Tag Archives: wind energy

Bill would promote bogus wind-turbine syndrome lawsuits in Wisconsin

by Larry Daichea Posted on November 16, 2013

Bill would promote bogus wind-turbine syndrome lawsuits in Wisconsin

By

– Deb –

Wind-turbine syndrome doesn’t exist. Sure, wind turbines can be annoying. But there isn’t a shred of peer-reviewed medical evidence that they can actually make anybody sick.

Yet a new Wisconsin bill scheduled for a hearing next week would make it easier for people living within 1.5 miles of a wind turbine to sue the energy developer for “physical and emotional harm suffered by the plaintiff, including for medical expenses, pain, and suffering.” And to sue for relocation expenses if they want to move away from turbines. And to sue over drops in property values. Never mind that researchers have also ruled out any impacts of wind farms on the value of nearby properties.  

SB 167 wouldn’t just affect new turbines. It could be applied retroactively to sue existing wind farms out of existence.

Needless to say, the bill is just another effort to stamp out the growth of renewable energy in coal-friendly Wisconsin, which is already lagging behind much of the rest of the country in wind power.

The legislation is sponsored by State Sen. Frank Lasee (R), a notorious opponent of wind energy. A hearing into the bill on Wednesday will be overseen by a fellow wind foe, State Sen. Glenn Grothman (R), whose district includes a large wind farm.

“I’ve talked to a dozen people in my area who made a very credible case that their health has been damaged,” Grothman told Midwest Energy News. “Obviously their property values have gone through the floor.”

Well, obviously. I mean, if y’all say so. Let’s resume the outdated approach of building more coal plants and see how that affects property values and public health, shall we?


Source
Wisconsin bill would grant wide latitude to sue wind farms, Midwest Energy News

John Upton is a science fan and green news boffin who tweets, posts articles to Facebook, and blogs about ecology. He welcomes reader questions, tips, and incoherent rants: johnupton@gmail.com.

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Bill would promote bogus wind-turbine syndrome lawsuits in Wisconsin

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As world dithers on climate treaty, funding for climate projects dwindles

by Romona Traywick Posted on November 14, 2013

As world dithers on climate treaty, funding for climate projects dwindles

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Shutterstock

The Clean Development Mechanism helps solarize poor, rural communities.

Failure thus far to agree on a successor to the Kyoto Protocol means the world’s largest carbon-offset program is poised to shrink.

Since it began operating in 2004, the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) has supported 7,432 projects to rein in greenhouse gas emissions in poor and developing countries. Those projects have included wind, solar, and bioenergy installations, forest plantations, and energy-efficiency efforts. (Controversially, they have also included coal- and other fossil fuel-based projects considered cleaner than alternatives.) The $315 billion in funds for those projects came from wealthy countries looking to invest in opportunities abroad to help meet their domestic Kyoto Protocol commitments.

But that cash pipeline is starting to dry up as demand for such greenhouse gas-reducing projects shrivels.

The U.N. board that oversees the CDM voted Friday to cut its administrative budget by 14 percent for the coming year. “[R]equests for registration have declined significantly, and are now at levels not seen since 2005,” the board noted. “They may be expected to remain low for 2014 and 2015, and potentially beyond.” That’s because of uncertainty over the fate of an agreement now being negotiated to replace the Kyoto Protocol — an agreement that would not take effect before 2020.

As Reuters explains, “the failure of nations to craft a new climate change deal to force emission cuts on the biggest emitting countries has left the market for carbon offsets oversupplied, sending prices crashing and nearly bankrupting many of the companies that invested in CDM projects.”

But there’s another, more heartening reason for the funding slowdown: The need for carbon credits is falling as more countries find ways to reduce their own emissions at home. The rise of carbon taxing and trading schemes around the world is reducing demand for CDM-issued credits. And companies operating in the developed world are reducing their own carbon footprints.

