Difference between revisions of "MISCELLANEOUS"

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[http://worldtruth.tv/solar-powered-water-distiller-turns-salt-water-into-fresh-drinking-water-with-only-sunlight-required/ Solar water still]
 
[http://worldtruth.tv/solar-powered-water-distiller-turns-salt-water-into-fresh-drinking-water-with-only-sunlight-required/ Solar water still]
  
=== Transport ===
+
=== [[Transport]] ===
 
 
[http://www.wired.com/2015/09/world-save-trillions-buses-bikes/ The World Could Save Trillions With Buses and Bikes]
 
 
 
[http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/need-cycling-infrastructure-flourish/story-28860307-detail/story.html We need cycling infrastructure to flourish] Robin Heydon; Cambridge News; 4 Mar 2016
 
 
 
[http://eandt.theiet.org/news/2016/apr/low-carbon-transport.cfm Low-carbon transport could save billions] Tereza Pultarova; The IET Engineering & Technology Magazine; 20 Apr 2016
 
: Abandoning fossil-fuel powered transportation in favour of cleaner resources like hydrogen and electricity would not only improve the environment, but also reduce the cost of transportation by billions of pounds a year, a study has found. According to an analysis by Cambridge Econometrics, the world would save £232bn a year between 2020 and 2030 if it pushed for more renewable transportation. This push would lead to lower demand for oil, which would subsequently translate into lower prices. Money saved for oil could then be invested into the development of even more sustainable systems.
 
 
 
==== backfire effect / Jevon's Paradox ====
 
 
 
[http://bristol.ac.uk/cabot/news/2016/transport-emissions.html More efficient cars may be one of the causes of increased greenhouse gas emissions from road travel] Paul Anderson; Bristol University Cabot Institute; 6 Jul 2016
 
: New computational modelling work suggests that, despite improving transport efficiency, the increasing accessibility and popularity of road travel is actually leading to higher levels of greenhouse gas emissions. The research, carried out by University of Bristol Cabot Institute members Drs Rachel Freeman, Chris Preist and Mike Yearworth at the University of Bristol’s Systems Centre, focused on developing a new approach to a problem that has been identified by many but for which the causes are not very well understood - the ‘rebound effect’ or ‘Jevon’s paradox’. Jevons’ Paradox suggests that more efficient technologies actually lead to increased usage of a resource. For example, modern lighting technologies have become over nine hundred times more efficient at converting energy to light, yet overall energy consumption for lighting has increased by forty times overall. The ‘cheaper’ a resource is to use, the more popular the technology becomes, eventually increasing demand and overall resource use. Dr Freeman’s study indicates that in the past increased travel consumption completely offset any gains from more efficient vehicles and that this is likely to be true in future unless a systemic suite of interventions are introduced. To achieve the EU goals of a reduction in emissions of 40% by 2030 in the UK’s road transport system, there would need to be much greater increases in technological efficiency, costlier travel and significantly reduced travel consumption than are currently being planned for.
 
 
 
==== convoy/platooning ====
 
 
 
[http://media.daimler.com/deeplink?cci=2742821 Daimler Trucks is connecting its trucks with the internet] Daimler press release, Düsseldorf; 21 Mar 2016
 
: Today, on the A52 autobahn near Düsseldorf, Daimler Trucks presented an impressive example of the possibilities opened up by the digital connection of trucks: Three WiFi-connected, autonomously driving trucks operated on the autobahn with authorisation for public traffic as a so-called platoon. Such a combination can reduce fuel consumption by up to seven percent and the road space requirement on motorways by almost half - while improving traffic safety at the same time. Based on the Daimler Trucks Highway Pilot system for autonomously driving heavy trucks, the three trucks link up to form an aerodynamically optimized, fully automated platoon. Daimler Trucks calls this advanced system development Highway Pilot Connect.
 
 
 
[http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1361920916000183 Analysis of fuel consumption and pollutant emissions of regulated and alternative driving cycles based on real-world measurements]
 
: Discrepancies between real-world use of vehicles and certification cycles are a known issue. This paper presents an analysis of vehicle fuel consumption and pollutant emissions of the European certification cycle (NEDC) and the proposed worldwide harmonized light vehicles test procedure (WLTP) Class 3 cycle using data collected on-road. Sixteen light duty vehicles equipped with different propulsion technologies (spark-ignition engine, compression-ignition engine, parallel hybrid and full hybrid) were monitored using a portable emission measurement system under real-world driving conditions. The on-road data obtained, combined with the Vehicle Specific Power (VSP) methodology, was used to recreate the dynamic conditions of the NEDC and WLTP Class 3 cycle. Individual vehicle certification values of fuel consumption, CO2, HC and NOx emissions were compared with test cycle estimates based on road measurements. The fuel consumption calculated from on-road data is, on average, 23.9% and 16.3% higher than certification values for the recreated NEDC and WLTP Class 3 cycle, respectively. Estimated HC emissions are lower in gasoline and hybrid vehicles than certification values. Diesel vehicles present higher estimated NOx emissions compared to current certification values (322% and 326% higher for NOx and 244% and 247% higher for HC + NOx for NEDC and WLTP Class 3 cycle, respectively).
 
 
 
[http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0968090X16000024 Fuel economy testing of autonomous vehicles]
 
:Environmental pollution and energy use in the light-duty transportation sector are currently regulated through fuel economy and emissions standards, which typically assess quantity of pollutants emitted and volume of fuel used per distance driven. In the United States, fuel economy testing consists of a vehicle on a treadmill, while a trained driver follows a fixed drive cycle. By design, the current standardized fuel economy testing system neglects differences in how individuals drive their vehicles on the road. As autonomous vehicle (AV) technology is introduced, more aspects of driving are shifted into functions of decisions made by the vehicle, rather than the human driver. Yet the current fuel economy testing procedure does not have a mechanism to evaluate the impacts of AV technology on fuel economy ratings, and subsequent regulations such as Corporate Average Fuel Economy targets. This paper develops a method to incorporate the impacts of AV technology within the bounds of current fuel economy test, and simulates a range of automated following drive cycles to estimate changes in fuel economy. The results show that AV following algorithms designed without considering efficiency can degrade fuel economy by up to 3%, while efficiency-focused control strategies may equal or slightly exceed the existing EPA fuel economy test results, by up to 10%. This suggests the need for a new near-term approach in fuel economy testing to account for connected and autonomous vehicles. As AV technology improves and adoption increases in the future, a further reimagining of drive cycles and testing is required.
 
 
 
==== Electric Vehicles ====
 
 
 
[https://energyathaas.wordpress.com/2015/12/14/economists-are-from-mars-electric-cars-are-from-venus/ Economists are from Mars, Electric Cars are from Venus] James Bushnell; Berkley Haas; 14 Dec 2015
 
: I am also an economist.  The research coming out of the economics community has pretty consistently demonstrated that electric vehicles currently have marginal (at best) environmental benefits. I run into a lot of economists who are perplexed at the hostility these findings have generated from pockets of the environmental community.
 
