World Bank leader calls for development banks to mobilise climate funds
Development banks should mobilize climate funds: World Bank’s Kim BY VALERIE VOLCOVICI REPORTING BY VALERIE VOLCOVICI,; EDITING BY ROS KRASNY AND FRANCES KERRY) WASHINGTON Thu Oct 16 (Reuters) – The World Bank and other multilateral financeinstitutions should pool their resources to help developing countries combat and adapt to climate change, helping smooth the path to a global climate agreement in Paris next year, World Bank President Jim Yong Kim said on Thursday.
One important disagreement looming over the climate talks is how countries will reach an agreed target of raising $100 billion in annual funding for climate change projects in developing countries by 2020, Kim told the Reuters Global Climate Change Summit.
The World Bank, other multilateral organizations, climate funds and regional development banks can help mobilize money prior to the Paris talks to give developing countries confidence in the negotiating process, he said.
“We are doing everything we can to really make sure that issue doesn’t stop the proceedings,” Kim said.
“Can we take all of the money that is floating around out there, and put it together in a package that would make the developing countries feel a lot better about the available financing for tackling both mitigation and adaptation?”……….
Beyond the financing question, Kim said strong signs of an agreement between the United States and China on climate would set a “strong foundation” for the Paris meeting.
He added that a declaration by 74 countries and over 1,000 private companies announced at the U.N. Climate summit in September, in support of carbon pricing measures such asmarkets and taxes, could also bolster prospects for success in Paris.
Kim said the decision by China, the world’s biggest carbon emitter, to sign the declaration was a surprise to World Bank officials, and had raised the pressure on other countries……..http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/10/16/us-climatechange-summit-worldbank-idUSKCN0I52QK20141016
Safety anxiety as Tepco plans to remove canopy from Fujushima No 1 nuclear reactor
Plan to remove cover over damaged Fukushima reactor draws concern, Asahi Shimbun October 16, 2014 Amid local concerns of the further spread of radioactive materials, Tokyo Electric Power Co. announced plans to start dismantling the canopy installed over the destroyed Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant’s No. 1 reactor building.
The operation, announced by TEPCO on Oct. 15, will remove the cover that was erected in October 2011 over the building to prevent radioactive materials from entering the atmosphere……..
The process, which will begin Oct. 22, is a necessary step in removing the vast amounts of highly contaminated debris, rubble and dust that remain inside the building.
However, as the work to clear debris at the plant’s No. 3 reactor building in August 2013 spread radioactive materials in the area, the Fukushima prefectural government and experts are calling for careful measures to be taken in the dismantling………..
n the removal, the utility will drill 48 holes in the roof of the cover, each 30-centimeter squares. From the holes, synthetic resin will be sprayed as anti-scattering agents inside the building to minimize the possibilities of radioactive materials rising.
Starting from the end of this month, two of the six roof panels will be removed to install a camera to monitor the status of the debris inside.
Once the condition of the rubble is better understood, a specific schedule for the dismantling process will be created. The utility plans to begin major operations in March 2015 in hopes of starting the removal of debris in fiscal 2016. http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/fukushima/AJ201410160049
Niigata governor says answers on Fukushima disaster needed before any nuclear restart in Japan
More answers about Fukushima disaster needed before reactor restarts, Niigata governor says, Japan Times, AP OCT 16, 2014 Niigata Gov. Hirohiko Izumida said Japan should not restart any nuclear plants until the cause of the Fukushima meltdowns is fully understood and nearby communities have emergency plans that can effectively respond to another major disaster.
Izumida, whose prefecture is home to Tokyo Electric Power Co.’s seven-reactor Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant, said on Wednesday that regulators look at equipment but don’t evaluate local evacuation plans……….http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2014/10/16/national/niigata-governor-says-soon-reactor-restarts/#.VEMPZmddUnl
Fukushima nuclear radiation near to USA West Coast
Fukushima radiation nearing West Coast http://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/tech/science/environment/2014/10/17/fukushima-radiation-nearing-west-coast/17437081/ Tracy Loew, Statesman Journal October 17, 2014 Radiation from Japan’s Fukushima nuclear disaster is approaching the West Coast, the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution is reporting.
