Because apparently we can't have a website anymore without a blog
The blah-blah-blog
As time permits, I'm going to put the esoterica I encounter related to climate change
here rather than trying to update the various pages. So this will be in reverse chronological rather
than logically organized within the structure of the rest of this website. Please don't
rely on this as a consistent and current source for climate change information updates.
Sadly, we cannot rely on our corporate-controlled mass media for good information on this, and my time is limited.
Past blog pages:
2019: May June
July August
September October
November December
2020: January February
March April
May June
July [COVID gap]
2021: [COVID gap] October-December
2022: January-February March
April May-August
September October
November-December
2023: January February
March-April May-July
August-September October-November
December
2024: January February
March April
May June
July August
September
2024.04.30 More questionable carbon credits
World’s Largest Forestry Offsets Project Has License Revoked (BNN Bloomberg)
2024.04.29 It does change the math on energy managment and costs, and the trend continues
Battery costs have plummeted by 90% in less than 15 years, turbocharging renewable energy shift (Techspot)
2024.04.26 You know who isn't funding methane leaks surveillance satellites? The biggest leakers.
The eyes in the sky fighting climate change, one methane leak at a time (Financial Times)
2024.04.26 Alberta needs a reliable, responsive grid - instead of getting Enron'ed by the 'natural gas' industry.
Amusingly, the lowest cost electricity available to the Alberta grid now appears to be in-province renewables
backed up by substantial storage, followed by imported renewable energy from Manitoba. Despite the low wholesale
prices of fossil methane in North America's current glut, NG generation keeps on not showing up for work in Alberta.
As a result, reining in that sector's bad corporate behaviour is an opportunity for even lower electricity prices.
Opinion: Alberta’s electricity grid needs energy storage to avoid brownouts (Calgary Herald)
2024.04.26 Using massive amounts of water during a drought to produce more GHG emissions and profits for a foreign
company and risking property and infrastructure damage for Canadians. BAU, carry on.
Fracking Quakes Have Surged Near Fort St. John (The Tyee)
2024.04.26 At $10 a litre, 6 years after the fact, and penalty likely tax-deductible, that's not a slap, it's a parking ticket.
In GHG terms, about 670 tonnes of CO2. And $10 a litre doesn't cover environmental damage, let alone the cost of actually cleaning
up their own mess.
Cenovus slapped with $2.5M fine for 2018 offshore oil spill (CBC)
2024.04.26 Environmental experts say 'carbon bomb'; Barclays says 'sustainable'.
Barclays accused of greenwashing over financing for Italian oil company (The Guardian)
2024.04.26 'Gish gallop' is definitely my new term for today.
‘Climate denial’ ad pulled from The Australian after being labelled ‘deceptive’ (The Guardian)
2024.04.25 (GHGEP-14) Until recently, pricing GHG pollution was industry's preferred tool for emissions reduction.
So, what changed in the past 2 years? Oh, right, that approach is actually working now, reducing emissions and fossil fuel sales.
Carbon emissions are dropping—fast—in Europe - Thanks to a price mechanism that actually works (The Economist)
2024.04.25 As world 'leadership' has given up on seriously addressing climate change, and mitigation, people have to shift to adaptation
Tips to help Canadians survive climate damage and disaster (National Observer)
2024.04.25 As world 'leadership' has given up on seriously addressing climate change, and mitigation, people have to shift to adaptation
Tips to help Canadians survive climate damage and disaster (National Observer)
2024.04.25 I have respect for Carbon Brief, but as more methane emissions are being detected, I think this is too optimistic - so far.
We might be closer to changing course on climate change than we realized (Vox)
2024.04.25 Novel approach - calling fossil fuels bluff on carbon capture: put up or shut down (in the next 25 years)
New rule compels US coal-fired power plants to capture emissions – or shut down (The Guardian)
2024.04.24 It will take a non-trivial amount of energy to collect, pulverize and distribute concrete pebbles to be effective
A New Use for Old Concrete Could Revolutionize Carbon Capture (Popular Mechanics)
2024.04.24 I would be more excited if it spoke about methane removal and prevention from sources other than the fossil fuels sector
Opinion: One small reference to carbon removal in 2024 budget, one big leap for Canada? (Globe and Mail)
2024.04.24 The myth keeps coming back, but the value of the materials makes recycling a financial no-brainer
Battery Recycling Shatters the Myth of Electric-Vehicle Waste (Bloomberg)
2024.04.24 Huge progress, but not quite done yet
What happens after your country runs on 99 percent renewable electricity? (The Verge)
2024.04.24 Gas and coal accounted for just 2.4% of power generation in the UK for a short period
Share of electricity generated by fossil fuels in Great Britain drops to record low (The Guardian)
2024.04.24 Hello FortisBC, people see what you're doing there.
Residents file lawsuit against major utility company for alleged deceptive practice: 'We need to be doing everything we can' (TCD)
2024.04.24 Using whole logs from primary forests for wood pellets exports as heating fuel
New report claims whole logs used for B.C. wood pellet production (TCD)
