The Environmental thread + Conventional (HI-FI) wisdom is almost always invariably wrong

[semente]

Four ways Joe Biden has failed on climate

Emily Holden   Below is a photo of me in 2017, crowded around the TV at the climate publication I worked for, looking resigned as then president Donald Trump announced the US was withdrawing from the Paris climate agreement. I couldn’t have imagined the wild ride I was in for. Over four years, Trump agencies gutted more than 100 environmental protections for air and water pollution, biodiversity and climate change. And they did so with dramatic flair.     The interior secretary rode into his first day on a horse. The head of the Environmental Protection Agency spent exorbitantly on sound-proof telephone booths and private planes. By the end of Trump’s chaotic presidency, I was exhausted. The incoming Biden administration felt like a much-needed reprieve. Biden vowed to reinstate the regulations Trump gutted and make the climate crisis a top priority. I was skeptical of what he could achieve, but I tried to muster some hope. Now, a year into Biden’s presidency, it’s clear that what little optimism I had was misguided. Biden’s climate legacy is starting to take shape, and it doesn’t look good. So far, his administration has: 1. Held the biggest-ever offshore oil drilling lease sale in the Gulf of Mexico In November, Biden offered up 80m acres of water to oil drillers. For years, the US government has regularly leased portions of the Gulf of Mexico for offshore exploration and drilling. But environmental and public health advocates had hoped that the president who campaigned on climate action would at least scale back the practice. Last month, a judge struck down the auction – ruling that the administration didn’t properly disclose and consider how the leases would contribute to the climate crisis. That court decision is one of the biggest climate victories of Biden’s administration. And it came in spite of the administration’s efforts – not because of them. Now more than 300 groups have signed on to an emergency petition to halt all new drilling in the Gulf. 2. Permitted more drilling on public lands in the West and in Alaska than Trump did in his first year Biden has approved nearly 900 more permits to drill on public land in 2021 than Trump did in 2017, according to the Center for Biological Diversity. That’s despite his campaign pledges to end new oil and gas leasing on federal lands. In November, Biden also urged drillers to produce more oil, in an effort to lower gasoline prices. 3. Failed to advance a climate legislative agenda On the campaign trail, Biden promised to cut US climate emissions in half by 2030, including by investing significantly in renewable power. But his legislative package to do so – Build Back Better – has stalled. Two Democrats – Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema – may be the main culprits for this failure, but convincing them to get on board with his agenda was always going to be one of Biden’s biggest challenges, and he hasn’t managed to do it. 4. Faltered in quickly reinstating rules Under Biden, even minor regulations that mandate more energy efficient furnaces, freezers, and lightbulbs are stuck in regulatory limbo. And he could face a significant blow this month if the conservative-tilted supreme court decides the federal government can’t write rules to curb climate pollution from power plants. Biden hasn’t followed through on the basics. And he certainly hasn’t brought the kind of sweeping and aggressive action the world’s scientists say is necessary to avoid catastrophic global heating. As the US gears up for midterm elections in November, it remains to be seen whether Biden will go any harder on environmental efforts. This isn’t the first massive failure of climate efforts at the federal level, and it won’t be the last. The lesson: policymakers and industries won’t do the right thing unless they are forced, by our decisions with our ballots and our wallets. Emily Holden is the founder and editor-in-chief of Floodlight News, a nonprofit newsroom that investigates the corporations holding back climate action. Follow it on Twitter here.

[PYP]

regarding U.S. Southwest region --

 

How Bad Is the Western Drought? Worst in 12 Centuries, Study Finds.

Fueled by climate change, the drought that started in 2000 is now the driest two decades since 800 A.D.

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/14/climate/western-drought-megadrought.html   (highlights added) 

 

"...2000-21 is the driest 22-year period since 800 A.D., which is as far back as the data goes.

The analysis also showed that human-caused warming played a major role in making the current drought so extreme.

 

There would have been a drought regardless of climate change, Dr. Williams said. “But its severity would have been only about 60 percent of what it was.”  

