This Summer Is the Hottest You’ve Ever Been

Image by Stefano Brivio

August is ending and that means white pants are passé. It also means summer is almost over, and it happened to be the hottest summer ever recorded. That’s a major indicator that we seriously need to curb global warming and fast.

http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=88607

You’re likely on vacation or just getting back in the work saddle. As you may or may not know, we’re real people with real fingers typing these newsletters on real keyboards, so we too like to adventure and enjoy the world we’re trying to preserve.

Therefore, taking a breather from generating our normal content this week, we’ve written an analogous tale of climate change and also included some solid resources to satiate your cleantech appetite…

Climate Change is like Louis XVI

Fossil fuels were like Louis XIV — their power progressed society as never seen before, and without them, humanity would be a puerile version of what it is today. But no one predicted negative externalities that were mustering.

That would make CO2 emissions equivalent to Louis XV — they were the true cause of the impending damage. People started realizing the devastation that would ensue from them; Louis XV even said: “Après moi, le déluge” (after me, the flood).

Climate change is like Louis XVI — You know how the story goes. He got his head chopped off by the guillotine, which is the perfect metaphor. The Earth is virtually losing its head by means of intense heat waves, colossal floods, oceans rising, and other gnarly effects.

Renewable energy is the revolution that gave France back to the people! Do you hear the people sing… Such an inspirational song. They democratize humanity and provide a solution to the chaos. That’s why we all need to champion clean energy!

Now here’s a pretty infographic that you can share with your friends (along with Cleantech Rising’s newsletter, of course)…

And finally, here’s a TED talk about how Costa Rica became a country that runs on 99% renewable energy:

https://upscri.be/4f43ab/

Let’s Talk About CO2 Baby — Carbon Capture & Storage

Image by Ian Britton

Well said, Salt ’N’ Peppa, let’s talk about it:

U.S. Carbon Dioxide Emissions, By Source

https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/overview-greenhouse-gases#carbon-dioxide

News flash: we need to curb CO2 emissions to slow climate change. While Tesla is working to clean up transportation, electricity generation and industrial production cause more than 50% of emissions. CO2 is not only a direct result of fossil fuel combustion, but also a byproduct of industrial production such as cement, steel, and paper.

We now have technology to prevent large amounts of CO2 from being released into the atmosphere. Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS): capturing CO2 produced by large industrial and power plants, compressing it for transportation, and then injecting it deep into a rock formation where it is permanently stored. You may know this as “clean coal”.

Right. Now In Layman’s Terms

CCS basically returns fossil fuels to where they came from. Here’s a simplified analogy:

Using fossil fuels is like eating McDonald’s; we do it because it’s cheap and satisfies our need for energy. But it gives us a lot of excess unhealthy calories, more than the amount our bodies need to function. CCS is like continuing to eat McDonald’s but being able to block a substantial amount of the extra calories that our bodies don’t need.

Whoopty Do, What does it all mean?

The technology has to be further developed to reduce the cost, but it already works in 22 CCS facilities that capture carbon either pre- or post-combustion. But where do we put that extra CO2? Won’t it just go back into the atmosphere or ocean?

The captured CO2 is injected into rock formations deep underground where it’s trapped beneath an impermeable cap rock, thereby permanently removing it from the atmosphere. Iceland went a step further and successfully converted CO2 into solid rock. A project called CarbFix — not an Icelandic soccer diet — imitates the natural CO2 storage process observed in basaltic rocks.

Oil and gas industry giants including BP have used CCS technology for decades for enhanced oil recovery (EOR). This allows them to squeeze more oil out of the ground and any leftover CO2 is stored deep underground.

Although this storage process has occurred naturally for millennia (hence where we got the fossil fuels in the first place!), it remains a challenge to describe this process to the public. That’s why you’re reading this now — to get the word out about CCS.

https://www.carbonbrief.org/world-on-course-to-overshoot-two-degrees-target-study-shows

You Know, We Could Just Plant More Trees

True. Trees are the original clean technology and forests are natural CCS systems. In fact, forests removed 22–26% of our carbon emissions in the 2000s. Unfortunately, business is booming for deforestation, which causes as much as 18% of global annual emissions.

This past Monday, White House science adviser John Holdren commented that a “keep it in the ground” movement regarding fossil fuels is “unrealistic”. Like with that colleague who rambles on and on, we’ve got to put up with coal and natural gas for a while. That’s our source of energy during this bridge phase to renewables.

CCS can significantly reduce CO2 until clean technologies are intertwined in all industries. Here are some shareable Cold Hard Facts:

• The 22 worldwide CCS projects will be able to capture 40 million tonnes of carbon dioxide annually…shaving 0.1% off global emissions each year.
• In 2014, global emissions were due to reach 40,000 million tonnes, with nearly 16,000 million tonnes from coal alone.
• There are around 50 CO2 pipelines currently operating in the US, which transport approximately 68 million tonnes per annum of CO2.
• The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) estimates the world’s potential capacity at two trillion tonnes, although it may possess ‘much larger potential’.
• In 2006, Norway’ said carbon capture and storage would be the country’s equivalent of the “Moon landing”. Now, it’s the first government to consider implementing CCS by 2022.

