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The Hydrogen Highway Ends in a Traffic Jam

Watts Up With That — Sat, 11 Apr 2026 07:00:00 +1000

Is there fuel available—and how long will it take to get it?.

Charles Rotter California’s hydrogen car experiment has entered a phase where the gap between expectation and experience is no longer subtle. Drivers in Los Angeles recently waited in long lines to refuel. Some stations were offline. Others limited how much hydrogen could be dispensed. A network that exists comfortably in official counts became, under pressure, a small cluster of functioning pumps. NBC Los Angeles described the...

From Watts Up With That

Hidden fossils reveal secrets of oceans before major mass extinction

New Scientist - Environment — Sat, 11 Apr 2026 04:00:13 +1000

A handful of plankton fossils buried in a small chunk of rock show that the oceans were teeming with life before the Late Ordovician mass extinction, the second most severe on record.

A tiny pellet of ancient rock, a mere half the size of a grain of rice, has yielded 20 microscopic fossils representing eight different species, including one that is entirely new to science. The discovery will enhance our understanding of the second-largest known mass extinction . It also shows how new analytical...

From New Scientist - Environment

The Carbon Bureaucracy Nobody Voted For

Watts Up With That — Sat, 11 Apr 2026 03:00:00 +1000

By Aiden Buzzetti Most Americans have never heard of the International Organization for Standardization. That is exactly how its architects prefer it. While Washington debates energy policy in public, a….

Most Americans have never heard of the International Organization for Standardization.

That is exactly how its architects prefer it. While Washington debates energy policy in public, a quieter project is underway in Geneva, one that could reshape how American companies produce energy...

From Watts Up With That

The secret project to settle controversial maths proof with a computer

New Scientist - Environment — Sat, 11 Apr 2026 02:30:13 +1000

Working in secret for more than two years, a group of mathematicians has set out to resolve of the longest and most bitter battles in modern mathematics.

In 2012, Shinichi Mochizuki published a paper claiming to provide a proof for the ABC conjecture in number theory

One of the most bitterly contested proofs in modern mathematics may be on the verge of being untangled. Two projects, both aiming to use a computer program to cast new light on the controversy, are now up and running – with...

From New Scientist - Environment

Is a Super El Nino Coming?

Watts Up With That — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 23:00:00 +1000

From the Cliff Mass Weather Blog Cliff Mass The media is going wild about the potential for a SUPER El Nino developing this year. An El Niño of potentially unequaled….

The media is going wild about the potential for a SUPER El Nino developing this year.

An El Niño of potentially unequaled strength with profound consequences for humanity.

As a reminder, El Niño and its close counterpart, La Niña, are associated with sea surface temperatures in the tropical Pacific, specifically...

From Watts Up With That

These enormous wind turbine projects would damage Wales – and all to supply the rest of the UK with energy | Simon Jenkins

guardian.co.uk - Energy — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 22:16:50 +1000

Labour’s deals with private companies will ride roughshod over a wilderness so remote there are no people to defend it.

Yes, the world is getting hotter, and yes, Britain should produce more renewable energy. But what should be the price of that principle?

The Cambrian mountains in mid-Wales are the national park that never was. In the 1950s, when the official designations were declared, Wales was awarded Eryri (Snowdonia), the Pembrokeshire coast and the Brecon Beacons. The Cambrians...

From guardian.co.uk - Energy

Quantum batteries could be charged by reversing time

New Scientist - Environment — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 21:00:15 +1000

Physicists have shown how time can effectively be reversed for some quantum systems, which would allow for new ways to harvest energy.

A method that can reverse the flow of time in quantum systems could one day be used to help charge quantum batteries.

For every process we observe in the universe, events appear to happen in only one direction, following an apparent arrow of time . But most physical laws and equations work whether time flows forwards or backwards.

Physicists have different...

From New Scientist - Environment

The man who ruined mathematics

New Scientist - Environment — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 19:00:35 +1000

The incompleteness theorem is accepted as part of the mathematical canon today, but columnist Jacob Aron says it was a bombshell when Kurt Gödel first introduced it. Gödel’s seminal work directly contradicted one of the great minds of mathematics and limited the field forever.

From New Scientist - Environment

Physicists resolve a long-standing puzzle over the size of a proton

New Scientist - Environment — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 19:00:07 +1000

Two extremely precise experiments agree with a previously shocking measurement of just how big the proton is, which may help future searches for new particles.

A vacuum chamber used to measure electron transitions in atomic hydrogen, from which the proton’s size was inferred

At long last, we have pinned down the size of a proton. More than 15 years after an experiment unexpectedly shook the world of particle physics, researchers are regaining their grip on one of this fundamental particle’s...

From New Scientist - Environment

1504 Died From Heat Last Summer, Say UKHSA

Watts Up With That — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 19:00:00 +1000

From NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW THAT By Paul Homewood h/t Ian Cunningham The UK Health Security Agency, UKHSA, have announced there were an estimated 1,504 heat-associated deaths in England….

The UK Health Security Agency, UKHSA , have announced there were an estimated 1,504 heat-associated deaths in England last summer, apparently lower than they had originally forecast.

What “heat-associated deaths”, you might well ask. I doubt whether any death certificates had heat recorded...

From Watts Up With That

The ‘Leading UK Scientists’ Letter Urging Abandonment of North Sea is Ideology Masquerading as Science

Watts Up With That — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 15:00:00 +1000

From Tilak’s Substack Tilak Doshi The Financial Times reported on Good Friday that “more than 65 leading UK scientists” had signed an open letter, published as a Google Doc, urging the Government to abandon…...

