Energy & Sustainability

UK Government's Energy Review published

2006-07-11T16:02:00.000+01:00

See the full text of the much-rumoured and leaked Energy Review here.

'Cars designed to conk out at zebra crossings will never be the answer to environmental problems'

2006-07-10T23:02:00.000+01:00

So, while everyone is rushing to print with their views of what will be in the UK Energy Review, or revealing their 'leaked' version of it, I will note a largely irrelevant article by James May, the 'other bloke off Top Gear' (a BBC television programme about cars). Incidentally, I saw a copy of The Review today, but not the contents. So no exclusives from me.

In Telegraph.co.uk, Mr May writes of his disgust with the new Citroen C2 'Stop and Start' (also available on the C3) a car whose engine cuts out when the car brakes to a halt and re-starts when the brake is released, as a fuel saving and pollution-reduction measure. His dislike of the idea is rooted in a distrust of the technology, which is fair enough as an opinion, but he goes on to make risible statements that demonstrate that he has failed completely to grasp the reasons for reducing carbon dioxide emissions:

'The facts are these. There is a ﬁnite supply of fossil fuel left and, in broad terms, consuming it is going to create the same amount of pollution. It doesn't matter whether I drive the Bentley and use it all up tomorrow, or drive something that conks out temporarily at every junction and eke it out for another few years. Conserving energy is ultimately fruitless and, more to the point, completely at loggerheads with the demands of a progressive world.'

And a final mixed-up paragraph:

'So – and assuming that fossil fuel consumption really is an issue – here's a suggestion. All the endeavour and ingenuity, all the time, equipment and resources, all the wit and learning – in short, every manifestation of human effort being wasted on the C2 Stop & Start, the hybrid, the wind farm and the ecological washing machine; it should all be directed towards ﬁnding the alternative.'

How can we hope for a sensible debate on energy issues when a major newspaper publishes this confused nonsense without comment?

Wind farm strikes at eagle stronghold

2006-06-26T21:55:00.000+01:00

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) reports that a key population of Europe's largest eagle has been significantly reduced by a wind farm. Only one white-tailed eagle is expected to fledge from the wind farm site on the bird's former stronghold of Smøla, a set of islands about ten kilometres (six miles) off the north-west Norwegian coast. Turbine blades have killed nine of the birds in the last ten months including all three chicks that fledged last year.

The number of young has crashed from at least ten each year before the wind farm was built, with numbers outside the wind farm falling as well - there are no breeding pairs within one kilometre of the turbines.

Scientists now fear that wind farms planned for the rest of Norway - there are more than 100 proposals - could replicate the impact on wildlife of Smøla. Norway is the most important country in the world for white-tailed eagles.

Dr Rowena Langston, Senior Research Biologist at the RSPB said, 'Smøla is demonstrating the damage that can be caused by a wind farm in the wrong location. The RSPB strongly supports renewable energies including wind, but the deaths of adult birds and the three young born last year make the prospects for white-tailed eagles on the island look bleak. The deaths of these birds show just how inadequate existing decision-making processes are for new technologies such as wind farms. Developers and governments should be taking note; these types of impact must be properly considered and acted upon when proposals are first made to avoid the unnecessary losses we are witnessing on Smøla.'

The RSPB is backing a new four-year study at the site by the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA) to assess the effects of turbines on swans and wading birds such as golden plover, dunlin and whimbrel, and on the ability of white-tailed eagles to adapt to the wind farm.

The RSPB believes climate change poses the greatest long-term threat to wildlife and strongly supports the development of renewable energy including wind farms, so long as they are well sited.

The Energy Blog

2006-06-20T22:50:00.000+01:00

A high quality resource of energy news. From around the world but with a US bias. I have added it to the links bar on the left.

Featured books

2006-06-20T14:26:00.000+01:00

A Friend in Every City

Networking is the key skill for the 21st century worker. A Friend in Every City, by Penny and Thomas Power, founders of Ecademy, and Andy Coote, is an inspirational and practical guide to the art and science of networking.

