamless flow of electricity from otherwise intermittent renewable sources like wind and solar.
The video below comes courtesy of the Environmental Defense Fund. It explains what a fuel cell is, how it works, and its practical application even in supplementing the electricity already on the grid. As you will see, Bloom Energy's fuel cells are unique for their size, resource-use efficiency, and lack of toxic byproducts such as acid.
To all of my American readers: I wish you a Happy Thanksgiving. To all of my readers around the world: Thank you for stopping by and see you on December 1!
Smart Grids are reclaiming the crumbling electric grid of the United States. The current grid is still basically the one that Thomas Edison designed long before his death in 1931. His design allowed heavy, coal fire plants to provide electricity for both residential and industrial needs. Updating, rather than re-doing the grid since that time has looked more like a patch work job, than that of a technologically modernizing country.
One element of new Smart Grids popping up is the Microgrid. Just as it sounds, the Microgrid distributes electricity on a micro scale together with or separate from the larger grid around it. Critical infrastructures from one building or as much as an entire town or city neighborhood can fall under the power protection of these isolated grids. They come in handy during times of man made or natural disaster. While diesel or natural gas back-up generators were the 'go-to' back up systems of the past, renewable resources like the solar and wind with utility size battery storage increasingly attract the attention of public and private investors worldwide.
Microgrids and How the Work
(Video courtesy of CockrellSchool)
The Hoboken, New Jersey Microgrid project is a perfect example of how locally resourced backups can protect electricity access even when the surrounding grid has gone into power outage. One characteristic of all Microgrids, as you will see in the video, becomes the close collaboration between communities, local, state and federal authorities, along with civil society groups and private sector companies.
How Microgrids Improve Resiliency in Power Outages | Clean Energy Supply
First off, I would like to apologize for the month-long hiatus, but now we're back in business with lots of grid to cover.
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In the past few years, local utilities, the mass media, and product commercials have been using the term "smart grid" with regard to electricity metering at your home, breakthrough technologies, electric cars, and even home appliances.
All of these elements belong to the ongoing transformation of the United States electric grid from the one that inventor Thomas Edison designed over 100 years ago, entailing one-direction delivery from heavy, sooty coal-fire plants to end users, and into a flexible 21st-century grid that allows for two-way communication between utility, independent electricity producers, and individuals.
Renewable sources like solar and wind, small hydro, geothermal plus energy storage innovations currently and eventually will replace the country's reliance on old fossil-fuel technology as part of the Smart Grid.
The video below from the U.S. Department of Energy offers a basic explanation of what the Smart Grid does, and how it will evolve as the country moves forward.
The next post (Coming Sunday, November 1) will show an exciting, real-life application of the Smart Grid in New Jersey.
Pennsylvania has a power-house legacy from the first
commercial oil well at Titusville to its unrivaled coal reserves and now to the
natural gas locked in the Marcellus Shale formation. Though oil and coal
production have largely fallen by the wayside, Pennsylvania possesses so much
natural gas under its mountains that it has been named the Saudi Arabia of
natural gas.
Saudi Arabia holds by far the largest proven reserves and
speculated petroleum (oil) resources under its sandy landscapes. A member of
the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), it takes the leading
role in policy and production decisions within the group.
Meanwhile, the Keystone State of Pennsylvania has grappled
with its emergent role as global leader in proven natural gas reserves and
production potential. The debate within the state has centered on imposing
higher taxes on extracting companies, so that they may be more properly
regulated in their activities, and the free market approach which proponents
argue will attract more drillers to the state.
The controversy lays in the extraction method called “hydraulic
fracturing,” or more commonly referred to as “fracking.” The process involves
blasting water and a mixture of chemicals deep underground to fracture or frack the natural gas from the shale
rock formation. The current governor, Democrat Tom Wolf has been a strong
advocate for greater regulation and revenue for the state through taxing the
companies, while the Republican majority in both houses of Pennsylvania’s
legislature contend that such taxation would discourage the companies from
doing business in the state.
Below is a video on the fracking process. It is available on
YouTube, and it comes from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental
Protection.
As usual, thank you for reading. See you on the 15th!
Fossil fuels like coal, petroleum (oil), and natural gas are so abundant on our planet that despite their lower efficiency rates in generating electricity, they eclipsed the 100-percent efficient renewable resources of wind and hydro power. Efficiency here means the amount of electricity generated per unit of the resource.
The technology for harnessing the full power of the wind and water currents took a bit more time to develop, but now many areas of the United States and the European Union have these renewable energy plants, windfarms and small hydro installations that generate electricity 100 percent efficiently.
In going from source to electricity, coal, gas and diesel range from a mere 35 percent for coal to around 60 percent for the liquid fossil fuels. The excess burned fuels pollute the air and runoff into water streams as sludge. Without proper government regulation in place, dirty emissions from these resources would be even worse today than they already are.