2024.04.23 Sea level rise (SLR) is part of climate change (global warming), and it's not gentle.
Coastal cities not safe from sea level rise warns oceanographer (Cosmos)
2024.04.23 It's going to get uncomfortable for humans
These European countries could lose more than 30 days of comfortable weather a year by 2100 (euronews)
2024.04.23 Another GHG feedback loop triggered
Northern permafrost region on track to become carbon source instead of sink due to global warming (DowntToEarth)
2024.04.23 Don't want to buy your PV panels from China, then here's another option
India Emerges as a Major Exporter of Solar Panels (Oilprice.com)
2024.04.23 Cheaper, green electricity are just bonuses.
Denmark plans massive 10GW offshore wind tender to insure against “Putin’s black gas” (Renew Economy)
2024.04.23 After 40 years now of driving electric (yes, 40), I agree that 'range anxiety' is much overstated in the corporate media
New research on EV car usage challenges common range anxiety phenomenon: 'Need not be a concern' (TCD)
I started doing trade shows in the 1980s talking to people about the potential of using electric cars
(yes, we had electric cars back then - even back in the 1800s) for some or most of their driving.
Even then, the usual response was too slow, too expensive, and can't go far enough to meet the person's
needs. So, I would ask, on a typical day (not the 10-day drive across the continent 'vacation' trip), how
far did they drive per day. The answer was almost always in the range of 60-100 miles per day (100 to 180 km).
So, I would then ask if their insurance premiums reflected them driving 50,000 miles (80,000 km) a year or more.
Then, they would say they really drove about 10,000 to 12,000 miles (16,000 to 18,000 km) a year, which is
33 miles per day (53 km). Even back in the 1980s, with lead-acid batteries, in an Ottawa winter, we could do
70-80 km a day recharging on a regular 120-volt household outlet. And the EVs and batteries today are
massively better with much longer range than 40 years ago.
2024.04.21 Natural gas, renewables, conservation and efficiency have made up for ending coal-fired electricity production
Powering down: end times for the UK’s final coal-fired station (The Guardian)
2024.04.20 Enbridge profits trump housing affordability or climate change mitigation in Doug Ford's world.
Ontario’s Bill 165 will increase energy costs and fuel global warming (Hamilton Spectator)
2024.04.20 After billions in taxpayer money and decades of greenwashing (er, I mean 'research'),
CCUS still doesn't work to address reducing GHG emissions. As the underpinning for enhanced oil recovery (EOR),
it IS effective at increasing oil and gas production, GHG emissions and oil & gas industry profits.
(CCS originally meant Carbon Capture and SEQUESTRATION (it was locked away). That isn't what the industry does now.
Instead, they are doing CCUS (Carbon Capture Utilization and STORAGE), because they reuse the carbon dioxide gas
to repressurize old wells to get more hydrocarbons out, and some of that carbon dioxide comes back out of the
wells. But worse, more hydrocarbons are produced to create more GHG emissions, so CCUS is a net negative for
reducing GHG emissions. See what they did there? And if you're a taxpayer, you're financing this and more oil & gas industry profits.)
Big Oil’s Carbon Capture Conundrum (Oilprice.com)
2024.04.19 (GHGEP-13) Today, I yield this space to Richard Cannings.
Richard Cannings' letter on the 'carbon tax' (Castenet)
Mr. Cannings is the MP for for South Okanagan—West Kootenay. He describes himself as
"formerly a biologist, author and bird guy."
2024.04.19 Save money, save the environment, reduce climate change, reduce oil spills. Downside: oil industry profits reduced.
Making their own electricity with solar panels to reduce diesel fuel purchases.
First Nation solar farm in B.C. expected to save 1.1 million litres of diesel a year (Castanet)
2024.04.19 If the fossils don't like your data, evidence or conclusions, they'll just lie (I mean 'report incorrectly') to ensure they fit the desired narrative.
UN livestock emissions report seriously distorted our work, say experts (The Guardian)
2024.04.19 It's only 'carbon capture' if it stays captured
‘Wake-up call’: pipeline leak exposes carbon capture safety gaps, advocates say (The Guardian)
2024.04.18 (GHGEP-12) Gas goes up 2% - giant uproar by the right-wing politicos. Up 11% - yawns.
On April 18, the price of gasoline here went up $0.18 per litre overnight; about 11%. On no major
related news. (The excuse was the change from winter to summer blends, but that should not come as a
surprise to the oil industry; they do it every year.) On April 1, the 'carbon tax' change caused a 3.3 cents per litre increase; about a 2% increase.
When the price went up by 2% three weeks ago, based on the outcry from the 'conservative' premiers and
Leader of the Loyal Opposition, you would have imagined it was the end of days. When the oil industry
hikes the price in concert by 11% all on the same day just for grins, hardly a word of concern for Canadian consumers from those
complaining at the start of the month (exception: Ontario Premier). One more reason to shift to
electric vehicles; you can make your own electricity at home with solar panels.