A sample taken Aug. 2 about 1,200 kilometers west of Vancouver, B.C. tested positive for Cesium 134, the Fukushima “fingerprint” of Fukushima.
It also showed higher-than-background levels of Cesium 137, another Fukushima isotope that already is present in the world’s oceans from nuclear testing in the 1950s and 1960s.
The sample is the first of about 40 offshore test results that will be made public next month, said Ken Buesseler, a chemical oceanographer at Woods Hole.
Further results, which Buesseler will release at a conference Nov. 13, will show offshore Fukushima radiation down the coast into California, he said, including some samples that are closer to shore. Continue reading
UK plants turn down energy out put because of cracks developing
Nuclear reactor heat turned down to stop boilers cracking Two nuclear plants shut amid safety fears may be restarted at just 75pc usual power output to prevent more cracks developing, EDF says Telegraph, By Emily Gosden, Energy Editor 17 Oct 14, Power output at two UK nuclear plants will be curbed for up to two years in order to reduce the heat in their boilers and prevent cracks developing, EDF has announced.
The two twin-reactor plants at Heysham 1 and Hartlepool have been shut down since August amid safety fears following the discovery of cracks in one boiler structure at Heysham.
The ageing reactors are likely to be restarted in coming months at just 75pc-80pc of their usual output in order to prevent high temperatures causing further cracks, EDF said on Friday.
The move will further worsen the risk of power shortages this winter and next.
The temporary closure of the plants, which produce enough power to meet about 4pc of peak winter demand, has already forced National Grid to invoke emergency measures to bolster power supplies this winter, by paying mothballed power stations to fire up.
EDF warned in September that the reactors – initially expected to be shut for two months – would only be restarted gradually between the end of October and late December, once safety checks on each reactor’s eight boilers were finished.
On Friday it further revised the likely dates of the restarts. The restart of the reactor with cracks has been pushed back a month, from the end of November to the end of December. Two other reactors have been pushed back from the end of October to November 9, and the fourth reactor has been brought forward from November 30 to November 22………
The cracks at Heysham 1 are in a “boiler spine”. The Office for Nuclear Regulation said that the spine “supports the weight of an entire boiler and its failure could lead to water entering the reactor vessel”.
“The potential worst consequences of water entering the reactor vessel is an over-pressurisation of the reactor which could result in lifting of the reactor pressure relief valves. If this was to occur co-incidentally with fuel damage then there could be a direct path to the environment and a release of radiation,” it said……..
As well as firing up mothballed power plants, National Grid is also using emergency plans to pay factories to switch off on winter weekdays to ease demand to help ensure households’ lights are kept on. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/energy/11169625/Nuclear-reactor-heat-turned-down-to-stop-boilers-cracking.html
Wind and solar power developments Europe, Japan, USA, Canada
World: http://geoharvey.wordpress.com/ 17 Oct 14
¶ Wind power is blowing gas and coal-fired turbines out of business in the Nordic countries. Nordic wholesale forward power prices have almost halved since 2010 to little over €30 per MWh as capacity increases while demand stalls due to stagnant populations, low economic growth and improved efficiency. [AsiaOne]
¶ Japan’s utilities say they are being swamped by green power and the grid does not have enough capacity to cope with the rocketing levels of electricity from the growing crop of solar power plants. Yet the same utilities are pushing to restart the nation’s mothballed nuclear reactors. [The Japan Times]
¶ EU leaders are likely to agree a new decade of climate and energy policy next week despite the “legitimate concerns” of several nations, Europe’s climate boss said on Thursday. European Union leaders have set themselves a deadline of the end of October to agree on green energy goals for 2030 to follow on from 2020 policy. [Reuters UK]
¶ Business and political leaders around the world, most notably in the United States and China, are pressing for action to avert the potentially huge financial repercussions of climate change. But this year, the most vocal climate change sceptic in the Group of 20 leading industrialised nations is its current host, Australia. [Daily Mail]
