Energy & the Environment News and Discussions

weatheriscool
Posts: 12972
Joined: Sun May 16, 2021 6:16 pm

Re: Energy & the Environment News and Discussions

Post by weatheriscool »

Cold Wave, Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Cause Over 100 Deaths in Afghanistan
Source: Tolo News
More than 100 people in 15 provinces have died of exposure to severe cold weather and carbon monoxide poisoning over the past two weeks, the State Ministry for Disaster Management reported.
Read more: https://tolonews.com/index.php/afghanistan-181712
weatheriscool
Posts: 12972
Joined: Sun May 16, 2021 6:16 pm

Re: Energy & the Environment News and Discussions

Post by weatheriscool »

$1 Trillion Green Investment Matches Fossil Fuels for First Time
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles ... first-time
For the first time, the world invested as much money into replacing fossil fuels as it spent on producing oil, gas and coal, according to an analysis from BloombergNEF.

Global investments in the clean energy transition hit $1.1 trillion in 2022, roughly equal to the amount invested in fossil fuel production, the research firm said in its “Energy Transition Investment Trends 2023” report. Never before has the amount spent on switching to renewable power, electric cars and new energy sources like hydrogen topped $1 trillion.
weatheriscool
Posts: 12972
Joined: Sun May 16, 2021 6:16 pm

Re: Energy & the Environment News and Discussions

Post by weatheriscool »

Nearly 14,000 Nigerians take Shell to court over devastating impact of pollution
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/ ... -pollution
People from Niger delta areas of Ogale and Bille seeking justice in London’s high court

Last modified on Thu 2 Feb 2023 03.03 EST

Nearly 14,000 people from two Nigerian communities are seeking justice in the high court in London against the fossil fuel giant Shell, claiming it is responsible for devastating pollution of their water sources and destruction of their way of life.

The individuals from the Niger delta area of Ogale, a farming community, lodged their claims last week, joining more than 2,000 people from the Bille area, a largely fishing community. In total 13,652 claims from individuals, and from churches and schools, are asking the oil giant to clean up the pollution which they say has devastated their communities. They are also asking for compensation for the resulting loss of their livelihoods. Their ability to farm and fish has been destroyed by the continuing oil spills from Shell operations, they claim.
weatheriscool
Posts: 12972
Joined: Sun May 16, 2021 6:16 pm

Re: Energy & the Environment News and Discussions

Post by weatheriscool »

Europe bans Russian diesel, other oil products over Ukraine
Source: AP

By DAVID McHUGH today
FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Europe imposed a ban Sunday on Russian diesel fuel and other refined oil products, slashing energy dependency on Moscow and seeking to further crimp the Kremlin’s fossil fuel earnings as punishment for invading Ukraine.

The ban comes along with a price cap agreed by the Group of Seven allied democracies. The goal is allowing Russian diesel to keep flowing to countries like China and India and avoiding a sudden price rise that would hurt consumers worldwide, while reducing the profits funding Moscow’s budget and war.

Diesel is key for the economy because it is used to power cars, trucks carrying goods, farm equipment and factory machinery. Diesel prices have been elevated due to recovering demand after the COVID-19 pandemic and limits on refining capacity, contributing to inflation for other goods worldwide.

The new sanctions create uncertainty about prices as the 27-nation European Union finds new supplies of diesel from the U.S., Middle East and India to replace those from Russia, which at one point delivered 10% of Europe’s total diesel needs. Those are longer journeys than from Russia’s ports, stretching available tankers.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/european-uni ... osition_07
weatheriscool
Posts: 12972
Joined: Sun May 16, 2021 6:16 pm

Re: Energy & the Environment News and Discussions

Post by weatheriscool »

Hurricane Harvey more than doubled the acidity of Texas' Galveston Bay, threatening oyster reefs
https://phys.org/news/2023-02-hurricane ... eston.html
by Tacey Hicks and Kathryn Shamberger, The Conversation

Most people associate hurricanes with high winds, intense rain and rapid flooding on land. But these storms can also change the chemistry of coastal waters. Such shifts are less visible than damage on land, but they can have dire consequences for marine life and coastal ocean ecosystems.

We are oceanographers who study the effects of ocean acidification, including on organisms like oysters and corals. In a recent study published in Communications Earth & Environment, we examined how stormwater runoff from Hurricane Harvey in 2017 affected the water chemistry of Galveston Bay and the health of the bay's oyster reefs. We wanted to understand how extreme rainfall and runoff from hurricanes influenced acidification of bay waters, and how long these changes could last.

Our findings were startling. Hurricane Harvey, which generated massive rainfall in the Houston metropolitan area, delivered a huge pulse of fresh water into Galveston Bay. As a result, the bay was two to four times more acidic than normal for at least three weeks after the storm.