 
 
[http://www.nber.org/papers/w21291 Environmental Benefits from Driving Electric Vehicles?] Stephen P. Holland, Erin T. Mansur, Nicholas Z. Muller, Andrew J. Yates; National Bureau of Economic Research; Jun 2015 : (full paper paywalled)
 
:Electric vehicles offer the promise of reduced environmental externalities relative to their gasoline counterparts. We combine a theoretical discrete-choice model of new vehicle purchases, an econometric analysis of the marginal emissions from electricity, and the AP2 air pollution model to estimate the environmental benefit of electric vehicles. First, we find considerable variation in the environmental benefit, implying a range of second-best electric vehicle purchase subsidies from $3025 in California to -$4773 in North Dakota, with a mean of -$742. Second, over ninety percent of local environmental externalities from driving an electric vehicle in one state are exported to others, implying that electric vehicles may be subsidized locally, even though they may lead to negative environmental benefits overall. Third, geographically differentiated subsidies can reduce deadweight loss, but only modestly. Fourth, the current federal purchase subsidy of $7500 has greater deadweight loss than a no-subsidy policy.
 
 
 
:: article based on paper at [http://www.citylab.com/weather/2015/06/where-electric-vehicles-actually-cause-more-pollution-than-gas-cars/397136/ Where Electric Vehicles Actually Cause More Pollution Than Gas Cars] Eric Jaffe; CityLab; 29 Jun 2015, also published as [http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2015/07/where-electric-vehicles-actually-cause-more-pollution-gas-cars-0 There Are Places Where Electric Cars Pollute More Than Gas Guzzlers] Eric Jaffe; Mother Jones; 9 Jul 2015)
 
 
 
[http://www.ucsusa.org/clean-vehicles/electric-vehicles/life-cycle-ev-emissions Cleaner Cars from Cradle to Grave (2015)] Union of Concerned Scientists
 
:Since we first published our State of Charge report in 2012, the environmental benefits of electric vehicles (EVs) have continued to grow. Two-thirds of all Americans now live in areas where driving an EV produces fewer climate emissions than almost all comparable gasoline and gasoline hybrid cars—a fact attributable to more efficient EVs and an increasingly clean electricity grid.
 
: But what are the global warming emissions of electric cars on a life cycle basis—from the manufacturing of the vehicle’s body and battery to its ultimate disposal and reuse? To answer this, the Union of Concerned Scientists undertook a comprehensive, two-year review of the climate emissions from vehicle production, operation, and disposal. We found that battery electric cars generate half the emissions of the average comparable gasoline car, even when pollution from battery manufacturing is accounted for.
 
 
 
[http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/electric-cars-are-not-necessarily-clean/ Electric Cars Are Not Necessarily Clean] David Biello; Scientific American; 11 May 2016
 
: Your battery-powered vehicle is only as green as your electricity supplier
 
 
 
[http://www.pnas.org/content/111/52/18490.abstract Life cycle air quality impacts of conventional and alternative light-duty transportation in the United States] Christopher W. Tessum, Jason D. Hill, Julian D. Marshall; PNAS; 30 Dec 2014
 
: Commonly considered strategies for reducing the environmental impact of light-duty transportation include using alternative fuels and improving vehicle fuel economy. We evaluate the air quality-related human health impacts of 10 such options, including the use of liquid biofuels, diesel, and compressed natural gas (CNG) in internal combustion engines; the use of electricity from a range of conventional and renewable sources to power electric vehicles (EVs); and the use of hybrid EV technology. Our approach combines spatially, temporally, and chemically detailed life cycle emission inventories; comprehensive, fine-scale state-of-the-science chemical transport modeling; and exposure, concentration–response, and economic health impact modeling for ozone (O3) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5). We find that powering vehicles with corn ethanol or with coal-based or “grid average” electricity increases monetized environmental health impacts by 80% or more relative to using conventional gasoline. Conversely, EVs powered by low-emitting electricity from natural gas, wind, water, or solar power reduce environmental health impacts by 50% or more. Consideration of potential climate change impacts alongside the human health outcomes described here further reinforces the environmental preferability of EVs powered by low-emitting electricity relative to gasoline vehicles.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
[http://www.economist.com/news/science-and-technology/21636715-why-electric-car-may-be-much-dirtier-petrol-one-cleaner-what Cleaner than what? Why an electric car may be much dirtier than a petrol one] Economist; 20 Dec 2014
 
: DRIVING an electric car confers a badge of greenery, or so the marketing departments of their makers would have you believe. Yet a report which analyses the life cycle of car emissions (ie, all the way from those created by the mining of materials for batteries, via the ones from the production of fuel and the generation of electricity, to the muck that actually comes out of the exhaust) presents a rather different picture. A battery-powered car recharged with electricity generated by coal-fired power stations, it found, is likely to cause more than three times as many deaths from pollution as a conventional petrol-driven vehicle. Even a battery car running on the average mix of electrical power generated in America is much more hazardous than the conventional alternative.
 
 
 
 
 
[http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S135223101630187X Non-exhaust PM emissions from electric vehicles] Victor R.J.H. Timmers, Peter A.J. Achten; Atmospheric Environment; Jun 2016 (paywalled)
 
: Particulate matter (PM) exposure has been linked to adverse health effects by numerous studies. Therefore, governments have been heavily incentivising the market to switch to electric passenger cars in order to reduce air pollution. However, this literature review suggests that electric vehicles may not reduce levels of PM as much as expected, because of their relatively high weight. By analysing the existing literature on non-exhaust emissions of different vehicle categories, this review found that there is a positive relationship between weight and non-exhaust PM emission factors. In addition, electric vehicles (EVs) were found to be 24% heavier than equivalent internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs). As a result, total PM10 emissions from EVs were found to be equal to those of modern ICEVs. PM2.5 emissions were only 1–3% lower for EVs compared to modern ICEVs. Therefore, it could be concluded that the increased popularity of electric vehicles will likely not have a great effect on PM levels. Non-exhaust emissions already account for over 90% of PM10 and 85% of PM2.5 emissions from traffic. These proportions will continue to increase as exhaust standards improve and average vehicle weight increases. Future policy should consequently focus on setting standards for non-exhaust emissions and encouraging weight reduction of all vehicles to significantly reduce PM emissions from traffic.
 
 
 
===== economics =====
 
 
 
[http://www.vox.com/2016/3/4/11161758/electric-cars-oil-crisis Within a decade, electric vehicles could be cheaper than gasoline vehicles. Then, watch out] David Roberts; Vox; 4 Mar 2016
 
: To date, electric vehicles have mostly been a curiosity, a means for the wealthy to display their eco-credentials. In most big markets (the US, the EU, China), they amount to less than 1 percent of new vehicles sales. Consequently, most people, notably oil industry people, treat them as a sideshow. But that's going to change, soon, according to a new research brief from Bloomberg New Energy Finance. (The report is accessible to clients only, but there's a write-up that draws on the research here.)
 
 
 
[http://www.bloomberg.com/features/2016-ev-oil-crisis/ Here’s How Electric Cars Will Cause the Next Oil Crisis] Bloomberg on falling cost of batteries & projected rising share of electric vehicles
 
 
 
----
 
 
 
[http://cen.acs.org/articles/94/web/2016/03/Incentive-electric-cars-increases-CO2.html Incentive for electric cars increases CO2 pollution]
 
 
 
[http://eandt.theiet.org/news/2016/apr/electric-vehicles-uk-51bn.cfm Electric car investment could yield £51bn for UK economy] Jack Loughran; IET Engineering and Technology magazine; 11 Apr 2016
 
: Government investment in electric car infrastructure, including charging stations and repair garages, could boost the UK economy by £51bn per year according to a report from the Institute of the Motor Industry.
 
