Carmakers Promise 400 Fast-Charging Stations Across Europe by 2020

03.11.2017

Four of the world’s largest automakers have today revealed details of their plan to establish an extensive electric vehicle (EV) fast-charging network across Europe, with a promise to install 400 chargers across the continent by 2020.

The Munich-based joint venture, IONITY, was established by VW Group, Daimler, Ford, BMW last year. Porsche and Audi have since joined the group, which aims to accelerate the roll out of zero emission vehicles.

Together the carmakers hope to make long-distance travel for EVs faster and easier by installing powerful charging stations, which can generally refuel an electric vehicle to 80 per cent charge in around half an hour – far quicker than the six to eight hours it can take using a domestic EV charger. Their rollout is seen as crucial to soothing the ‘range anxiety’, which remains one of the biggest barriers to EV adoption.

“The first pan-European HPC network plays an essential role in establishing a market for electric vehicles,” the joint venture’s chief executive officer Michael Hajesch said in a statement. “IONITY will deliver our common goal of providing customers with fast charging and digital payment capability, to facilitate long-distance travel,” said Hajesch.

The group said 20 stations will open to the public this year in Germany, Norway and Austria, each spaced 120km apart on major roads. Over 2018 100 more will open, each with multiple charging points capable of supporting a range of manufacturers.

In other industry news, logistics firm Ryder said today it has started to take delivery of 125 electric vans from EV start-up Chanje in the US.

The vans, the first of their kind in North America, will join Ryder’s lease and rental fleet in California, New York and Illinois. They are capable of transporting up to 6,000 pounds of cargo with zero exhaust emissions.

Dennis Cooke, president of global fleet management solutions for Ryder, said the rollout of the new electric vans demonstrates the firm’s leadership in new technologies. “We are proud to partner with Chanje to bring an all-electric medium-duty vehicle to market as this will further promote energy efficiency in the industry by allowing our rental and lease customers to implement electric vehicles into their operations on a short-term or long-term basis,” he added.

Source: businessgreen.com

Atmospheric Methane Levels Rose Rapidly In 2016, Scientists Claim To Not Understand Why

03.11.2017

Atmospheric methane levels rose fairly rapidly in 2016, as did atmospheric carbon dioxide levels (which saw the yearly average rise up to 403.3 parts per million), according to a new report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

The scientists involved in the report claim to not know why atmospheric methane levels are rising rapidly, interestingly — making for a good example of the way that climate change communication from researchers is often comically reserved and thus hobbled.

It’s no true mystery why atmospheric methane levels are rising. Though the exact mechanisms and sources may well have not been definitively identified, broad reasons can certainly be inferred — melting permafrost, thawing sea beds, and in a more generalized way, simply rising temperatures and increasing rot, amongst other things, are likely all playing a part.

Engadget provides more: “The WMO’s report also points to a mysterious rise in the levels of methane in the atmosphere, which were also higher than the 10-year average. Speaking to BBC News, Professor Euan Nisbet from Royal Holloway University of London said this was not expected in the Paris Agreement. ‘We do not understand why methane is rising … It is very worrying.’”

It’s hard to know what to make of comments like that … or perhaps I’m not being fair here.

Notably, the new figures relating to the current rate of atmospheric carbon dioxide and methane levels rises suggest that official climate change targets are impossible to achieve without a vast and rapid change of directory.

WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas stated: “Without rapid cuts in CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions, we will be heading for dangerous temperature increases by the end of this century, well above the target set by the Paris Climate Change Agreement. Future generations will inherit a much more inhospitable planet.”

Source: cleantechnica.com

Greener School Buildings Could Save Taxpayers £2.6bn a Year

03.11.2017

If all the UK’s school buildings were replaced with the most energy efficient alternatives taxpayers would save £2.6bn a year from the schools budget, new research has revealed.

A paper released yesterday by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) on behalf of zero-emissions buildings firm Net Zero Buildings argues major savings could be found in the education budget if more efficient buildings were widely used.

Net Zero Buildings has created what it claims to be the UK’s most energy efficient school building – a modular building constructed off-site that features airtight insulation and solar energy installations.

