Group of 7 Meeting Ends Without Agreement on Climate Change

via The Global Warming Policy Forum (GWPF)
http://www.thegwpf.com

(TAORMINA, Sicily) — A summit of the leaders of the world’s wealthiest democracies has ended without a unanimous agreement on climate change, as the Trump administration plans to take more time to say whether the U.S. is going to remain in the Paris climate deal.

The other six powers in the Group of Seven have agreed to stick with their previous commitment to implement that Paris deal to rein in greenhouse gases to fight climate change. The final G-7 statement expresses “understanding” for the U.S. review process.

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via The Global Warming Policy Forum (GWPF) http://www.thegwpf.com

May 27, 2017 at 02:27AM

Germany’s Fake Heat: Media Calling A Few Hours Of 30+°C Weather ‘A Heat Wave’!

via NoTricksZone
http://notrickszone.com

This weekend Germany is getting its first summerlike weather (after having seen snow earlier in the month), with temperatures forecast to reach 30°C or more in some parts of Germany.

And already a number of media outlets and WetterOnline, for example, have announced that a “heat wave” will roll across the country over the coming days.

But as Schneefan at climate and weather site wobleibtdieerderwaermung.de points out, you really have got to wonder what the media and some weather outlets are thinking here. This all borders on real comedy.

Wetter online.de wrote:

Perfect timing: Precisely during what will be for many a long holiday weekend, the first heat wave of the year is rolling in. Already on Saturday along the Rhine area temperatures of 30°C are in the works. On Saturday and Monday it’ll be around 30°C hot everywhere...“

“Around 30°C hot”…, on Saturday and Monday? This is a heat wave?

“Meteorological nonsense”

Schneefan thinks it’s ridiculous, and calls it “meteorological nonsense” when one looks at the definition of a heat wave, provided by Wetteronline no less:

It is considered a heat wave when the high temperature reaches 30°C or more over five or more consecutive days.”

“That certainly isn’t going to happen in Germany at the end of May 2017,” Schneefan comments. “Two days of heat don’t make a heat wave, but they do cause waves from the media.”

30°C temperatures in fact spotty, short-lived

Looking at major cities across Germany, we see in fact that temperatures will be 30°C or higher only over a few hours during the “heat wave”. Berlin will see only about 5 hours of 30°C. Frankfurt will see some three days with temps reaching 30°C or higher, for a total of roughly 15 hours.

Munich and Hamburg aren’t going to see the 30°C mark at all during the year’s first “heat wave”. Hanover will see one day (Monday) with 30°C – for about a whopping whole 3 hours!

The 7-day outlook for the 2m temperature shows in fact rather substantial cooling across much of Europe:

The 7-day forecast shows cooling across much of Europe (blue color). Source: http://ift.tt/2aXzeBH

via NoTricksZone http://notrickszone.com

May 27, 2017 at 01:29AM

Paris climate commitment ‘crippling’ to US growth: White House

via Tallbloke’s Talkshop
http://ift.tt/1WIzElD

Decision time looks to be nearing on this issue, as Phys.org reports. Place your bets.

US compliance with its commitments under the Paris Agreement on climate change would be “crippling” to growth, the White House said Friday.

During his election campaign, avowed climate sceptic Donald Trump promised to exit the 2015 UN pact on limiting global warming.

But Trump has now said he will make a decision after returning to Washington following the G7 summit in Sicily which starts Friday, at the end of his international tour.

“We know that the levels that were agreed to by the prior administration would be highly crippling to the US economic growth,” Trump’s economic advisor Gary Cohn said.

“The president has told you that he’s going to ultimately make a decision on Paris and climate when he gets back. He’s interested to hear what the G7 leaders have to say about climate,” said Cohn, speaking aboard the presidential Air Force One. “It will be a fairly robust discussion on that. We know that because we had it today with the French president, we had it with the Belgians, we had it with all the bilaterals we’ve had,” he added.

Trump “wants to do the right thing for the environment. He cares about the environment. But he also cares very much about creating jobs for American workers,” said the adviser to a Republican president who has declared the end to a “war on coal”.

Under President Barack Obama, the US, with world’s second biggest carbon emitter, pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 26-28 percent below 2005 levels by 2025.

A solution discussed in Washington could be to remain in the Paris Agreement but launch a re-examination of US objectives. That would allow it to keep a seat at the negotiating table while sending a signal domestically of a form of break with the previous Democratic administration.

US withdrawal from the 196-nation Paris Agreement would be a real blow to “climate diplomacy” which, less than 18 months ago, celebrated the historic pact made possible by a hard-fought agreement negotiated between Washington and Beijing.

Source: Paris climate commitment ‘crippling’ to US growth: White House | Phys.org

via Tallbloke’s Talkshop http://ift.tt/1WIzElD

May 27, 2017 at 01:12AM

Solar Power Record–But What About The Winter?

via NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW THAT
http://ift.tt/16C5B6P

By Paul Homewood

We’ll no doubt see many headlines like this, every day we get a bit of sunshine this summer:

A record amount of solar power was generated on Friday as Britain basked in sunshine and temperatures of up to 28C, the National Grid has said.

It said 8.7 gigawatts (GW) had been generated at lunchtime, representing 24.3% of total generation across the UK.

The level tops the previous record of 8.48GW set on 10 May.

Duncan Burt, head of control room operations at National Grid, called it the "beginning of a new era".

"We now have significant volumes of renewable energy on the system," he said. "We also have the tools available to ensure we can balance supply and demand."

Alongside the contribution from solar, 23% of power came from nuclear sources, 30% from natural gas and just 1.4% from coal.

Wind, hydro power and biomass were also used.

A National Grid spokeswoman said the record level of solar power was achieved largely because of to the clear and sunny weather on Friday.

She added that it would have been significantly harder to reach if it had been cloudy.

Britain has been getting more of its energy from renewable sources such as wind and solar, as it seeks to meet European Union targets and phase out coal power plants.

However, environmentalists have criticised the government’s decision to cut subsidies to the solar power industry in 2015.

Hannah Martin, head of energy for Greenpeace in the UK, said: "Today’s new record is a reminder of what the UK could achieve if our government reversed its cuts to support for solar.

"All around the world, solar power keeps beating new records as costs come down and power generation goes up."

http://ift.tt/2qrcEtf

As usual with the BBC, they don’t tell you the full story. Although solar power peaked at 12.30, it quickly fell away, and by 5pm was only generating 4GW.

To make up for this variability, CCGT had to be ramped up and down.

http://ift.tt/2dAnfQh

Interestingly, according to the PV_Live website run by Sheffield University, installed capacity is 12.06 GW, so even the record peak yesterday only generated at 74% of capacity.

http://ift.tt/2dAnfQh

As for cloudy days, the chart below shows how irregular daily peak generation has been over the last month.

But the real story with solar power is that it produces virtually nothing during winter months, when power is most required.

Solar rarely got above 10 GWh/day during last December and January, averaging 8.6 GHW/day.

According to BEIS data, demand in Q1 averaged 1.03 TWh/day ( and doubtlessly would have peaked higher in January). In other words, solar power, at best, contributes 0.8% of demand in the depths of winter.

Given that no practical technology exists to store enough surplus solar power in summer months for use in winter, solar remains no more than an expensive irrelevance.

SOURCE

All charts from Sheffield Solar:

http://ift.tt/2dAnfQh

via NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW THAT http://ift.tt/16C5B6P

May 27, 2017 at 12:18AM