The mathematics behind the Ebola epidemic

The mathematics behind the Ebola epidemic
Zurich, Switzerland (SPX) Oct 11, 2014 - Researchers in the Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering at ETH Zurich have calculated new benchmark figures to precisely describe the Ebola epidemic in West Africa from a mathematical perspective. Their results may help health authorities to contain the epidemic. The Ebola epidemic in West Africa appears to be spiralling out of control. More than ever, local and global health a ... morehttp://www.terradaily.com/reports/The_mathematics_behind_the_Ebola_epidemic_999.html

ANS Update 10/10 They Harnessed the ATOM – the first Navy prototype nuclear plant

Updates from ANS Nuclear Cafe Blog

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They Harnessed the ATOM – the first Navy prototype nuclear plant By Will Davis on Oct 10, 2014 04:12 pm by Will Davis This past week, a remarkable article was printed in The Atlantic, which gave a full first-person account of the initial trial run of the STR Mark I nuclear prototype plant — the plant that paved the way … Continue reading → Read in browser » More to read: Nuclear Energy Blog Carnival 229 Changing How We Communicate Business focused approach to molten salt reactors Nuclear Energy Blog Carnival 228 Seven Decades Past, A New Dawn

ffshore Wind Power Can Save U.S. Billions On Electricity, Recent DOE Study Finds

http://theenergycollective.com/nrdcswitchboard/2131356/offshore-wind-power-can-save-us-billions-electricity-recent-doe-study-finds?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=The+Energy+Collective+%28all+posts%29

NOAA: Record Antarctic Sea Ice Growth Linked To Its Staggering Loss Of Land Ice

http://theenergycollective.com/josephromm/2137806/noaa-record-antarctic-sea-ice-growth-linked-its-staggering-loss-land-ice?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=The+Energy+Collective+%28all+posts%29

UBM India Announces the 6th Edition of India Nuclear Energy

http://www.prnewswire.co.in/news-releases/ubm-india-announces-the-6th-edition-of-india-nuclear-energy-278764641.html

How Oil & Gas Waste Became Exempt From Federal Regulation: A Timeline

Key event was in 1988, when the EPA decided to classify most oil and gas waste as 'non hazardous,' even though it contains dangerous chemicals.

http://insideclimatenews.org/carbon-copy/20141009/shift-low-carbon-economy-could-free-18-trillion-study-says

Shift to Low-Carbon Economy Could Free Up $1.8 Trillion, Study Says

Shift to Low-Carbon Economy Could Free Up $1.8 Trillion, Study Says

As governments, businesses and investors ponder a future in which the world moves away from fossil fuels to avert a climate crisis, the implications for the global economy are getting high-profile attention.

Read more.http://insideclimatenews.org/carbon-copy/20141009/shift-low-carbon-economy-could-free-18-trillion-study-says

What’s up with France over Nuclear?

What’s up with France over Nuclear?

http://neutronbytes.com/2014/10/11/whats-up-with-france-over-nuclear/

Republicans to Investigate Environmental Group’s Influence on Carbon Rule

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/11/us/republicans-to-investigate-environmental-groups-influence-on-carbon-rule.html

Republicans Accuse Environmental Group Of ‘Improper Influence’ Over EPA Carbon Rule

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2014/09/03/3478248/epa-nrdc-gop-improper-influence/

Has Cold Fusion Finally Been Conquered?

Has Cold Fusion Finally Been Conquered?
http://www.darkgovernment.com/news/has-cold-fusion-finally-been-conquered/

Andrea Rossi’s E-Cat — the device that purports to use cold fusion to
generate massive amounts of cheap, green energy – has been verified by
third-party researchers, according to a new 54-page report.

The researchers observed a small E-Cat over 32 days, where it produced net
energy of 1.5 megawatt-hours, or “far more than can be obtained from [...]

Radioactive Analysis for Underground Water at Fukushima Daiichi, Oct 9, 2014:

Radioactive Analysis for Underground Water at Fukushima Daiichi, Oct 9, 2014:

Radiological Fact Sheet; [It's] possible to dissolve Co-60… making it a potential inhalation or ingestion hazard… Inhaled Co-60 contamination can give high radiation dose to lungs… Ingested insoluble Co-60 can give high radiation dose to the intestinal tract, while soluble Co-60 distributes fairly evenly through the body… “hot” particles can give very high dose locally, in area of particle… 45% of Co-60 that enters the blood is evenly distributed through the body…http://www.tepco.co.jp/en/nu/fukushima-np/f1/smp/2014/images/2tb-east_14100902-e.pdf
Michael Maqua, nuclear expert and head of plant engineering at GRS, Oct. 10, 2014: Over the past days, the concentration of radioactive substances in the groundwater has increased significantly at some of the plant’s measuring points and, according to TEPCO, this was caused by the recent heavy rains… Contaminated water… is in fact constantly reaching sea water… caused, for example, by leakages in building structures http://www.dw.de/is-fukushima-capable-of-withstanding-a-super-typhoon/a-17987229

 

FOE’s manipulative legal strategy for closing nuclear reactors

http://atomicinsights.com/foes-manipulative-legal-strategy-closing-nuclear-reactors/

Nuclear deal was ‘lost in translation’

Nuclear deal was ‘lost in translation’

http://www.bdlive.co.za/business/energy/2014/10/09/nuclear-deal-was-lost-in-translation

Earthquake Safety Evaluations on Track for US Nuclear Plants

• Expedited evaluations confirm seismic safety at U.S. nuclear plants
• Reports will be submitted to the NRC in December
• Specialized risk studies are in the works for many plants

http://www.nei.org/News-Media/News/News-Archives/Earthquake-Safety-Evaluations-on-Track-for-US-Nucl

