News Feeds | ecology.iww.org (2024)

Pittsburgh Green New Deal - Mon, 04/01/2024 - 07:26

สล็อตออนไลน์ รวมเกมโบนัสแตกง่าย ไม่ผ่านเอเย่นต์

สล็อตออนไลน์ รวมเกมโบนัสแตกง่าย ไม่ผ่านเอเย่นต์ ลงเดิมพัน เล่นเกมสล็อตออนไลน์ได้อย่างเพลิดเพลิน เข้าใช้งานเล่นเกมได้อย่างมั่นใจ ไม่ต้องกังวลเรื่องปัญหาในการโกง ลงทุนหลักพัน กำไรหลักแสน ชนะรางวัลในการเล่นเกมได้รัวๆ ถอนเงินรางวัลสุดคุ้ม ไปใช้ได้แบบไม่อั้น กับเว็บไซต์คุณภาพดี ถูกกฎหมาย ไม่ผ่านคนกลาง ไม่ผ่านเอเย่นต์ และยังมีใบเซอร์การันตีการเปิดให้บริการ มีฐานการเงินที่มั่นคง ผู้ให้บริการเกมสล็อตออนไลน์ ที่ได้รับความนิยม

มั่นคง ปลอดภัย เชื่อถือได้ 100% กับ 1688upx เว็บไซต์อันดับ 1 ที่ไม่มีนักเดิมพันออนไลน์ ไม่รู้จัก เป็นเว็บไซต์รายใหญ่ ที่ได้รับความไว้วางใจ และมีผู้เล่น เข้ามาร่วมสนุก ลงเดิมพัน รับเงินรางวัลในการเล่นเกม กันอย่างต่อเนื่อง มีการบริการเกมสล็อตออนไลน์หลากหลาย ลงเดิมพันได้อย่างเพลิดเพลิน รับเงินรางวัลในการเล่นเกมไปใช้ได้แบบไม่อั้น เปิดให้บริการทุกวัน ตลอด 24 ชั่วโมง และยังมีการบริการ มีการดูแล ผ่านเจ้าหน้าที่แอดมินอย่างครอบคลุม

รองรับการเข้าใช้งานเล่นเกมทุกแพลตฟอร์ม สามารถลงเดิมพัน รับเงินรางวัลในการเล่นเกมได้ ทุกที่ ทุกเวลา ผ่านโทรศัพท์มือถือ หรือคอมพิวเตอร์ สะดวกมากยิ่งขึ้น

แนะนำค่ายเกมยอดนิยมชั้นนำ สล็อตออนไลน์ รวมเกมโบนัสแตกง่าย ไม่ผ่านเอเย่นต์

เลือกลงเดิมพันเล่นเกมได้ทุกค่าย ร่วมสนุก เล่นเกมสล็อตออนไลน์ได้หลากหลายรูปแบบเกม หลากหลายแนวเกม กับเว็บไซต์ 1688upx เว็บตรง ถูกกฎหมาย ไม่ผ่านเอเย่นต์ ไม่ผ่านคนกลาง และยังมีฐานในการเล่นเกมที่มั่นคง มีผู้เล่น เข้ามาร่วมสนุก ลงเดิมพันเล่นเกม กับเว็บไซต์ของเรากันอย่างต่อเนื่อง พร้อมรับเงินรางวัลไปใช้ได้แบบไม่อั้น กันอย่างจุใจ

สร้างกำไร ทำรายได้ในการเล่นเกมสล็อตออนไลน์ บนเว็บไซต์ 1688upx ได้อย่างเต็มที่ ไม่มีการโกง เข้าใช้งานง่าย ลงเดิมพันเล่นเกมได้อย่างมั่นใจ จะเล่นเกมไหนๆ ก็สามารถชนะรางวัลในการเล่นเกมได้อย่างคุ้มค่า ไม่มีการล็อคยูสเซอร์ ไม่มีการล็อคผลรางวัล โดยได้มีการสำรองเงิน เพื่อจ่ายรางวัล ให้กับผู้เล่น นักเดิมพันออนไลน์ทุกท่านอย่างเต็มที่ การันตีความสนุก ความมันส์ ความบันเทิง และความคุ้มค่า รับเงินรางวัล ชนะรางวัลในการเล่นเกมได้รัวๆ

