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Dealing with Climate Change & Justice

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  • Started 2 years ago by chdot
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  1. steveo
    Member

    I've been out of the energy loop for years now but a decade ago most biofuel plants were looking to use the inedible parts of the harvest, stalks, husks etc rather than wasting food. There really must be a hundred better ways to make bio gas than specifically growing, fertilising and driving huge quantities of grass seed around, methane is the waste product of almost every biological reaction. At least bio ethanol has the dubious excuse of needing a good quality input to produce a specific quality output.

    Posted 2 years ago #
  2. chdot
    Admin

    From next year, about 300 homes in Buckhaven, and Methil, in the area of Levenmouth, will be powered by green hydrogen gas in a project called H100. Customers will be offered free hydrogen-ready boilers and cookers in the scheme, which will initially last five and a half years.

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-60241966

    Posted 2 years ago #
  3. chdot
    Admin

    The war in Ukraine has forced a rethink of where we get our energy from as Europe tries to wean itself off Russian gas. But could super-sized heat pumps help to heat thousands of homes and businesses? Two huge schemes are about to be switched on in Gateshead and London - and the hope is they could provide a greener and cheaper source of warmth.

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-60772187.amp

    Posted 2 years ago #
  4. LaidBack
    Member

    From National. Tories managed to have their Scottish & Anglo conferences overlapping it seems. Non elected Alister Jack boasts how fortunate we are to have our resources managed elsewhere...

    The Scottish Secretary also told attendees that the case for drilling in the North Sea had been strong before the invasion of Ukraine, but that Vladimir Putin’s aggression had now made it “unanswerable”.

    He said that opposition at Holyrood to further drilling was the “price of Nicola Sturgeon going into power with the Greens”.

    “It is astonishing that we have a Scottish Government that is opposed to developing our oil and gas resources,” he said.

    However, Jack said that “fortunately” oil and gas is reserved to Westminster, so the Scottish Government will not be able to prevent the Tories giving the green light to further exploration in Scottish seas.

    In 2014 'our' oil & has was about to run out?

    Posted 2 years ago #
  5. chdot
    Admin

  6. chdot
    Admin

    That means increasing and sustaining the reduction in our consumption of Russian oil and gas. If we do not wish merely to switch our support for one kleptocracy to others, we must replace this energy supply with something other than the fossil fuels that are the lifeblood of kleptocrats everywhere. As for the second pipeline, our noisy declarations that we are turning it off – that, as Boris Johnson put it, “there is no place for dirty money in the UK” – are laughable.

    https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/20/solve-problem-like-putin-writers-russia-ukraine-oliver-bullough-peter-pomerantsev

    Posted 2 years ago #
  7. chdot
    Admin

    A GAS generating firm has donated £200,000 to both Scottish Labour and the Scottish Lib Dems to oppose the SNP at Holyrood.

    Peak Scientific handed over the six figure sums to help the parties present their alternative visions to voters.

    https://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/20009691.gas-firm-gives-scottish-labour-lib-dems-200k-oppose-snp/?ref=ar

    Posted 2 years ago #
  8. chdot
    Admin

    Here's a model of @RollsRoyceUK’s Small Modular Reactor, which the government's Advanced Nuclear Fund is investing in, as a cost-effective source of clean energy.

    These are smaller than traditional nuclear power plants and have the potential to be less expensive to build.

    https://twitter.com/10DowningStreet/status/1506011563618013184

    Posted 2 years ago #
  9. chdot
    Admin

  10. neddie
    Member

    These are smaller than traditional nuclear power plants and have the potential to be less expensive to build

    Nah. The whole reason reactors were built big was to achieve economies of scale. SMRs are a complete red herring for those that favour mega projects, mega subsidies and jobs for the boys. Nuclear is a dead duck

    Posted 2 years ago #
  11. chdot
    Admin

    “Nuclear is a dead duck“

    Clearly not.

    Unfortunately.

