Crude Oil News

1a. Re: Xantrex XW 40/24 charger – update

From: nfkinzie
1b. Re: Xantrex XW 40/24 charger – update
From: Steve Spence
1c. Re: Xantrex XW 40/24 charger – update
From: John J Maurer

2a. Re: Soda Ash batteries
From: Clarke2
2b. Re: Soda Ash batteries
From: Mel Riser
2c. Re: Soda Ash batteries
From: Wayne
2d. Re: Soda Ash batteries
From: Wayne
2e. Battery Making; Ni-Fe
From: Craig Carmichael

3a. Fusable link in battery cable?
From: ThornySahuaro
3b. Re: Fusable link in battery cable?
From: Steve Spence
3c. Re: Fusable link in battery cable?
From: ThornySahuaro
3d. Re: Fusable link in battery cable?
From: Steve Spence

4a. Re: Kick Starting a Heat Pump Compressor
From: Neil

Hi All,

My assignment today was to “restore system defaults,” in hopes everything would return to normal.

Since the system settings were refined by the designer, I searched the menus for all the custom settings and made notes on various parameters – so that I would be able to return them back to the way they had worked for three years. Since it has been cloudy and cold, I turned on the generator to boost the batteries while I took my time on the menus. Subzero tonight.

Then – following specific instructions on how to locate the option, deep in the menus, I pressed the button. . . . BLACK!

I found my operators manual and searched for how to restart my system – only to find a warning I highlighted in yellow almost three years ago – DO NOT RESTORE SYSTEM DEFAULTS WITH CHARGER RUNNING. Bummer.

One might think that they would have reminded me of that – either when the tech rep described how I should do it yesterday – or (even better) right on the menu line which describes the option. ”
TURN OFF THE CHARGER” Now, I will remember.

So, now I’ll see how good Schneider Electric is. [I certainly hope this is something like restoring flash memory - not a serious burnout.]
Thanks for your thoughts on this.

I’m glad that you confirm my expectations regarding what “load” is meant to quantify. It behaves just as you say – when the charger is not charging. There is no random meandering up and down (without someone turning switches, etc.).

The “load” I’m talking about is occurring even after I turn the main circuit breaker and totally disconnect the house panel and loads from my system – only when generator is on. No faults. No warnings.

I checked batteries and connections. Found one warm cable and tightened a bolt – but this may have been a few watts so I can’t see the difference in the load numbers.

I’m not at the unit right now but will try your experiments tomorrow and report.

Also, I’m pleased that Schneider reps seem to be taking a little more interest in my problem. They’re apparently stumped by the phenomenon – thinking the best explanation is the difficulty of measuring these currents accurately. Like me, however, they can’t explain why human ears can measure the acoustic results very clearly. The varying noise was what led me to the control panel to see what was going on. No meter required.

I appreciate your help and will keep you posted on my mystery – and what Schneider Electric does about it. My assignment for tomorrow is to “restore system defaults” and see if that solves the problem. I sure hope it’s that simple.

Norm,

I don’t have a XW4024 here but have played with them before. I’ll take a stab at thinking it through with you.

First off, are you getting your numbers from a SCP or directly from the unit’s display?

If you are using the SCP, the manual pretty clearly states that the power shown on line 3 is the “Power supplied to loads”. I don’t recall any wierdness on the one I played with. I would expect that number to be around 100 watts if you were lighting only a single 100w incandescent bulb, and 0 if you had your loads disconnected. In fact, I would think the inverter would fall back to its low power search mode (unless you have disabled that).

What happens with your battery current when you are watching it? It should be positive when the charger is supplying current to the battery and negative when the inverter is sucking power out of your battery. Does it wander around as well? Again, with no load, it should should be less an amp in search mode, and around two amps in invert mode with no load.

What happens to your load number when you plug a single 100w incandescent bulb in? Does your wandering 100-600 watt load change by 100?

Is the wandering load number only present when you are running your generator?

It seems a odd that it hasn’t thrown you a fault code, since it has about a million of them.

