Clean coal suffers another setback as yet more CCS projects fold

Posted on July 2, 2015 by groundswellbasscoast

Project in question, a 582 MW lignite-fiScreen-Shot-2015-06-30-at-1.57.54-pmred integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) plant under construction in Kemper County, Mississippi. Compared to the $2.2 billion originally estimated in 2004, total costs for the nation’s only large-scale integrated carbon capture and sequestration project under construction have now almost tripled. Those familiar with the venture say the project’s total estimated costs now stand at about $6.1 billion($10M/MW!). It’s more than SME could stomach…The only credible clean coal technology, they say, is no coal at all. And judging from the recent trends certainly from the US and Europe, their message appears to be getting through…For Victoria, lignite is brown coal and IGCC most efficient, clean  and cost effective possibility for La Trobe Valley stations, where dirty old boilers need to be as tall as 24 storey high rise building for enough energy in steam.

>more> RenewEconomy

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How coastland development ‘blue carbon’ contributes to climate change

Posted on June 28, 2015 by groundswellbasscoast

Coastal developers should be paying to offset air pollution – not from their bulldozers and or dredging barges, but from the tonnes of ancient carbon released into the atmosphere when wetlands are drained and dug up. This is the view of Dr Peter Macreadie, award-winning marine ecologist and Australian Research Council Fellow, who has just completed the first major survey of “blue carbon” stocks along 2000 kilometres of Victorian coastline. Blue carbon is stored many metres deep in the sediment of vegetated coastal ecosystems such as mangrove forests, seagrass beds, and salt marshes.

>more> TheAge

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Dutch Court does UNTHINKABLE!! on Carbon Emissions

Posted on June 25, 2015 by groundswellbasscoast

It’s illegal to knowingly ignore the dangers of global warming…The Hague District Court agreed with the more than 900 plaintiffs, organized by the sustainability advocacy group Urgenda, that the Dutch government has taken “insufficient action against climate change.” The plaintiffs had asked the court to prompt the Dutch government to lower emissions 25 to 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2020, so the court’s decision comes down on the low end of that request…Environmental advocates lauded the decision, saying that more rulings could be expected in other countries…“We had thought the legal system would not want to interfere in the political debate. But the scientific case is so strong, and the dangers so high that the court has ruled that the state is failing to adequately protect its citizens from the effects of climate change,” Pier Vellinga, Urgenda’s chairman, told the Guardian…Last year, the Netherlands and the United States agreed not to fund new coal-fired power plants in developing nations. (David Suzuki’s been exploring precedents inlay inherited from UK about crime of “wilful negligence” by politicians – BM)

>more> ThinkProgress

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The EPA Just Cracked Down On Carbon Emissions From Big Trucks

Posted on June 25, 2015 by groundswellbasscoast

The Union of Concerned Scientists put out a report in March that argued that “average new truck” could reduce fuel use by 40% by using technologies already on the market…UCS said in a statement that it was glad that the federal government was tackling truck emissions, but that it thought the proposal could have gone further…“Today’s proposed standards are a step in the right direction and would save the trucking industry billions of dollars in fuel, savings which can be passed down to consumers,” Dave Cooke, vehicles analyst at the UCS’s Clean Vehicles Program said in a statement. “But we believe the rule could deliver even greater fuel savings and emissions reductions sooner. Moving more quickly to fully deploy technologies now entering or already in the market could save an additional 100,000 barrels per day or more by 2040.” How long before such initiative might happen in Australia?

>more> ThinkProgress

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New Research Warns Of Catastrophic Food Shortages Due To Unchecked Climate Change

Posted on June 25, 2015 by groundswellbasscoast

…global warming and related extreme weather will combine to create devastating food price shocks in coming decades, with potential for corn prices to increase a staggering 500% by 2030…As for political impacts, those are a straightforward extension of what’s already happened. As The Economist explained back in February 2011 during Arab Spring, “The high cost of food is one reason that protesters took to the streets in Tunisia and Egypt.” (of course it’s water and food shortages that led to street protest, harsh suppression and civil war in Syria and now Yemen – BM)…”So we can sit on our hands waiting for this scenario to play out in real life — or we can act strongly and swiftly with foresight science gives us to 1) slash carbon pollution ASAP to minimize its chances of occurring and 2) start doing serious adaptation to minimize its impact when it does. It isn’t really that hard a choice(precautions needed to be able to double agricultural output, unless(!) we can halve world population)

>more> ThinkProgress

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US and UK warn Australia lags behind international defence against climate change

Posted on June 22, 2015 by groundswellbasscoast

Our two major allies – US and UK – warn Australia’s national security is under threat, unless we take urgent action on climate change…Experts interviewed for new report by Centre for Policy Development say we’re lagging behind international defence strategies preparing for threats posed by food shortages, rising sea levels and more frequent natural disasters…report, ‘The Longest Conflict: Australia’s Climate Security Challenge’, will be launched later this morning by retired Rear Admiral Neil Morisetti.

>more> ABC RN Breakfast

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Aust Psychological Society: No evidence that wind farms affect health

Posted on June 22, 2015 by groundswellbasscoast

Such a worry that science can’t find a way to distinguish infrasound from ambient in quiet bedroom, obviously Phoney Tony needs to recruit more chaplains for spiritual detection of this evil!!

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Ozone layer damage by CFC’s

Posted on June 21, 2015 by groundswellbasscoast

370px-Ozone_cycle.svg300px-Radiative-forcings.svgReductions of up to 70% in the ozone column, observed in southern hemisphere spring over Antarctica, and first reported in 1985 (Farman et al.) are continuing. Since the 1990s, Antarctic total column ozone in September and October continued to be 40–50% lower than pre-ozone-hole values…The hole in the Earth’s ozone layer over the South Pole has affected atmospheric circulation in the Southern Hemisphere all the way to the equator.[94] The ozone hole has influenced atmospheric circulation all the way to the tropics and increased rainfall at low, subtropical latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere… James Lovelock had recently discovered, during a cruise in the South Atlantic in 1971, that almost all of the CFC compounds manufactured since their invention in 1930 were still present in the atmosphere…Americans voluntarily switched away from aerosol sprays before legislation was enforced, while climate change failed to achieve comparable concern and public action.[28] The sudden recognition in 1985 that there was a substantial “hole” was widely reported in the press. The especially rapid ozone depletion in Antarctica had previously been dismissed as a measurement error.[30] Scientific consensus was established after regulation.[27]

>readmore> Wikipedia

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How a scientist in a parking lot may have influenced the Pope and climate change

Posted on June 21, 2015 by groundswellbasscoast

For most of us, the Pope’s encyclical  about climate change may appear to be accidental or impulsive. This story demonstrates that it’s been on the go since 1970’s awakening about consequences of CFC’s burning a hole in the ozone layer and danger of extreme damage to flora and fauna from UV.

>readmore> CNN

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The End of Coal?

Posted on June 19, 2015 by groundswellbasscoast

Four Corners explores the driving forces that neither the Federal Government nor the mining industry can control. Among the challenges, rapid technological change revolutionising the way we generate and store power….“It is totally a game changer.” Christina Figuerres, UN Climate Change Chief And investors are getting nervous.

“With fossil fuels we want to get out as quickly as possible for financial reasons, as fast as is prudent, but also because we feel like the value of these stocks is really declining.” US Investor

“Financial markets though operate like a herd. Once one of the bulls runs, a stampede is caused.” Energy Analyst

And with countries like China, America and the rest of the G7 committing to curbs on fossil fuels, will Australia be left on the wrong side of history?

>downloadmore> ABC TV 4Corners

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