Japan Abandons Nuclear For Renewables

It's not a widely known fact but Japan is probably the most energy efficient country in the world.

This came about through necessity. Until quite recently Japan was completely dependant on imported fossil fuels and was badly hit by the oil price shocks in the early 70's. So the Japanese went all out for energy efficiency. And, to further reduce their exposure, they later built dozens of nuclear power stations (More background here).

Then came the Fukushima disaster.

The Japanese response was to shut down all 50 nuclear reactors. This was understandable, considering this is a country prone to natural disasters, but it left them with something of an energy gap to bridge. A big problem for what is one of the largest economies in the world.

So, after a period of consideration, the government have decided to embark on a huge rush for renewables (Solar, wind, geothermal and hydro) backed up by a new drive for energy efficiency.

If they get it right, it could advance the cause of clean energy enormously because the technology will inevitably be pushed forward and the final result could be a model for other industrialised nations.

More detail here.

What Is Carbon Capture And Storage?

Over the coming months you are likely to hear the words "carbon capture and storage" (CCS) more and more. It is potentially a game changer when it comes to the battle to avoid climate change, but what exactly is it?

In basic terms, it's technology that can be used to capture carbon dioxide at power stations etc. before it is emitted into the atmosphere, then store it somewhere safe.

It matters because it can potentially stop the whole carbon emissions problem at source. What's more, in theory, it throws oil, natural gas, and coal producers a lifeline, as there'd no longer be the urgency to replace their products with the cleaner alternatives.

However, it's early days yet. The tech could be years away from being ready to scale up and use across the world. The reason being that it is inefficient, and too expensive to be commercially viable at the moment.

This is why, a week or so ago, Norway opened up a new carbon capture and storage (CCS) test facility at Mongstad: To try to push the technology along. The facility has the capability of testing several CCS techniques at a time and should prove invaluable. It joins over 40 such test and demo sites around the world.

Carbon Capture

There are 3 broad methods for capturing: Post-combustion, where chemicals are used to strip out the CO2 from the emissions; pre-combustion, where the fossil fuel is oxidized, producing a 'syngas' for fuel whilst the CO2 is available for capture; and oxy-fuel combustion where the fuel is burned in oxygen instead of air, and CO2 can be removed from the flue gases.

Storage

There are also a number of ways the CO2 can be stored.

• The first way is to store it deep underground e.g. in old oil/gas fields, exploiting the geology to keep the gas where it is. 

• A second, more controversial way, is to store it by various means in the oceans. As far as I'm concerned, that's a non-starter. If you simply dissolve the CO2 into the water, it would add to the growing problem of acidification. Other methods just leave the problem for later generations to deal with.

• Then there's converting the CO2 into carbonates (various forms of limestone), so trapping the carbon 'forever'. This has been shown to be possible but whether it can work on an industrial scale remains to be seen.

• A couple of other promising ideas are to use the CO2 to feed algae that produce oil for plastics and even aviation fuel (Although I think this last one just moves the problem along to somewhere that doesn't use CCS).

I see CCS as something that could make a major contribution to cutting CO2 if fitted to all new coal and gas power stations, and retro-fitted to all existing ones, plus any other major emitters. However, it will take a major effort to bring the costs down to a level where this is feasible. Somehow I think the fossil-fuel industry will find a way, don't you?

Has Global Warming Stopped?

Whilst writing my review of Hot, Flat and Crowded, I had a quick look around for other reviews of the book. I managed to find this one from the right-wing Daily Telegraph.

Predictably it tows the paper's anti-green, climate sceptic line. But what really caught my attention was the reviewer claiming that "We have now experienced 10 years with no measurable 'global warming'". Oh really?!

It amazes me that people still repeat these sceptic claims parrot-fashion without giving any thought as to how easily they can be disproved.

This particular claim is based on 'cherry-picking' evidence i.e. chosing only data that fits the sceptic world-view and ignoring anything that undermines it. As the animated graph below demonstrates, sceptics simply select a small portion of the global temperature graph (in the above case: 2001 to 2010) that makes it appear that temperatures have not risen, completely ignoring not only the rest of the graph but the long-term trend.

Another case of sceptics trying to hide the incline.

Source: skepticalscience.com

More background here at skepticalscience.com.

What Is A Smart Meter?

Between 2014 and 2019 the UK will be rolling out smart meters to every home and small business around the nation. But what are smart maters, why are we switching, and have they anything to do with smart grids?

What Are They?

They are a new type of electric meter (There are equivalents for natural gas but it doesn't look like we'll be getting them in Britain) and will be replacing our existing meters. They have the ability to store our daily electric usage in great detail and communicate readings back to the energy companies automatically.

Why Are They Being Installed?

Initially the main benefits to the consumer will be to end estimated readings and the need for someone to read the meter, so bills will be more accurate (no more estimates) and you don't get bothered by men wanting to read your meter. The power companies will make savings from streamlining the meter reading process e.g. staff reductions.

Have They Got Anything To Do With Smart Grids?

Eventually the meters may become an important part of a smart grid, a kind of intelligent electrical grid.

Smart grids know what the demand and supply is in real time and can smooth out the spikes, thus reducing the need to build extra power stations that spend most of their lives idle.

They are also more reliable, with improved fault detection and 'self healing'; they are better at handling intermittent power sources like wind turbines and solar panels, meaning that they can make up a higher proportion of the total mix, and reduce our carbon emissions; more efficient (e.g. by actually managing the demand from our household appliances without us noticing); and many other features besides.

The bottom line is that smart grids can reduce our bills (by being more efficient), cut carbon emissions, be more reliable, and improve our energy security.

Smart meters are an integral part of that because they can be used to manage our appliances, inform the power companies of demand in real time, and when there's a local problem like a power cut.

Book Review: Hot, Flat and Crowded

Hot, Flat and Crowded by Thomas Friedman.
Published by Penguin Books. 438 pages. Hardback price £20.00

In the U.S., conservative politicians and much of the media, aided and abetted by the fossil fuel industries, push the myth that tackling the climate change problem means mass unemployment for Americans,compromised life-styles, and loss of competitiveness on the world's markets.

Pulitzer prize-winning author Friedman attempts to demonstrate that quite the opposite is possible for America. More than that, he considers the pursuit of clean energy to be a strategic and economic imperative for his nation.

This unashamedly flag-waving book is aimed squarely at Americans but is an interesting read for the rest of us too.

Friedman first sets out why the U.S. needs to step away from fossil fuels.

For example, he says the many billions Americans spend on fuel every year indirectly funds al qaeda terrorists and supports countries that suppress free speech.

He also says that clean energy is the next 'big thing': a rapidly growing market, already worth hundreds of billions a year, and the U.S. is uniquely positioned to grab a massive slice of it if only their politicians could see past their prejudices.

Why are the politicians important? Because they can provide the conditions for the USA to propel itself to the forefront of all clean technologies.

He then goes on to reveal how this can be done.

Friedman talks about "price signals" (Basically creating a stable environment where venture capitalists and entrepreneurs can have the confidence to invest in clean energy), legislation to raise energy efficiency standards, paying power companies to help the public reduce their energy usage (rather than increase it), and smart grids amongst other things.

He uses numerous examples of how these ideas work in the real world. Yes, even in the States themselves. It's a real eye-opener and makes you wonder why the U.S. isn't going for it. Oh, wait a minute, it's those politicians.

Friedman describes a political system that is dead-locked, where the only legislation that gets through is "the sum of all lobbies". So this book is as much a rally call to fellow Americans to break this dead-lock, to give his country a new sense of purpose, and save the World into the bargain.

A fascinating read. 8/10.