Most of the information in this newsletter comes from The Global CCS Institute.

https://upscri.be/4f43ab/

Deluge of Hydropower to Boost Grid Reliability

Hydropower is classic renewable energy, starting long before solar and wind power had their fun in the sun. The new Hydropower Vision report — outlining the state of the hydro industry and the DOE’s vision for the future — made its debut last week. Let’s dive into it…

Data that Makes You Say Dam

The U.S. has about 2,200 active hydropower plants with a total capacity of 79.6 GigaWatts (GW). For reference, California runs on less than 40 GW.

That makes hydropower the largest source of renewable energy.

The DOE growth model projects new capacity of hydropower to grow by 12.8 GW nationwide through 2050, almost entirely coming from upgrades to existing facilities rather than new development.

There are 42 Pumped Storage Hydropower (PSH) plants in the U.S., totaling 21.6 GW. The DOE forecasts an additional 35.5 GW of new pumped storage capacity by 2050. THIS is what we need to talk about.

PUMP IT UP

Like classic hydro, pumped storage plants release water through turbines to generate electricity when needed. But when grid electricity is abundant, these plants pump water back to a reservoir at a higher elevation. It can then flow down again when electricity is in demand, and the cycle repeats.

The point of all this? Pumped hydro provides a large-scale, affordable method of storing and deploying electricity. It’s basically a giant natural battery.

Electricity storage has been a major issue because other renewable energy sources rise and fall throughout the day depending on weather conditions. Pumped storage hydropower can smooth out the grid’s supply and demand spikes, making it more reliable.

Pumped hydro comprises the majority — a massive 97% — of U.S. utility-scale electricity storage.

Pumped storage can utilize excess solar energy during the day and pick up the slack when the Apollo quits for the night. It can be the balance that solar needs. The Axl to its Slash. The Sam to its Frodo. The Lamb to its tuna fish.

Damnation

Before we give props to the beavers for being hydro visionaries…

Turns out that some dams sever ecosystems and cause a big negative impact. What’s the point of clean energy if it harms the surrounding environment?

Watch the documentary ‘Damnation’ to fully understand the adverse effects of dams. Many environmentalists, including Patagonia’s Yvon Chouinard who produced the film, explain why we need to give a damn.

Thankfully, the DOE agrees that fish are friends. The report declares environmental stewardship imperative for the future of hydropower. Their vision includes, “continued improvement in mitigating adverse effects, protection of fish and wildlife, and increased public awareness”.

That’s why development of new facilities is not the plan. Old obsolete dams should also be removed to return the rivers and fish to their natural states. Six Western dams were deconstructed in 2015.

Investment Opportunity

Deployment of 35.5 GW of new PSH by 2050 corresponds to roughly 45% of national demand met by variable generation:

The DOE growth model is based on the assumption that technology will advance and low-cost finance will be accessible. That leaves a wide hole of opportunity to fill by cleantech innovators and financiers.

GE is a leader in pumped hydro and is making plants around the world, including a new facility for Axpo in the Swiss alps.

Check out GE’s innovative work here. No, seriously, click here. You’ll get a WAY better understanding of everything you just read.

https://upscri.be/4f43ab/

3D Printing Set to Ride the Green Wave

Image Creative Tools on Flickr

If the manufacturing industry was put on trial for the crime of altering the chemistry of our planet, it would inevitably be guilty as charged.

The traditional way to build something is to remove pieces from a larger object until you get the shape you want. You can also inject material into a mold. Both processes require massive resources and produce excess waste.

But 3D printing holds the potential to green up the manufacturing industry through a reduction in waste, transportation and energy use. UC Berkley’s Jer Faludi performed a study with his colleagues in the mechanical engineering department to explore that.

No study is perfect, as portrayed by John Oliver in his brilliant skit on scientific studies, and this one is no exception, but the results are worth a look…

Why Is 3D Printing Greener?

Faludi states, “Sometimes 3D printers are more eco-friendly than these machining processes they’re replacing — sometimes not… how you use the tool is the most important factor in its environmental impact.”

Mass amounts of plastic accumulate in landfills and oceans because plastic never goes away. Every piece of plastic that has been created still exists today. But 3D printers can use an alternative thermoplastic called polylactic acid (PLA) that does biodegrade. Because of its advantages, PLA is becoming the standard 3D printing material.

This may finally be the key to shifting away from detrimental plastics found everywhere.

As mentioned, 3D printers can utilize various materials. DeFacto is innovating industries including fashion, food, architecture, and product design. The design studio uses silk, sugar, wood, PLA, and chocolate to 3D print products for clients.

