US coal crisis deepens as gas prices fall
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US coal crisis deepens as gas pricesfall
The latest signs of “unprecedented” pressure on US coalfirms is reported by the Financial Times, which says three mines inWest Virginia are being idled by Alpha Natural Resources. Cheap gasand declining exports are behind the industry’s troubles and couldlead to “multiple” bankruptcies over the next 12-18 months, thepaper reports.
Climate and energy news
Big Gap Between What Scientists Say and AmericansThink about Climate Change
ClimateWire via ScientificAmerican
There’s a big gap between what scientists and the US publicthink about climate change, a new poll shows. A bigger share ofscientists say researchers agree humans are causing climate change,and that it’s a serious problem, than the public, itshows. Gristalso has the story,and Carbon Briefpoints out how thepoll contrasts with a recent survey of US politicians.
Dig This: China Cuts CoalProduction
China coal production appears to have reduced by 200 milliontonnes in 2014. Meanwhile, its coal imports reduced by 10 per cent.It’s too early to say if China has hit peak coal, ScientificAmerican says, but it’s a “good sign” the country will meet itsclimate commitments. Meanwhile, an IEA report says nuclearmust doubleto quadrupleif the world is going toprevent warming of more than two degrees. The news comesas Japan reviews its energy targets,potentially aiming for 15 to 20 per cent of its electricity comingfrom nuclear power, compared to 29 per cent before 2011’s Fukushimaaccident.
An urban climate double whammy: more heat, lesswind
A combination of climate change and urban development meanscities could experience more heatwaves , new research suggests.That could be combined with fewer cool breezes, it shows. That’s aconcern as the global population continues to flood into cities.
Pressure on to finish draft Paris climate deal inFebruary
Negotiators are set to meet in Geneva in a fortnight’s timeto discuss the draft text of a new global deal to take action onclimate change. The meeting’s organisers have told attendees theymust work to streamline the current draft text into something moremanageable. UN rules dictate that a draft must be ready fortranslation by the end of May.
Federal Construction Projects Must Plan for FloodRisks From Climate Change
Federal building planners must take into account the threatof rising sea levels as a result of climate change, according to anew executive order signed by president Obama on Friday. The ordercontinues Obama’s push for climate action, which has seen membersof his administration visit the Vatican this weekend to encouragethe papacy to back a strong new global deal, Reutersreports. Also this weekend,the Pentagon was reprimanded for over-emphasising the presentimpact of climate change in a series of photos accompanying itslatest report, the Washington Postreveals.Climatechange is “a challenge, not necessarily a crisis” a fomer Navy rearadmiral tells the paper.
Eden’s eco-friendly power plant is threatened byfracking curbs
A proposed geothermal plant at Cornwall’s Eden project isthreatened by rules restricting onshore drilling, aimed atfracking, The Times says. Meanwhile, returns on community energyinvestments could be slashed from 13 per cent to 4.5 per cent dueto the government changing a number of tax incentives,the Guardianreports.
Climate change is lifting Iceland – and it couldmean more volcanic eruptions
Land freed by the melting of ice caps is rebounding from theEarth at a rate of up to 1.4 inches per year, new research shows.The land-lift could lead to a rise in volcanic activity,particularly in Iceland, the research suggests.
Will the falling oil price undermine greenenergy?
Low oil prices are unlikely to harm renewable electricitygenerators, but could have an impact on alternative transport fuelsand the world’s chances of agreeing a new global climate deal,David Shukman argues. On the one had, low oil prices could makesome countries richer and more likely to act on climate change. Onthe other, some of the world’s climate laggards are likely “not tobe in the best of moods” so may step up efforts to block a deal.Carbon Brief looked at the issue, here.
Germany to overtake UK in offshore wind race thisyear
Europe is about to build its 11th gigawatt of offshore windcapacity, according to a new report. The growth is largely down toGerman developments. While the UK is likely to remind the worldleader in installed capacity, Germany is set to install more newcapacity in the coming year, the report says.
Climate and energy comment
Undersea coal gas: a ‘gaping loophole’ in thegovernment’s fracking ban
Scotland has implemented a moratorium on fracking while moreresearch is conducted into its safety. But that doesn’t stopdevelopers drilling under the sea bed, burning the coal depositsthat sit there, and tapping the resulting gas back to the surface,journalist Rob Edwards says. One company is due to have talks withFife council about its undersea coal gasification plans this week,he reports.
Nasa’s climate change satellite blastsoff
10… 9… 8… etc… Nasa launched an unmanned rocketcarrying a satellite that will measure the Earth’s soil moisturefor the next three years in order to map climate change. TheGuardian has the video.
New climate science
Climate change and shrinking salamanders:Alternative mechanisms for changes in plethodontid salamander bodysize
Salamanders are shrinking. But is it because of climatechange? A growing number of studies link changes in body size indifferent organisms to climate trends, by altering thermoregulationor food availability. But beware of errors in sampling, says newresearch. A bias towards detecting larger or smaller individuals incertain weather conditions could result in a signature associatedwith climate trends when it is simply observation error.
Advancements in decadal climate predictability:the role of non-oceanic drivers
A new paper reviews the role of sea-ice, land surface, thestratosphere and aerosols in decadal scale climate predictability.These factors tend to be overlooked as their ability to influenceglobal temperature is less than the oceans. Representing theirinitial, and evolving, conditions in climate models remains a bigchallenge for predictions over short time scales.