The net zero-emission construction stands in stark contrast to much of the UK’s current school building stock, 60 per cent of which was built before 1976. If all school buildings were as efficient as the Schoolhaus design the Department of Education would save £2.6bn a year, almost five per cent of its annual budget, according to the analysis.

The UK’s growing population means demand for school places in the UK is set to grow 10 per cent over the next decade. The Department of Education has a target of building at least 500 new schools by 2020 to cater for rising demand, but some studies suggest more than 2,000 new school buildings will be needed.

According to today’s report, if 500 new schools were built to Schoolhaus’ efficiency standards savings of £1.25bn could accrue to taxpayers over the next 60 years from cheaper capital, energy, maintenance, and lifecycle costs. If 2,000 schools are built to net zero standards the savings could rise to £5bn over the same period.

“With pupil numbers forecast to grow by around 10 per cent between now and 2026, it’s clear that innovative solutions are required to ease the pressing need for new school buildings,” Net Zero Buildings CEO Neil Smith said in a statement. “This report shows that the government has an opportunity to meet this demand, save money and help to protect the environment.”

The Department for Education was considering a request comment at the time of going to press.

Source: businessgreen.com

IKEA to Help UK Staff and Customers Make Clean Energy Switch

03.11.2017

IKEA is planning to launch a new clean energy drive before the end of the year aimed at encouraging staff and customers to switch their household electricity suppliers to those which only use renewable sources, the company has revealed.

The Swedish retail giant is currently working with the Big Clean Switch initiative with a view to offering lower electricity tariffs to employees in return for them switching to renewable energy suppliers for their household power needs.

In an interview with BusinessGreen, the company’s sustainability manager for UK and Ireland, Hege Sæbjørnsen, said the plan was to then extend this offer to IKEA Family member customers in the new year.

“We’re currently working with the Big Clean Switch campaign, and we are negotiating a lower renewable energy tariff for our customers through IKEA Family,” Sæbjørnsen said. “It is being launched internally for co-workers first at the end of this year, and then early next year for IKEA Family members.”

The Big Clean Switch initiative – a ‘social business’ partnership between campaign group Purpose and social enterprise Clean Energy UK – works with renewables suppliers such as Bulb, Ecotricity and Good Energy on targeted campaigns to quicken the move towards zero carbon power. It recently launched a campaign with 10 councils in Greater Manchester to offer local residents and businesses lower tariffs through 100 per cent renewable energy suppliers.

No firm launch date has yet been confirmed for IKEA’s clean energy drive, but Sæbjørnsen said it formed part of the retailer’s wider strategy to encourage greener staff and customer behaviour beyond its own stores, in keeping with its Sustainable Life at Home product range.

The move follows IKEA’s decision to team up with Solarcentury for its new home solar panel and battery storage product offering, which has seen positive early sales since its launch back in August, according to Sæbjørnsen.

She explained the Big Clean Switch project would enable staff and customers who do not own their own homes or are unable to invest in a solar-battery storage product to also benefit from lower electricity bills thanks to renewable power sources.

“It’s wonderful if you own your own house, but not everyone does,” said Sæbjørnsen. “Also, people move, so do you want to invest x-amount in a solar set up? So this is actually helping this whole shift, and it is very aligned with the [UK government’s recently published] Clean Growth Plan.”

Source: businessgreen.com

Hotels Must Cut Carbon Footprint by 90 Per Cent to Meet Paris Goals, Industry Leaders Admit

03.11.2017

The hotel industry must eliminate 90 per cent of its carbon emissions by 2050 if the sector is to stay within the limits set out under the Paris climate agreement.

That is the headline conclusion of a new report published yesterday by hospitality consultancy Greenview on behalf of the International Tourism Partnership (ITP), a group of leading hotels brands such as Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, InterContinental, Marriott International, and Hilton.

Absolute carbon emissions from hotels must drop 66 per cent by 2030 and 90 per cent by 2050 if the sector is to deliver its fair share in limiting warming to less than 2C, the report calculated.

Despite the large emissions reductions required, ITP’s director Fran Hughes insisted the cuts were achievable. “The technology exists today to fully decarbonise the sector,” she said.