Deadline extension averts costly shutdown at Wolf Creek nuclear power plant

http://www.kansas.com/news/state/article2636088.html

Plan divides billions in closed nuke plant costs

http://www.mysanantonio.com/business/energy/article/Plan-divides-billions-in-closed-nuke-plant-costs-5813028.php

The Myth of the Polar Vortex: Winter Electricity Price Pressures and Response

The Myth of the Polar Vortex: Winter Electricity Price Pressures and Response.

http://yesvy.blogspot.com/2014/10/myth-of-polar-vortex-my-upcoming-webinar.html#.VDhklShCqvI

In many areas, electricity prices are set to rise rapidly this winter. Price increases of 30-50% have already been scheduled by several East Coast utilities.  Meredith Angwin has blogged about these price rises at Yes Vermont Yankee: she will give a webinar on this subject in early November.  (Note: the webinar has a registration fee.) 

Moniz Sees Financial Innovation Boosting Energy Security

http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2014/10/09/moniz-sees-financial-innovation-boosting-energy-security/

IHS Study: Diversity of United States Power Supply Could be Significantly Reduced in Coming Decades

http://press.ihs.com/press-release/energy-power/ihs-study-diversity-united-states-power-supply-could-be-significantly-red

Peter Thiel: We've Seen Innovation in Bits, But Not Enough in Atoms

http://forwardthinking.pcmag.com/none/328310-peter-thiel-we-ve-seen-innovation-in-bits-but-not-enough-in-atoms

The Global Warming Statistical Meltdown

Mounting evidence suggests that basic assumptions about climate change are mistaken: The numbers don’t add up.

http://m.wsj.com/articles/judith-curry-the-global-warming-statistical-meltdown-1412901060?mobile=y

Polish nuclear joint venture gets antitrust approval

Polish nuclear joint venture gets antitrust approval
Poland's Office of Competition and Consumer Protection has approved the formation of a joint venture between three utilities and a mining company to build the country’s first nuclear power plant.http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/articlepost.aspx?id=36612
 

Upgrade ultimatum for Swedish plants

Upgrade ultimatum for Swedish plants
A round of safety improvements to ensure core cooling in scenarios similar to those of the accident at Fukushima Daiichi have been announced by the Swedish regulator, which unusually made its statement in a newspaper article.http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/RS-Upgrade-ultimatum-for-Swedish-plants-1010141.html

All eyes on Hinkley

All eyes on Hinkley
The European Commission's decision that the revised UK support package for EDF's Hinkley Point C nuclear project is compatible with EU state aid rules does not necessarily provide an easy blueprint for subsequent projects. Other EU nuclear project sponsors and investors face a number of difficult issues that should be at the heart of planning for subsequent projects, write George Borovas, Nick Buckworth and James Webber.http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/E-All-eyes-on-Hinkley-10101401.html

China Wishes to Cooperate With Russia on Development of Fast Neutron Reactors

http://en.ria.ru/world/20141010/193912890/China-Wishes-to-Cooperate-With-Russia-on-Development-of-Fast.html

China welcomes EU approval of British nuclear plant

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/xinhua-news-agency/141010/china-welcomes-eu-approval-british-nuclear-plant

Research Article Study of an ADS Loaded with Thorium and Reprocessed Fuel

Science and Technology of Nuclear Installations
Volume 2012 (2012), Article ID 934105, 12 pages
http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/934105

Research Article
Study of an ADS Loaded with Thorium and Reprocessed Fuel
Graiciany de Paula Barros,1,2 Claubia Pereira,1,2 Maria A. F. Veloso,1,2 and Antonella L. Costa1,2

1Departamento de Engenharia Nuclear (DEN), Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Avenida Antonio Carlos 6627 Campus Pampulha, 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
2Instituto Nacional de Ciências e Tecnologia de Reatores Nucleares Inovadores/CNPq Rede Nacional de Fusão/FINEP, Brazil

Received 15 November 2011; Revised 13 February 2012; Accepted 14 February 2012

Academic Editor: Alberto Talamo

Copyright © 2012 Graiciany de Paula Barros et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Abstract

Accelerator-driven systems (ADSs) are investigated for long-lived fission product transmutation and fuel regeneration. The aim of this paper is to investigate the nuclear fuel evolution and the neutronic parameters of a lead-cooled accelerator-driven system used for fuel breeding. The fuel used in some fuel rods was for production. In the other fuel rods was used a mixture based upon Pu-MA, removed from PWR-spent fuel, reprocessed by GANEX, and finally spiked with thorium or depleted uranium. The use of reprocessed fuel ensured the use of without the initial requirement of enrichment. In this paper was used the Monte Carlo code MCNPX 2.6.0 that presents the depletion/burnup capability, combining an ADS source and kcode-mode (for criticality calculations). The multiplication factor () evolution, the neutron energy spectra in the core at BOL, and the nuclear fuel evolution during the burnup were evaluated. The results indicated that the combined use of and reprocessed fuel allowed production without the initial requirement of enrichment. http://www.hindawi.com/journals/stni/2012/934105/

Petition: Build the Next Generation Nuclear Plant prototype, as mandated by the Energy Policy Act of 2005.

 

we petition the obama administration to:

Build the Next Generation Nuclear Plant prototype, as mandated by the Energy Policy Act of 2005.

The Next Generation Nuclear Plant was a program to design and build an advanced reactor in the US. After looking through various designs, the High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor was selected for it's increased safety, minimization of proliferation risks, ability to address environmental challenges, and it is "the most likely to be deployed and commercialized in the near term".
The Energy Policy Act of 2005 mandates that an advanced reactor prototype be built, but in 2011 the Department of Energy told Congress it would not proceed with building a prototype at the current time. The Government Accountability Office Criticized this approach and the lack of progress in the report linked below.
We petition to finish designing and build an advanced reactor.
www.gao.gov/assets/670/664298.pdf

https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/build-next-generation-nuclear-plant-prototype-mandated-energy-policy-act-2005/j3C9xRfH

Do Politicians Care About Nuclear Matters?