You should be able to go into the “Meters” screen and get another snapshot view of things, including the output L1 and L2 line current coming out of the inverter.

Hi All,

I’m building an offgrid cabin in central Vermont, hoping to retire there in few years. I’ve enjoyed reading and learning from this group but haven’t had much to contribute or much need to ask for help.

Recent cold and cloudy days have forced me to use generator more than usual and made me wonder about my system readings. Please help me understand whether there is something wrong with my charger – or just my aging brain.

I understand that the charger is only about 90% efficient and that somewhere around 10% of input power is used up in proper operation. When the house panel is disconnected and zero load is applied to the system, is it proper for the control panel to show a “load” of approximately 10% of the input wattage? A few days ago I thought my charger was sounding different (the normal “charging sound” seemed to vary up and down in volume more than usual), so I studied the readings more than usual and realized that this “load” was varying the same way.

[My 24V system uses 5500 W generator to charge 20 T105's when PV inadequate. At times the "load" varies fairly rapidly 100-600w.]

I’ve called the Xantrex (now Schneider) support number but after two 20 minute discussions and some experimentation with the settings and readings, they seem as confused as I am. They haven’t told me that this is a normal reading. This makes me think the “load” should not be so great when no house circuits are connected – and something must be wrong.

The latest Xantrex suggestion was to pull the unit out and ship it to them for testing. I’m not fond of this idea. Right now, I feel like I’ve waited a little too long for answers and hope someone here can help.

Thanks for your attention.

Don’t you hate it when stuff like that happens? The joys of being the
power company.

I don’t have a XW4024 here but have played with them before.
I’ll take a stab at thinking it through with you.

First off, are you getting your numbers from a SCP or directly
from the unit’s display?

If you are using the SCP, the manual pretty clearly states that
the power shown on line 3 is the “Power supplied to loads”. I
don’t recall any wierdness on the one I played with. I would
expect that number to be around 100 watts if you were lighting only
a single 100w incandescent bulb, and 0 if you had your loads
disconnected. In fact, I would think the inverter would fall back
to its low power search mode (unless you have disabled that).

What happens with your battery current when you are watching it?
It should be positive when the charger is supplying current to the
battery and negative when the inverter is sucking power out of your
battery. Does it wander around as well? Again, with no load, it
should should be less an amp in search mode, and around two amps in
invert mode with no load.

What happens to your load number when you plug a single 100w
incandescent bulb in? Does your wandering 100-600 watt load change
by 100?

Is the wandering load number only present when you are running
your generator?

It seems a odd that it hasn’t thrown you a fault code, since it
has about a million of them.

You should be able to go into the “Meters” screen and get another
snapshot view of things, including the output L1 and L2 line
current coming out of the inverter.

Best regards,
So is it completely brain dead? Even when you disconnect everything and bring it up fresh? That stinks.

Good luck getting the 122 pounds off the wall.

New guy here, mostly lurking, first post.

There’s some info on the Edison batteries in the files section here, including how to build them yourself.

Hello Wayne,
It’s all about NiFe batteries made by Edison. Please take a look:

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=4&ved=0CD4QFjAD&url=http%3A%2F%2Fps-survival.com%2FPS%2FBatteries%2FNiMH%2FIron-Nickel_Battery_2008.pdf&ei=15AWT-v_AYje4QSehKSiBA&usg=AFQjCNHl841jsw4oiAingzsm6Xmw3J28yQ&sig2=KTQevtrhMc_p5-l5Ds4MOg

• I was speaking to an old guy some years ago who showed me his old battery
  bank that he used for his shack. It was some years ago and unfortunately
  that guy is no longer with us. From memory the old batteries that got
  from an old Telecom backup system were made using soda ash and, although
  large and heavy, they were re-usable by washing out and refilling with
  fresh soda ash.Dose anyone know anything about this type of battery as googling has come
  up with nothing. Or maybe my memory has corrupted the facts and it is a
  different chemical.Any help would be appreciated

Nickel Iron batteries use potassium hydroxide as the electrolyte… ( as opposed to sulfuric acid )

They have extremely long life, and you can refresh the electrolyte when they get tired.