2024.04.18 Is atypical flooding and storm damage better than more measured efforts to improve local climate conditions?
Playing God With the Atmosphere (The Atlantic)
2024.04.18 So your neighbour bought an EV. Did you thank them for lowering your electrical bill?
Study finds EVs are lowering electricity bills for all customers, not just EV owners (Charged EV News)
2024.04.18 Electric drive is starting to show up in real-life freight applications, displacing diesel
How electric trucks are becoming the norm for moving cargo (CNBC)
2024.04.18 Remember diesel-gate? Will this become hybrid-gate?
Toyota’s plug-in hybrids emit four times more CO2 than company claims (The Driven)
2024.04.18 A community-owned wind farm is expected to generate enough electricity to power 50,000 homes
Brits to own ‘UK’s largest’ people-powered wind farm (Energy Live News)
2024.04.18 I hope this can carry heavy and bulk cargo, as we need replacements for ice roads
Google co-founder to test massive zeppelin-like airship with electric motors: 'Now we must show that this can reliably fly' (TCD)
2024.04.17 BNN got the headline half-right; consumer interest in a poll is not the same as sales (real demand)
As personal EV demand wanes, the business case for switching grows (BNN Bloomberg)
"German coal mines spew 184 times more methane than what the country reports to the United Nations,
according to a new analysis by Ember."
2024.04.16 (GHGEP-11) Let's talk about methane - the GHG the gas industry doesn't want to talk about.
So, while we label the GHG emissions pricing program as the 'carbon tax' (remember, not a tax, not about carbon),
and the fossil fuel sector chants 'decarbonization', methane is 104 times (or more) as potent a GHG as carbon
dioxide on a 10-year time scale. We don't have the luxury of spending 100 years, or even 20, fixing our GHG problem.
Methane lasts about 10-12 years in the atmosphere. So, it produces it's negative impacts in the short term, while
carbon dioxide lasts a 100 years or more in the atmosphere. Short version, methane is 'front-end-loaded', so
dealing with it produces more benefit faster than focusing on 'decarbonization'. To be clear, we need to address
both, but if had to choose if the next dollar removed a kg of methane or a kg of carbon dioxide, I would go after
the methane. There are two ways to address methane, as we do now for carbon dioxide, and the same approach should
be viable. Focus first on reducing or stopping the production of more methane, and second on removing the
current inventory from the atmosphere. That's because capture and removal is hard (methane is about 2 parts per
billion in the atmosphere, so you have to process a lot of air to enounter a little methane), while fixing leaks
in natural gas pipelines and storage is easier to pin-point and repair. Also, we can reduce our consumption of
natural gas (e.g., heat pumps, electric and solar water heaters, electric stoves ...) with off-the-shelf solutions
thereby reducing fugitive emissions and health care impacts and costs. We have carbon credits, so it's time to
create methane credits valued at 100 times the value as carbon dioxide avoidance/removal. (The Canadian
government currently values methane destruction at just 25 times that of carbon dioxide in their nascent
landfill gas GHG program.)
2024.04.16 and what we're learning about methane emissions is we have been fed still more fossil fuel lies ...
German Coal Mines Emit Much More Methane Than Reported, Study Says (Bloomberg)
"German coal mines spew 184 times more methane than what the country reports to the United Nations,
according to a new analysis by Ember."
2024.04.16 Low-Methane Natural Gas?!!
Low-Methane Natural Gas Captures Almost Half the US Market (BNN Bloomberg)
So, as I did, perhaps you wonder what 'Low-methane natural gas' might be, as
processed natural gas as used
for household heating is 97% methane. So, low methane natural gas is what, 96% methane?
Turns out that 'low-methane natural gas' is just another fudge term for 'responsibly sourced natural gas'
(RSG),
itself a greenwashing fudge word, emmm, I mean 'voluntary industry certification' for regular old processed natural gas,
a major greenhouse gas, but somehow produced with very slightly less environmental damage than the old way.
2024.04.16 If you remove GHG pricing now, you will pay in damage and insurance premiums later - if you can get coverage at all.
Climate risks in Canada a multibillion-dollar problem, but it doesn’t have to be: Panel (Daily Commercial News)
2024.04.16 We could make real progress on methane, but not if we keep getting distracted by cow burps.
Every time you blame cows for climate change, an oil executive laughs (Euronews)
2024.04.15 (GHGEP-10) The carbon fuel industry want Canada to scrap the 'carbon tax', because it makes home heating expensive for homeowners.
The oil and gas industry has always been willing to gouge consumers in pricing their products, so their agenda is not about
keeping costs down for consumers.
However, homeowners should think about the financial consequences of ditching the price on GHG emissions and allowing
planetary temperatures to continue to rise. Not only will Canadian consumers lose their Canadian Carbon Rebate,
but their costs for homeowners insurance and building materials for new housing will also rise.
When fires draw near, insurance companies put homes on hold
In a time when we apparently have a 'housing supply crisis', wouldn't it be a good idea to protect the houses we have
from severe damage and destruction? And keeping the costs of building materials down? And keeping our insurance costs down?
