[GWSG] Oil leaking, gas escaping; modifying capitalism; UN awards; slow reactions; weathering for C; shrimp batteries

[Tilley, Al]

1. Accounts of the fossil fuel interests in Texas and North Carolina show an industry in transition. https://climatecrocks.com/2020/07/08/energys-future-increasingly-renewable-even-in-texas/



2. Capitalism has provided some positive changes in our lives, but the assumptions behind the standard model based on the interaction of labor and capital are obstructing solutions to our most pressing problems. Kyle Baranko, a data analyst, looks at the possibilities for restructuring our efforts. “Our goal should be to decentralize institutions, facilitate lean infrastructure, and prioritize sustainable energy technologies.” https://the-beam.com/environment/properly-addressing-climate-change-requires-letting-go-of-misguided-ideology/



3. UN’s Momentum for Change has released its award winners for 2019. They include Impossible Foods in the US and Sweden’s Max Burgers: Creating the World’s First Climate Positive Menu, as well as new activist organizations such as Domenica’s Electriciens sans frontieres, who develop solar energy resources. The report is interactive—click on one of the map flags for a report.  https://www.momentumforchange.net/2019/



4. If we reduced emissions to zero this year it would be 2033 before we saw a positive move in global temperatures. More realistically, if we reduced emissions 5% a year, we would see some differences by 2044.  https://phys.org/news/2020-07-decades-planet-cooling-emissions.html



5. Adding ground rock such as  basalt or limestone to fields provides important minerals often depleted.  As the rock weathers it will capture and sequester significant amounts of carbon. The technique is Enhanced Rock Weathering, and is both scalable and relatively inexpensive. Thanks to Tom Larson for the story. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/jul/08/spreading-rock-dust-on-fields-could-remove-vast-amounts-of-co2-from-air



6. Flow batteries lose little capacity over time and are prime candidates to replace lithium-ion batteries in large grid applications. CleanTechnica explains the technology. Shrimp shells are a good candidate for an important component. https://cleantechnica.com/2020/07/08/tiny-little-shrimp-could-spark-huge-energy-storage-breakthrough/

Here is a briefer and somewhat more technical account. https://phys.org/news/2020-07-shrimp-shells-electrodes-large-storage.html

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