Overall, global CO2 emissions from fossil fuels increased 29% between 2000 and 2008 and 41% from 1990-2008, and the current concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere is now at its highest in at least 2 million years, according to a new study in the journal Nature Geoscience.

Limitations of Carbon Sinks

Related to my previous post on the oceans’ limited ability to absorb more and more CO2 emissions, the researchers of this report and the “Carbon Budget” state that over the last 50 years the earth’s “carbon sinks” (on land and in the oceans) absorbed about 57% of CO2 emissions and that this percentage probably decreased from 60% to 55% over that course of time.

This suggests the same thing as the oceans’ carbon absorption study — that the carbon sinks’ efficiency and ability to take in increasing carbon emissions is decreasing — but as Global Carbon Project researchers from East Anglia University state: “more work (needs) to be done to improve our understanding of the land and ocean CO2 sinks.” This is one of the more limited components of climate research so far, according to the researchers.

Changes in Causes of Emissions

Additional key findings from the study are that coal has now passed up oil and developing countries have passed up developed countries in greenhouse gas emissions. An interesting aspect of developing countries’ growth in emissions, however, is that a quarter of those are attributed to increased trade to the West. This further illuminates the interconnected, global nature of this issue — the global economy and political scene are responsible for this global climate change problem and there must be international cooperation in order to properly address it, in my opinion.

The researchers’ calculations and findings show that the current concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere is 38% higher than at the start of the industrial revolution. It is at its highest in at least the last 2 million years!

As stated by the Global Carbon Project, this data is very accurate: “Accumulation of atmospheric CO2 is the most accurately measured quantity in the global carbon budget with an uncertainty of about 1% or about 0.04 PgC of the 4PgC per year accumulated on average since 2000. The data is provided by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Earth System Research Laboratory.”

Land use change emissions have decreased since the 1990s, but they still account for 12% of human-induced emissions. Additionally, emissions from Brazil and Indonesia account for 61% of these land use change emissions now.

Bullet Summary of the Findings

In bullet format, researchers from the University of East Anglia (including lead author Prof Corinne Le Quéré) report:

The main findings of the study include:

* CO2 emissions from the burning of fossil fuels increased by two per cent from 2007 to 2008, by 29 per cent between 2008 and 2000, and by 41 per cent between 2008 and 1990 – the reference year of the Kyoto Protocol.

* CO2 emissions from the burning of fossil fuels have increased at an average annual rate of 3.4 per cent between 2000 and 2008, compared with one per cent per year in the 1990s.

* Emissions from land use change have remained almost constant since 2000, but now account for a significantly smaller proportion of total anthropogenic CO2 emissions (20 per cent in 2000 to 12 per cent in 2008).

* The fraction of total CO2 emissions remaining in the atmosphere has likely increased from 40 to 45 per cent since 1959, models suggests this is due to the response of the natural CO2 sinks to climate change and variability.

* Emissions from coal are now the dominant fossil fuel emission source, surpassing 40 years of oil emission prevalence.

* The financial crisis had a small but discernable impact on emissions growth in 2008 – with a two per cent increase compared with an average 3.6 per cent over the previous seven years. On the basis of projected changes in GDP, emissions for 2009 are expected to fall to their 2007 levels, before increasing again in 2010.

* Emissions from emerging economies such as China and India have more than doubled since 1990 and developing countries now emit more greenhouse gases than developed countries.

* A quarter of the growth in CO2 emissions in developing countries can be accounted for by an increase in international trade of goods and services.

Highlights:

May 2007 he was paid R3 850 000.

His salary rapidly increased with a raise that October of 7% to R4 119 500.

April 2008 he got another 15.31% increase – the median of the market, according to Hogan – taking him to R4 750 000

Then again in October when the company pays everyone annual increases he was paid another 8.84%, taking him to R5 170 000.

But bizarrely she lists the first bonus Maroga received as a short-term incentive bonus of R1 103 000. It was allocated in March 2007 – a full month or more before he was actually officially appointed, although he was made CEO-designate in February.

So what does this do for us now? He was paid handsomely for running a company into the ground, he and those who knew what was happening should be arrested for Fraud – it is fraud in my opinion for he was not doing what he was charged and appointed with!!!

Stop paying the government to steal our money! Efficient Products will save you thousands and will stop putting money into incompetent parastatals pockets!!!!!

WWW.URBAN-SOLAR.CO.ZA

The thing is I am not comfortable with this situation, of course Eskom is of HUGE importance to the South African people but if it were run properly and not interfered with in the first place by ANC cronyism we would not this loan, we would not need the President of our country “begging” for this loan.

We have to read between the lines, we ALWAYS have to read between the lines.

This loan will still have to be repaid, by the South African taxpayer. The reason the money is required from them in the first place is because the government can’t afford to give it to them.

What we really have to watch out for is massive hikes and this loan going through, becuase if Eskom does not turn itself around dramatically this debt will swallow Eskom and we as the public will suffer through hikes and not enought electricity production.

I suggest everyone does their bit to reduce consumption now – VISIT US AT URBAN SOLAR

We are running out of time

www.urban-solar.co.za

South African government finally waking up to the fact that Water supply will be a big issue in the future of South Africa.