 
 
[http://www.morgan-motor.co.uk/ev3 Morgan EV3]
 
 
 
===== bicycles =====
 
 
 
[http://senseable.mit.edu/copenhagenwheel/wheel.html The Copenhagen Wheel] electric bicycle conversion
 
 
 
===== heavy vehicles =====
 
 
 
[http://www.forbes.com/sites/samabuelsamid/2016/06/07/mack-trucks-to-demonstrate-wrightspeed-turbine-plug-in-hybrid/ Mack To Demo Garbage Truck With Wrightspeed Turbine Plug-In Hybrid Powertrain] Sam Abuelsamid; Forbes; 7 Jun 2016
 
: The Wrightspeed Route 1000 powertrain is the brainchild of Ian Wright, one of the co-founders of Tesla Motors ... Wright’s approach is to size the batteries for about 30 miles of electric driving and then use a range extender to keep the truck going for the rest of the route. Unlike something like the Chevrolet Volt which uses a conventional gasoline four-cylinder engine, Wright found the most efficient type of range-extender available, a small gas turbine. This is paired with a motor/gearbox unit mounted at the drive axles to provide propulsion and regenerative braking from all the stops these vehicles typically do. Wrightspeed has been testing its system for several years now with a variety of companies including FedEx FDX -0.05% and plans to enter regular production by early autumn of 2016. Earlier this year, Wrightspeed announced a deal to supply powertrains to NZ Bus in New Zealand.
 
 
 
===== public transport =====
 
 
 
[http://www.themanufacturer.com/articles/first-ever-electric-double-decker-london-red-bus/ First-ever electric double-decker London red bus] Tim Brown; The Manufacturer; 21 Oct 2015
 
: The first ever all-electric double decker iconic London Red Bus has been unveiled to the public by Chinese company BYD. Unveiled at Lancaster House in London as part of a celebration of UK-China business to mark the state visit to the UK by Chinese President Xi Jinping, the new electric London red bus is one of five to be operated by Metroline which will enter service on TfL’s (Transport for London) Route 98 before the end of the year. The new bus can carry 81 passengers and is fully air conditioned. It will be able to complete up to 190 miles in city traffic conditions on a single charge, allowing recharging (which takes just four hours) using cheap off peak electricity.
 
 
 
[http://qz.com/607875/ugandan-engineers-have-built-a-solar-powered-bus-for-africas-roads/ Ugandan engineers have built a solar-powered bus for Africa’s roads]
 
: a 35-seater that can run for up to 80 kilometers on two power banks that can also be recharged by solar panels installed on the roof of the bus.
 
 
 
===== aircraft =====
 
 
 
[http://nextbigfuture.com/2015/12/nasa-will-test-distributed-electric.html NASA will test distributed electric engines on a two person plane in 2017] NextBigFuture
 
: Tecnam P2006T
 
 
 
[http://phys.org/news/2016-04-solar-powered-plane-journey-pacific-ocean.html Solar-powered plane completes journey across Pacific Ocean (Update)] Phys.org; 24 Apr 2016
 
: A solar-powered airplane on a mission to fly around the world landed in California, completing a risky, three-day flight across a great expanse of the Pacific Ocean.
 
 
 
[http://gpsworld.com/airbus-to-provide-solar-cells-for-microlink-zephyr-uav/ Airbus to provide solar cells for MicroLink Zephyr UAV] GPS World; 18 May 2016
 
: The Zephyr platform is a new class of unmanned air vehicle that operates as a high-altitude pseudo-satellite (HAPS) enabling affordable, persistent, local satellite-like services. The aircraft runs exclusively on solar power, and the Zephyr aircraft is at the forefront of the HAPS arena, holding world records with regards to absolute endurance (more than 14 days) and altitude (more than 70,000 feet).
 
 
 
==== compressed air ====
 
 
 
[http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1096772_tata-airpod-compressed-air-car-to-launch-in-hawaii-this-year-report Tata AirPod Compressed-Air Car To Launch In Hawaii This Year: Report] Green Car Reports; 13 Feb 2015
 
: Compressed air isn't really dense enough to provide much energy storage, making it difficult to adapt for use in even a very small, very light-weight car.
 
 
 
==== marine ====
 
 
 
[http://www.tyndall.ac.uk/sites/default/files/high_seas_high_stakes_high_seas_project_final_report.pdf HIGH SEAS, HIGH STAKES - HIGH SEAS PROJECT FINAL REPORT] TYNDALL CENTRE FOR CLIMATE CHANGE RESEARCH, UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER
 
: methodology for assessing CO2 emissions of shipping, CO2 reduction options, future strategies, wind power, nuclear power
 
 
 
[http://www.vox.com/2016/4/25/11503152/shipping-routes-map This is an incredible visualization of the world's shipping routes] Brad Plumer; Vox; 25 Apr 2016
 
: About 11 billion tons of stuff gets carried around the world every year by large ships. Clothes, flat-screen TVs, grain, cars, oil — transporting these goods from port to port is what makes the global economy go 'round. And now there's a great way to visualize this entire process, through this stunning interactive map from the UCL Energy Institute:
 
 
 
[https://www.shipmap.org/ shipmap.org]
 
 
 
==== aviation ====
 
 
 
===== biofuels =====
 
[http://beta.metafaq.com/faq/mackay/wha/?_mftvst:entryModule=%24wha&_mftvst:entryRef=%24http:%2f%2fapi.transversal.com%2fmfapi%2fobjectref%2fEntryStore%2fEntry%2fhttp:%2f%2fwww.metafaq.com%2fmfapi%2fMetafaq%2fClients%2fmackay%2fModules%2fwha:162400:0&id=THD3TO8IAUULRGQ26OM70NQ98Q&page=answer David Mackay - Sustainable Energy - Without The Hot Air metaFAQ]
 
: There has been quite a lot of work done on using bio-fuels to power aircraft. All three major engine manufacturers have recently had successful flight trials. The suggestion is that these can be produced by either algae or jatropha. Given the willingness of aviation to pay a relatively high price for its fuel, is this unrealistic?
 
 
 
:: I think that using biofuels for aviation is one of the few sensible applications of biofuels. I think algae and jatropha are interesting, and standard crops such as oil-seed rape. The land area or water area to sustain today's level of aviation from biofuels can be computed using the numbers in my book. My book includes data for jatropha. It would be a substantial land area. For the UK to power its own flights from its own biofuels, for example, would require roughly one fifth of all agricultural land in Britain.
 
 
 
===== airships =====
 
 
 
[http://withouthotair.com/cC/page_280.shtml Other ways of staying up - Airships] David MacKay; Sustainable Energy Without The Hot Air
 
: Let’s assume we desire to travel at a speed of 80 km/h (so that crossing the Atlantic takes three days).... To get the best possible transport cost, what is the longest blimp we can imagine? ... If we say L = 400 m, ... If useful cargo made up half of the vessel’s mass, the net transport cost of this monster airship would be 0.06 kWh/t-km – similar to rail.
 