สล็อตออนไลน์ลิขสิทธิ์แท้ ได้เงินง่าย โบนัสแตกหนัก ไหลลื่น ระบบเกมมาตรฐานสากลสุดทันสมัย โดยผู้เล่น นักเดิมพันออนไลน์ บนเว็บไซต์ 1688upx ทุกท่าน สามารถเข้ามาร่วมสนุก ลงเดิมพันเล่นเกมสล็อตออนไลน์ กับเว็บไซต์ของเราได้อย่างเพลิดเพลิน มากกว่า 1000+ เกมเลยทีเดียว หลากหลายค่ายเกมชั้นนำทั่วโลก ลงเดิมพัน รับเงินรางวัลได้ครบวงจร พร้อมทั้งยังมีการอัพเดทความสนุกของเกมใหม่ๆ ให้เลือกเล่นก่อนใครทุกวันอีกด้วย

โดยการลงเดิมพันเล่นเกมสล็อตออนไลน์ บนเว็บไซต์ 1688upx จะมีเบทเดิมพันขั้นต่ำ ที่ผู้เล่น นักเดิมพันออนไลน์ทุกท่าน สามารถเข้ามาร่วมสนุกกันได้อย่างครอบคลุม เริ่มต้นเพียงแค่ 1 บาท โดยสามารถปรับเพิ่มลดเบทเดิมพันในการเล่นเกม ให้เหมาะสมกับทุนได้อย่างอิสระ ตลอดในการเข้าใช้งาน

แนะนำค่ายเกมดังได้เงินไม่อั้น

1.ค่าย PG SLOT

PG SLOT ค่ายเกมสล็อตออนไลน์สุดทันสมัย โบนัสแตกหนัก ชนะรางวัลได้ไม่อั้น แม้จะมีทุนน้อย แม้จะเป็นผู้เล่นมือใหม่ ก็สามารถชนะรางวัลในการเล่นเกม ได้อย่างผู้เล่นมืออาชีพ เลือกลงเดิมพันเล่นเกมได้อย่างเพลิดเพลิน กับค่าย PG SLOT ท่านใดที่ชื่นชอบในการลงเดิมพัน เล่นเกมสล็อตออนไลน์ ที่มีรูปแบบเกมทันสมัย แปลกใหม่ ได้เงินง่าย จ่ายเงินรางวัลสูง และคุ้มค่า ค่าย PG SLOT เป็นค่ายเกม ที่ผู้เล่น นักเดิมพันออนไลน์ทุกท่าน ไม่ควรพลาด

2.ค่าย PRAGMATIC PLAY

อีกหนึ่งค่ายเกมสล็อตออนไลน์สุดฮิต ที่นักเดิมพันออนไลน์ทั่วโลก การันตี ว่าเป็นค่ายเกมสล็อตออนไลน์ ที่โบนัสเกมแตกง่าย และจ่ายเงินรางวัลโหดที่สุด กับค่าย PRAGMATIC PLAY มีการบริการ เกมสล็อตออนไลน์ ให้เลือกเล่นมากมาย หลากลหายรูปแบบเกม หลากหลายรูปแบบความสนุก รับเงินรางวัลในการเล่นเกมได้รัวๆ ไม่มีการล็อคผลรางวัล ในการเล่นเกม ของผู้เล่นอย่างแน่นอน โอกาสในการชนะรางวัลสูง ต้องลอง ไม่ผิดหวัง

ระบบการฝากถอนมั่นคง ไม่มีขั้นต่ำ ไม่ต้องทำยอดเทิร์น

สะดวก รวดเร็วทันใจ เข้าใช้งานเล่นเกมสล็อตออนไลน์ ได้ง่ายมากยิ่งขึ้น กับเว็บตรง 1688upx เว็บไซต์มาตรฐานสากล เข้าใช้งานเล่นเกมได้อย่างเพลิดเพลิน ร่วมสนุก ลงเดิมพันเล่นเกมสล็อตออนไลน์ ได้อย่างมั่นใจ ไม่มีประวัติในการโกง พร้อมทั้งยังมีการบริการ มีการดูแล ผู้เล่น สมาชิกทุกท่าน ผ่านเจ้าหน้าที่แอดมินอย่างครอบคลุม