From Watts Up With That

NSW coalmine given two-year extension despite climate agency warning it jeopardises legislated emissions target

guardian.co.uk - Energy — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 14:17:58 +1000

Delta Electricity’s Chain Valley project is the first coalmine development considered by the planning commission since the state enshrined net zero emissions by 2050 in law.

An underground coalmine has been given the green light to dig for a further two years, with the New South Wales planning commission arguing it’s needed to guarantee electricity supply as the state transitions to renewables.

The NSW Greens have warned the move could be challenged in court after the Independent Planning...

From guardian.co.uk - Energy

King Charles Explains to Aussie Flood Victims They Should have Done More about Climate Change

Watts Up With That — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 11:00:00 +1000

As Australia wakes up to the Iran War reality we still need fossil fuel, King Charles chooses now to push his climate obsession..

King Charles praises Territorians, warns of climate change dangers in open letter on ‘devastating’ NT wet season

King Charles has written an open letter to Northern Territory residents in the wake of a series of recent natural disasters , warning the “increasingly catastrophic effects of climate change are surely a siren-call to the world...

From Watts Up With That

The Genesis Revitalizing U.S. Scientific Research

Watts Up With That — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 07:00:00 +1000

Like the Artemis mission, the Genesis Mission is part of President Trump’s grand strategy to restore American dominance and stimulate the U.S. economy through a revival of manufacturing and global leadership across the sciences..

While the Artemis mission has captured global attention, Gil promises astounding results from the Genesis Mission, boasting that “We ain’t seen nothing yet!”

This article was originally published by RealClearEnergy and made available via RealClearWire....

From Watts Up With That

The Coverup: warnings months before the Spanish Blackout, “Today was really bad” and “we’re going to crash”

Jo Nova — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 05:02:27 +1000

Image by Pete Linforth from Pixabay By Jo Nova Engineers were warning the grid was close to crashing due to excess solar The mass blackouts in Spain and Portugal wrecked havoc on April 28 last year. At the time everyone accountable was feigning confusion, blaming it on a “rare atmospheric phenomenon” which might have set up mysterious oscillations in the line. They were bandying around terms like “ ‘induced atmospheric vibration’ and talking about extreme temperatures (you know,...

From Jo Nova

Chimpanzee group's violent rupture hints at evolutionary roots of war

New Scientist - Environment — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 05:00:45 +1000

Researchers who observed a murderous conflict unfolding in a once-unified group of wild chimpanzees say there are parallels with civil wars in human societies.

A once harmonious group of wild chimpanzees has split into two, leading to intractable conflict and escalating violence. Researchers say the rift suggests that human wars are a deeply rooted part of our nature, rather than something that emerged recently as our culture became more complex.

“We want to be especially cautious with...

From New Scientist - Environment

Claim: The Climate Crisis Has Already Caused Society to Collapse

Watts Up With That — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 04:00:00 +1000

We just didn't notice..

Jem Bendell predicted that society would collapse because of climate change. Then he tried to get on with his life.

Jem Bendell had postponed his personal crisis long enough. For years, he’d been setting aside the worrying news about climate change he came across in a folder on his computer, waiting until he had the time (and emotional capacity) to look at it. In 2017, he took leave from his job as a professor of sustainability leadership at the University of Cumbria,...

From Watts Up With That

The Iran war is a warning: Britain must build resilience – at home and with our allies in Europe | Keir Starmer

guardian.co.uk - Energy — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 03:35:28 +1000

We should not be at the mercy of events abroad. That’s why, from energy to defence to key social policies, we aim to remake our country.

This time, it will be different. The war in Iran must now become a line in the sand, because how we emerge from this crisis will define all of us for a generation. And instead of hoping to return to the world of 2008, we will forge a new path for Britain – one that strengthens our energy, our defence and our economic security in a new age. Because the reality...

From guardian.co.uk - Energy

LIVE ON STAGE at ICCC16 – The Climate Realism Show #197

Watts Up With That — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 03:00:00 +1000

The first episode done before a live studio audience; The Climate Realism Show is coming to you LIVE from the main stage at the 16th International Conference on Climate Change (ICCC16). The conference theme is “Climate Realism Rising.” Have we seen proof of that so far at this conference? Everyone on the show has participated in many, and we think it’s clear the signs are everywhere. Lee Zeldin couldn’t get shamed out of speaking. The legacy media reported on this conference after going through...

From Watts Up With That

CAR T-cell therapy takes woman from bedridden to 'perfectly fine'

New Scientist - Environment — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 02:00:27 +1000

A woman with three different autoimmune conditions had all of them treated simultaneously by genetically modifying her immune cells to kill off the rogue ones causing problems.

Illustration of a CAR T-cell with an implanted gene strain, resulting from the genetic modification process required for it to fight rogue cells in the body

A woman who had three different autoimmune conditions has not required treatments for almost a year after her immune cells were genetically modified and used...

From New Scientist - Environment

Sci-fi show The Miniature Wife underwhelms - despite the big names

New Scientist - Environment — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 23:00:38 +1000

Elizabeth Banks stars as an author shrunk by her scientist husband Matthew Macfadyen in this major new series – but it fails to live up to its promise, finds Josh Bell.

