Climate Change Harms Human Health

16.03.2018

Climate change is already making people sicker, according to a deep-dive written by Renee Cho for Columbia University’s Earth Institute on Monday.

Cho pointed to the example of doctors in Florida who are noticing that their patients run through prescriptions faster as conditions like asthma worsen due to heat waves.

Indeed, Florida doctors have observed enough instances of climate-related health issues that they’ve banded together to form Florida Clinicians for Climate Action, The Miami Herald reported in February.

“Being in Florida especially, you can’t not realize what’s happening to our climate. I see it right now on a day-to-day basis,” Dr. Cheryl Holder, president of the Florida State Medical Association, told The Herald.

Florida doctors have also noticed that heat waves coincide with more hospital visits due to heart failure, Florida Institute for Health Innovation head Roderick King told The Herald. He hopes to fund a study investigating the link.

In the Earth Institute article, Cho also mentioned the spread of diseases like Lyme disease, which have sickened people in Pennsylvania for the first time.

Cho’s analysis comes a week after an article published in Undark examining the spread of Lyme disease into Canada, where there were more than six times the number of Lyme disease cases reported in 2016 compared to 2009.

Some scientists even think climate change had a hand in the Ebola outbreak in West Africa from 2014 to 2016. According to their hypothesis, heavy rains following dry periods produced more fruit, which attracted both bats and apes. The bats caught the disease from the apes while feeding and then passed it to the humans who came in contact with them, Cho wrote.

If that sounds frightening, know that health outcomes only look to get worse as warming increases. Though most of the culprits will not be rare diseases like Ebola but rather the usual public health suspects on steroids, according to World Health Organization (WHO) projections cited by Cho.

Every year between 2030 and 2050, climate change will cause an additional 250,000 deaths worldwide, the WHO predicts.

The highest death toll, 95,000 per year, is likely to be among children affected by malnutrition, which will increase as droughts and changing rainfall patterns impact the growth of staple crops in poorer countries.

The next most lethal cause of death will be malaria, at 60,000 per year. Climate change is likely to increase the range of the Anopheles mosquitoes that carry the disease.

The next is diarrhea at 48,000 per year, as flooding and fluctuating rainfall threaten clean water supplies.

Finally, the WHO predicts 38,000 elderly people will lose their lives due to heat waves on a yearly basis.

Luckily, there are steps that communities can take to mitigate the risk posed by climate change, such as regularly checking public drinking water for disease, planting green roofs to cool buildings, and educating the public about the importance of insect repellant. But in order to take these steps, it is important to be informed about what the health risks are.

“When we talk about adapting to climate change, we have to have an understanding of what we’re adapting to and when. And we don’t know that perfectly … But we do know enough to think that we have to start investing now in building resilience, reducing the vulnerability of populations to threats that are dominant in the region, and building awareness so that, as we do learn more, the population is already well-informed and can make use of the information in a productive way,” senior research scientist Madeleine Thomson, at the Earth Institute’s International Research Institute for Climate and Society, told Cho.

Source: ecowatch.com

Report: Unchecked Climate Change Will Lead to Widespread Biodiversity Loss

15.03.2018

biodiverzitet — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

The world will see enormous losses of biodiversity across all species groups on every continent by the end of this century if we do not make deep cuts to global greenhouse emissions, according to groundbreaking research from the WWF and the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change at the University of East Anglia.

For the report, the researchers examined how the world’s changing climate—expressed by two important variables, temperature and precipitation—will affect nearly 80,000 species of plants, birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians inhabiting the WWF’s 35 Priority Places for conservation. These areas, from the Amazon to the Namibian desert, from the Himalayas to the Mediterranean, feature some of the richest biodiversity on the planet, including many endangered and endemic species.

For each area, the researchers tested three projected climate scenarios: a 2°C rise, the upper temperature limit of the Paris agreement; a 3.2°C rise, which represents the UN’s latest projections based on governments likely overshooting their climate pledges; and a 4.5°C rise, or a business-as-usual scenario.

The outlook for each of the three scenarios does not look good. As you can see in the chart below, in the Amazon and Guianas in South America, “even a 2°C rise would make the new average temperature hotter than previous extremes, and would threaten more than one-third of species in all groups in the absence of dispersal,” the report states.

If global average temperatures rose to 3.2°C, 60 percent of plant life and 50 percent of wildlife in the Amazon would be at risk for extinction.

The predictions were the most alarming in the Miombo Woodlands—one of the Priority Places most vulnerable to climate change—in central and southern Africa.

If global temperatures rose 4.5°C, the report projects the loss of 90 percent of amphibians and 80 percent or more of plants, birds, mammals and reptiles.

The authors suggest two solutions to help save the world’s precious biodiversity. The first is dispersal, which would allow some species to migrate to less vulnerable territory.

But the second and most important solution is reducing greenhouse gas emissions and limiting to warming to 1.5°C.

“The most important thing the world can do is to keep global temperature rises to a minimum by doing everything possible to reduce the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere,” the authors write. “Put simply, we have to stop burning fossil fuels. A couple of degrees may not sound like a huge margin, but the projected harm to biodiversity increases enormously between the rise targeted under the Paris Agreement (well below 2°C and aiming for 1.5°C), and a business-as-usual projection of 4.5°C.”

