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NickB79
NickB79's Journal
NickB79's Journal
January 10, 2024
I'm both intrigued and disgusted.
China is experimenting with turning coal into food
https://newatlas.com/science/coal-protein-feed/One solution is moving toward lab-grown meat but another may be to start producing protein for livestock feed using other methods. This would be a particular boon to China. According to Biotech researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), the country is currently forced to import around 80% of its protein raw materials in the form of soybeans and the like and that's a serious food security issue for the nation.
So the team set about research into processes that could use fossil fuels to produce proteins, building on oil-to-protein biotechnology pioneered by BP as far back as the 1960s.
The CAS team's process works something like this: firstly, coal is transformed into methanol via gasification a technique that can now be executed with near-zero carbon emissions. That methanol is then fed to a special strain of Pichia pastoris yeast, which ferments the methanol to produce a single-cell protein complete with a range of amino acids, vitamins, inorganic salts, fats and carbohydrates. The resulting organism is much richer in protein than plants are, and it can be used to partially replace fish, soybeans, meat and skimmed milk in a range of animal feeds.
So the team set about research into processes that could use fossil fuels to produce proteins, building on oil-to-protein biotechnology pioneered by BP as far back as the 1960s.
The CAS team's process works something like this: firstly, coal is transformed into methanol via gasification a technique that can now be executed with near-zero carbon emissions. That methanol is then fed to a special strain of Pichia pastoris yeast, which ferments the methanol to produce a single-cell protein complete with a range of amino acids, vitamins, inorganic salts, fats and carbohydrates. The resulting organism is much richer in protein than plants are, and it can be used to partially replace fish, soybeans, meat and skimmed milk in a range of animal feeds.
I'm both intrigued and disgusted.
January 3, 2024
snip
Beaver ponds may exacerbate warming in Arctic, scientists say
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/jan/02/global-heating-beavers-alaska-northern-canadaWhats happening here is happening on a huge scale, says Ken Tape, an ecologist at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, who is tracking the influx of beavers into the sparse northern landscape. Our modelling work, which is in progress right now, shows that this entire area, the north slope of Alaska, will be colonised by beavers by 2100.
The preponderance of beavers, which can weigh as much as 45kg, follows a collapse in trapping and the warming of a landscape that once proved too bleak for occupation. Global heating has driven the shrubification of the Arctic tundra; the harsh winter is shorter, and there is more free-running water in the coldest months. Instead of felling trees for their dams, the beavers construct them from surrounding shrubs, creating deep ponds in which to build their lodges.
The preponderance of beavers, which can weigh as much as 45kg, follows a collapse in trapping and the warming of a landscape that once proved too bleak for occupation. Global heating has driven the shrubification of the Arctic tundra; the harsh winter is shorter, and there is more free-running water in the coldest months. Instead of felling trees for their dams, the beavers construct them from surrounding shrubs, creating deep ponds in which to build their lodges.
snip
Physics suggested this would happen. Beaver ponds are new bodies of water that cover bare permafrost. Because the water is warm relatively speaking it thaws the hard ground, which duly releases methane, one of the most potent greenhouse gases.
Scientists now have evidence this is happening. Armed with high-resolution satellite imagery, Tape and his colleagues located beaver ponds in the lower Noatak River basin area of north-western Alaska. They then analysed infrared images captured by Nasa planes flying over the region. Overlaying the two revealed a clear link between beaver ponds and methane hotspots that extended for tens of metres around the ponds.
Scientists now have evidence this is happening. Armed with high-resolution satellite imagery, Tape and his colleagues located beaver ponds in the lower Noatak River basin area of north-western Alaska. They then analysed infrared images captured by Nasa planes flying over the region. Overlaying the two revealed a clear link between beaver ponds and methane hotspots that extended for tens of metres around the ponds.
January 2, 2024
Oh sweet Jesus......
China tests world's largest, 600,000-ton, coal-to-ethanol production plant
https://interestingengineering.com/innovation/worlds-largest-coal-to-ethanol-plant-chinaThe world's largest plant that converts coal into ethanol has begun its test runs at a facility in southeastern China, local media has reported. The technology developed by the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (DICP) is the only in the world to have reached the industrial level so far.
The world is looking to phase out fossil fuels in the coming decades in a bid to reduce global emissions. China, which has traditionally relied on coal for its industrial growth, has invested heavily in renewable energy as it looks to meet more than 80 percent of its energy demand from non-fossil fuels by 2060.
The world is looking to phase out fossil fuels in the coming decades in a bid to reduce global emissions. China, which has traditionally relied on coal for its industrial growth, has invested heavily in renewable energy as it looks to meet more than 80 percent of its energy demand from non-fossil fuels by 2060.
