Climate Change / Global Warming Discussion

[mspohr]

Climate crisis fills top five places of World Economic Forum’s risks report

Climate crisis fills top five places of World Economic Forum’s risks report

A year of extreme weather events and mounting evidence of global heating have catapulted the climate emergency to the top of the list of issues worrying the world’s elite.

The World Economic Forum’s annual risks report found that, for the first time in its 15-year history, the environment filled the top five places in the list of concerns likely to have a major impact over the next decade.

It said the top five risks in terms of likelihood in the next 10 years were:

Extreme weather events with major damage to property, infrastructure and loss of human life.
Failure of climate-change mitigation and adaptation by governments and businesses.
Human-made environmental damage and disasters, including environmental crime, such as oil spills and radioactive contamination.
Major biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse with irreversible consequences for the environment, resulting in severely depleted resources for humankind as well as industries.
Major natural disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, and geomagnetic storms.

 

[iPlug]

2019 Was The 2nd-Hottest Year On Record, According To NASA And NOAA

Last year was the second hottest on record globally, according to the latest climate data collected by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and NASA.​

It's the latest confirmation that the Earth is steadily getting hotter — the planet has already warmed about 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit (or almost 1 degree Celsius) compared with in the mid-20th century...

...That means the planet is on track to blow past the temperature targets set by the Paris Agreement, which is meant to help countries reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to the effects of climate change...​

2019 Was The 2nd-Hottest Year On Record, According To NASA And NOAA

 

[eevee-fan]

Youtube version on the same... good to know that the impact is not just sea level rise, making this relevant to even those in the midwest who think this would not affect them. Everyone pays.

 

[mspohr]

A blob of hot ocean water killed a million seabirds, scientists say - CNN

As many as one million seabirds died at sea in less than 12 months in one of the largest mass die-offs in recorded history -- and researchers say warm ocean waters are to blame.

The birds, a fish-eating species called the common murre, were severely emaciated and appeared to have died of starvation between the summer of 2015 and the spring of 2016, washing up along North America's west coast, from California to Alaska.

 

[mspohr]

Reforestation is not necessarily about planting more trees

To succeed in the fight against climate change we have to do two big things: Stop emitting carbon dioxide and remove the excess carbon dioxide we have already emitted. Restoring forests is the best way to do that second part - but not all restoration is created equal.

there is a more realistic way to replace the trees we have destroyed: Help nature run its course

It is a real, science-based strategy known as assisted natural regeneration. It is low-tech, high-yield, highly scalable, and 70 percent cheaper than planting new saplings.

One of the most exciting assisted natural regeneration strategies is called applied nucleation, also known as "tree islands", which involves planting only a very small number of trees that attract birds and other seed dispersers, which can spread seeds around the tree islands. Gradually, these tree islands turn into intact forests.

 

[eevee-fan]

Massive Battery Proposed Near Retired Navajo Coal Plant, Reports Daybreak Power

Great news for the former Navajo coal plant... looks like they are going to build a grid battery. It's a smart move since the high power transmission line is already in place.

Also, Navajo Energy Storage Station (NESS) for pumped hydro energy storage at Lake Powell.

BTW, looks like negative energy prices right now at some spots in SOCAL and AZ. See dark green. Certainly could use V2G to push some extra energy into EVs plugged into the grid...

 

[SageBrush]

looks like negative energy prices right now at some spots in SOCAL and AZ. See dark green. Certainly could use V2G to push some extra energy into EVs plugged into the grid...

Err ... what ?

 

[eevee-fan]

Err ... what ?

Instead of having to pay someone to take the excess energy, just sell it for free (or very low price) to EVs plugged into the grid. With some smarts, EVs can be set to accept, let's say, 10% above their target charge... for most BEV, it would be about 5-6 KWh per BEV... multiply that to, let's say a minimum of 500K BEVs in SOCAL/AZ area, and you have extra capacity in the grid to accept 2.5-3.0 MWh... no more negative wholesale prices!

Note: vs the proposed grid battery of 2,200 MWh.

Note: We are going to see more negative prices as we approach the peak excess renewable, usually around mid March.

 

[SageBrush]

Instead of having to pay someone to take the excess energy, just sell it for free (or very low price) to EVs plugged into the grid. With some smarts, EVs can be set to accept, let's say, 10% above their target charge... for most BEV, it would be about 5-6 KWh per BEV... multiply that to, let's say a minimum of 500K BEVs in SOCAL/AZ area, and you have extra capacity in the grid to accept 2.5-3.0 MWh... no more negative wholesale prices!

Note: vs the proposed grid battery of 2,200 MWh.

Now I follow you.

Tech is not the obstacle here. You have to choose a TOU billing scheme ... and accept both sides of the coin.

 

[eevee-fan]

https://www.reference.com/world-view/many-registered-vehicles-california-52c20f61bcb10e9d

... looks like my proposed example could be taken on by the Cali government fleet of around 600k.

Overall of roughly 27M vehicles for Cali back in 2012, probably more now... I guess potential of storing 150 MWh (thus also reducing 150 MWh of demand later) utilizing the 10% BEV SOC proposal. Oh, I guess this is just using V1G AKA Smart Charging.

V2G would allow the utility to take power from your BEV, thus the cars would then be able to provide 150 MWh to the grid.

Vehicle-to-grid - Wikipedia

 

[eevee-fan]

Mentions:
- Use of Solar Inverter to stabilize grid at night - solar found found another use
- V2G another piece to the puzzle to further stabilize the grid
- UK overage wind power - consumers encouraged to run their appliances and plug in their EVs during that time - and they got paid!

