Library

Articles, Books, etc.

Down the drain: What went wrong with Britain’s water system? 01/11/23

This article says that it is impossible to dispose of sewerage safely by flushing it under the current system of a single network of pipes carrying sewerage and all other types of water into treatment plants.  These treatment plants lack the capacity to deal with overflows which are then directly flushed into rivers and the sea.

A combination of climate change, increased population, and current water mismanagement (not just the privatised water companies) has made increasing sewerage discharge inevitable. And if anything Britain is slightly ahead of the game internationally as we at least collect and publish more statistics than most countries!

This article suggests one alternate solution:  to create two separate rainwater,  and sewerage pipework systems. ,(proposed back in the mid 1800s). I’m not sure whether it regards grey water/ road runoff as “rainwater” or a third heavily polluted, category.

In fact, the article looks at a new development in Copenhagen where they aren’t just separating out rainwater from sewage, but are separating roof water from road water in a “triple separated system”.

We failed to pinpoint even a plain two-pipe separated system in the UK. The article says in any event it would be impossibly expensive to redesign now as there would be: (A) astronomical costs in creating a separate second pipework national grid with associated treatment works to convert sewerage into compost and (B) still be overflows given the climate trends.

What is clear is that the current system is not fit for purpose and options appear limited without some blue sky thinking..

Drawdown Solutions Library 11/7/23

The Drawdown Solutions Library is a set of reviews and analyzes of practices and technologies that can reduce greenhouse gas concentrations in Earth’s atmosphere. These are existing climate solutions and should be implemented asap.

The Climate Book 18/1/23

The Climate Book is a collective non-fiction book directed by the Greta Thunberg. The original English edition was published in October 2022. The book consists of a collection of short essays by more than a hundred experts. It analyses the causes, consequences and challenges of the Climate Crisis.

Give solar the green light 6/11/22

The construction of solar plants on farmland in England has come under attack. In this New Scientist article you can read about three reasons why they shouldn’t be banned. This article also gives several links to other related stories.

Green Gas Mills Report 29/10/22

Ecotricity has begun construction of its latest renewable energy innovation – a green gas mill, which will make gas from grass. According to their new report Britain can save billions on net zero plans. There is enough grassland in Britain, not involved in food production to provide gas for all homes. A national program to achieve this would create 160k jobs in the rural economy and contribute £15bn annually.

The UK could make all the gas it needs for home and business use – if meat production was reduced by 10% and land was used to grow grass. Such a reduction would be well under the historical trend and targets set by government advisors to enable transition to net zero. Green gas made this way reduces greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 90% compared to the current use of North Sea gas and synthetic fertilisers. Green gas mills produce a natural fertiliser as a by-product.

Clean Energy Has a Tipping Point, and 87 Countries Have Reached It 29/10/22

Solar power, electric cars, grid-scale batteries, heat pumps—the world is crossing into a mass-adoption moment for green technologies. Bloomberg Green has identified tipping points for 10 clean-energy technologies, from electric motorcycles to heat pumps and rooftop solar panels. New analysis shows which countries have crossed the threshold and how quickly those markets then expanded.

How Clean is Hydrogen, Actually? With Prof. David Cebon 3/10/22

Professor David Cebon has authored or co-authored more than 200 peer-reviewed papers on dynamic loads of heavy vehicles, road and bridge response and damage, asphalt micromechanics, weigh-in-motion, advanced suspension design, safety, productivity and energy consumption. In this podcast, he homes in on Hydrogen and sets straight a few myths about its uses and cleanliness. He provides the clearest explanation I have heard so far, why hydrogen is no solution for most applications that it is being touted for (transport, heating, aviation etc.)

How Clean is Hydrogen, Actually? With Prof. David Cebon 3/10/22

Professor David Cebon has authored or co-authored more than 200 peer-reviewed papers on dynamic loads of heavy vehicles, road and bridge response and damage, asphalt micromechanics, weigh-in-motion, advanced suspension design, safety, productivity and energy consumption. In this podcast, he homes in on Hydrogen and sets straight a few myths about its uses and cleanliness. He provides the clearest explanation I have heard so far, why hydrogen is no solution for most applications that it is being touted for (transport, heating, aviation etc.)

Regenesis: Feeding the World without Devouring the Planet 5/6/22

Aaron Bastani interviews George Monbiot about his new book. The main focus of the green movement has been to stop extracting fossil fuels and to move to renewable energy. George Monbiot, one of the worlds foremost environmental campaigners, argues that there is a far bigger existential threat to the vertebrate life on earth: Animal Agriculture.

The Life Scientific; Jim Al-Khalili interviews Pete Smith on why soil matters 31/5/22

Pete Smith is interested in soil and the vital role it plays in helping us to feed the world, mitigate climate change and maintain a rich diversity of species on planet earth.

Options for reforming agricultural subsidies from health, climate, and economic perspectives 10/1/22

Agricultural subsidies are an important factor for influencing food production and therefore part of a food system that is seen as neither healthy nor sustainable. Here we analyse options for reforming agricultural subsidies in line with health and climate-change objectives on one side, and economic objectives on the other. Using an integrated modelling framework including economic, environmental, and health assessments, we find that on a global scale several reform options could lead to reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and improvements in population health without reductions in economic welfare. Those include a repurposing of up to half of agricultural subsidies to support the production of foods with beneficial health and environmental characteristics, including fruits, vegetables, and other horticultural products, and combining such repurposing with a more equal distribution of subsidy payments globally. The findings suggest that reforming agricultural subsidy schemes based on health and climate-change objectives can be economically feasible and contribute to transitions towards healthy and sustainable food systems.