Tag Archives: Renewable Energy

Silent Earth Review

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“Silent Earth” has received a five-star “must read🏆” review on Reedsy. Blending scientific depth and practical foresight, this book is both a wake-up call and a guide for navigating environmental collapse.

Synopsis

Silent Earth is a technical reference for civil engineers, land-use and urban planners, and city administrators. It covers a broad range of topics and should serve as a springboard for specialists wishing to learn more about adapting to climate change and biosphere decline.

As the Earth’s living systems deteriorate at an unprecedented rate, human societies face the urgent challenge of adapting to an increasingly unstable environment. Physical Geographer Garry Rogers offers a clear-eyed examination of our options, arguing that while complete restoration of the biosphere is no longer feasible, strategic adaptation remains possible. Drawing on extensive research, Rogers outlines practical approaches for communities to maintain essential functions as ecosystem services decline. While large-scale adaptation efforts face significant barriers, this groundbreaking work shows how planners and administrators can implement effective strategies to enhance resilience in a transforming world. Essential reading for navigating our environmental future. Ideal for policymakers, scholars, environmentalists, and engaged citizens, Silent Earth challenges readers to envision a future where, even amidst biosphere decline, adaptation and innovation can pave the way for survival.

Garry Rogers’ Silent Earth: Adaptations for Life in a Devastated Biosphere explores the escalating degradation of Earth’s biosphere, offering strategies for human adaptation. It points to the realistic inevitability of this need to adjust, as humanity is facing the consequences of irreversible damage already done. Rogers goes beyond the simple dialogue of climate change, expanding and examining the interconnected impact of the entire biosphere, from current impacts such loss of biodiversity to coral reef bleaching.

In Section IV, Rogers draws upon research to emphasize that as soon as 2030 we are on the brink, and that we urgently need to act not only to prevent further destruction, but also to prepare for survival:

The cumulative and synergistic effects of human impacts are pushing ecosystems closer to tipping points. Feedback loops and shifting ecosystem boundaries are accelerating environmental change, while these effects interact in complex ways, amplifying their individual impacts. As we approach 2030, addressing these interconnected challenges will require an integrated approach to conservation and climate action to mitigate the far-reaching impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem stability.

The strength of Silent Earth lies in Section V, which presents a blueprint for adaptation. Rogers proposes various strategies from water management to cultural and governance reforms. His emphasis on grassroots action and local resilience is both pragmatic and empowering, especially given his acknowledgment of the political and societal inertia that is likely to hinder adaptation on a wider scale.

Silent Earth is thoroughly researched, intellectually stimulating, and well-cited. Rogers excels in synthesizing vast amounts of ecological, social, and technological data into a cohesive narrative.

Silent Earth is a valuable resource for those interested in interdisciplinary approaches to global challenges. It’s an important and thought-provoking read for anyone seeking to understand and address the complex realities of ecological decline.

Reviewed by: Brittney Banning

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Norway, India, & Netherlands May Ban Fossil Fuel Vehicles by 2025-2030 | robertscribbler

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(Photo:  A Tesla Model S recharges its battery at a solar powered electrical station. A combination that provides a clear path out of a transportation-based hothouse gas emissions trap. Enabled by this technology, a number of countries are considering a complete ban on fossil fuel use for vehicle transport from 2025 through 2030. Image source: Green Car Reports.)

New national policy proposals from the four ruling parties of Norway spurred a flurry of headlines this week as leaders explored the possibility of banning all fossil fuel based vehicle sales by 2025.

The country, which already has a 24 percent national all-electric vehicle sales rate — is pursuing ways to ensure that number grows to 100 percent in very short order. Note that these vehicles are of the all-electric, battery-driven variety and do not include hybrids or plug in hybrids like the Chevy Volt.

Norway’s Push Implies a Big Shift for Fossil Fuel Exporter

Leaders from both parties within Norway were considering the ban which, if enacted, would dramatically reduce Norway’s vehicle fleet carbon emissions. Fully 90 percent of Norway’s electricity is generated by renewable hydro-electric power. And hooking vehicles up to this energy source would push their use and chain of fuel emissions to zero.  More: Norway, India and Netherlands May Ban Fossil Fuel Driven Vehicles by 2025-2030 | robertscribbler

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The week to June 4 in nuclear and climate news « Antinuclear

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GR:  Production of solar energy certainly produces wastes.  Storage batteries last only seven years and solar panels last only 20-30 years.  Our mountains of trash will continue to grow with renewable energy,  BUT, solar-energy trash is cheaper to manage than nuclear trash, and it doesn’t stay deadly to all life for thousands of years.

Politicians love nuclear energy.  They receive support from the nuclear industry and its investors, and they can pretend they are offering a sensible alternative to fossil fuels.  Do not be tricked!  Taking the construction costs and the waste problems into account, rooftop solar energy is far cleaner and cheaper than nuclear energy, and it avoids corporate power over politicians and people.

Christina MacPherson:  “SOUTH AUSTRALIA again. You might all be getting sick of hearing about South Australia’s nuclear woes. But, spare a thought for the indigenous people of South Australia! They’ve been through all this before – and now again – the nuclear lobby planning to radioactively trash their homeland! And a thought for the decent, aware people of South Australia, who also fight to prevent their State, and their country being radioactively trashed.