Researchers have noted that the Levelized Cost of Electricity or LCOE for wind, in particular has become decidedly less than its polluting competitors - the fossil fuels. The chart below shows figures from Lazard research institute's LCOE analysis.
Wind as low as $37, Gas Combined Cycle at $61. (Lazard, LCOE, 2014)
Wind's efficiency has finally demonstrated that it can be cost effective, too. Remarkable advances in solar photo voltaic (PV) technology have even placed it in head-to-head price competition against its pollution-emitting competitors, especially coal. (I apologize for the smaller sice of the chart. Click here for full report.)
Some electricity service companies in the U.S. offer individuals the option for electricity, powered completely by renewable resources like wind (with a growing portion of solar and small hydro in the mix). These environment friendly resources have consistently beaten electricity prices in U.S. states for the past few years. So, citizens now have the option of helping the environment and saving on their electric bills, while maintaining their standard of living.
In sum, many of the benefits of the less efficient, yet abundant fossil fuel resources have become more costly in comparison to the rising benefits and falling costs of clean, efficient resources like wind, solar and small hydro. The video below shows the construction of a windfarm for your viewing pleasure.
How to Build a Windfarm. (Source: YouTube, Smithsonian Channel, 2014)
Thanks for reading. Next up, tales from the Saudi Arabia of Natural Gas, and it's not where you think. See you on September 1st!
Today's post seeks to highlight, in brief, a simple connection between industrial production and air pollution.
In the 1940s, Pittsburgh was a global industrial leader in its steel mills and in the strength of its factory production and banking sector. The air pollution levels that accompanied the city during this industrial and economic boom ironically clouded the city so heavily, it had become an unhealthy and relatively undesirable place to live, as seen in the first photo below.
Pittsburgh, by the 1990s had seen a grand transformation from a heavy industry to a services-based economy, and likewise in much of the technologically advanced countries of the world. The city is now regularly ranked among the nicest to live in the United States for quality of life. The blue skies have largely returned from its industrial past to reveal one of the most unique skylines in the country, as appears in the second photo below. The question remains: where did its industry and pollution go?
Industrial smog blocks the sun in 1940s downtown Pittsburgh. (Photo courtesy of ffffound.com)
The blue skies have returned to reveal Pittsburgh's unique skyline . (Photo courtesy of acousticalsociety.org)
In answer to the industry/pollution question, this blog post will highlight simply one aspect of an otherwise complex explanation. Inverse realities for Pittsburgh and Beijing in answer to the question can be shown in a few photographs.
The 1940s in Beijing, China were still a few years decades shy of the country's industrial boom from around 1980. Thus, as seen in the photo below, the blue skies are clear and can easily be viewed despite this early color photograph of downtown Beijing in 1946.
A sunny day in pre-industrial Beijing in 1946. (Photo courtesy of Dmitri Kessel, LIFE Magazine)
Fast forward to 2014, Beijing experienced an extended smog crisis that engulfed the city after decades of unchecked heavy industrial growth. Much like the 1940s photo of industrial Pittsburgh, downtown Beijing is shrouded in heavy and unhealthy smog, also blocking what could be an otherwise sunny day for the Chinese capital.
Downtown Beijing during 'Smog Crisis' of 2014. (Photo courtesy of Reuters)
Finally, the connection between heavy industry and stagnating air pollution in cities appears for itself. Critics have been quick to point the finger at China for the amount of pollution it puts into the atmosphere each year, but they forget that the pollution-causing industry had been exported to the East from the already developed West (US, Canada, Europe, Japan). China's economic development has grown so fast in just the past 30 years that one may ask the question, in another 30 years, what cities or countries will shoulder the blame for accepting exported industry, jobs - and environmentally damaging pollution?
It's official. Hawaii has enacted state renewable energy standards to tap into its endowment of sustainable resources for a more promising energy future. The Aloha State will transform solar, geothermal and wind energy to provide 100% of its electricity needs by 2045. The 30-year time period allows for a gradual transition, technological investment and community efforts necessary to become the country's first state economy backed by totally clean energy.
Solar Photovoltaic (PV) or Solar Thermal Panels in Hawaii. Photo Courtesy of Energy Industries and bizjournals.com
State Governor David Ige signed the state legislature's renewable portfolio standards (RPS) bill into law in June. Upon taking office, Ige called for this ambitious, yet reasonable agenda due to economic analyses indicating that foreign fossil fuel imports drain Hawaii's economy of billions of dollars each year which could be otherwise invested in the development of the state's indigenous energy resources.
Volcanic Activity, Volcano National Park, "The Big Island," Hawaii Image Credits: "Puu Oo cropped" by G.E. Ulrich, USGS, 2015.
According to the Chair of the State House Energy and Environmental Protection Committee, Rep. Chris Lee, "renewable energy projects are already producing cheaper power than new fossil fuel projects in Hawaii, and it’s only going to get cheaper as renewable technology advances, unlike fossil fuels which will only grow more expensive as they become more difficult to extract from a shrinking supply." On this chord, he adds, "the faster we move toward renewable energy the faster we can stop exporting billions from our local economy to import expensive fossil fuels."