“This is not simply about the disappearance of certain species from particular places, but about profound changes to ecosystems that provide vital services to hundreds of millions of people,” they noted.

To avoid this, the authors propose a concerted global response centered on four actions:
1. We must cut global greenhouse-gas emissions. We need deep cuts to global greenhouse-gas emissions, consistent with and improving on the pledges already made under the Paris agreement. There’s no way this can be achieved without a rapid phase-out of fossil fuels—particularly coal, but also oil and gas.
2. Conservation planning needs to consider climate change. Conservation planning needs to be based on projected future climatic conditions, with a particular focus on notably vulnerable or resilient areas. An emphasis on aiding species dispersal is critical; as is the promotion of green development that doesn’t put extra pressure on wildlife populations as the effects of a warmer climate worsen.
3. Further research is essential. We need to recognize that this area of study is relatively new: alongside on-the-ground action, scientists must keep on with their efforts to deepen our understanding of the changes we can expect to see—and we need to base our policies on the growing knowledge base they’re creating.
4. Awareness is key. Finally, people need to know and people need to care. Everyone has a role to play in spreading the word and getting involved.

Source: ecowatch.com

Wind Energy Tariffs Rise In India’s State-Level Auction

15.03.2018

Wind energy tariffs in the latest auction in India are firming up even as competition among project developers remained high.

The Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) offered a wind energy capacity of 500 megawatts in a recent auction. The tender was oversubscribed with fierce competition among prospective developers.

The largest winner in the auction was Torrent Power, which had placed a bid to develop 146 megawatts but was awarded 124.4 megawatts. It secured the capacity at Rs 2.87/kWh (4.42¢/kWh), the highest tariff bid of the auction. Mytrah Energy secured 100 megawatts at Rs 2.86/kWh (4.40¢/kWh) while Hero Wind Energy, Adani Green Energy, and KCT Renewable Energy won 75 megawatts each. Inox Wind also secured a 50 megawatt project.

Adani Green Energy and KCT Renewable Energy bid the lowest tariff of Rs 2.85/kWh (4.38¢/kWh). This lowest tariff is at a 17% premium to the lowest-ever wind energy tariff quoted in competitive auctions in India — Rs 2.43/kWh (3.7¢/kWh). The lowest tariff was discovered in another state-level auction in December 2017.

This was the first wind energy auction conducted by the state of Maharashtra following the widespread shift from a feed-in tariff regime to competitive auctions across India last year. By these standards, it is a good start. The first state-level wind energy auction was conducted in Tamil Nadu which resulted in the lowest tariff bid of Rs 3.42/kWh (5.3¢/kWh), which was the lowest tariff in India at that time. The sharp jump in tariff bids in the Maharashtra auction compared to the Gujarat auction could possibly be due to the comfort project developers have with the buying companies in terms of regular payments as well as availability of good sites to set up projects.

Source: cleantechnica.com

Green Light for Swindon Council’s Giant 50MW Battery Project

15.03.2018

Swindon could soon become home to one of the UK’s largest energy storage projects, after a council-backed company secured planning permission for a giant 50MW facility on a brownfield site in the town.

Public Power Solutions (PPS), a wholly-owned company of Swindon Borough Council, secured planning consent for the project which would see a battery facility deployed at the council’s former Mannington Depot site.

The location is enclosed between the A3102, railway line, and Mannington Retail Park, and has access to a grid connection via the nearby substation at Toothill leading to relatively low grid connection costs.

PPS said that with planning approval confirmed it was now in discussions with developers seeking front of the meter battery storage opportunities to take on the funding and construction of the project.

“The project has a great location next to a sub-station, meaning the grid connection cost is very competitive – so this is a good opportunity for a developer looking for front of the meter battery storage opportunities that will enable them to generate an income in a variety of different ways,” said Steve Cains, head of power solutions at PPS in a statement. “Local authorities are in a unique position to benefit from the growing demand for electricity storage, with diverse property portfolios and high energy consumption.”

The project is intended to have a 30 year life-span and will provide the council with a long term rental income, while also offering the grid balancing services that will support the roll out of variable renewable technologies.

Cains said it was a model that could be replicated by other councils. “We’re making it work at home here in Swindon but this project could be replicated in many other parts of the country, helping generate an income for the cash-strapped public sector,” he said.

Source: businessgreen.com

Marija JEVTIC: We Have Upset the Planet – Now It Retalitates against Us

15.03.2018

On the occasion of the World Environment Day, we had the opportunity to listen to the lecture by professor Marija Jevtic, Ph.D. on air, climate, energy and their importance for health. Marija Jevtic is a hygiene specialist, a subspecialist of communal hygiene with the pathology of the settlement and a full-time professor at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Novi Sad.

EP: Since you are a hygiene specialist, that is, an expert in the field of public health, can you tell us when and how did you become interested in this area?

Marija Jevtic: Our specialization has a beautiful name – hygiene, by the goddess of health and is defined as a science of health. Hygiene studies environmental factors and their impact on health, striving to favour those who contribute to the health and reduce the effects of those who harm it to the minimum. All medical sciences are interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary today, but the way hygiene interacts with other professions is nevertheless specific.

