Thursday, July 15, 2010

'Climategate' debate: less meltdown, more well-mannered argument | Damian Carrington | Environment | guardian.co.uk
• Steve McIntyre, editor of ClimateAudit: It was hard to reconcile the much-demonised McIntyre with the open and avuncular Canadian on the stage. Despite being the highest-profile critic of CRU, he pointed out none of the three enquires had asked him to give evidence. He ducked a question on how much the Earth was warming – "I don't know" – he was convincing in saying his motive had always been wanting the temperature data only because he felt it was important and should be available. He noted that if he was running a government, he would be taking action on climate change. Hardly a classic sceptic.
Scientists Create Improved CO2-Absorbing Crystals - ABC News
"Porosity is a way to do a lot with little," said Yaghi, a chemistry and biochemistry professor, in a statement. "Instead of having only the outside surface of a particle, we drill small holes to dramatically increase the surface area."
...
"They can be used for the short-term storage of CO2 (carbon dioxide) or fuel gas storage. I think it is practically possible," said Kim, adding that hydrogen could also be stored.
[Is this intentionally misleading? Are they trying to suggest that 1/4 of global energy is generated via wind turbines and solar panels?]
July 15 (Bloomberg) -- Wind, solar and other forms of renewable power accounted for more new electricity generation than fossil fuels in the U.S. and Europe for a second year in 2009, the United Nations Environment Program said.

Clean energy accounted for 60 percent of new capacity in Europe, and more than half of new power generation in the U.S., UNEP said today in an e-mailed statement. Alternative power now accounts for about a quarter of global generating capacity, or 1,230 gigawatts out of 4,800 gigawatts, the group said.
[We're saved! Obama administration attempts to prevent tornadoes by spending over $8 million to convert cars from one fossil fuel to another fossil fuel]
[USDA press release] Baker Equipment's work converting cars to run on propane is part of the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy's Paving the Way with Propane: The AutoGas Corridor Development Program, which received an $8.6 million Recovery Act grant to build the infrastructure to encourage public and private vehicle operators to convert existing vehicles from conventional gasoline to clean propane [a fossil fuel].

The grant is having an important impact on both job creation and clean energy efforts:

* The project has already resulted in 47 new jobs. [only $180,000 per job!]
* The 1189 vehicles funded by this project will displace roughly 16 million gallons of gasoline.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Another scam such as propane gas is going on with fuel-cells. They consider fuel cells "renewable" now, even though they consume hydrogen or natural gas.

get this quote from http://www.green-buildings.com/content/781444-fuel-cells-renewable-energy-are-they-applicable-leed

"...There is also no combustion involved or external energy source required for the fuel-cell to operate, just fuel..."

Anonymous said...

Two things about the claim of 1/4 of global generating capacity:

1. they are talking about capacity, not production, so this is just added up peak capacity, at ideal wind speeds and ideal sunlight

2. they probably counted hydroelectric-installations aswell, most of which are old and some of which are very powerful (China's Three Gorges Dam has 22 Gigawatts)

Other than that, it's hard to imagine how they arrived at these figures.

Dalcio said...

Agree that hydroelectric power is being counted as "alternative" energy.
It is unbelievable that anybody supposedly concerned with the environment think that hydro-power is "green". Those mega dams in China, Brazil, Egypt, USA are major ecological and environmental catastrophes. But since the biodiversity destroyed and the arable lands buried under them can't be seen they don't have anywhere the impact of an oil spill.

Dalcio