From New Scientist - Environment

Mysterious 'compound X' clears toxic Parkinson’s proteins from brain

New Scientist - Environment — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 23:00:01 +1000

A drug known only as compound X helped to remove the problematic proteins associated with Parkinson's disease from the brains of mice, and improved their balance and mobility.

Parkinson’s occurs when nerve cells in the brain become depleted. This light micrograph shows mouse neurons labelled with a fluorescent protein to distinguish between cells at different depths

A mystery drug has shown promise for Parkinson’s disease , improving the mobility and balance of mice with Parkinson’s-like...

From New Scientist - Environment

Figueres to Lead Lancet Commission

Watts Up With That — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 23:00:00 +1000

This will be an objective report then!.

https://nationaltoday.com/us/la/new-orleans/news/2026/04/08/former-un-climate-chief-to-lead-lancet-commission-on-sea-level-rise-and-health

And what on earth does this hard left woman think will happen to all these poor people when the fossil fuel tap is switched off?

Sadly the Lancet lost all credibility for honest science when it sold its soul to the climate zealots many years ago.

So the same person I believe who already said the quiet...

From Watts Up With That

Emperor penguins added to endangered list after rapid decline

New Scientist - Environment — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 20:00:20 +1000

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) runs the Red List, which is regarded as the world’s most comprehensive listing of the global conservation status of animal, fungus and plant species.

From New Scientist - Environment

North Sea Gas “Saves Britain Billions a Year”

Watts Up With That — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 19:00:00 +1000

North Sea natural gas saved Britain billions last year and savings will be even higher this year amid sky-high prices, analysis has found, increasing pressure on the Government to boost production during the Iran war...

From Watts Up With That

Ed Miliband hold firm! North sea oil and gas drilling won’t help anyone other than Nigel Farage | Zoe Williams

guardian.co.uk - Energy — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 17:00:26 +1000

It’s worrying to watch Labour entertain Reform’s fantasies about fossil fuels. Only renewables will bring lower bills and higher energy security.

Labour – having swept into power on a green-friendly manifesto , much of which has already been abandoned, but the kernel of which was to prioritise green over fossil energy – is in a bind. It’s plain that fresh exploration of the North Sea would run counter to the party’s every principle, and particularly those of Miliband, whose legacy...

From guardian.co.uk - Energy

New York’s Climate Activists Not Backing Off

Watts Up With That — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 15:00:00 +1000

In New York State, the annual budget is due by April 1. Here we are on April 7, and no budget has yet emerged. Word is that the Governor and legislative leaders are hidden away behind closed doors hammering out the details. Word also is that somewhere in this “budget” process, the seemingly unrelated matter of the deadlines of the Climate Act (for starters, 70% of electricity from “renewables” by 2030) are about to get extended.

From Watts Up With That

For Minnesota, Climate Obsession Is Just Another Fiscal Disaster

Watts Up With That — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 11:00:00 +1000

And that is not just my opinion. Nearly 100 mayors in the state signed a letter to their Governor Tim Walz questioning his policies under which an $18 billion budget surplus became a $3 billion deficit during a three-day period.

From Watts Up With That

Did Trump win? Victor Davis Hanson — if it’s honored it’s a victory, but China is in dire straits

Jo Nova — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 07:49:55 +1000

By Jo Nova The big losers in this war, apart from the some former Iranian leaders, appear to be China, and NATO. In the last two months China has lost easy cheap access to cheap oil from Venezuela and now Iran. China was getting around the sanctions and buying discounted Iranian oil through a shadow fleet of ships. It was getting as much as 80% of Iranian production. Now it may have to pay market prices and fight for a limited supply..

In the last two months China has lost easy cheap access to...

From Jo Nova

Climate Industry Intersectionality

Watts Up With That — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 07:00:00 +1000

Is AP short for “Acquired Propaganda”?.

CLW readers have kept current on the judicial “training” machine that the plaintiffs’ bar and its affiliated academics and NGO activists quickly assembled after two 2018 losses in federal court by the climate litigation industry. Background to these “trainings”—currently a hot topic, first reported here in May and then October 2021, and ever since —has been further illustrated in productions from, in particular, the University of...

From Watts Up With That

Key ocean current is slowing at locations around the Atlantic

New Scientist - Environment — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 05:00:28 +1000

Measurements by buoys at four latitudes in the western Atlantic provide the strongest evidence yet that the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation is weakening.

Visualisation showing the western boundary currents that form part of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation

Buoy measurements show the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, which moderates Europe’s climate, is weakening at four different latitudes, the strongest evidence so far that this system of ocean currents...

From New Scientist - Environment

New Scientist recommends sampling the Museum of Edible Earth in London

New Scientist - Environment — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 04:00:50 +1000

The books, TV, games and more that New Scientist staff have enjoyed this week.

Eating earth (geophagy) is classified as a mental health condition by the American Psychiatric Association – unless it’s part of cultural practice.

We can explore this paradoxical relationship further as the Museum of Edible Earth comes to London’s Somerset House (until 26 April).

Visiting the exhibition, I found 600 or so samples of soil routinely ingested worldwide, collected by the museum’s...

From New Scientist - Environment

Stunning photographs show the dynamic patterns of the natural world

New Scientist - Environment — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 04:00:24 +1000

A new book from photographer Jon McCormack collects his shots of patterns in nature from around the world, from flamingoes to icebergs.