Medical students see their future most often in clinical medicine, which is fully expected and justified, but one part of the medical profession is dedicated primarily to health, not the illness, and that is the part that makes preventive medicine and to the larger extent – the field of public health. The moment I met hygiene, and this was during my last year of faculty, that area became my orientation.

EP: How can we realize the connection between ecology and public health from the point of view of your profession? How do changes in the environment affect people’s health?

Marija Jevtic: Ecology is represented in hygiene significantly within the medical or health ecology, which studies the interrelations of individuals and population with the environment. During work, with all due respect for other professions, we study the behavior of environmental factors, we investigate the presence of various harmfulness and we try to assess their risk for health. A person is viewed as an individual or as a population in relation to the environment. This – in a way, selfish, anthropocentric view, adapting the environment to oneself and, consequently, influencing the environment that changes in the long-term, losing its original qualities – as a consequence, today there are significant changes in the environment. It could be said that we have greatly disturbed the planet, and it retaliates against us with symptoms of air pollution, climate change, droughts, floods, weather and similar phenomena. These are very important challenges for public health.

When talking about health, it is necessary to emphasize that absolute health does not exist. On the other hand, public health is de ned as the science and practice of protection in improving health in the local community through preventive medicine, health education, control of infectious diseases, sanitary monitoring and monitoring of ecological hazards. Public health is, therefore, the science and art of improving health, preventing disease and prolonging life through organized community efforts.

The fact that health is a commonweal implies that health care belongs to everyone – to the whole community. Public health promotion cannot be achieved without preserving and cultivating the environment, with the participation of all stakeholders, therefore the link between ecology and public health is very significant.

EP: How do you comment on the current state of the environment in our surrounding and beyond?

Marija Jevtic: The analysis of the state of the environment depends to a considerable extent on the method of data collection, which varies from a country to a country. Developed countries devote a lot of attention to the environment, not only in terms of monitoring the situation but also with the attitude towards the environment. The World Health Organization has developed a system for monitoring environmental and health indicators (ENHIS), and there are efforts to develop it within the national public health system.

The complexity of approach to preservation and improvement of the environment is reflected in the fact that this chapter is the most demanding and most expensive in the EU accession negotiations process. Nevertheless, the main motive for the tendency towards system regulation in this area should not be a negotiated procedure, but preserving and improving the health of the population.

According to the data of the World Health Organization, seven million deaths annually at a global level, are attributed to air pollution, so it is not appropriate just to comment on the situation, but to launch actions and to stop negative trends through personal and corporate responsibility. This applies to both our and global environment. Changes are much faster and worse than we anticipated.

I think it is very important to emphasize that besides monitoring and research, very important thing is to have rules and to respect them, as the way of life and behaviour.

EP: How would you describe environmental changes in the light of public health?

Marija Jevtic: The twentieth century will remain in history as a century of prosperity, progress, technological and infrastructural development, new achievements, modern technologies and communications, the invention of drugs for many diseases. The picture of the state of health is significantly changed, and mass non-communicable diseases have a higher percentage of mortality than infectious ones. In developed countries, life expectancy is significantly longer. Nevertheless, we will remember this period for conflicts, wars, forced migrations, traumas, present and growing inequality and poverty. These are the challenges that we should be aware of and with which 21st century began.

A man always strives to live in the community, believing that the community will enable him a better and more contented life, secure infrastructure as well as the necessary energy. This primary aspiration has led to the fact that the dominant share of people in urban areas still lives mostly in basically inadequate, unhygienic conditions in an infrastructure that is insufficiently or completely unregulated. Even in fully-regulated and advanced environments, the exposure to negative environmental factors is intensifying (water pollution, air pollution, waste, noise, natural disasters), so that we have recently been faced with their ever-increasing impact, and in this regard, the state of mental health of the population.

EP: What are the possibilities to answer these numerous challenges?

Marija Jevtic: In order to look at health factors in urban areas, the term urban health emerged, which grew into a special discipline. In addition, the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (formulated by United Nations as a determinant of future social and economic development in accordance with the principles of sustainability) provide a framework for the necessary action and direct national levels to specify activities and their combining, as the challenges are not present everywhere in the same way.

For example, we are not exposed to the problems of demographic growth in the number of inhabitants, but we are disposed to the decline in birthrates and aging of the population. It follows that priorities at the national level should be set taking into account this fact, and accordingly formulate strategic sustainability frameworks.

It is precisely the skill in choosing priorities, consistency in times of frequent changes, and persistence in activities part of a public health prescription, the result of which is seen after a lot of patience and many years. In order to succeed, we need not only awareness and knowledge, but also the capacity to change and readiness to give up, for the sake of sustainability in the future that will not be ours. Therefore, the process of education is very important, the readiness for rapid changes in education in the preparation of future experts, health professionals and others.

EP: What is the importance of the role of doctors and health professionals in general, in climate change, as the biggest threat to global health?

Marija Jevtic: Climate change is a challenge for public health, health systems, and therefore for health professionals. Each of us, in our professional and private life, recognizes the impact of climate change on a daily basis.

The possibilities for the operation of health professionals are reflected in the strengthening of their own capacities in human resources and their planning; participation in local and national public health policies and environmental protection; co-operation with urban planners in order to provide various bene ts by taking the lead role in reducing harmful emissions in hospitals and clinics using appropriate technologies.

