Climate Letter #992

Another look at the exciting potential for wind and solar energy.  This partly repeats a story about solar’s potential that I reported in CL #990, then goes well beyond with even more optimistic forecasts followed by an equally exciting portrayal of what is happening with wind.  The author, writing for Vox, makes his case with many backup links to a number of sources that seem to comprise an acceptable level of knowledge and insight.

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A critical review of the shipping industry’s emission problems.  This story is particularly interesting because of its reference to information about black carbon aerosols, which are notoriously produced by ships that burn low-grade diesel fuels.  The post has a link to a major scientific study (no paywall) which comes to this conclusion:  “We estimate that black carbon, with a total climate forcing of +1.1 W m−2, is the second most important human emission in terms of its climate forcing in the present-day atmosphere; only carbon dioxide is estimated to have a greater forcing.”  That is really big!  Other problems are also cited, most of which are capable of being brought under control with known technology if proper means of enforcement were in place.
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Drinking water is becoming more scarce in many parts of the world.  This post contains some troubling statistics and an even more startling prediction:  “The UNCCD meanwhile predicts that by 2030, as many as 700 million people will be forced to leave their homes due to water shortages, aggravated by climate change.”  A different institution (WHO) suggests that 800 million people presently have no access at all to clean drinking water, which makes the above prediction sound conservative.  Of course climate change is only one of many contributing factors to this problem.
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A “negative emissions” idea that sounds reasonable and practical.  The centerpiece is a substance called biochar, which is produced from biomass by pyrolysis and offers a useful way of enriching soil while sequestering carbon taken from the atmosphere.  There is also a biofuel byproduct that has value.  This idea deserves serious investigation.
–Along these same lines, here is a feature article from Carbon Brief that describes the importance of soil carbon, how much has been lost over time by agriculture, and where, and some thoughts about replenishment.  Much has gone into the ocean via erosion, but also a good bit to the atmosphere.
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“Art of the Deal,” a short video by Robert Reich, who is a pretty sharp guy, featuring five areas where Putin/Trump interests intersect.  Two of them are directly related to climate change.

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