¶ Orix Corp, a Tokyo-based finance and leasing company, will continue to pursue the development of its 800 MW solar PV pipeline in Japan, despite recent reports of some utilities restricting grid access for new solar projects. Half of the projects are already under development or in operation and the rest will proceed as planned. [pv magazine]
¶ Innergex Renewable Energy Inc has announced that the Mesgi’g Ugju’s’n Wind Farm, LP has obtained the government decree from the Quebec government for a 150 MW wind project located in the Gaspé Peninsula, in Quebec. This concludes the project’s environmental approval process so construction may begin. [Stockhouse]
¶ Sweden has called on the EU to adopt a greenhouse gas emission reduction target of 50% by 2030s, 10 percentage points higher than current proposals. The call from Stockholm’s new centre-left government comes less than a week before EU leaders are set to gather to discuss the bloc’s climate and energy strategy. [RTCC]
¶ Italian utility Enel is considering phasing out 23 “obsolete” thermal power plants in Italy in the near future, accounting for 11 GW or 43% of the company’s existing thermal generation capacity. The decommissioning procedure for nine plants has already started, Starace added, listing units with a combined capacity of 2.2 GW. [ICIS]
¶ The UK’s National Audit Office has begun an investigation into the controversial subsidy regime for the planned new Hinkley Point C nuclear plant. The financial watchdog will be checking whether the guaranteed prices of £92 a megawatt hour – double the current cost of electricity – represented “value for money”. [The Guardian]
¶ Energy watchdog Ofgem has named five new potential interconnector projects that could link the UK with France, Ireland, Norway and Denmark. Together with the ElecLink and Nemo projects that Ofgem has already assessed, the schemes could provide up to 7.5 GW of additional electricity capacity in the UK. [reNews]
Renewable energy systems shown to have lower carbon footprint – life cycle analysis
Life cycle analysis confirms renewables’ lighter footprint http://www.greenbiz.com/blog/2014/10/17/life-cycle-analysis-confirms-renewables-lighter-footprint By Sustainable Business News October 17, 2014 For years, some critics of renewable energy have contended that it’s really no better than fossil fuels when you consider the entire life cycle that goes into making their components.
They even say there may not be enough copper, steel and other resources to build all the solar panels and wind turbines needed for a low-carbon future. But comprehensive research recently released shows how far off their thinking is from reality.
It takes an enormous amount of energy to both build and then fuel fossil fuel power plants over their 40-plus year lifetime, and during all those years they pump out pollution that seriously harms the health of people and the environment. How do wind turbines and solar panels compare?
Wind turbines and solar PV Continue reading
Al Gore praises companies for their renewable energy plans
Al Gore lauds Salesforce.com, Google, Apple for renewable energy plans http://www.zdnet.com/al-gore-lauds-salesforce-com-google-apple-for-renewable-energy-plans-7000034604/
Summary: The former vice-president president of the United States advised Dreamforce attendees about the necessities (and business opportunities) presented by the “age of renewables.” AN FRANCISCO—Former Vice President Al Gore has many choice words about the ramifications hammering the environment, stemming from corporate influences on politicians and governments worldwide.
But the climate change advocate had a few bits of praise reserved for a select group of big tech corporations — specifically for Google, Apple, and Salesforce.com — while speaking at the close of the latter’s annual expo on Thursday.
“Everyone knows the way we got out of the Great Depression was mobilizing for World War II,” said Gore. “Wouldn’t it be nice if we had a huge project where we needed to mobilize people around the world for jobs that couldn’t be automated?”
With his talk, Gore hinted we have that major project.
Over the course of an hour, Gore fired off harrowing statistics about many recent natural disasters from China to Guatemala to Colorado over the last few years, followed up by some sobering predictions concerning ongoing droughts and continuously plummeting winter temperatures.
“We’ve got to take responsibility for consequences of our actions endangering the earth,” Gore retorted.
