For the time being, we're a long way away from that yet...

With the time it takes to do major infrastructure changes the the time between now and when Boris has said we will all go electric is not long.

In fact it is very short...

... for the electricity distribution companies to install two charge points for every ten houses.

That's the easy part. Connecting them to the grid so all of them can be in use at once is the tricky part. Every power cable ... Every transformer in the country ... Every bank of reactance capacitors ... Doing anything more that a cosmetic political feel good stunt is a project akin to taking a civilian economy and transforming it into a wartime economy.

Agreed, except it is quite that bad...

There is already new infrastructure being put in place in anticipation of requiring a more distributed/localized system for power capacity. We have a large number of newly installed local generation plant that are a few 10's of MWatt, remotely controlled, for very short peak power smoothing. It's not much of a stretch to also add power storage to those sites.

Note that we have an interconnected grid supply system. New capacity is merely a case of incrementally adding additional capacity as needed with new additional equipment. The existing infrastructure remains in place or is repurposed to supply a smaller distribution area to stay within capacity.


So, yes, we'll need some upgrades. The question there is who pays and how, and who grabs the profits from the improvements...


All on our only one planet,
Martin

---

See new freedom: Mageia Linux
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We do at least seem to be getting towards good clean power systems

... Turbine Floor to Top of Boilers and All About dA Pipe Racks. Clean and Fresh Baby!...

... Yep

Yes indeed, a well run power plant is beautifully clean in the control room and the engineering hall. Very good for the equipment and for maintenance to have everything clean.

The problem is with what is spewed out of the smoke stack into the sky... And on an unimaginable industrial sky-high scale that is just unimaginable.

There are better ways to generate power without burning our planet.


All on our only one planet,
Martin

---

See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

There are better ways to generate power without burning our planet.

This one has been long awaited for making a big positive splash:


World's most powerful tidal turbine : Launched April 2021
wrote:

... a jumbo jet sized floating platform supporting two large turbines has been launched off the coast of Scotland, providing new hope for a potentially influential industry...

Note especially:

Mark
wrote:

The beauty of this in GB, is that the time of slack water moves around the coast with the tide, so with multiple units, there is no time when there is zero production.

Way to go!

Sooner rather than too late?


All on our only one planet,
Martin

---

See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

The beauty of this in GB, is that the time of slack water moves around the coast with the tide, so with multiple units, there is no time when there is zero production.

Ah yes, brand new fat power cables all over to move this power around.

The beauty of this in GB, is that the time of slack water moves around the coast with the tide, so with multiple units, there is no time when there is zero production.

Ah yes, brand new fat power cables all over to move this power around.

Or do we really need any power cables at all?


The Australian inventions that could change the world.

Until now, the storage of power generated by rooftop solar has been provided by lithium batteries like Tesla’s Powerwall, but Australians have now developed an alternative that uses cutting-edge hydrogen technology instead.

Developed in partnership with the University of NSW, Sydney, the LAVO hydrogen hybrid battery can store more than 40kWh of electricity – enough to power the average Australian home for two days.

It can integrate with people’s rooftop solar systems and can last for around 30 years, which is three times longer than many lithium batteries including the Powerwall.

“It’s a great looking unit, it’s stylish and fits into a home or business quite easily,” Dr Newell said.

“Plug into your water system or solar system and get free energy for 30 years.”

The unit costs about $34,000 and is available to pre-order for delivery later this year.

[edit] I'm not so sure about the lower front edges on that electric motorbike in that link though.

Cheers.

Another bright and obvious step in a better and brighter direction:


Halogen lightbulb sales to be banned in UK under climate change plans
wrote:

Sales of halogen lightbulbs are to be banned in the UK from September, with fluorescent lights to follow, under government climate change plans.

The move will cut 1.26 million tonnes of carbon emissions a year and deliver consumers savings, officials say...

... LED lights last five times longer than traditional halogen bulbs and produce the same amount of light, but use up to 80% less power...

A good bright way to go!

All on our only one planet,
Martin

---

See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

Most of my lights are LED but they are not a satisfactory answer for everything. Places where heat comes into play such as my wall oven and the hood over my cooktop melt the plastic internals and the LED bulbs fail quite rapidly.

---

That's an understandable problem for a retro-fit for that use.

That's where new designs are needed for those high temperature uses that instead use such as light pipes so that the LEDs can be kept out of the oven/hob heat.

Easily done for newer appliances.


Meanwhile, I wonder if "cold cathode" florescents would be a good alternative retrofit for that niche...?


All on our only one planet,
Martin

---

See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

Roll up, roll up, for a bombshell story:


University of East Anglia 'Climategate' scandal to be turned into film
wrote:

The "Climategate" computer hacking scandal that rocked the scientific world is to be made into a BBC film.

Hackers stole thousands of emails and documents from the University of East Anglia's Climatic Research Unit in Norwich in 2009.