“Solving the issue of climate change becomes how to accelerate the solutions which are currently available.”

Carbon cutting solutions suggested in the report include investment in more efficient buildings, increased use of renewable energy, and the introduction of more reward schemes to encourage greener guest behaviour.

The analysis follows ITP’s move in September to set the first industry-wide carbon and water targets for the tourism sector as part of the group’s 25th anniversary celebrations.

Under the strategy ITP’s members, which collectively are responsible for more than 25,000 hotels around the world, promised to “embrace” science-based emissions targets and “embed” water stewardship into business models.

Hughes said while the industry will work together to see where collaboration could accelerate emissions reductions, individual hotel firms should also develop science-based targets to ensure they are contributing their fair share to emissions cuts.

“The reductions individual companies need to make may vary, dependent on where they are located and their infrastructure,” she said. “That’s why we’re encouraging hotels to develop their own science-based target.”

Source: businessgreen.com

Ørsted to Sell 50 Per Cent Stake in Giant Walney Offshore Wind Project

02.11.2017

Renewable energy firm Ørsted – the Danish company formerly known as DONG Energy – has agreed to sell half its stake in the 659MW Walney offshore wind project currently under construction off the coast of Cumbria.

The company announced yesterday it has signed a deal that will see it divest 50 per cent of its shares in the project for £2bn to a consortium consisting of leading Danish pension funds PKA and PFA, with each obtaining an equal 25 per cent ownership.

The £2bn sale price also includes a commitment from the two pension funds to pay for 50 per cent of the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for the project, set to be paid during 2017 and 2018.

Ørsted will maintain a 50 per cent stake, as well as looking after construction and long term operation and maintenance of the project. It said the deal is set for completion by the end of this year, subject to regulatory approval.

Once completed the Walney Extension project is expected to be the largest offshore wind farm in the world, consisting of 87 turbines and generating enough power to meet the needs of more than 500,000 UK homes.

Henrik Poulsen, Ørsted CEO, said the divestment was in line with the company’s expectations of “value creation” in the project, and that he was “delighted” to welcome PKA and PFA as new co-owners.

“We already have a strong partnership with PKA on three other offshore wind farms and we look forward to building an equally long-lasting relationship with PFA on what will be the world’s biggest wind farm when completed,” he said. “Both partners are committed to the green energy transition and I’m pleased that our offshore wind assets continue to be attractive to institutional investors.”

Meanwhile Allan Polack, PFA Group CEO, said the investment marked “yet another step” for the Danish pension fund into the renewable energy market. “The investment fits perfectly into our strategic work with focus on alternative investments that contribute to providing our customers with reliable and stable long-term returns,” he said.

The sale was part-financed via a new long-term debt facility provided by Macquarie, marking the Australian bank’s first offshore wind transaction since it acquired the previously UK state-owned Green Investment Bank – now renamed the Green Investment Group (GIG) – earlier this year.

James Wilson, co-head of Macquarie Infrastructure Debt Investment Solutions (MIDIS), said it had been working closely with Ørsted over the past 15 months on the deal. “The transaction demonstrates Macquarie’s ability to apply our considerable expertise and resources to deliver large amounts of capital, with execution certainty, to support the most complex transactions,” he said.

Source: businessgreen.com

China To Ban Sale Of High-Sulfur Diesel Fuel For Tractors & Ships

02.11.2017

As of November 1st, the sale of high-sulfur content diesel fuel — that is, diesel fuel with more than 10 parts per millions (ppm) of sulfur — will be banned nationwide in China, the government in the capital of Beijing has revealed.

High-sulfur diesel fuel is typically used in China as a relatively low-cost option for those running tractors or ships. The ban of sales is intended to help reduce local air pollution problems, and to function as part of nationwide efforts to reduce the country’s growing air pollution problems.

“The move by the National Development & Reform Commission (NDRC) comes after the government banned sales of diesel with more than 50 ppm of sulfur in July,” Reuters notes.

“In a statement, the NDRC said it will crack down on the production and distribution of oil products that don’t meet government standards, and increase its supervision of major refiners and rural gas stations.”