EP: You mentioned the term urban health, can you identify some of the important priorities for the functioning of the urban environment?

Marija Jevtic: Urban environment, as a newly built environment, has its characteristics, and infrastructure is an important factor for the urban environment to function as an organism.

I would mention that energy is a magical word that is often mentioned in health care. I will make a digression and mention that the surplus of energy (by food intake) that we have at the individual level leads to obesity as one of the most significant challenges in many countries.

On the other hand, energy is indispensable for the functioning of the institutions, the quality of life and everyday life, and although it is not the primary concern of the health sector, it is essential. The quality of life of individuals and the population depends on the way of using energy resources, and the consequences of incorrect choices for energy security are visible in the health sector. The price of energy is not just the one we are currently paying for, it costs energy for today, but also the short-term and long-term health consequences.

The role of health professionals is not only focused on the treatment of consequences, but also on indicating decision makers to take into account the health impact when deciding on energy issues. From the perspective of health, it is important to develop an environment that allows the development and use of renewable energy sources, with the right energy sources and increasing energy efficiency. Also, health systems are significant energy consumers and participate in a large amount of energy consumption in large part, and therefore have the opportunity to contribute to mitigating climate change by their actions.

For example, the knowledge and skills of a top surgeon (or another specialist in the clinical medicine branch) can only be shown if the infrastructure conditions are met, to perform the appropriate intervention (necessary energy, water supply, etc.). It is, therefore, necessary for health professionals themselves, to be aware of and to actively contribute to the decision-making process on energy strategies using the principle of health in all policies.

EP: Who would you identify as a partner in environmental conservation and promotion activities and contributions to public health?

Marija Jevtic: The interested public (civil society) is entitled to the availability of environmental data. The non-governmental sector is an important partner in providing support to the health sector in its efforts to improve public health activities in the field of monitoring, research, and assessment of health impacts. Some organizations, such as the RES Foundation, the Belgrade Open School and the international organization HEAL provide strong support to the health sector and play an important role in highlighting the relationship between ecology and public health, as well as the joint activities in the energy transition that is ahead of us and which should be in the function of long-term preservation of the health of the population.

Continuous activities in avoiding harmful factors in our environment and cultivating positive factors give us the ability to preserve and improve human health. These activities imply continuous persistence in respecting public health priorities so that in the near future we can make decisions for the benefit of our descendants, whose quality of life and health depends on the state of the environment that we hand down.

Interview by: Marija Nesovic

This content was originally published in the eighth issue of the Energy Portal Magazine ECOHEALTH, in November 2017.

Canadian Solar Sells 235 Megawatt California Solar Portfolio To Korean Utility

15.03.2018

One of the world’s largest solar companies, Canadian Solar, announced this week that it had completed the sale of a portfolio of Californian solar projects worth 235 megawatts (MW) to Korea’s largest electric utility Korea Electric Power Corporation.

Canadian Solar announced on Tuesday that it had completed the sale of its interests in three Californian solar PV projects held by its subsidiary Recurrent Energy to Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO), the country’s largest electric utility with an installed capacity of 79 gigawatts. Specifically, KEPCO has acquired interests in the 100 MW Astoria project, the 75 MW Astoria 2 project, and the 60 MW Barren Ridge project, each located in southern California.

This is KEPCO’s largest investment in the US solar market, but the Korean utility is expecting to do further business with Canadian Solar in the future.

“These high-quality solar assets are a strategic addition to our renewable energy holdings and will allow us to further diversify our generation portfolio,” said Mr. Bong-soo Ha, executive vice president and chief global business officer, KEPCO. “We expect further cooperation with Canadian Solarand are also pleased to be working with an industry-leading developer like Recurrent Energy as we grow our presence in the attractive U.S. solar market.”

The two Astoria projects are located in Kern County and generate enough clean electricity to supply more than 43,000 homes. The electricity from the Astoria project is being purchased by PG&E under a long-term Power Purchase Agreement, while electricity and associated Renewable Energy Certificates for the Astoria 2 project have been purchased by the Southern California Public Power Authority and four of its members.

Meanwhile, the 60 MW Barren Ridge project, also located in Kern County, generates enough clean electricity to supply more than 25,000 homes and is supplying the electricity through a PPA with The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power.

“Traditional investors increasingly view utility-scale solar as a strategic investment, and this transaction with a global energy leader highlights that trend,” said Shawn Qu, chairman and chief executive officer of Canadian Solar. “The Recurrent Energy team continues to create value through deals with world-class investors that monetize our quality U.S. solar project assets.”

Source: cleantechnica.com

Macquarie Group Invests In 226 Megawatt Australian Murra Warra Wind Farm

15.03.2018

The 226 megawatt (MW) Murra Warra Wind Farm Stage One has announced financial close this week after securing investments from developer Renewable Energy Systems and banking giant Macquarie Group, which will allow construction to commence immediately.

Renewable Energy Systems (RES), the world’s largest independent renewable energy company, boasting a portfolio of 13 gigawatts (GW) around the world, announced on Wednesday that the 226 MW Murra Warra Wind Far Stage One in Australia had reached financial close thanks to equity capital commitments from both RES and Australian banking giant Macquarie Group, as well as debt financing from a global consortium of banks.