From New Scientist - Environment

What to read this week: Beyond Inheritance by Roxanne Khamsi

New Scientist - Environment — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 04:00:18 +1000

A fresh and important book reveals the messy reality of our ever-mutating cells – and why the quest to defeat ageing is futile, says Michael Le Page .

From New Scientist - Environment

Is this the most niche scientific tourist attraction in the world?

New Scientist - Environment — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 04:00:00 +1000

Feedback is delighted by the discovery of a very specific scientific sculpture park in China – and wonders if readers can top it.

Earth is a big planet with a lot of people on it, which means that even the most niche of interests can find their expression somewhere. Feedback has a sneaking fondness for those peculiar tourist attractions to be found along the many winding highways of the US, like Nebraska’s gloriously literal-minded World’s Largest Collection of the World’s...

From New Scientist - Environment

Britain breaks solar energy record twice as UK’s biggest solar farm gets approval

guardian.co.uk - Energy — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 03:35:59 +1000

Record high set on Monday and raised on Tuesday, with 14.4GW of electricity generated in sunny spring weather.

Britain’s sunny spring weather powered the grid to new solar energy records on two consecutive days this week.

Solar farms in England, Wales and Scotland generated 14.1GW of low-carbon electricity at lunchtime on Monday, surpassing the previous high of 14GW in July last year.

And that record was toppled a day later when power generation from the sun’s energy climbed...

From guardian.co.uk - Energy

Quantum entanglement can be measured in solids for the first time

New Scientist - Environment — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 03:00:39 +1000

A method that relies on hitting materials with neutrons can measure how much quantum entanglement hides within them, which could enable new kinds of quantum technology.

We finally have a way to measure quantum entanglement of solids, which could lead to advances in both quantum technology and fundamental physics.

When it comes to quantum entanglement – an inextricable link between quantum particles that keeps their behaviours correlated, even when they are extremely far apart – researchers...

From New Scientist - Environment

Disappearing megafauna may have prompted a stone tool revolution

New Scientist - Environment — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 03:00:19 +1000

Massive herbivores became scarce in the Middle East about 200,000 years ago, and this coincided with a shift towards smaller, lighter toolkits in the archaeological record.

The changing abundance of prey animals may have forced early humans to invent new tools

A drop in the number of huge animals 200,000 years ago may have forced ancient humans to abandon heavy-duty stone tools in favour of lightweight toolkits to hunt smaller animals. That’s according to a new study that supports...

From New Scientist - Environment

Claim: Climate Change is Killing all the Amazon Dung Beetles

Watts Up With That — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 03:00:00 +1000

That stink at the Belém Climate Conference was climate change, not overloaded toilets..

Not exactly the poster child for cute animals, dung beetles now join the list of species affected by human-caused climate change.

Indeed, the long tentacles of climate change now extend all the way into the dreary lives of dung beetles in the Amazon rainforest, a new study suggests.

“With ongoing climate change, rising temperatures may push dung beetles beyond their physiological limits,”...

From Watts Up With That

David Evans obituary

guardian.co.uk - Energy — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 02:43:19 +1000

My friend, former colleague and PhD supervisor, David Evans, who has died aged 85, was an applied mathematician admired for his academic leadership..

During a five-year term as pro-vice chancellor at the University of Bristol (1997-2002), he was instrumental in introducing a novel strategy into the admissions system. Drawing on robust statistical evidence that showed students from disadvantaged backgrounds achieved, on average, better degree outcomes than their peers, he successfully advocated...

From guardian.co.uk - Energy

The invisibility cloak inventor now has better tricks up his sleeve

New Scientist - Environment — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 02:00:26 +1000

John Pendry is known for creating an invisibility cloak. Twenty years on, he has used the same principles to fashion an even more powerful kind of metamaterial that can teach us about the wild frontiers of physics.

John Pendry’s kitchen is dominated by a huge photograph of what looks like the view through a kaleidoscope: dizzying shards of purple, green, yellow and white. Given that Pendry is famous above all else for inventing an invisibility cloak – a device that can bend light around...

From New Scientist - Environment

Eco-Friendly’ Energy Slaughtering Wildlife

Watts Up With That — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 23:00:00 +1000

By Vijay Jayaraj Numerous studies by biologists and ornithologists are unequivocal in expressing rising concern about the slaughter of birds and other creatures by so-called eco-friendly technologies. Many of the….

Numerous studies by biologists and ornithologists are unequivocal in expressing rising concern about the slaughter of birds and other creatures by so-called eco-friendly technologies. Many of the researchers, while not opposed to the concept of alternative sources of energy, are...

From Watts Up With That

Particles seen emerging from empty space for first time

New Scientist - Environment — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 22:00:39 +1000

By tracing the origins of an unusual, short-lived particle, researchers have gathered some of the strongest evidence yet that mass can emerge from fluctuations in the vacuum.

Particle collisions inside the STAR detector at the Solenoidal Tracker at RHIC, known as STAR

A pair of rare particles produced in high-energy proton collisions may be the clearest evidence yet that mass can emerge from empty space. The finding could shed light on one of the biggest puzzles in physics: how particles...

From New Scientist - Environment

Why The Double Helix is such an extraordinary but infuriating book

New Scientist - Environment — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 22:00:36 +1000

James Watson’s The Double Helix is probably one of the greatest science books of all time – but Michael Le Page finds he can’t recommend that anyone actually reads it.

James Watson’s The Double Helix was first published in 1968. How does it stand the test of time?

Fifty years ago, Richard Dawkins shared an irresistible scientific metaphor with the world that modernised and democratised evolutionary biology. Half a century on, The Selfish Gene remains powerfully insightful, finds...