Line of Duty actor Jason Watkins is to star in The Trick playing climate change scientist Prof Philip Jones. Watkins said it was a "privilege to play the brilliant scientist..."

... He said: "It is rare that a drama marries the personal and the public in such a compelling way - the urgent need to tackle the effects of the earth's warming is not going away and the research into this project has been sobering.

"It is a privilege to play the brilliant scientist, Phil Jones, whose own private world was so threatened from outside and whose research and efforts have been so vital globally in combating the effects of climate change."...

That looks like a compelling film about intertwined compelling real world events...

Here's hoping the publicity does some good to make for some good positive progress...


All on our only one planet,
Martin

---

See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

Absolutely beautiful solution to climate change. Totally doable today!

Thanks for that.

Wow!


All on this planet???!
Martin

---

See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

Just to keep people artfully reminded:


Tankers and Transit vans sculpted into steel forests
wrote:

Artist Dan Rawlings has transformed a petrol tanker from a functional vehicle carrying fossil fuels into a work of intricate industrial beauty, with a message about the power of nature...

Beautifully done.

To what effect? A part of the art??



All on our only one planet,
Martin

---

See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

Getting Global Warming into the news and onto social media:


Climate change: Stripes campaign 'started conversations'
wrote:

A campaign to visualise climate change has "started millions of conversations", its creator has said.

Prof Ed Hawkins, of the University of Reading, came up with the "warming stripes" graphics to illustrate temperatures changing over time.

A social media campaign was supported by scientists, TV weather presenters and celebrities around the world...

Simple.

Effective.

Very real.


More needed.

Positive action needed!


All immediately on our only one planet, now,
Martin

---

See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

The UK breezes ahead with wind power:


Wind turbines: How UK wants to become 'Saudi Arabia of wind'
wrote:

... Danish renewable energy giant Orsted has installed about half of the UK's offshore wind capacity.

... watch as its thousandth UK wind turbine was erected...

At the moment, the UK electricity is powered mainly by wind, gas, and nuclear imports from France. The gas usage is further reduced by a good chunk of solar power, old UK nuclear power, and some controversial 'biomass' burning (using wood pellets from the USA transported by very dirty fossil fuels...).

A very small number of coal fired power stations are maintained as emergency capacity backup for peak usage during extreme weather (such as during winter).

Continuing, we need to speed up the roll out of tidal stream power and energy storage systems (batteries and a good healthy mix of others).


Here's hoping that the dirty old fossils don't cause too much vandalism with their lobbying to very expensively try their holy grail of "Carbon Capture Sequestration".

Why make an expensive mess with dirty old fossils to then only have to even more expensively clean it up afterwards?!


Let's go clean and healthy for everyone!

All on our only one planet,
Martin

---

See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

Where's the power generation being built to power the all electric vehicles we will be using in the next decade.

33 million cars doing 8,000 miles/year needing 4kWh/mile.
Plus the same for buses, trucks and vans.

Where's the power generation being built to power the all electric vehicles we will be using in the next decade.

33 million cars doing 8,000 miles/year needing 4kWh/mile.
Plus the same for buses, trucks and vans.

It's all in China in rare earths with the price set by the same government you are doing freedom of navigation middle fingers to.

Why do we always have to go to court to get polluters to become 'responsible' about their dirty profits?...


Climate change: Courts set for rise in compensation cases
wrote:

There's likely to be a significant increase in the number of lawsuits brought against fossil fuel companies in the coming years, say researchers.

... as evidence linking specific weather events to carbon emissions increases...

... There have been some notable successes for environmental groups, such as in a recent case against Shell decided by a civil court in the Netherlands ... The verdict also indicated that the Shell group is responsible for its own CO2 emissions and those of its suppliers...

... As this science improves, the boards of individual fossil fuel companies should be preparing for their day in court, to respond to charges that they are to blame for increased natural disasters and disruptions to the planet's climate stability.

"And as this trend continues, we will also need to see courtrooms keep pace with the work of attribution scientists, so that their judgements are in line with the latest scientific evidence."...

... The researchers point to the example of the link between smoking and lung cancer. The solid, scientific evidence was eventually accepted by the courts and the tobacco industry paid huge amounts in compensation as a result.

Oil, gas and coal producers are aware of these legal moves to use the most advanced science to prove responsibility - they are likely to do everything in their power to resist them...

Have the dirty old fossil fuels finally been smoked out?


All on our only one planet,
Martin

---

See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

Sounds like the gun makers and responsibility. They make guns but don't discharge them.
Oil companies pump oil but don't burn it.

Want to bet it will be decades of litigation and lots of NRA decided cases cited before a fossil fuel company pays a dime.

An Aussie experiment from out of the left field.
BBC - Climate change: The craft brewery using algae to cut emissions