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The trends that will power the energy industry in 2019
Terri Williams Facilities & Grounds2019 promises to be a busy year for the energy sector. With the expansion of renewables, we can expect a plural energy future. However, many energy policies are in limbo. MultiBriefs spoke with several energy experts to find out some of the biggest energy trends for 2019.
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Exploring the world of metals on your travels
Cindy Belt Recreation & LeisureI will admit that my previous career in the metals industry makes seeking out metallurgical locations natural. But these locations can be interesting to anyone. Metalworking is how we define some human time periods, such as the Stone Age, Bronze Age, and Iron Age. Metals are used everywhere and built our culture. Interesting metal spots vary from mining to mills. These metals can include iron, copper, gold, and silver along with other, rarer metals.
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Visiting energy sites on your travels
Cindy Belt Recreation & LeisureFrom water wheels to solar power, we are constantly adapting our energy sources in today’s world. Traveling allows you to see where the energy you use every day is produced and where scientists and engineers are studying new methods to produce energy. Even the old methods of energy production are fascinating. Many areas have museums or tours available to see energy production behind the scenes.
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The joy of getting lost
Cindy Belt Recreation & LeisureDon't get me wrong, I don't want to get lost. I bring a trail map with me when hiking. I always have my phone in my back pocket ready to take pictures but also to use the map function if I need to find my way. However, I have gotten lost several times from my initial planned trek. I must have made a wrong turn or the trails weren't well-maintained. I have found that getting a bit lost can be good.
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U.S. Senate passes sweeping public lands act
Michelle R. Matisons Civil & GovernmentDespite the historic levels of partisanship we've seen out of Washington, D.C., recently, there's been some surprising bipartisan activity in the Senate regarding public lands expansion: the National Resources Management Act (NRMA). Now the Act heads to the House, which is expected to pass it next month with an endorsement from a supportive President Trump to codify it into law. Like anything optimistically sold as a bipartisan green initiative, this package (NRMA) is a mixed bag of tricks to be sure. But that gives us something to work with, right? For starters, nothing short of 1 million acres of newly protected land in the West is included in the package.
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Controversial seismic survey in Alaska’s ANWR halted
Michelle R. Matisons Natural Resources1002 Area, located in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), is 1.5 million acres of land rumored to contain anywhere between 4 and 11 billion barrels of oil. In 2017, the Trump administration opened the area up to oil and gas exploration when it passed a tax bill requiring the federal government to hold at least two oil and gas lease sales in the next decade. This move caused quite a controversy, and now it appears SAExploration, Kaktovit Inupiat Corp., and Arctic Slope Regional Corp. will not be moving forward on their planned ANWR seismic survey this winter. Cancellation of the seismic project bodes well for drilling opponents, but this is a battle far from over.
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How do business groups view the Green New Deal?
Seth Sandronsky Civil & GovernmentThe Green New Deal (GND), a resolution in both houses of Congress, arrived on Feb. 7, thanks to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.). The GND "would create millions of good, high-wage jobs in the United States, provide unprecedented levels of prosperity and economic security for Americans, and counteract systemic injustices — all while addressing the existential challenge of climate change," Sen. Markey said in a prepared statement. What about the ways business groups view the costs and benefits of the bill?
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Deforestation in Brazil comes with health consequences
Michelle R. Matisons Waste Management & EnvironmentalSince the election of Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro last October, much has been made about the globally relevant deforestation of the Amazon. Newly initiated climate change students are likely to be introduced to the Amazon rainforest because it sequesters carbon dioxide, produces oxygen, and is home to some of the richest biodiversity in the world. For many environmentalists following the catastrophic effects of global deforestation, battles over Amazonian land-use have never been more prominent. You can also add a public health crisis to the list of problems caused by Brazil’s environmental deregulation.
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Global CO2 emissions on the rise again after brief drop
Scott E. Rupp Waste Management & EnvironmentalGlobal fossil fuel emissions appear to be rising again, for a second year in a row, because of growing energy use. These are the findings of new estimates from the Global Carbon Project, an initiative led by Stanford University scientist Rob Jackson. The Global Carbon Project's report, "Global Energy Growth Is Outpacing De-carbonization," appeared Dec. 5 in the peer-reviewed Environmental Research Letters, with additional data published in Earth System Science Data.
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UN climate talks polarized by protest, coal politics
Michelle R. Matisons Waste Management & EnvironmentalAnother round of climate talks have begun in Katowice, Poland, at an event known as COP24. Thus far, the event has featured heated clashes with police and heated debates about the Paris Agreement, both regarding a heating planet Earth. There have been serious protests against dirty energy while more protests and behind-the-scenes controversies are brewing. Let’s begin with the protests, and then consider what’s happening behind the scenes at this historic gathering of world leaders, industry spokespeople, nonprofits, nongovernmental organizations, citizen activist groups, and direct action insurrectionaries.
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