Why burning biomass is not zero-carbon Explainer Video NCapeling 17 October 2022

Short animation explaining why burning biomass produces more carbon dioxide per unit of energy generated than almost all fossil fuels.

The climate emergency requires countries to transition away from fossil fuels, but it is important to be careful about the alternative energy sources chosen.

In particular, concern is growing over the use of biomass for energy, which is generated when wood or other plant material is burnt to generate heat and electricity. Many governments treat biomass energy as zero-carbon at the point of combustion, and subsidize it in the same way as renewables such as solar or wind, resulting in a large increase in the use of biomass for energy in the UK and the European Union (EU) over the past 15 years.

The treatment of biomass as zero-carbon in policy frameworks rests on the argument that biomass emissions will be reabsorbed by forest growth, particularly from trees planted to replace those cut down to burn.

But growing trees to maturity takes many years and, depending on the feedstock used, biomass burning increases global warming for decades to centuries. This is called the ‘carbon payback period’ – the time it takes for carbon dioxide levels to return to what they would have been if biomass had not been used.

New research from Chatham House and the Woodwell Climate Research Center calculated the real climate impact of burning US wood pellets in the UK and EU. In 2019, according to this analysis, US-sourced pellets burned for energy in the UK were responsible for between 13 million and 16 million tonnes of carbon dioxide, equivalent to the annual greenhouse gas emissions from 6-7 million passenger vehicles.

But because biomass is treated as zero-carbon, almost none of these emissions were included in the UK’s national greenhouse gas reports. And the removal of forest carbon from US forests is not included accurately in US reports, either.

Net Zero and Beyond: What Role for Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage? 23 January 2020 — 8:30AM TO 10:00AM Anonymous (not verified) 6 January 2020 Chatham House | 10 St James's Square | London | SW1Y 4LE

In the context of the feasibility of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to net zero, policymakers are beginning to pay more attention to options for removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. A wide range of potential carbon dioxide removal (CDR) options are currently being discussed and modelled though the most prominent among them are bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) and afforestation and reforestation.

There are many reasons to question the reliance on BECCS assumed in the models including the carbon balances achievable, its substantial needs for land, water and other inputs and technically and economically viable carbon capture and storage technologies.

This meeting will examine the potentials and challenges of BECCS in the context of other CDR and emissions abatement options. It will discuss the requisite policy and regulatory frameworks to minimize sustainability and socio-political risks of CDR approaches while also avoiding overshooting climate goals.

Attendance at this event is by invitation only.

Built for net zero 12 December 2022 — 6:00PM TO 7:00PM Anonymous (not verified) 21 November 2022 Chatham House and Online

How can sustainable infrastructure deliver on low-carbon commitments?

Demand for sustainable infrastructure is increasing in scale and complexity as developed and developing countries seek to accelerate the transition to low-carbon economies while improving living standards for all.

Delivering on net zero will require significant public and private investment, with spending on physical assets alone requiring a yearly commitment of at least $7 trillion according to estimates by the International Federation of Consulting Engineers (FIDIC).

To ensure the successful build-out of modern green infrastructure across target sectors from transport and energy to water, innovative financing and collaborative project delivery models are needed to support climate commitments, energy-efficiency, and sustainable living options.

This discussion examines how construction design and infrastructure strategies should evolve to deliver on sustainability goals, remain competitive, and maximize societal outcomes.

The discussion, supported by EY, explores these key questions: 

• What are the main drivers and restraints for governments in delivering green infrastructure?
• What is the role of investors in promoting sustainable infrastructure?
• Where should investment be targeted for maximum impact?
• Who are the key stakeholders that should be involved in infrastructure delivery and what does successful collaboration look like?
• How can civil society and local governments play a greater role in urban design to deliver safe, resilient infrastructure with positive societal outcomes?

As with all members events, questions from the audience drive the conversation.

Read the transcript.

All-stainless PRO 48 brings professional kitchen capabilities to people who love food and entertaining

Radhakrishnan panel has submitted its report outlining reforms in the NTA and the authorities would need the state's cooperation to implement it.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has received reports from multiple states that suggest children may have higher blood lead levels (BLLs) after consuming recalled cinnamon-containing applesauce products. The Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) has received no reports of children with high BLLs in response to the recall of cinnamon-containing applesauce products. Signs and […]

Secretary of Transportation Nicole Majeski was joined by representatives of the Delaware State Police and AAA Mid-Atlantic on Monday at the 95/896 interchange project to call attention to the importance of safe driving in our work zones across the state. National Work Zone Awareness Week is held each April at the traditional start of construction […]

Read the in depth Review of Infinix Zerobook 13 Laptops. Know detailed info about Infinix Zerobook 13 configuration, design and performance quality along with pros & cons, Digit rating, verdict based on user opinions/feedback.

