New report shows impacts of climate change and extreme weather in Latin America and Caribbean

23.08.2021

climate-change-2241061__340 — Photo illustration: Pixabay

Climate change and extreme weather are threatening human health and safety, food, water and energy security and the environment in Latin America and the Caribbean. The impacts span the entire region, including Andean peaks, mighty river basins and low-lying islands, according to a new report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). It flags concerns about fires and the loss of forests which are a vital carbon sink.

The “State of the Climate in Latin America and the Caribbean 2020″ provides a snapshot of the effects of increasing temperatures, changing precipitation patterns, storms and retreating glaciers. It includes transboundary analyses, such as of the drought of the South American Pantanal and the intense hurricane season in Central America-Caribbean. It provides a detailed regional breakdown of worsening global climate change indicators.

The report and an accompanying story map show how marine life, coastal ecosystems and the human communities that depend on them, particularly in Small Island Developing States, are facing increasing threats from ocean acidification and heat and rising sea levels.

The report was released at a high-level conference on 17 August, “Working together for weather, climate and water resilience in Latin America and the Caribbean” under the auspices of WMO, the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (UNECLAC), and the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR).

It follows the release of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report on Climate Change 2021: the Physical Science basis, which said that temperatures in the region have increased more than the global average and are likely to continue to do so. It also projected changing precipitation patterns, more sea level rise, coastal flooding and marine heatwaves.

“Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) is among the regions most challenged by extreme hydro- meteorological events. This was highlighted in 2020 by the death and devastation from Hurricane Eta and Iota in Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica, and the intense drought and unusual fire season in the Pantanal region of Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Argentina. Notable impacts included water and energy-related shortages, agricultural losses, displacement and compromised health and safety, all compounding challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic,” said WMO Secretary-General Prof. Petteri Taalas.

You can read the whole report HERE.

Source: WMO

Australia can Expect More Floods, Droughts and Fires

22.08.2021

drought-dry-suva zemlja — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

According to the recent IPCC report, Australia can look forward to more floods, more droughts, more fires, and worse — drier conditions, which means more droughts, more fires, and when it does rain, more floods. While the weather presenters on the news prattle about the wonderful sunny days, the farmers off the coast pray for rain.

The majority of Australians live in big cities on the coast. They are quite insulated from the extreme weather (unless you are up in the deep north where they have cyclone season every year). The biggest effect the drought has is when the beef and vegetable prices go up!

Out west where the food is produced, it is much more dramatic — crops dying in the fields, beasts trapped in the mud at the almost dry waterholes, or floating down the newly minted rivers when it floods.

If you take a drive from Brisbane out through Toowoomba (125 km), then Chinchilla (290 km), Roma (480 km), and Charleville (750 km), you can see the country change and become drier and drier. Between Brisbane and Toowoomba, it is market gardens that grow all our vegetables. From Toowoomba to Chinchilla, it is wheat and then cattle. Out past Roma, it is drought-resistant cattle and sheep. A bit further from Charleville, it is desert.

The further away from the coast you went, the less rain. You could have a property that had 3 good years in 5, or if you had the wrong spot, only one good year in 5. A sheep farmer in Quilpie (200 km west of Charleville) explained how crazy his dogs went when it finally rained after 7 years of drought — they had never seen, smelled, or felt it before. And these were the good times.

Source: Clean Technica

How to Decarbonize Heavy-Duty Transport and Make it Affordable

21.08.2021

highway-kamion — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

The race to decarbonize transportation is on, attested to by a global wave of commitments to electrify government and corporate fleets.

However, heavy-duty trucking presents a special challenge. While it constitutes only 1 percent of total fleet vehicles, it is responsible for a disproportionate 25 percent share of global road emissions.

Now is the time to eradicate that 25 percent, by joining together as vehicle manufacturers, infrastructure providers and governments to make heavy-duty electric trucking affordable, easy, and sustainable. Technology has made great strides, but barriers remain.

Addressing the real factors behind electric vehicle emissions

Heated debates have surrounded the sustainability of electric vehicles. The evidence is in, and it boils down to three emissions factors: car production; fuel transfer vs battery production (well-to-tank); driving emissions. In the chart below, it is evident that battery electric vehicles (BEVs) are more sustainable than conventional cars overall – ICEs (internal combustion engines – and continue to become more sustainable.

It’s also clear that the greatest factor in BEV emissions is not the batteries, but rather the electricity used to charge them. So, our race to decarbonize transportation depends on our success in decarbonizing the electrical grid.

Of course, the cleanest kilowatt is the one never produced. The numbers from Transport and Environment show that electric trucks are already more energy-efficient than diesel trucks. The chart below also shows that if the power grid included only renewable electricity, electric trucks would operate with zero emissions, while using less than half the energy of diesel trucks.

Making electric trucks affordable

Despite the growing sustainability advantage, the initial capital expenditure to purchase electric trucks and perceived cost of operation have been deterrents to logistics companies operating on slim margins.

Since fuel is an enormous cost factor for long-haul trucks covering 160,000 km annually, energy efficiency plays a major role in reducing operational costs. And while BEV batteries are already 85 percent cheaper than 10 years ago, by 2030 battery costs will drop another 50 percent. At that point, according to the CEO Alliance’s HDT Truck Charging Final Report, published in April 2021, native design electric trucks will reach an economic tipping point, becoming 12 percent cheaper to purchase and operate than diesel trucks.

Providing range security

Range anxiety is another common deterrent to electrifying fleets, even though both the vehicles and charging stations are capable of delivering long range driving security.