That's what we can do by shutting down planetary warming, by reducing GHG emissions and producing more waste heat,
by stopping burning of fossil fuels. And, as an added incentive, for most, moving to heat pumps and electric
vehicles will reduce energy and maintenance costs compared to using fossil fuels.
2024.04.15 A couple of weeks ago, I said we would learn a lot when the methane satellites started reporting ...
Coal, gas giants on notice over methane plume (NewDaily)
"Data released by the Australian Conservation Foundation on Tuesday showed Glencore’s Hail Creek open cut coal mine
released more methane pollution in 16 days than the company reported over an entire year."
“And these are just the emissions we know about because the satellite happened to catch them.”
2024.04.15 This is kind of simple research and analysis that actually reaches a conclusion I love to see.
A Tale Of Two Tires Proves That EVs Aren’t Rubber Eaters (CleanTechnica)
Some things to note about driving EVs. In general, their INSTANT thottle response and maximum torque
from zero RPM does tend to encourage what my son refers to as 'driving with enthusiasm'. I understand.
However, most EVs today do come with eco-mode or traction-mode settings that essentially prevent
tire spinning and heavy wear on tires. Excess tire wear in EVs, as with gassers, is withing the
control of the driver.
2024.04.15 Renewables plus storage for a reliable, clean grid
California exceeds 100% of energy demand with renewables over a record 30 days (electrek)
2024.04.15 Climate change (droughts, floods) makes hydro power less reliable
Canada's Hydro-Heavy Decarbonization Strategy in Jeopardy (Oilprice.com)
Still, the reservoirs are big investments, and could be used with pumped storage powered by renewable energy.
While the demand for electricity is very time sensitive, the time of day water is pumped into the reservoirs
is not. Which makes them an ideal load for night-time wind power which is often curtailed for lack of demand
at night.
2024.04.15 Would the gasser automakers lie to you about how clean plug-in hybrids are? Yes. Remember "diesel-gate"?
Plug-in hybrids pollute 3.5 times more than reported, study reveals (ynet news)
"The findings were particularly striking for plug-in hybrid vehicles, where real-world emissions were found
to be 3.5 times higher than the figures claimed by manufacturers. On average, these vehicles were reported to
emit 40 grams of CO2 per kilometer, but the actual emissions measured were 139 grams per kilometer, which is
comparable to traditional, non-electric-assisted models."
2024.04.14 At less than $25 per spilled gallon, I don't think this qualifies as a "high price to pay for a preventable disaster"
Rather, being less than the environmental impact cost of the redidual spill damage, and as the fines are likely a tax-deductible
expense, I imagine this is just seen as a 'cost of doing business', and incentive to cut corners on preventative measures again
in the future. Remember, as the spilled oil weathers,
it will continue to release carbon dioxide,
the predominant GHG.
2024.04.14 Last year, global operating coal capacity increased by 2%
Record Surge in Global Coal Capacity Led by China (Oilprice.com)
2024.04.14 ‘Basically it’s a propaganda campaign.'
How to spot five of the fossil fuel industry’s biggest disinformation tactics (The Guardian)
2024.04.13 Yes that is BILLIONs per year. That has the oil industry's attention, so they're dissing EVs at every opportunity.
Electric cars and trucks can slash Australia’s $60 billion fossil fuel import bill (The Driven)
2024.04.13 Long-lived LED lights reduce fall injuries, as well as saving money
DOE Finalizes Efficiency Standards for Lightbulbs to Save Americans Billions on Household Energy Bills (CleanTechnica)
2024.04.13 PV for zero-emissions electricity, but solar thermal for zero-emissions water and space heating
Homeowner shares success story with often-forgotten type of solar panels: 'We had no trouble with it' (TCD)
2024.04.13 I find it truly troubling that we have reached this point.
It speaks of greed and gullibility
winning over more rational approaches to the problem, and the time squandered to enable fossil fuel profits.
A sense of "we haven't tried anything, and now we're out of ideas" feeling. I have a lot of respect for Dyer's
work, and I don't want to shoot the messenger: the peril is real.
Gwynn Dyer: We are ignoring potentially valuable climate-change technologies (Energy Live News)
Personally, I still think we have time to make a huge difference by addressing methane emissions, but above all,
nothing smacking of geo-engineering should be contemplated unless we have an off-switch at the ready.
2024.04.12 (GHGEP-9) Funny story. The 'carbon tax' was the oil industry's idea. Now they hate it.
Seems weird, right? Why would an industry want something that makes their product more expensive? Possibly
because they are less impactful on them than other approaches like hard emissions caps or taxes the industry
would actually pay, rather than fobbing the costs off on consumers.
Carbon Taxes: The Oil Industry’s Favorite Climate Solution
So, why do they have such a hate for it now? Because it's actually working to reduce GHG emissions,
mostly by reducing demand for fossil fuels, and it's putting more money in the pockets of most Canadians.
2024.04.12 This is why the Ontario government torpedoed renewable electricity; it would have lowered consumer costs.
Instead, we have been sold an expensive bill of goods featuring fossil methane ('natural' gas) and nuclear for
decades to come.