To emphasize the key role that communities will play in the 30-year process, an additional measure signed by Ige states that all Hawaiian residents should enjoy the benefits of this energy transition. The law contains provisions for renters, condominium owners and others without their own roof space to form hui, or special gatherings and assemblies to create local solar farms or to purchase electricity from the closest facility. In doing so, all citizens will share in this transition from costly fossil fuels from abroad to the limitless benefits of an indigenous, sustainable energy system.
Note the powerful sunlight reflecting off the waters of Lanikai Beach, Oahu, Hawaii.
For more summary details on Hawaii's 100% renewable energy standards, take a look at the Press Release from Governor's Office.
Weather and Climate relate to each other, but they are not the same. In short, weather events like rain and snow are highly unpredictable by nature, whereas climate is the overall, long term analysis of weather events.
Weather is highly unpredictable. Think of winter snow terms, flooding spring showers, rumbling summer storms and hurricanes as summer transitions into autumn. The further away from the present moment, the less reliable the local weather guy's forecasts will be. Next time you check the "weather report," take note of the present conditions, hourly predictions, the 2-day outlook, and the exclusive 7-day forecast or however long the app predicts. Next, as those days pass, keep track of how much the forecast changes during that same predicted period of time. You'll notice that even with today's technology, weather events remain largely unpredictable by nature.
Aftermath of an unpredictable "pop up" storm cell (Philadelphia area, 23 June 2015)
On the other hand, climate is highly analytical and looks at the overall weather conditions like temperature and precipitation in a particular place over a particular period of time. The amount of time could be as small as one day in a certain season, or up to even thousands or millions of years. Technology for climate scientists, or climatologists, continues to improve, so relatively accurate observances of changes in climate overtime and their effects can be calculated and presented as in the image below.
At the surface for years 1961-1990. Image Credit: Robert A Rhohde of the Global Warming Art Project.
Most children have tried using a magnifying glass or reflective mirror to amplify the sun's intense energy to fry an egg on the pavement or maybe a bug. Imagine if there were a way to collect so much of that heat that it could generate electricity for 24 hours, even well into the darkness of the moon and starlit skies of night. What once captured the magic of our childhood imaginations has now become reality.
Deep in the deserts and arid lands of the United States, Morocco, Australia, Spain, India, and Canada, Concentrated Solar Power (or CSP) thermal electricity plants have been up and running for the past few years. Others are currently under construction and will soon be online.
This first video shows exactly how CSP produces 24 hours of electricity and heat from the sun. This is known as "base load" in technical talk, because it can provide secure and reliable electricity at all times without interruption. Plus, since it comes from the sun, there are no air or water polluting side effects like with coal, oil and gas.
Jason Scrimshaw created the first video below and donated it to Beyond Zero Emissions in Australia.
Concentrated Solar Thermal Plant Animation
The next video is a CNN Money report. It offers a glimpse inside the world's largest solar power plant in the U.S. State of Arizona.
See you with another post on July 1. Until then, thanks for reading. -MikePat
Hello Readers, Just a report from the always apt Lesley Stahl of 60 Minutes on CBS. This one is about the current groundwater crisis in many places around the world, but especially in our own California. The story provides a good perspective on how we both use and abuse groundwater without allowing time for it to recharge. After all, each and every human being, from the fittest elite athlete to the unhealthiest coach potato, would die in a matter of days without water.
The map above shows non-renewable sourced power plants. Non-renewable, or limited resources include fossil fuels, like coal, petroleum and natural gas, as well as wood, nuclear power plants and large hydroelectric dams, larger than 10 MW. Large hydro is no longer classified as renewable due to the methane-gas emissions from the large reservoir of decaying trees, plants and fish after the oxygen in the water has been depleted. Methane is even more toxic than coal emissions.
Non-renewable electricity production profile:
3,902 plants at 247.7 MW average output per plant becomes 966,508 MW total annual output.
Renewable Resourced Electric Power Plants
The map here displays the wide-ranging installations of renewable power plants. Renewable resources include solar, wind, biomass, geothermal and small hydroelectric (10 MW or less). Small hydroelectric plants do not require separate reservoirs, so as to be abundant and eco-friendly. Despite the apparent abundance of renewable sourced power across the USA, the numbers reveal much lower capacity per site.
Renewable electricity production profile:
2,972 plants at 27 MW average output per plant becomes 80,277 MW total annual output.
The data comes from the US Energy Information Administration. It indicates that as of late 2014, only around 8 percent of the country's power comes from renewable sources, whereas the remaining 92 percent from wood, fossil or nuclear fuels.
Despite large growth in domestic renewable energy development in the past 5 years, great strides still must be taken to maintain and accelerate the transition from pollution-emitting fossil fuels and to natural energy of the earth (geothermal), sun (solar and wind), water (small hydro) and recycling (biomass).