 
 
[http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/02/29/a-new-generation-of-airships-is-born Helium Dreams - A new generation of airships is born] JEANNE MARIE LASKAS; New Yorker; 29 Feb 2016
 
: Three hybrid airship projects are currently attracting the most attention:
 
* the Airlander 10, which just launched this month, in England;
 
* Lockheed Martin’s LMH-1; and
 
* Pasternak’s Aeroscraft
 
  
 
=== IT ===
 
=== IT ===

Revision as of 01:48, 21 September 2016

(RE)SOURCES

boundaries

Planetary boundaries is the central concept in an Earth system framework proposed by a group of Earth system and environmental scientists led by Johan Rockström from the Stockholm Resilience Centre and Will Steffen from the Australian National University. In 2009, the group proposed a framework of “planetary boundaries” designed to define a “safe operating space for humanity” for the international community, including governments at all levels, international organizations, civil society, the scientific community and the private sector, as a precondition for sustainable development. This framework is based on scientific research that indicates that since the Industrial Revolution, human actions have gradually become the main driver of global environmental change. The scientists assert that once human activity has passed certain thresholds or tipping points, defined as “planetary boundaries”, there is a risk of “irreversible and abrupt environmental change”. The scientists identified nine Earth system processes which have boundaries that, to the extent that they are not crossed, mark the safe zone for the planet. However, because of human activities some of these dangerous boundaries have already been crossed, while others are in imminent danger of being crossed.

The nine boundaries are

  • Climate change
  • Biodiversity loss
  • Biogeochemical - nitrogen and phosphorous
  • Ocean acidification
  • Land use
  • Freshwater
  • Ozone depletion
  • Atmospheric aerosols
  • Chemical pollution

Assessing the Environmental Impacts of Consumption and Production United Nations Environment Programme; 2010

Environmental impacts are the unwanted byproduct of economic activities. Inadvertently, humans alter environmental conditions such as the acidity of soils, the nutrient content of surface water, the radiation balance of the atmosphere, and the concentrations of trace materials in food chains. Humans convert forest to pastureland and grassland to cropland or parking lots intentionally, but the resulting habitat change and biodiversity loss is still undesired. The environmental and health sciences have brought important insights into the connection of environmental pressures and ecosystem damages. Well-known assessments show that habitat change, the overexploitation of renewable resources, climate change, and particulate matter emissions are amongst the most important environmental problems. Biodiversity losses and ill health have been estimated and evaluated. This report focuses not on the effects of environmental pressure, but on its causes. It describes pressures as resulting from economic activities. These activities are pursued for a purpose, to satisfy consumption. Environmental pressures are commonly tied to the extraction and transformation of materials and energy. This report investigates the production-materials-consumption nexus.

Climate change

Biodiversity

Has land use pushed terrestrial biodiversity beyond the planetary boundary? A global assessment Tim Newbold, Lawrence N. Hudson, Andrew P. Arnell, Sara Contu, Adriana De Palma, Simon Ferrier, Samantha L. L. Hill, Andrew J. Hoskins, Igor Lysenko, Helen R. P. Phillips, Victoria J. Burton, Charlotte W. T. Chng, Susan Emerson, Di Gao, Gwilym Pask-Hale, Jon Hutton, Martin Jung, Katia Sanchez-Ortiz, Benno I. Simmons, Sarah Whitmee, Hanbin Zhang, Jörn P. W. Scharlemann, Andy Purvis; AAAS Science; 15 Jul 2016

Land use and related pressures have reduced local terrestrial biodiversity, but it is unclear how the magnitude of change relates to the recently proposed planetary boundary (“safe limit”). We estimate that land use and related pressures have already reduced local biodiversity intactness—the average proportion of natural biodiversity remaining in local ecosystems—beyond its recently proposed planetary boundary across 58.1% of the world’s land surface, where 71.4% of the human population live. Biodiversity intactness within most biomes (especially grassland biomes), most biodiversity hotspots, and even some wilderness areas is inferred to be beyond the boundary. Such widespread transgression of safe limits suggests that biodiversity loss, if unchecked, will undermine efforts toward long-term sustainable development.

Biodiversity falls below ‘safe levels’ globally UCL; 14 Jul 2016

Levels of global biodiversity loss may negatively impact on ecosystem function and the sustainability of human societies, according to UCL-led research.
“This is the first time we’ve quantified the effect of habitat loss on biodiversity globally in such detail and we’ve found that across most of the world biodiversity loss is no longer within the safe limit suggested by ecologists” explained lead researcher, Dr Tim Newbold from UCL and previously at UNEP-WCMC.
“We know biodiversity loss affects ecosystem function but how it does this is not entirely clear. What we do know is that in many parts of the world, we are approaching a situation where human intervention might be needed to sustain ecosystem function.”
The team found that grasslands, savannas and shrublands were most affected by biodiversity loss, followed closely by many of the world’s forests and woodlands. They say the ability of biodiversity in these areas to support key ecosystem functions such as growth of living organisms and nutrient cycling has become increasingly uncertain.
The study, published today in Science, led by researchers from UCL, the Natural History Museum and UNEP-WCMC, found that levels of biodiversity loss are so high that if left unchecked, they could undermine efforts towards long-term sustainable development.

Biodiversity is below safe levels across more than half of world's land – study Adam Vaughan; Guardian; 14 Jul 2016

Analysing 1.8m records from 39,123 sites across Earth, the international study found that a measure of the intactness of biodiversity at sites has fallen below a safety limit across 58.1% of the world’s land.

Ocean acidification

Leading Ocean Scientists Recommend Immediate, Coordinated Action Plan to Combat Changes to West Coast Seawater Chemistry Scripps Institution of Oceanography; 6 Apr 2016

Global carbon dioxide emissions are triggering permanent changes to ocean chemistry along the North American West Coast that require immediate, decisive action to combat.
That action includes development of a coordinated regional management strategy, concluded a panel of scientific experts including Andrew Dickson, a professor of marine chemistry at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego.
A failure to adequately respond to this fundamental change in seawater chemistry, known as ocean acidification, is anticipated to have devastating ecological consequences for the West Coast in the decades to come, the 20-member West Coast Ocean Acidification and Hypoxia Science Panel warned in a comprehensive report unveiled April 4.

Freshwater

NASA Satellites Reveals Northern India's Groundwater dropping at one foot per year due to irrigation and other human activities Next Big Future; 3 Apr 2016

NASA Satellites Unlock Secret to Northern India's Vanishing Water NASA; 12 Aug 2009

Beneath northern India’s irrigated fields of wheat, rice, and barley ... beneath its densely populated cities of Jaiphur and New Delhi, the groundwater has been disappearing. Halfway around the world, hydrologists, including Matt Rodell of NASA, have been hunting for it.
Where is northern India’s underground water supply going? According to Rodell and colleagues, it is being pumped and consumed by human activities -- principally to irrigate cropland -- faster than the aquifers can be replenished by natural processes. They based their conclusions -- published in the August 20 issue of Nature -- on observations from NASA’s Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE).
"If measures are not taken to ensure sustainable groundwater usage, consequences for the 114 million residents of the region may include a collapse of agricultural output and severe shortages of potable water," said Rodell, who is based at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.

A Bamboo Tower That Produces Up To 25 Gallons of Water In A Day by Capturing Condensation Goods Home Design

Chemical pollution

The dystopian lake filled by the world’s tech lust Tim Maughan; BBC Future; 2 Apr 2015

Hidden in an unknown corner of Inner Mongolia is a toxic, nightmarish lake created by our thirst for smartphones, consumer gadgets and green tech


Highly efficient heavy metal ions filter Science Daily; 25 Jan 2016

In November 2015, Brazil experienced an unparalleled environmental disaster. When two dams broke at an iron ore mine, a poisonous cocktail of heavy metals was sent pouring into the Rio Doce, reaching the Atlantic some days later. The consequences were devastating for nature and humans alike: countless fish, birds and animals died, and a quarter of a million people were left without drinking water.
This case demonstrates that water pollution is one of today's most serious global problems. No satisfactory technical solution has been found for the treatment of water contaminated with heavy metals or radioactive substances. Existing methods used to remove water from heavy metals, for example, have several disadvantages: either they are too targeted at a specific element or their filter capacity is too small; additionally, they are often too expensive.
Now, a solution may have been found in a new type of hybrid filter membrane developed in the laboratory of Raffaele Mezzenga, Professor of Food and Soft Materials at ETH Zurich. This technology not only has an extremely simple structure, but also comprises low-cost raw materials, such as whey protein fibres and activated charcoal. Heavy metal ions can be almost completely removed from water in just a single pass through the filter membrane.

