4 February 2012
Germany Moving Forward with the Third Industrial Revolution
Despite the high up-front costs of re-building a national power infrastructure, largely decentralized and based on renewable energy sources, Germany remains Europe’s economic powerhouse. In 2007, the European Parliament made a written declaration to establish a Third Industrial Revolution ”through partnership with committed regions and cities, SMEs (small and medium-size enterprises) and civil society organizations.” With all of the financial trouble going on in parts of Europe, and Germany’s central role …
18 December 2011
Pipelines Galore: The Keystone XL Controversy
The proposed Canada-to-Texas Keystone XL Pipeline has become a political football. The Republican-led House of Representatives insists the pipeline be ”fast-tracked.” The Obama administration wants time to study alternative routes and make a final decision in 2013. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) generally has authority over interstate pipeline projects, however, given the pipeline crosses an international border, the Department of State has to sign off. In addition to sending products from Canadian tar sands, the Keystone …
28 November 2011
Using Thermogravimetry for Carbon Accounting
Thermogravimetry-Derivative Thermogravimetry (TG/DTG) is a simple and inexpensive method to account for recent soil carbon sequestration. As such, it’s a good choice to be a standardized test in international carbon trading markets. More about TG/DTG shortly, but first, why is this important? Background Here in the United States, clearly, any federal legislation that seeks to reduce carbon emissions, such as by taxation or carbon trading, has no chance of getting through …
20 November 2011
A Mine is a Terrible Thing to Waste
Here in the United States, mine reclamation typically focuses on returning the site to some semblance of its former condition. Given enough time, money and effort, it can turn out pretty well. However, results are mixed and many old abandoned mine lands continue to cause problems. Elsewhere around the world, some creative geo-architects are finding some amazing uses for mines. Jessica Drake, who blogs, teaches, does research, and writes from …
10 November 2011
Australia Passes a Carbon Tax
In a bold move, Australia has passed a carbon tax. The 500 largest polluters will pay $23 per tonne. Farmers can cash in by selling carbon offsets, presumably through ways including soil carbon sequestration. Obviously, the measure’s not popular with everyone. Australia mines and uses a lot of coal, even though, as part of the law, there is a lot of money appropriated to support displaced jobs. Scientific American has the …
8 November 2011
Coal Ash in Lake Michigan
Last week saw a coal-ash landslide at the Oak Creek power plant near Milwaukee, and congressional action that would allow a car ferry to dump coal ash in Lake Michigan. Both incidents raise questions about regulatory and permitting processes. Full disclosure is in order here. To minimize bias, scientists are supposed to be disinterested (not uninterested) in their subjects. I love Lake Michigan. For a kid who grew up in the “Rust Belt-Corn Belt” …
21 October 2011
BBC: Berkeley Earth Surface Temperature Project Finds Earth is Warming
This is big. The Berkeley Earth Surface Temperature Project was launched by skeptics and included funding from the Koch brothers in response to “Climategate.” That fiasco began with the hacking of the University of East Anglia climate researchers’ emails. Read more at the BBC.
19 October 2011
Germany Shuts Seven Nuke Plants and Still Exports Electricity
Ramping up renewables, Germany remains a net electricity exporter. Renewable energy advocates are keeping a close eye on the power situation in Germany, which, following the Fukushima disaster, made a bold commitment to eliminate nuclear reactor generation by 2022. Wind-works.org reports “(T)hough the bureau of statistics notes that the margin of exports over imports has decreased from 2010, Germany sold 4 TWh more electricity than it bought during the period …
25 September 2011
What Erik Oswald Doesn’t Say About Hydrofracturing
ExxonMobile commercials fail to address flowback fluids. ExxonMobile geologist Erik Oswald is becoming quite a media “star.” As a fellow geologist, I think this is great. Erik’s on-camara presence is warm, friendly, competent, and, most importantly, reassuring. I have no doubt that’s exactly how he is in real life. What Erik describes in Exxon commercials with respect to 1.5 mile vertical distance and engineered borehole barriers between the gas formation …
19 September 2011
China’s Solar Factory Pollution Causes Riot
One reason American solar photovoltaic (PV) manufacturers have had trouble staying profitable is price competition from China. China can build PVs cheaper because of reduced labor costs and lax environmental regulations. Local residents in Haining have apparently had enough, forcing a factory to shut down. AFP reports: China has ordered the closure of a solar panel factory in the east of the country after hundreds of local residents staged violent …
John Freeland is an environmental scientist working in the private sector. Most of his work centers on wetland and soil investigations, permitting, and NEPA documentation. He is interested in the ecological services of soils, wetlands and woodlands; the land-water-energy nexus, and sustainability. John lives in Michigan with his wife and three children.
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