In fact, by 2025, increased battery density will allow a 40-tonne truck to drive 400 km on a single charge. Of course, that assumes the status quo – a battery that fits into a conventional truck head. Most analysts expect BEV-native truck heads with bigger batteries to appear in the next five years, making the average long-haul trip of around 800 km possible on a single charge.

Charging technology is also much faster. It once took 2.5 hours to charge a heavy-duty electric truck. With fast chargers, charging is done over a standard compulsory break (45 minutes for every 4.5 hours of driving). By the end of the year, new megawatt charging stations will make it possible to charge even faster, providing greater capacity for charging hubs.

Digitalization and web-enabled connectivity also make charging stations more sustainable and reliable than before, allowing operators to control stations remotely, optimize energy usage and conduct routine maintenance to keep them up and running 24/7.

Universal standards

If the vehicles and charging technologies are mature, reliable, and affordable, and policymakers in the EU, US, China and many other countries are stepping up with ambitious new fleet conversion targets, why don’t we see more electric trucks on the road?

Well, first movers like Norway, Iceland and Sweden are well underway to electrifying transport nationwide, thanks to well-orchestrated roadmaps that bring together vehicle manufacturers, infrastructure providers and authorities. But once trucks cross the border, the charging infrastructure is no longer guaranteed.

Removing range anxiety for long-hauls also depends on finding compatible fast charging stations in the right places at the right times. Universal standards for both technology and regulation have been elusive in other global sustainability efforts. We can’t afford that for long-haul, heavy-duty electric trucking. Open software protocols and connection interfaces for both vehicles and chargers are critical to ensuring compatibility between vehicles and charging stations and facilitating hassle-free, long-haul driving.

Public funding and incentives

International public funding will also be an important tool in overcoming border barriers. Europe’s NextGenerationEU programme, for example, will dedicate 25 percent of its EUR 750 billion recovery budget to decarbonization projects, with sustainable infrastructure and electric transport topping its priorities. The CEO Alliance for heavy-duty vehicle charging has recommended allocating EUR 9 billion of that funding to constructing a strategic EV charging network, with 8,000 chargers along nine highways in the Trans-European Transport Network, and another 20,000 chargers at 11 regional hubs, guaranteeing a seamless essential European freight route.

In addition, stricter CO2 standards, clear carbon pricing for fuels, CAPEX support, tax rebates, and road toll discounts would help create economies of scale and a clear market rationale for fleet operators.

Stepping on the accelerator in the transportation climate race

Norway is on track to become the first nation to convert entirely to electrified transport, spearheaded by an ambitious national target of cutting its CO2 emissions by 55 percent from 1990 to 2030, and selling only zero-emission cars by 2025. Those policies are supported by incentives for EV drivers, purchasing tax exemptions, reduced tolls and ferry tickets. The country has also invested in a strategic network of high-powered fast chargers.

This gives a company like Norwegian grocer ASKO the confidence to set its own ambitious goal of electrifying its 600-truck fleet by 2026.

It’s time to make Norway the rule, not the exception. We have the technology, global public recognition of the climate crisis, and governments ready to act. We have everything we need. Let’s step on the accelerator in the transport climate race and work together to electrify heavy-duty transport now.

Source: World Economic Forum

Seven Things you Should Know About Household Air Pollution

20.08.2021

vazduh_dim_dimnjak_krov — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

Every year, nearly 4 million people die prematurely from indoor air pollution. Many succumb to diseases linked to inhaling smoke from kerosene, wood and charcoal fires, which are commonly used in the developing world for cooking and heating.

To help raise awareness about indoor air pollution, the United Nations launched last year the International Day of Clean Air for blue skies. With this year’s event just around the corner, here are seven things you should know about household air pollutants.

They are terrible for human health

Tens of millions of people become sick, injured, or burnt from using fuel in their living spaces. Household air pollution causes stroke, heart disease, lung cancer and other deadly ailments.

The burning of unclean fuels, like coal, releases large quantities of dangerous pollutants, including carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and fine particulate matter (PM). In households with open burning and unvented solid fuel stoves, particles smaller than 2.5 micrometres in diameter (PM2.5) can exceed WHO-recommended levels by up to 100 times.

And the impact of indoor air pollution extends beyond the home, contributing to almost 500,000 of the premature deaths attributed to outdoor air pollution every year.

Dirty household fuels are disastrous for the environment

Household combustion is the second-largest contributor to climate change after carbon dioxide and a major component of particulate matter. It also produces an estimated quarter of all black carbon, or soot emissions, which, according to the World Health Organization, have a per-unit warming capacity 460 – 1,500 times greater than that of carbon dioxide.

When they interact with outdoor air pollutants, household combustion emissions contribute to the formation of ground level ozone – a short-lived climate pollutant that decreases crop yields and affects local weather patterns.

Affordable, reliable energy can help reduce indoor air pollution

Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7 envisages “access to affordable, reliable and modern energy for all by 2030.” The global adoption of clean household energy – including low-emission stoves, heating and lighting – could save millions of lives.

It would also help to reduce biodiversity loss caused by using wood for fuel, decelerate forest degradation, reduce carbon dioxide emissions from biomass, and lower emissions of black carbon, methane and carbon monoxide. In fact, since black carbon particles only remain in the air for a week or less (versus carbon dioxide, which can remain for more than a century) reducing their emission is an important way to decelerate climate change in the near-term.

To date, however, there remains a dearth of access to affordable, clean energy options.

Household air pollution entrenches poverty and inequality

In more than 155 countries, a healthy environment is recognized as a constitutional right. Obligations related to clean air are implicit in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. The 2030 Agenda is based on the premise that no one should be left behind.