Comment Now

Follow Comments

Why don’t politicians ever talk about nuclear energy? Except for Nikki Haley or Barbara Boxer firing up their bases, there is no serious political discussion about nuclear power. And when there is, it’s all fear and doom, contrary to reality.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesconca/2014/10/10/do-politicians-care-about-nuclear-matters/

South Korean town votes no to nuclear plant

http://www.power-eng.com/articles/2014/10/south-korean-town-votes-no-to-nuclear-plant.html

Nuclear Science Week Oct. 20-24

Nuclear Science Week Oct. 20-24

ANS supports Nuclear Science Week coordinated through the National Museum of Nuclear Science and History, a Smithsonian Affiliate.
The annual, week-long,  celebration is observed  this year from  October 20-24.
Each day of the week, participating organizations across the United States will promote different aspects of nuclear science:

• Monday, October 20:  Get to know nuclear
• Tuesday, October 21:  Careers in the nuclear fields
• Wednesday, October 22:  Nuclear energy generation
• Thursday, October 23:  Nuclear safety
• Friday, October 24:  Nuclear medicine

http://nuclearconnect.org/in-the-classroom/for-teachers/national-nuclear-science-week

German Minister Slams U.K. Subsidy for Atomic Reactor

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-10-10/german-minister-slams-u-k-subsidy-for-atomic-reactor.html

Z machine makes progress toward nuclear fusion

http://news.sciencemag.org/physics/2014/10/z-machine-makes-progress-toward-nuclear-fusion

Why is the Arctic at the Center of World Politics?

Why is the Arctic at the Center of World Politics?

Posted: 10 Oct 2014 01:00 AM PDT

News coverage of the Arctic has been growing with the rising importance of the region in recent years. The focus of international politics often tends to revolve around energy security within the context of a global scramble for resources to keep individual countries’ economic growth engines humming.read morehttp://theenergycollective.com/roman-kilisek/2125651/why-arctic-center-world-politics

Britain's First Nuclear Power Plant In A Generation Isn't A Great Deal, But Neither Are The Alternatives

Britain's First Nuclear Power Plant In A Generation Isn't A Great Deal, But Neither Are The Alternatives

Posted: 09 Oct 2014 08:59 PM PDT

The European Commission announced that Britain's first new nuclear power plant for over twenty years does not violate state aid laws, and it now appears certain that it will be built. Hinkley C has been described as the "most expensive power plant ever built" by the usual assortment of green voices.read morehttp://theenergycollective.com/robertwilson190/2140086/hinkley-point-nuclear-power-station-isnt-great-neither-are-alternatives

WSJ Gets it Wrong on 'Why Peak Oil Predictions Haven't Come True'

WSJ Gets it Wrong on 'Why Peak Oil Predictions Haven't Come True'

Posted: 10 Oct 2014 06:00 AM PDT

The Wall Street Journal published “Why Peak Oil Predictions Haven’t Come True, which seems to say there are two possible outcomes: The peak oil version of what to expect from oil limits is correct, or diminishing returns can and are being put off by technological progress. But a third outcome is actually happening.read morehttp://theenergycollective.com/gail-tverberg/2116476/wsj-gets-it-wrong-why-peak-oil-predictions-haven-t-come-true

SA – French nuclear power agreement to be signed

http://www.biznews.com/green/renewable/2014/10/sa-french-nuclear-power-agreement-signed/

Nuclear power plant construction in Turkey to begin in early 2015 – Minister

http://en.trend.az/business/finance/2320707.html

Modern nuclear power plants seen as key to energy future

http://www.kyivpost.com/content/business/modern-nuclear-power-plants-seen-as-key-to-energy-future-367533.html

SCE launches fourth round of solicitations via Solar PV Program

SCE launches fourth round of solicitations via Solar PV Program

http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/PUC/Templates/RPS.aspx?NRMODE=Published&NRNODEGUID={5C37AA16-4349-4EFC-AE5D-1597AD1DB13E}&NRORIGINALURL=%2fPUC%2fenergy%2fRenewables%2fhot%2fUtility%2bPV%2bPrograms.htm&NRCACHEHINT=Guest#SCE

Southern California Edison (SCE) has issues its fourth Request for Offers (RFO) to procure electricity from independent power producers as part of its Solar Photovoltaic Program (SPVP).
The program, which began in 2010, is designed to encourage energy production from rooftop-mounted solar photovoltaic facilities between 500 kW and 10 MW. As part of this solicitation, SCE is seeking up to 63 MW of direct current power based on the economics of the offers.
"SCE is committed to delivering clean energy to our customers. As a leader in renewable energy, SCE encourages the production of solar photovoltaic power within our service area and through this program we continue making progress toward California's Renewables Portfolio Standard goal of delivering 33 percent renewable power," said Nicole Neeman Brady, SCE's director of Energy Procurement. "This RFO helps provide renewable emission-free energy to our customers. We look forward to receiving offers from across our service area, particularly from central and southern Orange County."
Since its inception in 2010, SCE's program has been buying energy from solar photovoltaic generating facilities using a standard power purchase agreement with a 20-year term.
Last year, 21.6 percent of the energy provided by SCE came from renewable sources -- of which 1 billion kilowatt-hours was in the form of solar energy, avoiding emissions of 444,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide.
For more:
- visit this website 
Related Article:
SCE maintaining diversity in energy portfolio

