EcoRadio

Category: Articles

  • Listening Brief 1 – Rachel Rothschild – Lessons from acid rain  

    Listening Brief is a series of podcasts compiled by Charles Worringham on topics of interest to followers of The Generator.  They are generally 45 minute pieces. Let me know if you would like precis style summaries.

    Our very first guest, Rachel Rothschild, is working on her book RR2 A Poisonous Sky: Acid Rain and the Emergence of Environmental Science and Diplomacy, outlining the history of acid rain and how the world dealt with it from its emergence as a global problem in the sixties.

    There are important lessons here for current diplomacy on greenhouse emissions in the lead-up to the Paris climate talks.

    Rachel is an Assistant Professor at New York University where you can visit her profile page, or alternatively, her personal website.

     

    Play

    Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 40:14 — 36.9MB) … Read the rest

  • Griffith candidate talks frankly

    Griffith candidate talks frankly

    eco_radioGreens candidate for Griffith, Geoff Ebbs, told ZZZs EcoRadio today why he thinks climate change has not been on the agenda for this election but why he still thinks there is value in .the political process.

    There are two sound files here.

    Hear Geoff talking about the politics of climate change and vested interests.

    Hear Geoff talking about how we can tackle the real politik of those vested interests.

  • Peak Oil: It’s Dead — Again?

    Peak Oil: It’s Dead — Again?

    Personal Finance newsletter

    Show do not change

    I’m confused.

    “The IEA says Peak Oil is Dead. That’s Bad News for Climate Policy,” blares a Time magazine headline.

    But there’s just one problem.

    The International Energy Agency (IEA) has said no such thing.

    “New oil sources, many of them unlocked by new technology—the Canadian oil sands, tight oil in North Dakota and Texas, ultra-deep water oil in the Atlantic—has helped keep the supply of oil growing, even as greater efficiency measures and other social shifts have helped blunt demand in rich countries like the U.S. Oil isn’t likely to be cheap—a barrel of Brent crude is $102 – and getting it out of the ground isn’t going to get any easier. But it’s increasingly likely that we will have more than enough oil in the future to keep the global economy growing and stave off any Mel Gibson-esque apocalypses,” says Time magazine.

    “Indeed, a new assessment released yesterday by the International Energy Agency (IEA) predicts that the surge of supply from North America—most of it from new unconventional sources—will transform the global supply of oil and help ease tight markets. Between now and 2018, the IEA projects that global oil production capacity will grow by 8.4 million barrels a day—significantly faster than demand. Oil isn’t likely to peak any time soon.”

    The only thing this article does well is confuse what peak oil really is.

    As we’ve reported, peak oil refers to the flow rates. It refers to the fact that the “easy to get to” oil is gone. It’s the “hard to reach” expensive oil that we now have to go after. Hydraulic fracturing – like I said – is more expensive than traditional drilling techniques.

    Even my old friend – and former colleague, Chris Nelder will tell you this.

    There has always been a lot of confusion about this point. Peak oil was never about “running out of oil.” The only people who characterized it that way either didn’t know what they were talking about or were trying to confuse the issue. Peak oil has always referred to the production rate of oil — it’s about finding the point where that production rate peaks.

    It’d be nice if Time actually checked its facts before running with these bogus stories hell-bent on confusing reality.

    While Time magazine circulates inaccuracies, we’ve been profiting from peak oil.

     by

  • Stop the whale slaughter (AVAAZ)

    Dear friends,

    In days, two Icelandic ships will leave on a bloody hunt for endangered fin whales and export them to Japan — if we shine a spotlight right now on the role of a Dutch transit port, we can get them to shut down this safe harbour for slaughter and create a major stumbling block for the the bloody trade. Sign now:

    In days, two Icelandic ships will set sail to butcher 154 endangered fin whales. Trading these majestic creatures is illegal in most of the world, but the Dutch are turning a blind eye and allowing the meat to be trafficked through the port of Rotterdam! Let’s hold Dutch leaders to account and close this safe harbour for unconscionable whaling.