 

Julie Cole, a climate scientist at the University of Michigan who was not involved in the research, said that while the findings were not surprising, “the study just makes clear how unusual the current conditions are.”

 

Dr. Cole said the study also confirms the role of temperature, more than precipitation, in driving exceptional droughts. Precipitation amounts can go up and down over time and can vary regionally, she said. But as human activities continue to pump greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, temperatures are more generally rising.

 

 

 

 

[sphinxsix]

On 2/11/2022 at 8:59 AM, semente said:

Four ways Joe Biden has failed on climate

Emily Holden

Been observing his declarations and actions (not only in the environmental field) with a huge credit of sympathy which definitely decreased over time and the process began soon after the COP26 with his oil drilling Gulf of Mexico lease permissions which was the first big disappointment.

 

Difficult not to agree with this statement:

 

On 2/11/2022 at 8:59 AM, semente said:

he certainly hasn’t brought the kind of sweeping and aggressive action the world’s scientists say is necessary to avoid catastrophic global heating.

 

Despite his loud pre- and early post-election declarations.

 

Sad indeed.

 

[sphinxsix]

An interesting point of view.

 

After Hitler invaded the Sudetenland, America turned its industrial prowess to building tanks, bombers and destroyers. Now, we must respond with renewables

 

"Imagine a Europe that ran on solar and wind power: whose cars ran on locally provided electricity, and whose homes were heated by electric air-source heat pumps. That Europe would not be funding Putin’s Russia, and it would be far less scared of Putin’s Russia – it could impose every kind of sanction, and keep them in place until the country buckled. Imagine an America where the cost of gas was not a political tripwire, because if people had to have a pickup to make them feel sufficiently manly, that pickup would run on electricity that came from the sun and wind. It would take an evil-er genius than Vladimir Putin to figure out how to embargo the sun."

[Confused]

4 hours ago, sphinxsix said:

An interesting point of view.

 

After Hitler invaded the Sudetenland, America turned its industrial prowess to building tanks, bombers and destroyers. Now, we must respond with renewables

 

"Imagine a Europe that ran on solar and wind power: whose cars ran on locally provided electricity, and whose homes were heated by electric air-source heat pumps. That Europe would not be funding Putin’s Russia, and it would be far less scared of Putin’s Russia – it could impose every kind of sanction, and keep them in place until the country buckled. Imagine an America where the cost of gas was not a political tripwire, because if people had to have a pickup to make them feel sufficiently manly, that pickup would run on electricity that came from the sun and wind. It would take an evil-er genius than Vladimir Putin to figure out how to embargo the sun."

I was actually thinking about all of this. I reckon that Russia's invasion of Ukraine might turn out to provide a far greater influence towards energy transition than COP26  or any of it's predecessors ever could. If nothing else, higher conventional energy prices makes investing in the alternatives more attractive. Time will tell. 

[PYP]

10 hours ago, Confused said:

Time will tell. 

In the meantime, the confluence of global warming (= severe drought) and war will result in a huge number of people starving or at the point of starvation.  

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/24/business/ukraine-russia-wheat-prices.html?searchResultPosition=1

 

Ukraine Invasion Threatens Global Wheat Supply

 

Russia and Ukraine together produce nearly a quarter of the world’s wheat, and coming disruptions could fuel higher food prices and social unrest.

[Confused]

15 hours ago, PYP said:

In the meantime, the confluence of global warming (= severe drought) and war will result in a huge number of people starving or at the point of starvation.  

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/24/business/ukraine-russia-wheat-prices.html?searchResultPosition=1

 

Ukraine Invasion Threatens Global Wheat Supply

 

Russia and Ukraine together produce nearly a quarter of the world’s wheat, and coming disruptions could fuel higher food prices and social unrest.

Yes, I was being optimistic in my earlier post, thinking that the desire for regions to have energy security together with the increased costs of conventional energy would actually make green energy truly desirable and politically palatable for many countries and regions, thus enabling the investment it needs.

 

A more pessimistic view would be future wars over water, food and habitable climates .

 

I suspect the future will include elements of both.