“It’s Submission Time Yet Again. Submissions about nuclear waste dumping will be received up until 1st July by the new JOINT COMMITTEE ON FINDINGS OF THE NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE ROYAL COMMISSION , Parliament of South Australia. Great timing, just the day before the federal election – so they hope that nobody will notice. Except perhaps again for all those nuclear companies, who have already sent in their secret submissions to South Australia’s shonky Nuclear Fuel Chain Royal Commission.”  Source: The week to June 4 in nuclear and climate news « Antinuclear

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Renewables are Winning the Race Against Fossil Fuels — But Not Fast Enough | robertscribbler

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We have to reverse global warming urgently, if we still can. — Stephen Hawking

Whether you realize it or not, you’ve been drawn into a race. A race against time to swiftly reduce carbon emissions in order to prevent ramping climate harms on the path to a fifth hothouse extinction. For the current burning of fossil fuels and the ongoing dumping of carbon into the atmosphere at the rate of 13 billion tons each year is an insult to the global climate system that has likely never been seen before in all of the deep history of planet Earth. And the swifter we draw that emission down to zero and net negative, the better.

In the early part of this race, there is one factor that can provide the greatest overall benefit — the rate of renewable energy (RE) adoption. For adding RE at a high rate removes future market share from fossil fuels even as it draws down emissions, enables efficiencies, and undercuts fossil fuel industry revenues. Such a systemic change saps the economic and political power of destructive entities that have for decades attempted to lock in greater and greater volumes of climate-harming emissions. And when RE begins to overcome not just future market share, but also current fossil fuel markets, this loss of power and influence hastens.

Once fossil fuels begin to lose their grip on political systems around the world, it becomes easier to implement other consumption based policies like a carbon tax or further disincentives to a very wasteful use of resources at the top of economic spectra across the globe. An energy renaissance of this kind is not a perfect fix. It can’t halt all the climate harm coming down the pipe. But it does hit hard at the center of gravity of a corrupt and deleterious global economic power base that, if it had its way, would lock in the worst effects of a hothouse extinction in very short order — inevitably wrecking human civilization and inflicting a global ecocide in the process. It shrinks the might and reach of bad carbon actors. And it opens up avenues for a ramping up of more powerful climate change mitigation and response policies in the future.

In this context of a drive pull the rug out from under the bad carbon actors, it appears that RE adoption rates are now starting to hit a level that makes just such a political and economic power shift possible.

Source: Renewables are Winning the Race Against Fossil Fuels — But Not Fast Enough | robertscribbler

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Arizona Public Service seeks to raise costs for solar customers | azdailysun.com

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GR:  The justification for raising costs for solar customers is without merit.  The idea from the start has been to encourage the switch to solar.

BOB CHRISTIE Associated Press:  The most contentious parts of the proposal are likely to be the new “demand charges” and the ending of “net metering” for solar customers.

Net metering pays homeowners with rooftop solar full retail rates for excess power sent back to the grid. APS is proposing to pay only wholesale market rates for that power, a rate that will dramatically cut the amount of credits solar customers receive. APS and other utilities have been pushing for the changes in recent years, arguing that they unfairly benefit solar customers while shifting costs of maintaining the grid to non-solar customers.  Source: APS seeks 8 percent rate boost, solar changes | Local | azdailysun.com

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Electric aircraft Sun Flyer – Business Insider

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A small Denver, Colorado, manufacturer has rolled out the first prototype of a new all-electric aircraft, suggesting that the same revolution currently sweeping through the auto industry may soon become airborne.  Source: Electric aircraft Sun Flyer – Business Insider

Australia’s renewable energy future – theme for March 2016

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Australia has a bright renewable energy future. Indeed a pretty bright renewable energy present, too. Australian households have taken up solar energy in a big way – per head of population, the best in the world.

Wind energy is already a success story, with South Australia leading the way. Initiatives are happening, in utility scale renewable energy, particularly in the Australian Capital Territory.  From: antinuclear.net

Welcome to the Renewable Energy Renaissance — Fight to End Fossil Fuel Burning is Now On

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“Nevada Monopoly Fossil Fuels vs Solar Fight Goes National

“An example of this struggle in microcosm took place during December through January of 2015 in Nevada. Emboldened by similar decisions in Arizona, monopoly utilities moved to protect their carbon-polluting infrastructures by pushing the state government (made up of a majority of republicans to include the governor — Sandoval) to impose restrictive fees on solar energy use throughout the state. Targeting rooftop solar energy systems, the Nevada Public Utilities Commission (PUCN — also made up entirely of republicans) voted to, across the board, increase costs for rooftop solar users by both slashing incentives and imposing draconian fees. The decision negatively impacted 12,000 current solar customers using rooftop power to include families, schools and even public libraries.”  From: robertscribbler.com

GR:  In this war, powerless individuals are facing powerful business-backed governments. Our avaricious nature has brought us to this pass, but now that we’re here, we’re probably going to have to change our habits and take action.  In this post, Robert Scribbler, provides some strategic insight.

G20 Spending on Fossil Fuels Dwarfs Renewables

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“The G20 countries spend almost four times as much to prop up fossil fuel production as they do to subsidize renewable energy, calling into question their commitment to halting climate change, a think tank said.

“The G20 spent an average $78 billion on national subsidies delivered through direct spending and tax breaks in 2013 and 2014, according to a report from the Overseas Development Institute (ODI).

“View of smokestacks, about 200m (656 feet) high, at a thermal power plant in Inchon, west of Seoul, Feb. 1, 2007.  Credit: Reuters

“A further $286 billion was invested in fossil fuel production by G20 state-owned enterprises. Related public finance was estimated to average a further $88 billion a year.”  From: www.climatecentral.org

GR:  The energy industry control of government policy and spending will make enforcement of any emissions pledges difficult to enforce.  The writing is on the wall, however, and some investors will switch to renewable energy technology and production.  The great energy battle to come will be between the distributed individual power producers and government policies controlled by centralized producers.  The need to limit corporate power has never been greater.