Archive for Studies
June 4, 2007 at 9:29 am · Filed under Climate Change, Studies
In this study Michael Raupach of the Global Carbon Project at CSIRO and a team of international scientists concluded that carbon dioxide emissions “have been accelerating at a very fast rate”. (via treehugger)
Study abstract: The emissions growth rate since 2000 was greater than for the most fossil-fuel intensive of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change emissions scenarios developed in the late 1990s. Global emissions growth since 2000 was driven by a cessation or reversal of earlier declining trends in the energy intensity of gross domestic product (GDP) (energy/GDP) and the carbon intensity of energy (emissions/energy), coupled with continuing increases in population and per-capita GDP.
>> Global and regional drivers of accelerating CO2 emissions (PDF)
Permalink
June 1, 2007 at 7:00 am · Filed under Climate Change, Studies
The NASA study explains why we need to act now and can´t wait more years to avoid climate change. More background info at Green Car Congress.
NASA / GISS: From a combination of climate models, satellite data, and paleoclimate records the scientists conclude that the West Antarctic ice sheet, Arctic ice cover, and regions providing fresh water sources and species habitat are under threat from continued global warming. The research appears in the current issue of Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics.
Permalink
May 26, 2007 at 7:20 am · Filed under Climate Change, Studies
The new study of the IPCC predicts that rising global temperatures may exert a profound impact on the spread of malaria in Africa. More information on the study in Science Daily.
treehugger: In its most recent report released in April, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) cautioned that rising temperatures would likely result in “the altered spatial distribution of some infectious disease vectors” and other “mixed effects, such as the decrease or increase of the range and transmission potential of malaria in Africa.”
Permalink
May 19, 2007 at 10:40 am · Filed under 2050+, Climate Change, Studies
Interesting article in the Guardian on the future of European cities in 2071. Also have a look at the Climate Change Map of 2071 which is pretty much in the red.
Guardian: Warmer temperatures and less rainfall mean all the cities drift several hundred miles to the south, with Oslo relocated to Teruel in north-eastern Spain, and Berlin and Barcelona going to north Africa. The closest present match for Rome is the Cypriot capital, Nicosia.
..
Dr Hallegatte worked with colleagues Minh Ha-Duong and Sebastian Kopf, at the University of Bremen, to predict the scenarios for 2071-2100 for 12 European capitals, using two different climate models and assuming that carbon emissions continue to rise. They used predictions of two key weather variables – aridity and temperature – and compared them with conditions recorded at thousands of places across Europe and north Africa from 1961-1990.
When they got a match, they looked for the nearest large town or city, which they describe as “climate analogues” of the 12 capitals. They presented the results at last month’s meeting of the European Geosciences Union in Vienna.
Permalink
May 19, 2007 at 6:18 am · Filed under 2010, Solar, Studies
A new study by German Photon Consulting projects the future costs of solar by decoupling the solar prices from underlying costs. Unfortunatly, the report costs 1.100 Euros.
Photon Consulting: Today, the “true cost” of solar power is under 25¢ per kWh in most locations and is likely to reach 10¢ to 15¢ per kWh by 2010. This includes all costs of manufacturing and installing solar power systems from pre-silicon (i.e. TCS) to connected-installations without incentives or tax benefits.
Already, solar is at a cost level that makes it competitive with residential grid prices in the OECD’s highest-priced markets. It is estimated that the cost of solar power is below the price of residential grid electricity for 5 to 10 percent of OECD consumption (200 to 400 TWh). This equates to 150 to 300 GW of solar power, compared to only 2.7 GW of solar cell/module production in 2006.
Over the next three years, it is expected that the typical fully-loaded cost of solar power will decrease at least 30 percent from $3.60 per W in 2006 to $2.50 per W. In consequence, by 2010, the cost of solar will be below the price of grid electricity for at least 50 percent of OECD residential demand, equivalent to around 1,500 GW of solar power. This is much larger than the 15 GW of cell/module production PHOTON Consulting anticipates for 2010.
Permalink
May 19, 2007 at 5:45 am · Filed under Carbon Trading, Studies
The World Bank just published a new report on the trends of carbon trading.
The World Bank -Carbon Finance Unit: he carbon market grew in value to an estimated US$30 billion in 2006 (€23 billion), three times greater than the previous year. The market was dominated by the sale and re-sale of European Union Allowances (EUAs) at a value of nearly $25 billion under the EU ETS (€19 billion). Project-based activities primarily through the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and Joint Implementation (JI) grew sharply to a value of about US$5 billion in 2006 (€3.8 billion). The voluntary market for reductions by corporations and individuals also grew strongly to an estimated US$100 million in 2006 (€80 million). Both, the Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX) and the New South Wales Market (NSW) saw record volumes and values traded in 2006.
>> State and trends of the carbon markets 2007 (PDF)
Permalink
May 17, 2007 at 8:52 am · Filed under 2020, Clean Tech, Studies
Siemens has been publishing their future technology magazine “Pictures of the Future” for 6 years. The recent issues reports also on “Technology for the environment”. Interesting articles in their publication are “Scenario 2020” and their sections “Trends” and “Facts and Forecasts”. Detailed information, good read.
Siemens: Which technologies will shape our lives in ten to twenty years? Pictures of the Future answers this by painting detailed scenarios of tomorrow’s world – scenarios supported by reports on cutting edge research at Siemens.
>> Siemens: Pictures of the Future (PDF)
Permalink
May 17, 2007 at 8:08 am · Filed under 2050+, Studies
The new “Cimate Solutions” study by the WWF deals with a really important question: Can a concerted shift to the sustainable energy resources and technologies that are available today meet the more than doubling of global energy demand projected by 2050, while avoiding dangerous climatic change of more than two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels? The answer: It´s possible – the WWF introduces six scenarios. But the WWF study also notes a certain urgency. The switch needs to be done now. Otherwise it may be too late.
>> WWF: Climate Solutions study (PDF)
Permalink
May 5, 2007 at 12:20 pm · Filed under 2050+, Climate Change, Studies
A new study by Quaternary scientists at Lund University in Sweden predicts that Europe may face a slightly cooler future but the scientists are not concerned about a complete shut-down of the Gulf Stream as envisioned in the apocalyptic movie “The day after tomorrow”.
Scientist Svante Björk: “We don’t know with certainty what will happen. Some attempts at measuring ocean currents suggest a recent weakening of the Gulf Stream, and the transport of heat to the North Atlantic region may well decrease in the future as a result of increased precipitation. Such a scenario might lead to less warming in Europe than predicted by the IPCC, but we will probably not face an arctic climate.”
Permalink
May 5, 2007 at 6:39 am · Filed under Climate Change, Studies
New research results from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research. Check the links below for the press release.
Potsdam institute: The most serious impacts of climate change can still be
avoided. What’s more, effective climate protection through the
reduction of global greenhouse gas emissions is affordable and makes
economic sense. These are the main messages sent out by the latest
report published by the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change
…
The report by Working Group III of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) identifies ways of limiting human-induced global warming to a maximum of 2-3°C relative to the pre-industrial value. Without additional efforts to cut CO2 emissions, the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere will continue to increase during the coming decades – and so will the Earth’s temperature. Several international studies have shown that the necessary steps to limit global warming would cost less than 1% of global GDP. The most conservative estimate put forward by the IPPC is 3%. “But even if this rather more pessimistic assumption is correct, the economic costs of climate protection are still affordable”, says Ottmar Edenhofer, Chief Economist at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research.
Permalink
greenswitch - climate change and cleantech solutions 