This ban follows closely on the announcement that, despite all of the actions taken so far this year to reduce the growing air pollution problems of Northern China, PM2.5 levels in the region were essentially just as bad during September 2017 as during September 2016.

Source: cleantechnica.com

Biomass Burning Releases Pollutants That Cause DNA Damage

02.11.2017

The burning of biomass in the Amazon releases particulate matter air pollution that causes oxidative stress as well as severe DNA damage in human lung cells — primarily through the actions of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) known as retene — according to a new study published in the journal Scientific Reports.

The new study, performed by researchers in Brazil in partnership with US colleagues, found that after 72 hours of exposure, over 30% of cultured human lung cells die.

The new study is notable because most research to date focusing on air pollution has been based around urban area pollution — which originates primarily from the burning of fossil fuels — even though around 3 billion of the world’s current human inhabitants are regularly exposed to the air pollution from biomass burning of various kinds.

Much of the Brazilian Amazon region is regularly exposed during the dry season to high levels of pollution from biomass burning, mostly owing to deforestation and various agricultural practices and land clearing. The new study thus focused on the region as a real-world laboratory in which to investigate the effects of particulate air pollution released by biomass burning on human health.

Green Car Congress provides more: “The researchers first determined the concentration of pollutants to be used in the lab experiments designed to mimic the exposure suffered by people who live in the area of the deforestation arc. Using mathematical models, the researchers calculated the human lung’s capacity to inhale particulate matter at the height of the burning season and the percentage of pollutants that is deposited in lung cells. Based on this theoretical mass, they determined the concentration levels to be tested using cultured cells.

“The pollutants used in vitro were collected in a natural area near Porto Velho, Rondônia, during the burning season, which peaks in September and October. The filters were frozen shortly after the particulate matter was collected because the organic compounds found in the pollution plume are highly volatile.

“The cultured cells treated with the solution were compared with a group of control cells, which received only the solvent used to extract pollutants from the filters. The aim was to confirm that any adverse effects observed were caused by the particulate matter and not by the solvent. In the very first moments of exposure the lung cells began producing large amounts of pro-inflammatory molecules. Inflammation was followed by an increase in the release of reactive oxygen species (ROS), substances that cause oxidative stress. Large amounts of ROS cause damage to cellular structures.”

Following this, the researchers then conducted tests to confirm that genetic damage was occurring — with the findings being that cells were also entering a process of autophagy, whereby internal structures were being self-consumed.

When exposed to the biomass pollutants cell mortality was found to be around 33%, as compared to just 2% in the control cells. Surviving cells were found to have suffered DNA damage.

Afterwards, the researchers then tested the most abundant PAH amongst the pollutants released by biomass burning, retene — finding that retene on its own (at the same levels as this found in the air near biomass burnings) was able to induce DNA damage and cell death.

Source: cleantechnica.com

Study: It’s Easier For Cities To Reduce Residential Emissions Than Transportation Emissions

02.11.2017

It’s easier for cities to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions through the residential sector than it is through the transportation sector, a new study authored by an MIT professor has found. The primary ability to do so is through better construction practices, not increased housing density, interestingly.

The study findings are the result of an analysis seeking to determine the best ways for local planning policies to either complement the Obama administration’s Clean Power Plan or to make up for its absence. (As it stands, it’s looking less and less likely that the Clean Power Plan will ever go into effect).

“Our take-home message is that cities can do a lot at the local level with housing stock,” stated study co-author David Hsu, an assistant professor in MIT’s Department of Urban Studies and Planning, while also noting that: “In transportation, cities can’t make up for the loss of a national strategy.”

The researchers do note, though, that there’s wide variation with regard to possibilities based on the city — with the potential being much greater in fast-growing cities such as Houston as opposed to older cities like Boston.

The press release provides more: “To conduct the study, the researchers examined economic, environmental, and demographic data from 11 major US cities, then developed models projecting emissions through the year 2030, based on a series of different policy scenarios.

