Actually, I post a lot of information related to climate change almost daily elsewhere.
But, as time permits, I'm going to put the esoterica I encounter related to climate change
here rather than trying to update the various pages. So this will be reverse in chronological rather
than logically organized within the structure of the rest of this website. Please don't
rely on this as a consistent and current source for climate change information updates.
Sadly, we cannot rely on our corporate-controlled mass media for good information on this.
I update this site on my own time, and making a living has to take priority.
Past blog pages: May 2019 June 2019
July 2019 August 2019
September 2019 October 2019
November 2019 December 2019
This is methane production when the cyanobacteria (blue green algae) is growing. That's in addition
to the methane production after it dies and decomposes under water (anaerobic). Another reason to
get excessive algae and cyanobacteria off open waters as quickly as possible, allowing for the
fact that some cyanobacteria release toxins and can be a hazard to health in mammals, including
dogs and humans.
Irony Alert! Alberta oil-industry-funded organization tasked with cleaning up orphaned and
abandoned oil wells calls out regulator on industry practice of selling depleted wells to underfunded
shell companies to avoid clean-up liability. Allowing the industry to shirk its clean-up obligations is
essentially another subsidy to the oil industry, leaving small private landowners and the taxpayer with
the consequences and liabilities.
Another crack in the walls of Fortress Fossil Fuels, this time it's natural gas. Oil prices are also
falling today (Jan.15) based on surprise U.S. crude inventory build. In Canada, WCS (bitumen blend crude) is trading under $35,
fully $23 - 38% - below WTI. Even with massive subsidies and royalty holidays, it seems unlikely the bitumen
patch can turn a profit at those prices over a period of weeks or months.
Major oil companies are selling oil fields. BlackRock is divesting from fossil fuels. These are the
ultimate Fortress Fossil Fuels insiders, and they're bugging out.
Not without continuing pressure from climate change and clean energy advocates. Fortress Fossil Fuels still has the money and
political clout.
It's taken us some 300 years to overwhelm the planet's 12,000 year climate stability with
profligate and wasteful use of fossil carbon fuels (coal, oil, methane) and generating uncountable
amounts of waste heat. We have about 5 years now to really turn things around, assuming we don't
trigger any tipping points. We aren't going to do this overnight, and our success is going to
be measured in these kind of small wins, not by hoping a miracle will happen.
The shift from GHG-emitting fuels to zero-emissions renewables will move forward like this, with individual decisions
for economic reasons based on price signals, with 'virtue-signaling' as a bonus. As nuclear fission has increasing
reliability issues in Europe, coal ramping down due to cost, and natural gas supply occasionally constricted, renewables
will end up as the reliability champions as well.
This is how affordable renewables plus local stoage will combine to create dispatchable, zero-emissions
electricity to displace GHG-emitting fossil fuels like coal and natural gas. Even diesel for remote
(not grid-connected) locations. By being the less expensive but at least as reliable option. We can
accelerate this switch by requiring that fossil fuel GHG-emitting options pay fees for their emissions,
and remove their subsidies. Not all the conversions will be this big or garner media headlines,
but each one is a victory for the future of our kids and grandkids. (Someday media will learn that
storage has to be specified in both watt-hours (storage capacity) and watts (power capability).)
It's about economics, not climate change mitigation. If you want to succeed in a world run by neo-liberals, you have to use
their tools to your advantage. In short, protect subsidies for renewables and dismantle subsidies for GHG-emitting energy and practices.
The cracks in Fortress Fossil Fuels are showing; it's time to drive in the wedges and collapse the walls.
Past blog pages: May 2019 June 2019
July 2019 August 2019
September 2019 October 2019
November 2019 December 2019
You can find many earlier postings (going back to year 2000) related to climate change at:
Keith's List Archive and
the Sustainable Biofuel List Mail Archive.
I present a lot of information in this blog and on this website. If you need some help sorting through the
noise level and getting a forward-looking, proactive approach to climate change for your business, I can do
that work for you via my consulting business. Contact