Nevertheless, Gore remained optimistic, insisting that many of these predictions can be curbed with immediate response and action.
“We need to recognize the age of renewables is beginning,” insisted Gore. He emphasized the business opportunities by renewable energy development and technology, asserting that “the private sector is going to finance most of renewable energy.”
Along with championing the aforementioned trio of Silicon Valley titans for their respective energy efficiency goals, Gore highlighted American business magnate and billionaire Warren Buffett as a prime example of an entrepreneur investing heavily in the renewable energy space.
“He’s not someone known for making dumb decisions,” Gore quipped. The Internet, Gore continued, is going to play a huge role in this shift as well. Projecting that the Internet will be more powerful (and influential) than television, Gore cited advertising dollars online surpassed those on the small screen last year.
As a further incentive to the keynote audience filled with sales executives and software developers, Gore observed that “we are always surprised” when technology costs drop dramatically, referencing the development of processors and Moore’s Law as examples. He theorized the same can be done with wind and solar power tech.
Gore concluded, “I’m optimistic about this, but we need to speed it up.”
Japanese electricity utility very unhappy about anti nuclear art
Tohoku Electric Power kicks up a stink about art display at publicity hall Asahi Shimbun, By HIDEAKI ISHIBASHI/ Senior Staff Writer 16 Oct 14, SENDAI–A solitary bulging black sandbag, a sprinkling of dirt on a solar panel and a dosimeter: As art installations go, the work on display at a venue here smacked more of a statement than anything else.
And it got the attention of Tohoku Electric Power Co., operator of the Green Plaza hall where the exhibit could be seen by passers-by.
The utility uses the hall to publicize its activities, as well as providing a venue for the public to mount exhibitions.
Tohoku Electric asked for the work to be temporarily removed on grounds that people looking in from the street might regard it as suspicious.
The dirt is from Fukushima Prefecture, site of the 2011 nuclear disaster. It has already been decontaminated of radiation. The installation was created by Takashi Murakami, who is also an associate professor of art education at Miyagi University of Education.
He should not be confused with the pop artist of the same name, who is internationally famous and has also been involved in charity efforts to assist victims of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami.
Artists from Japan and Canada organized an exhibition titled “Power To The People” to be held at the Green Plaza from Oct. 7 to 19. Murakami and the other artists said they wanted the exhibition to make visitors think about the future of energy from a neutral standpoint.
The artists chose the Green Plaza for their venue for the simple reason it is operated by an electric power company in the area most severely affected by the 2011 natural disasters.
“I tried to express the current situation in Fukushima where sand bags filled with dirt from decontamination work are stacked up everywhere,” Murakami said……….
The exhibition finally was opened to the public on Oct. 10, three days behind schedule.
In response to an inquiry from The Asahi Shimbun, Minamihaba explained why the work was moved and said, “It did not match the policy of managing the Green Plaza in order to provide citizens with a place for enrichment and relaxation.”…..
Murakami said, “Art is by nature multifaceted, so it can be not only comforting to people, but also disgusting to some. Tohoku Electric Power overreacted.” http://ajw.asahi.com/article/0311disaster/fukushima/AJ201410140032
Bangladesh’s dangerous nuclear power program
Is a nuclear disaster looming in Bangladesh? http://www.thedailystar.net/is-a-nuclear-disaster-looming-in-bangladesh-46005 Abdul Matin 16 Oct 18, The writer is a former chief engineer of Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission.
The Bangladesh Atomic Energy Regulatory (Amendment) Bill, 2014 was passed by the parliament on September 14. Surprisingly, instead of bringing the qualifications and experience in conformity with the IAEA guidelines, the amendment further relaxed the qualifications of the top brass of BAERA to “adequate qualification and experience about nuclear energy management.” “Adequate qualification and experience” is a vague term subject to interpretations. In technical terminology, it carries little significance. Moreover, management of nuclear energy does not necessarily imply nuclear safety. The door has thus been opened, perhaps deliberately, to any Tom and Harry to occupy the top positions of BAERA. It shows that the authorities are least concerned about the safety of the proposed nuclear plant at Rooppur.