PSEG raising green energy awareness in CT

http://www.fierceenergy.com/story/pseg-raising-green-energy-awareness-ct/2014-10-10?utm_medium=nl&utm_source=internal

Ontario invests wisely in nuclear

http://www.fierceenergy.com/story/ontario-invests-wisely-nuclear/2014-10-10?utm_medium=nl&utm_source=internal

Senators cite concerns with nuclear investigations

http://www.sacbee.com/2014/10/09/6772719/senators-cite-concerns-with-nuclear.html

Wyoming considers regulating uranium industry

1

Wyoming Legislature

Enlarge Photo

Wyoming legislators aired a draft bill Thursday that would transfer oversight of the local uranium industry to state regulators.
The move is the first in a years-long process to obtain what is known as "agreement state status." The Nuclear Regulatory Commission regulates uranium mining but will transfer oversight to states that seek the responsibility.

•  By BENJAMIN STORROW Star-Tribune staff writerhttp://trib.com/business/energy/wyoming-considers-regulating-uranium-industry/article_f052c37a-267a-548e-8e8c-a07d11471c5e.html

Democrats tell feds to crack down on illegal drilling

http://fuelfix.com/blog/2014/10/10/democrats-tell-feds-to-crack-down-on-illegal-drilling/

Report: Texas oil juggernaut threatened by feds, environmentalists

http://fuelfix.com/blog/2014/10/09/report-texas-oil-juggernaut-threatened-by-feds-environmentalists/

Energy secretary warns of climate threats to Ship Channel industries

http://fuelfix.com/blog/2014/10/09/energy-secretary-warns-of-climate-threats-to-ship-channel-industries/

The Vast Benefits Of Energy Efficiency: New York Times Op-Ed Confuses The Facts

http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2014/10/09/3578131/misleading-nyt-energy-efficiency-op-ed/

Video Day: Molten Salt Thorium Reactor

Yes Vermont Yankee

Video Day: The Molten Salt Thorium Reactor by Meredith Angwin, 3 hours ago Cheerful Nuclear Video for FridayThis is a nice little pro-nuclear video, which ends with a push for the development of molten salt thorium reactors. One of th.. Yes Vermont Yankee Video Day: The Molten Salt Thorium Reactor by Meredith Angwin, 3 hours ago Cheerful Nuclear Video for FridayThis is a nice little pro-nuclear video, which ends with a push for the development of molten salt thorium reactors. One of th..

Plans for Gujarat's nuclear power plant 'ripped apart' over green issues

 Plans for Gujarat's nuclear power plant 'ripped apart' over green issues  

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/indiahome/indianews/article-2785596/Plans-Gujarat-s-nuclear-power-plant-ripped-apart-green-issues.html

Russia to use pensions funds for Rosatom-funded nuclear plant in Finland

Russia will use about one fourth of its National Welfare Fund resources for infrastructure projects including the controversial Rosatom-funded Fennovoima nuclear reactor in Pyhäjoki, Finland.

http://yle.fi/uutiset/russia_to_use_pensions_funds_for_rosatom-funded_nuclear_plant_in_finland/7516625

Ten Reasons why People who Support Wind Farms Are Deluded, Criminal or Insane. Which One Are You, Vince Cable?

http://www.breitbart.com/Breitbart-London/2014/10/08/Ten-reasons-why-people-who-support-wind-farms-are-deluded-criminal-or-insane-Which-one-are-you-Vince-Cable

Uncertain future facing new Nordic nuclear projects

Uncertain future facing new Nordic nuclear projects

Posted on October 5, 2014 by djysrv

It is not a good time politically to be a promoter of a building a new nuclear reactor in Finland or Sweden

http://neutronbytes.com/2014/10/05/uncertain-future-facing-new-nordic-nuclear-projects/

Constellation Says Ginna Reactor Will Close if Power Contract Not Renewed

Constellation Says Ginna Reactor Will Close if Power Contract Not Renewed

http://nuclearstreet.com/nuclear_power_industry_news/b/nuclear_power_news/archive/2014/10/09/constellation-says-ginna-reactor-will-close-if-power-contract-not-renewed-100902.aspx#.VDcdk-dTT5g

Japan needs a national debate on nuclear risks, ex-U.S. regulator says

Kyodo

Japan needs to hold a national debate on what nuclear power-related risks are acceptable before it restarts reactors idled after the 2011 Fukushima meltdowns, a former top official with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission said.
“There has to be a national dialogue on the level of risk acceptable for people, because in the end, the people of any country determine” what risks they are willing to accept, said Charles Casto, who advised Japan on behalf of the U.S. government in the wake of the March 2011 Fukushima No. 1 meltdown crisis.
“The elected officials may believe they have control of that, but . . . the people will stand up if they don’t accept the level of risk,” he told a press conference in Tokyo on Wednesday.

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2014/10/09/national/japan-needs-national-debate-nuclear-risks-ex-u-s-regulator-says/#.VDcdJ-dTT5h

How N.C. nuclear reactors can safely treat used fuel

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2014/10/01/5213424/how-nc-nuclear-reactors-can-safely.html#.VDccOedTT5h

NASA Study Finds Earth's Ocean Abyss Has Not Warmed

NASA Study Finds Earth's Ocean Abyss Has Not Warmed
Pasadena CA (JPL) Oct 07, 2014 - The cold waters of Earth's deep ocean have not warmed measurably since 2005, according to a new NASA study, leaving unsolved the mystery of why global warming appears to have slowed in recent years. Scientists at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, analyzed satellite and direct ocean temperature data from 2005 to 2013 and found the ocean abyss below 1.24 miles (1,995 ... morehttp://www.spacedaily.com/reports/NASA_Study_Finds_Earths_Ocean_Abyss_Has_Not_Warmed_999.html

Antarctic Sea Ice Reaches New Record Maximum by Staff Writers

 Antarctic Sea Ice Reaches New Record Maximum by Staff Writers Greenbelt MD (SPX) Oct 08, 2014

On Sept. 19, 2014, the five-day average of Antarctic sea ice extent exceeded 20 million square kilometers for the first time since 1979, according to the National Snow and Ice Data Center. The red line shows the average maximum extent from 1979-2014. Image courtesy NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio/Cindy Starr. For a larger version of this image please go here. Watch a video on the research here.