“For instance, to analyze ways of cutting emissions from residential energy by 2030, the researchers modeled a baseline scenario in which housing characteristics remained the same. They also modeled scenarios featuring a variety of changes, including the implementation of new energy-efficient construction standards, the building of more multifamily homes, and the retrofitting of homes to save energy.

“Simply requiring newly built homes to be more energy efficient would reduce residential emissions by an average of 6% by 2030. But requiring existing homes to be retrofitted would yield a further 19% reduction of residential emission, on average, across the 11 cities.”

Interestingly, reducing the number of single-family homes by 25% and replacing them with multifamily units “would have virtually no incremental benefit in terms of reduced residential energy use and CO2 emissions” — apparently owing to the fact that when single-family homes are made more energy efficient, the possible gains from multifamily designs are greatly lessened.

As a final note here, the residential sector currently accounts for around 20% of all US carbon dioxide emissions.

The new study is detailed in a paper published in the Journal of Planning Education and Research.

Source: cleantechnica.com

EDF Sells Majority Stake in Five UK Wind Farms

02.11.2017

EDF Energy Renewables announced plans to sell its majority stake in five wind farms across Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire for £98m in order to release equity to invest in developing further renewable projects elsewhere in the UK.

However, while selling its majority stake to clean energy investor Greencoat UK Wind PLC, the UK renewables arm of the French utility giant said it would keep a 20 per cent stake in the projects and continue to operate and provide maintenance for the wind farms.

EDF Energy will also continue to purchase all of the electricity generated at the sites, while operational and community benefit fund arrangements will remain unchanged, the firm said.

The five wind farms covered by the transaction are Deeping St Nicholas, Lincolnshire – 16.4MW, Red House, Lincolnshire – 12.3MW, Glass Moor, Cambridgeshire – 16.4MW, Red Tile, Cambridgeshire – 24.6MW, Bicker Fen, Lincolnshire – 26.6MW.

Matthieu Hue, CEO of EDF Energy Renewables, said the move formed part of EDF Group’s wider CAP 2030 renewable energy development strategy, with the UK seen as a major strategic market for the company.

“We have built close ties with the communities around these sites and we know they value industry partners they can work with over the long term,” said Hue in a statement. “That’s why it is important to us to continue to run the wind farms and maintain local relationships.

“We have an ambitious development portfolio, which will help us deliver the low carbon electricity the country needs,” he added. “This sale helps to support our ambitions and our delivery of new projects around the UK.”

Across the UK, the company already operates more than 696MW of wind farms, has more than 260MW under construction and has more than 454MW consented, 170MW in planning and 950MW in development.

Tim Ingram, chairman of Greencoat UK Wind, said the firm would take an 80 per cent stake in the wind farms, which comprise 47 turbines: “Following on from our recent further share issue, we are pleased to acquire assets from a tenth seller, a third major utility partnership, demonstrating UKW’s reach across the market in finding value for investorsm,” he said in a statement.

The news comes as Shell today announced it had completed the sale of several UK North Sea assets as well as its entire Gabon onshore oil and gas interests.

The oil major has sold a package of UK North Sea assets to Chrysaor for a total of up to $3.8bn, although it said it retains “a significant, more focused and strengthened presence in the UK North Sea, to which it remains committed”.

Meanwhile, Shell has sold its entire oil and gas interests off the coast of Gabon in West Africa – which in 2016 produced the equivalent of 41,000 barrels of oil per day – to Assala Energy Holdings Ltd for a total of $628m.

The company said the completion of the Gabon deal showed “the clear momentum behind Shell’s $30bn divestment programme and is in line with Shell’s drive to simplify the upstream portfolio and re-shape the company into a world class investment”.

Source: businessgreen.com

Last Saturday, Every Fourth Light Bulb in Europe was Powered by the Wind

01.11.2017

Obnovljivi izvori energije — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

As you settled down to watch Strictly Come Dancing last Saturday evening there was a one in four chance your TV was being powered by the wind.

Trade body WindEurope confirmed yesterday that the European wind power sector set a new record last weekend, meeting 24.6 per cent of EU electricity demand on Saturday 28th October.

The group said the performance smashed the previous record of a 19.9 per cent share, which was set earlier in the month on 7th October.