    Despite a global commercial whaling ban, Icelandic tycoon Kristjan Loftsson will shoot harpoons to blow out the brains of these majestic creatures, then chop them into pieces and ship their meat to Japan. But we can break a crucial link between the ocean and the customers — the port of Rotterdam, where these massive carcasses are expected to be transferred. If the environmentally conscious Dutch see that the damage to their reputation isn’t worth the profits of trading with this aging Icelandic whaler, they’ll stop the transit and send the whalers back to the drawing board.

    We have just over a week before the whalers start the bloody hunt — let’s make sure Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte refuses safe harbour for the whalers and their bloody cargo. Sign the petition now and send this to everyone who loves whales! When we reach one million signers, we’ll create a massive stunt of fake beached whales on the Rotterdam waterfront that they won’t be able to turn a blind eye to.

    http://www.avaaz.org/en/stop_the_whale_hunt/?bBYMjdb&v=25142

    Fin whales are magical creatures. They’re the second longest animal in the world (more than 8-stories tall!) and move through the water like lightning. Their incredible combination of sleek, elegant power and speed earned them the nickname “greyhound of the sea”. Just one fin whale can weigh up to 70,000 kgs! And they’re endangered — only about 118,000 are thought to be left in the wild, and annual hunts are threatening their survival.

    Hunting fin whales is illegal under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species and the International Whaling Commission, which has helped fin whales come back from the brink of extinction. But not everyone follows the rules. Loftsson has run the only industrial fin whale hunt in recent years, has brazenly sold the meat to Japan and profited from the whaling ban other countries follow.

    Stopping the transit in Rotterdam, Europe’s biggest port, would set a precedent that would make it very difficult for Loftsson to ship his meat profitably through any port in Europe. Hamburg and Finish ports have already shunned the whale trade, and stopping it in Rotterdam could be the final step. A massive public outcry globally and in the Netherlands can help tip the balance — sign now and say no to the slaughter of endangered whales:

    http://www.avaaz.org/en/stop_the_whale_hunt/?bBYMjdb&v=25142

    Avaaz members have achieved tremendous things working together, from opposing the ivory trade to winning a ban on pesticides that were killing record numbers of bees. In 2010, Avaaz members were central to keeping the international moratorium on commercial whaling in tact — let’s stop this horrific hunt now and keep marching toward a more humane world.

    With hope,

    Oliver, Pascal, Alaphia, Emily, Alice, David, Ricken and the Avaaz team

    PS- Many Avaaz campaigns are started by members of our community. It’s easy to get started – click to start yours now and win on any issue – local, national or global: http://www.avaaz.org/en/petition/start_a_petition/?bgMYedb&v=23917

    MORE INFORMATION

    Iceland to resume disputed fin whale hunt in June (Yahoo News)
    http://uk.news.yahoo.com/iceland-resume-disputed-fin-whale-hunt-june-152645167.html#mbpipwP

    Ceaseless Pressure on Whales (NYT)
    http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/11/opinion/ceaseless-pressure-on-whales.html?emc=eta1&_r=1&

    Iceland readying for fin whale hunt (The Daily Telegraph)
    http://www.news.com.au/world-news/iceland-readying-for-fin-whale-hunt/story-fndir2ev-1226635346527

    For Iceland’s whale king it’s “just another fish” (AFP)
    http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5h0e9RgyRi4AF-PqyF7nLp4ufPW1w

    Iceland’s creation of an endangered species trade (Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society)
    http://www.wdcs-de.org/docs/WDCS_EIA_Iceland_Whaling_report.pdf

    Support the Avaaz Community!
    We’re entirely funded by donations and receive no money from governments or corporations. Our dedicated team ensures even the smallest contributions go a long way. Donate to Avaaz


    Avaaz.org is a 21-million-person global campaign network     that works to ensure that the views and values of the world’s people shape global decision-making. (“Avaaz” means “voice” or “song” in many languages.) Avaaz members live in every nation of the world; our team is spread across 18 countries on 6 continents and operates in 17 languages. Learn about some of Avaaz’s biggest campaigns here, or follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

    You are getting this message because you signed “Join Avaaz!” on 2012-06-22 using the email address ngarthurslea@yahoo.com.au.
    To ensure that Avaaz messages reach your inbox, please add avaaz@avaaz.org to your address book. To change your email address, language settings, or other personal information, contact us, or simply go here to unsubscribe.

