#Fukushima nuclear plant will start to ditch 1 million tons of tritium-polluted water out into the sea.
> The decision comes weeks after the UN’s nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), approved the discharge, saying that the radiological impact on people and the environment would be “negligible”.
Yea, right #IAEA. This is just as trustworthy as #Shell concluding that the burning of #FossilFuels has negligible effects on the earth's atmosphere.
Fossil fuel companies need to be acquired so they can be phased out.
“Rather than cashing out flows of income as profits, a public energy company could – and would – reinvest cash flows in delivering a decarbonised grid and lowering bills. Lower capital costs for publicly-owned companies, including the lack of a need to pay out dividends, only bolster the fiscal and economic case for public ownership to deliver this urgent task.”
So while you & I might think its necessary to speed up the Green Transition & enhance/accelerate measures to reduce emissions, Shell's shareholders disagree.
The firm has just sought & obtained agreement from investors to slow down its measures to mitigate its environmental impact & reduce progress towards its own (already weak) climate targets.
More reason(s) the fossil fuels sector cannot really be central to climate response(s).
...since starting @ClimateMigration yesterday, the vast majority of Followers are from outside the US. Understand this is not a fun subject, but the disparity in attention to this topic is pretty striking.
"European #GasPrices rose almost 7% on Monday morning, following news about supply risks.
On Sunday, the Egyptian cabinet announced that their natural gas imports fell to zero from 800 million cubic feet per day. #Egypt imports gas from Israel, among others, and sends some of it to #Europe in liquidated form (#LNG)."
Remember when your climate president approved the ConocoPhillips Willow drilling project in Alaska? Drilling has begun in places, but some activists managed to bring the decision back into court.
"The government’s attorney, Amy Collier, said experts at the agencies did consider that an increase in greenhouse gas emissions would cause the Arctic to lose sea ice, which the region’s polar bears depend on. But, she said, the link wasn’t direct. They didn’t have evidence that the specific emissions resulting from the Willow project would shrink sea ice in this part of the Arctic, hurting this particular population of polar bears."
So, I may be a "doomsayer" (I consider myself a realist), but I'm always trying to see if there's a solution to getting us out of the mess we're in. Perhaps I would describe myself as an optimistic pessimist. Anyhow, based on my recent research, here are some of the solutions I think we (humanity) should pursue collectively...
Plug up the #MethaneLeaks! Seriously! That's a big part of the problem!
Make the price of #meat expensive! I remember when having meat was considered a special occasion -- not a daily occurrence.
Make things out of #RomanConcrete. Now that we've cracked the recipe, there's no excuse not to use it! Especially with rising sea levels (Roman concrete holds up better when exposed to water).
Manufacture stuff that lasts! No more #PlannedObsolescence -- items that can't be upgraded and/or repaired by a skilled user or a local repair shop!
Utilize new (and ancient) technologies to the max! #SolarPrisms, reflective white paint, building new structures with #skywells, #geothermal and other ways to cool/heat spaces without using #FossilFuels!
That's just a few off the top of my head. I think a lot of the solutions are right in front of us -- but #greed and #Oligarchy are keeping them from being implemented!
Rapid reductions in fossil fuel production and use are essential to limit global warming to 1.5°C compared to pre-industrial levels. Our new research shows most of the world's major coal, oil and gas companies are yet to make meaningful reductions.
Absolutely inexcusable - "‘Mind-boggling’ #methane#emissions from #Turkmenistan revealed - Leaks of potent greenhouse gas #GHG could be easily fixed, say experts, and would rapidly reduce global heating - Methane leaks alone from Turkmenistan’s two main fossil fuel fields caused more global heating in 2022 than the entire carbon emissions of the UK, satellite data has revealed.
Methane emissions have surged alarmingly since 2007 and this acceleration may be the biggest threat to keeping below 1.5C of global heating, according to scientists. It also seriously risks triggering catastrophic climate tipping points, researchers say.
Emissions of the potent greenhouse gas from the oil- and gas-rich country are “mind-boggling”, and an “infuriating” problem that should be easy to fix, experts have told the Guardian.
The data produced by Kayrros for the #Guardian found that the western fossil fuel field in Turkmenistan, on the #Caspian coast, leaked 2.6m tonnes of methane in 2022. The eastern field emitted 1.8m tonnes. Together, the two fields released emissions equivalent to 366m tonnes of #CO2, more than the UK’s annual emissions, which are the 17th-biggest in the world."
Hydrogen is NOT and energy source, it is an energy carrier; aka a battery.
What is true for all batteries, is that they don't work with 100% efficiency. You loose energy when you put energy into the battery (convert electricity to H2) and you loose energy when you get it out of the battery (convert H2 to electricity in a fuel cell for example).
So, when we make 'green' hydrogen, we have solar panels or windmills - already disputable 'green' sources - with a relatively low efficiency and convert the generated electricity to H2 (60% efficiency) and later back to electricity (60% efficiency again), so we are left with 36% of the original electricity of the 'green' source.
See also the attached copy from my book Crash Course
Also realise that currently >90% of H2 is produced from fossil fuels! See Wikipedia below:
... As of 2020, the majority of hydrogen (~95%) is produced from fossil fuels by steam reforming of natural gas and other light hydrocarbons, partial oxidation of heavier hydrocarbons, and coal gasification....
"Oil and gas supermajors including Shell and BP are using UK influencers to push false solutions to the climate crisis and manufacture a more family friendly image, DeSmog can reveal."
While planning on begrudgingly casting a ballot for Biden this year, it's wild to see so many takes saying, "Yeah, #genocide is bad, but OTHER THAN THAT..." as if that's something you can gloss over. That's some real #neoliberal BS.
And it's not even like Biden will do anything meaningful on the #ClimateCrisis either, the other greatest threat facing our world. His continued subsidies of #FossilFuels and giving passes to mega carbon emitters over the past four years is proof of that.
And don't give me BS about, "bUt He'Ll sTaBIlIzE DeMoCraCy!!!" The previous administration showed where the holes in the US government system were and where safeguards should have been deployed. Instead of working to install those safeguards, he chose to use them as a bargaining chip for a second term.
Improvements to The Economy(TM) and employment numbers means shit when people have to work 2 or 3 jobs to keep their families off the street.
I urge all who can to vote for Biden in the hopes that the administration stabilizes the broken country long enough for the next generation, whom we have SORELY wronged, to present a new generation of truly #progressive leaders and hope that another term doesn't further entrench the "conservative-lite." I equally urge you to hold him accountable for his misdeeds.
With help from outside influence groups, #Idaho lawmakers work to ban #climate action
"Idaho is one of several conservative states with bills this year aimed at prohibiting investment practices that use #ESG, or “environmental, social and governance” factors.
Senate Bill 1291 bans companies that do business with the state from boycotting energy industries, including #FossilFuels, and the #firearm industry."
Oil giant Shell warns cutting production 'dangerous' (www.bbc.co.uk)
I don't know about you but I'm sure glad the chief exec of Shell cares about our futures.......
Nearly two-thirds of the top fossil fuel producers in Australia and the world aren't on track for 1.5°C climate target (phys.org)
Rapid reductions in fossil fuel production and use are essential to limit global warming to 1.5°C compared to pre-industrial levels. Our new research shows most of the world's major coal, oil and gas companies are yet to make meaningful reductions.