Efficient removal of uranium, other heavy metals from water Science Daily; 10 Dec 2013

A new and efficient method for the removal of uranium and other heavy metals from water has been developed at the University of Eastern Finland. Chemec Ltd., a Finnish chemicals industry company, has purchased the rights in the invention and will introduce the method to the commercial markets. Binding metal ions to a solid material, the CH Collector method can be used within the mining industry, and also in the removal of emissions caused by the chemicals and metals processing industries.
Chemec's CH Collector method is a potential solution to issues relating to the dangers and recovery of uranium, which have been a topic of much debate in Finland lately. Uranium is a mildly radioactive and poisonous heavy metal, which is naturally occurring in some parts of the Finnish bedrock. When mining other metals such as gold, uranium may be present as an impurity in mining waste waters. A complete removal of uranium from solutions is difficult due to the fact that uranium takes different forms depending on the acidity of the solution. The removal of other heavy metal emissions such as lead, mercury, cadmium and zinc from waters is also challenging.

air pollution

Study: More than 6 million could die early from air pollution every year

Choking Our Health Care System With Coal Conca; Forbes

19 April 2016: EU membership delivers cleaner air Stephen Tindale; Climate Answers; 19 Apr 2016

Biogeochemical

Nitrogen

WE’VE CHANGED A LIFE-GIVING NUTRIENT INTO A DEADLY POLLUTANT. HOW CAN WE CHANGE IT BACK? Elizabeth Grossman; ENSIA; 25 Mar 2016

Coastal dead zones, global warming, excess algae blooms, acid rain, ocean acidification, smog, impaired drinking water quality, an expanding ozone hole and biodiversity loss. Seemingly diverse problems, but a common thread connects them: human disruption of how a single chemical element, nitrogen, interacts with the environment.
Nitrogen is absolutely crucial to life — an indispensable ingredient of DNA, proteins and essentially all living tissue — yet it also can choke the life out of aquatic ecosystems, destroy trees and sicken people when it shows up in excess at the wrong place, at the wrong time, in the wrong form. And over the past century, people have released so much of this type of nitrogen — known as reactive nitrogen — that scientists say we’ve passed the limit of what the planet can safely handle.

Phosphorus

Freeze-thaw effects on phosphorus loss in runoff from manured and catch-cropped soils Bechmann ME, Kleinman PJ, Sharpley AN, Saporito LS; Journal of Environmental Quality; Nov 2005

Concern over nonpoint source P losses from agricultural lands to surface waters in frigid climates has focused attention on the role of freezing and thawing on P loss from catch crops (cover crops). This study evaluated the effect of freezing and thawing on the fate of P in bare soils, soils mixed with dairy manure, and soils with an established catch crop of annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum L.). Experiments were conducted to evaluate changes in P runoff from packed soil boxes (100 by 20 by 5 cm) and P leaching from intact soil columns (30 cm deep). Before freezing and thawing, total P (TP) in runoff from catch-cropped soils was lower than from manured and bare soils due to lower erosion. Repeated freezing and thawing significantly increased water-extractable P (WEP) from catch crop biomass and resulted in significantly elevated concentrations of dissolved P in runoff (9.7 mg L(-1)) compared with manured (0.18 mg L(-1)) and bare soils (0.14 mg L(-1)). Catch crop WEP was strongly correlated with the number of freeze-thaw cycles. Freezing and thawing did not change the WEP of soils mixed with manures, nor were differences observed in subsurface losses of P between catch-cropped and bare soils before or after manure application. This study illustrates the trade-offs of establishing catch crops in frigid climates, which can enhance P uptake by biomass and reduce erosion potential but increase dissolved P runoff.

CO2 emissions

Carbon Footprint Calculator

Carbon dioxide levels in atmosphere spike World Meteorological Organisation; YubaNet; 10 Mar 2016

The annual growth rate of atmospheric carbon dioxide measured at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii jumped by 3.05 parts per million during 2015, the largest year-to-year increase in 56 years of research, according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Decoupling of global emissions and economic growth confirmed IEA; 16 Mar 2016

IEA analysis shows energy-related emissions of CO2 stalled for the second year in a row as renewable energy surged

Geoengineering

Oxford Geoengineering Programme? Oxford Martin School

Will Developing Nations Hack the Climate? Kristan Uhlenbrock; UnDark; 18 Jul 2016

What if the poor and developing nations most vulnerable to climate change took matters into their own hands with geoengineering?

CO2 sequestration

natural/biological

China's Great Green Wall Helps Pull CO2 Out of Atmosphere

China contributed the most to a global increase in carbon stored in trees and other plants

Carbon Engineering

A Canadian start-up is removing CO2 from the air and turning it into pellets

A pilot project to suck CO2 out of the atmosphere and turn it into pellets that can either be used as fuel or stored underground for later has been launched by a Vancouver-based start-up called Carbon Engineering. While the test facility has so far only extracted 10 tonnes of CO2 since its launch back in June, its operations will help inform the construction of a $200 million commercial plant in 2017, which is expected to extract 1 million tonnes per day - the equivalent of taking 100 cars off the road every year. It plans to start selling CO2-based synthetic fuels by 2018. "It's now possible to take CO2 out of the atmosphere, and use it as a feed stock, with hydrogen, to produce net zero emission fuels," company chief executive Adrian Corless told the AFP.

Giant Fans Will Soon Suck CO2 out of the Atmosphere and Turn It into Fuel

Albedo / radiation modification

Shipping in the Arctic to Cool Off the Planet ajdavis2004; Climate CoLab

With help from the multi-billion dollar trans-ocean shipping industry we can open Arctic-night ice-pack, and use these openings to grow and thicken ice to increase summer albedo. This intervention will keep the planet from accumulating excess energy, halting global warming, while providing habitat for Arctic sea life and year-round trade for Arctic human communities.

Economics

Energy use and Conservation

Jevons paradox

Building

Ventilation in New Homes - A report of site visit findings Zero Carbon Hub

The Zero Carbon Hub (“the Hub”) visited 33 dwellings across 6 construction sites in 2015 to see how effectively their mechanical ventilation systems were designed, installed, commissioned and handed over to occupants. This report presents the findings from the site visits anonymously. It is intended for organisations with an interest in quality assuring the delivery of ventilation systems, including government policymakers, developers and their advisers. In summary, the Hub team found things going wrong at multiple stages of the construction process at every site. The cumulative effect of these issues ultimately outweighed any good practice, as the systems we tested showed significant under-performance. At 5 of the 6 sites, fans were operating at only half the required duty or lower, i.e. flow rates were far too low. The end result was that nearly all of the 13 occupants interviewed by the team across the sites had turned off their ventilation systems, finding them too noisy, especially at night. If systems are turned off, they are not doing their job. The air quality in the property will be compromised, with potentially serious consequences for the health of occupants.