From New Scientist - Environment

Proposed Theory of Historical Global Cloud Cover.

Watts Up With That — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 19:00:00 +1000

The earth’s evaporation rate (mass/time/unit area) of water from oceans is higher than from land (2.4x). This evaporation rate from land includes water from vegetation, ground, dew, as well as liquid water and is referred to as EvapoTranspiration, ET. Ocean’s global annual ET(ga) rate is relatively constant while land’s rate can change with local changes in EvapoTranspiration. Because of this difference in ocean vs land the earth’s global annual ET(ga) is dependent on the size of the land...

From Watts Up With That

UK opening new oil and gas fields would imperil global climate goals, experts say

guardian.co.uk - Energy — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 15:00:16 +1000

Senior climate figures warn North Sea drilling would encourage fossil fuel exploitation by developing countries.

Opening new oil and gas fields in the North Sea would “send a shock wave around the world”, imperilling international climate targets, undermining the UK’s climate leadership and encouraging developing countries to exploit their own fossil fuel reserves, experts have warned.

The UK government is under stiff pressure from the oil industry, the Conservatives, Nigel Farage’s...

From guardian.co.uk - Energy

Curtain Opens on the Dress Rehearsal for the Net Zero Calamity as Hormuz Threats Cut Hydrocarbon Supply by a Quarter

Watts Up With That — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 15:00:00 +1000

Predictably, there was a bit of a fuss and McGuire subsequently withdrew his post – “not because I regretted it”, but because people took it the wrong way, he explained..

It seems that Professor McGuire is not in favour of a mass cull of the human race. On that we can all agree – stop Net Zero now before it is too late.

One thing is certain…most of the Issues with Parliament could be solved with Fewer MPs!

Good Golly Miss Molly! I’m no expert on English kings, but...

From Watts Up With That

What is a Trombe Wall and how can you use one?

ecowho.com — Wed, 18 Oct 2023 07:22:06 +1100

Trombe Walls can provide free heating, cooling and ventilation. We explain how Trombe Walls work; how to build a Trombe Wall and how such a wall saves money by reducing energy usage.

From the EcoWho articles

The importance of building orientation

ecowho.com — Sun, 17 Jan 2021 22:24:00 +1100

Building orientation to the Sun is important to reduce energy consumption, keeping comfortable and saving money. This article explains how best to get building orientation correct. Through a combination of benefits and opportunities the correct building orientation could save you thousands.

From the EcoWho articles

COVID-19 infections and low vitamin D - is there a link?

ecowho.com — Mon, 14 Sep 2020 09:34:33 +1000

More and more trials and studies are being published that are demonstrating a possible link between your likelihood of catching and suffering serious outcomes from a COVID-19 infection and having low levels of Vitamin D.

From the EcoWho articles

Home Battery Storage Buying Guide

ecowho.com — Sun, 12 Nov 2017 21:23:21 +1100

Buying a Solar Home Battery Storage system can be a confusing undertaking, in this guide we examine the issues, clear up the confusion and give you useful advice.

From the EcoWho articles

Reducing Your Electricity Bill - 10 top tips

ecowho.com — Mon, 30 Oct 2017 04:06:50 +1100

Electricity costs are constantly increasing. This article explains 10 top tips that are cost effective and practical.

From the EcoWho articles

Septic Systems - The Dirty Truth

ecowho.com — Mon, 30 Oct 2017 04:01:02 +1100

This article provides a no nonsense guide to picking and maintaining a Septic System for your house and how things are soon to change in the regulatory space that could impact your choice.

From the EcoWho articles

What is Passive Solar?

ecowho.com — Wed, 31 May 2017 06:38:55 +1000

Passive solar building design is explained and how passive solar principals are used to design green homes and buildings, and save you money.

From the EcoWho articles

The facts about Water Tanks

ecowho.com — Tue, 23 May 2017 08:54:05 +1000

Water tanks, all the information you need to know about storing water and the best ways to use water around the house.

From the EcoWho articles

Keeping your home Cool in Summer or Warm in Winter for free!

ecowho.com — Mon, 22 May 2017 09:44:28 +1000

How to keep cool or warm in your home by design, either in Summer or Winter, whilst reducing costs to you and the Earth..

From the EcoWho articles

Ecologically Sustainable Development, what it is and how you can do it

ecowho.com — Mon, 22 May 2017 09:16:24 +1000

Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD) is defined and explained in detail in this article; and how it helps you to be more green and eco friendly.

From the EcoWho articles

Are Lithium Ion Batteries Safe?

ecowho.com — Thu, 30 Mar 2017 21:25:28 +1100

We ask if Lithium Ion Batteries are actually safe for use in home power storage systems or not?

Lithium Ion batteries, like all batteries, store their power using a chemical process. Different processes have different energy densities and characteristics, like sensitivity to heat and longer term usable storage capacity (most batteries degrade over time).
The particular question with Lithium Ion and their safety, in part, relates to their incredibly high energy density; a high energy density means there is a lot of 'chemical potential' stored in a given volume. In essence there is more energy in a Lithium Ion battery to go wrong 'with' if something does happen to go wrong. Also Lithium Ion has a nasty characteristic of being able to self sustain a fire event, it literally can feed off itself. For instance on some planes with Lithium Ion backup batteries, they actually have a 'vent' to the outside, so if they do happen to catch fire all the heat and fumes go outside..
Now, if we were to just install basic Lithium Ion batteries in our homes without appropriate safe guards, we would be setting ourselves up for a disaster. Luckily though manufacturers of Lithium Ion batteries for home use have worked hard to put in place multiple design safe guards to prevent 'run away' fire situations occurring, they do this by:

Physical Design - making the battery robust and secure
Monitoring - checking temperature and battery vitals to ensure it does not overcharge
Installation Procedures - ensuring it isn't installed in places where it could be a problem.