Nonetheless, there are still 3 billion people using unsafe fuels in their homes; and they are typically among the world’s poorest.

Access to clean cooking fuels and technologies is increasing by just 1 percent a year.

Women and girls suffer most from indoor air pollution

Those who spend more time indoors, including women and children, are disproportionately affected by household air pollution. Women and girls are particularly vulnerable to kerosene cooking and lighting explosions. And close to half of all pneumonia deaths among children under five are a consequence of the soot they inhale at home.

Those who rely on unclean fuels are both the most vulnerable to noncommunicable diseases and the least able to cover the costs of sickness, associated healthcare costs, and lost work hours.

Exposure to pollutants can also affect the brain, causing developmental delays, behavioural problems, and even lower IQ in children.

According to one World Health Organization analysis, girls in households that rely on unclean fuels lose 15 to 30 hours each week gathering wood or water – meaning that they are disadvantaged both in comparison to households that have access to clean fuels, as well as their male counterparts.

Countries can cut pollution-related deaths through investments and legislation

Household air pollution can be reduced by phasing out the use of unprocessed coal and kerosene in homes; adopting cleaner fuels, like biogas, ethanol and liquified petroleum gas; moving toward renewable energy sources wherever possible; developing safe, efficient household technologies; and ensuring proper ventilation.

Increasing access to clean household fuels and technology is an effective way to reduce poverty, sickness and death, particularly in developing countries and among vulnerable groups. The uptake of clean household fuels and new technology can also slow forest degradation and loss of habitat while combating climate change.

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is devoted to reducing air pollution

The UNEP-hosted Climate and Clean Air Coalition prioritizes the adoption of clean household fuels and technologies as a way to mitigate short-lived climate pollutants, improve air quality, and realize environmental, social and economic benefits.

The coalition’s Household Energy Initiative raises awareness about the relationship between climate change; advocates for donor support to clean, low-energy cooking, heating, and lighting activities; and promotes solutions that reduce black carbon and other emissions.

Source: UNEP

Mediterranean Gripped by Extreme Heat, With New Reported Temperature Record

19.08.2021

tromboli-Italija-Sicilija — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

The World Meteorological Organization is seeking to verify a reported temperature of 48.8°C (119.8°F) in Sicily, Italy, on 11 August 2021 and to establish whether this is a new temperature record for continental Europe.

The observation was made by a weather station administered by a regional agro-meteorological network rather than Italy’s national meteorological service. It occurred during an intense heatwave in Italy, Spain and parts of North Africa.

According to the WMO Weather and Climate Extremes Archive, the current verified record of highest maximum temperature for continental Europe is 48.0°C (118.4°F) and was set in Athens on 10 July 1977.

“WMO is actively looking into this observation but at this time we cannot yet confirm or deny its validity,” said WMO Weather and Climate Extremes rapporteur Prof. Randall Cerveny.

“Climate change and temperature increase has spurred a surge in reports of record weather and climate extremes, especially for heat. We have to make sure that these records are verified for the sake of scientific understanding and accuracy,” said Prof. Cerveny, who oversees WMO’s Weather and Climate Extremes Archive of official records.

WMO has established a “rapid response” team of climate experts who analyze these purported new records. This will provide initial guidance to global media and the general public prior to a formal in-depth investigation, which often takes many months. Verification of maximum temperature records is important because it helps us to build up a picture of the weather and climate.

The intense heat in Italy, Spain and North Africa follows an extreme heatwave – accompanied by devastating wildfires in Greece and Turkey – earlier in the month.

August is typically hot and dry in the Mediterranean region. However, the temperatures witnessed this summer are extreme and are typical of what we expect from climate change.

“Currently, there is a large area of high pressure in the upper atmosphere affecting much of the Mediterranean, as well as northern Africa. This high-pressure system leads to a sinking motion in the atmosphere which compresses the air and then heats it up – in what is sometimes referred to as a heat dome. Additionally, under a high-pressure system, winds tend to be light, so the heat does not dissipate, and this further contributes to conditions getting warmer and warmer, and combining with the summer heat from the sun, » said Bob Stefanski, head of Applied Climate Services at WMO.

As the heatwave continues, it is possible that further national records could be broken in the coming days, including for Spain, where the current record is 47.3C in Cordoba in 2003. Tunisia has also reportedly seen records broken.

There is also a high wildfire threat, which could result in the rapid spread of new fires and limit containment activities of existing fires. Therefore, the extreme hot temperatures and smoke will increase the health risks for the most vulnerable (elderly persons and infants). An additional complication is due to COVID-19 since many cities do have heat-health measures in place such as indoor cooling centers but measures such as wearing masks and social distancing still need to be taken.

The summer of 2021 has seen intense – and in some cases unprecedented heat in parts of the Northern hemisphere, including a temperature of 49.6°C in British Columbia, Canada. The heat in North America has been accompanied by wildfires, aggravated by drought in Western USA.

Climate Change

The newly released Sixth Assessment Report of the IPCC states that with climate change, we have been observing more frequent and severe high temperature events, and this will continue to do in the future.

A regional IPCC fact sheet for Europe states that “The frequency and intensity of hot extremes, including marine heatwaves, have increased in recent decades and are projected to keep increasing regardless of the greenhouse gas emissions scenario. Critical thresholds relevant for ecosystems and humans are projected to be exceeded for global warming of 2°C and higher (high confidence).”

The temperature in the Mediterranean area – both in Europe and North Africa – has increased by more than the global average.

