What’s Going On Here? On 10th June 2020, Britain marked the longest time (ever!) generating electricity without coal. What Does This Mean? When Britain went into lockdown, electricity demand plummeted to that of the 80’s (when there were 10 million less of us!). The National Grid forecasted a 20% fall below the normal level and right now our daily electricity demand profile on a weekday…
What’s Going On Here? This week, global oil price dipped below $16 a barrel for the first time since 1999. In the US, oil prices are negative for the first time ever at minus $37 a barrel! This means that oil producers (without access to storage space) actually began to pay customers to take barrels of the black stuff off their hands. What Does…
What’s Going On Here? Initial data from NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) estimates that levels of atmospheric methane, a gas that is 80x more powerful than CO2, has reached record levels. What Does This Mean? Methane, or CH4 to any keen chemists, is a greenhouse gas. It is only present in the atmosphere for 10 years, (as opposed to CO2 that can stay for…
What’s Going On Here? Sometimes good news comes from the most unexpected of places. So it was this week with a report leaked from JP Morgan that acknowledged, in no uncertain terms, the threat posed by climate change: “we cannot rule out catastrophic outcomes where human life as we know it is threatened” JPM’s economists warned their shareholders. What Does This Mean? Feel like…
What’s Going On Here? Technology has been developed to produce carbon-free energy from the sun, powerful enough to rival fossil fuels. This is the first time renewable energy has been able to be used for powering heavy industries, such as the manufacturing of concrete, steel and petrochemicals. What Does This Mean? The technology is called ‘concentrated solar power’. It works by using…
What’s Going On Here? On Friday, the government announced that they were banning fracking in the UK, effective immediately, to the delight of curious.earth and other green beans and environmentalists nationwide. But, it’s not a ban – it’s a halt What Does This Mean? Let’s start with the basics – what actually is fracking? It’s been in the media so much over the…
What’s Going On Here? Excess heat from the London Underground could be used to keep homes warm and toasty this winter. What Does This Mean? In a move that should get a warm welcome, over 450 homes and businesses in Islington (North London) are going to be kept cosy this winter by harnessing surplus heat from the Underground’s Northern line. If it…
What’s Going On Here? The falling costs of wind and solar energy will soon make UK renewable energy viable without subsidies. ⚡️ 2011: 1 UK Solar Megawatt typically cost £2.5m2018: 1 UK Solar Megawatt typically costs £0.7m The falling cost of UK renewable energy means that between now and 2030, an extra £20bn of investment is forecast in alternative energy projects in the UK…
What’s Going On Here? 2017 saw UK CO2 emissions drop to 1890 levels… yes Eighteen Ninety, back when the population was half the size and Queen Victoria was still strutting her stuff. The drop in CO2 emissions is the result of a 19% cut in COAL usage from 2016 levels. WoooWooo (or not in the case of train travel). Less coal use has seen an increase in the use…