So, Lithium Ion batteries have the 'potential' to catch fire; but the actual risk of them doing so has been reduced through design and processes to actually make it not a significant worry.
...

Solar Batteries Comparison Table is Live

ecowho.com — Thu, 16 Mar 2017 08:32:18 +1100

The new solar batteries Comparison Table is now live.

After much hard work, the Solar Batteries Comparison Table is now live.
This lists the most common batteries for use with solar panels (or time shifting) with the ability to sort, them got into a detailed page on each battery, so you can easily select which batteries are of interest to you.
These battery pages are fully incorporated into the site, so you will find references to them all over the site where appropriate.
We will also be adding more functionality to the database over time to make the pages more useful, so please keep coming back.
If you did find the pages useful, please remember to Like the pages for us!
Enjoy!

BTW If you are a supplier or manufacturer of a battery and find something wrong, please do get in touch and we will correct. Also, we would appreciate it if you would point us to the following up to date information for your battery:

White background media ready images of your battery.
Fully detailed technical specifications.
Specific description of the warranty and any conditions.

This way we can ensure people are evaluating your batteries based on the most up to date information.

2016 February temperature uptick caused by El Niño

ecowho.com — Wed, 16 Mar 2016 20:39:36 +1100

The AGW alarmists seem to think the Feb 2016 sudden uptick in temperature is caused by Co2, this is not the case, its a strong El Niño - as it matches what has happened before.

Given the current screaming and shouting going on in the media with respect to the February 2016 temperature increase in the GISS Land-Ocean Temperature Index, you would be forgiven for thinking the end is nigh - well it isn't. This has happened before and we survived without issue - its called a strong El Niño.

This can be proven to be nothing unusual in the cycle by the following two charts:

The above chart shows the changes differences one month from the next, as can be seen by the red line, the February jump is nothing odd.

Now the above charts show how this El Niño compares to the previous one in 1997/1998 - looks pretty similar doesn't it? Now if you take into account the uncertainties (error bars), and mentally put a +/- band of 0.17 degrees around each line plot - they overlap each other considerably - thereby they are statistically similar...
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Must watch video about the Green movement and environmental damage

ecowho.com — Thu, 10 Dec 2015 21:26:41 +1100

This video exposes the gross hypocrisy of the Green movement and the damage their policies are causing to the environment and peoples standard of living - their are effectively anti-people and dangerous.

BLUE (Blue Beats Green) Full Movie HD from JD King on Vimeo.

The above video was funded by a crowd funded campaign, it talks to many people negatively effected by the Green movement and provides evidence of the environmental damage caused. Anybody who has an interest in a better future for themselves, their offspring and the planet should watch this video.

The Australian Carbon tax is no more

ecowho.com — Fri, 18 Jul 2014 10:04:36 +1000

Yesterday in the Senate the Carbon Tax was removed. This was a great victory for common sense as concerns realistic environmental policy.

The Carbon Tax in Australia is gone - hurrah!
Now, you may think this is somewhat a strange statement to find on an environmental website, but this is actually good news. The Carbon Tax, in its construction and operation, was actually more about money moving around for political gain than actually about doing anything to 'save' the environment.
Australia, in terms of 'carbon footprint' is a minor player on the international stage; China dwarfs us in its Co2 emissions and does so burning coal Australia supplies - anybody detect a hint of hypocrisy here? Our political class seemed perfectly happy to place an additional tax burden in our businesses and indirectly on the public - yet were perfectly happy to let Co2 producing coal go overseas to China?
Anyway its gone and good riddance. Hopefully this might lead to more enlightened policy decisions with respect to the environment and the real issues that impact Australia. For instance:

Water availability and supply;
Land degradation;
Energy usage efficiency.

I'm a firm believer that environmental policy needs to based on rational, realistic and hard science based logic. Of late we have had too much 'knee jerk/follow the leader' policy and too little analytical thinking. It's time to change the game for the benefit of all.

Dueling Climate Reports

ecowho.com — Mon, 21 Apr 2014 09:13:45 +1000

In the interests of free speech I'm reposting this article so it gets better exposure.

Guest essay by Dr. Craig D. Idso

The release of a United Nations (UN) climate change report last week energized various politicians and environmental activists, who issued a new round of calls to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Some of the most fiery language in this regard came from Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA), who called upon Congress to “wake up and do everything in its power to reduce dangerous carbon pollution,” while Secretary of State John Kerry expressed similar sentiments in a State Department release, claiming that “unless we act dramatically and quickly, science tells us our climate and our way of life are literally in jeopardy.”

Really? Is Earth’s climate so fragile that both it and our way of life are in jeopardy because of rising carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions?

In a word, no! The human impact on global climate is small; and any warming that may occur as a result of anthropogenic CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions is likely to have little effect on either Earth’s climate or biosphere, according to the recently-released contrasting report Climate Change Reconsidered II: Biological Impacts, which was produced by the independent Nongovernmental International Panel on Climate Change (NIPCC).