They are expensive, heavy and last a lifetime. There are only a handful of manufacturers these days, with Zap of montana being one I am familiar with.

I reckon your on the money here Mircea. These batteries use caustic pot
ash and I reckon that would do the same as soda ash. Heaps of good
reading here.

Thanks so much to everyone that has replied with info. Now I need to
study up and see what the home workshop can come up with. I will keep the
group posted as I get results.

I’ve spent much time on this subject.

As for being heavy: Some larger Ni-Fe alkaline flooded “pocket cell”
batteries are lighter than lead-acid cells per watt-hour of energy.
And they can be discharged 80-90% before the voltage gets low (and
can be discharged – and left discharged – with little or no damage),
whereas lead-acid shouldn’t be discharged more than 50-60% (and
anyway will give drooping voltages beyond that), so the actually
usable energy per weight is substantially higher.

There are low, medium and high rate NiFe cells – think of ‘deep
cycle’ versus ‘car starter’. For heavy loads, they put out less
current for their size than PbPb or NiMH.

They’re being made in China. Changhong Batteries bought Varta’s NiFe
factory assembly line. (And now Europe is about set to ban Ni-Cd or
have done so. Some countries including China are also starting to ban
lead-acid.) I think larger NiFe’s worked out to about 500 $/KWH from
Changhong. A friend of mine made this site – it’s a good place to
start: http://www.nickel-iron-battery.com/ . There’s a list of makers
at the bottom. He’s the Canadian contact for Changhong, but you can
also e-mail to and order straight from Changhong. The little 10
amp-hour cells (around 10$ plus shipping straight from Changhong),
are good to experiment with.

In North America Exide (lead-acid batteries) bought out the Edison
Battery co. and shut it down, 1970 or so, as people were becoming
interested in them for electric transport again. I don’t know
anything about the other makers.

KOH (potassium hydroxide) is the usual electrolyte. NaOH (sodium
hydroxide – I assume soda ash is another name) will also work, but
with less current capacity.

SAFETY NOTE: ‘soda ash’ and potassium hydroxide are caustic. They eat
skin and will blind you if you get it in your eyes, just about like
acid. (A ‘slimy’ feel means wash your hands right away.)

In India they’re experimenting with Ni-Fe dry cells (since 2004). The
energy density if mass produced should be just a little lower than
Ni-MH dry cells, maybe 60-80 WH/Kg, but the ingredients are cheaper.
(I notice they use Bi2S3 to reduce hydrogen gas generation in the
Fe/Fe(OH)2 electrode. I’m trying Sb2S3, tho in salt electrolyte – I
think it’ll work better.)

BTW there are also NiZn AA rechargeable dry cells. (Amazon.com was
cheapest) They’re 1.6 volts and should be good for high currents.

I’ve seen some instructions for making NiFe’s where the writer didn’t
know what he was doing. If you don’t know what pocket cells,
electrode briquettes, nickel hydroxide and iron hydroxide are after
reading the instructions for making them, you aren’t going to get
working batteries.

I have my own ‘book’ for salty electrolyte battery making. It’s still
very preliminary at this point, but I’ve just posted it on my site
because someone wanted to look at it. You could use my techniques to
do NiFe or NiZn alkaline, I think with no special issues. The salty
chemistries I’m trying should attain higher energy densities, but are
trickier.

Simple question, Is a fuse and disconnect required between the battery bank and inverter? If so what product is recommended and how would fuse rating be determined?

absolutely it is. the size depends on the inverter, and battery
voltage, but a 400 amp catastrophic fuse is common in smaller systems.
Go with at least double what your inverter can pull. A 3500 watt 48v
inverter can pull 72 amps, so at least a 150 amp fuse would be good.