ทำรายการฝากถอนเงินในการเล่นเกมได้ง่ายมากยิ่งขึ้น โดยสามารถแจ้งทำรายการฝากถอนเงิน ผ่านหน้าเว็บไซต์ในการเล่นเกม ได้ด้วยตนเองได้อย่างอิสระ ไม่ต้องรอคิวให้ยุ่งยาก อีกทั้งยังมีความมั่นคง และปลอดภัยมากยิ่งขึ้น ไม่มีขัน้ต่ำ ไม่ต้องทำยอดเทิร์น ฝากเงิน 1 บาท ทำรายได้สูงสุดถึงหลักล้าน เว็บไซต์ของเราก็จ่ายแบบไม่อั้น

เปิดให้บริการ ทำรายการฝากถอนได้ตลอด 24 ชั่วโมง ไม่จำกัดจำนวนครั้ง เข้าใช้งานเล่นเกมได้อย่างครอบคลุม โดยจะมีการรองรับ การฝากถอน ผ่านบัญชีธนาคาร และบัญชีทรูวอเลทอีกด้วย

Credit สล็อตเว็บตรง

อ่านบทความน่าสนใจเพิ่มเติม

The post สล็อตออนไลน์ รวมเกมโบนัสแตกง่าย ไม่ผ่านเอเย่นต์ appeared first on climateworkers.org.

Categories: B3. EcoSocialism

North American Windpower - Mon, 04/01/2024 - 07:06

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the U.S. Department of Treasury and the IRS have authorized $4 billion in tax credits for 100 domestic projects aimed at accelerating renewable manufacturing at industrial facilities.

The agencies are partnering to implement the Qualifying Advanced Energy Project Tax Credit (48C) funded by the Inflation Reduction Act. At least $4 billion of the tax credit’s total $10 billion will be allocated for projects in designated §48C energy communities, with closed coal mines or coal plants.

“From direct grants to historic tax credits, the president’s Investing in America agenda is making the nation an irresistible place to invest in clean energy manufacturing,” says U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm.

“The president’s agenda places direct emphasis on communities that have traditionally powered our nation for generations, helping ensure those communities reap the economic benefits of the clean energy transition and continue to play a leading role in building up the next wave of energy sources.”

The Treasury and IRS will issue a notice for the second round of the program in the coming months, with the concept paper submission window anticipated this summer.

The post DOE Announces Tax Credits to Accelerate Clean Energy appeared first on North American Windpower.

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Solar Industry Magazine - Mon, 04/01/2024 - 07:04

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the U.S. Department of Treasury and the IRS have authorized $4 billion in tax credits for 100 domestic projects aimed at accelerating renewable manufacturing at industrial facilities.

The agencies are partnering to implement the Qualifying Advanced Energy Project Tax Credit (48C) funded by the Inflation Reduction Act. At least $4 billion of the tax credit’s total $10 billion will be allocated for projects in designated §48C energy communities, with closed coal mines or coal plants.

“From direct grants to historic tax credits, the president’s Investing in America agenda is making the nation an irresistible place to invest in clean energy manufacturing,” says U.S. Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm.

“The president’s agenda places direct emphasis on communities that have traditionally powered our nation for generations, helping ensure those communities reap the economic benefits of the clean energy transition and continue to play a leading role in building up the next wave of energy sources.”

The Treasury and IRS will issue a notice for the second round of the program in the coming months, with the concept paper submission window anticipated this summer.

The post DOE Announces Tax Credits to Accelerate Clean Energy appeared first on Solar Industry.

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The Revelator - Mon, 04/01/2024 - 07:00

This spring, as Russian missiles and drones continued to rain destruction upon Ukraine, a more hopeful symbol appeared in the skies about the embattled nation.

The cranes had returned.

Every March and April, these elegant, long-necked birds migrate into the marshes, lakes and steppes of Ukraine, where they build nests and spend several months resting and eating before flying off for winter. Two crane species arrive each year: the common or gray crane (Grus grus) and the demoiselle or steppe crane (G. virgo). The critically endangered Siberian crane (Leucogeranus leucogeranus) has also been known to visit the country.