    *Assuming* there were ‘no problems’ about nuclear waste, the economics have never stacked up, PLUS the whole (unpredictable) timescale before any more come online.

    Apart from vested interests (mostly commercial, but also political) the ‘but the wind doesn’t always blow and the sun don’t shine all the time, so, renewables will NEVER be enough’ narrative is toxic.

    Insulating the housing stock is presumably socialist subsidy.

    ‘Warm houses/people may save the NHS money, but people shouldn’t waste their money so they don’t have enough to pay the rent and energy bills (with perhaps a bit left over for food)’…

    Do wave, tidal and carbon capture have ANY future in the ‘energy mix’?

    Posted 2 years ago #
  12. neddie
    Member

    Maybe this thread should be pinned to the top instead of the other "Climate Crisis" one that seems a bit dead?

    Duplication leads to confusion...

    Posted 2 years ago #
  13. chdot
    Admin

    This is supposed to be pinned, but it’s not working.

    I’ll undo other.

    Posted 2 years ago #
  14. chdot
    Admin

  15. chdot
    Admin

    The green policies left out of Rishi Sunak’s spring statement

    Five policies the chancellor could have introduced to make his package of measures more environmentally friendly

    Infrastructure programmes
    From creating new cycle routes and electric vehicle-charging networks in towns and cities, to tree-planting and building flood defences in rural areas, there are dozens of ways in which new infrastructure is needed to help the UK cut greenhouse gas emissions, and adapt to the impact of the climate crisis. Investment in this infrastructure would not only cut emissions but improve people’s health and wellbeing, and could create tens of thousands of new “shovel-ready” green jobs around the UK.

    https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/mar/23/the-green-policies-left-out-of-rishi-sunaks-spring-statement

    Posted 2 years ago #
  16. chdot
    Admin

    Boris Johnson is expected to open the door to more onshore wind at next week’s energy strategy, despite some cabinet ministers lobbying against relaxing planning laws to allow more turbines.

    The cabinet is split over whether to aim for more onshore wind projects, which can often get into lengthy planning battles, after officials drew up plans for a target of 30GW by 2030.

    https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/mar/23/johnson-to-defy-cabinet-fears-and-push-for-onshore-wind-expansion

    Posted 2 years ago #
  17. Frenchy
    Member

    This is supposed to be pinned, but it’s not working.

    Appears to be pinned in its sub-forum, but not on the front page - might need to be done separately?

    Posted 2 years ago #
  18. chdot
    Admin

  19. chdot
    Admin

    Yet in the face of this huge existential crisis, what we get, from sizeable sections of our political, business and media establishment, is a desperate and indeed contemptible effort to defend the status quo; a parade of ageing, well-paid, hollow men, with dead eyes and evasive voices, who say that they accept the need for action on climate change, but then line up to argue that in the wake of the Ukraine crisis, we should instead enhance our “energy security” (a laughable phrase, under the circumstances) by opening up new oil and gas fields, including the controversial Cambo field north-west of Scotland, and reversing decisions across the UK not to develop a fracking industry.

    https://www.scotsman.com/news/opinion/columnists/ukraine-russia-war-covid-pandemic-and-brexit-disaster-capitalists-have-exploited-them-all-to-enrich-themselves-and-wreck-the-planet-joyce-mcmillan-3626211

    Posted 2 years ago #
  20. chdot
    Admin

    Nasa scientist says complete collapse of ice shelf as big as Rome during unusually high temperatures is ‘sign of what might be coming’

    https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/25/satellite-data-shows-entire-conger-ice-shelf-has-collapsed-in-antarctica

    Posted 2 years ago #
  21. chdot
    Admin

  22. chdot
    Admin

    The economic case for Blue H2 is vanishing fast given the gas price, Green H2 is needed for industry but heating is such a low grade use of it

    Gas lobby enlists academics to hone hydrogen PR before Fife trial

    https://theferret.scot/gas-lobby-enlists-academics-to-hone-hydrogen-pr/


    https://twitter.com/markruskell/status/1507322876415774723

    From Ferret link -

    Some environmental groups are critical of hydrogen, and told The Ferret it is an “expensive and unnecessary” way of decarbonising heating. They argue the gas industry is backing hydrogen because its production allows the continued extraction of fossil fuels.

