Posts by ESR
September 2021
– Desertification is turning the Earth barren
– One in three trees face extinction in the wild
– Agrivoltaics – three dual land use examples
– Making milk by fermentation
– It’s not the cow, but the how
June 2021
– Calculating emission reduction requirements to achieve net zero – A discussion.
– The water is coming’: Florida Keys faces stark reality as seas rise
– IPCC steps up warning on climate tipping points in leaked draft report
– Cloud spraying and hurricane slaying: How ocean geo-engineering became the frontier of the climate crisis
– Can old traditions and tech help Singapore reach zero waste?
April 2021
– New Zealand emissions rise as government vows action
– The poorly understood power of seaweed
– The rice of the sea: How a tiny grain could change the way humanity eats
– China ‘must shut 600 coal-fired plants’ to hit climate target
– Fossil fuel cars make ‘hundreds of times’ more waste than electric cars
– First dog on the moon cartoon on “Hope”
Submission To: Climate Action For Aotearoa
Although the need for action to limit climate change has been well understood since at least 1990, global CO2e emissions have continued to increase strongly over the past 30 years and only now is the rate of increase showing some signs of deceleration. It has become very clear that, in order to avoid potentially disastrous consequences, we need to limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. The Paris Agreement, which came into force on 4 November 2016, was a step forward in addressing this very major challenge, but the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) submitted so far are not nearly adequate to meet the target.
Read MoreFebruary 2021
– A report on the transport content of the Climate Change Commission 2021 Draft Advice
– A link to a talk by Climate Change Commissioner Dr Judy Lawrence to be held in Wellington on 18 February 2021
– An item from ECO News 4 February 2021 on car import standards to be introduced by the Government to reduce New Zealand’s carbon footprint
– A link to a webinar recording of a recent talk on harnessing Cook Straight tidal energy.
– An article on Denmark’s proposed huge investment into an artificial island for generating electricity from North Sea wind energy.
– ESR Online Discussion Group
December 2020
– Green machines: A wave of innovation may help tackle climate change (The Economist)
– This material could be a game changer for solar power (CNN Business)
– Decent living for all does not have to cost the earth (University of Leeds)
Carbon Capture, Usage and Storage (IEA)
– Liveable streets: how cities are prioritising people over parking (Guardian)
August 2020
– MBIE’s The building for Climate Change Programme
– India’s draft policy on Scientific Social Responsibility
– The next generation electric car battery
– Advancements needed to make automated vehicles an everyday reality
– Spreading rock dust on fields to remove CO2 from the air
– Solar water heating in New Zealand
July 2020
– Covid-19 has given us a chance to build a low-carbon future
– Blue-sky thinking: how cities can keep air clean after coronavirus
– Extracts from an essay entitled “Why are fossil fuels so hard to quit?”
– Construction begins on world’s biggest liquid air battery
– Micromobility set for boom in London
Getting New Zealand Moving
We endorse the crucial role of the Climate Change Commission in informing government policy, and the principles for investment outlined in their letter dated 7 April, 2020. To complement this advice, we would also like to draw your attention to the following risks and opportunities.
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