Thanks Steve, that pretty much confirms what I thought. Where does one find a massive fuse holder that will work with 2-0 and larger welding cable?

http://www.altestore.com/store/Enclosures-Electrical-Safety/Overcurrent-Devices-Fuses-Breakers/Fuse-Fuseblocks/175A-Replacement-Class-T-Fuse/p9890/

wow – my cost as a contractor is a LOT less – keep looking.
It’s just a potential relay with a start capacitor – see my web site at http://www.neilorme.com/pics/potential.relay.ladder.jpg
The explanation is at http://www.neilorme.com/csr_motor.shtml
If you can’t find it for under $50, let me know.
NEIL
PS: They come in ranges like 1-5 tons, and 5+. If they claim to be “matched” to the unit, it’s BS.

On 1/17/2012 09:07P, Thomas wrote:
Thank You for the info. I was pondering this.

The OEM Lennox kick start #88M91 is ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY SEVEN US DOLLARS AND NINTY FIVE US CENTS! from discountfurnacefilter.com! (free shipping! yea! that makes me feel better)
I think I’ll go with this, even though it is many times the cost.

I really don’t want to know what Lennox wants to install one!
I suppose if I do it myself, that will void the warranty too!
If it’s the OEM part, they may not notice and I can just play dumb. (No Wise Cracks)

Tom M.

— In 12VDC_Power@yahoogroups.com, “patwade_1810″ wrote:
If you pull the cover on the control box inside the outdoor unit, there should be a schematic diagram. It should show “optional” equipment that you can add on to the unit when it is installed. But since most contractors are trying to get the price as low as possible they don’t let the consumer know about these.

Anyway, it should show a starting component. There are a lot of configurations. What’s important to know is that if you slap something on there off EBay or from Amazon you can void the warranty on the compressor, which is ten years now on most newer units.

I recommend putting what the manufacturer recommends on the compressor. Those universal hard start kits are OK for a time, but my HVAC experience was that they don’t last and, if you are still in warranty and have an issue, and the tech shows up and finds one—–VOID / TILT / GOTCHA!

And they do help the unit start quicker and supposedly prolong the life of the compressor. The industry standard (typically called a hard Start Kit) is a matched potential relay and start capacitor, matched to the specs of the compressor.

Hmm… The one I saw probably had the same terminal configuration as
the ‘double’ 6V ones in your links to fit the same lanterns, but it
was shorter top to bottom.

It was too short for “F”s – probably either “D” or “AA” height. I
wasn’t paying them much attention, I just passed by them on the
shelf. (I was buying current limiting resistors and a DC power
adapter for my LED light fixtures.)

I’ll look closer next time.

There’s a rectangular 12v also:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000ROFZFE/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=webconx&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000ROFZFE

in addition to the double capacity 6v:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00009V2QN/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=webconx&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00009V2QN

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lantern_battery

I saw both sizes of lantern batteries together on a store shelf
yesterday – the 4 F cell size and the larger but shorter one. (Must
figure out how to take pictures with my cheap cell fone.)

=====

Sorry, but even the battery they used in the gag video (it’s called
gag productions), was a walgreens 6v (same size as all lantern
batteries) and only has 4 F cells inside. 6v lantern batteries are
all the same size. If anyone here on this group can show me a 6v
lantern battery with anything but f cells inside, I’d be interested
in seeing it.

A “D” is 34.2mm diam. x 61.5 mm long, the “F” is 33m x 91mm.

Dorcy makes a 4d adapter which allows you to drop four D batteries
directly in. Use the 11 amp hour NiMH “D” cells for super extra long
life!

http://www.dorcydirect.com/p-160-41-0805-4d-adapter.aspx

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002LR50A/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=webconx&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0002LR50A

Oil prices staged a strong rebound yesterday amid better-than-expected economic data from China, the US and Germany. Also sending prices higher were escalated tensions in Iran. The front-month contract for WTI crude oil soared to 101.01 before settling …
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(RTTNews.com) – The price of crude oil was extending gains in Asian session Wednesday supported by encouraging economic data from Europe and Asia. Light Sweet Crude Oil (WTI) futures for February delivery, rose $ 0.32 to $ 101.03 a barrel. …
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Crude oil fluctuated between gains and losses. The IMF may increase its resources to help safeguard economic growth after identifying a potential need for $ 1 trillion in financing in coming years. The World Bank cut its growth forecast by the most in … See all stories on this topic »

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Join the forum discussion on this post

In this week’s episode of R-Squared Energy TV, I give a short presentation on the pros and cons of using biomass for energy. People tend to have strong feelings on this topic in one way or another, and I will explore a bit of the reason for the controversy.