    Academics at other universities said it was “unfortunate” that so much funding was going into hydrogen research when other technologies could decarbonise heating far more efficiently.

    ….

    Green hydrogen is also under increasing scrutiny, with opponents arguing that electricity produced by renewable sources should be used to heat homes directly – using air source and ground source heat pumps – rather than by converting electricity to hydrogen.

    Dr David Toke, who teaches energy politics at the University of Aberdeen, pointed out that other technologies which could decarbonise heating, such as heat pumps, “were at least four times more energy efficient compared with hydrogen”.

    Posted 2 years ago #
  23. jdanielp
    Member

    A friend has co-organised the following talk in case anyone is interested in attending. I would be there but finally fell foul of the virus so will be isolating.

    Speaker: Tim Hewlett: co-founder of Scientist Rebellion

    Title: From Publications to Public Actions: What is the role of universities in the Climate and Ecological Emergency?

    Abstract: Recent years have seen increasing engagement of academics in grassroots civil disobedience movements addressing the climate and ecological emergency, and growing calls for further academic activism. In this talk, members of Scientist Rebellion outline the urgency of the climate crisis, highlight the power of civil resistance to catalyse rapid social change, and discuss the role of academic activism using a case study of past and future Scientist Rebellion actions. The talk will be followed by small group discussions in which you can discuss academic involvement in activism in greater detail and explore how to get involved.

    30th March 2022, 4.00-5.30 pm
    University of Edinburgh, Appleton Tower 2:12

    Everyone welcome, no ticket required.

    The Global Scientist Rebellion: scientistrebellion.com

    Posted 2 years ago #
  24. chdot
    Admin

  25. chdot
    Admin

  26. chdot
    Admin

    A FRONTBENCH Tory MSP has been accused of being “deeply disrespectful” to communities in the north east of Scotland after incorrectly claiming that a controversial North Sea oil project has been factored into net zero plans by statutory advisers.

    https://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/20036422.tory-msp-criticised-incorrect-claim-cambo-oil-field-part-net-zero-plans/

    Posted 2 years ago #
  27. chdot
    Admin

    'Lego-style' nuclear plants could start powering British homes by 2025, according to plans being considered by Ministers to tackle the energy crisis.

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10680277/Next-blocks-Lego-style-nuclear-plant-module.html

    Don’t think “could” is slightly credible!

    Posted 2 years ago #
  28. chdot
    Admin

    UN scientists have worked through the weekend to complete a key report on how to restrict the greenhouse gases that are warming the planet.

    Members of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change are likely to advise a rapid shift from fossil fuels over the next 8 years.

    They will also suggest the widespread use of carbon removal technology to limit dangerous warming.

    But disputes over the exact wording of the document have delayed agreement.

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-60959306.amp

    Posted 2 years ago #
  29. chdot
    Admin

    “The #IPCC tells us we have the knowledge and technology to address #climatechange.” - ⁦‪@UNEP‬⁩’s ⁦‪@andersen_inger‬⁩ on the release of #IPCC’s #ClimateReport on the mitigation of #climatechange.

    http://bit.ly/WGIIIpr22

    http://bit.ly/WGIIIRpt

    http://pic.twitter.com/HElGaA9Cgn

    04/04/2022, 4:33 pm

    Posted 2 years ago #
  30. chdot
    Admin

    Greenhouse gas emissions must peak by 2025, say climate scientists in what is in effect their final warning

    The world can still hope to stave off the worst ravages of climate breakdown but only through a “now or never” dash to a low-carbon economy and society, scientists have said in what is in effect a final warning for governments on the climate.

    https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/apr/04/ipcc-report-now-or-never-if-world-stave-off-climate-disaster

    Posted 2 years ago #

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