Sea ice surrounding Antarctica reached a new record high extent this year, covering more of the southern oceans than it has since scientists began a long-term satellite record to map sea ice extent in the late 1970s. The upward trend in the Antarctic, however, is only about a third of the magnitude of the rapid loss of sea ice in the Arctic Ocean.

http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Antarctic_Sea_Ice_Reaches_New_Record_Maximum_999.html

EDF: HPC EPR walkthrough

HPC EPR walkthrough

http://newsroom.edfenergy.com/Media-Library/HPC-EPR-walkthrough-bd.aspx?sf5108658=1

U.S.-Vietnam nuclear cooperation agreement now in force

http://www.power-eng.com/articles/2014/10/u-s-vietnam-nuclear-cooperation-agreement-now-in-force.html

NRC overlooked San Onofre steam generator problem

The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) missed an opportunity during an inspection in 2009 to note design changes to the faulty steam generators that eventually led to Southern California Edison's decision four years later to close the San Onofre nuclear plant, the agency's Office of Inspector General (OIG) said.


http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/RS-NRC-overlooked-San-Onofre-steam-generator-problem-09101401.html

Global energy efficiency market ‘an invisible powerhouse’ worth at least USD 310 billion per year

IEA report sees energy efficiency finance becoming established market segment in its own right

8 October 2014   Verona, Italy

The global energy efficiency market is worth at least USD 310 billion a year and growing, according to a new report from the International Energy Agency that confirms the position of energy efficiency as the world’s “first fuel”. The report also finds that energy efficiency finance is becoming an established market segment, with innovative new products and standards helping to overcome risks and bringing stability and confidence to the market.

“Energy efficiency is the invisible powerhouse in IEA countries and beyond, working behind the scenes to improve our energy security, lower our energy bills and move us closer to reaching our climate goals,” IEA Executive Director Maria van der Hoeven said at the Verona Efficiency Summit as she launched the IEA’s Energy Efficiency Market Report 2014.

The annual report, now in its second year, shows that investments in energy efficiency are helping to improve energy productivity – the amount of energy needed to produce a unit of GDP. Among 18 IEA countries evaluated in the report, total final energy consumption was down 5% between 2001 and 2011 primarily as a result of investments in energy efficiency. Cumulative avoided energy consumption over the decade from energy efficiency in IEA countries was 1 732 million tonnes of oil equivalent – larger than the energy demand of the United States and Germany combined in 2012.

Previous IEA analysis has shown that energy efficiency is not just a hidden fuel but is also the “first fuel” in the IEA’s largest economies. This year’s report shows that energy efficiency investments over the past four decades have avoided more energy consumption than the total final consumption of the European Union in 2011. Efficiency investments and policies are reducing a continent’s worth of energy demand in a time when fast-developing economies are adding energy demand to the global energy system.

Indeed, the report reveals that huge potential for energy efficiency exists in emerging economies outside the OECD, with efficient vehicles and transport infrastructure a major opportunity. The IEA estimates that efficiency can reduce up to USD 190 billion in fuel costs in transport globally by 2020 and can help alleviate local air pollution and even address critical congestion issues in rapidly developing urban transport systems. 

According to the IEA, some 40% of the global energy efficiency market is financed with debt and equity, meaning that the financial market for energy efficiency is in the range of USD 120 billion per year. The number of products and the volume of finance have greatly expanded in recent years, with green bonds, corporate green bonds, energy performance contracts, private commitments, carbon and climate finance, and multilateral development banks and bilateral banks all offering expanded sources of finance for energy efficiency improvements. Bilateral and multilateral lending alone amounted to more than USD 22 billion in 2012.

“Energy efficiency is moving from a niche interest to an established market segment with increasing interest from institutional lenders and investors,” said the IEA Executive Director. “As energy efficiency is essential to meeting our climate goals while supporting economic growth, the increasing use of finance is a welcome development. To fully expand this market, initiatives to continue to reduce barriers will need to strengthen.”

Energy efficiency represents the most important plank in efforts to decarbonise the global energy system and achieve the world’s climate objectives: in the IEA scenario consistent with limiting the long-term increase in global temperatures to no more than 2 degrees Celsius, the biggest share of emissions reductions – 40% – comes from energy efficiency.

Energy Efficiency Market Report 2014 is on sale at the IEA bookshop. Accredited journalists who would like more information or who wish to receive a complimentary copy should contact ieapressoffice@iea.org.

Download the following resources:

• Executive Summary
• Executive Director Maria van der Hoeven's speech at the launch
• The slides that accompanied the launch
• Energy Efficiency Market Report 2014 factsheet‌.

About the IEA
The International Energy Agency (IEA) is an autonomous organisation which works to ensure reliable, affordable and clean energy for its 29 member countries and beyond. Founded in response to the 1973/4 oil crisis, the IEA’s initial role was to help countries co-ordinate a collective response to major disruptions in oil supply through the release of emergency oil stocks to the markets. While this continues to be a key aspect of its work, the IEA has evolved and expanded. It is at the heart of global dialogue on energy, providing reliable and unbiased research, statistics, analysis and recommendations.

