JRP3
Hyperactive Member
Probably not but it's worth having the discussion. It seems there are much more efficient cryptos out there than BTC.
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Climate Change / Global Warming Discussion
- Thread starter Raffy.Roma
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mspohr
Well-Known Member
Oil firms knew decades ago fossil fuels posed grave health risks, files reveal
The oil industry knew at least 50 years ago that air pollution from burning fossil fuels posed serious risks to human health, only to spend decades aggressively lobbying against clean air regulations, a trove of internal documents seen by the Guardian reveal. The documents, which include internal memos and reports, show the industry was long aware that it created large amounts of air pollution, that pollutants could lodge deep in the lungs and be “real villains in health effects”, and even that its own workers may be experiencing birth defects among their children. Natural but deadly: huge gaps in US rules for wood-stove smoke exposed But these concerns did little to stop oil and gas companies, and their proxies, spreading doubt about the growing body of science linking the burning of fossil fuels to an array of health problems that kill millions of people around the world each year. Echoing the fossil-fuel industry’s history of undermining of climate science, oil and gas interests released a torrent of material aimed at raising uncertainty over the harm caused by air pollution and usedthis to deter US lawmakers from placing further limits on pollutants.
The oil industry knew at least 50 years ago that air pollution from burning fossil fuels posed serious risks to human health, only to spend decades aggressively lobbying against clean air regulations, a trove of internal documents seen by the Guardian reveal. The documents, which include internal memos and reports, show the industry was long aware that it created large amounts of air pollution, that pollutants could lodge deep in the lungs and be “real villains in health effects”, and even that its own workers may be experiencing birth defects among their children. Natural but deadly: huge gaps in US rules for wood-stove smoke exposed But these concerns did little to stop oil and gas companies, and their proxies, spreading doubt about the growing body of science linking the burning of fossil fuels to an array of health problems that kill millions of people around the world each year. Echoing the fossil-fuel industry’s history of undermining of climate science, oil and gas interests released a torrent of material aimed at raising uncertainty over the harm caused by air pollution and usedthis to deter US lawmakers from placing further limits on pollutants.
mspohr
Well-Known Member
‘Our biggest challenge? Lack of imagination’: the scientists turning the desert green
In recent years, discussion about the climate crisis has predominantly focused on fossil fuels and greenhouse gases; now, we’re coming to realise that the other side of that coin is protecting and replenishing the natural world. There is no better mechanism for removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than nature, but in the past 5,000 years, human activity has reduced the Earth’s total biomass by an estimated 50%, and destroyed or degraded 70% of the world’s forests.
What turned the Sinai into a desert was, most likely, human activity. Wherever they settle, humans tend to chop down trees and clear land. This loss of vegetation affects the land’s ability to retain moisture. Grazing animals trample and consume plants when they try to grow back. The soil loses its structure and is washed away – hence the silt in Lake Bardawil.
Regreening the Sinai is to some extent a question of restarting that “water begets water” feedback loop. After restoring Lake Bardawil, the second phase is to expand and restore the wetlands around it so as to evaporate more moisture and increase biodiversity. The Sinai coast is already a major global crossing point for migratory birds; restored wetlands would encourage more birds, which would add fertility and new plant species.
In recent years, discussion about the climate crisis has predominantly focused on fossil fuels and greenhouse gases; now, we’re coming to realise that the other side of that coin is protecting and replenishing the natural world. There is no better mechanism for removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than nature, but in the past 5,000 years, human activity has reduced the Earth’s total biomass by an estimated 50%, and destroyed or degraded 70% of the world’s forests.
What turned the Sinai into a desert was, most likely, human activity. Wherever they settle, humans tend to chop down trees and clear land. This loss of vegetation affects the land’s ability to retain moisture. Grazing animals trample and consume plants when they try to grow back. The soil loses its structure and is washed away – hence the silt in Lake Bardawil.
Regreening the Sinai is to some extent a question of restarting that “water begets water” feedback loop. After restoring Lake Bardawil, the second phase is to expand and restore the wetlands around it so as to evaporate more moisture and increase biodiversity. The Sinai coast is already a major global crossing point for migratory birds; restored wetlands would encourage more birds, which would add fertility and new plant species.
JRP3
Hyperactive Member
Opposing views on Bitcoin impacts Bitcoin mining can be a 'bridge' to a renewable energy future by supporting green projects, a leading North American miner says
There was talk of using Block Chain to allow individuals with energy supply (wind/solar/etc) to sell their energy... that would be pretty neat!
mspohr
Well-Known Member
NSW flooding: disaster zones declared as 18,000 people evacuated in Sydney and mid-north coast
The floods come less than 18 months after Australia was gripped by a bushfire crisis, with many of the same towns impacted
www.theguardian.com
Climate Council spokesperson Prof Will Steffan said intense rainfall and floods were happening more frequently due to climate change. “Climate change is harming the health, safety and livelihoods of Australians, raking up billions of dollars in economic losses and damaging many of our unique ecosystems. It’s time for all levels of government and businesses to step up their climate action efforts to protect people, our environment and the economy,” he said.
Or, there could just be a boring-old database instead of pointlessly adding overhead.
CyberGus
Not Just a Member
Mining is a requirement for open blockchains like Bitcoin, but not for blockchains in general.
mspohr
Well-Known Member
Blockchain has several advantages. It eliminates the requirement to have a trusted custodian and it opens up access to everyone in a transparent manner.
You're talking about selling power across a grid. It's metered, limited, and there's a middle man.
Also, each transaction is low value.
Blockchain is overkill.
mspohr
Well-Known Member
No middle man needed with blockchain.
Ideal for low value transactions.
