Media claim: ‘Renewables surged past coal…become world’s biggest source of electricity’ – Reality: Coal produced 41% & Renewables 6%
The business news network featured an article in the “Sustainable Energy” section of its Website that proclaimed: “Renewables surged past coal in 2015 to become world’s biggest source of electricity: IEA.”
In reading that headline, one might get the impression that wind turbines and solar panels produced more electricity last year than coal. But the fine print actually reveals a very different picture.
The opening paragraph of the article by “Freelance digital reporter” Anmar Frangoul gives a clue as to the sleight of hand being used. Frangoul cites the International Energy Agency (IEA) as reporting that “Renewable energy moved past coal in 2015 to become the biggest source of global electricity capacity.” The key word there is “capacity.”
What’s noteworthy is that capacity is far different from actual production. The average wind turbine has a maximum rated capacity of roughly 2 megawatts. That means, if the wind is blowing between 26-56 mph, the turbine can spin up to its peak generating capacity. In such moments, the wind turbine can produce its full 2 megawatts.
However, wind turbines, like solar panels, offer only intermittent power generation. Wind turbines can only produce power when there is sufficient wind—and when they are not shut down due to cold weather, repairs, or high winds. And solar panels only produce electricity during periods of direct sunlight. Thus, while a wind turbine can have a maximum capacity of 2 megawatts, its typical output may often be far less, or even 0 megawatts (on a windless day).
Thus we see some of the misleading language in the CNBC article.
Frangoul talks about renewables producing 23 percent of world power generation in 2015—which is only possible when hydropower’s robust 16.4 percent is added to renewables’ paltry 6.3 percent share. And while the IEA says that “renewables represented more than half the new power capacity around the world” in 2015, one has to remember their frustrating intermittency. Wind turbines only generate roughly 20 percent of their installed capacity, and solar panels yield an even more meager 10 percent.
So, while Frangoul is happy to tout all of
Seattle Times edited James Hansen’s description of cap-and-trade from ‘bribes’ to ‘politics’
The Seattle Times doesn’t want anyone — especially James Hansen — to sully the image of Washington State’s proposed carbon tax.
Here’s the paragraph in the op-ed that Hansen submitted to the Seattle Times:
Here’s the paragraph in the op-ed that the Seattle Times ran:
The Seattle Times also made this change to Hansen’s op-ed:
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Climate Protection Goes Medieval…Ushers In New Age Of Indulgences And Almsgiving
The other day as I was looking to book a hotel in the city of Hamburg I came across the Novum Style Hotel Hamburg.
What caught my eye was that the booking and price conditions allow guests the option of offsetting the CO2 emissions that their stay produces.
According to the Novum’s reservation page and price calculator, a two-night stay in a “Style Class” room (for example) from November 25 to 27 costs 458.00 euros, but that such a stay would produce some 144 kilograms of climate-damaging CO2. But not to worry, for only €3.86 extra, it is possible to offset these emissions and allow you as the guest to sleep soundly without any burdening of your green conscience.
Madness: climate ‘projections’ can now be used as evidence to list endangered species
…UN Poll Shows Climate Change Is the Lowest of All Global Concerns – 16th out of 16!
It’s significant because the responses run into the millions and canvas the views of people from all countries, rich and poor.
So guess where ‘climate change’ comes on the global population’s list of priorities.
Yes, that’s right. It comes right at the bottom.
More than three times as many people care about education, and well over twice as many want better healthcare, job opportunities, and honest government than want “action taken on climate change”.
UN poll shows fighting ‘climate change’ is a dead-last issue
According to the United Nations’ yearly poll that ranks people’s greatest worries, action on #Climate Change comes in dead last. That’s across all countries and groups, all genders, all education levels, and all age groups. At the top of the list was a “good education” and “better healthcare” followed by “better job opportunities.” Climate change is such a non-issue that it was never brought up by the moderators during the three#2016 Presidential Debates.
The U.N. poll is unique in that it records the views of millions of people from all countries and from all walks of life. In fact, more than three times of respondents are more concerned about education, and twice as many are worried overhealthcare. The poll recorded 9,731,210 respondents (and counting) across the world.…
Americans More Scared of Clowns than ‘Climate Change’ – 42% to 32%
Americans are more scared of clowns than they are of climate change.
According to a poll conducted by Chapman University, 42 per cent of Americans are afraid of clowns, whereas only 32 per cent are afraid of climate change.
They’re also more scared of terrorist attacks (41 per cent), gun rights infringement (38 per cent), family members dying (38 per cent), economic collapse (37 per cent), Obamacare (36 per cent), and biological warfare (35 per cent).
If you believe Vox’s snarky coverage, this is evidence that the American public is very stupid.
We get it: Clowns are creepy. Especially when lingering in empty parking lots at 3:30 in the morning, holding black balloons. But are they scarier than real threats, like climate change, economic hardship, or the death of loved ones?
According to Americans, yes. Yes, they are.
I’d disagree. The results of the poll suggests that Americans have a generally sensible perspective on what constitutes a genuine threat to their wellbeing – top of the list, even higher than a terrorist attack, is corrupt government (61 per cent).
Also, it accords well with a far more important global survey – so important it deserves a separate article which you can read here – showing just how low a priority climate change is for most people in the world.
Essentially climate change has become a luxury problem which only liberals in rich countries can afford to worry about. For everyone else, there are many, many more pressing concerns…