QUICK NEWS, February 8: CLIMATE CHANGE IN WATER COLORS; THE REAL ECONOMICS OF NEW ENERGY; WHO SHOULD PAY FOR EV CHARGING?

CLIMATE CHANGE IN WATER COLORS Painting Climate Change

Peter Sinclair, February 4, 2016 (Climate Denial Crock of the Week)

"…Climate data is usually seen in pixels, spreadsheets, and maps. But watercolor paintings? Not so much. That’s what makes a growing series of paintings by Maine-based artist Jill Pelto so striking. They combine haunting imagery from the natural world with hard data showing the impact climate change is having…The message can be subtle, with the global average temperature graph tucked in a painting that shows wildfires raging…But the point is clear. Data — and the way humans are influencing that data by emitting greenhouse gases — is an essential part of the landscape and the changes that are happening…

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“…[B]y embedding that message within paintings, the works become a Trojan horse for science to reach a public that doesn’t necessarily think about data points and models…The global average temperature, sea-level rise, disappearing Arctic sea ice, and other major climate indicators have made an appearance in Pelto’s artwork. But local climate stories are also something she wants to explore more since they can make pieces even more emotionally resonant…Pelto said she’d like to collaborate with any other scientists looking to have their data become art. And eventually her own research could inform her art once she begins an earth science Master’s this fall at the University of Maine…” click here for more

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THE REAL ECONOMICS OF NEW ENERGY Is Renewable Energy Economically Viable?

Tom Lombardo, February 8, 2016 (Engineering)

“…Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) is a commonly used metric to compare the costs of various energy generation technologies. Put simply, LCOE is the ratio of the total cost of the power source to the total energy output over its life, expressed in dollars per kWh. The total cost takes into account the initial capital investment, interest, operations & maintenance costs, and fuel expenses…[But it fails to consider environmental impacts, the reliability and availability of the energy source]……Researchers at the National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) shifted the discussion [about New Energy] from idealism to pragmatism in Estimating Renewable Energy Economic Potential in the United States: Methodology and Initial Results…The study showed that in all three scenarios, there are long-term economic benefits to adding renewable energy to the grid…for every region of the continental US, with different renewable sources favored in certain areas…” click here for more

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WHO SHOULD PAY FOR EV CHARGING? Who Should Pay For Electric Car Charging Infrastructure?

Steve Hanley, February 6, 2016 (Gas2)

“…San Diego Gas & Electric has a plan to install 3,500 Level 2 charging stations in its service area…[Many would go into] places that are traditionally under-served…[But the LA Times] criticizes the SDG&E approach, which will be paid for by a surcharge on the utility bills of all its utility customers…[asks if it is] fair that people who don’t have electric cars should be forced to pay for chargers for those who do…[The California Public Utilities Commission] approved the plan…partly because…[lower] atmospheric pollution doesn’t benefit only those driving a LEAF or a Tesla, it benefits everyone who breathes the cleaner air. But the Times worries that such plans give utility companies a monopoly in the electric car charging industry, something they say will be bad for competition in the future…Everyone agrees that a robust charging infrastructure is vital…[but not on] who should pay…No one has figured out yet how [a private sector player can] make money consistently from operating a charging network…” click here for more

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