Blog on to change your career

Margaret Stead, career coach and self-styled 'dream architect' has produced the first comprehensive guide to self-promotion by blogging. Blogs (weB LOGs) are the fastest-expanding feature of the Internet, easily out-pacing porn and gambling in their rate of growth. Margaret's book 'Blog on to a career change' describes how you can use blogs to build your profile and become widely known as an expert in your particular area.

Sun Tzu and the project battleground

In his first book David Hawkins explores the lessons that the classic book on Chinese warfare, by General Sun Tzu, has for people involved in setting-up and managing projects.

There have been many business books based on the works of Sun Tzu and a lot of them turn out to be rather stodgy and contrived. This book however uses the Chinese original as a basis on which to build a series of penetrating insights into the rough and tumble of modern business and project management.

Winning by sharing

Based on the personal experience of the author, Leon Benjamin, Winning by Sharing describes the new ways in which freedom-loving individuals are choosing to work, buy and invest. A collection of true stories combined with market research and analysis about the future of work, it shows how profoundly this revolution will affect people in the next decade, and how this will take most people by surprise.

The Bending Moment - energizing corporate business strategy

David Hawkins

This book is about how pressures and stresses from both outside and within can act to change the shapes of organisations - the 'Bending Moment' of the title. It develops the idea of an holistic business strategy as being essential to build success in today's highly complex global market place. The book has fascinating things to say about mergers and acquisitions, risk management, leadership, change management, business networks and alliances.

Ocean Acidification and Carbon Dioxide Capture and Storage

2006-05-24T11:30:00.001+01:00

My current project is managing a cross-government team to make recommendations on the required legal and regulatory framework for carbon capture and storage. This is the idea that carbon dioxide (CO2) can be captured at fossil fuel power stations (either pre or post-combustion) and other industrial processes. The gas would then be stored indefinitely rather than being emitted to the atmosphere, where CO2 is the main greenhouse gas. Storage is in underground (usually sub-seabed) rock formations such as exhausted oil and gas wells and in saline aquifers. It is therefore very interesting that OSPAR, the inter-governmental agreement to protect the North-East Atlantic, has just released new reports on the rapid increase in ocean acidification from CO2 in the atmosphere, and on the technical aspects of capturing and storing carbon dioxide in geological structures under the seabed. Made available by the OSPAR Commission as a result of the work of its Offshore Industry and Biodiversity Committees, they are available on www.ospar.org under 'What's New?'. (The site uses frames extensively - see here for the English welcome page et ici for the French one.) The reports will be formally published later in 2006.

The first report 'Ocean Acidification' confirms that high levels of CO2 in the atmosphere are changing ocean carbon chemistry at least 100 times faster than at any time in the last 100 000 years. The pH of seawater (the measure of the balance of acidity and alkalinity) has dropped from 8.2 to 8.1 over the past 200 years. Models forecast that it will drop to 7.8 by 2100, and may drop as low as 7.5 if there is a business-as-usual scenario. This would be lower than anything experienced in the last 10 - 20 million years.

Marine species that rely upon building up calcium-based structures will be adversely affected. These include corals, crustaceans (e.g. lobsters, crabs) and molluscs (e.g. mussels, oysters). Higher levels of CO2 in seawater generally depress the physiological performance of sea creatures, so it cannot be ruled out that the changes will also impact on other marine species.

The second report, 'Placement of CO2 in Subsea Geological Structures' looks at the technical aspects of CO2 capture and storage (CCS) in geological structures under the seabed. It shows that CCS in sub-seabed geological structures is technically feasible, using existing tried and tested technology. The North-East Atlantic offers significant potential for CCS: it could take most of the European Union's CO2 emissions from major point sources for several centuries. With well selected, designed and managed sites, retention of CO2 for several thousand years (or even longer) could be achieved. Evaluation of any proposed sites needs to take account of the risks to the marine environment as well as the benefits in mitigating climate change and acidification of the oceans. Monitoring will be important and the report describes how seismic and gravimetric techniques can be used.

