Yorkshire post-punks, LUMER echo The Fall on debut EP > New Music > Music Purple Revolver
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Monday, January 4, 2021
Sunday, January 3, 2021
January 2 Green Energy News
Headline News:
- “Scotland Banks On Hydrogen Fuel Cell Trains For Zero Emission Railway By 2035” • Scotland set a 2035 decarbonization goal for its passenger rail system last summer. Electrification may be the weapon of choice, but squeezing diesel out of the picture is not simple. Now they’re moving in for the kill with hydrogen powered fuel cell trains. [CleanTechnica]
Orwellian diesel engine: Backward is forward (Rob Johnson, Unsplash)
- “Why Trump Failed To Derail National Climate Assessment” • The Trump administration’s failure to soften or bury the climate assessment shows the resilience of federal climate science despite Trump’s efforts to impede it. This article is based on interviews with current and former government officials and others familiar with the process. [Minneapolis Star Tribune]
- “Why Shares Of Plug Power Jumped 29% In December” • The year is ending the year on a bullish note for Plug Power, as shares rose 29% in December, data from S&P Global Market Intelligence shows. Plug Power is a fuel cell leader, and it stayed red hot as it capped off 2020, a year in which shareholders saw an increase of 973% in the stock price. [Motley Fool]
- “Tesla Opens World’s Largest Supercharging Station – 72 Stalls!” • Tesla China has one success after another, blazing a path to sustainable transportation. There are now about 650 charging stations in China, with 150 added in December alone. And the largest of these is a Tesla Supercharger Station in Shanghai, with 72 stalls. [CleanTechnica]
- “Tesla Hiring Battery Engineers In North Carolina And Semi Truck Engineers In Nevada” • Job openings may not be product roadmaps, but recent Tesla job openings imply that Tesla may be preparing for battery production plans in North Carolina and Semi production plans in Nevada. We have some other clues on those matters, too. [CleanTechnica]
For more news, please visit geoharvey – Daily News about Energy and Climate Change.
* This article was originally published here
January 3 Green Energy News
Headline News:
- “Dogger Bank’s Giant Turbines Herald A Wind Of Change In UK Industry” • Beyond the horizon off the coast of North Yorkshire, a quiet revolution is emerging from the waves of the North Sea. More than 80 miles from land, hundreds of the world’s most powerful wind turbines are being built in the biggest windfarm ever. [The Guardian]
Haliade-X wind turbine (SSE photograph)
- “France Hits Record 19.2% EV Share In December – Up Almost Six Times Year On Year” • France’s plugin electric vehicle market share hit a new record of 19.2% in December 2020, up by a factor of 5.6 from December 2019. The full year result was 11.2% plugin share, with local favorite Renault ZOE once more the year’s top selling plugin. [CleanTechnica]
- “31 Countries, States, And Cities Have Gas/Diesel Car Bans In Place” • Much to the consternation of the free market crowd, at the start of 2021 there are 31 national and local governments that have announced bans on the sale of forms of transportation powered by internal combustion engines. Survival may finally be trumping theory. [CleanTechnica]
- “EU’s ‘Climate Leader’ Explains Why 2020 Has Left Him Optimistic” • The author of one of the most ambitious climate plans in the European Union says 2020 was a turning point that’s left him optimistic about the future of the planet. There are many reasons for hope, and he believes that Denmark can be a model for others to follow. [The Japan Times]
- “A Look Ahead: It Was A Bruising Year For Wyoming Coal. What Could The New Year Bring?” • After a bruising year battling the one-two punch of the COVID-19 pandemic and collapse in energy markets, coal operators in Wyoming could receive a small boost in demand in 2021. But the long-term outlook is gloomy for coal mining. [Casper Star-Tribune Online]
For more news, please visit geoharvey – Daily News about Energy and Climate Change.