We are one of the Top 25 Most Dry Countries on the planet yet we act as if we have an abundant water supply! Cost are going to increase drastically.

Do your bit now – GO WATER EFFICIENT WITH AN ENERGY & WATER EFFICIENT SHOWERHEAD. An average family of 4 will save around 60,000 litres a year!

It will also save you Water Heating Costs!

Have A Solar Day!

info@urban-solar.co.za

With 3 Wind Turbines in between the 2 towers it produces 40% of it’s own energy!

What’s more it was designed by a South African! Very Cool!

Morning All

As previously predicted in prior posts of mine, the secondary effects of the proposed 3 x 45% Electricity Increase Hikes will be catastrophic.

One must remember that, like petrol, electricity costs affects every business most of whom will not be able to absorb these HUGE cost increases. Those that do not go bust will raise their prices substantially.

It is sad as this will most likely result in small business closures and if one looks at the food prices being led by the big retailers it paints a bleak picture.

Homeowners and individuals can protect themselves against these increases by going green, going efficient.

2 Simple Ways: Energy Saving Showers and LED Lighting. Both options are easily installed by the homeowners, requiring no specialist installers.

 Solar Water Heating: Water heating is the single biggest electricity cost in your home. You can reduce your total bills by 30% by using the Sun to heat your water!

 Have a Solar Day!

info@urban-solar.co.za

http://www.fin24.com/articles/default/display_article.aspx?Channel=News_Home&ArticleId=1518-25_2561943&IsColumnistStory=False

An independent analyst says that the propaganda leading us to believe that we have had cheap electricity must come to an end. He also highlights the differences between Eskom direct accounts and those accounts using municipalities to distribute the power and the results are shocking.

We are now being told that the Electricity Increase Applications will be reviewed but we should be careful to put too much into that – a 30% instead of a 45% increase will still have dire consequences.

Tariff doubts loom over Kusile

http://www.fin24.com/articles/default/display_article.aspx?Channel=News_Home&ArticleId=1518-24_2561996&IsColumnistStory=False

Eskom’s new build program at Kusile mine will be put on hold until the actual agreed Electricity price increases are confirmed. What this says to me is that without the 45% requested increase Eskom will simply not be able to build these new power stations as promised. Kusile is only due to be completed in 2013 with the GUARANTEED delays already been experienced I am not holding my breathe.

The tax payers, one way or the other, will pay for this.

There are options, reduce your monthly bills and your load on the grid! Energy efficient showerheads can save your family over R3000 a year based on 2009.

VISIT US AT URBAN SOLAR

Have a Solar Day!

Article Extracts:

A 171-litre hydrogen tank feeds the gas into the fuel cell stack, where hydrogen and atmospheric oxygen combine to produce electricity, with water as a by-product. That electricity drives a 134bhp motor, with any excess power stored in a lithium ion battery pack, which feeds supplementary electricity to the motor if needed. Regenerative braking also charges the battery.

KEY POINTS:

1) Carbon Dioxide emmissions from Hydrogen Production will be less than half compared with an average petrol car. The car itself produces no Carbo Dioxide during operation!!

2) Water is the only emmission!!

3) As there is only 1 moving part. Maintenance will be drastically reduced!!

4) Sports Cars will not die out!!

I tend to agree with them in saying that this is a more viable option than full electric cars. Although the infrastructure will still see this from swinging into full production. The show says that Califorinia is the only place that Hydrogen refuelling stations are available which is incorrect. Sweden have started a Hydrogen highway all around its coast with refuelling stations…so I think the Honda will find its way there!

Hydrogen is also the most abundant gas in the entire universe, it’s clean and now we know it can work!

The Most Important Car in 100 Years? I think they may be right on the button!

Have a Solar Day!

What me must remember is that although Jacob Maroga is now gone this in no way means we are out of the woods, we are still teetering on the edge of grid collapse with our minimal reserve margin!

All this whole Eskom debacle has done is shoved the new build program into the background, one of the projects is 17 months behind and it is estimated that we will not have enough power from 2011 to 2019 – Imagine the devastation caused if any sort of sustained, regular, rolling blackouts are too occur.

The key is too take steps now for a number of reasons

1) Cost – Changing to energy efficient products make much more financial sense than any other product.

2) You help reduce our stretched reservce margin. Imagine if 100,000 people would reduce their usage by R250 a month.

3) Environmentally. A family of 4 can reduce their water consumption by as much a 80,000 plus litres by doing nothing different!!!

How is this possible?

With an Energy Efficient Shower Head. It uses 9.5 litres per min, 48% less than average South African heads. So a 10 min shower will use less than 100 litres of water instead of the 150 plus litres currently. If you have 4 or more people using this shower it equates to a daily saving of 200 litres, weekly saving of 1400 litres, monthly of 7000 and a yearly saving of 84 000 litres.

If one calculates both the heating and water savings costs based on these figures it is easy to see how one can make a substantial impact in all areas : COST, ENERGY GRID, ENVIRONMENT.

These showers cost R195 each so your return on investment in around 45 days….

CLICK ON THE SHOWER PIC TO ORDER OR LEARN MORE

 Have a Solar Day!

www.urban-solar.co.za