Opinion:
¶ “How Trump May Bulldoze ‘America’s Amazon'” • Nature lovers and earth scientists have been fighting Alaskan politicians over ANWR and King Cove Road for decades. Now, Trump’s mention of “logging” reopens a different front in an old war because everyone knows he’s talking about Tongass, the crown jewel of the National Forest system. [CNN]
Tongass Forest (Julian Quinones | CNN)
¶ “Republicans Must Accept Climate Change Or Lose The Presidency” • Donald Trump’s record of climate change denial is unlikely to stop him from doing whatever will win him another four years, and that includes reversing his previous statements. But what about the rest of his campaign team? Opinions are shifting away toward reality. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “China’s Gambling On A Nuclear Future, But Is It Destined To Lose?” • With around a dozen nuclear power plants in the works, China is set to overtake France as the number two producer of atomic energy worldwide within two years. It could surpass the US to become number one by 2030. But nuclear power is not as attractive as it once was. [CNN]
End of a cooling tower (RWE Germany)
¶ “Fantasy From ExxonMobil As Reality Confronts The Share Price” • ExxonMobil Chairman and CEO Darren Woods spelled out underpinning assumptions for dramatic expansion of oil and gas production. He said renewable energy is largely irrelevant, and Exxon must expand exploration to meet demand. He is engaging in fantasy. [Seeking Alpha]
Science and Technology:
¶ “15 To 20 Foot Sea Level Rise Possible Sooner Rather Than Later” • A draft of a report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says rising sea levels and warming waters are about to unleash “misery on a global scale.” The final report warns that ocean levels could rise by several feet before the end of this century. [CleanTechnica]
Harbor in Greenland (Ray Swi-hymn, Wikimedia Commons)
World:
¶ “Geothermal Energy Ltd Completes 3.2 Mile Deep Well In UK” • The deepest and hottest geothermal wells in the world have been completed after 10 months of drilling at United Downs in Cornwall. The $22 million wells are 3.1 miles deep and 195°C (383°F) at the bottom. Tests indicate the well could be used for geothermal heat. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Drone Attack Strike At Two Saudi Aramco Oil Facilities” • A fire broke out before dawn at a Saudi Aramco facility in Abqaiq after drones hit two oil facilities, Saudi-owned Al Arabiya TV reported, citing its own correspondent. The fire was brought under control. Houthi fighters in Yemen have launched similar attacks in the past. [Deccan Herald]
Fire at a Saudi Aramco facility
¶ “IRENA And UN Ink Agreement To Combat Desertification With Renewables” • Renewable energy plants can do more than provide cheap, emission-free energy. The shade cast by PV modules can help mitigate the adverse effects of desertification. The advantages of shade under solar PVs for agriculture are becoming known. [pv magazine International]
¶ “East Anglia One Offshore Wind Farm Begins Producing Electricity” • Spain’s Iberdrola hooked up the first wind turbines of the East Anglia One offshore wind farm to the British electric grid. The wind farm has 102 Siemens Gamesa turbines. It is about 50 km from the coast of Suffolk, and it is to be fully operational next year. [Renewable Energy Magazine]
East Anglia One (Iberdrola image)
¶ “Offshore Wind To ‘Grow 15% A Year'” • The offshore wind sector is expected to grow by an average of 15% per year over the next 10 years, according to new research by Commerzbank, the second largest bank in Germany. Commerzbank said the current installation level is 4.3 GW and it expects that to grow to 19.1 GW per year by 2028. [reNEWS]
¶ “Global Renewable Energy Initiative Aims To Bring A Billion People In From The Dark” • A new global commission on energy poverty says that advances in micro energy grids and renewable energy technologies could “dramatically accelerate change” and transform lives in rural areas of sub-Saharan African and south Asia. [The Guardian]
Running a restaurant by candle light (Nic Bothma | EPA)
US:
¶ “Record Growth In Residential Energy Storage In Q2” • From April 1 to June 30, 2019, behind the meter residential energy storage in the US experienced its greatest increase in history, 35 MWh, according to a US Energy Storage Monitor report from Wood Mackenzie Power & Renewables and the US Energy Storage Association. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “More Americans Concerned About Climate Change, New Poll Finds” • In a new poll by the Washington Post and the Kaiser Family Foundation, 80% of respondents agreed that human activity is a leading cause of climate change. That’s huge. But only half believe urgent action is needed and only 40% say it amounts to a crisis. [CleanTechnica]
Threatened by sea level rise (NOAA image)
¶ “Advocates Highlight Familiar Renewable Energy Issues In Fight To Override Sununu’s Veto” • New Hampshire legislators hope to override vetoes of five bills they say are key to fighting climate change and developing new sources of energy. One bipartisan measure advocates are pushing for would expand net metering. [New Hampshire Public Radio]
¶ “ESF Joins 19 New York Colleges and Universities to Purchase Large-Scale Aggregated Renewable Energy” • The SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry has become a member of a consortium of 20 New York public and private higher education institutions for the purchase of large-scale aggregated renewable energy. [SUNY-ESF Headlines]
Have a profoundly delightful day.
geoharvey 