By the end of the century, the global electricity system may need to be five times larger to meet projected population growth, rising standards of living, and the “electrification” of larger parts of the economy. That includes the growing use of electricity to fuel cars, run stoves, and heat buildings.
“If we stick to the average rate of clean energy additions during the last five years, it would take about 360 years to build a system (of that size), If we did it at the fastest rate in the last five years, it’d still take nearly 260 years.” - Seaver Wang, Breakthrough Institute
And, of course, all of it will need to be carbon free.
Building such a system fast enough to limit global warming to 2˚C would require our annual rate of clean energy additions to quintuple by 2040, according to arecent analysis by the Breakthrough Institute. MIT Review
photo credit: Getty
The massive bushfires in Australia are still spreading as heat, high winds, and dry weather are pushing flames through much of the southeastern part of the country.
The blazes have proved deadly and destructive, burning through more than 14.8 million acres, or 23,000 square miles, an area almost as large as the state of West Virginia. The fires have now killed at least 20 people and destroyed more than 1,400 homes.
These fires are burning just as Australia is emerging from its hottest, driest year on record. Several unique weather patterns converged over the country to create the hot, dry conditions behind the fires this season. But climate change is a major factor, with average temperatures rising across Australia and the most populated parts of the country receiving less rainfall over time, worsening the risk of extreme wildfires. Vox
For a terrestrial view of Australia’s record setting fires and destruction, visit “The Australia Wildfires in Pictures” NYTimes
(photo credit: Axios)
Royal Dutch Shell has tightened its grip on Australia's energy market with the purchase of a 49% stake of utility-scale PV developer ESCO Pacific, just weeks after the oil major completed an AU$617 million (US$425 million) acquisition of one of the country’s largest electricity retailers, ERM Power.
"Shell, the world’s second-largest oil player, unveiled plans in March to become the biggest global power producer within 15 years and has committed to pour US$2 billion a year into clean energy investments."
Shell’s growing appetite for investments in the global electricity supply chain has included the acquisition of German battery firm Sonnen and British C&I supplier Hudson Energy, on top of sponsoring major utility-scale PV developments in Texas and purchasing stakes in Bangalore-based rooftop solar firm Orb Energy and French floating wind developer EOLFI. PV Tech
(photo credit: Getty)
Elon Musk is talking (again) about his idea to turn 10,000 square miles in the U.S. desert into a solar farm that can power the entire nation. In a Twitter reply to an article by Treehugger about Bill Gates questioning the efficiency of solar power, Musk fired back, “all you need is a 100 by 100 mile patch in a deserted corner of Arizona, Texas or Utah (or anywhere) to more than power the entire USA.”
At the 2017 National Governors Association Summer Meeting, Musk said, “The batteries you need to store the energy, so you have 24/7 power, is 1 mile by 1 mile…One square-mile. That’s it.”
Nothing better than a clean tech “intellectual” sparring match between Musk and Gates. Who you got? Popular Mechanics
#carboncreed #climatechange #solarenergy #ElonMusk #BillGates
(photo credit: Getty)
The solar economy continues its dramatic growth, with over a half-terawatt already installed around the world generating clean electricity. But what happens to photovoltaic (PV) modules at the end of their useful life? With lifespans measured in decades, PV-waste disposal may seem to be an issue for the distant future. Yet, the industry ships millions of tons every year, and that number will continue to rise as the industry grows.
Total e-waste—including computers, televisions, and mobile phones—is around 45 million metric tons annually. By comparison, PV-waste in 2050 will be twice that figure. Scientific American
Aluminum is abundant in more things than just soda cans; the metal is used in everything from transportation to power lines. It’s also a component of things like smartphones, tablets, laptops, and TVs. But all that use has a big #environmental impact. Mining, smelting, and casting aluminum is a carbon-intense process, and the production of new aluminum alone accounts for 1%o f annual global greenhouse gas emissions.
But Apple is hoping to lessen their aluminum-associated carbon footprint, and the company announced this week that it bought the first-ever commercial batch of carbon-free aluminum. Fast Company
(photo credit: Apple)
The top three cloud providers--Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure—account for approximately two-thirds of all leasable cloud services, so WIRED has compiled a guide to help common folks understand how they decarbonize your data.
To assess the relative greenness of different clouds, the ratings highlight three metrics: the efficiency of a data center's infrastructure (lights, cooling, etc.), the efficiency of its servers, and the source of its electricity (renewables, fossil fuel, nuclear, etc.)
The results will surprise you. WIRED
The European Commission has unveiled the most ambitious vision of any government to date to address the climate crisis.
Dubbed the European Green Deal, the proposal aims to make the 28 countries in the #EuropeanUnion “climate neutral” by 2050.
Combined, these countries make up the world’s largest economic bloc, and rank third behind China and the United States in contributions to #climatechange. The proposal aims to meet its objectives while ensuring a just transition for workers who might be hurt in the process. VOX
(photo credit: European Union)
Besides being named Time Magazine Person of the Year, most people have no idea who Greta Thunberg really is or her background. The BBC ran a great article that fills in many of the gaps. BBC
(photo credit: Time Magazine)
#carboncreed #climatechange #globalwarming #GretaThunberg
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Hi, I'm Walter, founder and editor of Carbon Creed: a blog and newsletter for people serious about tech and the low carbon economy.