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Item A1 Current concentration of CO2 in the global atmosphere:
401.03 parts per million
In the last hour:
  • Nuclear reactors contributed 60.9 % of total electrical power generated in-province.
  • 86.1 % of Ontario-generated electricity was carbon-free.
  • Nuclear reactors contributed 70.7 % of Ontario's carbon-free electricity.
Table A1: Total Ontario generation, and related CO2 emissions, in hour preceding 06:05 EST on Feb 28 2015
FUEL MWh CO2, tons
Nuclear 10,972 0
Hydro 3,812 0
Gas 2,507 1,306
Wind 731 0
Biofuel 3 2
Oil & Gas 0 0
Coal 0 0
TOTAL 18,025 1,308
CO2 intensity per kWh (CIPK) in the last hour: 72.57 grams.
Table A2: Total Ontario generation, and related CO2 emissions, midnight to 06:05 EST on Feb 28 2015
FUEL MWh CO2, tons
Nuclear 76,874 0
Hydro 27,107 0
Gas 15,735 8,012
Wind 7,986 0
Biofuel 26 15
Oil & Gas 0 0
Coal 0 0
TOTAL 127,728 8,027
Average CO2 intensity per kWh (CIPK) over period: 62.61 grams
This content is updated at 50 minutes past the hour. Refresh at that time to see latest available data. Sources: www.ieso.ca and EmissionTrak™

Egypt’s Great Pyramid, made of exercise balls: a creative solution for storing half a day’s fossil waste in Ontario

by Stephen E. Aplin • February 23, 2015 • 1 Comment

The pyramids of Egypt, only remaining wonders of the seven wonders of the ancient world. You would need five stacked-sphere pyramids the size of the biggest one in this picture to hold the primary waste product of roughly half a day’s output from Ontario’s natural gas-fired power plants. Natural gas is, according to the gas lobby, a clean fuel.

This gallery contains 3 photos →

Vegetables, bones, and reliable power: humans vs machines

by Stephen E. Aplin • February 11, 2015 • 6 Comments

This will teach you the true meaning of “watt.” Set distance to 500 meters, then see how quickly you can bring it to zero. If you are like me, it should take no more than a minute and fifty seconds. If so, congratulations. You produced enough power to run two 100-watt lightbulbs for a minute fifty.

This gallery contains 1 photo →

The cost of energy: a comparison of fuels in Ontario

by Stephen E. Aplin • February 9, 2015 • 10 Comments

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Aside from food, most people use three types of energy. First and foremost is electricity: it is the most versatile and therefore generally the most valuable. It powers homes, office buildings, subways and much more. Second, petroleum—mostly in the form…

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Some un-frozen thoughts on humanity, progress, and the dangers of pretending we can run an electricity grid with power that can’t prevent water from freezing

by Stephen E. Aplin • January 23, 2015 • 16 Comments

Comfort Station, Mew Lake, Algonquin Park. This building, powered by the Ontario electric grid, is why so many people try their hand at winter camping at 45.577837° North and 78.513652° West.

This gallery contains 3 photos →

Fight carbon: why ALARA should become the leading principle of electric power generation infrastructure planning

by Stephen E. Aplin • January 7, 2015 • 14 Comments

How reasonable is it to require electric power utilities to reduce CO2 as much as possible? Germany, which has failed to reduce CO2 since it embarked on its much-vaunted Energy Transition, might think it is not reasonable. But France, which cut its CIPK by about 90 percent over a short decade and a half beginning in 1974, would find it very reasonable. Who is right?

This gallery contains 1 photo →

To kick off 2015, carbon concentration in our planet’s atmosphere spikes above 400 ppm, again: is this the permanent end of the 300s?

by Stephen E. Aplin • January 2, 2015 • 2 Comments

Readings of the air in Hawaii, taken in April of 2014 from this observatory, showed CO2 concentrations above 400 parts per million for the first time in human history. Today’s reading also was greater than 400 ppm.

This gallery contains 1 photo →

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Table A3 Should we replace nuclear plants with natural gas-fired ones? This table compares actual Ontario grid CO2 emissions from the last hour with those from a grid in which gas has replaced nuclear.
Actual Ontario grid Gas replaces nuclear
1,308 7,343
72.57 407.36
Tons CO2
CIPK, grams
If gas had replaced nuclear last hour, Ontario power plants would have dumped enough CO2 to fill Rogers Centre 2.6 times. As it was, 1,308 tons were dumped, which would fill Rogers Centre 0.5 times.

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