The cranes’ annual spring arrival is normally cause for celebration in Ukraine.

“The Ukrainian people have always revered the crane as a bird of general happiness and joy,” says Olga Chevganiuk, head of international department at UAnimals, Ukraine’s largest animal-rights organization, which has helped evacuate thousands of animals from warzones. “The birds were addressed with requests for a harvest, health, and wellbeing in the family.” Witnessing cranes in spring was seen as a portent of an upcoming wedding, and weddings themselves are often celebrated with a crane-inspired folk dance.

“These birds dance beautifully, and not only during the mating season,” Chevganiuk says. “They use their elegant bows and jumps, and sometimes wild and funny movements, to communicate as a family.”

For other people around the world, cranes mean something bigger: peace. For the past few years, hundreds of individuals, church groups and other community efforts have folded thousands of blue and gold origami cranes to signify their support for the Ukrainian people.

This year Ukraine could use the support — and the cranes — more than ever. “Cranes are the personification of our desires and balance, which we need so much now,” Chevganiuk says. Their arrival in March coincided with Russia’s destruction of the country’s largest hydroelectric dam, something one Ukrainian official tells me has caused another “ecological disaster” for a landscape already scarred by bombs and invading forces.

The cranes themselves have felt some of the effects of war, especially on Crimea, the Ukrainian peninsula Russia first invaded in 2014. Other crane habitats affected by the conflict include the Donetsk region, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, says Yury Andryushchenko, doctor of biological sciences and head of the Laboratory of Ornithology of Southern Ukraine. “Active ‘maneuvers’ of a large number of occupiers are taking place in these territories,” which have seen military fortification and fierce battles over the past two years.

The damage to crane habitats around Ukraine has been significant, according to accounts from other publications and conservation organizations. BirdLife reported in August 2022 that “[as] a result of bombings and rocket attacks, there have been large-scale forest fires (Chornobyl zone) and fires in the reed thickets in river floodplains (Azov-Black Sea region) destroying the habitats of forest bird species,” including the common crane. “In the Kherson region, along the shores of the Azov and Black Seas, fires ignited by artillery and mines destroyed reed thickets and imperiled the habitats of birds such as the Demoiselle crane, a species considered endangered in Europe,” Audubon magazine reported last fall.

Numerous other bird species have also been affected by the war, Andryushchenko says, including steppe larks and several kinds of woodpecker. “The most negative impact on the avifauna occurs directly during hostilities, which lead to scaring, injury and death of birds or their clutches and broods, disruption of the daily cycle, destruction of housing, etc.,” he says. The Ukrainian Nature Conservation Group has identified dozens of bird species threatened by the invasion.

A demoiselle crane on Crimea in April 2022. Photo © AnnaR via iNaturalist (CC BY-NC)

As with all acts of war, the damage goes far beyond the bombs and bullets.

“Birds are not only directly affected by hostilities,” Andryushchenko says, “but also by the military and other activities — providing troops with weapons, ammunition and food; repairing equipment, roads and various structures like bridges, pipelines and towers; mining, digging trenches and building fortifications. In addition, simply by the movement of military personnel and military equipment.”

Assessing that damage will take time — and it won’t happen immediately. “In order to find out the specifics of the impact of the war on the steppe crane population, it is necessary to conduct appropriate research in this occupied area,” Andryushchenko says. “We will certainly do this after our victory.”

And with that statement, cranes embody hope once again.

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Previously in The Revelator:

In Ukraine, Saving Wildlife Harmed by War

The post Cranes in Ukraine: Birds of Joy in a War-Torn Land appeared first on The Revelator.

Categories: H. Green News

Utility Dive - Mon, 04/01/2024 - 06:50

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Mining.Com - Mon, 04/01/2024 - 06:47

Volt Lithium(TSXV: VLT) has cut nearly two-thirds of its lithium production cost as it prepares to start the low-grade Rainbow Lake brine project in northwest Alberta next year.

Testing in February of brine associated with Coterra Energy (NYSE: CTRA) and Cenovus Energy (TSX: CVE) oil wells dating from the 1960s showed a cost of $2,885 per tonne of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) versus $8,057 in May.

The company produced 90% LCE from 34 parts per million (ppm) lithium brine through its proprietary direct lithium extraction process, president and CEO Alex Wylie said in an interview.