Photo: © GraphicObsession

http://www.iea.org/newsroomandevents/pressreleases/2014/october/global-energy-efficiency-market-an-invisible-powerhouse-at-least-usd-310byr.html

Nukes And Coal: The Surprising Clean Energy Bridge to Obama's Low Carbon Future

The Clean Power Plan proposed by the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on June 2 seems to have sliced the country down the middle. We have green Democrats, climate change action proponents, and environmentalists on one side, and pro-coal Republicans and Democrats, red-meat Republicans, and Chamber of Commerce types—or ‘business,’ if you prefer—on the other.
But I don’t buy this grim, Manichean worldview; we can find some common ground if we change our mentality towards two low-carbon superstars: nuclear power and coal plants that use carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelkrancer/2014/09/23/nukes-and-coal-the-surprising-clean-energy-bridge-to-obamas-low-carbon-future/

SSEB Supports Fuel Diversity, Nuclear Role in CO2 Reduction

• Southern states recognize that fuel diversity ensures electric system reliability
• Board calls for EPA carbon rule to be flexible and acknowledge role of nuclear
• NEI’s Mike McGarey elected chairman of SSEB Associate Members Program

http://www.nei.org/News-Media/News/News-Archives/SSEB-Supports-Fuel-Diversity,-Nuclear-Role-in-CO2

Tell Susan G. Komen Don’t Frack With Our Health

TAKE ACTION:

Tell Susan G. Komen Don’t Frack With Our Health

Fracking is a toxic process—at least 25 percent of the more than 700 chemicals used in fracking are linked to cancer.

Sign and share this petition to tell Susan G. Komen, "Don't Frack With Our Health."http://ecowatch.com/petition/susan-g-komen-dont-frack-health/?utm_source=EcoWatch+List&utm_campaign=8fd99bf149-Top_News_10_9_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_49c7d43dc9-8fd99bf149-85923965

Breakthrough Institute Quarterly Newsletter

Lessons from the Shale Revolution Conference What can the shale revolution teach us about innovation in the 21st century? In late January, Breakthrough will host a two-day conference, with support from the Pritzker Innovation Fund and the Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation, that aims to illuminate answers. Shale gas historians, analysts, and the founders of the shale revolution will gather to discuss the history and development of the shale revolution in order to gain an understanding of its key conditions and drivers. Confirmed guests include former Sandia executives Norm Warpinski and David Northrop, Dan Steward formerly of Mitchell Energy, and energy scholar Roger Fouquet of the London School of Economics. Breakthrough Dialogue 2015: "The Good Anthropocene" Announced Debate over whether we ought to embrace, mourn, or possibly reject the arrival of the Anthropocene has stirred critical responses from an array of environmentalists. The 5th annual Breakthrough Dialogue – themed “The Good Anthropocene" – will focus on how we can construct a positive vision of our environmental future. This year’s Dialogue is slated for June 21-23, 2015, at the picturesque Cavallo Point in Sausalito. Ruth DeFries, author of The Big Ratchet: How Humans Thrive in Face of Natural Disasters, is the recipient of the Breakthrough Paradigm Award, and will be interviewed at the opening night dinner by journalist Meera Subramanian. Panel topics such as “What is modern in ecomodernism?” and “Who cares about wild nature?” will feature speakers such as Bruno Latour, Jim Sterba, and Oliver Morton. We look forward to lively discussion and fantastic company! World Leaders Embrace Our High-Energy Planet From sub-Saharan Africa to China, leaders from developing and industrializing nations have made clear that greater access to cheap energy – whether clean or dirty – is a top priority. Breakthrough’s report Our High-Energy Planet, released in June, argued that the global poor would require far greater levels of energy to achieve their development goals, and that institutions ought to plan for a high-energy planet. Some environmental organizations continued to promote far too modest energy access levels: a Sierra Club report implied that the world’s poor would consume just 0.15 percent of the average Californian. Low-power and expensive renewables like solar may serve to only perpetuate energy poverty, wrote Fred Pearce in New Scientist, and, as evidenced by the US-African Leaders Summit, world leaders are under no such illusion. "If some people have taken a position where we say no coal, no nuclear, no hydro, then we're really not serious," said World Bank President Jim Kim.  The Obama Administration's Climate Pragmatism For nearly two decades, Breakthrough and allies have argued that bottom-up measures to make clean energy cheap and help societies become more resilient to climate change will have much higher traction than international agreements and treaties. In the past several months, the Obama administration has shown a commitment to “climate pragmatism” with strategies that align with the long-term trend toward using cleaner and more efficient technologies. In a major speech at the Utah Energy Summit in June, Breakthrough Chairman Ted Nordhaus showed how the EPA’s proposed pollution limits were largely enabled by the transition from dirty coal to cheap, cleaner natural gas. That transition would not have been possible without the US government’s crucial role in the shale revolution, which has appealed to conservatives. In the New York Times, Breakthrough cofounders Michael Shellenberger and Ted Nordhaus argued that a positive, pragmatic vision will unite and motivate the Left and Right on climate. 10 Years After "The Death of Environmentalism," Ecomodernism Flourishes In fall 2004, Breakthrough cofounders Michael Shellenberger and Ted Nordhaus set off a firestorm when they declared that environmentalism must die so that a new kind of environmentalism could live. Ten years later, Breakthrough Institute has cultivated a new environmental movement – called ecomodernism – that argues we can simultaneously address human development goals and the protection of our beautiful, wild planet. At the Breakthrough Dialogue, our Director of Research Linus Blomqvist outlined a positive vision for how humans can use more energy to shrink their footprint and leave more space for nature – called decoupling. Days before, about 20 environmental thinkers and leaders gathered to outline a framework for building an ecomodernist movement that embraces technology’s importance to saving nature. In September, Matthew Nisbet profiled how ecomodernists shape the public discourse differently than ‘ecological activists’ and ‘smart growth reformers.’  Environmental Moderates Voice Support for Nuclear In the past several months, more and more environmental moderates have come out in support of nuclear as a climate solution, countering the green argument that nuclear is unnecessary because we have renewables and energy efficiency. Last November, four leading climate scientists urged leaders to reconsider their opposition to nuclear on the grounds that “in the real world, there is no credible path to climate stabilization that does not include a substantial role for nuclear power.” Since then, key environmental moderates and liberals, including The Nature Conservancy's Mark Tercek, have also voiced support. “As climate change became a larger and larger issue, I realized I couldn’t continue to have my earlier position on nuclear,” said former EPA Administrator Carol Browner in an interview with Breakthrough. In May, the New York Times Editorial Board called nuclear “a vital source of clean energy in a warming world.”  Upcoming Speaking Engagements & Events Lewis & Clark College’s Annual Environmental Affairs Symposium “We the Anthropos,” co-hosted by the Breakthrough Institute, will take place October 14-16. Senior Fellow Paul Robbins will give the keynote speech. Events are free and open to the public. Jessica Lovering, Senior Energy Analyst, will speak on and moderate a panel at the 2014 Nuclear Science Week in Seattle, Washington on October 16-17. Click here to register for the event. News and Updates Breakthrough released its report Lighting, Electricity, Steel: Energy Efficiency Rebound in Emerging Economies on October 6. The report was authored by Breakthrough Generation Fellows Max Luke, Amy Meyer, and Alex Trembath, Senior Fellow Harry Saunders, Ted Nordhaus, and Michael Shellenberger.  Ruth DeFries, Denning Professor of Sustainable Development at Columbia University, was announced as the 2015 Paradigm Award Winner.  Seven Breakthrough Generation Fellows completed their 10-week research fellowships in August with a presentation to an audience of 33 friends and allies. Breakthrough welcomes 2014 Generation Fellows Seigi Karasaki and Arthur Yip as full-time analysts in the Research Department. Breakthrough also welcomed Cassie Brunelle, who is now Operations and Development Manager. Grace Emery, our new Administrative and Events Assistant, joined Breakthrough in early September. Breakthrough bid farewell to long-time staff member Ruchira Shah, who held multiple positions in the organization but was most recently Director of Development, Events, and Operations. Ruchira now works at Solar City. Breakthrough also said goodbye to Mark Caine, formerly the managing editor of Breakthrough Journal, who now works with the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office. Breakthrough redesigned part of its website – now called “Issues” – so that readers can navigate content by subject areas. We are continuing to build the new pages, but check out our progress here.