The IPCC stated that, for the European Mediterranean, there will be a “Projected combination of climatic impact-driver changes (warming, temperature extremes, increase in droughts and aridity, precipitation decrease, increase in fire weather, mean and extreme sea levels, snow cover decrease, and wind speed decrease) by mid-century and at global warming of at least 2°C and above (high confidence).

For the North African Mediterranean, the IPCC projects decreases in mean precipitation, increases in fire weather conditions and decreases in mean wind speed, as well as observed and projected increases in aridity, meteorological, hydrological and agricultural and ecological droughts.

Experts cannot say exactly when these records will be broken but Europe will need to prepare for the eventuality of further records being broken with temperatures above 50C being possible in Europe in future.

Source: WMO

Evaluate, Anticipate and Act!

18.08.2021

lisbon-Portugal — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Photo: Courtesy of Maria Virgínia Mendes da Silva Pina

These are three major principles of Portugal’s Air Strategy, one of many adopted by the government of this country to mitigate climate change consequences and safeguard the environment. We talked to the Ambassador of Portugal to Serbia about renewable energy sources, energy efficiency, and Portugal’s green inventions that can be applied in our country.

Portugal has taken the six-month presidency of the EU Council in January, in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic. It didn’t interfere with their resolution to be an example of protecting the environment and offer a crucial contribution to the European leadership in combating climate change. The pandemic effects served only as an additional incentive on their path. The Ambassador of Portugal to Serbia, Maria Virginia Mendes da Silva Pina says that our future resilience depends on how successfully we recover from this crisis. It is time for Europe’s green and digital recovery. Portugal’s experience will be precious, as they expect a significant rise in temperature by the end of the 21 century. So, they will be closing all coal-fired power plants by the end of this year and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 55 percent by 2030.

EP: According to the last year (2020) EPI ranking, Portugal has been at 27th place. So what are the major environmental challenges Portugal faces today?

Maria Virgínia Mendes da Silva Pina: Right now, I would say that facing the pandemic impact is our main challenge. But it will not get in the way of improving the response to the challenges in the environment, as the two are intertwined. In fact, our future resilience will depend on achieving a successful and sustainable recovery. This objective reflects one of the priorities of the Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the promotion of Europe’s recovery, leveraged by the climate and digital transitions, that will be developed along the Green Europe action line, in which Portugal wants to act as an example contributing to Europe’s leadership in climate action, having, as an essential main goal, the approval of the First European Climate Law.

In focus:

Portugal will focus on implementing both an efficient circular economy and well-designed public policies for assuring energy transition to undercut the dependence on fossil fuels and continue the efforts to reduce C02 emissions. This also means adopting strategies of mitigation and adaptation to climate change and addressing the loss of biodiversity, as it is also a challenge that worries us. Last but not least, let me stress a most important topic for Portugal: the preservation and sustainable use of the resources of oceans and seas and the development of the blue economy.

EP: In accordance with the World Health Organization’s guidelines, the air quality in Portugal is considered safe. But available data indicates that Estarreja, Almada, Faro, and Lisbon can experience high levels of air pollution. What are Portugal’s primary air pollution sources, and how do you cope with them?

Maria Virgínia Mendes da Silva Pina: According to the State of the Environment Report, transport, industrial, and energy production are Portugal’s most extensive air pollutants. These sectors release some of the most seriously harmful compounds to human health, ecosystems, and materials into the atmosphere. The geographical areas environmental policies that contribute to the fulfillment of national and international objectives and commitments, namely those related to climate change, water resources, waste and the conservation of nature and biodiversity.

The first program is PART (Public Transport Tariff Reduction Support Program), a financial support program designed to fight negative externalities associated with mobility, namely congestion, greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution, noise, energy consumption, and social exclusion, and to reduce public transport costs by attracting passengers. The PART supports the Transport Authorities mentioned in the question are extremely urban or industrial, which means their air quality is more influenced by the above pollution problems.

Nevertheless, things are changing. For example, the most pollutant compounds in the Portuguese atmosphere have decreased approximately 38 percent since 1990. and Portugal’s National Air Strategy (ENAR2020) aims to improve air quality, protect human health, the quality of life of citizens, and the preservation of ecosystems, based on three axes: “Evaluate,” “Anticipate” and “Act.” The measures that are recommended within the ENAR 2020 framework are, therefore, thought out to achieve the air quality objectives proposed in the Clean Air Program for Europe and contribute to the Green Growth Commitment, in line with the national instruments of climate policy so that we can expect further improvement in that chapter.

EP: What are the original Portugal green inventions you are proud of in the last few years?

Maria Virgínia Mendes da Silva Pina: I would stress two programs, supported by our Ministry of Environment and Climatic Action (MAAC), that we can classify as “green examples” and that can be pursued in other countries, launched within the scope of our Environmental Fund, a financial tool created in 2016, an essential instrument for environmental policies that contribute to the fulfillment of national and international objectives and commitments, namely those related to climate change, water resources, waste and the conservation of nature and biodiversity.

The first program is PART (Public Transport Tariff Reduction Support Program), a financial support program designed to fight negative externalities associated with mobility, namely congestion, greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution, noise, energy consumption, and social exclusion, and to reduce public transport costs by attracting passengers. The PART supports the Transport Authorities with an annual budget, which allows them to operate better tariffs while adjusting its offer. PART also intends to be a tool for territorial cohesion by creating a financing model that guarantees equity between the Metropolitan Areas of Lisbon and Porto and the rest of the territory.