Here's an excellent review
Blockchain technology in the energy sector: A systematic review of challenges and opportunities
Blockchains or distributed ledgers are an emerging technology that has drawn considerable interest from energy supply firms, startups, technology deve…
www.sciencedirect.com
Blockchains promise transparent, tamper-proof and secure systems that can enable novel business solutions, especially when combined with smart contracts.
Blockchains are shared and distributed data structures or ledgers that can securely store digital transactions without using a central point of authority. More importantly, blockchains allow for the automated execution of smart contracts in peer-to-peer (P2P) networks [9]. They can alternatively be seen as databases that permit multiple users to make changes in the ledger simultaneously, which can result in multiple chain versions. Instead of managing the ledger by a single trusted centre, each individual network member holds a copy of the records’ chain and reach an agreement on the valid state of the ledger with consensus. The exact methodology of how consensus is reached is an ongoing area of research and might differ to suit a wide range of application domains. New transactions are linked to previous transactions by cryptography which makes blockchain networks resilient and secure. Every network user can check for themselves if transactions are valid, which provides transparency and trustable, tamper-proof records.
Along with use cases in various sectors, the potential of blockchains in the energy industry has just started to be realised as shown by the increasing number of startups, pilots, trials and research projects. A survey of the German Energy Agency [18] on the views of energy decision-makers shows that near 20% believe that blockchain technology is a game-changer for energy suppliers
mspohr
Well-Known Member
Disease outbreaks more likely in deforestation areas, study finds
Outbreaks of infectious diseases are more likely in areas of deforestation and monoculture plantations, according to a study that suggests epidemics are likely to increase as biodiversity declines. Land use change is a significant factor in the emergence of zoonotic viruses such as Covid-19 and vector-borne ailments such as malaria, says the paper, published on Wednesday in Frontiers in Veterinary Science.
Outbreaks of infectious diseases are more likely in areas of deforestation and monoculture plantations, according to a study that suggests epidemics are likely to increase as biodiversity declines. Land use change is a significant factor in the emergence of zoonotic viruses such as Covid-19 and vector-borne ailments such as malaria, says the paper, published on Wednesday in Frontiers in Veterinary Science.
mspohr
Well-Known Member
Greta Thunberg on Instagram: "Fossil gas and burning trees for energy will play key part in the EU's so-called "Green Deal". A leak shows that the EU is surrendering to lobbyists - giving up on fulfilling their promises and on the Paris Agreement. L
318K likes, 2,224 comments - gretathunberg on March 24, 2021: "Fossil gas and burning trees for energy will play key part in the EU's so-called "Green Deal". A leak shows that the EU is surrendering ...".
www.instagram.com
mspohr
Well-Known Member
Los Angeles now has a road map for 100% renewable energy
The plan would help fight climate change and reduce deadly air pollution from cars, trucks and power plants and gas furnaces.
www.latimes.com
In a first-of-its-kind study commissioned by the city and released Wednesday, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory concluded L.A. is capable of achieving 98% clean energy within the next decade and 100% by 2035, meeting one of President Biden’s most ambitious climate goals. And it can do so without causing blackouts or disrupting the economy, the federal research lab found, undercutting two of the most common arguments used by opponents of climate action.
The NREL study team included nearly 100 people and was aided by the “Eagle” supercomputer at the research lab’s Golden, Colo., headquarters. They conducted an energy systems analysis they believe to be unprecedented in scope and detail, running more than 100 million simulations since 2017 and integrating heaps of modeling data on electricity use, job creation, weather conditions, power lines and the potential for rooftop solar panels on houses across Los Angeles, among other topics.
SmartElectric
Active Member
Saw their YouTube videos (am a subscriber), wondered why they didn't mention geothermal or wave/tidal power, either of which would provide some level of reliability when the sun isn't shining and wind not blowing.
mspohr
Well-Known Member
Possibly some of the 100 million simulations included geothermal, wave, tidal power. Those options may be unproven or not scalable.
The NREL study team included nearly 100 people and was aided by the “Eagle” supercomputer at the research lab’s Golden, Colo., headquarters. They conducted an energy systems analysis they believe to be unprecedented in scope and detail, running more than 100 million simulations since 2017 and integrating heaps of modeling data on electricity use, job creation, weather conditions, power lines and the potential for rooftop solar panels on houses across Los Angeles, among other topics.
SmartElectric
Active Member
Yes, I have solar on my roof guys, it's not like I don't "get it". It just seemed interesting to me that California, a place with a fault system and hot lava right under it wouldn't also have this as a top investment area, and they are on a coastline, so wave and tidal makes some sense in specific cases.
mspohr
Well-Known Member
Air pollution from fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is increasingly driving the global burden of disease (1), and diesel-powered vehicles are substantial contributors. Recognizing the public health impacts of diesel PM2.5 (DPM) (2), many countries have reduced emissions of DPM from both on- and off-road mobile sources over the past three decades. The previous US federal administration, however, changed course by eliminating or weakening policies and standards that govern these emissions. In contrast, the State of California has continued to reduce mobile-source DPM emissions using the state's long-standing authority under the Clean Air Act (CAA) to regulate air pollution more stringently than the federal government. Our analysis of mobile-source DPM emissions suggests that many California sector-based policies have been highly effective relative to the rest of the US. To improve health in communities disproportionately affected by these emissions, we point to opportunities to further reduce DPM emissions in California, in the US more broadly, and in parts of the world where countries have less aggressive vehicle emissions policies than the US (3).
CyberGus
Not Just a Member
A NASA study says it’s the first to directly measure humans’ role in climate change
We can now measure the effect of greenhouse gases directly.
qz.com
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