Oh sweet Jesus......
January 1, 2024
As a former farm kid, the concept of short, stocky corn intrigues me. I like it.
US finds Bayer's short GM corn can be safely grown, but hurdles remain
https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/us-finds-bayers-short-gm-corn-can-be-safely-grown-hurdles-remain-2023-06-07/CHICAGO, June 7 (Reuters) - U.S. farmers can safely grow a new type of corn that Bayer AG (BAYGn.DE) genetically modified to be shorter than typical crops and better tolerate strong winds, the government said on Wednesday, in a win for the global farm chemicals and seeds maker.
Short-stature corn is among the latest crop varieties developed to withstand increasingly volatile weather associated with climate change, joining a growing list that includes drought and heat tolerant corn, soybeans and wheat.
Short-stature corn is among the latest crop varieties developed to withstand increasingly volatile weather associated with climate change, joining a growing list that includes drought and heat tolerant corn, soybeans and wheat.
As a former farm kid, the concept of short, stocky corn intrigues me. I like it.
December 29, 2023
Hydrogen producers were trying to get certification annually, because that would allow them to run electrolysizers 24/7 even if they're using power provided by coal or natural gas instead of wind and solar, buy carbon tax credits to offset their emissions, call it green hydrogen, and claim lucrative tax credits. By setting it to an hourly basis, they can't do this.
The dirty secret is that carbon tax credits are mostly a joke that don't actually cut carbon emissions.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/sep/19/do-carbon-credit-reduce-emissions-greenhouse-gases
US Treasury moves to restrict hydrogen tax breaks offered by IRA
https://www.ft.com/content/681c8f56-0d59-4c78-80a7-402521bf83e9The US has unveiled stringent new criteria hydrogen producers must meet to claim green subsidies under Joe Bidens climate legislation, in a move that has disappointed developers who warn burdensome rules will stymie the nascent industry.
Guidance from the US Treasury issued on Friday would limit the $3-per-kilogramme credit to hydrogen that is made only from new clean energy projects, such as solar and wind, that are connected to the same regional grid as the hydrogen producer.
The guidance would also impose a strict interpretation of how developers prove their green hydrogen is clean. From 2028, developers will need to certify that the production is powered by renewables every hour not annually.
Guidance from the US Treasury issued on Friday would limit the $3-per-kilogramme credit to hydrogen that is made only from new clean energy projects, such as solar and wind, that are connected to the same regional grid as the hydrogen producer.
The guidance would also impose a strict interpretation of how developers prove their green hydrogen is clean. From 2028, developers will need to certify that the production is powered by renewables every hour not annually.
Hydrogen producers were trying to get certification annually, because that would allow them to run electrolysizers 24/7 even if they're using power provided by coal or natural gas instead of wind and solar, buy carbon tax credits to offset their emissions, call it green hydrogen, and claim lucrative tax credits. By setting it to an hourly basis, they can't do this.
The dirty secret is that carbon tax credits are mostly a joke that don't actually cut carbon emissions.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/sep/19/do-carbon-credit-reduce-emissions-greenhouse-gases
December 27, 2023
Do. Not. Build. It.
You can't claim to care about fighting climate change while simultaneously working to increase fossil fuels supplies. And young voters know this, because they're the ones who get to live in the climate shit storm that's going to hit over the next few decades.
A Natural Gas Project Is Biden's Next Big Climate Test
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/26/climate/cp2-natural-gas-export-louisiana.html?smtyp=cur&smid=fb-nytimes&fbclid=IwAR22cuDgkXfoR38K3kq5Bv7pj2yWlZ85PG8uNb3LNbw7g1s_EYISl5yg5MAOn a marshy stretch of the Louisiana coastline, a little-known company wants to build a $10 billion facility that would allow the United States to export vast stores of liquefied natural gas.
Supporters of the project, known as CP2, say the export terminal would be a boon for the United States economy and help Europe decrease its reliance on gas imported from Russia. They also claim that because burning natural gas produces fewer planet-warming emissions than burning coal, the project is a good thing for the climate.
But a nationwide movement is working to stop the export terminal from ever being built.
Opponents, including major environmental groups, scientists and activists, say that CP2 would lock in decades of additional greenhouse gas emissions, the main driver of climate change. They add that the project would be harmful to the people who live in the area, as well as the fragile ecosystem that supports aquatic life in the Gulf of Mexico.
Supporters of the project, known as CP2, say the export terminal would be a boon for the United States economy and help Europe decrease its reliance on gas imported from Russia. They also claim that because burning natural gas produces fewer planet-warming emissions than burning coal, the project is a good thing for the climate.
But a nationwide movement is working to stop the export terminal from ever being built.
