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Clean energy and jobs

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America’s clean energy industry is unquestionably under attack by the Trump administration.  The administration is blocking renewable energy projects on federal lands, slashing clean tech tax credits, and putting in place new regulatory hurdles for solar and wind power and electric vehicles.  During the first half of the year, businesses cancelled $22 billion worth of clean energy projects, which would have created more than 16,000 jobs, ironically mostly in Republican areas.  Federal clean energy tax credits have generated billions of dollars in economic value annually, providing a strong return on investment for every federal dollar spent.

Last year, clean energy jobs grew three times faster than the rest of the economy.  The U.S. added nearly 100,000 jobs in solar, wind, batteries, energy efficiency, grid upgrades, biofuels, and electric cars.  In total, more than 3.5 million Americans hold jobs related to clean energy. 

Clean energy investments create substantial economic growth.  The clean energy transition creates opportunities in manufacturing, engineering, installation, and maintenance.  These new jobs far outweigh job losses in the fossil fuel sector.  Investments in clean energy had been projected to create massive numbers of new jobs and significantly boost the U.S. GDP by 2030, often providing new opportunities for rural communities.

Overall, clean energy has been one of the hottest and most promising job sectors in the country.  Now that clean energy job growth is at serious risk, so is the health of the overall economy.

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More Americans Working in Clean Energy Than as Servers or Cashiers

Photo, posted July 28, 2025, courtesy of Bronx Community College via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Fossil fuel producing nations ignoring climate goals

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The Paris Climate Agreement has the primary goal of limiting global average temperature rise to well below 2 degrees Celsius and preferably 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels.  Meeting this goal involves reaching global net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in the second half of the century.  Doing so requires the substantial adoption of renewable energy sources to replace fossil fuels.

The case for switching away from fossil fuels has never been stronger as the effects of the warming climate have become increasingly evident, the economics of renewable energy have become more and more favorable, and popular support for the changeover has continued to grow.  Despite all this, the world’s largest fossil fuel producers have expanded their planned output for the future, thereby pushing the world towards an ever-warmer climate.

According to the latest Production Gap Report produced by the Stockholm Environment Institute, governments now expect to produce more than twice as much coal, oil, and gas in 2030 as would be consistent with the goals of the Paris Agreement.  The increase is driven by a slower projected phaseout of coal and a higher outlook for gas production by some of the top producers, including China and the United States.

The United States is the most dramatic case of a country recommitting to fossil fuels.  This year, Congress has enacted billions of dollars in new subsidies to oil and gas companies and the Trump administration has forced retiring coal plants to continue operating, expanded mining and drilling access on public lands, and delayed deadlines for drillers to comply with limits on methane pollution.  Meanwhile, it has set new roadblocks for building wind and solar energy projects.

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Top Fossil Fuel Producing Nations Plan to Blow Past Climate Targets

Photo, posted May 15, 2020, courtesy of James Watt via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Heatwaves and major carbon emitters

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A new study by ETH Zurich, one of the world’s leading universities in science and engineering, demonstrates that human-induced climate change greatly increased the likelihood and intensity of over 200 global heatwaves between 2000 and 2023.  Emissions associated with each of the 180 largest producers of fossil fuels and cement contributed substantially to these events.  Emissions from these so-called carbon majors accounted for 60% of humanity’s total cumulative CO2 emissions from 1850 to 2023.

The research looked at 213 heatwaves that occurred on all seven of Earth’s continents between 2000 and 2023.  The study calculated how climate change affected the intensity and likelihood of each heatwave.

According to the study, global warming made heatwaves 20 times more likely between 2000 and 2009, and as much as 200 times more likely between 2010 and 2019, compared with the period between 1850 and 1900.

Estimates are that the 180 carbon majors are responsible for about half of the change in global mean surface temperature over time.  Furthermore, 14 of these 180 entities made the same contribution to climate change as the remaining 166 organizations combined.

While every one of us – individuals, countries, or companies – contributes to climate change, the carbon majors have especially significant responsibility.