 

Regarding water, I last year I watched the documentary "H2O: The Molecule that Made Us". A good watch and included some very interesting material.

 

 

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/molecule-that-made-us/home/watch/

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000zgd9/h2o-the-molecule-that-made-us-series-1-3-crisis

[semente]

Caroline Lucas wrote for the Independent on why renewables are the solution to the cost of living crisis, not responsible for it, as some Tories are claiming.

 

Energy companies make billions while families are shivering – we need to tax one to help the other

There should be a windfall tax on those producers together with measures that treat energy as an essential public good

https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/energy-companies-fuel-poverty-b2007608.html

[sphinxsix]

10 minutes ago, semente said:

Caroline Lucas wrote for the Independent on why renewables are the solution to the cost of living crisis, not responsible for it, as some Tories are claiming.

 

Energy companies make billions while families are shivering – we need to tax one to help the other

There should be a windfall tax on those producers together with measures that treat energy as an essential public good

https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/energy-companies-fuel-poverty-b2007608.html

 

In the Netherlands the government a couple of months ago decreased the energy taxation and introduced financial help in regard to the poorer ones to help them deal with the spiking energy prices. 

 

[semente]

On 2/27/2022 at 10:20 AM, Confused said:

A more pessimistic view would be future wars over water, food and habitable climates .

 

With Governments being "run" by Capital and Big Corporations I don't see a chance of that happening in the temperate climate zones. Money only goes to war for profit, not in the interest of better living conditions for the populace.

[sphinxsix]

1 hour ago, semente said:

 

With Governments being "run" by Capital and Big Corporations I don't see a chance of that happening in the temperate climate zones. Money only goes to war for profit, not in the interest of better living conditions for the populace.

 

Mentioned in the Guardian article I already linked to, research showed that the deep conviction of just 25% of society instigates wider environmental, political and social change, so let's continue, dear fellow mignons  our, like some call it, 'extremist, leftist, communist' propaganda 

 

After the failure of Cop26, there’s only one last hope for our survival. By mobilising just 25% of people, we can flip social attitudes towards the climate.

 

Let's hope the war in Ukraine will not be accompanied by some environmental disaster.

 

Elon Musk said the US needs to increase its oil and gas output following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. "Hate to say it, but we need to increase oil & gas output immediately," Musk said in a tweet "Extraordinary times demand extraordinary measures."

 

 

[semente]

[semente]

1 hour ago, sphinxsix said:

Elon Musk said the US needs to increase its oil and gas output following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. "Hate to say it, but we need to increase oil & gas output immediately," Musk said in a tweet "Extraordinary times demand extraordinary measures."

 

Yeah, especially if my profits are taking a hit... 🤬

[sphinxsix]

7 minutes ago, semente said:

Yeah, especially if my profits are taking a hit... 🤬

 

Cheaper gas isn't a good thing for Tesla.

I'm not saying I agree with him or for that matter that I disagree, simply I don't think my knowledge is sufficient to judge the whole thing.

 

[botrytis]

Right now, electric vehicles, for the US is a non-starter. Need charging stations across the nation. California has them on US Rte 5 up and down the coast. but that is the only state. 

 

Until electric cars have ranges in the 500 miles or so AND can be fully charged in 5 minutes, they will remain a niche market. The other problem with the batteries are too heavy - liquid batteries. When they go solid state and the weight goes down, you may have a chance also.

 

The other way is alternative fuels. Cummings Diesel, in the US, has designed a hydrogen powered engine, that runs a generator that will power train locomotives. This is more viable.

 

I have stayed out of this discussion because I worked in biofuels research for 20 years or more.

[sphinxsix]

32 minutes ago, botrytis said:

Right now, electric vehicles, for the US is a non-starter. Need charging stations across the nation. California has them on US Rte 5 up and down the coast. but that is the only state. 

 

Until electric cars have ranges in the 500 miles or so AND can be fully charged in 5 minutes, they will remain a niche market. The other problem with the batteries are too heavy - liquid batteries. When they go solid state and the weight goes down, you may have a chance also.