The on-going expansion in Europe’s wind power capacity combined with strong northern winds and a continent-wide cool polar air mass to deliver the record performance.

Hourly output records also fell across the region, with the EU as a whole setting a new record of 89.9GW on Saturday evening. Germany also set a new record of 39.1GW, Poland delivered a record 5.1GW and Norway achieved a new high of 900MW.

In addition, Denmark saw 109 per cent of its power demand met by wind power.

Onshore wind dominated the market, delivering 21.8 per cent of European power throughout the day, while offshore wind provided a further 2.8 per cent.

The results come as two of Europe’s biggest economies continue to work on strategies that could deliver a further boost to the continent’s renewables sector.

Germany’s coalition talks could yet deliver a revamp of the country’s faltering climate strategy, which has been accused of failing to deliver on the government’s ambitious climate targets.

The leader of the Greens this week warned that it would not continue talks with Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union and the centre right Free Democrats (FDP) unless the FDP officially endorses the country’s carbon targets.

The FDP had signalled it wants the goal of cutting emissions 40 per cent by 2020 – which Germany is on track to miss – to be reassessed. But Simone Peter, co-chair of the Greens, told Reuters the targets were non-negotiable.

“Before exploratory talks continue, the FDP must accept unconditionally the climate protection goals,” Peter said. “Otherwise the talks make no sense.”

Green groups are optimistic Merkel could seek to reinvigorate Germany’s decarbonisation strategy in order to secure the support of the Greens. However, she faces a tricky political challenge squaring the carbon targets with the FDP’s concerns.

Meanwhile, France’s Environment Minister Nicolas Hulot told Le Monde this week that the government would come forward with a new ‘Green Deal’ plan next year, designed to make good on its promise to reduce reliance on nuclear power and step up renewables deployment.

Source: businessgreen.com

US Signs Deal With Denmark To Expand Offshore Wind Energy Cooperation

01.11.2017

A new deal calling for further cooperation in the offshore wind energy sector has been signed by the US and Denmark, thanks to a fairly positive view of wind energy within the Trump Administration, according to recent reports.

The new agreement means that top Europe-based wind energy firms, such as DONG Energy and Vestas, should have an easier time developing projects and relationships within the US market.

“We see some positive initiatives coming out of the administration in Washington,” commented the head of DONG’s US business, Thomas Brostroem, in an interview with Reuters, while referencing efforts to streamline on the federal level the permitting process for offshore wind energy projects. “They’ve been really receptive to talk to European countries and developers to get know-how from the past decades.”

Reuters provides more: “Danish companies DONG Energy and Vestas had feared the nascent US offshore wind sector would be stymied after President Trump vowed to revive the coal industry, challenged climate-change science and blasted renewable energy as expensive and dependent on government subsidies. But both companies now say the Trump administration is increasingly looking at Europe’s experience as it seeks to kick-start the sector.

“The US offshore wind sector, which has lagged behind Europe, is at a critical juncture, with the first large-scale offshore wind auction in Massachusetts coming up in December. But to gain traction, industry executives and experts say the United States will need to replicate the dramatic cost cuts which Europe has implemented.”

This news follows on the continuing growth of the European offshore wind energy sector in recent years — with more than 12 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind energy generation capacity now installed in the region.

“It is a huge scoop that we now get a formal cooperation with the Trump administration on offshore wind,” stated Danish climate and energy minister Lars Chr Lilleholt. “There’s no doubt that this is a sleeping giant.”

No, this indeed does not match well with what we’ve otherwise seen from the Trump administration on energy, but perhaps there is some hope in policies around this renewable energy arena.

Source: cleantechnica.com

Extreme Summer Heat Becoming More & More Prevalent Across US, Study Finds

01.11.2017

climate change — Photo-illustration: Pixabay

The number of days in which extreme heat occurs during the summer have been rising across the US — particularly in the Western states and on the Eastern seaboard — over recent decades, a new study from the Natural Resources Defense Council found.

To be more particular, the study found that nearly two-thirds of the US has dealt with far more days of extreme summer heat over the last decade than during previous decades, with the study relying on temperature data from thousands of US government weather stations throughout the US. The new analysis compared data taken between 2007–2017 and 1961–1990.

