Is this really a "clash"? Or just a change of ways?


India's solar-powered future clashes with local life
wrote:

"Bhadla is almost unliveable," says Keshav Prasad, the chief executive Saurya Urja, a renewable energy company.

He is talking about part of the Thar desert located in Rajasthan in the northwest of India. Temperatures there can top 50C and frequent sandstorms add to the inhospitable conditions.

But what makes Bhadla an unforgiving place to live also makes it an ideal place to generate solar power...

... Soaking up the sunshine are 10 million solar panels with the capacity to generate 2,245MW, enough to power 4.5 million households...

... The plant, which was completed in 2018, has brought investment and opportunities to one of India's most remote regions.

"Most of the boys in my village did not study much. They were not ambitious, as our life was limited to the village, and our parents are farmers or into breeding cattle. But since the construction of the park, I realised the world is much bigger than my village," says 18-year-old Mukhtiyar Ali. "Because of Bhadla Park many engineers, officers and educated people visit our villages, which has changed my perspective towards life. "I want to be an officer [in the solar park] who has authority, respect, someone who can bring change in other people's lives," he says.

But not everyone is thrilled about the giant solar park that has been built on their doorstep...

... "Most of our livelihood was cattle rearing," says Sadar Khan, the head of Bhadla village. "Because all the government lands have been taken back, we don't have enough land for cattle grazing. We are left with few animals," he says.

He accepts that jobs have been created by the park, but says many of those jobs do not pay enough to survive on. "There are not many solar jobs for locals except labourers, as most of us are uneducated."...

... If India were to put in place a target to be net-zero emissions by the middle of this century, then it would have to cover between 1.7% and 2.5% of the country's total land mass with solar panels...

... "By 2030 farmers will be under severe pressure to part with their lands. This is going to be especially problematic for small and marginal farmers, who form a majority of the farming community."...

... back in Bhadla, Mr Prasad, the man in charge of Rajasthan's renewable energy projects insists the giant solar plant there has been good for the local community. "There are around 60 villages around the solar park that have benefited - jobs have been created, schools have been constructed. "There were no medical facilities but now mobile medical vans visit villages, so this is not all about green energy - it's also the progress of the people."

How does that compare to the pollution and desolation from dirty old coal?...

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)

Not only coal, but the dung, wet wood, "elephant grass", bodies (human and otherwise).
By all accounts when the colder weather starts in the hill country views across valleys are obscured by smoke from all the open fires.

---

Bob Smith
Member of Seti PIPPS (Pluto is a Planet Protest Society)
Somewhere in the (un)known Universe?

And the people want more of them and less of the greedy B.S..

Solar energy passed its hurricane test. Now come the lobbying fights.

Solar power withstood the hurricanes that struck Puerto Rico and Florida last month — a fact that could aid the technology’s supporters in lobbying battles around the country.

Hurricanes Fiona and Ian caused catastrophic flooding, knocked out power lines and washed away roads and bridges. But people who could afford solar panels and batteries say those systems kept the lights on during the storms, and even allowed them to share electricity with neighbors left in the dark.

Now, that performance during natural disasters offers ammunition to the solar industry in its lobbying fights with lawmakers, regulators and traditional power companies as renewable energy seeks to accelerate its growing role in the U.S. electricity supply. Such fights have held up solar’s expansion in jurisdictions across the U.S., including in Puerto Rico and Florida.

“I wish we never had to have this proof point,” said Abigail Ross Hopper, CEO of the Solar Energy Industries Association. But she said the hurricanes have shown that renewables paired with battery storage are a reliable form of energy.

It “is not just a theory, but it actually is providing power to people in otherwise darkened areas,” Hopper added.....

For the turn of a good breeze:


Can floating turbines harvest the world's wind?
wrote:

Ten miles off the coast of Aberdeen in Scotland, five turbines tower over the North Sea...

... In much of the world, the seabed takes a sudden dive close offshore, ruling out the use of conventional offshore wind turbines. These are built up from the sea floor on concrete foundations and can only be deployed in relatively shallow water, up to about 60m. The solution sounds obvious - installing turbines on floating platforms...

... Last month the US government offered $50m of new funding to encourage American companies to install 15GW of floating wind in US waters by 2035. The aim is to drive down costs by 75% and "help the US lead on offshore wind", according to the White House.

There is certainly a huge potential market.

The UK's independent climate advisors, the Climate Change Committee (CCC), says that about half of the 100GW of offshore wind it expects will have been installed by 2050 will be on floating platforms. The technology could deliver £43bn of economic activity, employing up to 29,000 people ... And the global prospects are even more promising...

... Solar panel prices have fallen by 90% since 2010 as the technology has been rolled out at scale. Conventional offshore wind has also seen dramatic cost reductions...

... "It is incredibly exciting because it signifies the opening up of offshore wind to the entire globe,"...