    To contact Avaaz, please do not reply to this email. Instead, write to us at www.avaaz.org/en/contact or call us at +1-888-922-8229 (US).

  • Almost 100% New Electricity To Be From Solar In California In 2nd Half Of 2013
    Almost 100% New Electricity To Be From Solar In California In 2nd Half Of 2013

    Posted: 25 May 2013 08:04 AM PDT

    Reposting this big news from Solar Love:

    Herman Trabish of Greentech Media has happened across a pretty interesting find — 97% of new electricity generation capacity in line to be added to the California grid in the second half (2H) of 2012 is from solar power projects.

    This is according to the California Independent System Operator (the ISO), as published in the 2012 Annual Report on Market Issues and Performance. In total, 1,633 megawatts of generation capacity are in line to be added to the grid in 2H 2013. A whopping 1,581 megawatts (MW) are from solar projects. 52 MW are from biomass projects.

    That’s a big shift from the first half of the year (and, well, all of previous history). Herman writes: “By the end of the first half of the year, the ISO will have added 3,391 megawatts of nameplate capacity, of which 2,296 megawatts will be natural gas, 565 megawatts will be wind and 530 megawatts will be solar.” Here’s a chart for a visual display of these points and the situation in 2012:

    Image Credit: California ISO

    Image Credit: California ISO

    Herman spent a lot of time discussing various factors related to natural gas in his post (I’d recommend checking it out). A few key points I’d pull out of it are as follows (images added):

    new natural gas california

    estimated revenue natural gas

    natural gas california

    1. Natural gas prices seem to have gotten too low to warrant investment in new natural gas projects. From the report: “The 2012 net revenue estimates for hypothetical combined-cycle and combustion-turbine units continued to fall substantially below the estimates of the annualized fixed costs for these technologies. For a new combined-cycle unit, net operating revenues earned from the markets in 2012 are estimated to be about $38 per kilowatt-year in Southern California, compared to potential annualized fixed costs of $176 per kilowatt-year.” (See 3 charts above.)
    2. More periods like 2H 2013 to come — this is the future. V. John White, executive director of the Center for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Technologies (CEERT), stated: “This is the shape of things to come.” Naturally, with solar hitting grid parity in parts of California, and combined with renewable energy targets, solar is set to keep growing at a fast clip.
    3. Clearly, there needs to be a little more balance than in 2H 2013. Technically, that could be achieved with a broad mix of renewables, demand response solutions, energy efficiency, energy storage, and/or natural gas technologies of the right kind. “What we want is a diverse renewables portfolio that includes solar PV, wind, geothermal and CSP with storage,” White said. “As time goes on, we need to smooth this out and include demand response, energy efficiency, storage, and even out-of-state resources.”
    4. Old natural gas technology not a good fit. Older/conventional natural gas plants take about 90 minutes to ramp up, which is not a good match for renewables. Furthermore, to warrant their cost, they have to run at 40% capacity, but they can’t compete with renewables on a merit order system. And as solar cuts off peak demand and cuts into peak pricing, the situation will get even more difficult.

    I think the overall trend is pretty clear. Solar power is growing fast, and it will continue growing at a strong pace. Beyond that, the specifics of California’s future grid are not entirely clear.

    Solar still needs a lot of support to reach its potential, especially rooftop solar. And making sure that what fills in around solar as it grows is also clean and renewable is a complementary challenge on which we need to put a strong focus.

    The whole California ISO report looks like it’s worth a read, but at 231 pages, it could take several hours (or even days) to go through it all. For now, here are a handful of interesting charts and graphs I’ve pulled out of it:

    utility demand response programs california

    demand response programs by hourdemand response programs by monthcalifornia electricity generation

    california electricity sources

    renewable energy generation california

    renewable energy split california

    hydropower california

    Thoughts?