The second one, the Support Program to more Sustainable Buildings, implemented in 2020, aims to ensure interventions in buildings aiming at their sustainability and energy rehabilitation and can be considered a measure that has a potential multiplier effect on the economy, generating employment and wealth at the local and national level. This Program finances, throughout Portugal, all the interventions in buildings built up to 2006 that promote rehabilitation, decarbonization, energy efficiency, water efficiency, and circular economy, contributing to the improvement of the energy and their environmental performance.

EP: How is climate change affecting the life of Portuguese people and the whole Portugal environment?

Maria Virgínia Mendes da Silva Pina: All scenarios predict a significant increase in average temperature in Portugal until the end of the 21st century, together with an increase in the frequency and intensity of heat waves, that can generate droughts, increased risk of forest fires, with the alteration of land use and occupation capacities.

Considering this scenario, Portugal adopted two national strategies. First, the National Adaptation to Climate Change Strategy (ENAAC2020) envisions a country adapted to the effects of climate change by implementing a solution based on technical-scientific knowledge and good practices. Second, ENAAC 2020 defines an organizational model where coordination between the various sectors and stakeholders is promoted, pursuing priorities in thematic areas and considering the three objectives of the strategy: improvement of the level of knowledge about climate change; implementation of adaptation measures, and promotion of integration of adaptation in sectoral policies.

Second, the National Program for Adaptation to Climate Change (P-3AC) that complements and systematizes the work carried out in the context of the ENAAC 2020 and develops its second objective, the implementation adaptation measures, and that is thought out to cover several steps such as prevention of rural fires; conservation and improvement of soil fertility; efficient use of water; resilience of ecosystems; prevention of heat waves; diseases, pests, and invasive species; flood protection; coastal protection, without forgetting training, awareness, and tools for adaptation.

Interview by: Jovana Canić

Read the story in the new issue of the Energy portal Magazine WATER RESOURCES.

Australia In The Race For Green Hydrogen

18.08.2021

hydrogen-hidrogen — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

There is a green gold rush going on in Australia at the moment. Billions in investment is flowing into the production of green hydrogen.

The plans include massive wind and solar farms. And I am not suggesting it is for use in cars. It will mainly be for our export partners in Asia, particularly Japan, which is pushing for a hydrogen-powered economy.

Although the vast majority of current hydrogen is grey, produced from fracked natural gas, this will be green and some of the current fossil fuel incumbents will be caught with their pants down.

Let’s start with Western Australia.

In the Pilbara, 36 billion dollars is being invested to create the Asian Renewable Hub. Not only will they use solar and wind, but they are also planning to manufacture wind turbines on site. This is cost effective because of the huge distances involved in transporting the massive steel structures. The nearest port is 250 km away. The plan is to produce over 10 million tons of it a year using the power generated by 1743 wind turbines and 25 million solar panels. It is at least a 10 year project. They are going to need a large water source also.

A 94 billion dollars energy hub is being proposed for the Nullarbor (no trees) Plain. The same companies that are behind the Pilbara project are expecting to produce 50 GW of wind and solar power to make 3,5 million tonnes a year of green hydrogen for the export of 20 million tonnes of green ammonia. The traditional owners of the land, the Mirning people, will also hold a stake creating a brighter future for their young people.

Source: Clean Technica

Toxic Blaze: The True Cost of Crop Burning

17.08.2021

požar-njiva-paljenje — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

People around the world are bracing for what has become known as the season of smog. With autumn around the corner, many countries are entering the agricultural crop burning season, where farmers burn their fields to make way for a new crop, sending up plumes of toxic smoke.

These large areas of agricultural lands set ablaze every year are contributing to the air pollution that, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), kills 7 million people a year including 650,000 children.

“Improving the quality of the air we breathe is absolutely necessary to our health and well-being,” says Helena Molin Valdés, Head of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)-hosted Climate and Clean Air Coalition Secretariat. “It is also critical to food security, climate action, responsible production and consumption – and fundamental to equality. In fact, we can’t talk about the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development unless we are serious about air quality.”

Black carbon

Many farmers consider agricultural burning the most effective and cost-efficient way to clear land, fertilize soil and prepare it for new plantation. However, these blazes and the wildfires that spread from them are the world’s largest source of black carbon, a threat both to human and environmental health.

Black carbon is a component of PM2.5, a microscopic pollutant that penetrates deep into the lungs and bloodstream. PM2.5 increases the risk of dying from heart and lung disease, stroke and some cancers, causing millions of people to perish prematurely every year. In children, PM2.5 can also cause psychological and behavioural problems. In older people, it is associated with Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease and dementia. And because air pollution compromises respiratory health, it may also increase vulnerability to COVID-19.

Black carbon is also a short-lived climate pollutant, meaning that, although it exists only for a few days or weeks, its impact on global warming is 460–1,500 times stronger than carbon dioxide.

A better way

Ironically, far from stimulating growth, agricultural burning actually reduces water retention and soil fertility by 25 to 30 percent, and thus requires farmers to invest in expensive fertilizers and irrigation systems to compensate. Black carbon can also modify rainfall patterns, especially the Asian monsoon, disrupting the weather events necessary to support agriculture.

“Burned lands actually have lower fertility and higher erosion rates, requiring farmers to overcompensate with fertilizer,” says Pam Pearson, Director of the International Cryosphere Climate Initiative, which has worked with farmers globally to introduce fire-free cultivation.

“The no-burn alternatives, such as incorporating stubble back into fields or even planting right through the stubble, almost always save the farmer money.”