UK renewable boom plunges electricity prices (Energy Live News)
The Ontario Building Code has NEVER required EV chargers to be installed in new non-MURB housing.
The
2018 Building Code Amendments require
"Every new single detached, semi-detached and row townhouse shall be provided with a
rough-in for future electric vehicle supply equipment. (charging station)", but not an actual charger / charging
station / electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE). Essentially, it's pulling the wire and setting aside a breaker in
the service panel for the equivalent of a stove, clothes dryer or central air conditioner. This is pretty inexpensive when
building the house and multiple such circuits are likely being installed at the same time and walls are still open to make
stringing cable easy. It is much more expensive to run that cable after the house is completed. Homeowners are not being
saddled with the cost of the actual charger as part of a new house; they can install one if they want one later.
Having the 240-volt outlet in a garage or by the driveway can be handy for
things other than EV chargers, such as electric welders, high-power pressure washers, or actually putting a stove or clothes
dryer in the garage.
It seems a curious place to try to save $500 on something that adds at least that much to the resale value, when the same
government is forcing new homeowners to take natural gas connections costing over $4,000, when many won't want that when
electric appliances, electric water heaters and winter-grade heat-pumps are less expensive to install and operate over
the life of the building - especially as fossil fuels continue to rise in price.
2024.04.12 And by 2050, electric vehicles can cut [U.S.] consumer costs by $200 billion — each year
Electric cars are saving all Americans billions on their utility bills — not just EV drivers (Quartz)
2024.04.12 A leading climate expert says "In general, the 2023 temperature anomaly has come out of the blue"
Uncharted Territory Dead Ahead (CounterPunch)
2024.04.12 Remember when the U.S. automakers got ambushed by Japanese imports in the 1970s and 1980s? Buckle up.
EVs are taking over the rest of the world much faster than the US (electrek)
2024.04.12 Oceans are about 70% of the planet's surface (and increasing), so if they're warming, it matters.
Scientists at Spain meeting sound alarm over ocean warming (Phys.org)
2024.04.12 As Canada debates whether it should even have a 'carbon tax', it remains a GHG emissions rogue state.
Germany and the U.K. have cut their climate pollution in half. Here’s how Canada stacks up (National Observer)
2024.04.12 While Alberta's government can't figure out how renewables work, the rest of the world didn't fail because of an eclipse.
"NREL showed a live stream of the passing of the eclipse and its impact on the grid. As expected, the lights didn’t go out –
in fact they got switched on as the eclipse swept across the nation"
"A graph of the California grid (top) showed that the downturn in solar power was almost entirely made up by a jump in battery storage"
Chart of the Day: Batteries step in as solar eclipse sweeps across US (Renew Economy)
2024.04.12 Google Search is a for-profit tool. Did you think it wouldn't take fossil fuels money? Or use AI for that?
Oilsands disinformation is worse than you think (National Observer)
2024.04.12 A PV recycling crisis? More fossil fuel disinfo.
Perhaps they should figure out how to recycle their own plastic waste. Plastic is a petrochemical product.
Queensland backs solar recycling pilot, starting with “thousands” of rooftop panels (Renew Economy)
This is about when PV recycling should be showing up, as the first real volume of early PV panel
installations are starting to fail after decades of service. By comparison, plastic pollution dates back
to the 1940s, and the petrochemical industry still doesn't have a viable plan for capturing waste plastic,
let alone actually recycling it for beneficial reuse.
2024.04.11 (GHGEP-8) Why do the oil and gas industries hate GHG emissions pricing? Because it's working.
For this item, I'm just going to let Michael Barnard explain it to you. It's a bit long, but I could not have
written this better, and why duplicate the work?
Canada’s Carbon Price Working, So Of Course It’s Being Attacked (CleanTechnica)
2024.04.11 Romania has joined the big battery storage system chat
Romania connects largest battery storage system to date (pv magazine)
2024.04.11 You know what really complements intermittent zero emissions renewable energy? Energy storage.
Zen plans giant 1GW pumped hydro project at former coal pit to address solar duck (Renew Economy)
2024.04.11 Another big photovoltaic farm comes on line, this time in Portugal
Renewable energy giant flips the switch on major solar farm that could power thousands of homes: 'An important contribution' (TCD)
2024.04.11 The wheels seem to keep falling off for-profit, voluntary carbon credits markets and certifiers
The 'market' solution the fossil fuel industry wanted seems easily gamed and corrupted.
Climate target organisation faces staff revolt over carbon-offsetting plan (The Guardian)
2024.04.10 (GHGEP-7) Why does Canada have a GHG emissions pricing regime?
According to a number of Canadian politicians with popularity issues, it's purpose is to make Canadians poorer.
