[GWSG] Nukes; heat in the pipeline; No Miracles Needed; EU ICE goals; canals w/solar

[Tilley, Al]

1. Small nuclear reactors continue to beckon, just beyond the horizon, promising more poisonous waste. Farther than that, beyond the county line, are the 4th generation of small reactors which will use spent fuel as their input and generate waste which we must store for only 200 years or so. As it is. . . https://climatecrocks.com/2023/02/10/wheres-my-small-nuclear-reactor/
My municipal utility has put us ratepayers in for 10% of Georgia’s new Vogtle units, high costs, overruns of those costs, filthy waste and all. Perhaps you have noticed the whiney noises from Jacksonville.

2. In December James Hansen and his coauthors made available a paper not yet peer reviewed, Global Warming In The Pipeline. (The first sentence links to the paper on Cornell’s arXiv site.) The urgency of their findings has led the authors to release the paper before formal publication. The general message is that we have gravely underestimated the effects of our experiment in planetary engineering. We are on the brink of catastrophe, and must act to preserve a livable future, even a challenging one. Another paper is promised, Sea Level Rise In The Pipeline. http://www.columbia.edu/~jeh1/mailings/2022/Pipeline.arXiv.13December2022.pdf

3. Mark Jacobson’s book No Miracles Needed is out in a modestly priced paperback (or a $10 Kindle) from Cambridge U Press. Written for a general audience, it is a series of explanations of the processes and products which we are and will be using for the transition to a sustainable energy supply, one with no use of fossil fuels. The general argument is easily summarized: we have or have in development sufficient knowledge, materials, and capacities to complete the transition. This is your chance to learn how an iron-air battery works and the uses and limitations of green hydrogen. It also arms you to dismiss the constant flood of claims that the energy transition is too difficult, too expensive, unnecessary, unrealistic, even dangerous, and must be taken slowly if not avoided. These are the voices of Greed and Ignorance, at root, and counsels of Despair. Mark Jacobson is a professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Director of the Atmosphere/Energy program at Stanford University. https://smile.amazon.com/No-Miracles-Needed-Technology-Climate-ebook/dp/B0BG8XXPR9/ref=sr_1_1?crid=36H8R0DBB1AT9&keywords=no+miracles+needed&qid=1676220609&s=books&sprefix=no+miracles+needed%2Cstripbooks%2C226&sr=1-1

4. The EU parliament has banned the sale of internal combustion cars and vans as of 2035. The interim targets for emissions cuts as of 2030 are 50% for vans and 55% for cars. Formal approval by the 27 member states is expected next month. A list of car manufacturers intend to cease production of ICE vehicles in years from 2025 (Jaguar) to 2030 (Rolls-Royce, Ford, Peugeot, Renault, Volvo, and Bentley) to 2033 (Audi).    https://insideevs.com/news/652486/eu-parliament-votes-ban-sales-ice-powered-cars-from-2035/

5. CA’s Project Nexus will pilot placing solar cells over irrigation canals. The panels are expected to cut water loss and canal maintenance expenses while providing power and improving water quality. Two iron flow batteries can provide 12 hours of storage. CA’s canals, if all covered with panels, could provide enough power for over 2/3 of the state’s homes. https://electrek.co/2023/02/14/uss-first-solar-panels-over-canals-pilot-will-deploy-iron-flow-batteries/

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