Guest Post by Michael Shellenberger: Why Energy Efficiency Can Increase Energy Consumption in Poor Countries

Over the last several decades there has been a broad consensus that energy efficiency is a cheap and easy way to reduce carbon emissions. Make our cars and light bulbs more efficient, the thinking went, and energy use will go down. 

The Breakthrough: Why Energy Efficiency Can Increase Energy Consumption in Poor Countries
But behind the scenes, a growing group of energy researchers were quietly discovering a more complicated reality. In making driving and lighting more efficient — and thus cheaper — people in many situations drove more, and used more lighting. Indeed, basic economics suggests that a lower price may increase demand — at least sometimes and in some places.
This is the subject of a new Breakthrough Institute report (Lighting, Electricity, Steel: Energy Efficiency Backfire in Emerging Economies), and a new New York Times oped (and below) by the two of us in today's paper.
Our oped praises the Nobel scientists who helped invent ultraefficient LED lighting. LEDs will benefit the world's poor, and continue to illuminate our televisions, computers, and iPhones. But it would be a mistake to think that energy efficient lighting and similar technologies will dramatically reduce overall global energy consumption.
To be sure, in rich nations, many of us are actually trying to drive less and turn off our lights. Recent efficiency improvements to cars in the United States, Europe, and Japan are reducing US petroleum consumption. But only modestly. And even here, 75 percent of efficiency improvements in automobiles have been dedicated to greater power, not lower fuel consumption.
And most of the world isn't rich. The five billion people around the world who haven't achieved modern living standards are going to consume more heating, cooling, and lighting. They are going to own and drive cars. They are going to consume growing quantities of consumer goods. And the nations they live in are going to build modern housing, roads, sewers, and other infrastructure. More efficient technologies will help accelerate all of those trends.
In Lighting, Electricity, Steel, co-written by Max Luke, Amy Meyer, Harry Saunders, and Alex Trembath, we point to strong historical evidence that more efficient lighting, electricity, and steel production — three major users of energy — allowed for far higher (more than 100 percent) consumption than would have occurred without the efficiency improvements.
Efficient, and thus cheaper, lighting turns out to be very important for human development. It allows factories stay open 24/7. It makes city streets safe for women and children to go to and from work and school. More efficient lighting, like more efficient vehicles, allows developing economies to grow more rapidly.
As such, in those situations, energy efficiency may allow, or encourage, energy consumption to grow. This was the case for today's rich countries. Over the past two centuries in Britain, the cost of lighting declined by a factor of 3,000.
In response to prodding from leading energy scholars and by Breakthrough Institute, the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change have now both formally acknowledged that rebound is likely to be much higher than previously assumed in energy and climate mitigation analyses.
Rebound effects "cannot be ignored," IPCC authors wrote in the Panel's most recent report on mitigation.
To their credit, the IEA and IPCC both acknowledge in their reports what the scholarly literature has long shown, that rebound could be more than 50 percent globally. Both reports note that rebound is highest in poor but rapidly developing countries where growth in energy consumption is high — and where the bulk of the 21st century's carbon emissions will come from. And IEA even cited Breakthrough's 2011 literature review, Energy Emergence, in its recent report.
At the same time, in both its modeling of future energy demand, and in its public relations, the IEA continues to grossly misrepresent the size of rebound.
In its 2012 World Energy Outlook, the IEA claims that total rebound from all energy efficiency policies is just 9 percent overall — without accounting for differences across sectors or economies. "I don't know how they can say that," Karen Turner, a leading rebound researcher, told the Breakthrough Institute. "A 9 percent average seems too low given what we know about macroeconomic rebound effects," added another researcher, Steve Sorrell, "as well as the much higher rebound effects in developing countries."
With a global rebound rate of 9 percent incorporated into their climate stabilization scenario, which projects carbon dioxide at 450 parts per million, the IEA estimates that various energy efficiency measures will reduce carbon dioxide by roughly 2.3 billion tons per year by 2020 and 7.1 billion tons annually by 2035.
The best available research, however, suggests that rebound is far more significant.
Using macroeconomic models, Terry Barker, an economist and director of the Cambridge Centre for Climate Change Mitigation Research, estimated the total global rebound effect — comprising direct, indirect, and economy-wide rebound — to be 31 percent by 2020, rising to 52 percent by 2030, given all IEA efficiency recommendations are implemented.
Breakthrough's Alex Trembath found that rebound at the range of 60 percent globally would require vastly more clean energy — the equivalent of 19 Australias worth of clean energy — to meet United Nations targets.  
Over the next century, five billion people are increasingly going to enjoy the modern, high-energy lives most of us take for granted. Perhaps they won't consume as much energy as we in the developed West consume. But global energy consumption will rise significantly, perhaps as much as three times today's levels by the end of this century. That will happen even — and especially — with a lot of energy efficiency.
As such, if we are to be serious about reducing greenhouse gas emissions, we need to remain focused on the main event: transitioning to cleaner forms of energy.