Pearson notes that changing the long-established habit of burning agricultural waste will require education, awareness-raising and capacity-building for farmers. It is a lofty undertaking, but the impacts would be considerable and far-reaching. Reducing air pollution from farms in Northern India, for example, could prevent increased flooding and drought caused by black carbon accelerating the melting of Himalayan ice and glaciers – a life-changing outcome to the billions who depend on rivers fed by those mountains.

Worldwide effort

The Climate and Clean Air Coalition works in countries and with regional networks to promote alternatives to field burning. In India, for example, it provides farmers with information and assistance to access alternatives to crop fires, using satellites to monitor fires and track their impact, supporting policy interventions, subsidizing farmers and ultimately turning agricultural waste into a resource.

In Punjab, the coalition and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) are looking at ways to turn the crop residue that would otherwise be burnt into a renewable fuel source. Creating a circular economy for such waste provides farmers with more income and reduces air pollution.

Countries around the world are working to reduce air pollution. That drive will be front and centre on 7 September, the International Day of Clean Air for blue skies, which is designed to spur global action against dangerous particulates.

With an eye on global warming and food security, a project called the Koronivia Joint Work on Agriculture is mainstreaming farming into the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The next round is to take place at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26), this year.

Source: UNEP

Biodiversity leaders at UNDP recommend framework for monitoring ecosystem integrity

16.08.2021

lynx-ris-mačka-animal — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

Improving ecosystem integrity is essential to ensuring human and planetary wellbeing. Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) are working to adopt a consistent and accurate method to define and measure ecosystem integrity.

In the new paper recently published in Conservation Letters, “Towards monitoring forest ecosystem integrity within the Post-2020 biodiversity framework”, scientists and biodiversity experts from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and eight other leading institutions share a pathway to fill this critical gap.

While ecological integrity often goes undefined, this new joint paper establishes a quantifiable definition for it, delineating ecological integrity as a measure of the structure, function and composition of an ecosystem compared to pre-industrial levels.

Then, building from metrics, such as the Global Earth Observations Biodiversity Observation Network’s (GEO BON) Essential Biodiversity Variables, the authors recommend eight key indicators to evaluate ecological integrity, indexing vital markers such as deforestation, species habitat, biodiversity loss or ecosystem resilience. The paper demonstrates how advances in earth observations can be harnessed to track these metrics, providing a clearer picture of the earth’s valuable ecosystems and a way to measure progress towards our biodiversity goals.

Signatory countries to the CBD are in the process of developing the Post-2020 global biodiversity framework (GBF), formulating targets that will guide action for nature over the next three decades. Like the Aichi Biodiversity Targets, the current draft of the Post-2020 GBF emphasizes the importance of increasing ecological integrity but does not define the term nor standardize methods to measure it.

If operationalized, the paper’s recommendations could enable Parties to the CBD to better evaluate, manage, and report on their progress towards reaching the 2030 biodiversity targets.

Source: UNDP

What Skills do Youth Need for Green Jobs of the Future?

15.08.2021

učenje_napolju_studenti — Foto-ilustracija: Unsplash (Alexis Brown)

Photo-illustration: Unsplash (Brooke Cagle)

In the next decade, millions of new “green” jobs will be created in new-wave industries, like solar energy, and established fields, like architecture, fashion and farming.

For young people, these jobs will represent an opportunity to earn a steady living while helping to tackle some of the planet’s biggest challenges, from climate change to pollution to species loss.

But what skills will young people need to land these planet-friendly jobs?

Systems thinking skills

The green economy will require analytical thinkers to see patterns and identify innovative ways to improve sustainability, whether in textile production, food distribution or infrastructure development.

Systems thinkers will be important to businesses wanting to increase efficiency, strengthen organizational structures and improve the relationships between various divisions. Employers will value those who can help monitor social and environmental impacts. Systems thinkers are well-suited to roles that emphasize analytics, logistics and engineering.

Science skills

The green economy will require environmental scientists, materials scientists, hydrologists, biochemists, biologists and experts in other scientific disciplines. They’ll be charged with tackling challenges such as ecosystem management, weather forecasting, contagious disease outbreaks and carbon capture storage.

Urban planning and architectural skills

The shift to a green economy will require major changes in how we plan our cities, design transport systems, manage waste, and construct buildings and other infrastructure. New environmental regulations will increase demand for designers, architects, engineers, and planners to translate those rules for their clients.

There will be a growing demand for innovative designs that maximize efficiency and minimize the environmental footprint of buildings and other infrastructure, like roads and bridges. Workers skilled in sustainable design will also be required in the fields of waste management and civil engineering.

Green engineering & tech skills

As demand grows for more efficient and renewable energy sources, skilled workers who can design, install and maintain solar panels, wind turbines, waste management systems and environmental monitoring devices will be in high demand. The rise in electric and other low-emissions vehicles will also create jobs for engineers. Designers who can create products that result in little or no new waste will also find eager clients.

Agricultural skills

The green economy will require people skilled in conservation agriculture, climate-smart agriculture, organic farming, precision agriculture and urban farming. People with skills in sustainable land use planning will also be in demand.

Creative skills

The green economy will require creators, designers, musicians, filmmakers, photographers, dancers, actors and other artists who can inspire and challenge people everywhere to live more sustainably.

Source: UNEP

Better Energy Efficiency Policy With Digital Tools

14.08.2021

electric-cables-energetski-sistem — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

The digitalisation of energy systems is transforming energy efficiency, introducing technologies and creating new sources of detailed data which are supporting new business models and revenue streams. As the market and technology landscape transform, policy makers are also increasingly taking advantage of digital tools for energy efficiency policy to deliver more secure, clean, and flexible energy systems. At the same time, the digital transformation also introduces important new risks in terms of cybersecurity and privacy that governments must navigate to ensure that the digital transition has the confidence of citizens and market participants.