“We’ve developed a compound, or most people call them media, that is really agnostic to things like magnesium and other items, other minerals that might cause interference in the process,” Wylie said by phone from Calgary. “We can get to a purity with our process without doing final concentration steps and that I would say is pretty novel.”

Source: Volt Lithium

While the lithium price has crashed by two-thirds from a year ago, Volt is vying to produce the battery metals by staking out a low-cost, low-grade operation that can be scaled up. By the end of next year, the company plans to decide whether it would be less expensive to build its own plant to process lithium carbonate into battery-grade metal or ship it to refiners in the United States.

Along the way it wants to start its first plant by mid next year for about $20 million to produce around 1,000 tonnes of LCE a year. It will tap the brine produced by some 1,300 wells on Volt’s 1,750-sq.-km of lithium rights agreements with Coterra and Cenovus.

Lithium price

Annual production would shift to more than 23,000 tonnes of battery-grade lithium hydroxide monohydrate (LHM) over a 19-year period, according to a preliminary economic assessment (PEA) issued in December. The study assumed a price of $25,000 per tonne LHM, although it was $13,900 per tonne last week, according to The Wall St. Journal.

Shares in Volt Lithium rose 38% over the last month to close at C$0.28 apiece on Thursday, valuing the company at C$35.8 million. They’ve traded in a range of C$0.16 to C$0.55 over the past 52 weeks.

Getting the funds to expand – $242 million for a second stage in the PEA – would depend on early cash flow success. Volt would also need to attract an investor such as a large oil producer and backers like the Alberta government and the Canada Infrastructure Bank, a Crown Corporation that backs revenue-generating infrastructure projects. Working with the Dene Tha First Nation may help access to government funds, the CEO said.

The Rainbow Lake project lies in northwest Alberta, 875 km north of Edmonton. Credit: Volt Lithium

“Our goal is not to start off with a huge plant. We’d start smaller and then basically repeat these units as opposed to going straight off from a higher construction unit,” Wylie said. “My sense is, if we started off with a plant trying to do 20,000 tonnes a year, it’s just harder.”

The project, with 4.3 million inferred tonnes LCE, has an after-tax net present value of C$1.1 billion at an 8% discount rate for an internal rate of return of 35%, according to the PEA. But its early development so far is making institutional investors take a wait-and-see approach for Rainbow Lake to make money first and get a partner, Wylie said.

“The oil and gas industry is a natural group to start lithium extraction in North America because they already have so much brine,” Wylie said. “What happens with older fields is you get a lot of water produced. The water cut on these wells is in the 90% range, 5% oil cut, so it’s ripe for an opportunity for a lithium company.”

Categories: J2. Fossil Fuel Industry

North American Windpower - Mon, 04/01/2024 - 06:47

The Netherlands Enterprise Agency has received several applications for permits to build a wind farm on sites Alpha and Beta in the IJmuiden Ver Wind Farm Zone in the North Sea.

The agency says the sites are good for 2 GW each, representing 14% of the country’s energy consumption. It will assess the applications together with two expert committees based on a list of qualitative criteria, including developer expertise and the extent of the wind farm being recyclable.

“The wind sector is facing challenges such as recent price increases and high interest rates,” says Rob Jetten, minister for Climate and Energy. “I am pleased that despite these developments, several parties have shown interest in building these wind farms. These wind farms contribute to achieving our climate goals and energy independence.”

Winners are expected to be announced in June, with the projects slated to start supplying power by 2030.

The post Netherlands Receives Multiple Applications for Offshore Wind Permits appeared first on North American Windpower.

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Utility Dive - Mon, 04/01/2024 - 06:38

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North American Windpower - Mon, 04/01/2024 - 06:36

NIRAS and Egis are collaborating on the development of France offshore wind, as NIRAS seeks to expand its business in the country.

“With the upcoming tenders for Bretagne South, Port-La-Nouvelle, Fos-sur-Mer, Atlantic South and Center Manche II, the offshore wind market in France entails a number of interesting and challenging projects, where we in NIRAS with our strong track record and international experience can generate tremendous value and solutions on both engineering and environmental aspects,” says Thor Ugelvig Petersen, NIRAS’ vice president. “With the collaboration agreement with Egis, we join forces to provide the best combination between International and local content.”