Government must learn from previous mistakes as Green Deal report concludes it failed to deliver value for money HVP; 19 Apr 2016

The National Audit Office has concluded that the Department of Energy & Climate Change’s (DECC) Green Deal has not achieved value for money. The scheme, which cost taxpayers £240 million, including grants to stimulate demand, has not generated additional energy savings because DECC’s design and implementation did not persuade householders that energy efficiency measures are worth paying for, says the report. Green Deal and Energy Company Obligation, published on 14 April, also concluded that DECC’s design of its Energy Company Obligation (ECO) scheme to support the Green Deal added to energy suppliers’ costs of meeting their obligations. This reduced the value for money of ECO, but the Department’s information is not detailed enough to conclude by how much. Suppliers have met their obligations for saving carbon dioxide (CO2) and reducing bills.

district heating

Factory machines to heat homes under huge green networks plan Emily Gosden; Daily Telegraph; 28 Aug 2016

Hundreds of thousands of homes are to be heated using warmth generated by industrial machinery, geothermal energy and even Tube trains, under government-backed plans for a major expansion of “heat networks”.

low energy / passivhaus

Transforming the market to make net zero energy housing a reality in the UK Energiesprong UK Limited, National Energy Centre, Milton Keynes MK5 8NG

low energy housing retrofits

Irish county becomes first in English speaking world to make Passive House standard mandatory (Lloyd Alter; TreeHugger; 23 Feb 2016)

EnerPHit - The new Passivhaus refurbishment standard from the Passivhaus Institute Melissa Taylor, Passivhaus Trust; Mar 2011

heat pumps

Heat Pumps Today

Heat Pumps Today was first published in 2009 in response to growing demand from the market for information focused on the ground source, water source and air source heat pumps.

Desalination

Scaling Shock Electrodialysis for Desalination NextBigFuture

Shocking new way to get the salt out - MIT team invents efficient shockwave-based process for desalination of water

Drought stricken California county looks to nuclear plant desalination plant

Solar water still

Transport

IT

By 2040, computers will need more electricity than the world can generate Richard Chirgwin; The Register; 25 Jul 2016

Efficiency

Energy Efficiency: Shaping the United States Energy System James Sweeney ( director of the Precourt Energy Efficiency Center, Stanford University); 30 Nov 2015 Video of Energy Seminar

Ever since the oil embargo of 1973-74, private and public U.S. energy discussions have centered on energy impacts to three complex and crucial systems: the economy, the environment, and national and international security. Policy debates have deadlocked trying to balance tradeoffs among these essential systems. Energy efficiency, on the other hand, is good for the economy and the environment, while enhancing security. It should be no surprise that since the oil embargo of 1973-74, individuals, corporations, and other organizations have found ways of economically reducing energy use. Nor should it be a surprise that federal, state, and local governments have enacted laws and regulations to promote energy efficiency.
However, many will find the remarkably large energy efficiency results surprising. Since the energy crisis of 1973-74, U.S. energy efficiency has done more to curb greenhouse gas emissions and to reduce net energy imports than have increases in domestic production of oil, gas, coal, geothermal energy, nuclear power, solar power, wind power, and biofuels – all taken together

Futures

self-sufficiency

What happened to the self-sufficient people of the 1970s? Claire Bates; BBC News Magazine; 12 Apr 2016

Forty years ago a new book offered city dwellers a way to escape the rat-race and go back to the land. The author of the "bible" of self-sufficiency, John Seymour, convinced thousands to change their lives.

Environmentalism

Inconvenient truths for the environmental movement Joshua S. Goldstein and Steven Pinker; Boston Globe; 23 Nov 2015

CONGRESSIONAL REPUBLICANS MAKE an easy target for their denial of climate change... Environmentalists deserve enormous credit for calling the world’s attention to the threat to humanity posed by climate change. But precisely because this challenge is so stupendous, we need an uncompromisingly focused plan to solve it. Instead of offering such a solution, traditional greens have been distracted by their signature causes, and in doing so have themselves denied some inconvenient truths.
The first is that, until now, fossil fuels have been good for humanity. The industrial revolution doubled life expectancy in developed countries while multiplying prosperity twentyfold. As industrialization spreads to the developing world, billions of people are rising out of poverty in their turn — affording more food, living longer and healthier lives, becoming better educated, and having fewer babies — thanks to cheap fossil fuels...
That brings us to the second inconvenient truth: Nuclear power is the world’s most abundant and scalable carbon-free energy source. In today’s world, every nuclear plant that is not built is a fossil-fuel plant that does get built, which in most of the world means coal. Yet the use of nuclear power has been stagnant or even contracting.

The Education of an Environmentalist Robert Stone; Scientific American; 21 Apr 2016

How an award-winning filmmaker who created the definitive Earth Day documentary learned to love nuclear power in an age of global warming

EcoModernism

An Ecomodernist Manifesto

We offer this statement in the belief that both human prosperity and an ecologically vibrant planet are not only possible, but also inseparable. By committing to the real processes, already underway, that have begun to decouple human well-being from environmental destruction, we believe that such a future might be achieved. As such, we embrace an optimistic view toward human capacities and the future.

NATURE UNBOUND - DECOUPLING FOR CONSERVATION Linus Blomqvist, Ted Nordhaus, Michael Shellenberger; The Breakthrough Institute; Sep 2015


A New Breed of American Environmentalists Challenges the Stale Dogma of the Left

Why energy transitions are the key to environmental progress (MICHAEL SHELLENBERGER & RACHEL PRITZKER)

particularly about India

Monbiot's criticism

Third Way

Third Way Tries to Revive Nuclear William Tucker; 20 Nov 2015

Third Way, the Washington think tank, has taken upon itself the unenviable task of trying to convince liberal Democrats that nuclear energy is an important part of the battle against global warming.
Third Way occupies the position once held by centrist Democrats. Granted there are only a few of them left and the position seems to be completely missing in the Democratic Presidential debates. Scoop Jackson was the premier representative of the position but there are no Scoop Jacksons on the horizon. Third Way lists Democratic Senators Tom Carper, Claire McCaskill, Joe Manchin, Chris Coons and Jean Shaheen among its supporters. Jim Webb, the former Democratic Senator from Virginia, also might have filled the bill but he only lasted one round of the debates.
Third Way likes to pride itself in being practical and pragmatic. It says that both sides often have a point on critical issues and that “If people cannot compromise they should not be in politics.” It has staked out a middle ground on issues as diverse as education, health care and financial regulation. But where it is making a name for itself – and where it is likely to have the most impact – is in its support of nuclear power.

musings

It's not climate change - it's everything change Margatet Atwood

Bill Gates

Gates: Renewable energy can't do the job. Gov should switch green subsidies into R&D

World's Richest Man Picks Energy Miracles David Biello, Scientific American, 29 Feb 2016

Q&A: Bill Gates Jason Pontin; MIT Technology Review; 25 Apr 2016

Microsoft’s cofounder vows to change the “supply side” for breakthrough energy technologies by investing billions of his and his friends’ dollars.

grids / integration

Electricity Transmission Systems World Nuclear Association; Nov 2015

  • National and regional grid systems connecting generators with wholesale customers are generally just as important as electrical power generation.
  • Investment in these is often on a similar scale to generation capacity.
  • New technology is enabling transmission at high voltages over long distances without great losses.
  • Transmission system operators have responsibility for the quality of power supply.
Countries with well-developed electricity infrastructure have established grids run by transmission system operators (TSO) to convey power to distribution systems where it is needed. Where generating plants can be located close to load centres, these are less important than where the plants are remote, as with many hydro-electric plants and wind farms. Lower voltage can be used. At higher voltages, eg 500kV and above, transmission losses over hundreds of kilometres are much reduced. At ultra-high voltages (UHV) eg 1000 kV AC or 800 kV DC, losses are further reduced (eg to 5% over 1000 km) but capital requirements are greater. In Germany consideration is being given to converting some existing AC lines to DC to increase their capacity. In the USA it is estimated that transmission losses amount to about 6%, or 250 TWh per year, worth some $20 billion. In India transmission losses in 2011 were 222 TWh (21%).