Read the in depth Review of Infinix Zero 30 5G Mobile Phones. Know detailed info about Infinix Zero 30 5G configuration, design and performance quality along with pros & cons, Digit rating, verdict based on user opinions/feedback.

anyone know what is "cell with Zero maximum clock transition time"  ?

not zero transition, not maximum transtion, it is zero maximum clock transition time.

it means X0 cell? (drive-strength)

can you explain? 

thanks :-)

To even out the intermittent power supply from wind and solar, we need to build vast energy storage facilities. It turns out the best solution might be cheap, simple ideas like heating bricks and lifting weights

Physicists have coaxed a cloud of atoms into having a temperature beyond absolute zero and placed them in a geometric structure that could produce an unknown form of matter

Reaching net-zero emissions is essential for halting climate change - but even after we achieve this goal, parts of the planet will continue to warm. Delaying net zero will worsen these effects

Audiovisual pioneers Kristina Karpysheva and Alexandr Letsius on creating colossal, mind-bending installations.

The post Interview: 404.zero appeared first on Fact Magazine.

‘Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered’ elevates a classic with breathtaking visuals, smooth performance, and a gripping narrative on PS5 and PC

During Gamescom Opening Night Live 2024, HoYoverse had reveals and new information for each of its main games. Genshin Impact …

Continue reading "Gamescom 2024: Zenless Zone Zero, Honkai Star Rail, and Genshin Impact See New Announcements and Trailers"

Bill White, VP of Real Estate Lending for NASA FCU, speaks to current housing market conditions, as well as the new Family Mortgage and other options from NASA FCU.

Reaching net-zero emissions is essential for halting climate change - but even after we achieve this goal, parts of the planet will continue to warm. Delaying net zero will worsen these effects

The Union Health Ministry addressed recent media reports claiming that India has a high number of "zero dose children"-children who have not received any vaccines-based on a UNICEF report.

As part of its Zero Suicide initiative, Nationwide Children's Hospital becomes the first pediatric hospital to adopt the Caring Contacts approach to support

Tamil Nadu's Health Minister, Ma Subramanian, confirmed the absence of any medlinkNipah virus/medlink cases within the state. Addressing reporters

Amnon Shashua, the founder and CEO of Mobileye, has an eye for complicated problems that he believes can be solved with AI, and that AI itself can be fixed to become more reliable. On the sidelines of building and running his self-driving car technology company — which he took public, then sold to Intel, then […]

© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

Tozero, a Munich-based startup that recovers valuable raw materials from recycled lithium-ion batteries, is gearing up to scale. The startup just closed an oversubscribed €11 million seed round (around $11.7M) to step up production by building its first industrial deployment (A.K.A first-of-a-kind or FOAK) plant. Currently, Tozero’s pilot plant processes nine tonnes of lithium-ion battery […]

© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

To keep out Covid-19, China closed some border gates late last year, leaving produce to rot in trucks. Restrictions like these and rules at some Chinese ports, the gateways for goods headed to the world, could cascade into delays in the global supply chain. Photo composite: Emily Siu

From mass tests to lockdowns, China is on high-alert to keep the coronavirus at bay ahead of the Winter Olympics. WSJ examines the zero-Covid strategy in the city of Xi’an to see how it has sparked backlash from residents and affected chip makers. Photo: Shao Rui/Zuma Press, Fabrizio Bensch/Reuters

Indie musicians fuse genres and tap into social media to capture their audience, but still struggle to record and release an album

A World Resources Institute paper presents five case studies that are worthy of replication

Climate finance gets much-needed focus at the Delhi meet under India’s Presidency

Remediation of landfills and scientific waste management could make a considerable difference in India

Flying the cleanest, greenest, youngest fleet possible can be a way towards the goal 

We're not winning the fight against climate change, as the 2018 IPCC report makes incontrovertible. What does energy in a zero carbon world look like? Well, we have a lot of challenges ahead of us: companies can't tackle this work on their own, which means embracing collaboration, and changing the energy model. Stephen Fitzpatrick is the CEO and founder of OVO Energy, a UK energy provider which has launched the world’s first commercially available electric-vehicle-to-grid charger in partnership with Nissan. ABOUT WIRED SMARTER Experts and business leaders from the worlds of Energy, Money and Retail gathered at Kings Place, London, for WIRED Smarter on October 9, 2018. Discover some of the fascinating insights from speakers here: http://wired.uk/V29vMg ABOUT WIRED EVENTS WIRED events shine a spotlight on the innovators, inventors and entrepreneurs who are changing our world for the better. Explore this channel for videos showing on-stage talks, behind-the-scenes action, exclusive interviews and performances from our roster of events. Join us as we uncover the most relevant, up-and-coming trends and meet the people building the future. ABOUT WIRED WIRED brings you the future as it happens - the people, the trends, the big ideas that will change our lives. An award-winning printed monthly and online publication. WIRED is an agenda-setting magazine offering brain food on a wide range of topics, from science, technology and business to pop-culture and politics. CONNECT WITH WIRED Web: http://po.st/WiredVideo Twitter: http://po.st/TwitterWired Facebook: http://po.st/FacebookWired Google+: http://po.st/GoogleWired Instagram: http://po.st/InstagramWired Magazine: http://po.st/MagazineWired Newsletter: http://po.st/NewslettersWired

Speaking to BusinessLine at a farm on the outskirts of Aurangabad, Subhash Palekar, father of ZBNF, rebuts every criticism and allays every fear that have been raised

These teams will be given six months of mentorship, training and support besides up to ₹5 Lakh to develop their prototypes for sustainable and circular economy solutions

National Bureau of Economic Research

National Bureau of Economic Research

National Bureau of Economic Research