Even if nations succeed in crafting a new climate pact in Warsaw this month, it might not help the CDM. Again, from Reuters: “The final deal will likely include new market-based mechanisms designed to allow the private sector to fund emissions cuts at the cheapest cost, but the CDM’s role alongside any new mechanism is unclear.”


Source
U.N. carbon panel slashes budget amid weak offset demand, Reuters

John Upton is a science fan and green news boffin who tweets, posts articles to Facebook, and blogs about ecology. He welcomes reader questions, tips, and incoherent rants: johnupton@gmail.com.

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As world dithers on climate treaty, funding for climate projects dwindles

Posted in alo, ALPHA, Anchor, Citizen, FF, G & F, GE, LAI, ONA, solar, solar power, Uncategorized, wind energy | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on As world dithers on climate treaty, funding for climate projects dwindles

Oil refineries in Louisiana have accidents almost every day

by dtynpwb Posted on November 13, 2013

Oil refineries in Louisiana have accidents almost every day

By

bengarland

Well, OK, Louisiana’s oil refineries don’t have accidents every single day. Just six days a week on average. Actually, to be specific, 6.3 days a week.

Last year, the 17 refineries and two associated chemical plants in the state experienced 327 accidents, releasing 2.4 million pounds of air pollution, including such poisons as benzene and sulfur, and 12.7 million gallons of water pollution. That’s according to a report published Tuesday [PDF] by the nonprofit Louisiana Bucket Brigade, which compiled the data from refineries’ individual accident reports.

Nearly half of the accidents were triggered by the weather, including Hurricane Isaac. Nearly a third were the result of equipment or operational failures. The remaining 12 percent were caused by power outages.

“Year after year our state gets the pollution and the oil industry gets the profit,” said Bucket Brigade director Anne Rolfes.

The findings are grim, but they may actually understate the problem. The nonprofit claims many refinery accidents are underreported or covered up, as the Baton Rouge Advocate reports:

Rolfes said she and Louisiana Bucket Brigade know this is the case because workers tell the organization about the accidents or incidents that don’t show up on the records.

One example involves a release of materials at ExxonMobil’s Baton Rouge facility where there was an initial report of at least 10 pounds of benzene as required by law within an hour of the release.

It turned out the release was more than 31,000 pounds.
The Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association responded by questioning the credibility of the report and saying the industry is “making strong environmental progress.”

If managing to operate safely almost one day a week is your definition of “progress.”


Source
Bucket Brigade: Air pollution increases at refineries in 2012, The Advocate
Mission: Zero Accidents, Louisiana Bucket Brigade
New Report: Pollution from Louisiana Refineries Increasing, Louisiana Bucket Brigade

John Upton is a science fan and green news boffin who tweets, posts articles to Facebook, and blogs about ecology. He welcomes reader questions, tips, and incoherent rants: johnupton@gmail.com.

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Oil refineries in Louisiana have accidents almost every day

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Divine intervention? Pope opposes fracking

by sssaa Posted on November 13, 2013

Divine intervention? Pope opposes fracking

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Catholic Church England and Wales

The worldwide leader of the Catholic Church, none other than the motherfracking pope himself, has come out in opposition to the worldwide scourge of hydraulic fracturing.

OK, so Pope Francis didn’t exactly make a policy statement or a speech denouncing fracking. But hints have emerged that he might do so soon. And Twitter is afire with pictures of His Holiness holding up anti-fracking T-shirts. The pictures were taken Monday following meetings with Argentinians dealing with environmental issues:

Environmental filmmaker Fernando ‘Pino’ Solanas told elEconomista that the pope had indicated during a Monday meeting that he was working on a papal memo, known as an encyclical, that will address environmental issues.