Smart energy could save £8bn a year, say advisers Roger Harrabin; BBC; 4 Mar 2016

Ofgem challenges power grid companies to connect more renewables

Ofgem is challenging local electricity grid owners to follow Western Power Distribution’s lead by squeezing more capacity out of their grids to connect renewables.
There is huge growth in renewable generation in Great Britain. By December 2015 8.6GW of solar capacity had been installed 15 years ahead of forecasts.* Official projections made in 2012 suggested that around 6.5GW of solar panel capacity would be connected by 2030.
In some regions including the South West, there is little spare network capacity meaning costs and timescales for connection can be extremely high. So Ofgem is calling on electricity distribution network operators (DNOs) to speed up connections, firstly by finding new ways to link more generators to the existing network.

Managing Flexibility Whilst Decarbonising the GB Electricity System Andy Boston, Helen K Thomas; Energy Research Partnership UK; Aug 2015

Science for Energy Scenarios

3rd Science and Energy Seminar at Ecole de Physique des Houches, March 6th-11th 2016
presentations on EROI, power-gas-power, intermmittency, grids, etc

power line bird mortalities

Refining Estimates of Bird Collision and Electrocution Mortality at Power Lines in the United States Scott R. Loss,1,*¤ Tom Will,2 and Peter P. Marra1; PLOS One; 3 Jul 2014: Collisions and electrocutions at power lines are thought to kill large numbers of birds in the United States annually. However, existing estimates of mortality are either speculative (for electrocution) or based on extrapolation of results from one study to all U.S. power lines (for collision).

conversion / chemical fuels

Carbon dioxide-to-methanol catalyst ignites ‘fuel from air’ debate

Recycling CO₂ in U.S. Navy with SMR (Small Modular Reactors) Don Larson; 26 Apr 2015

Pulling carbon dioxide from seawater and recycling it into liquid fuel has been prototyped by U.S. Naval Research Laboratory. It needs to be scaled up, and provided with inexpensive energy to drive the process.

waste to oil

MIT researchers turn waste gas into liquid fuel

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) process uses bacteria to convert the waste gases into acetic acid - vinegar - then an engineered yeast to produce an oil.

Chemists find new way to recycle plastic waste into fuel University of California, Irvine News; 21 Jun 2016

A new way of recycling millions of tons of plastic garbage into liquid fuel has been devised by researchers from the University of California, Irvine and the Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry (SIOC) in China.

aircraft fuels

Scale Model WWII Craft Takes Flight With Fuel From the Sea Concept US Naval Research Laboratory; 7 Apr 2014

Navy researchers at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), Materials Science and Technology Division, demonstrate proof-of-concept of novel NRL technologies developed for the recovery of carbon dioxide (CO2) and hydrogen (H2) from seawater and conversion to a liquid hydrocarbon fuel. Fueled by a liquid hydrocarbon—a component of NRL's novel gas-to-liquid (GTL) process that uses CO2 and H2 as feedstock—the research team demonstrated sustained flight of a radio-controlled (RC) P-51 replica of the legendary Red Tail Squadron, powered by an off-the-shelf (OTS) and unmodified two-stroke internal combustion engine. Using an innovative and proprietary NRL electrolytic cation exchange module (E-CEM), both dissolved and bound CO2 are removed from seawater at 92 percent efficiency by re-equilibrating carbonate and bicarbonate to CO2 and simultaneously producing H2. The gases are then converted to liquid hydrocarbons by a metal catalyst in a reactor system.

Fuel from Seawater? What's the Catch? Don Willmott; Smithsonian Magazine; 6 Dec 2014

Scientists at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory recently flew a model plane using a liquid hydrocarbon fuel they sourced from the ocean



Hydrocarbon bonds in Camelina-derived JP-5 can be shaped so the fuel has higher energy density than petroleum-derived JP-5. NRL fuel has performance properties superior to fossil fuel sourced fuel.
SMR exist today in the Navy, on carriers and submarines. USS Enterprise had eight A2W reactors. They can be built, and expanded modularity. They do not require a site license.
FY 2013 procurement and delivery at sea was $6.60 per gallon. 540 million gallons for $3.6 BB. Current procurement presents logistic and on-station issues.
Don Larson gave this presentation for eGeneration at the 5th Annual Small Modular Reactor Conference, 2015 in North Carolina.
The Molten Salt Reactors Don Larson cites as capable of generating high temperatures capable of directly disassociating hydrogen from oxygen in water (bypassing electrolysis entirely) are being designed by Terrestrial Energy and Flibe Energy.


MOLTEN SALT REACTORS AND THE COAL INDUSTRY

electricity to hydrogen -- Hebrides

HEBRIDEAN HYDROGEN PARK - PROJECT DEVELOPMENT Jun 2007

PURPOSE OF REPORT To obtain approval for the use of capital funds to develop hydrogen infrastructure via the Hebridean Hydrogen SEED (H2SEED) Project.

Royal Mail goes green in Hebrides Severin Carrell; Guardian; 7 Sep 2010

The nation's posties have used the greenest kinds of transport for generations, relying on their feet and their distinctive fleet of red bicycles to make their rounds. Now their delivery vehicles, too, could go green. For the last few months, it has emerged, the Royal Mail has been secretly testing new zero-carbon vehicles on one of the remotest delivery rounds in Britain, in the Outer Hebrides. Instead of diesel-belching vans, postal staff on the Isle of Lewis have been driving hydrogen-powered Ford Transits, converted at a total cost of £100,000. They fill up in Stornoway, at one of the UK's few hydrogen refuelling stations.

Hydrogen vehicles in the Outer Hebrides Fuel Cell Works; 13 Sep 2012

Comhairle nan Eilean Siar has published an invitation to tender for the supply of hydrogen vehicles to the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. The vehicles, which will be either passenger cars or vans, will be deployed in Stornoway for an initial 2 year trial period performing normal operational duties. The vehicles will refuel at the Comhairle’s existing renewable hydrogen refuelling station, the H2seed Facility.