But that's not really it. The real driver is international trade. Canada is a trading nation. International
bodies have been signaling for years that carbon tariffs on imports are coming. Europe already has a 'carbon border
adjustment mechanism'. In short, that's a tax on imbedded GHG emissions pricing imposed by the importing country if
the exporting country's GHG pricing is lower than the importing country. In short, if Italy imports grain from
Canada, and Italy has a GHG price and Canada doesn't, then Italy applies the tax to the imports - which still puts
a GHG-price on the grain for the Italian customer, but the tax revenue all accrues to Italy - not Canada, while the
Canadian farmer still loses the sale because the customer sees the higher price. Now, if Canada applies the GHG
pricing in-country, and that leads to shifting to lower GHG emissions energy sources, then the Canadian grain looks
less expensive as an import overseas, and no GHG border adjustment gets paid to the Italian government; that money
stays in Canada. So, once other countries start imposing those tariffs or there is an international system of
ranking the GHG emissions intensity of each country, which way do you think Canada should go? Lower overall
costs due to shifts to lower GHG-emissions choices and no money collected by the other country (money stays in Canada),
or making Canadian products more expensive due to higher energy costs and the perceived price overseas is higher
(uncompetitive), and the GHG-pricing is applied anyway, but collected in the other country?
The World Bank "Carbon Pricing" Dashboard
2024.04.10 And yet, so many of us have climate change fatigue or actively work against making necessary changes
UN climate chief presses for faster action, says humans have 2 years left ‘to save the world’ (AP)
2024.04.10 Well, that should kill the leaky Canadian fracked LNG export market to Europe
EU lawmakers adopt law to hit fossil fuel imports with methane emissions limit (Reuters)
2024.04.10 Renewables keep coming on-line
Europe’s largest PV plant goes online (pv magazine)
2024.04.10 Europe's emissions trading system works - 38% down in 20 years, while economy has grown
The EU’s Secret to Slashing Emissions (The Nation)
2024.04.10 The minerals used in an EV battery are a tiny fraction of those used to keep filling a gas tank for years.
Game-changing revolution going on in the EV battery world (National Observer)
2024.04.09 (GHGEP-6) About that 'carbon tax'. It's not about carbon. Carbon isn't a greenhouse gas (GHG).
Carbon is a solid. Carbon black is the powder we use in toner cartridges and electric motor brushes and mucn more.
The original GHG pricing systems (carbon credits) were about 'decarbonizing', but the actual GHG in question is carbon dioxide.
Carbon dioxide is the stuff that makes your soft drinks fizzy, or we use to make 'dry ice'.
The greenhouse gas we should be more worried about now is methane, though we should still also be reducing
our global carbon dioxide emissions, too, mostly by reducing the amount of fossil fuels we burn.
The "carbon tax"; not a tax and not about carbon. So much about the messaging that isn't true.
2024.04.09 On the 10-year timescale, methane is 104 times as potent as carbon dioxide as a GHG
Methane from landfills is detectable from space – and driving the climate crisis (The Guardian)
2024.04.09 It's about cutting costs, not the environment- so make coal more expensive to speed the transition.
US power system set to cut coal use to record lows (Reuters)
2024.04.09 One planet, one atmosphere, one global climate - no free riders or we all lose
China’s Seaborne Coal Imports Rise Despite Projections of Flat Volumes (Oilprice.com)
2024.04.09 Note the amount of storage for this solar energy project - that makes for dispatchable power.
Major energy developer secures stake in expansive project that could change the future of power storage: 'We look forward to contributing' (TCD)
2024.04.09 Compressed air energy storage (CAES) project going ahead in Australia
Compressed air energy storage at a crossroads (pv magazine)
2024.04.09 NZ Climate Change Commission raises facts on methane emissions vs. lobbyist assertions
[NZ] Climate Change Commission lays down wero [challenge] over methane targets (newsroom)
"There is, the commission said, “no evidence to support weakening the current 2050 target, and enough to consider
strengthening it”. The evidence for strengthening extends to the methane components of the 2050 target, as the
faster-than-expected deployment of methane-inhibiting technology for livestock overseas means we could set
ourselves a more ambitious pathway for slashing methane emissions.
"Specifically, though there has been new research on methane emissions since the target was set, “there has not
been an important or notable change in the understanding of the physical science of methane and how it warms the
atmosphere”, the commission said. This is an explicit point of difference with the agriculture industry’s
submission on the commission’s review.
"Contrary to assertions from the industry that methane’s warming impact has been overstated, the commission also
found methane was responsible for the majority of the warming New Zealand had caused to-date. That aligns with
separate findings Upton published in 2022, based on research by the climate scientists Dave Frame and Nathanael Melia."
Sometimes a chart really completes a smackdown - like this one. That's a lot of bright green.
2024.04.09 Renewables step up in Europe to start 2024
Incredible 60% of Europe’s Electricity Was Powered by Clean Energy in the First Two Months of 2024 (Good News Network)
2024.04.09 Another advance for heat pumps for residential use (2 tons to 5 tons)
Johnson Controls unveils new residential heat pump series (pv magazine)
2024.04.09 In 2009, the G7 and G20 pledged to phase out subsidies for fossil fuels. Instead, they doubled down.
Hypocrisy In High Places As Developed Countries Continue To Fund Fossil Fuel Development Despite Pledge To Stop (CleanTechnica)
2024.04.08 (GHGEP-5) How do you avoid paying GHG emissions pricing?