    Almost 100% New Electricity To Be From Solar In California In 2nd Half Of 2013 was originally posted on: PlanetSave. To read more from Planetsave, join thousands of others and subscribe to our free RSS feed, follow us on Facebook (also free), follow us on Twitter, or just visit our homepage.
    Bicycling Cat — MJ (VIDEOS)

    Posted: 25 May 2013 04:07 AM PDT

    Here’s some weekend fun for you, reposted from bike-loving site Bikocity:

    As you’ll see in the videos below, MJ the cat is now a famous Philadelphia cat thanks to his bike courier owner Rudi Saldia. Rudi gave the 1-year-old cat a ride up and down the street, which MJ seemed to like. So they went further and further. Being his only time outside (plus, you know, the wonders of biking), MJ apparently loves the rides. In some of the clips in the videos below, you can see MJ nuzzle up to Rudi and lick him repeatedly… presumably as a big thanks.

    Rudi, who says he first filmed the rides in order to prove to his mom that the cat really rode the bike with him, has gotten a bit out of it as well. Aside from over 1 million views on YouTube, he (and MJ) landed in a TV commercial for GoPro cameras, the company from which Rudi got the helmet cam that films all the magic.

    Anyway, enough rambling, here are four videos from Rudi, one from the Associated Press, and one from GoPro cameras:

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Bicycling Cat — MJ (VIDEOS) was originally posted on: PlanetSave. To read more from Planetsave, join thousands of others and subscribe to our free RSS feed, follow us on Facebook (also free), follow us on Twitter, or just visit our homepage.
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  • Sir David warns against growth

    Sir David warns against growth

    Date
    May 26, 2013
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    In conversation with Sir David Attenborough

    Sir David Attenborough shares his thoughts on Australia, population growth and the state of the natural world ahead of his national tour in June.

    Video will begin in 1 seconds.

    One of the world’s leading naturalists, Sir David Attenborough, has cautioned Australia against pursuing further population growth, labelling an unlimited expansion a kind of madness.

    Speaking to Fairfax Media ahead of a national tour of Australia in June, Attenborough questioned why the country still debated whether it needed to grow its population.

    ”Why would you want to do that? I don’t understand that,” he said ”The notion that you could continue to expand and increase and grow in an infinite way on a planet which is finite, is a kind of lunacy. You can see how mad that is by the expression that you can’t believe that you can grow infinitely in a finite place – unless of course you’re an economist.”

    Illustration: Matt Golding.Illustration: Matt Golding.

    The Australian Bureau of Statistics estimates Australia’s population will grow to between 30.9 million and 42.5 million people by 2056.

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    The first Sustainable Australia report released earlier this month said the nation’s population was growing at 1.7 per cent, one of the fastest in the developed world, but still well behind the more than four per cent growth rates of many African nations. The report lists environmental degradation as one of the bigger challenges facing development of regional parts of the country.

    In 2009, former prime minister Kevin Rudd sparked a national debate about population growth when he stated his belief in a ”big Australia”.

    Sir David Attenborough.Sir David Attenborough. Photo: Corbis

    Since then the government’s stance on population growth has cooled significantly, with Prime Minister Julia Gillard rejecting that notion and calling instead for sustainable growth.

    In 2011, federal Environment Minister Tony Burke released a population strategy that was criticised for not setting a population target, instead focussing on a more nuanced approach to growth in regions needing skilled workers.

    ”If we are to adapt to change and build sustainable communities, we need to integrate environmental, social and economic factors to provide current and future generations with the opportunity to lead healthy and fulfilling lives,” Mr Burke said.

    Attenborough said his tour next month was to discuss highlights of his six decades of nature filmmaking, not to speak out on environmental issues. But he felt his global audience did place responsibilities on him.

    ”I’m not on a proselytising tour. On occasions I speak on these issues where it’s appropriate and where the subject has come up,” he said.

    Attenborough said while he did not believe bureaucrats and governments should meddle in a family’s right to have children, had China not introduced its one-child policy in 1979 the consequences for the planet would have been catastrophic.

    ”One thing you can say is that in places where women are in charge of their bodies, where they have the vote, where they are allowed to dictate what they do and what they want, whether it’s proper medical facilities for birth control, the birth rate falls,” he said.

    Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/environment/sir-david-warns-against-growth-20130525-2n3z7.html#ixzz2UMapqDk7