Switching to renewable energy could save trillions...
wrote:

Switching from fossil fuels to renewable energy could save the world as much as $12tn (£10.2tn) by 2050...

... Wind and solar are already the cheapest option for new power projects...

Scotland generates record amount of renewable electricity
wrote:

Windier weather and new capacity has helped Scotland generate a record amount of renewable electricity...

... Renewable energy capacity increased by 10.5% from June 2021 to 13.3 GW in the same month of this year, largely due to new wind farms becoming operational, particularly the Moray East project.

An additional 16 GW of renewable electricity capacity is currently in the pipeline, more than half of it onshore wind projects...

... "With sky high fossil fuel prices causing a cost-of-living crisis, renewable electricity is helping to lower energy bills and cut carbon pollution.

"The challenge ahead is converting as much of our heating and transport to run on clean, home-grown renewables to protect us against volatile prices and climate change."...

... "Renewable electricity generation makes up the vast majority of Scotland's gross electricity consumption and in the last decade, we have more than tripled our renewable electricity output."

Mr Sharpe added the sector now employed more than 27,000 people and generated £5.6bn of output.

Way to go! Cleanly, clearly, profitably!

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)

Many years ahead of its time and still going strong. There are big advantages to being totally renewably off-grid:


The Highland haven insulated from rising energy prices
wrote:

... Knoydart is one of the most rugged and remote parts of the British Isles, accessible only by boat or via a two-day hike through glacier-sculpted glens and mountains...

... the 120 inhabitants of Knoydart have one huge advantage over the rest of the country - a body of water nestled out of sight high above the village of Inverie.

It is called Loch Bhraomisaig and from here water gushes at 129 litres per second down a big pipe to a turbine which powers a post office, primary school, private homes and more...

I've been there and it is a beautiful place with beautiful people.

Way to go!


Enjoy 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)

We're coming along in leaps and bounds now here down under.

Renewable energy records tumble around the country as rooftop solar power soars.

In 5yrs time when my 13KW solar system is paid off it'll be time for me to get a battery setup added onto it.

Cheers.

Good way to go!

Note also:

The rise of solar power is jeopardising the WA energy grid...
wrote:

... Solar smashes power utility Synergy's finances...

... Synergy chief executive Jason Waters noted the bottom-line result was dragged lower by writedowns in the value of Synergy's fossil fuel-fired power plants — revaluations caused in large part by the solar-led changes in the market...

... Mr McHugh agreed there was "a sense of urgency" about the need to bring in changes to the market.

He also agreed batteries would be vital to the evolution of the grid by acting as a shock absorber that could soak up excess renewable energy at times of low demand and give it back when demand was high...

There are good practical technical solutions already long available.

However, can the Market and regulations be modernized to the new landscape without the dirty old fossil fuels people blowing a fuse?


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)

Australia's largest gas and power company (and 1 of our largest polluters) gets told to "green up" as AGL shareholders overrule board to elect directors nominated by Mike Cannon-Brookes.

Is this our only hope for the Amazon?


COP27: Brazil is back on the world stage, Lula tells climate summit
wrote:

"Brazil is back on the world stage," Brazil's president-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has told cheering crowds at the COP27 climate summit in Egypt.

"The Amazon has huge meaning for the world. We have to prove that a standing tree has more value than a fallen one," he said.

He called for the next COP to be held in the Amazon...

... 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)

How to get rid of the pollution of plastic and the pollution of making ever more oil-fueled polluting plastic:


Notpla: UK plastic-alternative developer among £1m Earthshot Prize winners
wrote:

... UK firm that makes packaging from seaweed...

... Manufacturing plastic adds to greenhouse gases, and plastic pollution can harm[s] animals and the environment...

... Its products include a coating for takeaway boxes, film, paper made from seaweed pulp, and a rigid plastic alternative, also made from seaweed. This year the firm has made more than a million takeaway food boxes...

... "No-one wants to live in a world full of plastic waste but it's not too late to act. There's never been a greater time to use natural solutions to solve the plastic challenge."...

Next is just the 'challenge' of divesting those profiteering from the world-wide plastic pollution...

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)

How quickly can they up their production level.

2018 study estimates there are 2025 million takeaway containers per year being used in the European Union (EU) alone

This is far from the best (or a good) way to go about things, but at least this is a push in a positive direction:


Energy being expensive and trickier to source is good news ... for renewables
wrote:

The International Energy Agency is revising its predictions for renewable energy growth upward by 30 percent, and reckons renewables like wind and solar will overtake coal to become the largest energy source on the planet by 2025.

Renewable investments will account for 90 percent of new global electricity generation over the next five years...

... two major factors caused it to revise its forecasts upward: Russia's invasion of Ukraine and resulting European energy worries, and new policies in China, the United States and India...