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Rising heat waves tied to fossil fuel and cement production

Photo, posted May 1, 2019, courtesy of Martin Snicer via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

AI and the appetite for natural gas

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A recent survey of the plans of U.S. electricity utilities for meeting projected future demand indicates that they are looking to build twice as much natural gas capacity as they had anticipated just 18 months earlier.  The reason?  Data centers.  These warehouses full of computers that form the backbone of the internet are multiplying rapidly as companies are adding power-hungry servers for artificial intelligence. 

Data centers used less than 2% of U.S. electricity prior to 2018.  They consumed 4.4% in 2023.  By 2028, they are projected to use anywhere between 6.7 and 12%.  While overall electricity demand had been relatively flat for the past 20 years, now the power grid is scrambling to keep up.

The long-term plans of utilities have been favoring renewables for a while.  Previous industry-wide projections had 258 gigawatts of new wind and solar versus 102 gigawatts of new natural gas plants through 2035.  These plans showed that wind and solar could overtake natural gas as the country’s largest source of electricity by that year.  But newer plans adding additional generating capacity have mostly added new gas and very little renewables.

Utilities are leaning heavily on natural gas in part due to the inertia of regulatory actions that define the rate-setting process.  The grid is simply not set up to adapt to new technology and to deal with the unprecedented changes that data centers bring about.

Ultimately, the continuing reliance on natural gas will be an unfortunate burden on the consumer and on the environment.

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Riding the High From Data Centers, the Grid Cannot Kick Its Gas Habit

Photo, posted January 23, 2023, courtesy of Aileen Devlin / Jefferson Lab via Flickr.

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Wave energy in the U.S.

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A company called Eco Wave Power has launched the first U.S. wave energy project in the Port of Los Angeles.  The system captures the motion of ocean waves to generate renewable electricity.

The Eco Wave Power system harnesses hydraulic energy with floaters installed near the shore on existing structures like breakwaters, piers, and jetties.   The floaters bob up and down with wave movement, which creates pressure that drives a hydraulic motor and a generator.  Only the system’s floaters are actually in the water, and they aren’t connected to any electrical lines.  These hydraulic cylinders then send pressurized fluid to a land-based energy conversion unit.  Thus, there are no underwater transmission lines as is the case for offshore wind generation. 

The hydraulic motor and generator are housed inside a standard shipping container.  The electricity generated by the system is then connected to the grid.  Breakwaters and piers are often owned by ports, and ports are large consumers of electricity, which means that there is likely to be an electric substation nearby.

This demonstration project has several goals.  Foremost, it is a showcase for Eco Wave Power’s patented onshore wave energy technology in U.S. marine conditions.  It will serve as an educational hub for potential industry partners, regulators, and potential customers.  It will also support environmental monitoring and other regulatory requirements that can inform local stakeholders and authorities that will be involved in any future deployments.

Wave energy has great potential.  The National Renewable Energy Laboratory estimates that wave energy has the potential to provide electricity for 130 million homes.

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Eco Wave Power launches its first U.S. wave energy project

Photo, posted October 17, 2022, courtesy of Andrew Meldrum via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Global solar power on the rise

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The current administration has essentially declared war on renewable energy.  President Trump stated recently that his administration will not approve solar or wind power projects.  Renewable companies are unlikely to receive permits that were once a normal course of business. Now, the United States is likely to struggle to meet its growing demand for electricity while the world moves ahead with solar power.

Solar power is the fastest-growing source of electricity worldwide.  Installations are up 64% in the first half of this year.  During that period, countries installed 380 gigawatts of solar power, compared with 232 gigawatts in 2024.

China is the main source of the growth.  It installed more than twice as much solar in the first half of the year as it did in the first half of 2024.  Under tremendous administration pressure, the U.S. saw solar installations rise by just 4% year over year.

China’s exporting of low-cost solar panels is driving growth of solar elsewhere, including India and much of Africa. 

China is at a crossroads with energy technology.  For the first time, solar power is not just supplementing coal power, but replacing it.  As a result, Chinese policymakers need to choose between propping up coal – which is an important industry in many cities – and doubling down on renewables, which are a major driver of the country’s economic growth.