“After a decade of slow progress, the French market within offshore wind is now taking off with the government’s ambition to achieve 18 GW in 2035, relying on both fixed and floating technology,” adds Egis’ Jean-Emmanuel Seixas.

“Decarbonization is at the core of Egis’ projects and at the heart of our collaborators. We want to put our technical expertise and deep knowledge of the French engineering market at the service of the private developers, central and local authorities, contractors, and energy operators to achieve this goal. We are proud to sign this partnership with a company like NIRAS, which is a pioneer in the development of offshore wind and with whom we share the same values as people first, innovative, and responsible companies.”

The post NIRAS, Egis Partner on France Offshore Wind Development appeared first on North American Windpower.

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Utility Dive - Mon, 04/01/2024 - 06:26

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North American Windpower - Mon, 04/01/2024 - 06:21

Estonia’s Consumer Protection and Technical Supervision Agency (TTJA) has initiated the building permit procedure and EIA for Estonian-Latvian joint offshore wind farm project ELWIND, submitted by the Foundation Environmental Investment Center (KIK).

After the building permit is issued, the state expects to organize an auction or selective tender for the project, where bidders will have the opportunity to acquire the permit.

The project, a cooperation project between Estonia and Latvia, is owned by the Climate Ministry and managed by KIK. According to the application, the project’s total capacity limit is 1 GW and would be located on the west coast of the Sõrve peninsula.

“Following the initiation of the building permit procedure and environmental impact assessment, the KIK can begin preparing an environmental impact assessment program,” says Kristi Talving, TTJA general director.

“Among other things, the program presents a description of the evaluation methodology used in environmental impact assessment, including information about the studies necessary for environmental impact assessment. KIK must submit an environmental impact assessment program to TTJA within 18 months and an environmental impact assessment report within 24 months after the decision to recognize the environmental impact assessment program as meeting the requirements. After the report is recognized as meeting the requirements, it will be possible to issue a building permit and organize an auction for the development of the offshore wind farm.”

EU funding is partially covering the cost of the project’s EIA.

The post ELWIND Offshore Wind Farm Begins Building Permit, EIA Process appeared first on North American Windpower.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, April 1, 2024
CONTACT
Kyla Bennett (508) 230-9933 kbennett@peer.org

Maine Poised to Repeat Eco-Mistakes on Sears IslandPrior Wetland Violations Haunt Plans to Develop a New Wind-Farm Port

Washington, DC — The State of Maine’s plan to develop Sears Island into a logistical hub for future floating offshore wind facilities faces the same legal constraints that thwarted a state effort in the 1990s to transform one of the largest undeveloped islands remaining on the Eastern Seaboard into a marine terminal, according to Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). In fact, a 1996 federal consent decree won by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) against the Maine Department of Transportation (Maine DOT) for illegally destroying wetlands on Sears Island outlines the same environmental violations the state seems determined to commit again.

In November 1996, EPA and Maine DOT signed a federal court consent decree that “permanently enjoined” Maine DOT from destroying freshwater wetlands on Sears Island. The state paid $10,000 in civil penalties plus another $700,000 in environmental mitigation.

“Maine’s effort to develop Sears Island 30 years ago ran into a buzz saw of legal obstacles that largely remain today,” stated New England PEER Director Kyla Bennett, an attorney and scientist formerly with EPA who was part of this 1996 enforcement action. “If anything, the adverse ecological impacts facing Maine today are even worse given the incredible wetlands losses suffered over the past three decades.”

In addition, Maine’s recent emergency approval to set aside coastal sand dunes legal protections on Sears Island appears to violate federal regulations forbidding projects in the planning process for review under the National Environmental Policy Act from making any “decisions or new commitments of resources… that would either have an adverse impact on the environment or limit the choice of reasonable alternative sites.”

A feasible alternative site for a wind farm hub is Mack Point, a current logistical facility with expansion capacity and a tie-in to the existing rail system. Mack Point is just across the cove from Sears Island, and development there would avoid intact habitat destruction. Indeed, Maine DOT and its consultants concede the proposed offshore wind facility could be built at nearby Mack Point.

