[GWSG] UK's green lords; magnetic isolation; SPARC & ARC; a time for nuclear?; dietary ignorance; OH vs. CH4

[Tilley, Al]

1. A cross-party report from England’s House of Lords makes access a green space a priority for land use. The report also calls for sustainable agricultural practices. “Our reliance on synthetic inputs and the effects they have on the wider environment are all too clear.”  https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/dec/13/access-green-space-priority-land-use-england-peers-say

2. In the last news list I forwarded a warning that the recent accomplishment in fusion was at least decades away from producing a grid-level power supply. On the Chris Hayes MSNBC show Dec. 13 a scientist delivered that opinion. But in a following interview US Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm said that while the technology which produced the positive energy production was indeed that far from commercialization, people involved in magnetic isolation technology expected to be producing significant fusion power within the decade. Here is an MIT article from last year on the technology. https://news.mit.edu/2021/MIT-CFS-major-advance-toward-fusion-energy-0908

3. Wikipedia explains SPARC and ARC fusion generators. The half-size proof of concept SPARC, a Soon as Possible ARC, is planned to operate in 2025. ARC, an Affordable, Robust, Compact fusion generator with a 500 MW output, is planned for a few years later, perhaps 2030. The name ARC is taken from Iron Man Tony Stark’s fictional equipment. (Tony is said to have attended MIT.)    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ARC_fusion_reactor

4. Nuclear energy of any sort is unlikely to come in time to play a significant role in the energy transition. It may well become significant in the latter part of our century, if it can become clean, safe, and cheap. https://climatecrocks.com/2022/12/14/gates-small-modular-reactor-delayed-again/

5. A British study found that many young people are unaware of the impact of a sustainable diet on the climate, and unsure of why they and others might choose such a diet, though they are generally positive about the idea. It is a widely shared ignorance, though a plant-based diet is high on the list of effective climate actions on an individual level. https://phys.org/news/2022-12-aware-sustainable-diets-planet.html

6. During the COVID lockdowns of 2020-21 atmospheric methane increased. Two causes are identified. Warmer and wetter conditions in the Northern Hemisphere led to more rotting vegetation, potentially setting up a positive feedback. The second cause is even more distressing. Reduced burning of fossil fuels led to a reduction of nitrogen oxide emissions, which resulted in a reduction of the hydroxyl radicals (OH). OH acts to reduce methane to CO2 and water. In other words, emissions from fossil fuels are significant in reducing atmospheric methane. “A 20% reduction in NOx could increase methane twice as fast; this has surprised us greatly.” Reducing methane emissions is even more urgent to counteract the effects of success in reducing emissions from burning fossil fuels. https://phys.org/news/2022-12-surge-methane-pandemic-lockdown.html

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