The U.S. is currently headed in the direction of trying to prop up the fossil fuel industry and gut the renewable energy industry, with little or no regard for either the economic or environmental consequences.

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Global Solar Installations Up 64 Percent So Far This Year

Photo, posted April 6, 2025, courtesy of Pencils for Kids via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

The largest solar power plant

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The Middle East is known for its vast petroleum resources and oil has been its primary source of wealth.  But the desert region is now becoming a significant center for solar energy as well.  The world’s largest single-site solar park is the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, located in the United Arab Emirates.

Currently, 1 GW of solar is operational at the facility, but work is underway that will add 1.8 GW more capacity. Over 2.2 million solar panels have been installed to date and there will be more than 3.9 million by the time the next phase is completed. By the end of the decade, the capacity of the facility is expected to reach 7.2 GW, exceeding the original 5 GW target.  The plant will contribute about a third of Dubai’s total electricity capacity.

This solar plant will be one of the 15 largest power plants in the world.  Most of the largest ones are hydroelectric plants.  The biggest is the Three Gorges Dam in China, which has an enormous 22.5 GW capacity. The only non-hydro plant in the top 10 is the Jebel Ali natural gas plant, located in the United Arab Emirates.  China’s Jiuquan Wind Farm has a capacity of nearly 8 GW.  The largest power plant in the United States is the Grand Coulee Dam, which has a 6.8 GW capacity.

The world’s hunger for electric power continues to grow, especially with the surging use of AI technology.  As a result, there will be growing numbers of increasingly larger power plants.

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World’s largest solar park adds 1 GW

Photo courtesy of the Dubai Media Office.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

More floating solar

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Floating solar power is starting to gain some traction in the United States.  Installing solar panels on rafts so that they float on water instead of sitting on land allows them to not take up land that can be used for other purposes.  There are other benefits as well.

The world’s largest floating solar farm is one in Shandong, China, and produces 320 MW of power.  Floating solar has been common in Asia for years.  To date, floating solar only makes up a tiny fraction of the installed solar power in the U.S. and is mostly limited to small-scale projects.  The largest in the U.S. is the 8.0 MW Canoe Brook Water Treatment Plant in Millburn, NJ.  A floating solar array in the water reservoir at the Cohoes Water Filtration Plant in New York’s Capital Region is currently under construction.  A 6-MW floating solar system is now being built in the Village of Monroeville, Ohio.

Floating solar systems have the advantage that covering the surface of reservoirs dramatically reduces the amount of evaporation that occurs, which is a real benefit in drought-stricken regions like California.  In addition, proximity to the large body of water keeps solar panels cool, which allows them to generate more electricity than their land-based counterparts.

Estimates are that federally controlled reservoirs alone have the potential to host roughly 1,000 GW of floating solar capacity.  It is more expensive to install them than conventional land-based solar and floating solar competes with recreational use of bodies of water.  Nonetheless, the floating solar market is expected to grow significantly in the coming years.

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Ohio’s largest floating solar array is now under construction

Photo, posted May 28, 2025, courtesy of Mike Popp / University of Arkansas via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Energy storage in New York isn’t easy

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The state of New York has the ambitious goal of having 70% of its electricity come from renewable sources in 2030 and a 100% zero-emission electric grid by 2040.  Meeting these goals is becoming increasingly unlikely as the state faces multiple challenges including local opposition to projects, rising inflation, and the termination of offshore wind projects.

Solar and wind power are key elements of New York’s renewable plans, and both require battery energy storage so that excess energy can be saved when there is plentiful sun and wind so that there will be power available when nature hasn’t cooperated.

There are now over 6,000 battery storage projects in the state, mostly relatively small in magnitude.  Currently, the state has a storage capacity of about 445 megawatts, enough to power roughly 300,000-400,000 homes.  The state has a goal of having 6 gigawatts of storage by 2030, more than a dozen times more than exists today.

Most of New York’s electricity demand is downstate, in and below the Hudson Valley.  Real estate is limited and expensive and there is lots of opposition to big energy projects in the region. 