“Combatting climate change does not require paving over Sears Island – which appears to be Maine DOT’s obsession,” Bennett added, noting the conclusion from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s latest report that reducing conversion of intact ecosystems is far better at combatting climate change than building new wind farms. “Green energy projects are critically important, but they must be sited in places that don’t result in even more environmental damage.”

Currently, Sears Island is a recreation hub for Penobscot Bay as a popular destination for hiking, biking, fishing, birdwatching, and boating, as well as snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and other seasonal activities, attracting thousands of visitors each year.

###

See the 1996 federal consent order

See the federal resource agencies 1995 letter

Read the PEER letter

Look at the NEPA regulation

The post Maine Poised to Repeat Eco-Mistakes on Sears Island appeared first on PEER.org.

Categories: A2. Green Unionism

Utility Dive - Mon, 04/01/2024 - 06:13

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Utility Dive - Mon, 04/01/2024 - 06:11

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Mining.Com - Mon, 04/01/2024 - 06:06

A recent study by Cornell University researchers found that pairing cryptocurrency mining – notable for its outsize consumption of carbon-based fuel – with green hydrogen could provide the foundation for wider deployment of renewable energy, such as solar and wind power.

In detail, the paper found that leveraging the economic potential derived from green hydrogen and bitcoin for incremental investment in renewable energy penetration can enable capacity expansions of up to 25.5% and 73.2% for solar and wind power installations.

The analysis involved the idea of supplying the available power from solar and wind energy systems to a green hydrogen and cryptocurrency mining infrastructure with the economic potential used for the expansion of renewable power installations.

“Since current cryptocurrency operations now contribute heavily to worldwide carbon emissions, it becomes vital to explore opportunities for harnessing the widespread enthusiasm for cryptocurrency as we move toward a sustainable and climate-friendly future,” Fengqi You, co-author of the paper, said in a media statement.

In its current structure, mining blockchain-based cryptocurrency in the US can use as much carbon-based energy as the entire country of Argentina, according to a 2022 White House Office of Science and Technology report. Nearly all domestic crypto-mining electricity is driven by computer power-hungry consensus mechanisms, known as “proof of work,” which are used to verify crypto-assets.

Preliminary estimates by the US Energy Information Administration suggest that 2023 annual electricity consumption for cryptocurrency mining likely represents 0.6% to 2.3% of all of America’s electricity consumption.

“Acknowledging the substantial energy demands of cryptocurrency mining, our research proposes an innovative technology solution,” You said. “By leveraging cryptocurrencies as virtual energy carriers in tandem with using green hydrogen, we can transform what was once an environmental challenge into a dynamic force for climate mitigation and sustainability.”

In their research, You and doctoral student Apoorv Lal examined individual US states to assess potential energy strengths in each region.

Supporting cryptocurrency can hasten the building of extra energy infrastructure and potentially create 78.4 megawatt hours of solar power for each Bitcoin mined in New Mexico, for example, and potentially 265.8 megawatt hours of wind power for each Bitcoin mined in Wyoming.

“While cryptocurrency currently has a high dollar value (Bitcoin traded for more than $73,000 on March 13,) you cannot hold it in your hand,” You said. “It’s virtual. Think of cryptocurrency and energy in the same way – much like a gift card concept. Cryptocurrency also can hold an energy value and that becomes an additional function.”

The researcher pointed out that to advance a sustainable future for blockchain-based cryptocurrency stronger federal policies for climate goals and renewable energy need to move forward.

“Coupled with green hydrogen, this approach to cryptocurrency not only mitigates its own environmental impact but pioneers a sustainable path for renewable energy transition,” You noted. “It’s a novel strategy.”

Categories: J2. Fossil Fuel Industry

Utility Dive - Mon, 04/01/2024 - 06:04

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Global Tapestry of Alternatives - Mon, 04/01/2024 - 06:00

Categories: B5. Resilience, Third Nature, and Transition

Mining.Com - Mon, 04/01/2024 - 05:51

Gold continued its historic rally on Monday by setting another record high, as the latest US inflation data further boosted expectations of a Federal Reserve interest rate cut this coming June.

