[GWSG] Salt battery; power-to-X; Ireland declares emergency; IMF: $5.2 t in subsidies; Biden on gas; Trump to AOC; risky nukes

[Tilley, Al]

1. A salt battery, now in testing in Germany, stores energy as heat potential. It should see application particularly with buildings using intermittent renewable energy. https://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/add-water-salt-battery-renewable-energy-62927368

2. Another type of power storage strategy being developed in Germany is power-to-X, which uses excess grid power to produce a substance such as hydrogen or ammonia which can be used to generate power in the future. https://www.forbes.com/sites/thebakersinstitute/2019/05/08/power-to-x-in-the-german-experience-another-in-the-list-of-growing-energy-transition-strategies/#122445455514
[https://thumbor.forbes.com/thumbor/600x315/https%3A//specials-images.forbesimg.com/dam/imageserve/42712317/960x0.jpg%3Ffit%3Dscale]<https://www.forbes.com/sites/thebakersinstitute/2019/05/08/power-to-x-in-the-german-experience-another-in-the-list-of-growing-energy-transition-strategies/#122445455514>

Power-To-X In The German Experience: Another In The List Of Growing Energy Transition Strategies - forbes.com<https://www.forbes.com/sites/thebakersinstitute/2019/05/08/power-to-x-in-the-german-experience-another-in-the-list-of-growing-energy-transition-strategies/#122445455514>
www.forbes.com
Power-to-X uses electricity to produce hydrogen, synthetic methane, or liquid fuels. It is not new, but its potential to expand the applications for renewables is drawing interest. A deeper ...



3. Ireland’s parliament has declared a climate emergency, resolving to “improve its response to the issue of biodiversity loss.”  https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/may/10/irish-parliament-declares-climate-emergency
[https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/9881731ec273e03d770c0f9ab4bdd931408b3c4b/41_0_3409_2047/master/3409.jpg?width=1200&height=630&quality=85&auto=format&fit=crop&overlay-align=bottom%2Cleft&overlay-width=100p&overlay-base64=L2ltZy9zdGF0aWMvb3ZlcmxheXMvdGctZGVmYXVsdC5wbmc&s=2f3847dc1c54fe49ccf39fa6dfca87a1]<https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/may/10/irish-parliament-declares-climate-emergency>

Irish parliament declares climate emergency | Environment | The Guardian<https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/may/10/irish-parliament-declares-climate-emergency>
www.theguardian.com
Dublin students marching for action to tackle climate change in March. Photograph: Niall Carson/PA Ireland’s parliament has become the second after Britain’s to declare a climate emergency, a ...



4. The International Monetary Fund reports that governments subsidized fossil fuels with $5.2 trillion in 2017. That represents direct and indirect subsidies; the amount that could readily be switched to renewables is much less, perhaps $296 billion, though a greater portion than that will be saved in the energy transition and can be used more constructively. https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2019/05/how-much-does-world-subsidize-oil-coal-and-gas/589000/
[https://cdn.theatlantic.com/assets/media/img/mt/2019/05/RTR4MCP2/facebook.jpg?1557351704]<https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2019/05/how-much-does-world-subsidize-oil-coal-and-gas/589000/>

How Much Does the World Subsidize Oil, Coal, and Gas? - The Atlantic<https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2019/05/how-much-does-world-subsidize-oil-coal-and-gas/589000/>
www.theatlantic.com
A new report says that the world subsidized fossil fuels by $5.2 trillion in just one year. But that calculation is less tidy than it seems.



5. Joe Biden is relying on people who are still recommending the use of natural gas. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/may/11/joe-biden-no-middle-ground-climate-change
[https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/33ab5df3247db6d7e57f7ccd5138db4ae5cb522b/0_89_3500_2101/master/3500.jpg?width=1200&height=630&quality=85&auto=format&fit=crop&overlay-align=bottom%2Cleft&overlay-width=100p&overlay-base64=L2ltZy9zdGF0aWMvb3ZlcmxheXMvdGctb3BpbmlvbnMucG5n&s=d72c59ad331d3b8c500c8741cde0c9fb]<https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/may/11/joe-biden-no-middle-ground-climate-change>

Joe Biden is stuck in the past when it comes to climate change | Bill McKibben | Opinion | The Guardian<https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/may/11/joe-biden-no-middle-ground-climate-change>
www.theguardian.com
Biden thinks fracked gas is an acceptable way to reduce emissions. He is too stuck in the past to be a credible standard-bearer for the Democratic party



6. At least one Trump voter is supporting Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez on the grounds of her climate stand. https://climatecrocks.com/2019/05/11/aoc-trump-voter-switches-on-climate/
[https://climatecrock.files.wordpress.com/2019/05/ocasiotrumpthum.jpg]<https://climatecrocks.com/2019/05/11/aoc-trump-voter-switches-on-climate/>

AOC: Trump Voter Switches on Climate | Climate Denial Crock of the Week<https://climatecrocks.com/2019/05/11/aoc-trump-voter-switches-on-climate/>
climatecrocks.com
Alexandria Ocasio Cortez via ThreadreaderApp: About an hour ago, I was walking out of my office for the day.There was a man what I believe was his teenage son hanging a small sign they made outside my office (we let people leave well wishes on our wall).Astonishingly, his sign read: “Trump supporters for Ocasio-Cortez.”I was…



7. There are about 60 nuclear power plants operating in the US. 54 were not designed for the flood risks they now face. The risks may well be greater than the Nuclear Regulatory Commission documents show, since plant operators controlled assumptions for risk assessment—maximum expected storm surge, maximum precipitation, and so forth. The plants have not been required to plan for risks posed by a changing climate. https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2019-nuclear-power-plants-climate-change/
[https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2019-nuclear-power-plants-climate-change/img/2019-nuclear-power-plants-climate-change-facebook.png]<https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2019-nuclear-power-plants-climate-change/>

U.S. Nuclear Power Plants Weren’t Built for Climate Change<https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2019-nuclear-power-plants-climate-change/>
www.bloomberg.com
The vast majority of U.S. nuclear power plants weren’t designed to handle the current flood risk from climate change.


The Chernobyl series now on HBO is worth your time.

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