However, installing the actual battery systems themselves can be one of the easier parts of the process.  Obtaining permits from state and local authorities, buying or leasing land, negotiating with grid operators, completing environmental reviews, overcoming local opposition, and especially, connecting to the electric grid, are all challenging and very time consuming.

Meeting the state’s energy storage goals is not easy.

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Figuring Out a Battery Storage System to Fit New York’s Wind and Solar Ambitions Has Not Been Easy

Photo courtesy of NineDot Energy.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Five-minute car charging

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A long-standing complaint about electric cars is the amount of time it takes to charge their batteries.  A decade ago, this was a serious shortcoming.  Even at the fastest chargers available at the time, it could take hours to refill the electric fuel tank.  Combined with the limited range earlier electric cars had, this made long-distance road trips in an electric car something only for the adventurous.

Nowadays, electric cars can go much further on a charge – 300 miles and more – and the fastest public chargers can add 200 miles in 20 minutes.  With this kind of performance, electric cars are eminently practical for the great majority of drivers and the great majority of road trips.  But for some people, it just isn’t good enough.  They want to be able to charge up a car as fast as they can fill up a tank of gas.

That capability is about to be available in China.  Two Chinese companies announced technology breakthroughs that will allow electric cars to add 250 miles of range in five minutes.  China is the world’s largest user and producer of electric cars, and the country has invested heavily in charging technology, especially in the infrastructure enhancements required for high-speed charging.

When will this capability be available in the United States?  It isn’t clear.  The Trump Administration has been aggressively rolling back policies that support the EV industry.  The regulatory changes that would permit higher-power charging stations are unlikely to happen any time soon.

Electric cars are already very practical for most people, but if one wants them to be able to please everyone, one may have to go to China.

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Why Can’t the U.S. Build 5-Minute E.V. Chargers?

Photo, posted April 17, 2023, courtesy of FirstEnergy via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Super drivers and electric cars

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The average American driver travels about 13,400 miles a year. The top 10% of drivers average about 40,200 miles a year and account for 35% of the nation’s gasoline use from private light-duty vehicles, meaning cars, SUVs, pickup trucks, vans, and minivans.  Those 21 million Americans alone burn more gasoline than is burned each year in Brazil, Canada, and Russia combined.

These super drivers often live in rural areas and small towns, drive an average of 116 miles each weekday, and typically own vehicles that are larger and less fuel efficient.  Many have long commutes to work because they were pushed out of cities by rising housing prices.  Some are tradespeople who travel from site to site all day in their jobs. 

Given the disproportionate amount of gasoline usage by this small segment of the population, the key to cutting vehicle emissions by adopting electric vehicles may rest with super drivers.  And so far, not many of them have made the transition.

A report by the environmental nonprofit group Coltura contends that getting super drivers to switch to electric cars would lead to a much faster reduction in emissions.

The range of most recent electric cars is sufficient for most super drivers.  The obstacles remaining include availability of convenient charging stations, but that is changing.  Finding the right vehicle might also be a problem, but electric pickup trucks and large SUVs are entering the market. 

The transition to electric vehicles is important for society, and the most active drivers need to take part in it.

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Are You a Super Driver? Some States Want to Help You Go Electric.

Photo, posted January 9, 2025, courtesy of Phillip Pessar via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Energy droughts

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With new ways of doing things, there are always new problems.  Our energy systems are increasingly dependent upon solar and wind power.  These energy sources are free to take and aren’t going to run out, but they also depend on natural processes that are out of our control.  In particular, the sun doesn’t always shine, and the wind doesn’t always blow.

Fortunately, the two sources of energy are typically not in sync and often when one is diminished, the other can take up the slack.  But it is possible for both sun and wind to not be present, and it can even happen for an extended period of time.  This is known as a compound energy drought. There are some parts of the country where these energy droughts can last for nearly a week.

Researchers at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory studied the phenomenon and its potential impact on the electric grid.   Looking at 40 years of weather data, the study found that the longest energy drought occurred in California for 6 days; the longest in Texas was 37 hours.

