Arguments
2016 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #42
Posted on 15 October 2016 by John Hartz
A chronological listing of the news articles posted on the Skeptical Science Facebook page during the past week.
Sun Oct 9, 2016
- Oil, Gas and Cows Culprits in Methane Spike, Study Says by Bobby Magill, Climate Central, Oct 7, 2016
- Explainer: Paris Agreement on climate change to ‘enter into force by Sophie Yeo, Carbon Brief, Oct 6, 2016
- Rising sea levels could reduce several UK mountains to hills by Maev Kennedy, Guardian, Oct 9, 2016
- Exxon's Big Bet on Oil Sands a Heavy Weight To Carry by Nicholas Kusnetz, InsideClimate News, Sep 30, 2016
- Matthew Flings All-Time Surge and Rainfall Records Across Southeast by Jeff Masters, Wunderblog, Weather Underground, Oct 8, 2016
- Matthew no longer a hurricane, but still just as dangerous by Doug Criss, Ralph Ellis & Faith Karimi, CNN, Oct 9, 2016
- Let’s Not Forget That Donald Trump Would Be A Total Disaster On Climate Change by Kate Shepard, Huffington Post, Oct 9, 2016
Mon Oct 10, 2016
- World Bank says Paris climate goals at risk from new coal schemes by Larry Elliott, Guardian, Oct 9, 2016
- Australia likely to see a rise in cyclone activity after record low season: BoM by Peter Hannam, Sydney Morning Herald, Oct 10, 2016
- We have money to fight climate change. It's just that we're spending it on defense, Op-ed by Kenneth Pennington, Guardian, Oct 8, 2016
- Climate Change Treated as Afterthought in Second Presidential Debate by Marianne Lavelle, InsideClimate News, Oct 10, 2016
- US death toll from Matthew climbs to 20; 1,500 stranded in NC city by Max Blau and Holly Yan, CNN, Oct 10, 2016
- Global demand for energy will peak in 2030, says World Energy Council by Rob Davies, Guardian, Oct 10, 2016
- How Scientists Can Engage the Public without Risking Their Careers by Susana Martinez-Conde, Stephen L. Macknik, & Devin Powell, Scientific American, Oct 2016 Issue
- 'Shameful': Another Presidential Debate Basically Ignores Climate Change by Andrea Germanos, Common Dreams, Oct 10, 2016
- Ancient Andes glaciers have lost half their ice in just 40 years by Chelsea Whyte, New Scientist, Oct 10, 2016
Tue Oct 11, 2016
- Caring for Creation makes the Christian case for climate action by John Abraham, Climate Consesnus - the 97%, Guadian, Oct 10, 2016
- 'Significant opportunities' for low-carbon cities by Mark Kinver, Science & Environment, BBC News, Oct 5, 2016
- Trees are much better at creating clouds and cooling the climate than we thought by Hamish Gordon & Cat Scott, The Conversation UK, Oct 10, 2016
- Sandy’s Surge Was Extreme. It Could Become Normal by Brian Kahn, Climate Central, Oct 10, 2016
- Only 5% of oil and gas companies pay resource tax by Heath Aston, The Age, Oct 11, 2016
- Climate Change Blamed for Half of Increased Forest Fire Danger by Tatiana Scholssberg, New York Times, Oct 10, 2016
- The First Signs Of A Political Climate Change Consensus Are Appearing In Florida by Jessica Lieber, Coexist, Oct 11, 2016
- The difference between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton on climate change is really quite simple by Brad Plumer, Vox, Oct 10, 2016
- Top green group to spend at least $40 million this election, shattering past records by Juliet Eilperin, Energy & Environment, Washington Post, Oct 10, 2016
- Hurricane Matthew: '1.4 million need help in Haiti', Al Jazeera, Oct 11, 2016
- Hurricane Matthew Floodwaters Slowly Recede; Hurricane Watch for Nicole in Bermuda by Jeff Masters, Wunder Blog, Weather Underground, Oct 11, 2016
- Al Gore and Hillary Clinton just strongly linked Hurricane Matthew to climate change by Chris Mooney, Energy & Environment, Washington Post, Oct 11, 2016
Wed Oct 12, 2016
- A clean energy transition is already happening, but it is at risk by Alexander White, Environment, Guardian, Oct 10, 2016
- Court battle threat hangs over climate change law by Pilita Clark, Financial Times, Oct 11, 2016
- A Plan To Defend Against the War on Science by Shwan Otto, Scientific American, Oct 9, 2016
- How looking into space can help our understanding of climate change on Earth by Nathan Mayne, The Conversation UK, Oct 11, 2016
- Plans for an electric car charging point in every new home in Europe by Arthur Neslen, Guardian, Oct 11, 2016