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Second hand building materials

ecowho.com — Fri, 24 Jan 2014 22:53:46 +1100

Second hand building materials offer an excellent way to reduce environmental impact, we show you how.

Houses and buildings are constantly being demolished and rebuilt all the time. This creates a large amount of second hand building materials, that with a bit of careful planning and thinking can be used to not only reduce environmental impact but reduce the costs of a build as well.

1. Know what can reuse and what you cannot

Some materials from old building are not suitable for reuse, either due to legislation or known health effects. Asbestos is the best know of these, but there are a whole range of 'old' building materials which cannot be used. We suggest if in doubt do not use.

2. Prepare to be flexible

If you are buying second hand, its unlikely you will exactly what you need. So do not wait around for the perfect door or window, rather have a minimal set of requirements and shop to those. This will also make searching for such materials easier online.

3. Take your time

You need to plan to make use of second hand building materials; it won't all come together over night. Plus you carry the responsibility to locate and move anything you find, this all takes time to plan.

4. Have somewhere to store it

Yes, you can store what you buy on your building site, although unless you are regularly onsite and have secure storage - its not ideal. Plus this rather limits your ability to store smaller but higher value items (think door and window fittings, lights, etc).
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Climate Council, represents who?

ecowho.com — Mon, 23 Sep 2013 21:03:58 +1000

The Climate Commission is being reformed as the Climate Council, we ask who do they represent and what is their funding model?

According to this article Tim Flannery is reforming the Climate Commission as the Climate Council. The new Climate Council will consist of Commissioners from the old Climate Commission.
They need to be very careful in setting this up, as it could just been seen as an attempt to reuse the 'authority' of the old Climate Commission to continue the same messaging as they did before; which they cannot do, as they no longer have the 'platform' of being a government funded body; i.e. they have to now prove independence and transparency, it cannot be just assumed to be so.
For instance in this article:
'Professor Will Steffen said one of the first orders of business for the not-for-profit Council will be assessing the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) fifth assessment report, due for release on Friday.

"We will do the very best we can to pull out the main points to this report and make it understandable to the Australian public," Prof Steffen told AAP, adding that he and colleagues hoped to produce a summary document within days of the release.'

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Rise of the Eco Warriors Screening

ecowho.com — Fri, 13 Sep 2013 06:30:19 +1000

Rise of the Eco Warriors is a film about spending 100 days in the Borneo jungle and saving wildlife

If you are in Sydney and looking for something to do come the 9th of October 2013 - you couldn't go far wrong by going to see an advance screening of 'Rise of the Eco Warriors' - a film about a group of people spending 100 days in the Borneo jungle and saving wildlife effected by the all habit destruction occurring in that country.

See here for more details and on how to book.

Fringe Benefits Car tax change bad for the environment

ecowho.com — Wed, 17 Jul 2013 05:45:23 +1000

The changes proposed by Labor to the fringe benefits car tax will be bad for the environment actually.

Changes in the fringe benefits tax proposed by Labor will remove the statutory rate; this means for abut 320,000 people they will have to keep log books and loose the ability to salary sacrifice against the benefit of having a company car - essentially making it uneconomical to 'share' the use of one car between a company and private usage.

So why is this bad for the environment? Well, cars these days for most families are essential to getting around. Removing the advantage for a company car to be used for private usage is forcing people to make a choice between having no car or buying another (cheaper) car. This is bad news for the environment, as it forces people into using two vehicles when they wouldn't otherwise need to.

It's also bad for the local car industry, as a lot of new lease hire cars will no longer be needed, the public rarely buys new cars and the manufacturers know this. This is turn is bad for the environment, as vehicles which are less efficient and clean are kept on the road for longer.
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Solar Power Installers, what to look for..

ecowho.com — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 07:11:14 +1100

When looking for a solar power installer, it pays to do your homework and double check that you are getting the best.

Given the money to be made from doing solar system installation, both for the installer and the final client. There are a lot of businesses doing solar power system installation. This, of course, means that some are better than others and some are rather worse than others.

So, given you want to have a system which will last for at least 20 years ideally, we provide some straight forward advice on how to find the best at a price point that works for you.

1. Shop around installers

Do not go with the first company you come across. As with most things in life, it will pay dividends to shop around. Not only will you get a better idea of what the price ranges and differences are between the systems being installed; you will also educate yourself on what goes into these system far quicker than just going with the first you find.

BTW you won't go far wrong read some of our articles in solar power anyways, plus they are free..

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Choosing a water tank

ecowho.com — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 09:38:16 +1100

Water tanks, they come in so many different sizes and forms, it is often hard to work out what to choose and why, we can help..

A few years back we were having a reno done, and given we wanted to have a 'lush' garden without the water bill to match; we did some extensive research into what sort of water tanks would work for us and how to maximize the rainwater harvesting our roof would offer.

Well I have good news for you, all the research has been written up in an article - The Facts about Water Tanks . I hope you find it a useful read that will really focus your thinking on what you can do with a water tank or two..

Free Green Business Listings

ecowho.com — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 00:33:39 +1100

If you are running a Green or Eco Business, you can list it for free.

If you are running a business which is green or eco related, you can list it for free in our Company Listings Directory . This is great if you are a small business looking for additional online exposure.

Also if you provide a link back to ecowho.com, we will upgrade your listing for free.

So, you have nothing to lose, give it a try!