 

The other way is alternative fuels. Cummings Diesel, in the US, has designed a hydrogen powered engine, that runs a generator that will power train locomotives. This is more viable.

 

I have stayed out of this discussion because I worked in biofuels research for 20 years or more.

I think the situation looks a little different in the Netherlands and in Europe in general. There are really surprisingly many hybrid cars, EVs and of course Tesla's which BTW are also made in the NL in an amazing factory in Tilburg (there are even tourist tours if the object). The charging stations network is already quite well developed. If you add to it popularity of small electric city cars and the fact that this is a relatively small country, you probably can get the picture. AFAIK it looks  very similar in Scandinavia. But these both areas (Benelux and Scandinavia) are traditionally countries advanced in ecological awareness. Most probably much more than 25% of the people are deeply convinced to environmental extremism..😉

 

[PYP]

1 hour ago, botrytis said:

Right now, electric vehicles, for the US is a non-starter. Need charging stations across the nation. California has them on US Rte 5 up and down the coast. but that is the only state. 

 

Until electric cars have ranges in the 500 miles or so AND can be fully charged in 5 minutes, they will remain a niche market. The other problem with the batteries are too heavy - liquid batteries. When they go solid state and the weight goes down, you may have a chance also.

 

The other way is alternative fuels. Cummings Diesel, in the US, has designed a hydrogen powered engine, that runs a generator that will power train locomotives. This is more viable.

 

I have stayed out of this discussion because I worked in biofuels research for 20 years or more.

I don't have your knowledge of the energy sector and technology, but it seems to me that U.S. (and non-U.S.) car manufacturers have made a significant commitment to electric cars.   As they develop cars and new battery technology (already there are some promising possibilities), the ranges will increase.  The U.S. could follow the example of Norway and use incentives to get people interested and federal funds to build the charging stations (and now everyone wants an electric vehicle).  Whether that is the best path forward to reach a sustainable future is a different question (for example, China has cornered much of the market in the needed materials and processing of those materials).  

 

Personally, I believe that hydrogen power is a good path and will be developed in tandem with electric systems.  Perhaps the largest vehicles will use hydrogen.  Toyota made a large bet on a hydrogen car and is a bit behind the curve on electrics as a result.  Who made the best bet?  We will see.  

 

The Netherlands has already chosen it seems.  People power and bicycles.  What could be cleaner than that?

[sphinxsix]

6 hours ago, PYP said:

I don't have your knowledge of the energy sector and technology, but it seems to me that U.S. (and non-U.S.) car manufacturers have made a significant commitment to electric cars.

That's for sure.

 

6 hours ago, PYP said:

Whether that is the best path forward to reach a sustainable future is a different question

It's very far from enough. 

 

6 hours ago, PYP said:

Personally, I believe that hydrogen power is a good path and will be developed in tandem with electric systems.

Let's hope so!

 

6 hours ago, PYP said:

The Netherlands has already chosen it seems.  People power and bicycles.  What could be cleaner than that?

I am lucky - I like biking, I don't like walking. 

As for cleaner, don't know... we breath out CO2 after all... CO2 is also the result of smoking different herbs... Not sure these are such environmentally friendly things.. Not even mentioning the electricity necessary to grow herbs. Lots of it is actually stolen - some estimates speak about number of KWh's of those that could be compared to KWh's used by Utrecht - the 4th biggest city in the NL....

 

BTW every time I see this city EV I think it's pretty cool. The brand is Carver (does American Carver audio still exist? Their gear also looked cool.)

 

[Priaptor]

9 hours ago, botrytis said:

Right now, electric vehicles, for the US is a non-starter. Need charging stations across the nation. California has them on US Rte 5 up and down the coast. but that is the only state. 

 

Until electric cars have ranges in the 500 miles or so AND can be fully charged in 5 minutes, they will remain a niche market. The other problem with the batteries are too heavy - liquid batteries. When they go solid state and the weight goes down, you may have a chance also.

 

The other way is alternative fuels. Cummings Diesel, in the US, has designed a hydrogen powered engine, that runs a generator that will power train locomotives. This is more viable.