— Michael and Ted

The Problem With Energy Efficiency

OAKLAND, Calif. — ON Tuesday, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awarded the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physics to three researchers whose work contributed to the development of a radically more efficient form of lighting known as light-emitting diodes, or LEDs.

In announcing the award, the academy said, “Replacing light bulbs and fluorescent tubes with LEDs will lead to a drastic reduction of electricity requirements for lighting.” The president of the Institute of Physics noted: “With 20 percent of the world’s electricity used for lighting, it’s been calculated that optimal use of LED lighting could reduce this to 4 percent.”
The winners, Shuji Nakamura, an American, and Isamu Akasaki and Hiroshi Amano, both from Japan, justly deserve their Nobel, and should be commended for creating a technology that produces the same amount of light with less energy.
But it would be a mistake to assume that LEDs will significantly reduce overall energy consumption.
LED’s are but the latest breakthrough in lighting efficiency. Consider the series of accelerated lighting revolutions ushered in by the Industrial Revolution. In the early and mid-1800s, for instance, “town gas” made from coal was developed and used to illuminate streetlights. Whale oil became the preferred indoor lighting fuel for upper-income Americans until it was replaced by more efficient kerosene lamps. And then, finally, in the late 19th century, the electric light bulb emerged.
Along the way, demand would rise for these new technologies and increase as new ways were found to use them. This led to more overall energy consumption.
From outer space, you can see the results of this long progression of illumination. More and more of the planet is dotted with clusters of lights.
There is no reason to think that the trend lines for demand for LED lighting will be any different, especially as incomes rise and the desire for this cheaper technology takes hold in huge, emerging economies like China, India and Nigeria, where the sheer volume of the demand will be likely to trump the efficiency gains.
Energy-efficient lighting has been, without question, a boon for economic development. Over the past two centuries, the real cost of illumination in Britain has declined by a factor of 3,000, largely because of efficiency improvements, according to the researchers Roger Fouquet of the London School of Economics and Peter J. G. Pearson of Imperial College, London. This cheap lighting technology is used today not just to light our streets, workplaces and homes but for televisions, computers and cellphones.
These productivity improvements are a primary driver of long-term economic growth. Especially in developing economies, cheap, energy-efficient lighting will almost certainly allow poor people to bring modern lighting into their homes much faster than they otherwise would. And that will almost certainly result in faster growth in energy demand globally.
The growing evidence that low-cost efficiency often leads to faster energy growth was recently considered by both the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the International Energy Agency. They concluded that energy savings associated with new, more energy efficient technologies were likely to result in significant “rebounds,” or increases, in energy consumption. This means that very significant percentages of energy savings will be lost to increased energy consumption.
The I.E.A. and I.P.C.C. estimate that the rebound could be over 50 percent globally. Recent estimates and case studies have suggested that in many energy-intensive sectors of developing economies, energy-saving technologies may backfire, meaning that increased energy consumption associated with lower energy costs because of higher efficiency may in fact result in higher energy consumption than there would have been without those technologies.
That’s not a bad thing. Most people in the world, still struggling to achieve modern living standards, need to consume more energy, not less. Cheap LED and other more efficient energy technologies will be overwhelmingly positive for people and economies all over the world.
But LED and other ultraefficient lighting technologies are unlikely to reduce global energy consumption or reduce carbon emissions. If we are to make a serious dent in carbon emissions, there is no escaping the need to shift to cleaner sources of energy.

____________

Michael Shellenberger, President, Breakthrough Institute

436 14th St, Suite 820 :: Oakland, CA 94612

cell (best): 415-309-4200 :: office: 510.550.8800 x355 :: Skype: Shellenberger

My assistant is Cassie Brunelle, cassie@thebreakthrough.org

http://www.thebreakthrough.org/