This article describes how governments are turning to digital tools to strengthen the policy cycle of designing, implementing and monitoring energy efficiency policies. It highlights case studies of the main tools that are currently being used and identifies the main risks and constraints to their greater adoption.

Although its benefits are well known, tapping into the vast resource that is energy efficiency has always been difficult for policy makers, because energy efficiency is distributed across millions of homes, appliances, businesses and vehicles. Despite its overall economic benefits, the difficulty, and associated costs, of aggregating all of the potential energy savings from across the economy have made activating and managing energy efficiency investments challenging. Faced with gathering small parcels of cost-effective energy savings from thousands of hard-to-reach energy users versus building an expensive new power plant to deliver more energy services, policy makers might tend to support the latter, despite the higher cost, simply for ease.

Digitalisation offers great potential to change this and enhance energy efficiency policies by providing better information and much clearer vision on distributed energy resources. This can enable new policy design options which allow markets for energy efficiency to operate at a much greater scale. Digitalisation can also improve the implementation and monitoring of programme delivery through resources such as smartphone apps and online tools. The use of such tools can potentially benefit a wide range of stakeholders. Moreover, digital tools can be particularly valuable in fostering engagement more tailored to community needs, not only delivering the most cost-effective energy savings, but also helping address energy vulnerability and a range of health, social and gender equity considerations.

The digital transformation of energy efficiency policy will play a fundamental role in the transition towards net-zero CO2 emissions. For example, in the scenario explored in our recent special report Net Zero by 2050, global energy demand in 2050 is around 8 percent lower than today, but servicing an economy twice as large with 2 billion more people. To achieve this, annual improvements in energy intensity will need to triple over the next decade to deliver 13 gigatonnes (Gt) of CO2 reductions by 2030. As energy efficiency is one of the greatest actions required to achieve climate targets, digitalisation’s role will be vital by expanding the scope and scale of energy efficiency through electrification, fuel switching and behavioural change.

As part of its focus on the impacts of digitalisation on energy efficiency, the International Energy Agency (IEA) has been examining the uptake of digital solutions in the power system including how to best align energy efficiency with renewable energy production, energy efficiency’s role in supporting energy security and equitable access to digital services, and how digitalisation is helping overcome fundamental barriers to scaling up energy efficiency implementation.

The sharing of experiences and best practices is an important step to facilitate this next generation of energy efficiency policies. The highlighted case studies in this article demonstrate that, even if governments are accelerating their adoption of such tools, there is still much potential for growth. In fact, stronger policies are needed to make existing digital solutions more affordable and inclusive.

You can read the whole article here.

Source: IEA

Young People Hold the Key to Creating a Better Future

13.08.2021

nature-priroda-zemlja — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

Young people today are coming to age in a world beset by crises. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic devastated lives and livelihoods around the world, the socio-economic systems of the past had put the liveability of the planet at risk and eroded the pathway to healthy, happy, fulfilled lives for too many.

The same prosperity that enabled global progress and democracy after the Second World War is now creating the inequality, social discord and climate change we see today — along with a widening generational wealth gap and youth debt burden, too. For Millennials, the 2008 financial crisis and the Great Recession resulted in significant unemployment, huge student debt and a lack of meaningful jobs. Now, for Generation Z, COVID-19 has caused school shutdowns, worsening unemployment, and mass protests.

Young people are right to be deeply concerned and angry, seeing these challenges as a betrayal of their future.

But we can’t let these converging crises stifle us. We must remain optimistic – and we must act.

The next generation are the most important and most affected stakeholders when talking about our global future – and we owe them more than this. The year 2021 is the time to start thinking and acting long-term to make intergenerational parity the norm and to design a society, economy and international community that cares for all people.

Young people are also the best placed to lead this transformation. In the past 10 years of working with the World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers Community, a network of people between the ages of 20 and 30 working to address problems in more than 450 cities around the world, I’ve seen first-hand that they are the ones with the most innovative ideas and energy to build a better society for tomorrow.

Over the past year, Global Shapers organized dialogues on the most pressing issues facing society, government and business in 146 cities, reaching an audience of more than 2 million. The result of this global, multi stakeholder effort, “Davos Labs: Youth Recovery Plan,” presents both a stark reminder of our urgent need to act and compelling insights for creating a more resilient, sustainable, inclusive world.

You can read the whole article here.

Source: World Economic Forum

Kia Niro EV & Ford Mustang Mach-E Shine In Netherlands In July

13.08.2021

car_electric_vehicles — Photo Illustration: Pixabay

The Dutch plugin vehicle (PEV) market continues in the fast lane, with 6.703 plugin registrations logged last month. That meant that last month’s PEV share of the overall passenger auto market was 25 percent (16 percent BEV), pulling the year-to-date PEV share to 21 percent (11 percent BEV) and the total tally to 38.787 units.

The market share is still down compared to last year’s result (25 percent ), but that won’t be for long, as the market share should be growing throughout the year, and maybe surpassing last year’s result by November.

Breaking down registrations between each plugin powertrain, BEVs are returning to form, getting 63 percent of July’s registrations. That allowed pure electrics to gain a bit more ground on plugin hybrids in the year-to-date tally (52 percent vs. 48 percent). Expect pure electrics to continue recovering ground throughout the year.