The report concludes that guidelines or a framework for risk management for the storage of CO2 are needed. OSPAR is putting work in hand to produce these. (Taken from the OSPAR press releases.)

Global warming risk 'much higher' than IPCC forecast

2006-05-23T13:42:00.000+01:00

Global temperatures will rise more than previous studies have indicated, according to new research to be published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters by two teams from the US and Europe. They used historical records to calculate the likely amplification of warming as higher temperatures induce release of carbon dioxide (CO2) from ecosystems and both conclude that current estimates of warming are too low, by anything up to 75%.

To calculate this extra warming, both research groups have looked back into the Earth's history. Regularly, spells of relatively high temperatures have produced rises in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations, which have fallen again as colder conditions took over. The theory is that in warm spells, ecosystems such as soils, forests and oceans retain less carbon.

As the Earth's surface is now warming again, the process might be repeating, with higher temperatures again causing the biological world to release CO2 into the atmosphere, adding to emissions from homes, factories and vehicles.

The US study examined a period of about 400,000 years using data from the Vostok ice core of Antarctica and expressed its results as a climate sensitivity of between 1.6 and 6.0C. The European group looked back to the ‘Little Ice Age’, a period in the middle of the last millennium when the northern hemisphere experienced relatively low temperatures and calculated that temperature rises in the future have been underestimated by between 15% and 78%.

The results are similar and challenge the consensus view of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) , the global body charged with collating and analysing climate science, which predicts that the global average temperature would rise by between 1.5C and 4.5C if human activities were to double the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere.

From a BBC report. See the full version here.

Biomass Energy in England

2006-05-20T18:12:00.000+01:00

I must apologise for the general lack of posts during the last month. I have been contributing to the UK Government's response to the Report of Sir Ben Gill's Biomass Task Force. As we approached the launch date things got more and more intense as we finished the last few detailed and sent the document to various government ministers for approval (a task made more difficult by the Easter holiday). Finally we launched the response at the end of April and the response can be down-loaded here.

For more details see my Energy News blog.

UK Finance Minister's budget: key energy-related announcements

2006-03-22T13:56:00.000+00:00

Important energy and environmental announcements made by the UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown in his Budget statement included:

An increase in the climate change levy, in line with inflation, from 1 April 2007.
An extra 250,000 installations of subsidised insulation in British homes over the next two years
Funding for local authority-led publicity and incentive schemes for energy efficiency
Trialling the use of 'smart' energy meters
A new voluntary initiative with major retailers to reduce the energy use of consumer electronics.
A new National Institute of Energy Technologies, in partnership with the private sector.
An additional £50 million to develop microgeneration technologies and the launch of a consultation document on the barriers to large-scale commercial deployment in the UK of carbon capture and storage.
Reforms to the tax on road vehicle (vehicle excise duty - VED) to sharpen environmental incentives.

Full details can be found here

and the full Budget speech here

Is nuclear the answer?

2006-03-06T23:57:00.000+00:00

'Nuclear power is not the answer to tackling climate change or security of supply', according to the Sustainable Development Commission, chaired by Jonathan Porritt. So no surprises there. Set up by Prime Minister Tony Blair in 2000, the SDC is the UK Government's 'independedent watchdog on sustainable development'.

Published today, 6 March, in response to the Government’s current Energy Review, the SDC nuclear report draws together what is claimed to be the most comprehensive evidence base available, to find that there is no justification for bringing forward a new nuclear power programme at present. Based on eight new research papers, the SDC report gives (it is said) a balanced examination of the pros and cons of nuclear power. Its research recognizes that nuclear is a low carbon technology, with an impressive safety record in the UK. Nuclear could generate large quantities of electricity, contribute to stabilising CO2 emissions and add to the diversity of the UK’s energy supply.