John Upton is a science fan and green news boffin who tweets, posts articles to Facebook, and blogs about ecology. He welcomes reader questions, tips, and incoherent rants: johnupton@gmail.com.Find this article interesting? Donate now to support our work.Read more: Climate & Energy

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Divine intervention? Pope opposes fracking

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Obama admin keeps trying to help coal industry, coal industry keeps whining

by Aaren Smith Posted on November 8, 2013

Obama admin keeps trying to help coal industry, coal industry keeps whining

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It would be nearly impossible for any new coal power plants to meet stringent climate regulations proposed by the Obama administration without using carbon-capturing technology. But never fear, coal industry. Here comes Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz, reassuring you that “the technology is ready” — and sprinkling public research funds like fly ash over your sector just to be sure.

Carbon capture involves funneling carbon dioxide produced by power plants deep beneath the ground, where it should do the climate no harm. There’s plenty of space beneath some parts of North America where the greenhouse gas could be stashed (sorry, coal-burning Wisconsin, not so much near you, though). But so far affordable methods for injecting CO2 underground remain out of reach.

On Thursday, Moniz announced nearly $84 million in grants to help make economical carbon-capture technology a reality.

“As part of the president’s all-of-the-above approach to develop clean and affordable sources of American energy, the projects announced today will focus on the next generation of carbon capture technologies — helping to drive down the cost, increase efficiency and ensure America’s continued international leadership in combating climate change,” Moniz said.

When it comes to carbon capture, you can’t just connect a pipe to a power plant’s smokestack and channel the carbon dioxide into the ground — it’s considerably more complicated than that. The CO2 has to be purified and compressed after the coal (or natural gas, or whatever) is burned. That generally involves the use of solvents and membranes. Sorbents, chemicals that absorb CO2, can also be used.

Most of the new grant money will go to teams developing these so-called “post-combustion” technologies. The largest grant, $15 million, will go to one such project by ION Engineering in Boulder, Colo. More than $10 million will fund similar research in Silicon Valley by SRI International. Meanwhile, three of the 18 grants will go to support “pre-combustion” technology. That involves pre-treating the fuel or burning it differently (such as converting the coal into a gas) to make it easier to capture and bury the CO2 that’s produced.

It’s not like this is the first time the federal government has lent the fossil fuel industry a hand as it flails in its efforts to develop “clean coal.” The Obama administration has poured $6 billion into such technologies to date, according to the Energy Department. So much for that “war on coal” we keep hearing about.


Source
Energy Department Invests to Drive Down Costs of Carbon Capture, Support Reductions in Greenhouse Gas Pollution, Energy Department

John Upton is a science fan and green news boffin who tweets, posts articles to Facebook, and blogs about ecology. He welcomes reader questions, tips, and incoherent rants: johnupton@gmail.com.

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Obama admin keeps trying to help coal industry, coal industry keeps whining

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Should Bird-Lovers Feel Guilty About Wind Power?

by Shelley9010 Posted on November 5, 2013

Taken from: 

Should Bird-Lovers Feel Guilty About Wind Power?

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Obama moves to block new coal plants abroad

by ncf01r Posted on October 30, 2013

Obama moves to block new coal plants abroad

By

gynti_46

The U.S. is set to virtually stamp out construction of new coal-fired power plants domestically, thanks to proposed climate regulations. And now it’s setting its sights internationally.

The Obama administration said Tuesday it plans to use its influence with international lending bodies like the World Bank to curtail financial support for new coal power plants overseas. From Reuters:

The U.S. Treasury said it would only support funding for coal plants in the world’s poorest countries if they have no other efficient or economical alternative for their energy needs.

For richer countries, it would only support coal plants that deploy carbon capture and sequestration, an advanced technology for reducing emissions that is not yet commercially viable. That essentially means the United States would limit coal funding to only the world’s poorest for now.

The announcement follows the president’s pledge in June that he would call for an “end to public financing for new coal plants overseas unless they deploy carbon-capture technologies, or there’s no other viable way for the poorest countries to generate electricity.”

The New York Times, however, raises questions about America’s ability to actually sway decisions about coal-plant construction abroad:

The United States does not have a veto over which projects in other countries get financed through organizations, and the number of coal plants built overseas with public money is small relative to the number that are likely to be built with private investment.

