Power Surge 5.8

Power Surge 5.8

Volume 5, Issue 8
April 15, 2018 – April 21, 2018
Anushka Dasgupta '19 | Amy Amatya '21 | Neha Chauhan '21 | Joseph Kawalec '21


Reality Check: Are ships more polluting than Germany?April 12, 2018 | BBC News | Associated PressNew studies find that the international shipping industry produces as much CO₂ as the entire country of Germany, accounting for over 2% of global greenh…

Reality Check: Are ships more polluting than Germany?
April 12, 2018 | BBC News | Associated Press
New studies find that the international shipping industry produces as much CO₂ as the entire country of Germany, accounting for over 2% of global greenhouse gas emissions. If treated as a country, international shipping would be the 6th largest carbon dioxide emitter, due to large and outdated engines. The World Shipping Council is convening in London to address emission reduction and prevention through regulation by the International Maritime Organization, and by implementation of new, more fuel efficient ship designs. At the forefront of these green designs are battery-powered ferries and Japanese plans for high-tech windsail cargo ships. -AA


Kenya Cuts Power Tariffs for State-Owned Solar Farm by HalfApril 11, 2018 | Bloomberg | David HerblingEarlier this semester, we talked about how Kenya’s government is pushing the development of its geothermal energy sources in an attempt to shift aw…

Kenya Cuts Power Tariffs for State-Owned Solar Farm by Half
April 11, 2018 | Bloomberg | David Herbling
Earlier this semester, we talked about how Kenya’s government is pushing the development of its geothermal energy sources in an attempt to shift away from expensive diesel-powered plants. Now, it’s taken another step in that direction by lowering its tariffs on its largest solar farm, which is expected to begin operation in September. Some seven or eight other large renewable energy projects are in the works in Kenya, some of which are owned by European investment firms. -AD


What Apple Means When It Says It's Now 100 Percent RenewableApril 11, 2018 | Popular Mechanics | Andrew MosemanThis past week, Apple announced that is is “now globally powered by 100 percent renewable energy,” although this statement isn’t entirely …

What Apple Means When It Says It's Now 100 Percent Renewable
April 11, 2018 | Popular Mechanics | Andrew Moseman
This past week, Apple announced that is is “now globally powered by 100 percent renewable energy,” although this statement isn’t entirely accurate. The methods by which they mine the materials that they use in their iPhones and by which their glossy retail stores are powered remain to be questionably sustainable. However, what they have actually accomplished is building and/or paying for enough renewable energy capacity to cover the cost of the entire company, which is still a respectable feat. Google has announced the same this past month, put can these two powerful companies sustain their generation of renewable energy indefinitely, offsetting any energy they receive through “dirty” methods? -JK


Why Green Groups Are Split on Subsidizing Carbon Capture TechnologyApril 9, 2018 | Yale E360 | Richard ConniffA provision in the U.S. budget that was passed in February increased tax credits for carbon-capture projects has mixed reviews among enviro…

Why Green Groups Are Split on Subsidizing Carbon Capture Technology
April 9, 2018 | Yale E360 | Richard Conniff
A provision in the U.S. budget that was passed in February increased tax credits for carbon-capture projects has mixed reviews among environmental groups. What has raised eyebrows is the tripled tax credit for the use of captured carbon dioxide in enhanced oil recovery (EOR), which some view as a subsidy for fossil fuel companies. But others point out that oil produced using EOR represents a 37% reduction in carbon emissions, and that companies will now be encouraged to use the costly but effective technique of mitigating carbon emissions. The hope is that federal incentives will kickstart the widespread use of carbon capture in the same way they did for renewable energy sources. -AD

Power Surge 5.7

Power Surge 5.7

Volume 5, Issue 7
April 8, 2018 – April 14, 2018
Anushka Dasgupta '19 | Amy Amatya '21 | Neha Chauhan '21 | Joseph Kawalec '21


Retired Coal Plant Site To Help Launch East Coast Offshore Wind IndustryApril 5, 2018 | Forbes | Peter Kelly-DetweilerThe closure of dozens of coal plants across the nation is a growing problem, with the abandoned smoke stacks quietly rusting away f…

Retired Coal Plant Site To Help Launch East Coast Offshore Wind Industry
April 5, 2018 | Forbes | Peter Kelly-Detweiler
The closure of dozens of coal plants across the nation is a growing problem, with the abandoned smoke stacks quietly rusting away for decades. This is not the case with the coal plant at Brayton Point in Somerset, Massachusetts, which is to be bought by Commercial Development Company (CDC) as a potential site to kickoff the East Coast’s future offshore wind industry. Environmental Liability Transfer, Inc. (ELT) plans to focus on the environmental risks associated with the usage of an abandoned power plant and preparing the area for future use. Meanwhile, CDC can address the other concerns of the project, including addressing the local community and maximizing the economic value stream of the site. The site’s proximity to offshore wind lease sites and transmission facilities makes Brayton Point a promising stepping point in the future of offshore wind harvesting. - JK

Migration forecasts could help prevent wind turbines and buildings from killing millions of birds
April 5, 2018 | Science | Erik Stokstad
When birds’ migration paths take them across cities and wind farms, millions of them die from colliding with turbines and brightly lit buildings. Birdcast, a website run by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, uses observer sightings and weather patterns to predict bird migration. Benjamin Van Doren, a Ph.D. student at the University of Oxford, and Kyle Horton, a postdoc at Cornell University, have built a computer model to automatedly predict bird migration using weather patterns. The program has effectively forecast bird migrations up to 3 days ahead using factors like air pressure, temperature, and wind. Their hope is that owners of tall buildings and monitors at wind farms will use this computer model and Birdcast to turn off unnecessary lights and shut down turbines (respectively) when migratory birds are expected to pass through. -NC


Shell foresaw climate dangers in 1988 and understood Big Oil’s big roleApril 5, 2018 | Washington Post | Steven MufsonRoyal Dutch Shell documents dating as far back as 1988 reveal that the company was aware of their large contribution to climate cha…

Shell foresaw climate dangers in 1988 and understood Big Oil’s big role
April 5, 2018 | Washington Post | Steven Mufson
Royal Dutch Shell documents dating as far back as 1988 reveal that the company was aware of their large contribution to climate change and the difficulty of its reversal, but proceeded with its agendas anyway. The report, entitled “The Greenhouse Effect,” estimated that Shell was responsible for 4% of anthropogenic CO₂ emissions, a number that has surely risen since its 1988 publication. It specifically warns that the detection of emission-induced consequences, like offshore structure damage and lowered living standards, may result in the implementation of countermeasures that come too late to be effective. These claims contrast with their public doubts about climate science and opposition to the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, an international agreement encouraging emission quotas. -AA


Dormant Swedish Mine Comes Alive in Rush for Car BatteriesApril 3, 2018 | Bloomberg | Niclas Rolander and Jesper StarnAlthough it may seem as if electric vehicles (EVs) are a long way from becoming mainstream, markets are already anticipating their …

Dormant Swedish Mine Comes Alive in Rush for Car Batteries
April 3, 2018 | Bloomberg | Niclas Rolander and Jesper Starn
Although it may seem as if electric vehicles (EVs) are a long way from becoming mainstream, markets are already anticipating their arrival. The prices of lithium and cobalt, key materials for the rechargeable lithium-ion batteries which will likely power EVs, have jumped in the past 18 months, and companies are also on the lookout for reserves of graphite, a third material used in battery electrodes. While China is expected to lead in battery manufacturing in the next decade, European and American companies hope that arranging for access to the raw materials used in batteries will give them a competitive edge. -AD