Recent reports from the United Nations that challenge commonly held views on ionising radiation may prove crucial for a nuclear renaissance, Abel González – a senior adviser with the Argentine Nuclear Regulatory Authority – told delegates at the World Nuclear Association Symposium held in London last month. “Shouldn’t the nuclear industry being doing all it can to debunk the myths about radiation?” he asks. … [Read more...]
8 things you need to know about the IPCC 1.5˚C report
In its landmark report released today on global warming, the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) says urgent and unprecedented changes are needed to stop global temperatures from rising by over 1.5˚C – but it is possible. The report makes it clear to governments and businesses that limiting warming to 1.5˚C is imperative, says Kelly Levin of World Resources Institute: “Now it’s time for them to step up to the challenge.” … [Read more...]
Methane is a potent pollutant – let’s keep it out of the atmosphere
The US’s intended relaxation of rules for the oil and gas industry on methane emissions could to lead to more being released. Since the country’s fracking boom began, evidence of a significant increase of methane in the atmosphere has already been seen as far away as Switzerland. As well as impacting climate change, this policy change may increase pollution, and damage the health of both humans and crops, say Alastair Lewis and Lucy Carpenter. … [Read more...]
Electricity’s future: mostly behind the meter
The electricity sector has traditionally taken good care of getting energy from power plants to customer premises. But with the arrival of distributed generation and storage, there is a universe of possibilities on the other side of the meter, writes independent energy expert Fereidoon Sioshansi. “While the industry counts the billions it has invested in assets upstream of the meter, there is probably as much if not more on the customer side.” … [Read more...]
Tesla big battery defies sceptics, sends industry bananas over performance
It’s less than a year since the Tesla big battery was installed at Hornsdale in Australia and the world’s largest lithium-ion battery has exceeded all expectations, says Giles Parkinson of Reneweconomy.com. Quicker, cheaper and with greater reliability, versatility, accuracy and efficiency than predicted, the storage system also looks set to provide a fast return on investment – results that have led to a rash of new battery projects in the … [Read more...]
China’s Belt and Road as a conduit for clean power projects
China’s Belt and Road Initiative is arguably the biggest regional connectivity and cooperation programme in operation today. But with China being a major polluter, there are also concerns the Initiative could just be adding to global environmental stress. Not so, argue John A Mathews and Carol X Huang of Macquarie University, Sydney: it’s actually a magnet for renewable energy investments. Courtesy of The Asia-Pacific Journal. … [Read more...]
3 ways in which gas is thinking of the future
While natural gas’s role in tomorrow’s electricity systems is being debated in Europe, the gas industry is busy dealing with growth in emerging energy markets. That doesn’t mean it’s all business as usual, though. Gas sector infrastructure providers such as the Spanish firm Sener are gearing up for fuel that is more liquid, mobile and, perhaps one day, renewable. … [Read more...]
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