... As Chinese incentives have made utility-scale renewables cheaper than coal electricity, the renewable adoption rate has accelerated to the point where the IEA believes China will reach its 2030 green power goals by 2025...

... If the world is going to be able to meet the IEA's calls for net zero emissions by 2050, renewable investment still needs to increase by an additional 60 percent, the report found. Luckily, the IEA also modeled an accelerated scenario that adds 25 percent more renewable power to its predictions ... pushing renewable expansion more rapidly into heating and transportation...

Still some way to go yet...

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)

I wonder what has prompted this positive snippet of news?...


HSBC {Bank} to end funding for new oil and gas fields
wrote:

HSBC has announced it will stop financing new oil and gas fields, as part of its efforts to drive down global greenhouse gas emissions.

Environment groups said the move sends "a strong signal" to fossil fuel giants that investment is waning...

... However, the bank came under criticism earlier this year when it was revealed it had invested an estimated $8.7bn (£6.4bn) into new oil and gas in 2021...

... HSBC follows Lloyds bank - Britain's biggest domestic bank - which announced a similar decision in October. Tony Burdon, chief executive at climate finance campaign Make My Money Matter, said: "it's another nail in the coffin for fossil fuel expansion, and a massive signal to other UK banks that the game is up on new oil and gas."...

... HSBC has said it will continue to keep its investments already in oil and gas fields as it "recognises that fossil fuels, especially natural gas, have a role to play in the transition, even though that role will continue to diminish".

Is that more a financial recognition of suffering an ever increasing danger of "stranded assets" in oil and gas, as opposed to any good sense to rescue 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)

They're certainly a bit slow in following many other financial institutions around the world.

A Look At Air New Zealand’s Zero-Emissions Plans.

As part of Air New Zealand's Mission NextGen Aircraft program, the airline has signaled four finalists for zero-emission aircraft, signing letters of intent with four manufacturers. The airline has signed a letter of intent for 23 aircraft from Eviation. This is the first national flag carrier to signal its intent for the Eviation Alice, along with BETA Technologies, VoltAero, and Cranfield Aerospace.

The order is part of the airline's ambitious ambitions to welcome zero-emission aircraft to its fleet, also known as 'Flight NZ0'. Air New Zealand is committed to reducing its carbon footprint by 2050, and this move signals its dedication, as noted by the airline:

"Flight NZ0 is not just a name, it's a commitment that we will find a more sustainable way to connect with the world and reach our goal of net zero carbon emissions by the year 2050. It is clear that the climate crisis is continuing to accelerate rapidly. We are acutely aware that in order to continue to connect Kiwis to the world and the world to us, we must work hard to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050."...

Alleluia to some good environmentally healthy good sense to face down the adversity from the dirty old fossil fuels lobbying:


Brit MPs pour cold water on hydrogen as mass replacement for fossil fuels
wrote:

But gas likely to find a 'big niche' in rail, aviation, shipping, and industry

Hydrogen is not likely to be practically and economically viable for mass use in the short and medium term for heating homes or fueling passenger cars, a report from UK Members of Parliament has concluded.

The universe's most abundant element has been mooted as a green alternative to fossil fuels, but the associated cost, technological and infrastructure challenges, as well as the "unassailable" market lead held by alternatives such as electric cars, mean it is likely to remain "a big niche" fuel in particular sectors and applications...

... concluded hydrogen would have a "specific but limited" role in decarbonizing sectors where electrification is not possible and as a means of storing energy...

... Shipping and aviation could also benefit from hydrogen investment, and the gas could be important as a means of energy storage and a source of power for energy-intensive industries like steel, glass and mineral production...

The real big positive biggie there is to use hydrogen for steel making...



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 real big positive biggie there is to use hydrogen for steel making...

When and at what cost?

The real big positive biggie there is to use hydrogen for steel making...

And where will they get the carbon from?

Steel is an alloy made up of iron with added carbon to improve its strength and fracture resistance compared to other forms of iron.

The real big positive biggie there is to use hydrogen for steel making...

And where will they get the carbon from?

Steel is an alloy made up of iron with added carbon to improve its strength and fracture resistance compared to other forms of iron.

Note that we have:

Steel production based on hydrogen launched in Sweden
wrote:

30th August 2021: "Swedish steel maker SSAB has produced for the first time steel without fossil fuel hydrocarbons and has begun supplying it to a buyer"

See:

CO2 Free Steel becomes a reality at Volvo and Mercedes Benz
wrote:

Steelmaking is currently extremely carbon intensive, accounting for about 7% of total global greenhouse gas emissions...

Details for the two leading hydrogen powered steel processes are given on:

How hydrogen can decarbonize the steel industry — and what it will take

Hydrogen in steel production: what is happening in Europe – part one

Hydrogen in steel production: what is happening in Europe – part two



Way to go much more cleanly!

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)