Our Oceans and CO2 Emissions

I love our oceans, and I venture forth on them and under them a lot. So if these articles are corrct, what I love will be diminished in sea life and resources for my grandchildren. But more importantly, it will be diminished for all who depend on the oceans for food and jobs.

From ars/technica with lots of embedded links.

Your Pteropod,
Bill

Rising Sea Level - What could disappear

What Could Disappear from the NY Times is an interactive graphic that displays how rising seas could impact 22 major US cities, plus Long Island and the NJ coast. Note that the link opens with a 25 ft sea level rise set on the slider, and that is clearly a disastrous situation. However, many urban areas are impacted in a major way with only a 5 ft sea level rise.

For a detailed look at the sources of future sea level rise, and the effect on Delaware, see Sea Level Rise and Its Effect on Delaware from UD and Sea Level Rise Inundation Maps from DNREC.

University of Delaware Wind Power Programs

Today we had an outstanding presentation by Professor Jeremy Firestone from the University of Delaware (UDEL). His talk was too detailed to present here, but he did provide the following links to stay up to date on wind energy programs at UDEL, most of which are run through the College of Earth, Ocean and Environment (CEOE).

Home page of the CEOE

Lewes Turbine page of CEOE

Grid sized batteries - New technology from MIT

Why do we need grid sized batteries? To store intermittent wind and solar energy, so that when the winds don't blow, or it is nighttime, these huge electrical storage devices, can supply electricity to the grid saved from times when the wind was blowing, or the sun was shining.

This is a must watch link on TED pointed out to me by Bo French in our class. It is not just about an apparent great invention, it is also about people truly dedicating themselves to saving our world, and many of these people are inspired young students.
Thanks so much, Bo.

Tax Carbon??? Do you have another way to...

..... have the World input the real costs of burning high-carbon fossil fuels? I don't!
See To Slow Warming, Tax Carbon, a NY Times Opinion Page by Dieter Helm.

It is so logical, but it requires World cooperation. Can we make it happen? My opinion? Not as long as we fight so bitterly from US elections, to terrorism, to almost killing off the great whales, and on and on......

I believe the next long step will be for more and more people to love our planet, and love every living thing on it. At some point, future generations will see this, but by then it may be too late. So can enough of us do it NOW?

Chasing Ice - an excellent climate change film

Sally and I just saw Chasing Ice at the Rehoboth Beach Film Festival. It conveys a very important message about climate change, and the photography is awesome. We heartily recommend it.

It will be shown again this Sat night at 9:25 pm, and probably also as an audience favorite some time this coming Sat or Sun. See Rehoboth Film for more details.

Energy for Development - References from Curt Davis

Following is the list of books, web site links, and Youtube videos that Curt promised in his OLLI presentation on Nov 5, 2012. Many thanks again to Curt for a fascinating and informative presentation of his hands-on experiences helping provide clean, renewable energy to low income people in remote regions around the world.  Bill

OLLI Energy for Development presentation by Curt Davis, November 5, 2012

-Here are the names of the books mentioned in class:

Kamal, Sajed (2011). The Renewable Revolution: How We Can Fight Climate Change, Prevent Energy Wars, Revitalize the Economy and Transition to a Sustainable Future. London: Routledge (Earthscan)

Owen, David (2012). The Conundrum: How Scientific Innovation, Increased Efficiency, and Good Intentions Can Make Our Energy and Climate Problems Worse. Short Books

-Here is a link to how to build the solar cooker demonstrated in class:

http://solarcooking.wikia.com/wiki/CooKit

-Organizations that I work with:

Flexera Solar and Wind

http://www.flexera.net/

The Pan Himalayan Grassroots Development Foundation

http://www.grassrootsindia.com/

Grupo Fenix

http://www.grupofenix.org/

ICSEE / Maasai Solar Project

http://www.maasaistovessolar.org/

-Here is a list of interesting videos of small-scale renewable energy or small-scale that has been scaled up to meet larger demands.

Solar Cooker in the snow: (2:45)

(posted from http://www.youtube.com/user/solarwindmama)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddd8RUtv9VU&feature=plcp

Grassroots India household biogas overview. (8:03)

(posted by https://www.youtube.com/user/GrassrootsIndia)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQrr4KhP4Dc

Micro Hydro Power Animation

(posted by http://www.youtube.com/user/GreenpeaceUK)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4B2gODY3Mk

Micro hydro Archimedian screw animation

(posted by http://www.youtube.com/user/bigbrother1970E)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PLEA3FF83DC8D9FCA0&feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=ka5174hVhbg

Turning Green in Oxford, England

(posted by http://www.youtube.com/user/alunhill)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1Q1-iAExPo&feature=rellist&playnext=1&list=PLEA3FF83DC8D9FCA0

Micro hydro in Indonesia

(poster by http://www.youtube.com/user/AshdenAwards)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xm-PaJNlRp8&feature=plcp

ARTI India: Biogas from food waste. (5:26)

(posted by http://www.youtube.com/user/AshdenAwards)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGSl72xZHNk&feature=relmfu

China; domestic biogas for cooking and light. (4:47)

(posted by http://www.youtube.com/user/AshdenAwards)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=ZMreH1YUs90

Industrial-scale liquefied biogas in Sweden. (4:07)

(posted by: https://www.youtube.com/user/Goteborgenergi )

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Vsk6AnilIfs

Husk Power Systems: Bihar (5:53)

(posted from http://www.youtube.com/user/AshdenAwards)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0XcoeqVoaI

Grupo Fenix. (6:35)

(posted by https://www.youtube.com/user/elgrupofenix)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54ILxrFVc34

Tanzanian sawdust stoves. (5:53)

(posted by http://www.youtube.com/user/AshdenAwards)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIlOamR9wAg&feature=plcp

Aprovecho Rocket Stove; Malawi (5:15)

(posted by http://www.youtube.com/user/AshdenAwards)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSQOIVKgWbY&feature=plcp

Rice husk gasifier in Bihar (2:56)

(posted by http://www.youtube.com/user/acumenfund)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6MpTmckocYQ

Sandy and climate change...is there a connection?

This question is receiving lots of press lately, and the best one word answer I have, is "probably".

Without going into why, let me refer you to this NY Times article pointed out by class member John Hoyt. The title of the article is Will Climate Change Get Some Respect Now? by Nicholas Kristoff.