Fossil fuels

Natural Gas

See also: Methane

Fracking

Potential Greenhouse Gas Emissions Associated with Shale Gas Extraction and Use Professor David J C MacKay FRS, Dr Timothy J Stone CBE; DECC; 9 Sep 2013

Our conclusions are as follows:
Carbon footprint
a. If adequately regulated, local GHG emissions from shale gas operations should represent only a small proportion of the total carbon footprint of shale gas, which is likely to be dominated by CO2 emissions associated with its combustion.
b. Any local GHG emissions from shale gas operations would fall within the nontraded sector of the UK’s carbon budgets. If the carbon budgets impose a binding constraint, any increase in emissions associated with domestic shale gas operations would have to be offset by emissions cuts elsewhere in the economy.
c. The carbon footprint (emissions intensity) of shale gas extraction and use is likely to be in the range 200 – 253 g CO2e per kWh of chemical energy, which makes shale gas’s overall carbon footprint comparable to gas extracted from conventional sources (199 – 207 g CO2e/kWh(th)), and lower than the carbon footprint of Liquefied Natural Gas (233 - 270g CO2e/kWh(th)). When shale gas is used for electricity generation, its carbon footprint is likely to be in the range 423 – 535 g CO2e/kWh(e), which is significantly lower than the carbon footprint of coal, 837 – 1130 g CO2e/kWh(e).

UC Study Claiming Air Pollution from Fracking Quietly Retracted Due to Bad Data Seth Whitehead; Energy In Depth; 7 Jul 2016

The University of Cincinnati (UC) has yet to publish the results of a now year-old study that found no water contamination from hydraulic fracturing in a scientific journal, despite scrutiny, media attention, and numerous calls from groups and elected officials to do so. This indefinite delay is all the more interesting considering that UC couldn’t wait to publish the results of its 2015 study that claimed fracking was causing significant air pollution in Carroll County. That study appeared in Environmental Science & Technology just three months after it was completed. But the UC researchers’ urgency has apparently come back to bite them as they have just retracted the study due to “errors” and “incorrect” calculations

Coal

Ultra Super Critical Boilers Clean coal technology

Greenwash / snake oil

Fuel economy devices

The Ultimate Cell

Claims: "The Ultimatecell is powered by direct fused current from the vehicles 12v battery. The UltimateCell powers itself on-and-off and only creates minute-quantities of hydrogen gases On-Demand-when the engine is running. This technology, unlike others, does not rely on the large storage of fuel.
“When the engine starts, the UltimateCell initiates an electrolysis process that is electronically controlled. This results in the safe chemical separation of the Hydrogen molecules from the Water that will be fed into the engines air intake”
"The hydrogen produced within the vehicle works as a catalyst inside the engine head. This allows a faster and more complete combustion of the fuel. The result is an engine with optimum performance– always. This results in a cleaner, greener, smoother running engine. Power band torque is optimised resulting in easier, quicker driving through the gears. It would be found easier to remain in a higher gear for longer periods of time, thus resulting in less fuel been used and also reduced harmful tailpipe emissions. This saves you money and it is much greener to our environment."

other

population

Global population growth, box by box Hans Rosling; TED@Cannes; Jun 2010

The world's population will grow to 9 billion over the next 50 years — and only by raising the living standards of the poorest can we check population growth.

New insights on poverty Hans Rosling; TED2007; Mar 2007

Researcher Hans Rosling uses his cool data tools to show how countries are pulling themselves out of poverty. He demos Dollar Street, comparing households of varying income levels worldwide.

There is no population explosion on this planet Robert Newman; Guardian opinion; 22 Sep 2013

Our population problem isn't too many humans on the planet, but too few owning too much of it

World Fertility Patterns 2009 United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs Population Division

World Fertility Patterns 2009 presents the data available to assess the change in fertility taking place in countries of the world. For the 224 countries or areas for which data are available, it displays unadjusted data on total fertility, age-specific fertility and the mean age at childbearing for two points in time: the first as close as possible to 1970 and the second showing the latest available data.

pollution

Denmark accused of keeping quiet over "environmental disaster" that saw fertiliser and oil pour into the sea during fire Lizzie Dearden; Independent; 28 Feb 2016

Several thousand tonnes of liquid fertiliser burst out of a silo in Frederica Harbour on 3 March, causing palm oil to leak from a neighbouring vat and catch on fire, starting a huge blaze. But a Danish newspaper has accused local authorities of failing to announce the impact of the accident for several weeks, amid fears that huge amounts of toxic substances flowed into the sea and could kill countless fish.

human welfare / social change

working hours

Long working hours and risk of coronary heart disease and stroke: a systematic review and meta-analysis of published and unpublished data for 603 838 individuals Mika Kivimäki et al; The Lancet; 31 Oct 2015

Employees who work long hours have a higher risk of stroke than those working standard hours; the association with coronary heart disease is weaker. These findings suggest that more attention should be paid to the management of vascular risk factors in individuals who work long hours.

Working long hours is linked to a significantly higher risk of stroke PETER DOCKRILL; Science Alert; 21 AUG 2015

According to researchers in the UK, those who work longer hours during the week significantly increase their chances of having a stroke. In the largest research project of its kind, researchers from University College London reviewed 25 studies involving more than 600,000 men and women from across Europe, the US, and Australia. Looking at the data, they found that those working 55 hours or more per week had a 33 percent greater risk of stroke than those working a more balanced 35–40 hour work week. Working the longer set of hours also brings with it a 13 percent increased risk of developing coronary heart disease.
Sweden

Sweden introduces six-hour work day Hardeep Matharu @Hardeep_Matharu; Independent; May? 2016

Employers across the country including retirement homes, hospitals and car centres, are implementing the change

Sweden is shifting to a 6-hour work day BEC CREW; Science Alert; 30 SEP 2015

effective altruism

RESEARCHERS MAY HAVE FOUND THE BEST WAY OF ENDING EXTREME POVERTY, AND IT’S EMBARRASSINGLY SIMPLE MATT HERSHBERGER; Matador Network; 18 Apr 2016

Utah homelessness, Pete Singer, GiveDirectly, cash transfers,

OTHER RESOURCES

NASA Global Climate Change

Ensia

"a magazine showcasing environmental solutions in action. Our mission is to share stories and spark conversations that motivate and empower people to create a more sustainable future."

Tyndall Centre for climate change research

We bring together scientists, economists, engineers and social scientists who are working to develop sustainable responses to climate change. We work not just within the research community, but also with business leaders, policy advisors, the media and the public in general.

Energy Research Partnership UK

The Energy Research Partnership is a high-level forum bringing together key stakeholders and funders of energy research, development, demonstration and deployment in Government, industry and academia, plus other interested bodies, to identify and work together towards shared goals. The Partnership has been designed to give strategic direction to UK energy innovation, seeking to influence the development of new technologies and enabling timely, focussed investments to be made. It does this by (i) influencing members in their respective individual roles and capacities and (ii) communicating views more widely to other stakeholders and decision makers as appropriate. ERP’s remit covers the whole energy system, including supply (nuclear, fossil fuels, renewables), infrastructure, and the demand side (built environment, energy efficiency, transport). The ERP is co-chaired by Professor John Loughhead, Chief Scientific Advisor at the Department of Energy and Climate Change and Dr Keith MacLean (formerly Director of Policy & Research at Scottish and Southern Energy). A small in-house team provides independent and rigorous analysis to underpin the ERP’s work. The ERP is supported through members’ contributions.

Soil Quality website

Contributors
  • The University of Western Australia
  • Department of Agriculture and Food Western Australia
  • Wheatbelt Natural Resource Management is the regional Natural Resource Management (NRM) group for the Avon River Basin and administers investment for on ground projects that will result in positive NRM outcomes for the environment, economy and community.
  • Grains Research & Development Corporation is one of the world’s leading grains research organisations
  • South Coast Natural Resource Management is an incorporated non-profit association owned and directed by the people of the South Coast Region of Western Australia.
  • Grower Group Alliance is a network of grower groups, research providers and grains industry representatives located throughout Western Australia.

Who's who