The study further investigated the possible connection between energy droughts and energy demand, again mapping historical data over the past 40 years.  The impact of an energy drought depends on how much demand for energy exists at the time.

The data from the study will provide critical insights into the design and management of multi-day energy storage facilities that can provide the resilience of the electric grid that is required.  Clearly, the storage needs in a place like California will be substantially greater than those in Texas.  As more and more of the grid depends on wind and solar power, appropriately designed and operated storage facilities will be essential.

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“Energy Droughts” in Wind and Solar Can Last Nearly a Week, Research Shows

Photo, posted February 10, 2023, courtesy of Guilhem Vellut via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Recycling solar panels

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The use of solar energy has been growing by leaps and bounds in recent years. It is the fastest growing source of energy in the U.S.   Solar panels have a useful life of about 25 to 30 years and there are growing numbers that have been around that long.  They contain valuable materials, including silver, copper, and aluminum, as well as some hazardous materials, so just committing them to landfills is a bad idea from many perspectives.

Recycling solar panels is a relatively new but increasingly important business.  At the present time, roughly 90% of panels that have lost their efficiency due to age or that are defective end up in landfills because that is much cheaper than recycling them.  The best option is to reuse them where their reduced efficiency is acceptable.  This includes in developing nations or in other places that are able to make use of the lower power in exchange for lower installation cost.

Estimates are that the area covered by solar panels in the U.S. that are due to retire by 2030 would cover about 3,000 football fields.   The amount of potential waste contained in all of those panels is quite substantial.

There are new companies dedicated to solar panel recycling such as one called SolarCycle that are trying to change this situation.  It is much more expensive to have SolarCycle take away solar panels than to send them to landfills, but it is difficult to find landfills that accept panels and many clients want to minimize the environmental impact of their old panels.

Only 10% of retired solar panels are currently recycled. That that is likely to change as economics and regulations continue to evolve.

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As Millions of Solar Panels Age Out, Recyclers Hope to Cash In

Photo, posted November 23, 2024, courtesy of Mussi Katz via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Better blue LEDs

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LEDs have become the standard source of energy-efficient lighting.  They make use of semiconductors to turn electricity into light.  Depending upon the materials used to make them, LEDs produce different colors.  In the early 1990s, the first blue LEDs were discovered, ultimately earning the Nobel Prize in physics, and enabling LEDs to produce white light, which is essential for general lighting applications.

Blue LEDs have shortcomings.  Some have issues with stability, scalability, cost, efficiency, complexity in manufacturing, or have environmental concerns because of the use of toxic components. 

Researchers at Rutgers University in collaboration with scientists at several other institutions have found a way to make blue LEDs more efficient and sustainable.  These LEDs use a new type of hybrid material that is a combination of copper iodide with organic molecules.  The impressive performance of these LEDs was achieved through an innovative technique called dual interfacial hydrogen-bond passivation.  This new manufacturing technique boosts the performance of LEDs by a factor of four.

The material has several advantages.  It has a very high photoluminescence quantum yield, which means that it converts nearly all the photoenergy it receives into blue light.  The LEDs last longer than many others and they work well in larger-scale applications, maintaining high efficiency.  The materials are eco-friendly and cost-effective.

According to the researchers, this new approach could be a versatile strategy for generating high-performance LEDs that can pave the way for better, brighter, and longer-lasting LEDs.

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Scientists Develop Deep-Blue LEDs Expected to Greatly Enhance General Lighting

Photo, posted February 1, 2021, courtesy of Ivan Radic via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

AI and energy

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MIT recently hosted a symposium on the subject of artificial intelligence being both a problem and a solution for the clean energy transition.

AI-powered computing centers are expanding rapidly, creating an unprecedented surge in electricity demand.  Electricity demand in the US had been relatively flat for decades but now these computing centers consume about 4% of the nation’s electricity.  Some projections say that this demand could rise to 12-15% in the next five years. 

The power required for sustaining some of the AI large-language models is doubling every three months.  The amount of electricity used by a single ChatGPT conversation is as much as it takes to charge a phone and consumes the equivalent of a bottle of water for cooling. 

