Solar power produced by existing systems costs around $0.13 to $0.20 [R1.07 - R1.60] per kilowatt hour (kWh). Tom Beck [Shec's President] says SHEC Energy’s technology can reduce that cost to between $0.06 and $0.08 [R0.49 - R0.67] per kWh.

"And it comes without the pollution and negative health effects you get when burning fossil fuels, and it’s far less costly than nuclear power, with all its long term radioactive waste issues" he says

Solar energy has been the domain of wishful thinkers for decades. But high capital costs and intermittency – the sun doesn’t shine at night – have always been barriers to wide adoption. SHEC Energy claims it has successfully overcome both issues. Their thermal storage solution is claimed to cost just 10% of battery storage over a 30-year period. Fingers and thumbs crossed that they are right.

"The response by NOAA’s Martin Hoerling to James Hansen’s recent op-ed does not reflect the scientific literature."

Hansen tells us “Over the next several decades, the Western United States and the semi-arid region from North Dakota to Texas will develop semi-permanent drought, with rain, when it does come, occurring in extreme events with heavy flooding." Hoerling disputes this, saying "I am unaware of any projection for 'semi-permanent' drought in this time frame over the expansive region of the Central Great Plains.

Joe Romm (and several others) identify clearly where Hoerling is wrong. The literature backs Hansen, who has a knack of being right in his forecasts. 30 years ago he accurately predicted our current climate.

"A couple weeks ago AP reporter Kevin Begos reported that the Pennsylvania Department of Health had received fewer than 30 health complaints on drilling.

Upon closer investigation, AP has learned that the Dept. of Health isn’t following through on all drilling-related health complaints they’ve received.

The fact is this: drilling and production of gas is not healthy for children and other living things. People living in the Marcellus drilling fields are suffering ill health, and it’s not just the drilling; compressor stations and storage fields are contributing to health problems too. It’s not just groundwater and fracking – it’s the whole enchilada. People are suffering from rashes, headaches, fatigue, dizziness, nausea, nosebleeds, sore throats, sinus congestion, blisters, skin lesions, respiratory distress, and hearing difficulties. They are suffering from vomiting, diarrhea, pain, elevated heart rate, hair loss, headaches, eye irritation, intestinal cancer, ruptured spleens, stomach cramps, loss of balance, slurred speech, memory loss, and tremors."

"Underwriters now face a politically charged problem in the perceived threats to water supplies of hydraulic fracturing.

The lawsuits and tests so far provide little help. One much-cited case involved Cabot Oil & Gas Co, which settled in late 2010 for $4.1 million with residents of the small Pennsylvania town of Dimock over methane found in their water. Then on Friday, the Environmental Protection Agency said it had completed testing water at 61 homes in Dimock and found the drinking water was safe to consume."

The uncertainty in an industry that lives and dies by its ability to assess risks is a reflection on the complexity in assessing the real facts. This is not a good time for SA to be committing itself to fracking. [Ian]

'The greatest risk both for the State and for prospecting companies lies in the legal uncertainty ensuing from imperfect laws on EIA, the Mining Act and the Geological Works Act.'

'It would apply for a period of approx. 1.5 to 2 years, during which the existing laws would be modified, including particularly the Geological Works Act.'

'...it is necessary to take proper account of the basic public interest consisting in protection of resources of potable water, as well as of nature and the landscape.'

"Storms of this intensity historically happen in Bangladesh once every 20 to 30 years. But two 'super-cyclones' in two years, followed by a narrow escape when super-cyclone Nargis killed 100,000 people in nearby Burma a year later, convinced Sultan and her village, as well as many sceptics in government, that climate change was happening and Bangladesh's very survival was at stake".

"With the latest research showing more droughts in the country's north and rising sea levels, more than 30 million Bangladeshis are liable to lose everything from climate change in the next 30 to 50 years," said Atiq Rahman, director of the Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies and a lead author of the IPCC's AR4.

'Traditional geothermal technology requires 360+ degrees Fahrenheit sources that are difficult to find, less abundant, and therefore costly to discover and develop. Low-temperature geothermal technology makes it possible to access resources less at than 300°F [150°C], even as low as 165°F [74°C].'

[The] technology was first put to the test in Húsavík, Iceland in July 2000. The Orkuveita Húsavíkur plant uses geothermal resources with a typical temperature of 250°F [120°C]. The 1.6 MW plant ... produces enough reliable energy to power 80 percent of the town.'

This is early days for the technology, but it is straightforward engineering, runs 24/7 and may well be suitable for many areas of South Africa. Don't let anyone tell you that there are no means of deploying round-the-clock renewables. [Ian]

"When your company’s job is to keep the lights on, you have to be cautious about risk. Power has to be there when people need it.

How to move forward in this complex, risky environment? That’s the subject of a new report from Ceres, Practicing Risk-Aware Electricity Regulation: What Every State Regulator Needs to Know."

It says that coal is the riskiest with natural gas not far behind. Out in front is efficiency improvements with renewables forming a group of least risky new developments.

How to reduce the risks of climate change in your own home environment. In comic strip form, this simple guide to what you can personally do to help was contributed by a young South African. It's a 3Mb .zip download, but worth the effort.

Any suggestions for a name for our young environmentalist?

Avinash Datadin (Nash), his creator, says "I have included...a new character which is much more 'universal' [seen in the image here]. It's based on a clay model. I am working on three new comics dealing with water issues; human population explosion and its implications on ourselves, the environment and the planet,(actually deals a lot with human greed); and a science/cosmos comic."

South African Mines Minister Susan Shabangu said a technical report on shale gas will be submitted to the Cabinet in July at the latest after exploration was suspended last year.

"Shale gas can play an important role in energy production", Energy Minister Dipuo Peters said March 29. The government is “cognizant of the controversies associated with shale-gas extraction processes such as ground water and soil contamination, however with ongoing developments I am confident that these challenges will in the not-so-far future come to pass,” she said.

The further delay in bringing the sub-committee's report before the cabinet suggests that it is struggling to reach a consensus. During this waiting period more scientific evidence has emerged on the damage that fossil fuels are doing to our planet. Mainstream science tells us not to frack and to switch our energy production away from fossil fuels as rapidly as we can. [Ian]

"I want to share with you my concern about how the messaging about natural gas has been hijacked … taken off course. For many, the term “fracking” has subsumed drilling, which is an entirely different operation. What if the EPA study on fracking that is limited solely to water -- should come up with little or no evidence of a problem -- and that could very well happen. Congress and the states could take that as a signal and let the industry move forward without full consideration of all the consequences.

Right now, in the minds of many legislators -- they have been told that fracking is the demon. And right now, industry is very happy with fracking being the 'red herring' -- playing right into its favor. Some how, some way, we need to get drilling and all the other sources of pollution into the headlines along with fracking. Or the government is going to miss the rest of the story.

'Minister for Climate, Energy and Building Martin Lidegaard says ... “The Government wants to convert the energy and transport system to 100 percent renewable energy by 2050, and we’ve proposed a range of specific initiatives that are to lead to a substantial reduction of the consumption of fossil fuels as well as to an increase of the share of renewable energy. Such a transition away from fossil fuels will take time, which is why oil and gas will play a role for many more years. In the meantime tax revenue from the oil and gas production will benefit Danish society and our welfare.'

Denmark, like many other European countries, has invested in a fleet of natural gas power plants. It produced 19.4% of its electricity from them in 2010 and they were nearly all built in the last 6 years. But the gas source is declining. Here's an example of how a government becomes committed to a fuel source over the lifetime of their generating fleet. SA should beware of this trap. [Ian 10.4.2012]