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Daily Briefing |

TODAY'S CLIMATE AND ENERGY HEADLINES

Briefing date 31.08.2016
Smart energy revolution ‘could help to avoid UK blackouts’, Australia steps up gas fracking bans despite supply crunch, & more

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News.

Smart energy revolution 'could help to avoid UK blackouts'

A smart energy revolution could ensure that the UK does not have blackouts and reduce the need to build more power stations in the UK, the National Grid’s new UK chief Nicola Shaw has told the BBC. She said that between 30% and 50% of fluctuations on the electricity grid could be smoothed by households and businesses adjusting demand during peak times, meaning that there would need to be less investment in new gas.

Australia steps up gas fracking bans despite supply crunch
Reuters Read Article

In Australia, Victoria state has announced a permanent ban on fracking, despite a looming natural gas supply crunch. This is in response of concerns of farmers and green groups about the health and water implications of drilling for shale gas. Victoria has already been banning fracking since 2012, but this move makes it permanent. Legislation to implement the ban will be introduced this year. The Conversation has an article about whether the ban will make a difference.

Defense of Obama climate rule will fall to the next president
The Hill Read Article

The next US administration will be responsible for defending Obama’s Clean Power Plan — a key piece of climate legislation that is currently facing a legal challenge. The Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit has published a briefing schedule for the lawsuit, with the final briefs due on 6 February. Since either Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump will take office on 20 January, the new president’s Justice Department lawyers will be responsible for the final briefs and oral arguments in front of the judges, which will take place after the briefs are filed.

Nasa: Earth is warming at a pace 'unprecedented in 1,000 years'
The Guardian Read Article

The planet is warming faster now than at any previous point in the last 1,000 years, making it “very unlikely” that temperature rise will stay below the UN goal of 1.5C, according to Gavin Schmidt, NASA’s top climate scientist. He said: “In the last 30 years we’ve really moved into exceptional territory. It’s unprecedented in 1,000 years. There’s no period that has the trend seen in the 20th century in terms of the inclination (of temperatures).” The article also links to Carbon Brief‘s analysis of the time remaining before we hit the 1.5C carbon budget.

Chinese public overwhelmingly backs renewables push
BusinessGreen Read Article

A poll of 3,000 residents of Chinese cities, carried out by IPSOS, has revealed that over 90% of Chinese consumers would be willing to pay more for clean energy. Over 90% are concerned about environmental pollution and more than 96% believe that green power could help to tackle air pollution. 44% said they would support a monthly increase in their bills of $1.50-4.50 to buy clean power supplies. The figures are higher than the US and UK, where similar surveys have found that only 50% and 48% respectively would be willing to pay a higher price for renewable energy.

Comment.

An official welcome to the Anthropocene epoch – but who gets to decide it's here?
Noel Castree, The Conversation Read Article

Following the recommendation by the Working Group on the Anthropocene that a new human-focused geological era should be announced, Noel Castree, a geography professor, takes a deeper look at the term, including whether it matters and its likelihood of being accepted by the International Commission on Stratigraphy. “When one considers the organised attacks on climate science in the United States and elsewhere, it seems likely that Anthropocene science will be challenged on ostensibly scientific grounds by non-scientists who dislike its implications,” he says.

Energy storage is fast approaching - and we should embrace it
Maf Smith, BusinessGreen Read Article

Maf Smith, deputy chief executive of RenewableUK, looks at the potential offered by energy storage projects, and in particular at an auction on Friday by the National Grid of 200 megawatts of near-instantaneous power to balance the network. “The winners were almost all battery projects, the only game in town able to provide such a service,” he writes. This auction could represent a “starting gun” in the UK’s race to develop the technology on a larger scale, he says.

Science.

The phenology of Arctic Ocean Surface warming
Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans Read Article

In parts of the Arctic where ice retreats early in most years, maximum sea surface temperatures in summer are usually warmer than those with later retreat, according to a new study. The timing of ice retreat is also found to affect the date that maximum temperatures are reached. The findings help to explain the very different ocean warming responses found in two recent years with extreme ice retreat, 2007 and 2012, say the authors.

The importance of climate change and nitrogen use efficiency for future nitrous oxide emissions from agriculture
Environmental Research Letters Read Article

New research examining how changes in climatic factors, land-use, and nitrogen application rates could affect agricultural nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions projects a 24–31% increase by 2040–2050. N2O is an important greenhouse gas and ozone depleting substance. An effect known as CO2 fertilisation enhances plant uptake of nitrogen in several regions, the paper notes, which leads to smaller projected N2O emissions compared to previous estimates.

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