Managing extensive electricity use, as opposed to transportation or waste, makes up the majority of environmental impact concern for 3D printing.

Process of the Future

Once costs come down and 3D printers become a household object as common as traditional printers, everything will change. Imagine wanting a new dress or suit for the night, purchasing the 3D model from Ralph Lauren like buying an app, downloading the design, then printing it out at home using environmentally friendly materials.

Hod Lipson, a pioneer of 3D printing and particularly food printing, believes we’ll soon be able to download our dinner. Then it will be commonplace to ask, “What are we printing for dinner?” Chef Paco Pérez has already begun creating dishes with a 3D food printer at his two Michelin star restaurant.

The possibilities are literally endless. Though, you might want to get a second opinion on the blueprints for your 3D printed home. For safety reasons.

Faludi shares that, “… even more important than what machine you choose is to have the fewest tools run the most jobs (by sharing tools, for example).”

For now, how we use 3D printers turns out to be the crucial element to consider for lowering emissions. With people like Markus Kayser innovating 3D printers that run on 100% renewables, we’re choosing to remain optimistic about where this is heading.

Going Deeper

For a better idea of how 3D printing actually works, watch this video.

https://upscri.be/4f43ab/

How Virtual Reality Can Help Save Our Planet

Image Source

The purists of the world are mortified. Virtual reality — two words they prayed would never meet — has become a thing.

The idea of trading in real experience for virtual experience is bizarre, because how much reality will we give up to the virtual world?

With plenty of investment from the leading tech companies, and the industry set to bloom, this question is likely to be a topic of conversation for decades to come.

We have two choices now — to let our reluctance hold us back from exploring the vast potential of this technology, or to embrace VR and use it to create real change.

We’ve all seen emotionally moving documentaries, but what happens when film makers begin shooting with VR in mind — when we’re no longer watching, but actually transported into a place?

We don’t really know what it feels like to live in extremely poor conditions in the developing world, where people are already shackled by the chains of the warming climate. We don’t see our land disappearing as the sea rises upon it.

Short of physically placing ourselves in these settings, which few have the desire or opportunity to do, we’ve not been able to experience these things in a real way until now.

In his truly captivating TED Talk, Chris Milk shows us just how impactful this technology can be. He believes that giving the world’s top business and political leaders a first-hand perspective through VR will invoke empathy in them like never before.

Having collaborated with UNICEF on the film Clouds Over Sidra, and shown it to the World Economic Forum and the United Nations, he’s already using VR to influence the minds of people whose decisions affect the lives of millions.

Meanwhile at Stanford, Jeremy Bailenson has shown us that VR can be used to affect the way people relate to the environment. People who watch their tailored VR content on ocean acidification and fossil fuel energy become significantly more conscious of their footprint on the world.

Traditional screen viewing has informed us and provoked our thoughts, but we are at a crucial juncture in time, and the difference between 5 and 20 feet of sea level rise depends on our action now.

Under current climate change conditions, Miami will be gone by the end of the century. If we could see and feel that future, wouldn’t we all do more to prevent it?

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Miniature Stars on Earth: The Promise of Nuclear Fusion

Image by Mike Boening

What’s better than staring up at the stars on a clear night and pondering the universe?

Making stars here on Earth, that’s what.

Just ask wonder boy nuclear physicist, Taylor Wilson, who created nuclear fusion in his garage at age 14.

If you’d like a 4 minute refresher on what nuclear fusion is (it powers the sun), watch this video.

Not to be confused with nuclear fission used by our current nuclear power plants, which produce radioactive waste and a fraction of the power.

Implementing renewables like solar and wind is key in the interim, but according to Wilson, “Fusion is where we’re going to. Fusion is the energy source we need if we’re going to exist thousands of years as a society in the future.”

Even though the word “nuclear” sort of makes us cringe (Chernobyl, the atomic bomb, etc.), it may be the answer to the biggest challenges we face.

Here are few things happening in nuclear energy that you should know about:

• Taylor Wilson designed a nuclear fission reactor that is perfectly safe, produces a shit ton of power, and eats up radioactive waste as fuel. Watch his TED Talk here: My radical plan for small nuclear fission reactors.
• China, the EU, India, Japan, Korea, Russia and the US are engaged in a 35-year collaboration to advance fusion science.
• The UK start up Tokamak Energy is taking an innovative approach to developing fusion faster.

Pure, limitless green enrgy

That’s where we’re headed when we achieve “ignition” — when a nuclear fusion reactor starts producing more energy than we put into it.

To paraphrase Steven Cowley, it will be one of the great moments in science.

When it happens, we’ll replicate it in new nuclear power facilities around the world. We will finally round the corner and see the sustainable energy future we’ve been dreaming of.

The possibilities it will create for food production and clean fresh water supplies around the world will be game-changing.

Sun isn’t shining? No worries. Wind isn’t howling? Don’t sweat it.

In this new world, it won’t matter.