Some of the topics discussed are:

• Can energy from biomass replace oil?
• Can energy from biomass be sustainable?
• What are the risks of using biomass for energy?

Readers who have specific questions can send them to ask [at] consumerenergyreport [dot] com or leave the question after this post (at the original source). Consider subscribing to our YouTube channel where you’ll be able to view past and future videos.

Link to Original Article: R-Squared Energy TV: Episode 8 – Biomass Pros and Cons

By Robert Rapier

Consumer Energy Report

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Exxon spokeswoman Claire Hassett told the Billings (Mont.) Gazette the company was drilling holes for replacement sections of the Silvertip oil pipeline that are, in some parts, 50 feet below the bottom of the river.

Pipeline tribunal must hear Canadian voices

The Enbridge Northern Gateway pipeline, running from the Alberta tar sands to Kitimat, B.C., is in the first phases of public feedback, and already we have seen a storm of spin doctoring from the Conservative government.

They have called any opponents of the pipeline “radicals” and have claimed that they are “foreign backed.” The have chosen to ignore that of the 19 non-Canadians speaking to the tribunal on the pipeline most are representatives of the oil companies, all foreign-backed. Our government seems to think that foreign oil companies have our best interests in mind, while anyone else who doesn’t agree is against all things Canadian.

Oil sands money trail

Last week, on the eve of the environmental review for the $ 5.5billion Northern Gateway pipeline project that would carry Alberta oil to Kitimat for export to Asia, Canada’s Minister for Natural Resources, Joe Oliver, expressed concern that foreign-funded environmentalists would jeopardize the review and block the pipeline. Oliver didn’t mention my name, but the research that raised concerns about the foreign funding of environmentalism in Canada is apparently mine.

Gas Fracking Ban Debated in Bulgaria After Chevron Loses Permit

Bulgarian lawmakers started debating a ban on hydraulic fracturing today, threatening Chevron Corp.’s plans to explore shale gas deposits in the Balkan country.

The government withdrew a previously granted exploration license from Chevron yesterday after hundreds of Bulgarians marched in central Sofia last week to protest the drilling technique known as fracking, fearing it will pollute the water and soil in Bulgaria’s most fertile farm region of Dobrudja where Chevron was planning to drill.

32,100 and Counting: New Yorkers Speak Out on Fracking

Officials with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation say they have counted 32,100 statements so far since the close of a public comment period on Wednesday on their proposal to allow hydrofracking in the state.

Is drilling causing Ohio earthquakes?

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (CNNMoney) — In what may be the nation’s next boomtown, the ground is, literally, booming.

Residents here in northeastern Ohio are receiving up to $ 5,000 an acre from energy companies that lease their land — plus monthly royalties. But they have also experienced at least 11 earthquakes since last March, state officials say.

Tough economy curbs clean energy investment: experts

A global economic slowdown and the eurozone debt crisis have curbed government investment in renewable energy, experts warned Tuesday.

“There are already some signs that government support may be slowing down in Europe,” chief economist at the International Energy Agency, Fatih Birol, warned participants in the World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi.

Government rejects latest “flawed” report on cost of renewable energy policies

Patience is obviously wearing thin. Following the release today of the third major report in the last two months criticising the cost of the Department of Energy and Climate Change’s (DECC) renewable energy policy, officials have hit back branding the latest report from the Policy Exchange thinktank as “flawed” and “not credible”.