The Murra Warra Wind Farm Stage One is located in North Western Victoria, 25km north of Horsham, and will consist of 61 turbines. Stage Two will add 55 turbines and push up the total nameplate capacity of the project to 429 MW upon completion. Construction will also provide 150 jobs for regional Victoria, and upon completion in mid-2019, it is expected the project will generate permanent jobs for maintenance and monitoring.

“The Murra Warra Wind Farm is a world class project which once constructed will be one of the highest performing wind farms in the southern hemisphere,” said Matt Rebbeck, Chief Executive Officer of RES Australia. “We are proud to be making this important contribution to the regional Victorian economy. We have developed a strong relationship with the local community and look forward to continuing to engage with community stakeholders as we enter into the construction phase for Stage One.”

Australia’s onshore wind energy industry is still in its relative infancy, but there is increasing demand for and interest in these large-scale wind projects across the country. RenewEconomy’s Giles Parkinson also believes that the December-announced Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) is in line with the impressive sub-$55 megawatt-per-hour (MWh) PPA signed between Origin Energy and the 530 MW Stockyard Hill Wind Farm in early 2017.

This is also a strong move for Macquarie Group as it casts its gaze on the Australian renewable energy market. So far, Macquarie Capital — Macquarie Group’s corporate advisory, equity, debt, and private capital markets businesses — has invested approximately AUD$2.5 billion in onshore renewable energy projects since 2011, and in 2017 was ranked the number one global renewable project finance financial adviser.

Macquarie Group also most recently made headlines for acquiring the UK’s Green Investment Bank (GIB) in a deal worth £2.3 billion. The deal has also recently raised concerns that the UK Government did not secure strong enough commitments from Macquarie to continue the GIB’s green financing future. Just this week the UK’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of MPs slammed the move, accusing the UK Treasury of “economic vandalism.”

“Murra Warra Wind Farm is a strong example of project developers with complementary expertise partnering together to deliver important greenfield energy projects that increase and diversify the supply of electricity,” added Chris Voyce, Macquarie Capital’s ANZ Co-head of Infrastructure, Utilities and Renewables.

“Achieving financial close means Stage One of Murra Warra is now fully funded, and with the PPAs signed in late 2017, there are guaranteed customers for the clean energy that will be generated. This demonstrates a market for clean electricity in Australia, and has given the local community certainty over the economic benefits of the project.”

Source: cleantechnica.com

C40 Reveals Cities’ Emissions Are Up To 60% Higher, Resulting In Bigger Reduction Opportunities

14.03.2018

Termoelektrana, Ugalj, Zagađenje — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

A new analysis from the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group has revealed that cities are actually generating up to 60% more greenhouse gasses than currently estimated due to the impact of trade in goods and services, but that this means cities now have even greater opportunities to deliver on the Paris Climate Agreement goals.

In a new study published earlier this week by the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group along with the University of Leeds, University of New South Wales, and Arup, it was revealed that greenhouse gas emissions generated by 79 cities around the world were as much as 60% higher than currently estimated — that is, when you account for the impact of trade in goods and service between cities and around the world. Specifically, the new study analyzed the greenhouse gas emissions that are associated with goods and services consumed by residents of 79 C40 cities, including food, clothing, electronic equipment, air travel, delivery trucks, and the construction industry.

The analysis found that almost two-thirds of consumption-based greenhouse gas emissions — or 2.2 gigatonnes of CO2 equivalent (Gt CO2e) out of 3.5 Gt CO2e — are imported from regions outside the cities, meaning that these emissions are not accounted for in the cities’ own emissions calculations. According to the authors of the report, “This shows that consumption activities by residents of C40 cities has a significant impact on the generation of GHG emissions beyond their boundaries.”

And even though a city may have little to no control over these emissions, they are nevertheless a part of the equation for that cities’ emissions. Thus, this new “sphere of impact” opens up new opportunities for these cities.

“By revealing the scale of emissions generated by the urban consumption of a range of everyday goods and services, including the food on supermarket shelves, air travel or online shopping and home delivery, consumers and policy makers can make better informed decisions about the impact their choices are having,” said Mark Watts, Executive Director, C40 Cities. “Mayors need accurate data and scientific advice in order to make good policy decisions. This new research will help city policy makers to better understand the true impact of their city on global climate change, and so play an ever bigger leadership role in delivering climate action.”

It is a novel and important way to look at a cities’ emissions — and an even more novel way to view this re-calculation as an ‘opportunity’ for cities to make a bigger impact. It is doubly important for large cities across Europe and North America with their higher levels of consumption and the global nature of supply chains for the goods and services used by citizens. Specifically, 15 cities in the study from Europe and North America have consumption-based greenhouse gas emissions levels at least three times the size of their emissions calculated using the more traditional model.

“If you look at the emissions from ‘consumer’ cities like London, Paris or New York, they have very little from industry, because their economies and workforces are no longer reliant on manufacturing and factories,” said Mark Watts. “Yet ‘producer’ cities in India, Pakistan or Bangladesh, for example, are generating a lot of industrial pollution in the manufacture of products that will be sold and consumed in Europe and North America. By examining consumption-based GHG emissions alongside existing inventories, policy makers can get a more complete picture of the opportunities to reduce global GHG emissions and deliver on the goals of the Paris Agreement.”