The work identified 21 states (along with the District of Columbia) that were particularly hard hit — these states were ones where at least 75% of the residents are now dealing with “at least nine more than expected extreme summer heat days annually.”

NRDC provides more: “Severe heat is the number one cause of U.S. weather fatalities. High summer temperatures can cause heat exhaustion and heatstroke or worsen preexisting cardiovascular and respiratory conditions. Research has shown that more than 65,000 people end up in U.S. emergency rooms each summer with heat-related illnesses and an estimated 1,300 additional deaths occurred annually during extreme summer heat across 40 major US cities from 1975 to 2004. …

“City residents face a heightened risk because of the urban heat island effect, caused by the mostly paved urban surfaces that absorb and re-radiate heat. A lack of green space and tree cover in urban areas can substantially raise temperatures compared to surrounding regions. An NRDC study from earlier this year found that large cities like New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, and Boston could each experience at least six times as many dangerously hot summer days by 2100 as they did, on average, from 1975 to 2010. The study also found that, collectively, 45 major urban areas in the United States could see about 28,000 more deaths each year due to extremely hot summer days by the 2090s.”

As you’ve probably already noted, the recent forest fires seen along the West Coast of the US were fueled by high temperatures and the aridity accompanying them. As it stands, Southern California is right now in something of a heatwave — a somewhat strange occurrence for an October.

California is, notably, one of the 11 Western states identified by the new study as being most affected by rising levels of extreme summer heat.

Source: cleantechnica.com

Air Quality In Northern China During September Was Just As Bad As Last Year, Despite Reduction Initiatives

01.11.2017

Ulica, zagađenje, saobraćaj — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

Despite all of the work put in as part of a campaign to reduce air pollution there, air quality in Northern China was just as bad in September 2017 as it was in September 2016, data from the Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) has revealed.

Considering the actions taken by the government there this year, the news doesn’t bode well for the country’s ability to greatly reduce its growing air pollution problems — and may end up provoking a negative public reaction considering the government’s promise to clean things up somewhat by the end of the year.

To be more specific here, PM2.5 levels in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei area during September 2017 were around 52 micrograms per cubic meter, the same as during September 2016.

It should also be noted that the country’s PM2.5 levels actually rose to 64 micrograms per cubic meter over first 9 months of 2017 — up 10.3% year-on-year, despite atarget of reducing the yearly average by 15% during 2017.

“Of 74 cities monitored by the MEP, Beijing, Tianjin, Zhengzhou in Henan, Taiyuan in Shanxi and six cities in Hebei province, including the steel producing city of Tangshan, were China’s most polluted cities last month,” Reuters notes.

“All of the cities were among the 28 named by the MEP in August to be subject to a major campaign to tackle air pollution this winter. But ahead of the campaign, local authorities had already begun to inspect factories, forcing many to shut down some of their operations during September. Hebei province has sent out 1,400 inspectors to conduct environmental checks across the province since early September.”

All of this comes just before the winter heating surge begins in the country — which sees coal-fired heating plants rapidly ramp up output, with air pollution levels rising in response.

Plans this year, though, are to require the energy-intensive steel, cement, smelting, and coke industries to stagger production, and to limit use of coal-fueled trucks, from the middle of November until the middle of March. It remains to be seen how effective these plans will be.

Source: cleantechnica.com

Record Loss Of Global Tree Cover In 2016, Driven By Forest Fires

01.11.2017

Šumski požar — Foto-ilustracija: Pixabay

The record loss of global tree cover in 2016 — totaling around 297,000 square kilometers (114,672 square miles) and representing a rise of 51% on 2015 — was driven partly by increasingly common wildfires driven by rising temperatures and drought, according to the Global Forest Watch (GFW) which utilized data provided by the University of Maryland.

“We saw quite a dramatic spike in 2016,” stated Mikaela Weisse, a research analyst at the US think-tank World Resources Institute, which oversees GFW. “That seems to be related to forest fires in countries including Brazil, Indonesia and Portugal.”

