Putting Australia’s wildfires in context:
2019 in the Amazon: 900,000 hectares
2018 in California: 1,800,000 hectares
Since July in New South Wales: 4,000,000 hectares
Australian PM Jeered visiting Fire Area
Month: January 2020
Worst Sequel Ever? “Iraq 2: The Reckoning”
We’ve got a planet to save and these idiots want to start a diversionary war.
Only positive note today is that even Trump supporters are sharply divided on this one.
On Climate Crisis, Putin Straddles Science, Denial
The leader of the Republican Party weighs in on climate change.
Will Tesla’s New Battery Fix the Climate Crisis?
Going to Bat for Bats
If we’re going to deploy renewable energy systems, we need to learn from the mistakes of the past and be pro-active about emerging issues.
One such issue is the impact of wind energy on bats.
It’s not the Armageddon anti-winders would have you believe – but it is real, and combined with other, greater threats, like loss of habitat, pesticides, and emerging diseases, it’s a challenge for conservationists.
Fortunately, there is a powerful motivation on the part of researchers and wind developers to find solutions, and results are extremely promising.
Hinesburg, VT, USA – A trial of NRG Systems’ Bat Deterrent System at the Pilot Hill Wind Project in Illinois yielded an overall reduction in bat fatalities of 67 percent, and greater reductions with species commonly affected by wind projects. The results of the trial were announced on March 27, 2019, by EDF Renewables, the developer/owner of the Pilot Hill Wind Project, at the AWEA Wind Project Siting and Environmental Compliance Seminar in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Located in Kankakee and Iroquois counties, the 175MW Pilot Hill Wind Project was made possible by a 20-year power purchase agreement with Microsoft Corporation and has been in commercial operation since 2015.
Testing of NRG’s ultrasonic acoustic Bat Deterrent System was conducted at Pilot Hill between August and October of 2018. Fifteen out of the facility’s 103 turbines were outfitted with Bat Deterrent Systems. A 5.0 m/second cut-in speed curtailment was simultaneously applied at the deterrent-equipped turbines. Michael Azeka, Director, Environmental Strategy at EDF Renewables, said, “Our goal with this trial was to gauge the efficacy of combining curtailment with NRG’s Bat Deterrent System to reduce bat mortality at wind turbines. The results of this trial are very encouraging and suggest that this approach to minimizing bat impacts is a compelling one for the wind industry.” There are several bat species present at Pilot Hill, including multiple migratory tree species. The testing revealed a significant reduction of 72% with Silver-haired Bats, 71% with Hoary Bats, and 94% with Big Brown Bats. Eastern Red Bats proved harder to deter, with 58% reduction in mortality for the two treatments together.
At the moment, raising cut-in wind speed is the most widely used method for reducing bat mortality at wind turbines. While effective, many wind plants in North America experience a significant loss of energy production when this curtailment is implemented. Brogan Morton, Senior Product Manager at NRG Systems, said, “The Pilot Hill trial is especially encouraging because it suggests that we can minimize bat impacts while increasing the amount of energy produced at wind plants struggling with this crucial issue. This is a win for all parties involved, including developers, conservationists, and, most importantly, the planet.”
The Pilot Hill trial was preceded by a two-year study at the Los Vientos Wind Energy Facility in Texas, which saw an overall reduction in bat fatalities of 54 percent. NRG’s Bat Deterrent System is currently available in North America. The company plans to hold trials of the technology in Europe in 2019.
A solution to protect Hoary bats is welcome, because the species is vulnerable at wind development sites. New study below.
Continue reading “Going to Bat for Bats”Reuters: Denmark Rapidly Ramping Renewables
Reaches new record.
COPENHAGEN (Reuters) – Denmark sourced almost half its electricity consumption from wind power last year, a new record boosted by steep cost reductions and improved offshore technology.
Wind accounted for 47% of Denmark’s power usage in 2019, the country’s grid operator Energinet said on Thursday citing preliminary data, up from 41% in 2018 and topping the previous record of 43% in 2017.
European countries are global leaders in utilising wind power but Denmark is far in front of nearest rival Ireland, which sourced 28% of its power from wind in 2018 according to data from industry group WindEurope.
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The International Energy Agency (IEA) said in October that while power generated from wind turbines at sea only accounts for 0.3% of today’s global electricity generation, capacity is set to increase 15-fold over the next two decades.
Denmark aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 70% by 2030, with a new climate law passed late last year targeting an increase in the share of electricity sourced from renewable power to 100%.
Denmark, home to wind turbine giant Vestas and the world’s largest developer of offshore wind Orsted, has favourable wind conditions and began investing heavily in wind power in the 1970s.
Kevin Trenberth on Why Climate Change Makes Things Catch Fire
Just before Australia started to burn, I talked to Kevin Trenberth of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR).
Turns out, when things are hot and dry, they catch fire more easily.
Science.
SYDNEY, Australia — As the fire stalked the east coast of Australia on Tuesday, the daytime sky turned inky black, then blood red. Emergency sirens wailed, followed by the thunder of gas explosions. Thousands of residents fled their homes and huddled near the shore. There was nowhere else to go.
Apocalyptic scenes like these in Mallacoota, a vacation destination between Sydney and Melbourne, came on the last day of the warmest decade on record in Australia.
The country is in the grip of a devastating fire season, with months of summer still to go, as record-breaking temperatures, strong winds and prolonged drought have ignited huge blazes across the country. The government prepared to deploy navy vessels and military helicopters to help fight the fires and evacuate people.
The devastation is immense. In the state of New South Wales, which includes Sydney, more than 900 homes have been destroyed and nine million acres have burned since November. Almost 100 fires were still raging in the state on Tuesday, with about three dozen more across the border in Victoria.
At least 15 people have died, with eight deaths confirmed on Monday and Tuesday.
Australia is normally hot and dry in summer, but climate change, which brings more frequent and longer periods of extreme heat, worsens these conditions and makes vegetation drier and more likely to burn. The country recently concluded its driest spring on record. That was followed in mid-December by the hottest day on record, with average highs across the country of 41.9 degrees Celsius (107.4 degrees Fahrenheit).
Nuclear as a Climate Solution – Trying the Soft Sell
Jigar Shah and Katherine Hamilton are experts usually associated with renewable energy. Shah is founder of Sun Edison, Hamilton is Chair at 38 North Solutions, LLC, which is focused on clean energy and innovation public policy.
Shah and Hamilton co-host a podcast, “The Energy Gang”. I’ve met Shah, who is both scary smart and, he says “crazy optimistic” about climate solutions, which he calls, “..the greatest wealth creation opportunity of our lifetime.”
The Nuclear Energy Institute has some video conversations with both, in a soft sell discussion of new nuclear options. Over avocado toast, at a chic bistro, the host poses the question, “how do you get Goldman Sachs interested in nuclear?”, and “Where do you go to find good vegetarian food in the city?”
Dealing with the Firehose of Falsehoods
As Trump’s Neo-Nazi hireling Steve Bannon said, “…the press is easy to deal with, you just flood the zone with shit.”
NBC’s Meet the Press has too often been a vector for that shit, and it might be that Chuck Todd is feeling the heat of criticisms. He spent his whole program examining Russian techniques of disinformation.
This has bearing on our topic of course, because so much pioneering research on disinformation, misinformation, and political lies has been in the service of the fossil fuel industry.
Below, Martin Baron, Executive Editor of The Washington Post, and Dean Baquet, Executive Editor of The New York Times.
Continue reading “Dealing with the Firehose of Falsehoods”