The authors of the report make two recommendations — that cities either use consumption-based greenhouse gas inventories alongside their more traditional sector-based greenhouse gas inventories, or incorproate key supply chains into the latter. According to the authors of the report, “This would encourage more holistic GHG emissions assessments; enable decision-makers to consider a wider range of opportunities to reduce global GHG emissions; and provide an additional perspective with which to engage other stakeholders in climate action.”

Source: cleantechnica.com

New York State Approves 26 Large-Scale Renewable Projects, Seeks Exemption From Federal Offshore Drilling

14.03.2018

New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo announced approval last week for 26 large-scale renewable energy projects, including 22 solar projects worth 647 megawatts (MW) and 733.58 MW worth of wind energy.

At the same time, Governor Cuomo announced that his state has filed to be excluded from the recently-announced federal offshore drilling program, claiming that opening up New York State’s offshore for drilling risks its tourism and fishing industries.

Speaking at New York University last week, New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo — joined by former Vice President Al Gore — announced the single-largest commitment to renewable energy by any US state, which is worth $1.4 billion, and approved 26 large-scale renewable energy projects across New York.

The 26 projects are the awarded winners of the Governor’s Clean Energy Standard mandate and include 22 solar farms across the state, a hydroelectric project, and three wind farms worth 339.78 MW, 272 MW, and 121.8 MW respectively, the latter of which will be accompanied by 6.2 MW energy storage capacity.

In all, the newly-awarded large-scale renewable energy projects are expected to provide enough clean electricity to power more than 430,000 homes and create over 3,000 short- and long-term jobs.

“This is an historic moment for New York as we make the largest purchasing commitment to renewable energy by a state in the history of our country,” said Alicia Barton, NYSERDA President and CEO. “Achieving 50% of New York’s electricity from renewable sources by 2030 is a cornerstone of Governor Cuomo’s nation-leading agenda to fight climate change, and I look forward to watching these projects create jobs, expand our clean energy economy and provide New Yorkers with clean, reliable power for decades.”

Governor Cuomo also announced at New York University that the state is seeking an exemption from the National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program (National OCS Program) which was announced earlier this year by US Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke. The National OCS Program seeks to make over 90% of the total Outer Continental Shelf available for oil and gas exploration and drilling, claiming that 98% of the “undiscovered, technically recoverable oil and gas resources in federal offshore areas” would be found here.

“Responsibly developing our energy resources on the Outer Continental Shelf in a safe and well-regulated way is important to our economy and energy security, and it provides billions of dollars to fund the conservation of our coastlines, public lands and parks,” said Secretary Zinke at the time. However, it was announced soon after that the state of Florida would be exempt from having its own coastline despoiled due to its threat to the state’s tourism and wildlife.

Unsurprisingly, numerous other coastal states raised their hands as well, publicly wondering whether exemptions would be as easily acquired by Blue states.

According to Governor Cuomo, New York has similarly sought an exemption based on similar justifications as Florida used to secure its exemption. New York claims its ocean economy generates $11 billion in wages and contributes $23 billion in gross domestic product, and that the state would stand to lose nearly 320,000 jobs and billions of dollars in tourism and fishing industry if they were not granted an exemption.

“Instead of protecting our waters from another oil spill, like the one that devastated the Gulf, this new federal plan only increases the chances of another disaster taking place,” Governor Cuomo said. “This is a total disregard for science, reality, and history, and their actions defy everything we know. We believe the future is a clean energy economy and New York is going to lead a counter-movement to what this administration is doing to the environment and illuminate the path forward.”

In addition to the monetary impact, Governor Cuomo also explained that offshore drilling risks his state’s clean energy and climate policies.

“Governor Cuomo is demonstrating outstanding leadership in helping to solve the climate crisis and building a sustainable future,” said Vice President Al Gore. “His vision and leadership stand in stark contrast to the Trump administration’s malignant mission to make us even more dependent on the dirty and destructive fossil fuels. Now more than ever, it’s up to all of us to step up and act on this urgent cause of our time. Governor Cuomo is showing how it can be done.”

Source: cleantechnica.com

Microplastic Pollution in Oceans is Far Worse than Feared, Say Scientists

14.03.2018

The number of tiny plastic pieces polluting the world’s oceans is vastly greater than thought, new research indicates.

The work reveals the highest microplastic pollution yet discovered anywhere in the world in a river near Manchester in the UK. It also shows that the major floods in the area in 2015-16 flushed more than 40 billion pieces of microplastic into the sea.

The surge of such a vast amount of microplastic from one small river catchment in a single event led the scientists to conclude that the current estimate for the number of particles in the ocean – five trillion – is a major underestimate.

Microplastics include broken-down plastic waste, synthetic fibres and beads found in personal hygiene products. They are known to harm marine life, which mistake them for food, and can be consumed by humans too via seafood, tap water or other food. The risk to people is still not known, but there are concerns that microplastics can accumulate toxic chemicals and that the tiniest could enter the bloodstream.

“Given their pervasive and persistent nature, microplastics have become a global environmental concern and a potential risk to human populations,” said Rachel Hurley from the University of Manchester and colleagues in their report, published in Nature Geoscience.

