GEOLOGY WITH JEFF SIMPSON
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Net Zero America

1/11/2021

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​With a massive, nationwide effort the United States could reach net-zero emissions of greenhouse gases by 2050 using existing technology and at costs aligned with historical spending on energy, according to a study led by Princeton University researchers.  The new “Net-Zero America” research outlines five distinct technological pathways for the United States to decarbonize its entire economy. The research is the first study to quantify and map with this degree of specificity, the infrastructure that needs to be built and the investment required to run the country without emitting more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere than are removed from it each year. It’s also the first to pinpoint how jobs and health will be affected in each state at a highly granular level, sometimes down to the county. - Princeton University
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A Recycling Plan to Clear Wind Turbine Blades From Graveyards

1/5/2021

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It’s difficult to recycle a gigantic wind turbine. The blades are built to withstand extreme weather, from scorching desert heat to hurricane-like winds, and that means their life almost always ends in a landfill. In Europe alone, about 3,800 blades will be removed every year through at least 2022, according to BloombergNEF, as the oldest turbines reach retirement age.  Now a Danish startup has found a way to crush these blades, turning an ultra-resistant mix of fiberglass and industrial glue into barriers designed to block noise from highways and factories. Copenhagen-based Miljoskarm can grind the blades into small pieces of 1 to 2 centimeters with the same type of machines used in auto junkyards. The material is then placed in recycled plastic cases that block noise at least at the same level as barriers made from aluminum and mineral wool, with less maintenance required. - Bloomberg Green
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Carbon-Free Energy Required by 2050 Under ACC Proposal

11/21/2020

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tates across the Southwest have adopted clean energy plans that regulate utility companies and work toward carbon-free goals. After lagging for several years, Arizona is starting to catch up.  The Arizona Corporation Commission on Friday passed a proposal requiring utilities to be 100% free of carbon emissions by 2050 and meet particular benchmarks along the way.  According to the commission, carbon free requires the use of resources that do not generate carbon emissions “resulting from the combustion of fossil fuels, such as coal, petroleum, natural gas, oil, shale, and bitumen.” Nuclear and hydroelectric generators are considered carbon free, as are wind and solar.  The 4-1 vote initiated the commission’s formal rulemaking process, which includes opportunities for customer comment and will provide the foundation for a final commission vote in 2021. - Cronkite News
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Blue Wave or Not, a Green Wave is Sweeping the Canadian Oil Patch

11/8/2020

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In a sign of the changing environment in the oil patch, North America’s largest pipeline company Enbridge Inc. set new net-zero emissions targets Friday and outlined how the company sees the global energy transition from carbon-based energy to renewables playing out over the next few decades.  Enbridge’s target of net-zero emissions by 2050 aligns the Calgary-based pipeline and utilities giant with the country’s three largest oil producers Canadian Natural Resources Ltd., Suncor Energy Inc. and Cenovus Energy Inc., along with European oil majors Royal Dutch Shell Plc, Total SA and BP Plc. — all of whom have adopted net-zero targets. - Financial Post




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“We’re going to need all sources of supply to meet demand until at least 2040 and very likely beyond,” said Enbridge president Al Monaco. 

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This Game-Changing Solar Company Recycles Old Panels Into New Ones

10/11/2020

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At a recycling plant in Ohio, next to the company’s manufacturing facility, First Solar uses custom technology to disassemble and recycle old panels, recovering 90% of the materials inside. It runs similar recycling systems in Germany and Malaysia. Right now, the holistic lifecycle approach isn’t common among other solar producers. But Wade says that now is the time to think about the problem. “Our aim for solar is to help our customers decouple their economic growth from negative environmental impacts,” he says. “So it is kind of a mandatory point for us to address the renewable-energy-circular-economy nexus today and not 20 years from now.”  - Fast Company


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Walmart Outlines Climate-Friendly Goal to Decarbonize Operations Within 20 Years

9/21/2020

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Walmart plans to power all of its 11,500 locations worldwide with renewable energy sources such as wind and solar by 2035. So far, the company powers around 30% of its operations from renewable energy. The company is targeting 50% by 2025, before hitting its newest target of 100% by 2035.  "That's the biggest part of our emission footprint today, so it's really important for us to make sure and get to that target," Zach Freeze told Yahoo Finance.  According to Freeze, another critical area for the company is electrifying and zeroing out emissions from its vehicles, including its fleet of long-haul trucks, by 2040. - Yahoo Finance
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Google Pledges to Be 100% Carbon-Free by 2030

9/17/2020

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Google already is 100% carbon-free on a net yearly basis, but by 2030, the massive company will produce enough carbon-free electricity each hour of every day to match its usage. - Google
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BP Report: Oil is Dying, Long Live Green Energy

9/15/2020

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BP stated in a forecast published today that oil may have reached its peak due to the pandemic and that renewables will take the place of fossil fuels.  BP has released its 2020 Energy Outlook, which is remarkably different from its 2019 report, when BP’s base case only expected oil consumption to grow over the next decade, reaching a peak in the 2030s.  The report looks at three scenarios to explore energy transition to 2050. BP writes that “the scenarios help to illustrate the range of outcomes possible over the next 30 years, ‎although the uncertainty is substantial and the scenarios do not provide a comprehensive ‎description of all possible outcomes.‎" - Elektrek & BP Energy Outlook Report
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    Geo News

    I started a CGCC Facebook page in May of '20 to share geo-environmental news but had qualms about FB's issues with accuracy.  GeoNews is a response and at least a partial solution. sharing a few items from reliable sources each week.  

    Click the
    source link after the included text to read more.

    To respond thoughtfully or ask questions, click "Comments". 

    Contact Prof Jeff to share items.


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