Altogether, tree cover equivalent to the full size of New Zealand was lost in 2016. (It should be noted here that GFW measures the actual loss of global tree cover, and doesn’t attempt to estimate net changes in forests to account for possible re-growth and tree planting.)

“By contrast, the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization, using different methods, says the net global rate of deforestation has slowed by more than 50% in the last 25 years,” Reuters reports.

“GFW said Brazil’s Amazon region lost 37,000 square kilometers of tree cover in calendar 2016, almost three times more than in 2015. That contrasts with official Brazilian data showing that deforestation in the Amazon fell 16% in August 2016 to July 2017 compared with the same period a year earlier. Brazil said it was the first decline in three years. Brazil’s environmental agency Ibama said 2016 was the ninth-worst year for forest fires since monitoring began in 1998.”

So, what do you know, based on GFW figures, it appears that official deforestation data from the Brazil and the UN (amongst many others) underestimate the problem — what a surprise.

Reuters continues: “Weisse said GFW data often detected smaller-scale losses in tree cover, including in layers beneath the forest canopy, while the Brazilian data was better at recording clearances of large blocks of forest. GFW said Indonesia lost almost 1 million hectares of tree cover in 2016, probably the delayed result of a severe fire season in 2015.”

It seems very likely that we can expect to global tree cover continue disappearing rapidly as temperatures continue climbing and drought continues becoming more common — as that occurs, intense wild fires will become more and more common.

Recall this year’s forest fires on the West Coast of North America and in the Mediterranean if you want to understand where things are headed — it’s only going to get worse from here on out.

Source: cleantechnica.com

Air Mapping Initiative Reveals London’s Most Polluted Postcodes

31.10.2017

The most polluted postcodes in London have been identified as part of a year-long initiative which saw thousands of personal air quality smart sensors handed out to local groups, businesses, and communities to help draw up a picture of pollution levels across the UK capital.

Using Drayson Technologies’ CleanSpace tags, the initiative generated more than 15 million local carbon monoxide (CO) data readings over a 12-month period. It revealed that WC1N – an area encompassing Great Ormond Street Hospital and the Brunswick Centre in Bloomsbury – had the highest overall readings for the pollutant.

It was followed in the pollution league table by W10 – spanning parts of Wormwood Scrubs prison, Ladbroke Grove and West Kilburn – and WC2, which covers parts of the West End as well as Charing Cross and Embankment tube stations.

Bishops Bridge Road near Paddington Station, followed by Euston Road and Great Portland Street were also identified as specific roads in London with the highest CO levels, according to the clean tech firm.

The initiative was also able to identify specific times of the year and day when pollution levels were at their worst, with the highest peak average of CO measured on 23 January this year – when the Mayor of London issued the city’s first ‘Black Alert’ for air pollution.

Repeatedly high levels were also measured throughout November 2016 to February 2017, which Drayson Technologies said indicated that the air is dirtier in London during the winter months.

Meanwhile, the most polluted times of the day were on average seen between 8.51am and 9.21am each morning, as well as during the evenings between 8pm and midnight, spikes which the firm said were most likely due to Londoners being exposed to pollutants inside bars, restaurants or other buildings.

First launched last year by Drayson Technologies in partnership with charity the British Lung Foundation, the Map London initiative also saw green private car hire service Greentomatocars fit its vehicles with CleanSpace tags, generating 1.5 million readings from their daily journeys.

The company said it measured CO – rather than other pollutants such as nitrogen oxides or particulate matter – because it is found in both indoor and outdoor environments, with testing having shown that carbon monoxide “correlates well with all other major urban pollutants across seasons”.

Lord Drayson, chairman and CEO of Drayson Technologies, said the aim of the initiative was to help improve Londoners’ awareness of the air they breathe both indoors and outdoors. “We hope the data that we have collected will help people avoid pollution hotspots and allow us to better understand how air pollution impacts people’s health and in turn help Londoners lead healthier lives,” he said.

The results of the year-long campaign follow the launch of London’s Toxicity Charge last week, which means drivers of older, more polluting vehicles now have to pay an additional £10 fee in order to travel in Central London.

Source: businessgreen.com

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