The team analysed sediments in 10 rivers within about 20km of Manchester and all but one of the 40 sites showed microplastic contamination. After the winter floods of 2015-16, they took new samples and found that 70 per cent of the microplastics had been swept away, a total of 43 billion particles or 850kg. Of those, about 17 billion would float in sea water.

“This is a small to medium sized catchment in the north of England, it is one flood event, it is just one year – there is no way that [5tn global] estimate is right,” said Hurley. The researchers said total microplastic pollution in the world’s oceans “must be far higher”.

The worst hotspot, on the River Tame, had more than 500,000 microplastic particles per square metre in the top 10cm of river bed. This is the worst concentration ever reported and 50 per cent more than the previous record, in beach sediments from South Korea. But Hurley said there may well be worse places yet to me measured: “We don’t have much data for huge rivers in the global south, which may have so much more plastic in.”

“There is so much effort going into the marine side of the microplastic problem but this research shows it is really originating upstream in river catchments,” she said. “We need to control those sources to even begin to clean up the oceans.”

About a third of microplastics found by the team before the flooding were microbeads, tiny spheres used in personal care products and banned in the UK in January. This high proportion surprised the scientists, who said the beads may well also derive from industrial uses, which are not covered by the ban.

Erik van Sebille, at Utrecht University in the Netherlands and and not part of the research team, said the work does support a much higher estimate of global microplastic pollution in the oceans: “I’m not surprised by that conclusion. In 2015, we found that is not on the surface anymore. The problem is that we don’t know where that 99 per cent of plastic is. Is it on beaches, the seafloor, in marine organisms? Before we can start thinking about cleaning up the plastic, we’ll first need to know how it’s distributed.”

Anne Marie Mahon, at the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology in Ireland and also not part of the research team, said: “I am actually glad to see the estimate going up a bit, just to show there is this huge contribution coming from the freshwater system.” However, she cautioned that not all the microplastics shown in the study to be flushed out by the floods necessarily entered the sea – some may have been washed over the floodplain instead.

“It is very difficult to tell how this plastic may be affecting us,” Hurley said. “But they definitely do enter our bodies. The missing gap is we need to know if we are getting contaminants inside us as a result of plastic particles.”

The smallest particles that could be analysed in the new research were 63 microns, roughly the width of a human hair. But much smaller plastic particles will exist, and Hurley said: “It is the really small stuff we get worried about, as they can get through the membranes in the gut and in the bloodstream – that is the real fear.”

Source: businessgreen.com

India’s Largest Solar Tender Of 3 Gigawatts Launched

14.03.2018

Late last month, the Solar Energy Corporation of India launched a Request for Proposal (RfP) document for what will be the single largest solar power auction in the country’s history.

This tender for 3 gigawatts of capacity will overtake a 2 gigawatt tender launched by the state of Telangana in 2015 to become India’s largest solar power tender ever. The tender is also one of the most unique in the solar power sector, although SECI has used this model for wind energy auctions thrice already. SECI had launched a similar tender in January 2018 for 2 gigawatts of solar capacity, and bidding and results for this tender are awaited.

The capacity has been offered in multiples of 250 megawatts. Project developers will be free to choose the location of the projects. The maximum allowed bid for this tender is Rs 2.93/kWh (¢4.5/kWh), a 21% premium to the lowest-ever tariff bid by a developer in India. However, this threshold is reasonable given the recent increase in price of imported modules, imposition of several duties, and uncertainty over imposition of several other duties.

Project developers will sign power purchase agreements for a period of 25 years with SECI, which, in turn, will sign power supply agreements with power distribution companies across the country. SECI will earn a margin from these transactions. A company and its subsidiaries or affiliates can bid for a cumulative capacity of 750 megawatts.

In addition to the normal conditions found in other solar power tenders launched by SECI and state governments, there other beneficial provisions for project developers. These include the option to sell excess electricity at pre-defined tariff rates and compensation in case of generation loss due to transmission congestion.

There will also be a payment guarantee fund to protect the developers from any payment delays by power distribution companies.

The Indian government will float several similar tenders in the near future. A further 30 gigawatts each will be auctioned in FY2018-19 and FY2019-20. Thus a total of 77 gigawatts will be put on the block by 31 March 2020. Developers will thus have ample time to deliver all projects by the March 2022 deadline.

Source: cleantechnica.com

India Relaxes Terms For Federal Wind Energy Auctions

13.03.2018

The Solar Energy Corporation of India has modified some requirements for the fourth federal-level wind energy auction. The modifications are likely to be welcomed by project developers, as participation has been made easier and penalties have been reduced slightly.

First, SECI has made amendments to the original Request for Selection (RfS) document so that project developers willing to participate in the auction can submit various kinds of fees through electronic means, in addition to submitting physical instruments. This would be highly beneficial to companies that are not located in close proximity to the SECI office in the National Capital Region of Delhi as well as foreign companies planning to participate in the auction.

Next, SECI has also diluted some requirements for foreign companies with regards to submission of audited financial documents. This will be a major breather for foreign companies looking to participate in the auction and also attract more international companies to India’s wind energy market. This is also important as India plans to open the offshore market soon where Indian companies have no experience and would likely partner with international firms.