In July, the plugin sales leader was the Kia Niro EV, with 762 registrations, placing it in #2 in the overall market. However, the highlight this month was the runner-up Ford Mustang Mach-E. Thanks to 644 registrations, its third record score in a row, it was not only the silver medalist in July’s plugin market, but also 5th in the overall market. This is an amazing performance, especially considering that the 2nd best selling Ford model in the Netherlands last month was the Ford Puma, a small crossover that was in a measly 24th position in the overall market.

The Skoda Enyaq completed the plugin podium, with 470 registrations, which allowed it to be #10 in the overall market. That made it 3 BEV models in the overall Dutch top 10.

You can read the whole article HERE.

Source: Clean Technica

The Myth That EVs Aren’t Cost Competitive Is Highly Misleading, & Harmful

12.08.2021

Tesla_vožnja — Foto-ilustracija: Unsplash (Dylan Calluy)

The New York Times has published an article stating that EVs aren’t for everyone unless they get cheaper, but the outlet seems to be missing the story. They are already much cheaper than they were five years ago, and they keep getting cheaper.

The article neglected to mention this and even stated that a Tesla Model 3 was more expensive than some luxury cars. While that is technically true, they focused on this rather than comparing the Tesla Model 3 to other cars in its class. The article opted to compare the much more expensive and much lower selling Tesla Model S instead for some reason.

The article was centered around President Biden’s move to make EVs a pillar of his climate policy, and it noted that government incentives mostly help affluent buyers rather than average families.

Robert Teglia and his wife were interviewed in the article and they each own a Tesla Model 3. Teglia, who works in real estate, bought the car because he thought it was awesome. The article pointed out that he bought the Tesla Model 3 although he knew it cost more than many luxury cars, and he didn’t care as to whether or not it would benefit the environment.

Not only did the article paint the couple as an out-of-touch affluent couple who didn’t really know what they were buying, but the article jumped from there and dove into the pricing of the Tesla Model S — not the 3 — to prove its point that EVs are expensive.

The Tesla Model 3 Standard Range Plus costs 39.990 dollars before any incentives. Depending on state and federal incentives, that number could drop to 35.690 dollars. Now let’s look at some luxury cars. Most of these brands on the Car and Driver’s list of 15 Cheapest 2021 Luxury Cars are very competitive with the base Tesla Model 3 in terms of upfront costs. Some are lower than the 39.990 dollars price tag, but they don’t beat out the 35.690 dollars.

You can read the whole article HERE.

Source: Clean Technica

EBRD, EU and Austria finance energy efficiency in Serbia’s homes

12.08.2021

glass-work-prozor — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

Households in Serbia are set to benefit from the further expansion of the Green Economy Financing Facility (GEFF) with a new EUR 5 million loan in local currency provided by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to ProCredit Bank.

The funds will be available to private borrowers for investments in energy saving measures such as insulation, windows, heat pumps, solar panels and other solutions. Once the measures are successfully installed, borrowers will be eligible for a grant of up to 20 percent of the loan amount, funded by the European Union (EU).

ProCredit Bank is the third bank in Serbia to join the GEFF programme, which provides funding for energy efficient investments that will help building a greener and more sustainable economy. The international ProCredit Group, headquartered in Frankfurt, is a development-oriented commercial bank and active in many of the economies where the EBRD invests.

The new financing is secured by the EUR 135 million GEFF programme for the Western Balkans, which is supported by the EU, the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF) and the Austrian Federal Ministry of Finance, and is part of the Regional Energy Efficiency Programme (REEP) for the Western Balkans. The aim of the programme is to support the region, known for its high energy intensity, to improve energy efficiency in its residential sector, which is one of the biggest energy consumers.

Matteo Colangeli, EBRD Regional Director, Head of Serbia, said: “We are pleased to welcome ProCredit Bank to our GEFF programme, which has already helped over 2,200 homeowners in Serbia to improve the energy efficiency of their homes. We hope that this new credit line will reach even more households, reducing their energy consumption and contributing to better air quality in their communities.”

“This latest contract with the EBRD is a big step forwards for us as it will bring new energy efficiency technologies closer to our clients,” added Igor Anić, Chairman of the Executive Board of ProCredit Bank. “For many years ProCredit Bank has been committed to financing energy efficient solutions, to which the best testimony is the amount of our currently active green portfolio, which exceeds EUR 150 million. We are confident that the GEFF credit line will further increase our green portfolio and improve the quality of life of our clients.”

To date, the GEFF in Serbia has reached more than 2,200 households and provided loans of more than EUR 7.6 million for individual projects, via partner financial institutions, that have contributed to savings exceeding 5,800 MWh of energy and a reduction of over 1,700 tonnes of CO2 emissions a year. The most frequently financed technologies are windows, doors, insulation and heat pumps.

Source: EBRD

1...909192...385 Page 91 of 385

More:

More:

More:

More:

More:

In focus:

More:

More:

More:

More:

More:

More:

More:

More:

More:

In focus:

Newsletter

Calendar of events

2024 October

Events for 31 October

Events for 1 November

Events for 2 November

Events for 3 November

Events for 4 November

Events for 5 November

Events for 6 November

Events for 7 November

Events for 8 November

Events for 9 November

Events for 10 November

Events for 11 November

Events for 12 November

Events for 13 November

Events for 14 November

Events for 15 November

Events for 16 November

Events for 17 November

Events for 18 November

Events for 19 November

Events for 20 November

Events for 21 November

Events for 22 November

Events for 23 November

Events for 24 November

Events for 25 November

Events for 26 November

Events for 27 November

Events for 28 November

Events for 29 November

WRITE US