New Gas Economy Rules Generate Wide Support

DETROIT — Writing new regulations that will require cars and trucks to have significantly higher fuel economy by 2025 prompted years of fighting among automakers, environmentalists, regulators and consumer groups.

N.M. Joins Push for Natural Gas Vehicles

DENVER (AP) — Eight states have now signed up in an effort to encourage U.S. automakers to develop affordable vehicles that run on natural gas.

The governors of Colorado and Oklahoma announced in November that their states, along with Pennsylvania and Wyoming, intended to seek proposals to replace vehicles in their state fleets with ones that run on natural gas.

Trump May Scrap Scottish Hotel, Housing on Wind Farm Ruling

Donald Trump will scrap plans for a hotel and housing at his golf resort in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, if the government approves an offshore wind farm in sight of his championship course due to open in June.

Wind Turbines and Health Hazards

There is no conclusive evidence so far that wind turbines are responsible for health problems ranging from balance problems to diabetes, an independent panel of health experts reports.

The (Solar) Light at the End of the Tunnel

A consultant for the Defense Department reports that introducing solar installations on nine military bases in the Mojave and Colorado Desert could generate 7,000 megawatts of power.

Depending on which yardstick you prefer, that amounts to the output of seven average nuclear plants or six large coal-fired plants. It would also amount to 25 percent of the renewable energy that California will require its utilities to produce by 2015, according to the 13 authors of the report, prepared by the consultancy ICF International.

Solar power takes giant strides

No one can accuse the renewables industry of lacking creative impetus. Solar-powered aircraft, cars and boats have featured at this year’s World Future Energy Summit (WFES) in Abu Dhabi, and in the MS Tûranor PlanetSolar, the event hosts the largest solar-powered boat to brave the oceans.

Energy policy shapes today – and tomorrow

Change, relentless change, sometimes seems to be the modern world’s only constant. And yet the changes the world needs most can be agonisingly slow to arrive.

Pentagon still can’t define ‘energy security,’ much less achieve it

While diesel generators kept critical missions going during Katrina, the storm provided a wakeup call for Pentagon leaders concerned about terror attacks on the electric grid, which provides 99 percent of the energy that bases consume. Could bases withstand a power outage that outlasts their three-to-seven-days’ supply of diesel for backup systems? Is it wise for the military to rely on the same power plants and transmission lines that feed homes and businesses?

Your burning energy questions answered: Part III

How can the world move quickly to a fossil-fuel free economy, and what is the role of businesses in the transition to clean energy?

In this final segment of the Global Energy Prize series, nuclear energy expert Tom Blees from the United States answers these questions from Eco-Business readers with a discussion on whether or not solar and wind energy can support a carbon-free economy on their own. And finally, what lessons are to be learned from islands, whose isolation begs for innovative solutions such as energy production from the surrounding seas?

Is there a peak of consumption?

If one were to characterize it in mathematical terms, the trajectory of our civilization is an exponential curve. Throughout the twentieth th century, energy and natural resources – and logically emissions of greenhouse gases – has increased with population growth.

But today, would we have reached a plateau? Would we have begun to reduce our consumption, or at least stabilize? Parsimony would it becoming the new luxury? This is what a crowd, who believes that Britain, a country behind the Industrial Revolution and one of the richest nations in the world, have reached a maximum of objects owned by each person before see this much decline. This is the “peak stuff” (“peak of Things”), in the vein of peak oil (peak oil) or gas peak (peak gas).

The Limits to Growth at forty: Is collapse now inevitable?

A particularly realistic aspect of these models was that it factored in the delayed response of individuals to the signs of imminent limits, as it accounted for the probability that people would continue to consume and pollute past the sustainable limits of the particular model. Of course, in the real world, many people will continue to consume until it is no longer possible. Could the models have predicted the true extent of the inaction that we have witnessed in the face of the grave threats of climate change, peak oil and bio – diversity loss?

Problems plague cleanup at Hanford nuclear waste site

HANFORD SITE, Wash. – Seven decades after scientists came here during World War II to create plutonium for the first atomic bomb, a new generation is struggling with an even more daunting task: cleaning up the radioactive mess.