The MIT symposium focused on the challenges of meeting these growing energy needs but also on the potential for AI to dramatically improve power systems and reduce carbon emissions. 

Research shows regional variations in the cost of powering computing centers with clean electricity.  The central United States offers lower costs due to complementary solar and wind resources but would require massive battery deployments to provide uninterrupted power.

Because of data center demand, there is renewed interest in nuclear power, often in the form of small modular reactors, as well as efforts in long-duration storage technologies, geothermal power, or hybrid approaches.

Artificial intelligence offers both great promise and great peril.  It will take real intelligence to steer it in the right direction.

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Confronting the AI/energy conundrum

Photo, posted August 31, 2024, courtesy of Jefferson Lab via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

The demise of American offshore wind

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Europe has 37 gigawatts of offshore wind capacity. China is catching up rapidly.  Across the globe, offshore wind is an increasingly important source of clean, renewable power.  The United States had previously set ambitious goals to join the international effort.  But in the aftermath of the 2024 election, offshore wind in the US is basically dead in the water, pun intended.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management announced at the end of July that it is rescinding all designated Wind Energy Areas on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf, effectively ending all offshore wind development across the Gulf of Mexico, the Gulf of Maine, the New York Bight, California, Oregon, and the Central Atlantic.  Additional policy measures announced by the Department of the Interior ended special treatment for what it called “unreliable energy sources, such as wind.” 

The two significant offshore wind projects underway in the US are both under serious attack by the administration and by newly emboldened special interests.  Vineyard Wind in Massachusetts, with 17 turbines already in operation, is under assault by tourist town forces and fishing groups.  Empire Wind, in New York, which resumed construction after efforts by Governor Kathy Hochul, is under pressure by various special interest groups that are urging President Trump to halt the project.

The current administration has very public and very pronounced antipathy towards wind power in general and towards offshore wind in particular.  And this has brought to a rapid halt billions of dollars in investments and will eliminate tens of thousands of jobs.

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US offshore wind, long ‘dead,’ now really dead

Photo, posted September 15, 2016, courtesy of Lars Plougmann via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Soda can hydrogen

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Hydrogen is an ideal climate-friendly fuel because it doesn’t release carbon dioxide when it is used.  But most hydrogen is produced in ways that result in significant carbon emissions. Thus, the search for green hydrogen goes on. 

Last year, engineers at MIT developed a new process for making hydrogen that significantly reduces the carbon footprint of its production.  The recipe uses seawater and recycled soda cans. 

Pure aluminum reacts with water, breaking up the water molecules to produce aluminum oxide and pure hydrogen.  But when aluminum is exposed to oxygen, it forms a shield-like layer that prevents the reaction.

The MIT researchers found that the shield can be removed by treating aluminum with a small amount of gallium-indium alloy.  Mixing the pure aluminum with seawater not only produces hydrogen, but the salt in the seawater precipitates out the gallium-indium, making it available for reuse.

The research team carried out a “cradle-to-grave” life cycle assessment of the process, taking into account every step in using the hydrogen-production process at an industrial scale.  They found that using recycled aluminum – chopped-up soda cans – is environmentally and economically superior to using “primary” aluminum, mined from the earth. The cans would be shredded into pellet and treated with the gallium-indium alloy.  The pellets would be processed near a source of seawater where they would be combined to generate hydrogen on demand.

According to their analysis, the hydrogen produced would be at least competitive economically and environmentally with other potential methods of producing green hydrogen.

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Study shows making hydrogen with soda cans and seawater is scalable and sustainable

Photo, posted July 29, 2020, courtesy of Bruce Dupree via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Reducing emissions from ocean shipping

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Ocean shipping is a significant contributor to global carbon emissions, accounting for about 3% of the total.  It is a key part of international trade, moving goods like electronics, automobiles, and oil.  It relies on fossil fuels, and, without significant changes, shipping’s emissions could more than double by 2050.  Ocean shipping is one of the world’s most difficult to decarbonize industrial sectors.