- Katharine Hayhoe, a Climate Explainer Who Stays Above the Storm by John Schwartz, New York Times, Oct 1o, 2016
- Emerging Climate Accord Could Push A/C Out of Sweltering India’s Reach by Ellen Barry & Coral Davenport, New York Times, Oct 12, 2016
- This is how you create a record-breaking hurricane by Chris Mooney, Energy & Environment, Washington Post, Oct 12, 2016
- Australia facing questions at UN over post-2020 climate change stance by Adam Morton, The Age, Oct 12, 2016
- Fewer than 1 in 10 conservative Republicans trusts climate scientists by John Timmer, Ars Technica, Oct 11, 2016
- Greenland is melting from above and from below — and scientists say they’re connected by Chris Mooney, Energy & Environment, Washington Post, Oct 12, 2016
Thu Oct 13, 2016
- 4 ways the ozone hole is linked to climate, and 1 way it isn’t by Rebecca Lindsey, NOAA's Climate.gov, Oct 12, 2016
- Seaweed could hold the key to cutting methane emissions from cow burps by Michael Battaglia, The Conversation AU, Oct 12, 2016
- From North Dakota to Kenya, People Power Fights Fossil Fuel Infrastructure by Farhiya Tifow, Oil Change International, Oct 12, 2016
- The new UN deal on aviation emissions leaves much to be desired by David Hodgkinson & Rebecca Johnston, The Conversation AU, Oct 10, 2016
- Past our peak: plants and a burgeoning problem with CO2 by Kate Ravilious, Guardian, Oct 12, 2016
- 23-Million-Year-Old Leaves Helped Solve an Antarctic Climate Mystery by Kate Luna, Motherbaord, Oct 12, 2016
- As prices plunge, Africa surges into clean, cheap solar energy by Maina Waruru, Thomson Reuters Foundation, Oct 11, 2016
- When the Next Hurricane Hits Texas by Roy Scranton, New York Times, Oct 7, 2016
- Hurricane Matthew’s Destructive Storm Surges Hint at New Normal by Laura Parker, National Observer, Oct 8, 2016
- Breakage of monumental B.C. iceberg quietly sounds climate change alarm by Mark Hume, Globe & Mail. Oct 12, 2016
- U.N. calls for deal to cut greenhouse gases at Rwanda talks by Clement Uwiringiyimana, Reuters, Oct 13, 2016
- CCC: UK ‘needs negative emissions’ to comply with Paris climate deal by Simon Evans, Carbon Brief, Oct 13, 2016
Fri Oct 14, 2016
- CCC: UK must act now to secure zero-carbon heat by 2050 by Simon Evans, Carbon Brief, Oct 13, 2016
- We Can’t Dig Our Way Out of the Fossil Fuels Hole by David Suzuki, DeSmog Canada, Oct 12, 2016
- As the Global Demand for Palm Oil Surges, Indonesia’s Rainforests Are Being Destroyed, Audobon Society, Audobon Magazine, Fall 2016
- Elon Musk hits back at coal baron who called him a 'fraud' over green subsidies by Nicky Woolf, Guardian, Oct 11, 2016
- Fight Pipeline, Drill for Oil: Either Way, Tribes Want Control of Their Lands by Catherine Traywick, Bloomberg News, Oct 12, 2016
- Leading Fossil Fuel Companies Fail Climate Responsibility Test by John H Cushman Jr, InsideClimate News, Oct 13, 2016
- World's Largest Solar Project Would Generate Electricity 24 Hours a Day, Power 1 Million U.S. Homes by Lorraine Chow, EcoWatch, Oct 12, 2016
- Antici...pation: October 2016 ENSO forecast by Emily Becker, NOAA's Climate.gov, Oct 13, 2016
- EPA Agrees Its Emissions Estimates From Flaring May Be Flawed by David Hasemyer, InsideClimate News, Oct 13, 2016
- King tides arriving in South Florida with extra swell from Hurricane Nicole by Joey Flechas & Cresonia Hsieh, Miami Herald, Oct 12, 2016
- Climate scientists published a paper debunking Ted Cruz by John Abraham, Climate Consensus - the 97%, Guardian, Oct 14, 2016
Sat Oct 15, 2016
- World Food Day: Focus on Climate Change, World Meterological Organization (WMO), Oct 14, 2016
- The Great Barrier Reef is under severe stress – but not dead yet by Oliver Milman, Gurdian, Oct 14, 2016
- Green Climate Fund approves $745 mln for projects, lags 2016 goal by Alister Doyle & Megan Rowling, Reuters, Oct 14, 2016
- The U.S. government just made its biggest clean energy purchase ever by Chris Mooney, Energy & Environment, Washington Post, Oct 14, 2016
- We’re placing far too much hope in pulling carbon dioxide out of the air, scientists warn by Chelsea Harvey, Energy & Environment, Washington Post, Oct 13, 2016
- Record Warmth Helps Shrink U.S. Carbon Emissions by Bobby McGill, Climate Central, Oct 12, 2016