By leading a coalition of like-minded countries — including several European ones that have already announced similar intentions — officials said the administration would be able to influence the direction of power plant construction.

“We believe that if public financing points the way, it will then facilitate private investment,” [said Lael Brainard, the under secretary for international affairs at the Treasury Department]. …

Treasury officials said the United States would also seek to push private investors to favor energy technologies that are better for the environment.

A test of the new policy is expected next year. That’s when the World Bank, which recently announced it will finance coal power plants only in rare circumstances, is set to decide whether to support a 600-megawatt coal-fired plant in Kosovo.


Source
U.S. Says It Won’t Back New International Coal-Fired Power Plants, New York Times
U.S. lays out strict limits on coal funding abroad, Reuters

John Upton is a science fan and green news boffin who tweets, posts articles to Facebook, and blogs about ecology. He welcomes reader questions, tips, and incoherent rants: johnupton@gmail.com.

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Obama moves to block new coal plants abroad

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Why is Antarctic sea ice expanding?

by Shawanna11 Posted on October 29, 2013

Why is Antarctic sea ice expanding?

By

Bryan Kiechle

While ice cover in the Arctic continues its downward spiral, something counterintuitive is happening in the Antarctic.

The thin crust of sea ice floating around Antarctica expanded this year to cover more of the Southern Ocean than ever before recorded: 7.518 million square miles. That broke the previous record of 7.505 million square miles, which was set just last year, according to NASA.

“We set a record high winter maximum,” Walt Meier, a NASA glaciologist, said in announcing the findings. “Even though it is a record high, it is only 3.6 percent above the 1981 to 2010 average maximum.”

NASAClick to embiggen.

This phenomenon is known as the “paradox of Antarctic sea ice.” It’s the kind of thing that delights climate deniers eager to point blindly at things and say they mean the planet isn’t warming, despite all other signs to the contrary. Unfortunately, nice though that would be, the Antarctic sea ice is not expanding because global warming has magically ended. NASA points out that there are many factors at play:

While researchers continue to study the forces driving the growth in sea ice extent, it is well understood that multiple factors — including the geography of Antarctica, the region’s winds, as well as air and ocean temperatures — all affect the ice.

Increasing snowfall and strengthening westerly gusts are also factors, as University of Tasmania sea-ice scientist Guy Williams explains in The Conversation. And as continental ice and icebergs melt, they may be lowering ocean temperatures, helping the layer of ice form on the sea’s frigid surface.

Willians also points out that it actually isn’t even clear whether the total amount of Antarctic sea ice is expanding. Researchers don’t know how think the layer of ice is or how much volume it holds. At least for now, scientists can only reliably measure its surface area.

“While the increase in total Antarctic sea ice area is relatively minor compared to the Arctic, it masks the fact that some regions are in strong decline,” Williams writes. “Given the complex interactions of winds and currents driving patterns of sea ice variability and change in the Southern Ocean climate system, this is not unexpected. But it is still fascinating to study.”

NASAClick to embiggen.


Source
Antarctic Sea Ice Reaches New Maximum Extent, NASA
Why is Antarctic sea ice growing?, The Converation

John Upton is a science fan and green news boffin who tweets, posts articles to Facebook, and blogs about ecology. He welcomes reader questions, tips, and incoherent rants: johnupton@gmail.com.

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Why is Antarctic sea ice expanding?

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Africa’s biggest wind farm starts spinning

by Glory Miche Posted on October 28, 2013

Africa’s biggest wind farm starts spinning

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Shutterstock

Ethiopia’s infamous droughts don’t just condemn the country to periodic famine; they also deprive it of electricity.

