An iron rule exists in electric power generation systems. It is quite simple. It goes like this: if you take a source of 24/7 electricity out of a system, you must replace it with another source of 24/7 electricity. Put…
Facing the facts: humans must stop adding heat to the world’s atmosphere
by Stephen E. Aplin • • 5 Comments
The current concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the global atmosphere is 401.38 parts per million: that was recorded two days ago at the Mauna Loa CO2 observatory in Hawaii. I publish this running value in the left sidebar (courtesy…
Obama’s GHG reduction plan: kicking alcoholism by switching from wine to beer
by Stephen E. Aplin • • 12 Comments
Here’s a plan for kicking alcoholism. I’m curious to know what you think. Let’s say that in order to meet the Mayo Clinic’s recommendation to drink three liters of beverages per day, I drink 90 litres of wine per month.…
Money for nothing II: German households pay more, for dirtier electricity
by Stephen E. Aplin • • 1 Comment
German households in 2000 paid just over 12 cents per kilowatt-hour for electricity, according to the OECD. In 2012, they paid 33.9 cents—nearly three times as much s they did in the year 2000. Why the radical price spike? Because…
Canadian Federal Court must undertake its own Darlington nuclear reevaluation: nuclear “waste” versus fossil waste
by Stephen E. Aplin • • 2 Comments
Canada’s Federal Court, in issuing essentially a mild “back to the drawing board” order to Ontario Power Generation regarding one part of its application to build new nuclear reactors at its Darlington generation site, displayed a disappointingly common myopia when…
Climate change and Ontario electricity: federal court clarifies the choice
by Stephen E. Aplin • • 13 Comments
Should Ontario electricity stay as clean as it is right now? Right now (six thirty a.m. on Friday May 16), every kilowatt-hour of Ontario grid power comes with a carbon footprint of 38.5 grams; Table 1 on the left gives…