It is estimated that during the Roman Empire 20% to 30% of Italy's population were slaves. For the empire as a whole that share was between 10% and 15%.
In these times, even modest Roman households might expect to own two or three slaves.
🌱 Scientists Discover the Villains Destroying the Planet | @futurism
「 About a third are investor-owned oil companies like the US-based ExxonMobil and Chevron, and England's BP. State-owned energy corporations like Saudi Aramco and Russia's Gazprom make up another 36 percent, and nation-state producers, such as those in China and Russia, comprise the final 31 percent 」
💡 AI already uses as much energy as a small country. It’s only the beginning | Vox
「 The IEA estimates that, added together, this usage represented almost 2 percent of global energy demand in 2022 — and that demand for these uses could double by 2026, which would make it roughly equal to the amount of electricity used by the entire country of Japan 」
«Over lunch, ministers discussed the state of the solar power sector in Europe. Ministers took well note of the explanations by the invited guests from Solar Power Europe and the European Solar Manufacturing Council.» https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/meetings/tte/2024/03/04/
This sounds silly, but if it helps expand #renewables so be it. Politicians feel more important when they talk with captains of industry.
Heard Andrew Leach (who, don't get me wrong, is an excellent source of information) on the CBC this morning talk about “all the renewable energy in the world" not being able to save Alberta from its energy crisis this weekend and all I could do was scream impotently in my head:
“THAT'S NOT THE POINT AND YOU KNOW IT --- WE SWITCH TO RENEWABLES ASAP OR WE DIE.”
☢️ Nuclear battery produces power for 50 years without needing to charge
「 A Chinese startup has unveiled a new battery that it claims can generate electricity for 50 years with the need for charging or maintenance.
Beijing-based Betavolt said its nuclear battery is the first in the world to realise the miniaturisation of atomic energy, placing 63 nuclear isotopes into a module smaller than a coin 」
"#Pakistan, one of the world’s poorest nations, thought it had secured natural gas to fuel its economy. Commodities firms had other ideas."
"Gunvor’s decision to redirect its supplies—and other canceled gas deliveries by Eni SpA —helped prompt an #EnergyCrisis in Pakistan that continues today.."
This action alone probably helps more than all the words on #renewables from the European Commission. Now do the same for all #Vattenfall, #Ørsted etc. plans being cancelled. The risk for profits due to low PPA/CfD prices is equal and opposite to the public benefit. A semi-equity stake through convertible loan guarantees is an obvious hedge for the state, which amid an #EnergyCrisis will win either way.
Worries are growing about a possible new energy bill crisis, as cold weather looms for Britain.
Some 55% of Britons have already put their heating on this year, while 42% have not, as NGOs issue stark warnings of a coming crisis.
Energy bills in the UK remain "well above" the average before the energy crisis took hold in 2021 and the market remains volatile, according to regulator Ofgem.
"Only 45% of #Nigerians are connected to the energy grid, with a concentration on the urban areas. Energy sector reforms have seen the need to extend this accessibility to #rural areas. There is no doubt that the present #EnergyCrisis will continue to happen if the government does not change the energy sources and adopt new sustainable sources."
& that's before we get onto the UK's bullying & dysfunctional management style, the general perception that the UK's state institutions are failing, and that the #climatecrisis now seems inevitably damaging to everyday life...
that people are stressed should be no surprise; stress is about seeing a desired end & having no agency to get to it!
If & this is a big if, the causes of #inflation in the Uk are now in part the pressure brought by #workers finally getting nearer to catching up with the drop in their real #wages caused by inflation, the BoE may find they are the boys (and girls) who cried wolf.
When inflation was being imported through the #energycrisis, #supplychain issues & the continuing cost impact of #Brexit, they blamed #wages (wrongly), but now wages may be partly contributing to #inflation, no-one will believe them!
Climate change isn't happening.
Climate change is happening but humans aren't causing it.
Humans are influencing it but not much.
Humans are causing it but renewables aren't technologically feasible to substitute for fossil fuels.
Renewables are technologically feasible but they'll cost too much for society.
They won't cost too much for society but they will cause the implosion of fossil fuel companies.
Otherwise humanity would've plastered the deserts of the world with Solarthermal powerplants and produces so much excess energy that at nighttime we can just use resudual heat to keep power generation going...
The point is that we know the solution to solving the #ClimateCrisis and #EnergyCrisis but it's neither politically nor economically desireable to even fake to attempt doing so...
In the USA, #inflation is down to below 4%... in the EU, inflations is down to below 6%, with some countries below 3%, but i the UK it remains around 8%.... so, why has the UK become an outlier in developed country inflation rates?
Around #COVID19 I did a ton of work showing that research can be done in near real time. Now, I am working on "forward looking" research studying #ClimateCrisis#EnergyCrisis.
I am sure the #covid19inquiry - to which I submitted my story - will be revealing.
"Subsidizing the spread of COVID-19: Evidence from the UK’s #EOTHO scheme".
#Retrofitting and #Building upgrades are the easiest way to align three societal objectives: it can help people save money, it can help safe the environment and its a nice way of "not giving it to #Putin".
I want to share the story of my dad, who has spent the past 20 years optimizing my family home to produce more energy than it consumes.
He is an #engineer, so this comes much more natural to him as me being an #economist, but I think this story is an #inspiration.
Now after a lot of planning - the property nibbles away on CO2. My dad is actively sharing the story with others in the community. I asked him how much time and effort this took. Probably years. This is costly. Not everybody has the knowledge so its vital to share and benefit.
#Shell CEO Wael Sawan has told the BBC that the world still "desperately needs" #OilAndGas as moves to renewable energy aren't happening fast enough. That's because instead of investing in green energy, #BigOil companies like Shell continue to spend huge sums on fossil fuel production, greenwashing PR, and lobbying against legislation to address climate change
Appalling! #Shell CEO Wael Sawan claims reducing fossil fuel production - which is vital for #ClimateAction - risks worsening the cost of living crisis by impacting energy supplies & pushing up bills
Miracles of having a right-wing government in control of the media discourse: imposing price controls is now considered "market friendly" and hiding public debt by shifting it to the balance sheet of state-owned corporations is responsible financial management. https://yle.fi/a/74-20039327
Kerala headed for a drought-like situation after 4 continuous years of heavy rain, landslides, floods (thesouthfirst.com)
The lack of rain and increasing heat has severely affected power generation and agricultural activities in the state.
DOE Launches First-Ever ‘Cleanup to Clean Energy’ Initiative to Explore Generating Clean Energy on DOE-Owned Lands (www.energy.gov)
DOE Intends to Lease Land on Sites Across the U.S. for Utility-Scale Clean Energy Projects