- One-two punch: Storm hammers Western Washington Friday, more to come Saturday by Jessica Lee, Sattle Times, Oct 14/15, 2016
- What an ancient comet collision teaches us about global warming by Christina Beck, Christian Science Monitor, Oct 14, 2016
- Important global warming pollutants excluded from ‘historic’ aviation pact by Christopher Adams, National Observer, Oct 14, 2016
- Magnate’s Twin Goals: Fighting Climate Change and Electing Donald Trump by David Gelles, New York Times, Oct 15, 2016
The first link on the methane spike doesn't work correctly for me.
Thanks for compiling this list - I always scan through it and find lots of interesting reading.
Someone commented last week about missing the monthly article that shows a plot of the global temperature 'Tracking the 2 degree limit'. I miss it too
[BW] Thanks for the heads-up, BC! I fixed the link.
Popular Mechanics: Scientists Accidentally Discover Efficient Process to Turn CO2 Into Ethanol
The title almost says it all. The key points are that the process takes CO2 and H2O from the atmosphere, and coverts it to Ethanol at a claimed 65% energy efficiency. The ethanol can then be used as a fuel for power plants and vehicles. It is further claimed the process is cheap and scalable, which if true should mean large scale prototypes should be available in approx 5 years, and commercial variants in 10 or so.
If this pans out, it is the best news I have seen for quite some time.
The scientific paper discussing the discovery is also available.
Sorry Tom but I dont get it. There is no sequestration of CO2 - it gets released again the moment it is burnt. You have to use Carnot cycle to get useful work back so it doesnt seem to be even a particular efficient way to store energy. You lose 35% of the energy converting electricity to ethanol, and then will lose at least 35% more as waste heat converting the ethanol to work. Batteries are more like 90% efficient, pumped hydro around 70%.
scaddenp @3, you are correct that no sequestration is involved, and I doubt pumping ethanol into subterainean caverns would be a suitable method of sequestration.
The importance of this process is that it produces a liquid fuel. Liquid fuels have the advantages of easy storage, and high energy intensity relative to renewables which make them very suitable for vehicles in a way that hydrogen (because of storage issues) and electricity (due to limited storage capacity in vehicles) are not. Ease of storage is also a factor in back up generators.
Further, in a way the energy efficiency has limited relevance. If we are to build an all renewable system, then we will need to build a significant overcapacity so that when the renewable sources are not operating at full capacity (most of the time), they can still provide 100% of standing energy needs. That means for much of the time excess energy will be generated with no standard use. That energy is essentially free, and can be applied to any process that can operate intermittently to good effect; ie, generating hydrogen from water, and now ethanol from water. Because the energy is essentially free, convenience of storage may be the determining factor as to which of the two fuels is best to use (and certainly is for transport).
Tom
Sounds like there is still a way to go, but promising.
"We report an electrocatalyst which operates at room temperature and in water for the electroreduction of dissolved CO2 with high selectivity for ethanol. The overpotential (which might be lowered with the proper electrolyte, and by separating the hydrogen production to another catalyst) probably precludes economic viability for this catalyst, but the high selectivity for a 12-electron reaction suggests that nanostructured surfaces with multiple reactive sites in close proximity can yield novel reaction mechanisms. This suggests that the synergistic effect from interactions between Cu and CNS presents a novel strategy for designing highly selective electrocatalysts. While the entire reaction mechanism has not yet been elucidated, further details would be revealed from conversion of potential intermediates (e. g. CO, formic acid and acetaldehyde) in future work."
Good point Tom. Maybe a way to have an equitable climate and still be able to fly.