However, the report states that, even if the UK’s existing nuclear capacity was doubled, it would only give an 8% cut on CO2 emissions by 2035 (and nothing before 2010).

SDC's full position paper: 'The Role of Nuclear Power in a Low Carbon Economy'

Evidence Base Papers
Paper 1: - An introduction to nuclear power – science, technology and UK policy context
Paper 2: - Reducing CO2 emissions - nuclear and the alternatives
Paper 3: - Landscape, environment and community impacts of nuclear power
Paper 4: - The economics of nuclear power
Paper 5: - Waste and decommissioning
Paper 6: - Safety and security
Paper 7: - Public perceptions and community issues
Paper 8: - Uranium resource availability

» Full press release

BBC invites viewers to predict the UK's future climate

2006-02-21T11:56:00.000+00:00

This week BBC4 runs the BBC's major season on global warming: Climate Chaos, a series of programmes on the science behind and issues surrounding the hottest topic of the day - climate change.

To launch the season the BBC - in conjunction with Open University - is inviting its audience to participate in the biggest online experiment ever undertaken to predict the future climate of the UK. By logging on to bbc.co.uk/climatechange viewers will help scientists project possible climate scenarios for the UK up to the year 2080.

On Monday 20 February was shown Meltdown, a film in which explorer and presenter Paul Rose showed the effects of global warming in Greenland and told the story of climate changes in the UK. Paul met Oxford scientist Myles Allen and learnt about his work predicting how the UK's climate will change.

At the end of the film Paul invited viewers to participate in the experiment by logging on to bbc.co.uk. Those logging on will be taken through steps to download a piece of software which connects to a server at Oxford University that downloads an individualised version of the UK government's Meteorological Office's state-of-the art global climate model. The climate model will use the computer's spare processing time – when the user is not actively working on it but still has it switched on - to make calculations and produce a possible future climate scenario for the UK.

Once the programme is downloaded the user does not have to do anything - the computer does all the work, and uploads data back to Oxford automatically. Those participating can keep track of what is going on by bringing up graphics that show them what year their individual model has reached, and what the temperature is. They can also set the graphics as a screensaver. Back in Oxford, scientists will collate the results which will be revealed in a follow-up programme in the summer. Participants can join the experiment at any point - but the earlier the better.

A standard off-the-shelf computer would take around three months to run the complete simulation to 2080, but project scientists can make use of runs as short as ten model years, taking only a week or so. The more people that participate the more accurate a prediction the scientists will be able to make.

Other BBC4 programmes in the series are:
(All times are GMT) Monday to Thursday this week at 7pm and 7.55pm - Global Warming Shorts - A series of 8 short films reporting the experiences of people on the front line of global warming - from the ski instructor who has watched a glacier melt away to the fish expert watching a stream of exotic species colonising the water around Britain.

Tuesday 21 February at 10pm Climate Conspiracy or Global Catastrophe? BBC reporter Iain Stewart looks behind some of the most controversial global warming stories to find out what the science says is really going on with our climate.

Poor Nations Need Billions to Fight Climate Change

2006-02-09T17:01:00.000+00:00

From the World Environment News team at Planet Ark comes this item about the costs of reducing emissions of green house gases in relation to current energy spending in the developing world.

Sir Nicholas Stern, Head of the UK Government's Economic Service and leader of the UK Review of the Economics of Climate Change said last Friday that the developing world needed to spend at least $40 billion more every year to fight climate change.

Stern, speaking on the sidelines of a conference in New Delhi of world environmentalists, scientists and policymakers discussing sustainable development, said the $40 billion was less than developing governments are already spending on energy.

Major developing nations such as India, China, Mexico and Indonesia, rely heavily on fossil fuels to power their rapidly growing economies. "...it would be far cheaper if they invest[ed] in cleaner technologies," he said.

More information on the Stern Review of the Economics of Climate Change can be found here.