In a major step toward diversifying a power system that’s almost entirely reliant on hydropower, the country has built Africa’s largest wind farm. Power production started at the $290 million Ashegoda Wind Farm on Saturday, four years after construction began. From Reuters:

The 120 MW, 84-turbine farm — straddling a sprawling field of grassland dotted by stone-brick hamlets more than 780 kilometers north of Addis Ababa — is part of a plan to mitigate the impact of dry seasons on the country’s dams.

At present, Ethiopia’s energy resources are almost completely derived from hydropower projects.

“It compliments hydropower, which is seasonal. When you have a dry water season we have higher wind speed,” said Mihret Debebe, CEO of the Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation.

“There is harmony between the two sources of energy.”

Last week, Ethiopia also signed a preliminary agreement with a U.S.-Icelandic firm for a $4 billion private sector investment intended to tap its vast geothermal power resources and produce 1,000 MW from steam.

During a speech at the weekend inauguration, Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn said “there is potential to harness abundant wind energy resources in every region of Ethiopia.”

But Ethiopia is still looking to boost its hydropower generation. The country plans to build a 6,000-megawatt Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on a tributary of the Nile. If completed as planned, it will cost $4.2 billion and be the largest dam in Africa. Downstream neighbors like Egypt would probably prefer a lot more wind turbines.


Source
Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan Mull New Probe Nile Dam Impact, Bloomberg
Ethiopia opens Africa’s largest wind farm to boost power production, Reuters

John Upton is a science fan and green news boffin who tweets, posts articles to Facebook, and blogs about ecology. He welcomes reader questions, tips, and incoherent rants: johnupton@gmail.com.

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Fracking won’t fix the climate

by AshleaMelina844 Posted on October 22, 2013

Fracking won’t fix the climate

By

WCN 24/7

The claim that natural gas is saving the climate is revealed as hot air.

Perhaps you’ve heard the claim that the natural-gas boom made possible by fracking is reducing America’s greenhouse gas emissions.

The logic underpinning this claim is that natural gas is a cleaner-burning fuel than coal, and hydraulic fracturing has produced a surfeit of cheap natural gas. Ergo, fracking is helping power plants switch from coal to natural gas, helping the climate along the way.

But that’s only half the story.

A Stanford-led study, which was produced with input from 50 academic, government, and private-sector experts, concludes that natural gas is having only “modest impacts” on carbon dioxide emissions.

Yes, natural gas is helping to dig a grave for coal. It’s the lesser of two fossil-fuel evils. But natural gas’s low price is also slowing down the country’s shift toward climate-friendly solar and wind power. From the Stanford report [PDF]:

Shale development has relatively modest impacts on carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide and sulfur dioxide emissions, particularly after 2020. Since 2006, electricity generation has become less carbon intensive as its natural gas share increased from 16 to 24 percent and its coal share decreased from 52 to 41 percent. Over future years, this trend towards reducing emissions becomes less pronounced as natural gas begins to displace nuclear and renewable energy that would have been used otherwise in new powerplants under reference case conditions.

Meanwhile, the study concludes that fracking is helping to slightly expand America’s economy — but not nearly to the extent that the industry would like us to think:

Shale development also boosts the economy by $70 billion annually over the next several decades. Although this amount appears large, it represents a relatively modest 0.46 percent of the US economy. Today total natural gas expenditures represent about one percent of GDP within this country.

Joe Romm of ClimateProgress points out that the International Energy Agency recently warned that the low price of natural gas is also hampering efforts to improve energy efficiency, which is bad news for greenhouse gas emissions.

“From a climate perspective, then, the shale gas revolution is essentially irrelevant,” argues Romm, “and arguably a massive diversion of resources and money that could have gone into deploying carbon-free sources.”


Source
Changing the game?: Emissions and market implications of new natural gas supplies, Energy Modeling Forum, Stanford University
Major Study Projects No Long-Term Climate Benefit From Shale Gas Revolution, ClimateProgress

John Upton is a science fan and green news boffin who tweets, posts articles to Facebook, and blogs about ecology. He welcomes reader questions, tips, and incoherent rants: johnupton@gmail.com.

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