Nearly 7 million bats may have died from white-nose fungus, officials say

“We’re watching a potential extinction event on the order of what we experienced with bison and passenger pigeons for this group of mammals,” said Mylea Bayless, conservation programs manager for Bat Conservation International in Austin, Tex.

“The difference is we may be seeing the regional extinction of multiple species,” Bayless said. “Unlike some of the extinction events or population depletion events we’ve seen in the past, we’re looking at a whole group of animals here, not just one species. We don’t know what that means, but it could be catastrophic.”

China’s New Strategic Target: Arctic Minerals

As policymakers in Washington focus on China’s expanding presence in Africa and growing assertiveness in the South China Sea and Indian Ocean region, Danish diplomatic assistance is opening the gate for China to establish a strategic foothold in the Arctic.

Bill McKibben: Burning America’s future

An energy policy outlined by the head of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in which we use all of the nation’s coal, gas and oil is beyond dumb.

Growing Doubts in Europe on Future of Carbon Storage

MADRID — The European Union’s long-term energy plans to abate global warming while still burning fossil fuels hinge on proposals to capture carbon dioxide emissions and store them in deep underground rock formations. Yet weak support for the untested technology is putting Europe in the rear ranks of its development.

Climate Proposal Puts Practicality Ahead of Sacrifice

The current issue of the journal Science contains a proposal to slow global warming that is extraordinary for a couple of reasons:

1. In theory, it would help people living in poor countries now, instead of mainly benefiting their descendants.

2. In practice, it might actually work.

Climate and the statistics of extremes

(PhysOrg.com) — Swiss mathematicians have shown that the risk of extreme climate events is largely underestimated. They are developing a model for better understanding the impact of climate change.

Sea temperature changes can forecast South American wildfires, study finds

Randerson and Chen proved that tiny temperature changes on the surface of distant oceans can be used to predict the severity of upcoming wildfire seasons in Amazon rainforests. These blazes often generate huge plumes of air pollution that can warm the climate and ocean waters even further, creating a vicious cycle.

“I’ve always viewed the Amazon as a giant pump that affects the global climate,” says Chen, an assistant project scientist and lead author of the paper. “There are so many processes going on that any perturbation in this ‘pump’ is worthwhile to study.”

Study: global warming related sea level rise poses big threat to Washington, D.C.

Global warming-related sea level rise constitutes a major threat to the nation’s capital, with the potential to inundate national monuments, museums, military bases, and parts of the Metro Rail system during the next several decades and beyond, according to a recent study published in the journal “Risk Analysis.” The study helps localize a problem that is more typically discussed at the global level, and makes clear that public officials must make decisions in the near-term in order to minimize future losses.

Global warming threatens China’s advance

Global warming threatens China’s march to prosperity by cutting crops, shrinking rivers and unleashing more droughts and floods, says the government’s latest assessment of climate change, projecting big shifts in how the nation feeds itself.

The warnings are carried in the government’s “Second National Assessment Report on Climate Change,” which sums up advancing scientific knowledge about the consequences and costs of global warming for China – the world’s second biggest economy and the biggest emitter of greenhouse gas pollution.

The Oil Drum – Discussions about Energy and Our Future

Where has this man been my whole life?

Have I been living under a rock?

Maybe he’s just been hidden by the liberal media.

The book can’t get here fast enough.

I need a trade, cause I’m buying these books as well.

I wonder if he will adopt me?

The good news, for a certain fellow who shall remain nameless, is I only have room for one hero picture in my office so Margaret Thatcher has to come down.

What’s that I hear….police arrest independent trader in Britain due to a drunken rampage culminating in his running naked through the neighbourhood screaming she’s gone, she’s gone!

Prepare to be Wrong

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By Yvonne Lee Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES HONG KONG (Dow Jones)–Cnooc Ltd. (CEO), China's biggest offshore oil and gas producer by output, has set a conservative 2012 crude-oil and natural gas output target, although it raised its capital expenditure …
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