 

[David_Cary]

And really, you can do a lot more than 10% overage on the charging.
I consider my family to be a typical driving family. We have a 70D (about 225) and M3LR (325). Each car drives about 20-30 miles per day. On a long day, it might be 60-80 for one of the cars and this is nearly always known before.
I typically go with the slider on 60% or so. So I can take in 30% more if incentivized.
We did have a Leaf for 6 years and we switched cars when needed but that need became pretty regular. And we have driven cars long distance separately. Also have used the 325 range more than 5 times in the first year (as far as over the 225).

 

[mspohr]

Australia’s Fire-Hit Grid Braces for an Even Bigger Threat

What's an issue more is that we’re experiencing extremely hot weather, which leads to an increase in demand for running air conditioners,” said Jill Cainey, general manager of networks at Energy Networks Australia, Australia’s distribution system operator association.

reaction to these events, distribution system operators have been pushing Australians to take part in voluntary demand response programs, paying customers to cut their energy use when the grid gets stressed.

 

[mspohr]

Trump is on trial for abusing his power – the Davos elites should join him | Robert Reich

As the Senate debates Donald Trump’s future, chief executives, financiers and politicians will descend on Davos in the Swiss Alps for their annual self-congratulatory defense of global capitalism.

The events are not unrelated. Trump is charged with abusing his power. Capitalism’s global elite is under assault for abusing its power as well: fueling inequality, fostering corruption and doing squat about climate change.

Chief executives of the largest global corporations are raking in more money and at a larger multiple of their workers’ pay than at any time in history. The world’s leading financiers are pocketing even more. The 26 richest people on Earth now own as much as the 3.8 billion who form the poorer half of the planet’s population.

Concentrated wealth on this scale invites corruption. Across the world, big money is buying off politicians to procure favors that further enlarge the wealth of those at the top, while siphoning off resources from everyone else.

Corruption makes it impossible to fight stagnant wages, climate change or any other problem facing the vast majority of the world’s population that would require some sacrifice by the rich.

 

[eevee-fan]

Climate Crisis Weekly: Indonesia loses two islands to sea rise - Electrek

Two more islands gone!

 

[mspohr]

Climate refugees can't be returned home, says landmark UN human rights ruling

It is unlawful for governments to return people to countries where their lives might be threatened by the climate crisis, a landmark ruling by the United Nations human rights committee has found.

“What’s really important here, and why it’s quite a landmark case, is that the committee recognised that without robust action on climate at some point in the future it could well be that governments will, under international human rights law, be prohibited from sending people to places where their life is at risk or where they would face inhuman or degrading treatment,”

 

[mspohr]

Humans risk living in an empty world, warns UN biodiversity chief

Humans risk living in an empty world, warns UN biodiversity chief

The ongoing destruction of life-supporting ecosystems such as coral reefs and rainforests means humans risk living in an “empty world” with “catastrophic” consequences for society, according to Mrema, who is responsible for spearheading a Paris-style agreement for nature that will be negotiated this year.

Humanity will have given up on planet Earth if world leaders cannot reach an agreement this year to stop the mass extinction of wildlife and destruction of life-supporting ecosystems, the United Nation’s new biodiversity chief has warned.

 

[Dutchie]

Sometimes I think of just giving up.

I stopped flying and do everything I can to give my grand children at least a fighting chance to survive. however, I constantly see family members flying anywhere and everywhere like there is no tomorrow. Really, they are constantly flying and just having a great time. I think some of them are in a plane every month. I show them what that particular flight means to the climate (www.shameplane.com). I show them articles that the real trouble will start in about 30 years if they continue like that. Some of the reactions I get:
- "....well at least we can still have fun for 30 years..."
- "... Polar ice reduced with this flight by 6m2, but I have endless memories.." And there are countless "likes" on that that reaction on Facebook.
- "...you are eating cheese; that is so irresponsible ..." And then they send me an article about how dairy affects climate change..

What am I doing trying to change the world when no-one will listens? Why should they have fun and fly everywhere for a vacation in Dubai or Bali and I am not out of principle? Sometimes I just want to give up and just think screw it, no-one cares and I cannot do it alone. Let's have fun too!

 

[mspohr]

Sometimes I think of just giving up.

I stopped flying and do everything I can to give my grand children at least a fighting chance to survive. however, I constantly see family members flying anywhere and everywhere like there is no tomorrow. Really, they are constantly flying and just having a great time. I think some of them are in a plane every month. I show them what that particular flight means to the climate (www.shameplane.com). I show them articles that the real trouble will start in about 30 years if they continue like that. Some of the reactions I get:
- "....well at least we can still have fun for 30 years..."
- "... Polar ice reduced with this flight by 6m2, but I have endless memories.." And there are countless "likes" on that that reaction on Facebook.
- "...you are eating cheese; that is so irresponsible ..." And then they send me an article about how dairy affects climate change..

What am I doing trying to change the world when no-one will listens? Why should they have fun and fly everywhere for a vacation in Dubai or Bali and I am not out of principle? Sometimes I just want to give up and just think screw it, no-one cares and I cannot do it alone. Let's have fun too!

Good that you're trying to educate the reluctant. However I wouldn't look on your lack of flying, etc. as denial. I hate to fly and the destinations are overrun with tourists. Much better getting off the beaten track close to home.
(Cheese is bad for your health and the environment.)

 

[JRP3]

I find plenty of interesting things to do near home and I'm never bored. I've always felt that many people who constantly feel the need to be somewhere else are either missing something inside or trying to run away from something.