Opponents, including major environmental groups, scientists and activists, say that CP2 would lock in decades of additional greenhouse gas emissions, the main driver of climate change. They add that the project would be harmful to the people who live in the area, as well as the fragile ecosystem that supports aquatic life in the Gulf of Mexico.
Do. Not. Build. It.
You can't claim to care about fighting climate change while simultaneously working to increase fossil fuels supplies. And young voters know this, because they're the ones who get to live in the climate shit storm that's going to hit over the next few decades.
December 22, 2023
The insect apocalypse is starting to have real-world impacts that will reverberate throughout ecosystems globally.
Flowers 'giving up' on scarce insects and evolving to self-pollinate, say scientists
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/dec/20/flowers-giving-up-on-scarce-insects-and-evolving-to-self-pollinate-say-scientistsFlowers are giving up on pollinators and evolving to be less attractive to them as insect numbers decline, researchers have said.
A study has found the flowers of field pansies growing near Paris are 10% smaller and produce 20% less nectar than flowers growing in the same fields 20 to 30 years ago. They are also less frequently visited by insects.
Our study shows that pansies are evolving to give up on their pollinators, said Pierre-Olivier Cheptou, one of the studys authors and a researcher at the French National Centre for Scientific Research. They are evolving towards self-pollination, where each plant reproduces with itself, which works in the short term but may well limit their capacity to adapt to future environmental changes.
A study has found the flowers of field pansies growing near Paris are 10% smaller and produce 20% less nectar than flowers growing in the same fields 20 to 30 years ago. They are also less frequently visited by insects.
Our study shows that pansies are evolving to give up on their pollinators, said Pierre-Olivier Cheptou, one of the studys authors and a researcher at the French National Centre for Scientific Research. They are evolving towards self-pollination, where each plant reproduces with itself, which works in the short term but may well limit their capacity to adapt to future environmental changes.
The insect apocalypse is starting to have real-world impacts that will reverberate throughout ecosystems globally.
December 21, 2023
I can now say I personally know someone arrested for the Jan 6 riot
He was on the front page of the local section of the Minneapolis Star Tribune this morning.
And honestly? I'm not surprised it was him. At all. He fit the stereotype to a T, both in his work behavior and his personal life.
December 20, 2023
Scientists may be using a flawed strategy to predict how species will fare under climate change, suggests study
https://www.google.com/amp/s/phys.org/news/2023-12-scientists-flawed-strategy-species-fare.ampUniversity of Arizona researchers and their team members at the U.S. Forest Service and Brown University found that the methodcommonly referred to as space-for-time substitutionfailed to accurately predict how a widespread tree of the Western U.S. called the ponderosa pine has actually responded to the last several decades of warming. This also implies that other research relying on space-for-time substitution may not accurately reflect how species will respond to climate change over the next several decades.
The team collected and measured ponderosa pine tree rings from across the Western U.S. going as far back as 1900 and compared the trees' actual growth to how the model predicted the trees should respond to warming.
"We found that space-for-time substitution generates predictions that are wrong in terms of whether the response to warming is a positive or negative one," said Margaret Evans, a co-author on the paper and an associate professor in the UArizona Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research. "This method says that ponderosa pines should benefit from warming, but they actually suffer with warming. This is dangerously misleading."
The team collected and measured ponderosa pine tree rings from across the Western U.S. going as far back as 1900 and compared the trees' actual growth to how the model predicted the trees should respond to warming.
"We found that space-for-time substitution generates predictions that are wrong in terms of whether the response to warming is a positive or negative one," said Margaret Evans, a co-author on the paper and an associate professor in the UArizona Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research. "This method says that ponderosa pines should benefit from warming, but they actually suffer with warming. This is dangerously misleading."
December 19, 2023
Jovan's paradox strikes again. And I'm afraid this won't be uncommon; over half the planet's population is still in developing nation status, without most of the luxuries we take for granted in North America and Europe.
Why LEDs haven't yet cut energy use for lighting
https://www.bbc.com/news/business-67454472.ampLast year, LEDs hit a milestone. They made up 50% of lighting sales globally, according to the International Energy Agency. However, because more people around the world are installing electrically-powered lighting than ever before, the total energy consumed by lighting is actually going up. The latest LEDs are ultra-efficient - but we probably need to do more to ensure that lighting doesn't end up using more energy overall.
"The number of lights used in each household is increasing," says Shivika Mittal at Imperial College London's Grantham Institute. "That is offsetting switching to LED."
"The number of lights used in each household is increasing," says Shivika Mittal at Imperial College London's Grantham Institute. "That is offsetting switching to LED."
Jovan's paradox strikes again. And I'm afraid this won't be uncommon; over half the planet's population is still in developing nation status, without most of the luxuries we take for granted in North America and Europe.
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