Spot gold hit an all-time high of $2,265.53 per ounce in the early hours of trading, an increase of 1.6% on Thursday’s closing price, before paring some gains to $2,247.16 per ounce by 8:15 a.m. ET.

Meanwhile, US gold futures shot up 1.2% to $2,265.70 per ounce in New York.

[Click herefor an interactive chart of gold prices]

The Fed’s preferred gauge of underlying inflation — the core personal consumption expenditures index — cooled in February, data showed Friday, when many markets were closed. That added to the case for a reduction in borrowing costs, and importantly, for investors to pivot towards the non-yielding bullion.

A host of positive drivers have already pushed up bullion by around 14% since the middle of February. These include the prospect of monetary easing by major central banks and elevated tensions in the Middle East and Ukraine.

There’s also been strong buying by central banks, particularly in China, where consumers have been loading up on the metal amid ongoing problems in Asia’s largest economy. Itscentral bankhas added substantial volumes of bullion to its reserves, boosting holdings in each of the past 16 months.

After the inflation figures, Fed Chair Jerome Powell said the prints were “pretty much in line with our expectations,” and there wasn’t any rush to cut rates. Swaps markets are currently pricing in a 61% chance of a Fed cut in June, up from 57% on Thursday.

Later this week, investors will get a further chance to gauge the outlook for the US economy and central bank policy, with monthly payrolls expected to increase by at least 200,000 for a fourth straight month.

“Inflation data, and Powell’s comments in particular, have provided a further boost to gold, with the market becoming increasingly convinced that the Fed will start to cut rates in June,” said Warren Patterson, head of commodities strategy at ING Groep NV.

However, “it wouldn’t take much of a catalyst to see a pullback in the short term,” and that could be a stronger-than-expected US jobs report, Patterson warned.

No. 1 commodity pick

The metal’s positive prospects have been endorsed by a slew of leading banks.

Among them, JPMorgan Chase said last month that gold was its No. 1 pick in commodities markets, and the price may reach $2,500 an ounce this year. Goldman Sachs Group has said it sees potential for $2,300, highlighting the benefits from a lower interest-rate environment.

“The slightly lower than expected US inflation figure last Friday is supporting the outlook of a mid-year rate cut by the Fed,” said UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo, in a note to Reuters Monday.

“Markets will now want to see if the payroll data will confirm a soft landing from the job market in the US. Ongoing solid demand is helping the yellow metal as well, although higher prices may weigh on jewellery demand,” Staunovo added.

Still, gold’s ascent has yet to strike a chord among investors who favor exposure to the metal through exchange-traded funds. Worldwide holdings in bullion-backed ETFs shrank by more than 100 tons in the first quarter, hitting the lowest level since 2019 in mid-March, before a small uptick, according to a Bloomberg tally.

(With files from Bloomberg and Reuters)

Categories: J2. Fossil Fuel Industry

Global Tapestry of Alternatives - Mon, 04/01/2024 - 05:49

Categories: B5. Resilience, Third Nature, and Transition

Mining.Com - Mon, 04/01/2024 - 05:09

Chile’s mining productionis starting to turn the corner after months of a sustainedoutput slump, with the country’s total output up 7.7% in February from the same month last year.

The country’s top commodities, copper and lithium, were behind the overall production increase, according to data published by theNational Institute of Statistics(INE).

Metal extraction grew by 5.5% on the back of rising copper output, which grew 9.95% to 420,242tonnes. The country accounts for almost a quarter of the world’s copper supply, equivalent to about 5.2 million tonnes a year.

Contributing to the positive monthly results was that non-metallic mining sector, which increased its overall output by 24.9%, compared to the same month in 2023. This particular category was boosted by higher lithium carbonate production, the figures published by the INE show.

The South American country is the world’s top copper producer and the second largest exporter of lithium, a key ingredient in the manufacturing of batteries that power electric vehicles (EVs), cell phones and other high-tech devices.

Despite its leadership position in both sectors, the country is seeking to expand its lithium production, with official estimates pegging the increase by 70% by 2030 and 100% over the next decade.

Chile unveiled last week a list of 26 lithium-bearing salt flats that will be open to private investors in a tender that will run from April to July. In these projects, associations may be formed with state companies but unlike in areas deemed as strategic, there they will be optional.

Categories: J2. Fossil Fuel Industry