Energy

NPR

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In A Hotter Climate, Dirt and Mud Are Hot Commodities : NPR

With sea levels expected to rise three to six feet by the end of the century, coastal communities are moving fast to construct major shoreline projects to protect themselves. As the size of these projects expands, the primary building materials--dirt and mud --are getting scarce.

Dirt (what you dig up on land) and mud or sediment (the wetter variety already in rivers and bays) are the raw materials of climate change adaptation. They're used to build levees, the massive earthen barriers that hold back waves, and to raise elevation so buildings can sit higher than the floodplain.

Mud is also a crucial component of restoring wetlands and marshes, which act as natural barriers against storm surges while providing valuable habitat for sensitive species. In the right conditions, marshes can gain elevation over time from sediment, potentially keeping pace with sea level rise in a way that human-built infrastructure can't.

Until now, mud and dirt have mostly been treated as waste products. Dirt leftover from construction projects is often just trucked to landfills. Sediment is trapped behind large dams, no longer spreading naturally throughout watersheds.

Indian Point Nuclear Plant Shuts Down, and New York Races for Wind Power – Bloomberg

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Indian Point Nuclear Plant Shuts Down, and New York Races for Wind Power – Bloomberg

One of the pair of active nuclear reactors within blast radius of Manhattan made a federal safety watch-list back in 1993. That’s when regulators cited Unit 3 at the Indian Point Energy Center for leaky coolant pipes and faltering engineering support. Shortly thereafter a control-room operator tested positive for marijuana and cocaine. But none of that helped activists’ long quest to turn off the nuclear plant.

Up until Friday, when Indian Point’s final reactor will be shut down, dogged opposition from environmentalists and safety advocates failed for decades to shut it down permanently. The two reactors produced about 2.1 gigawatts of power for nearly 45 years—enough to meet a quarter of demand from New York City, without emitting greenhouse gas.

This should be a milestone for activists who spent more than a generation trying to remove the nuclear shadow over the biggest U.S. metropolis. It has instead brought into focus a different anxiety: global warming. In the intervening years concern over greenhouse gas has become paramount, and the deactivation of Indian Point comes with a certain—if temporary—increase in planet-warming pollution.

New York’s Indian Point nuclear power plant closes after 59 years of operation – Today in Energy – U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)

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New York’s Indian Point nuclear power plant closes after 59 years of operation – Today in Energy – U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)

The Indian Point Energy Center (Indian Point) permanently stopped generating electricity on April 30, 2021, when it retired its last operating nuclear reactor, Unit 3, earlier than originally planned. The Indian Point nuclear power plant began operations in 1962 and produced over 565 terawatthours (TWh) of electricity in the 59 years it was open. The Unit 3 retirement removes almost 1,040 megawatts (MW) of nuclear generating capacity from New York State, leaving about 3,200 MW of remaining nuclear capacity at three plants in upstate New York.

Indian Point is located in Buchanan, New York, about 25 miles north of Midtown Manhattan. The plant had three pressurized water reactors. Unit 1 began operations in 1962 and shut down in 1974. Units 2 and 3 began operations in 1974 and 1976, respectively; Unit 2 retired in April 2020. The Consolidated Edison grid system distributed the plant’s electricity to the five boroughs of New York City and neighboring Westchester County.

Energy Efficiency IV: Jevons’ Paradox, and Conclusion.

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Climate 201: Energy Efficiency IV: Jevons’ Paradox, and Conclusion.

4/12/21

Web player: https://podcastaddict.com/episode/121704200
Episode: http://pdcn.co/e/traffic.libsyn.com/physicalattraction/Climate_201_Energy_Efficiency_IV_Jevons_Paradox_and_Conclusion_pr2.mp3?dest-id=535856

In The Coal Question, Jevons – alongside realising that we needed a transition to renewable energy 150 years ago – posed the efficiency paradox. Using energy more efficiently motivates you to use more energy. Can energy efficiency “rebound” and backfire like this in real systems? That’s the question we explore in this episode.

I’ve said it before, but I think many of proposed climate change actions threaten democracy 🌎

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I’ve said it before, but I think many of proposed climate change actions threaten democracy and the environment. 🌎

Climate change is a serious crisis. We’ve waited too long to take action, and as result to make the changes recommended by scientists, it’s going to threaten both democracy and environment. The truth is an expedited action means cutting corners, emboldening bureaucrats, fostering corruption and damaging the environment through poorly reviewed and thought out projects.

That said, is it worthwhile to take climate action? Of course, we should. But we should be cautious, take reasonable steps after thoughtful review. Science has to be based on reality, not a projection of world we want to live on. We should take steps to reduce climate change emissions that are protective of environment and not harmful. It’s better to be slow and cautious, and if we don’t meet emissions targets, we don’t meet them. It’s better to save democracy and our environment, then meet a set emissions target.