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🔗 New research suggests plants might be able to absorb more CO2 from human activities than previously expected
by JamesNew research published in Science Advances paints an uncharacteristically upbeat picture for the planet. This is because more realistic ecological modeling suggests the world's plants may be able to take up more atmospheric CO2 from human activities than previously predicted.
"However, simply planting trees will not solve all our problems. We absolutely need to cut down emissions from all sectors. Trees alone cannot offer humanity a get out of jail free card."Great news, but as it says, we cannot put our foot on the brakes. We need to reforest more land and stop using fossil fuels.- Tagged with
- co2
- climate change
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🔗 Portugal just ran on 100% renewables for six days in a row
by JamesFor nearly a week, the country of 10 million met customer needs with wind, hydro and solar — a test run for operating the grid without fossil fuels.
👏👏👏 More of this, please.- Tagged with
- renewables
- portugal
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🔗 CO2 Journeys: Eco-conscious Travel Across Japan | NHK WORLD-JAPAN On Demand
by JamesKeeping track of CO2 emissions can give travelers a new perspective. Can a 1,250km journey from Kyoto Prefecture to Shiretoko in Hokkaido Prefecture be done in just two days, with emissions limited to just 100kg? If our travelers make their goal, they'll be rewarded with a nature experience in a Natural World Heritage site. But if they exceed the set CO2 limit at any point during their journey, they'll be sent home immediately. Two students with very different views on the environment use various means of transport to make their way to their goal, facing unexpected obstacles and problems along the way. A 21st-century travel show that grapples with the global problem of CO2!
Really enjoyed this travel show where the participants had to take their CO2 emissions into consideration when traveling. -
by JamesHoney I shrunk the car. Picked up my Sakura today. It's back home getting its first charge. Used auto-parking like 3-times today (including before this photo).
Charging my little EV -
Keeping positive in the face of climate disaster
by JamesAn internet buddy of mine posted in a private Slack group we're part of about how the weight of climate change is affecting his mental health. With the wildfires, heatwaves, and hurricanes coming for California(!), it's easy to feel despair. This post is my (slightly edited) reply.
Having a child was a kind of catalyst for me and climate change. Action is how you fight the weight of climate change. None of our individual actions will solve the climate crisis alone (as it’s largely a systems problem), but action breads action from those around us.
In Saving Us (great book, highly recommend), one of the things the author talks about is how one person’s actions influence their neighbors. For example, let’s say a neighbor sees you doing X that’s positive for the climate (composting, getting solar installed, switching to electric transport / cycling).
This in turn influences your neighbors- Directly, as it creates an opportunity for discussion about this topic with your neighbors. They might be on the fence about doing any of these and they can chat with you about it and your motivations. This plants and water seeds in their mind about the issues, as well as creates deeper community bonds, and we’re going to need them.
- Indirectly - neighbors that pass by your house notice X…so it plants a seed…and a few house down they see X again. After a period, X is now an acceptable and something that this neighborhood does. You can see solar panels spread through neighborhoods like this - one person got them, then a few houses down, and a few houses down, then a few house down…and pretty soon the neighborhood is powered by the sun (either by panels directly, or by the excess the neighbors are pushing into the grid).
It does feel like we’ve passed a tipping point. Be part of voices that demand the system changes and encourage those around you to do the same.
This said, the energy transition is also happening at an incredible pace. We’re deploying more solar, wind, and batteries at a faster pace than ever before and it’s not slowing down. For me personally, joining a group of companies that’s fighting climate full stack was how I deal/dealt with the weight of climate change and the future I want for my kid. I am but a cog in the machine, but everyone around me has the same sense of urgency. And when it feels hopeless, I can see / hear about new wind farms/solar farms we’re deploying or see the number of people actively working on it, and I feel like…we (humanity) got this (energy transition). -
by JamesIt’s warming up so we didn’t use the heat last night and my battery lasted through morning 🎉
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🔗 The Electric Shuffle
by JamesI can make some of my own electricity at home, but I can’t make my own gas. My point here is there are ways ordinary people can switch to healthier non gas cooking at a reasonable price point without engaging in institutional drama or politics.
As much as I hate my gas-stove for all of the reasons listed in the article and want to replace it – $3,000 or so (including upgrading electric in the kitchen) is a bit much right now. However, they make a good point about using smaller appliances to fill the gap. One could even use portal batteries / solar arrays to charge and cook off of them entirely off grid. Clever.
I reckon I could replace the majority of my gas range usage with a little portable 1 or 2 burner IH cooktop. When combined with my slow-cooker I bet we wouldn't even need to use the gas range at all...a $75 - $150 fix instead of a $3,000 fix to reduce carbon emissions and improve indoor air quality. Seems reasonable to me. They even make some with legs so they could fit in place of / over your gas range.- Tagged with
- co2
- induction
- cooking
- electrification
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Seeing the future
by JamesWhen I was considering joining Kraken my major motivation was wanting to actively work in an organization that's combating climate change. Especially with a young son, it felt irresponsible to be so worried about something and yet not actively doing anything about it.
One of the unique things about Kraken, besides the people, is that it's not just a software company. It's part of a larger group of companies that are all addressing different aspects of the energy transition.
Parts of the group are working on grid flexibility. Others are working on electrifying households with solar panels, heatpumps (installation and manufacturing), and EVs. And others are building and managing wind farms and solar farms.
And on the inside you can see the work of the entire group, the work of the energy transition, all happening at pace. All deploying their part of the solution. It's so very clear that all of this is the future.
When you can see the future like this, a future with clean air generated with an abundance of clean electricity used intelligently, you can't help but be motivated to show up and do your part to make it a reality everywhere.
It's like being part of a solarpunk story, but it's not fiction. If this sounds interesting to you, we're hiring worldwide. I'm happy to answer questions as well, so email or @ me on Mastodon. -
First billing cycle with solar
by JamesFirst month/billing period for my #electricity after #solar #pv install completed!
My solar/monitoring wasn't installed or active until 3 days into the billing period, Oct. 15 - Nov 14th, so there's not 100% overlap.
Total Generation 282 kWh
Consumption hasn't changed much 283kWh (2021) vs 290.3 kWh (2022).
Bought: 119 kWh
Sold: 87 kWh
Net: 32 kWh
Nice! -
by JamesSunbottle is on its final domain, solar.jamesvandyne.com. I've also open sourced it, but it needs more work before it's ready for others to use.