Please participate in a new energy issues survey--UNIDO-ICHET survey

2006-01-27T10:40:00.000+00:00

This was posted as a comment on my Energy News blog and I thought it should be given a more prominent position:

Sponsorship: UNITED NATIONS INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION - INTERNATIONAL CENTRE FOR HYDROGEN ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES (UNIDO-ICHET)
(Project leader: Mavis Tsai, Ph. D. Shih Hsin University

Dear All:
We have launched a poll sponsored by UNIDO-ICHET to study public opinions and attitudes towards hydrogen energy related issues. We are also looking for feedback related to UNIDO-ICHET's website.

Would you please go to one of the URLs listed below (either site) and take the survey. Your answers will produce valuable information for our researchers.

http://www.unido-ichet.org (UNIDO-ICHET homepage) or
http://www.ichet.org

and click on the 'UNIDO-ICHET survey' button. Or go straight to the questionnaire web pages

Please forward this message to anyone who has an interest in the hydrogen economy.
Thank you.

Rhyme about the qualities of different woods as fuel

2006-01-11T16:38:00.000+00:00

My current project is managing a project to develop the use of biomass fuel in the UK for heating and power so I was amused to find this rhyme about the burning qualities of different woods on the the-tree.org.uk website

Beechwood fires burn bright and clear
If the logs are kept a year
Store your beech for Christmastide
With new holly laid beside
Chestnuts only good they say
If for years tis stayed away
Birch and firwood burn too fast
Blaze too bright and do not last
Flames from larch will shoot up high
Dangerously the sparks will fly
But Ashwood green and Ashwood brown
Are fit for a Queen with a golden crown

Oaken logs, if dry and old
Keep away the winters cold
Poplar gives a bitter smoke
Fills your eyes and makes you choke
Elmwood burns like churchyard mould
Even the very flames burn cold
Hawthorn bakes the sweetest bread
So it is in Ireland said
Applewood will scent the room
Pears wood smells like a flower in bloom
But Ashwood wet and Ashwood dry
A King may warm his slippers by.

See lots of other good stuff on the-tree.org.uk website.

Scientist blogs evidence for climate change

2006-01-11T15:47:00.000+00:00

Professor Howard Dalton, Chief Scientific Adviser To the UK Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), has been invited to the Antarctic by the British Antarctic Survey to discover firsthand the evidence for climate change.

Prof Dalton will record and share his 10-day expedition through a live blog, which will be updated daily as he visits the sites of some of the most dramatic evidence of climate change on the planet.

During the trip he will:

Consider at first hand research being done to assess the stability of the ice sheets
Examine the effects of climate change on animal life
Find out about the BAS’s sustainable operations and minimum waste strategy, which leaves nothing behind except human waste.
Explore an ice crevasse and witness the latest research on ice cores, which shows that levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere responsible for global warming are higher now than at any time in the past 650,000 years.
Discover how the sustainability of fishing in the South Atlantic is affected by climate change.

You can follow Howard's adventures in the Antarctic, which will include camping overnight and exploring ice crevasses here.

Future carbon trading

2006-01-09T14:03:00.000+00:00

Carbon trading for individuals?

'Imagine … it is 2015, and you are buying fuel for your hybrid car.
You go to pay, and are told that your purchase will cost £100, plus 50 carbon credits.
Thankfully, you have just received your regular top-up of free carbon credits into your online carbon account, which already has a healthy balance due to your low carbon consumption. So you hand over your carbon ID card, and the credits are electronically taken from your account in real-time. This saves you having to buy the units at the point of sale, which at current market prices would cost you £25.'

I found this scenario on the website of the Sustainable Development Commission, an independent advisory body to the UK government. Although a few months old (placed on the site in September) this is a still the subject of lively debate on the SDC website, which is also a very valuable source of ideas and information on sustainable development.

What do you think? Is this the way forward? Will this encourage individual responsibility or is it a recipe for massive bureaucracy and corruption?