Scientists at the University of Southern California and Caltech, collaborating with a startup company called Calcarea, have developed a shipboard system that could remove up to half of the carbon dioxide emitted by shipping vessels. The system is fairly simple and scalable.

The process mimics a natural chemical reaction that takes place in the ocean.  As a cargo ship moves through seawater, the CO2 from the ship’s exhaust is absorbed into water that is pumped onboard.  This makes the water more acidic.  The treated water is then passed through a bed of limestone, where it reacts with the rock to form bicarbonate, which is a stable compound that already exists naturally in seawater.  The treated seawater, now stripped of the carbon dioxide, is dumped back into the ocean.

Sophisticated ocean modeling examined what would happen when the bicarbonate-rich water is released back into the sea over a hypothetical 10-year period.  The model showed a negligible impact on ocean pH and chemistry.

The researchers estimate that widespread adoption of the technique could reduce shipping-related carbon dioxide emissions by 50%.  The startup company Calcarea is working to bring the technology to market and is in early discussions with commercial shippers.

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USC technology may reduce shipping emissions by half

Photo, posted November 14, 2017, courtesy of Bernard Spragg via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Shrinking coal and the gas trap

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An important part of the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement is reducing the use of coal to produce electricity.  Coal is the dirtiest fuel in common use and not burning it is a way to greatly reduce emissions.  Ten years later, coal consumption around the world has decreased dramatically. 

The most convenient alternative to coal is natural gas, which is still a fossil fuel, but one that releases less carbon than coal.  As a result, around the world many countries have increasingly switched from coal to natural gas.

While the switch is a step in the right direction, it is also one that comes with an unintended consequence.  Economists at Stanford University have found that natural gas exports by countries have the effect of discouraging investments in renewable energy.  Over the long term, the result is increases in carbon emissions.  The Stanford researchers refer to this situation as ‘the gas trap’.

As a result of the gas trap, even countries that are very concerned about climate change and want to take action by abandoning the use of coal may end up reducing their investments in renewables and, ultimately, producing more emissions.

This problem comes about because replacing fossil fuels with renewables requires large investments and can take years before the renewables can fully compete with coal.  Natural gas, as a “transition fuel” gives countries time to develop renewable solutions.  But natural gas producers keep providing large amounts of their product at attractive prices so that customers buy more and more of it rather than investing in renewables.  The gas trap isn’t permanent or inevitable, but it is currently a problem.

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How the rush to quit coal is fueling a new ‘gas trap’

Photo, posted February 7, 2017, courtesy of Christian Collins via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Green transit in London

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TfL – Transport for London – the operator of the transportation system in Britain’s capital city, has signed a deal with EDF Renewables to purchase electricity from a huge solar array to be erected next year in Essex.  TfL has the goal of powering 100% of its entire transit system – including its sprawling underground railway network – with renewable electricity by 2030.

The forthcoming 1,000-acre solar facility will also transform low-quality farmland by incorporating the planting of trees and hedgerows as well as setting aside some areas for natural regeneration, attracting a greater number of species of plants and animals, expanding biodiversity in the area.  Looking after nature and protecting the environment are key elements in TfL’s contracts, in keeping with its wider goals to be greener, more sustainable, and well-adapted to climate change. 

The solar facility will generate 80 gigawatt-hours annually for the transit authority, roughly enough electricity to power 29,000 homes, comprising about 20% of its total output.  Powering the entire sprawling London underground railroad network is equivalent to powering 420,000 homes.  Over the course of the 15-year contract with EDF, TfL expects to save over 30,000 tons of carbon from its operations.

TfL plans to secure 70% of its electricity use from power purchase agreements for renewable electricity from various sources with the remainder from green tariffs.  The Mayor of London has set the goal for London to be a net zero carbon city by 2030.

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London Inches Closer to Running Transit System Entirely on Renewable Power

Photo, posted March 5, 2017, courtesy of Albert Koch via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

WAMC Northeast Public Radio

WAMC/Northeast Public Radio is a regional public radio network serving parts of seven northeastern states (more...)