* This article was originally published here
Saturday, January 2, 2021
Take your sustainable lifestyle to the next level in 2021
Are you already recycling? Carrying around a refillable water bottle rather than contributing to the ocean-bound plastic problem? Composting your food scraps? That’s all commendable, but there’s more to be done to achieve a net-zero lifestyle. If you’re ready to up your environmental commitment this year (and hold larger entities accountable along the way), here are a few ideas — some more dramatic than others — for sustainable resolutions in 2021. Get rid of your car If you have a car , sell or donate it. Once you’ve unloaded the gas guzzler, do your errands on foot or by bike. If you don’t have your own bike, join your city’s bike-share program. With proper COVID-19 precautions, take public transportation for longer distances. Related: The pros and cons of electromobility Ditch the plastic liners Do you know how long those kitchen trash bags take to decompose? Anywhere from 10 to 1,000 years. Instead, go au naturel and regularly clean your trash, recycling and compost containers. Change your laundering style Did you know that most of the energy it takes to run a washing machine comes from heating the water? Only 10% of energy is for working the machine, so switch to cold-water washing . Once your clothes are clean, hang them to dry. If you live somewhere sunny and have space for a clothesline, this won’t be too hard. If you live somewhere cold and rainy, see if you can hang an inside clothesline or set up a drying rack. But if this is impractical and you must run the dryer, make sure it’s fairly full so you make the most of the energy. Dryers are the third-biggest energy hogs in the average house, after the refrigerator and washer. Forget the lawn Lawns are a huge waste of space and resources. In the U.S., people spray about 3 trillion gallons of water on them every year, use 800 million gallons of gas in their lawnmowers and treat them with nearly 80 million pounds of pesticides . But who are we trying to impress with this golf course-looking terrain around our homes? Instead, go with xeriscaping or planting vegetables. Let clover take over, or fill your yard with pollinator-friendly plants. Control your climate Invest in ways to weatherize your home and lifestyle year-round. If you have the money and own a home, a heat pump can cut your energy use in half. Try low-tech solutions like wearing thicker socks and a fleece bathrobe over your clothes so that you don’t need to turn the heater up as much in winter. Add an extra blanket to the bed, and turn your thermostat down at least seven degrees at night. You use about 1% less energy per eight hours for every degree you turn it down. In summer, air conditioning is a massive energy hog. Three-quarters of U.S. homes have air conditioners, which use 6% of the total electricity produced in the nation, according to Energy Saver . Annual cost? About $29 billion dollars and 117 million metric tons of carbon dioxide released. If you must use AC, don’t set it so low. Add insulation to your house. Wear a bikini. Eat more ice pops. Sweat a little, it won’t hurt you. Go vegan Yes, Meatless Mondays are a terrific start. But this year, try adding Tuesday. And Wednesday. Et cetera. A University of Oxford study concluded that cutting out meat and dairy could reduce your carbon footprint by 73%. “A vegan diet is probably the single biggest way to reduce your impact on planet Earth, not just greenhouse gases, but global acidification, eutrophication, land use and water use,” said lead author Joseph Poore, as reported by The Independent . Boycott new One way to stop supporting the constant addition to more junk in the waste stream is to boycott buying anything new (excluding food, prescriptions or emergency items). Perhaps you already enjoy thrifting and flea markets. If so, committing to buying nothing new might be a fun challenge. Make 2021 your year of browsing the free libraries, finding your new look at a garage sale and swapping useful items with other folks in your neighborhood. Set up regular donations to environmental organizations Just about every organization needs your help right now. Whether you prefer whales or bats, oceans or rivers, an environmental charity exists that would greatly appreciate your recurring donation, even if it’s just five bucks a month. Control your food waste The U.S. is one of the top countries for food waste in the world, tossing almost 40 million tons annually. Most of this food goes to landfills. In fact, food waste is the second-largest component of the average American landfill behind paper. This year, commit to only buy what you’ll eat and to eat what you buy. If you don’t already compost, get yourself a compost bin and throw in all your banana peels, coffee grounds, etc. Get political On the most basic level, vote. Beyond that, support causes you believe in by writing letters to your politicians or boycotting companies that are contributing to the global climate crisis. Attend town hall meetings with your local or state representatives. If you have the time, energy, resources and moxie, run for office. Images via Adobe Stock
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Take your sustainable lifestyle to the next level in 2021
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This will be the worlds largest Passive House-certified office building
Boston’s Financial District will soon welcome the groundbreaking Winthrop Center, a year-round, mixed-use gathering space with a suite of impressive eco-friendly credentials. Designed by Handel Architects in partnership with MIT professors, Winthrop Center will not only target LEED certifications and a WELL certification but is also expected to become the largest Passive House-certified office building in the world. The project takes COVID-19-era concerns into account with its emphasis on healthier indoor environments and will include features such as MERV 15 filtration and airtight workspaces that minimize moisture transfer and entry of contaminants. Slated for completion in 2022, the 691-foot-tall Winthrop Center will offer over 1.8 million square feet of mixed-use programming, including 812,000 square feet of Global Class A office space, 572,000 square feet of residential space (with 321 luxury residences) and the renovation of the existing One Winthrop Square into a grand new public space with year-round programming. At the heart of the project is The Connector, a ground-floor urban “living room” wrapped in 50-foot-tall structural glass walls that opens up to Winthrop Square and Federal Street to directly engage the pedestrian realm. The gathering space will be open to the public throughout all seasons from morning to night. Related: New International WELL Building Institute HQ achieves Platinum To meet LEED standards, the Winthrop Center will feature a high-performance exterior envelope to minimize solar heat gain while maximizing access to natural light. The curtainwall design will be constructed with triple-glazed insulated glass windows with glass spandrel panels for an average of R-30. Responsible water usage strategies, recycling, sustainable materials use and sourcing as well as energy-efficient building operations will also be incorporated. The office and public spaces will target LEED Platinum certifications, while the building’s residential component will be designed to LEED Gold standards. The office spaces will also target WELL Gold certification and provide occupants with a healthy indoor environment through elements such as improved air and water quality, healthier food options, encouragement of physical activity and enhanced natural lighting throughout. Office spaces are designed for flexibility to promote collaboration and connections. + Handel Architects Images by Handel Architects
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This will be the worlds largest Passive House-certified office building
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