Shale Oil in South Australia, problem or opportunity?

ecowho.com — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 11:39:48 +1100

Potentially massive amounts of shale oil exist in South Australia, is this a good thing or a bad thing?

According to this article it looks like up to 233 billion barrels of oil might be sitting in shale deposits under South Australia...

Now if that is so, and it looks like it could indeed be, it amounts to a heck of a lot of oil, something to rival the oil rich Middle East. Which in turn equates to billions upon trillions of money to be made from extracting this.

So given the many zeroes sums of money to be made from this - I doubt even the political Green movement will be able to 'bury' this. Sometimes the rewards can be so great to 'leap' over any obstacles, and I think this clearly qualifies on that regard.

Now, of course, if this is going to happen, one wants to see the best outcome for the environment and given the monetary return it should indeed be possible to extract the oil whilst doing proper environmental protection.
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Sea level rise of 1 meter in Australia unproven

ecowho.com — Sun, 13 Jan 2013 23:18:12 +1100

The ABC is currently saying that properties on the Australian coast are at risk for a 1 meter rise by the end of the century - where is the proof???

The ABC are currently promoting a blatant lie as concerns proven sea level rises.

The problem with this is that what they say will impact on the property market close to the sea, in the same way that a Greenie fraudulently issued a press release, they are in serious danger of making those who issue or present such false statements legally liable.

As regards the 'threat' of rising sea levels - to rise one meter by the end of the century would require 11.5mm per year. Yet if one looks at the current rate of sea level rise, as recorded since 1850 we get the following graph.

As can be seen, there has been no acceleration on this record since 1850. In fact we would need the rate of sea level rise to be eight times faster than it currently is; i.e. in reality we have a rate of sea level rise of about 9cm per 100 years - a darn sight less than 1 meter. For more information on this read this article .
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Tasmania Bushfires, lack of hazard reduction burns to blame

ecowho.com — Sat, 12 Jan 2013 00:13:40 +1100

The Tasmania Bushfires are more a result of a lack of hazard reduction burns and not due to Climate Change.

Miranda Devine has just published an article concerning the fires in Tasmania and how the lack of back burning and hazard reduction burns have in fact contributed massively to the intensity of the fires and that it is NOT caused by climate change.

She has also done a radio interview on the matter.

To be honest, what she says make a lot of sense. If gum leaves, bark, etc are left to accumulate you quickly have a 'fuel load' so high that it is not possible to be managed in the event of a fire. As someone who has pile burnt leaves, sticks, etc to keep my place tidy, there is a very clear reason why you do not pile it all up too high, rather than being a controllable fire it soon turns into an absolute fireball of intense heat. All those oils in the wood create a 'perfect storm' of conditions in high fuel load to create something that is uncontrollable.
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Mental Maths app Maths Bug updated

ecowho.com — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 05:27:10 +1100

Maths bug, the app to help teach and improve mental maths skills has been updated.

Maths Bug has been updated as follows:

Several annoying bug fixes
Support for latest version of Android OS
Localized into Chinese and Spanish.

This is a significant update to help users across the globe get more enjoyment from the app.

Its available for free from the Google Play Market here . If you would like to learn more please visit the apps' website .

Enjoy!

Updated Green Directory

ecowho.com — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 10:21:48 +1100

Our Green Dictionary App has undergone an upgrade.

We have just finished doing some upgrade work to the Green Dictionary App as follows:

Well over 800 definitions and terms covering the green, eco, environment and climate space;
Better support for tablets and latest edition Android (including Honeycomb, Ice Cream Sandwich and Jelly Bean).
'Live' fetching of related blog posts for each definition, so for instance look up 'solar power' and see the latest blog posts that relate from leading eco, climate and science blogs.

If you have not got the App already you can download it from free from the Google Play market here . Give it a go!

Greenland Ice Sheet Melt

ecowho.com — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 22:00:45 +1100

We look at reports regarding the rate of Greenland ice sheet melt.

According to recent reports (see CNN & The Australian) it appears that the speed of the Greenland ice melt has been increasing at an 'alarming' rate...

The trouble with this is that this is only a problem if:

The measurements are indeed accurate enough to allow this analysis to stand, and,
The melt water remains as melt water and is not taken up by other parts of the climatic system (i.e. it gets converted back to ice somewhere else) and remains in balance as a whole.

Now, look at the following:

Embracing Data 'Noise' Brings Greenland's Complex Ice Melt Into Focus

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Straw man science: keeping climate simple; watch the pea..

ecowho.com — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 02:57:10 +1100

The conversation has just published a rather incorrect article claiming that none of the human produced Co2 is absorbed by the natural Co2 cycle, we blow it out the water.

See the offending article here , to quote:

"We produce a modest percentage of all CO2 emissions. But the extra emissions aren’t absorbed by the carbon cycle, so CO2 builds up in the air. A small rise each year has resulted in a 40% increase of CO2."

Wrong, yes Co2 has gone up, but it has been going up for the last 50m years, see here. Although, as noted in the paper, working out the exact source of Co2 and its relationship is very hard to do, as each source does not have a distinct Co2 'fingerprint' - rather there is a lot of overlap as different sources and sinks inject and consume different isotopes of Co2 in different ways.

As for the extra Co2 emissions from man not being consumed in the carbon cycle, it is well know that Co2 is growth promoter in plants. So much so that commercial operations growing plants often inject Co2 into their greenhouses to speed growth. Also it is known that the biosphere is blooming, and that the African Savannah's are turning into forests.
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