The best way is to be a foreign-owned multi-national fossil-fuels extraction company.
The best way for most of us is to stop buying stuff with the GHG emissions price built into it. Which is the point of the fee.
Like gasoline, diesel, heating oil, fossil methane (aka 'natural gas'), propane, methanol, motor oil ...
You don't have to take it all on in one bite. While time is running out, you can take it in pieces.
For example, you can trade in a big gas guzzler on an electric car, and stop buying gasoline or diesel,
which include the GHG emissions price. If you're not ready for that, maybe a plug-in hybrid. Or use transit
or car-sharing or car-pooling. The Canadian government and several provinces offer rebates and incentives
for electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, so more free money there for you.
In a way, GHG emissions pricing is a tax; a tax on dumb. Don't be dumb.
2024.04.08 Parts of North America experienced a solar eclipse today, and the impact on electricity supply to grid customers was ... nothing.
Solar eclipse 2024: Texas power grid sees impact (Fox4)
"Despite the drop in solar energy supply easily outpaced demand."
2024.04.05 (GHGEP-4) How to make money on GHG emissions pricing
Here's the thing: pretty much everybody in Canada gets the 'Canada Carbon Rebate', no matter how much they
actually paid out in GHG emissions pricing fees. In other words, you get money out, even if you put NO money in.
There's another term for that: FREE MONEY! That OTHER people, probably rich people with expensive toys, pay for.
Want a piece of that? For years to come.
Because based on observed behaviour, most people don't want that free money, so more for you, if you want it.
In a way, GHG emissions pricing is a tax; a tax on dumb.
2024.04.05 Methane levels in the atmosphere are now more than 160% higher than their pre-industrial level ...
and it only lasts about 12 years in the atmosphere, so it is not just being replenished, but increased massively in recent times.
No sign of greenhouse gases increases slowing in 2023 (NOAA)
2024.04.05 Renewables continue to grow their share of electricity production.
Texas marks milestone on the road to a greener grid as solar tops coal in March (IEEFA)
2024.04.05 Hey Alberta, the solution is battery storage when natural gas generation doesn't show up for work (again).
Rotating brownouts leave thousands of Albertans without power Friday (CBC)
AESO grid alert caused by 'unexpected outage of thermal generation'
It was the AESO that overestimated the wind power that could be available, not the wind power producers.
Which is unfortunate, as in most of the world, wind power is sufficiently predictable that other
jurisdictions see it as a reasonably reliable source of electricity generation.
"Very predictable:" Study shows global wind energy production is stable
Alberta does not pay generators for available capacity (aka spinning reserve or stand-by power), only for what
the province actually buys, and the AESO gives preference to fossil fuel generation, because
contracted supply is based on day-ahead bids, which favours dispatachable power over possibly intermittent power.
Using grid-scale battery storage would serve as spinning reserve, make intermittent power dispatchable due to the
storage factor, and can be used for power conditioning and stabilizing the grid frequency.
2024.04.05 State prosecutors won against Big Tobacco for misleading claims, now a multi-national meat producer?
New York is suing the world’s biggest meat company. It might be a tipping point for greenwashing (The Guardian)
2024.04.04 (GHGEP-3) The 'carbon tax' is NOT A TAX (it's a feebate program)
Just because some money is collected by a government doesn't make it a tax.
Employment insurance premiums are not a tax; they're insurance premiums.
Workers get money back when eligible.
Canada Pension Program contributions are not a tax; they're a retirement savings plan.
People get money back when they retire.
A deposit fee for beverage containers (like beer bottles) are not a tax; they're a deposit-return system.
People get money back when they return the containers.
GHG emissions pricing is not a tax; it's a feebate program.
People get money back (multiple times a year) via the "Canada Carbon Rebate".
Today's phrase: There is no 'carbon tax'; it's GHG emissions pricing with an automatic refund.
2024.04.04 "Ethical oil" - not since whales were killed for lamp oil
Electric vehicles expose the myth of ethical oil (National Observer)
2024.04.04 Better question: Given CCS doesn't actually work to reduce GHG emissions, why does the government keep pretending it does? FTFY
Opinion: If Ottawa is counting on carbon capture and storage, it should start acting that way (Financial Post)
2024.04.04 Spoiler: it's humans making lots of GHG emissions.
Researchers find the link between human activity and shifting weather patterns in western North America (Phys.org)
2024.04.04 Once again, Alberta's 'thermal generation' (natural gas) 'baseload' electrical generation fails ...
and it's renewable energy, storage and power imports that keeps the grid functioning.
'Unexpected generation loss' led to Alberta grid alert (CTV News)
2024.04.04 Nice to see a rail innovator skip the pretending hydrogen is the solution step.
Autonomous Electric Trains Really Are Coming For Your Diesel (CleanTechnica)
2024.04.04 Net-zero biomethane as substitute for fossil LNG
I support drop-in biofuels as part of a transition to net-zero. My quibble with this one is the distance the biomethane
has to travel to be used at it's end market. Still, Japan also has to import most of the fossil methane ('natural gas") it uses as well.