The real motive for making the amendment is a mystery. It is probable that the changes were made because of unavailability of sufficiently qualified and trained engineers. In that case, our priority should have been to train necessary manpower first before embarking on an ambitious nuclear power programme. Furthermore, the concerned authorities are solely responsible for creating this crisis. They, perhaps due to negligence or incompetence, did not initiate any serious programme of recruitment and training of nuclear engineers during the last six years in spite of our strong recommendations at a round table organised by The Daily Star and ABUETA (DS, May 10, 2009) and attended by the adviser on power and energy and the state minister of science and technology. Did we not have enough time to train at least fifty nuclear engineers with MS degrees by now if we had acted promptly at that time?
The recent amendment could partly relax the experience only in selected cases but certainly not the requirements of qualifications or training. How can one ensure nuclear safety without a solid background (at least at MS level) in nuclear engineering and nuclear reactor safety? It is inconceivable and unacceptable in the nuclear industry. By relaxing the qualifications and experience of the top officials of the BAERA, the authorities have acted most irresponsibly and put the country at the risk of a likely ‘man-made’ nuclear disaster.
Nuclear energy deal between South Africa and France
Paris and Pretoria have signed an agreement which could open the way for French nuclear giant Areva to bid to build eight nuclear reactors in South Africa worth up to $US50 billion ($A54.10 billion). French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius and South African Tina Joematt Pettersson signed an intergovernmental agreement on co-operation in nuclear energy development which is necessary for any commercial deal……..http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/latest/france-safrica-sign-nuclear-energy-deal/story-e6frg90f-1227093196986
Russia protects nuclear weapons stockpiles from cyber sabotage
Cyber security units to protect Russia’s nuclear weapons stockpiles RT.com October 17, 2014 The IT systems of all Russian nuclear weapons stockpiles will be protected by a new team of anti-hackers, the Defense Ministry said after a year-long “hunting season” for programmers.
Special units of the Russian Strategic Missile Forces (SMF), responsible for the country’s nuclear weapons, will reduce the vulnerability, should it be found, in their brand-new information systems, according to the Defense Ministry’s spokesman……..http://rt.com/news/196720-russia-missile-forces-cybersecurity/
Dr Caldicott talks with Harvey Wasserman, about Fukushima, and meeting Ronald Reagan
Dr. Caldicott Tells of Fukushima’s Lethal Toll and Meeting Ronald Reagan Harvey Wasserman | EcoWatch 17 Oct 14 She tells us about what’s happening to the renewable industry in Australia, and why Dr. James Hansen needs to reassess his views on atomic energy. “Nuclear Power Plants are cancer factories and bomb factories … because any country that has a nuclear reactor makes 500 pounds of plutonium a year and you need 10 pounds to make an atomic bomb … so the nuclear power industry in this country in its wisdom and in Japan, Canada and elsewhere is selling nuclear reactors as fast as it can … and they will have enough plutonium to make enough atomic bombs for the next half a million years … cause that’s how long the plutonium lasts …,” said Dr. Caldicott.
Then she shared one of modern American history’s most critical episodes. In the early 1980s, during the global campaign for a nuclear freeze, Helen met Patty Davis, the daughter of Ronald and Nancy Reagan. Davis figured that Dr. Caldicott might be one of the few people who might reach her father about the dangers of nuclear war.
So she brought Helen to the White House. Dr. Caldicott quickly sized up the President and determined to treat him “like a patient.” He was already showing early signs of the Alzheimer’s disease that would eventually claim him … and much of his second term in office.
For more than an hour Dr. Caldicott talked with the world’s most powerful about what atomic war might do to the human race. It was, she said, a uniquely long meeting with our oldest president.
And, apparently, it did have an impact. Hear all about it on my Solartopia Green Power & Wellness show: http://prn.fm/green-power-wellness-dr-helen-caldicott-101414/
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