QUICK NEWS, April 24: Another ‘This Is It’ Moment For Climate Change; Here’s Why Wind Is A Winner; Solar For The Heartlands

Another ‘This Is It’ Moment For Climate Change One of the most worrisome predictions about climate change may be coming true

Chris Mooney, April 23, 2018 (Washington Post)

“Two years ago, former NASA climate scientist James Hansen and a number of colleagues laid out a dire [computer simulation-based] scenario in which gigantic pulses of fresh water from melting glaciers could upend the circulation of the oceans, leading to a world of fast-rising seas and even superstorms…[A new oceanographic study] appears to have confirmed one aspect of this picture — in its early stages…[Ocean measurements off the coast of East Antarctica show] that melting Antarctic glaciers are indeed freshening the ocean around them. And this, in turn, is blocking a process in which cold and salty ocean water sinks below the sea surface in winter, forming ‘the densest water on the Earth’…[on] the West Antarctic coast and the coast around the enormous Totten glacier in East Antarctica…[T]he melting of Antarctica’s glaciers appears to be triggering a ‘feedback’ loop in which that melting, through its effect on the oceans, triggers still more melting…not to mention rising seas as glaciers lose mass…” click here for more

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Here’s Why Wind Is A Winner Wind energy’s swift growth, explained

John Hall, April 23. 2018 (The Conversation)

“…[T]he total amount of U.S. electricity generated by wind turbines nearly doubled between 2011 and 2017…Wind turbines, which convert moving air into electrical power, currently produce 6.3 percent of the electricity the U.S. consumes. Texas leads the nation overall in terms of the amount of power it gets from wind. Iowa gets a higher share of its electricity from wind turbines than any other state – 37 percent…The U.S. still lags other nations, particularly those in Europe, with offshore wind production…[But the first commercial offshore wind farm] began operating in 2016. New York state plans to build a much larger offshore farm. And California may soon establish floating offshore wind farms…[Recent improvements in energy storage technology and turbine efficiency] are lowering costs…[and] market forces coupled with widespread concerns over climate change, continue to propel the wind industry…[Corporate giants, such as Apple and Google,] are proactively seeking to rely on wind energy, rather than fossil fuels…And this wind rush is creating jobs in manufacturing, services and science. With total generating capacity projected to increase from about 89 gigawatts to more than 400 gigawatts over the next 30 years, the Energy Department says the industry may eventually employ 600,000 American workers.” click here for more

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Solar For The Heartlands Solar farms set to sprout across Illinois

Robert Channick, April 22, 2018 (Chicago Tribune)

“Anew crop is ready to sprout on Illinois farms, with gleaming solar panels supplanting rows of corn and soybeans…[Drawn by new incentives and the Future Energy Jobs Act requiring Illinois utilities to get 25 percent of their retail power from renewable sources like solar and wind by 2025], renewable energy developers are staking out turf on the rural fringes of the Chicago area and beyond, looking to build dozens of solar farms to feed the electric grids of Commonwealth Edison and other utilities…It’s a potential sea change in the Illinois energy landscape that proponents say is long overdue and will provide customers with a green power alternative. But the rise of solar power also has generated opposition from some residents…” click here for more

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