Japanese duo employs biomethane to bolster efforts toward carbon-neutral future (Offshore Energy)
2024.04.04 Where I come from, we call that lying.
‘Detached from reality’: researchers say Pathways Alliance misleading public with greenwashing (The Narwhal)
2024.04.04 These are the apex dealers for the world's fossil fuel addiction
Just 57 companies linked to 80% of greenhouse gas emissions since 2016 (The Guardian)
2024.04.03 (GHGEP-2) Remedial media: finally, somebody is calling it the 'carbon price', not 'carbon tax'.
Perhaps Canadian media can be taught how to report after all.
The proper term would be 'GHG emissions fee' or 'pricing', if anyone in the Canadian media herd is paying attention.
It's important to get the name right, so we can have a fact-based discussion of the topic.
The name of the legislation that enables the feebate program is the
"
Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act" (GGPPA),
not the Carbon Taxing Act.
Stop scapegoating the carbon price (National Observer)
Today's phrase: There is no 'carbon tax'; it's GHG pollution pricing.
2024.04.03 Truth vs. fossil fuel industry propaganda
Rebutting 33 False Claims About Solar, Wind, and Electric Vehicles (Sabin Center for Climate Change Law)
2024.04.03 Wells Fargo: We think investor enthusiasm for SMR [small modular reactors] is misguided”
Banks Won’t Save Nuclear Power (CounterPunch)
2024.04.03 "there are bad actors today who are fanning the flames of climate doomism"
Forget ‘doomers.’ Warming can be stopped, top climate scientist says (The Harvard Gazette)
2024.04.03 This is on top of the Canadian federal EV rebate, and includes money for buying used EVs
Manitoba introduces EV rebates of up to $4,000 (Driving)
This is a progressive measure by a government that understands climate change is real.
Meanwhile, back in Ontario, the climate deniers that killed it's EV incentive still run the province.
Is it coincidence that Manitoba also knows how to run a provincial electricity grid and was able
to prevent blackouts in Alberta back in mid-January when Alberta's baseload natural gas generation failed
in the cold and Saskatchewan also had to import electricity from Manitoba?
2024.04.03 Fortunately, EVs are neither slow nor messy.
Understanding the slow and messy switch to electric cars (Axios)
And EV sales worldwide are continuing to grow, just not at the same rate of acceleration as before, which
would be unsustainable given there is is finite market for road vehicles. But, even that
needs to considered in the context of light fossil-fuel vehicle sales are actually decreasing
in the past year or so, to the point that demand for gasoline in North America is dropping.
2024.04.03 As Norway approaches EV milestone, drivers in Ireland fall prey to 'misinformation'
EV Adoption in Ireland: AA Ireland Customer Survey Sheds Light on EV Reality (AA Ireland)
2024.04.03 CO2 emissions decrease due to increased renewable electricity displacing both coal and gas
EU carbon market emissions fall record 15.5% as renewable power soars (Reuters)
2024.04.03 There isn't enough cheap uranium left, and the stockpiles of spent fuel waste are a growing, unsolved problem.
No, Nuclear Energy Won’t Save Us (Medium)
2024.04.02 (GHGEP-1) Now that we're past the April 1st Axe the Facts hijinks, let's talk some truth about carbon pricing
Fossil fuel subsidies cost Canadians a lot more money than the carbon tax (The Conversation)
More to come in days ahead, but for now, here's a phrase for you:
Real Conservatives don't support oil and gas industry corporate welfare.
2024.04.02 Remember, methane is over 100 times a potent as carbon dioxide as a GHG (10-year GWP)
Fortunately for the fossil methane industry, provincial governments don't care what the public thinks or wants.
New poll shows clear public support for tackling methane emissions (Pembina Institute)
2024.04.02 Reducing air conditioning demand reduces peak electricity demand in many areas
Sunrise to sunset, new window coating blocks heat — not view (Notre Dame News)
2024.04.02 If nuclear power is the answer, what the heck was the question?
Industry declares a nuclear renaissance. Will the public be convinced? (National Observer)
2024.04.02 NS creates new rebate for larger (commercial) on-road EVs
Expands on the
existing rebate up to $3,000 for battery EVs and long-electric range PHEVs, etc.
New Rebates for Larger Zero-Emission Vehicles (Government of Nova Scotia)
Past blog pages:
2019: May June
July August
September October
November December
2020: January February
March April
May June
July [COVID gap]
2021: [COVID gap] October-December
2022: January-February March
April May-August
September October
November-December
2023: January February
March-April May-July
August-September October-November
December
2024: January February
March April
May June
July August
September
You can find many earlier postings (going back to year 2000) related to climate change at:
Keith's List Archive and
the Sustainable Biofuel List Mail Archive.
I present a lot of information in this blog and on this website. If you need some help sorting through the
noise level and getting a forward-looking, proactive approach to climate change for your business, I can do
that work for you via my consulting business. Contact
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