There is also good news for successful developers in case they miss the scheduled date to commission projects. As per the original RfS document, developers would have faced a reduction in tariff by Rs 0.50/kWh (0.77¢/kWh) for each day of delay of over six months in project commissioning. This has now been reduced by 70% to Rs 0.15/kWh (0.23¢/kWh).

Several other provisions that project developers would find beneficial have been modified slightly. These include provisions to sell excess electricity generated by the projects to third-party buyers. A similar provision was included in the Rewa solar power park tender which is regarded as a milestone in India’s solar power market.

If the project is part-commissioned before the scheduled commissioning date, the developer can sell the power at 75% of the tariff discovered in auction to the designated power distribution company. This means that the developer would not be left high-and-dry to work out options to sell this electricity.

SECI plans to auction several gigawatts of capacity over the next few months on a regular basis in order to push the installed capacity to 60 gigawatts by March 2022. The third federal-level auction held last month saw tariffs stabilize at Rs 2.44/kWh (3.8¢/kWh), which remains the lowest wind energy tariff bid in India.

Source: cleantechnica.com

Green Powerhouse: E.ON Agrees to Acquire Innogy from RWE in €43bn Deal

13.03.2018

Obnovljivi izvori energije — Foto: Pixabay

E.ON yesterday confirmed it has reached an agreement in principle to acquire rival RWE’s stake in renewables specialist Innogy in a deal worth an estimated €43bn that is set to reshape the European energy market.

The German energy giants confirmed an agreement has been reached, subject to board approval, after reports over the weekend revealed a complex cash, shares, and assets deal was under negotiation.

Share in Innogy, RWE, and E.ON all surged this morning as the markets responded positively to the news.

Under the agreement in principle, E.ON would acquire RWE’s 76.8 per cent stake in Innogy, but at the same time most of E.ON and Innogy’s renewables business, minority stakes in two nuclear power plants, and Innogy’s gas storage business, as well as some other assets, would be transferred back to RWE.

The deal would result in RWE holding a 16.67 per cent stake in E.ON. It would leave E.ON operating primarily as an energy networks and retail specialist, with RWE significantly strengthening its position in the renewables and clean energy generation markets.

“After successful implementation of the transaction it is intended to fully integrate innogy into the E.ON Group,” E.ON said in a statement. “Through this transaction E.ON would become a focused customer-oriented energy company concentrating on energy networks and customer solutions. The renewables businesses of E.ON and RWE would be brought together under the umbrella of RWE.”

The move is the latest shake out in the German energy market to result from the country’s ambitious shift towards renewables, known as the energiewende. In recent years both RWE and E.ON have sought to split their operations into forward-facing business units focused on renewables and smart grids and legacy operations holding the bulk of their fossil fuel assets.

Recent financial results have suggested the re-organisation is starting to pay off for both companies, with E.ON agreeing in January to sell a minority stake in its fossil fuel business Uniper to Finland’s Fortum for €3.8bn in January.

The deal, which will be subject to regulatory approval, comes amidst a challenging time for Innogy. Chief executive Peter Terium resigned late last year in the wake of a profit warning leaving Uwe Tigges as interim CEO. Meanwhile, in a shocking development chief financial officer Bernhard Günther was reportedly subject of an acid attack by unknown assailants that has left him severely injured and currently receiving treatment in hospital.

Source: businessgreen.com

UK and Saudi Arabia Ink Clean Energy Partnership, as France Backs Global Solar Push

13.03.2018

renewable-energy — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

The controversial UK visit of Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman culminated in a new clean energy agreement between the two countries, as the UK sought to underline the role it can play in supporting the Gulf State’s renewables plans.

As part of the visit, UK Business Secretary Greg Clark signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Clean Energy with Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources Khalid A. Al-Falih.

The pact includes commitments to share technical knowledge and host an annual UK-Saudi Energy and Industry Dialogue in a bid to accelerate the roll out of renewables and boost investment between the two countries.

The agreement covers a wide range of clean energy technologies, including smart grids, electric vehicles, and Carbon Capture Usage and Storage, as well as renewables.

“Our Industrial Strategy sets out a long-term plan to build a Britain fit for the future,” said Clark. “The global shift to clean growth is one of the most foreseeable and significant global economic trends and will transform many sectors of the economy, including power, transport, construction, energy-intensive industries and agriculture. This Memorandum of Understanding will help both the UK and Saudi Arabia make the most of this shift.”

Al Falih said the agreement would help support the country’s Vision 2030 clean energy plans, which aims to diversify the state’s energy mix away from a heavy reliance on oil and gas.

The agreement comes ahead of the release next month of a UK government report on the clean tech export opportunity offered by Saudi Arabia.

The report is expected to show Saudi Arabia’s expanding clean energy sector represents a multi-million pound opportunity for the UK, with a particularly focus on the engineering, construction, and smart grid sectors.

In related new, the French government today confirmed it will commit €700m to the India-backed International Solar Alliance (ISA), which aims to accelerate the roll out of solar technologies in developing economies.

Speaking at the ISA’s first conference in New Delhi, French President Emmanuel Macron said France would more than triple its funding for the alliance, taking its total contribution to €1bn.

The ISA has set a target of mobilising $1tr of solar investment and currently counts 60 countries as signatories.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is hoping the organisation’s first conference will see more countries sign up in support of its goal of catalysing increased solar investment in over 120 nations around the world.

Source: businessgreen.com

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