 

I have stayed out of this discussion because I worked in biofuels research for 20 years or more.

Actually given your history in that industry, personally I would like to hear your thoughts as I agree with you.
 

Not sure the momentum of EVs can be overcome given all the infrastructure and money invested by all car manufacturers and personally I’m not a big believer that EVs is the best path or when the dust settles a huge environmental bonus compared to ICE. 

 

Agree with your opinion about alternative fuels. 
 

 

[sphinxsix]

 

@Priaptor  I'm not sure 'mignons' will want to talk to you, if I were one of them I wouldn't..

 

[Summit]

21 hours ago, botrytis said:

Right now, electric vehicles, for the US is a non-starter. Need charging stations across the nation. California has them on US Rte 5 up and down the coast. but that is the only state. 

 

Until electric cars have ranges in the 500 miles or so AND can be fully charged in 5 minutes, they will remain a niche market. The other problem with the batteries are too heavy - liquid batteries. When they go solid state and the weight goes down, you may have a chance also.

 

The other way is alternative fuels. Cummings Diesel, in the US, has designed a hydrogen powered engine, that runs a generator that will power train locomotives. This is more viable.

 

I have stayed out of this discussion because I worked in biofuels research for 20 years or more.

 

https://afdc.energy.gov/fuels/electricity_locations.html#/find/nearest?fuel=ELEC

 

https://www.plugshare.com/ 

 

https://chargemap.com/map

[sphinxsix]

11 hours ago, sphinxsix said:

 

@Priaptor  I'm not sure 'mignons' will want to talk to you, if I were one of them I wouldn't..

 

 

See.. I think I was right.. I guess some here are like me - they care not only about their wider environment but also about personal environment and avoid toxicity in both situation. I guess this explains the fact that that you seem to be a record holder here as for the number of people keeping you on 

 

 

Try to have a good day, anyway!

 

 

That is if you know what it means at all.. 

 

 

[botrytis]

When I worked in Biofuels, the US Army DARPA put out a document that stated plainly, The US will not be secure until biofuels and alternative energy has been developed. Energy independence is paramount for National Security.

 

Biodiesel can be made quite easily in the US with all the Soybean oil, rape seed oil, etc. produced here. Much of that oil is used as lubricants in metal finishing, etc. The same catalysts that are used in production of petroleum fuels can be used to produce fuels from bio-oils. We just have to have the will to do it. The fuels would then be close to carbon neutral.

[PYP]

39 minutes ago, botrytis said:

When I worked in Biofuels, the US Army DARPA put out a document that stated plainly, The US will not be secure until biofuels and alternative energy has been developed. Energy independence is paramount for National Security.

 

Biodiesel can be made quite easily in the US with all the Soybean oil, rape seed oil, etc. produced here. Much of that oil is used as lubricants in metal finishing, etc. The same catalysts that are used in production of petroleum fuels can be used to produce fuels from bio-oils. We just have to have the will to do it. The fuels would then be close to carbon neutral.

I know that many diesel engines can use a biodiesel blend, but would the change you envision require new engine designs?  Also, do you think we need to choose one method (electric/hydrogen/biodiesel) or several?

 

I notice you don't mention cannabis oil as a source for biofuel.  😉

[botrytis]

1 minute ago, PYP said:

I know that many diesel engines can use a biodiesel blend, but would the change you envision require new engine designs?  Also, do you think we need to choose one method (electric/hydrogen/biodiesel) or several?

 

I notice you don't mention cannabis oil as a source for biofuel.  😉

 

No. In fact, biodiesel burns cleaner and also gets better mileage. There are no changes to be made other than some computer tweaks for ignition and maybe different gasket material.

 

In the US, ethanol is blended with gasoline. It is not the Ethanol that is the problem but how junky the fuel it is blended with.

 

Also, United Airlines is pushing bio jet fuel production and is buy bio jet fuel.

 

Frontiers | Bio-aviation Fuel: A Comprehensive Review and Analysis of the Supply Chain Components | Energy Research (frontiersin.org)