This made bay water corrosive enough to damage oyster shells in the estuary. Because oyster growth and recovery rely on many factors, it is hard to tie specific changes to acidification. However, increased acidification certainly would have made it harder for oyster reefs damaged by Hurricane Harvey to recover. And while our study focused on Galveston Bay, we suspect that similar processes may be occurring in other coastal areas.
User avatar
wjfox
Site Admin
Posts: 8733
Joined: Sat May 15, 2021 6:09 pm
Location: London, UK
Contact:

Re: Energy & the Environment News and Discussions

Post by wjfox »

User avatar
wjfox
Site Admin
Posts: 8733
Joined: Sat May 15, 2021 6:09 pm
Location: London, UK
Contact:

Re: Energy & the Environment News and Discussions

Post by wjfox »

User avatar
wjfox
Site Admin
Posts: 8733
Joined: Sat May 15, 2021 6:09 pm
Location: London, UK
Contact:

Re: Energy & the Environment News and Discussions

Post by wjfox »

Ultra low emissions zone expansion cut London pollutants by up to 26% – study

Fri 10 Feb 2023 07.00 GMT

The initial expansion of London’s ultra low emissions zone (Ulez) for motor vehicles has brought notable benefits in reducing pollution, a study has found as the mayor prepares for a big extension to its boundaries.

The report by officials at the Greater London authority and Transport for London could help Sadiq Khan counter a political backlash to the imminent further expansion.

The report has been peer-reviewed by Dr Gary Fuller, an expert on urban pollution at Imperial College London. It calculated that since the zone was introduced four years ago, emissions of toxic nitrogen oxides, or NOx, particularly produced by diesel engines, are 23% lower across London as a whole compared with what would be their estimated level if the scheme had not been introduced, and 26% lower within the zone.

Using the same metric, emissions of dangerous fine particulate matter, or PM2.5s, were calculated to be 19% lower than they would have been without the Ulez within its boundaries, and 7% lower across the whole city.

The zone in which drivers of vehicles which fail to meet certain emissions standards must pay a daily fee, now £12.50, was first rolled out for central London in April 2019.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/202 ... port-finds
User avatar
lechwall
Posts: 79
Joined: Mon Jan 02, 2023 3:39 pm

Re: Energy & the Environment News and Discussions

Post by lechwall »

wjfox wrote: Fri Feb 10, 2023 9:42 am Ultra low emissions zone expansion cut London pollutants by up to 26% – study

Fri 10 Feb 2023 07.00 GMT

The initial expansion of London’s ultra low emissions zone (Ulez) for motor vehicles has brought notable benefits in reducing pollution, a study has found as the mayor prepares for a big extension to its boundaries.

The report by officials at the Greater London authority and Transport for London could help Sadiq Khan counter a political backlash to the imminent further expansion.

The report has been peer-reviewed by Dr Gary Fuller, an expert on urban pollution at Imperial College London. It calculated that since the zone was introduced four years ago, emissions of toxic nitrogen oxides, or NOx, particularly produced by diesel engines, are 23% lower across London as a whole compared with what would be their estimated level if the scheme had not been introduced, and 26% lower within the zone.

Using the same metric, emissions of dangerous fine particulate matter, or PM2.5s, were calculated to be 19% lower than they would have been without the Ulez within its boundaries, and 7% lower across the whole city.

The zone in which drivers of vehicles which fail to meet certain emissions standards must pay a daily fee, now £12.50, was first rolled out for central London in April 2019.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/202 ... port-finds
Being a Londoner yourself WJ Fox how do you feel about this?
There is obviously a positive enviornmental impact from this no question but there's no denying it is a regressive tax when people can least afford it. The cost of an ultra low emission vehicle is still far outside the price range of the majority of people. Given the state of the UK's public transport (which can't be fixed overnight) people do still need to drive a lot the further out you get from central London.
User avatar
wjfox
Site Admin
Posts: 8733
Joined: Sat May 15, 2021 6:09 pm
Location: London, UK
Contact:

Re: Energy & the Environment News and Discussions

Post by wjfox »

lechwall wrote: Sun Feb 12, 2023 11:31 am
Being a Londoner yourself WJ Fox how do you feel about this?
100% in favour of the expansion. Prior to the ULEZ, pollution killed 4,000+ Londoners each year including many children, and reduced the quality of life for thousands more. The new measures will provide financial support for those who need help in this transition.

I'm proud of our mayor for pushing this law through and prioritising the public health. I remember similar debates in the early 2000s over smoking in pubs, restaurants etc. prior to the ban that Labour introduced, with people insisting it would bankrupt businesses. None of the doom-mongering predictions happened, people adapted and life went on. Today, we have better health and longevity as a result.

In any case, public transport is extremely good in London. I've lived here since 2000 and almost never needed a car. You can get practically anywhere in this city by bus, train, or tube, rarely needing to walk more than 20 minutes or so.
Post Reply