QUICK NEWS, December 19: Climate Change’s Time Has Come; It Starts With Customer Demand For New Energy; Floating Solar To Turn Dirty Water Into Stored Clean Power
Climate Change’s Time Has Come This Is The Year We'll Know If We Can Reverse Climate Change
Emma Loewe, December 19, 2017 (Mind Body Green)
“…While the increase in greenhouse gas emissions has slowed down in recent years, overall emissions continue to rise…[I]f we cannot reduce, or at least steady, our emissions by 2020, there is little hope that we'll be able to keep global warming below [the 2 degrees Celsius threshold that represents the point of no return, according to the recently-published Three years to safeguard our climate from a UN multidisciplinary team. It uses] science to explain why 2020 is a major year for reducing emissions…[and] outlines a practical road map that can help citizens, cities, corporations, and governments do so. In order to reach the goal, we'll need to fuel 30 percent of the world with renewables (up from 23.7 percent in 2015), support electric vehicles so they make up at least 15 percent of new car sales globally, significantly reduce deforestation, and vow to stop building new coal-fired power plants altogether…” click here for more
It Starts With Customer Demand For New Energy Utility responds to commercial green power demand in Minnesota
Frank Jossi, December 19, 2017 (Midwest Energy News)
“Minnesota electric cooperative [Great River Energy (GRE)] created a commercial green tariff program in response to growing demand from business customers…[T]he Dakota Electric Association requested the program and is GRE’s first customer…[It] will offset all of the electricity use at its exurban Minneapolis headquarters with wind energy credits purchased through the Wellspring for Business program…[GRE’s] 28 member cooperatives geographically cover about two-thirds of Minnesota…After fielding requests from commercial customers, [Dakota Elecrtri] approached Great River Energy and found they were receptive to the idea…The new commercial and industrial program enrolls businesses using more than 1,500 megawatt hours of electricity annually…Among business customers that have expressed interest…[most] prefer to meet sustainability goals without relying on renewable energy found in the utility’s current generation mix…A corporate aggregation feature allows companies with multiple stores or buildings to participate…[The cost, handled by on-bill tracking, is $1 per megawatt hour…5- to 10-year contracts… Great River Energy is close to signing a big box retailer to offset electricity for 12 of its stores located in eight different Great River Energy territories…” click here for more
Floating Solar To Turn Dirty Water Into Stored Clean Power Solar-powered floating rig can harvest hydrogen from seawater
Michael Irving, December 18, 2017 (New Atlas)
"Hydrogen is a clean fuel source, but current methods of producing it, often by converting natural gas, can undo any environmental benefit. Producing hydrogen out of sunlight and water doesn't create any CO2, and recent research has improved the efficiency and lowered the cost of devices that achieve this. Now, engineers from Columbia University have developed a ‘solar fuels rig’ that floats on the ocean, captures energy through a solar cell and uses it to harvest hydrogen from the water beneath it...The rig produces hydrogen through water electrolysis, a technique where H2 and O2 gases are separated out of water by passing an electric current through the liquid...The device developed at Columbia can split water into hydrogen and oxygen without needing a membrane. That means it can be deployed on seawater [containing impurities and micro-organisms that] would normally degrade a membrane...This unique electrolysis mechanism is hooked up to a photovoltaic cell, which generates the required electric current with energy gathered from sunlight..." click here for more
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