Wisconsin Nuclear Power Plant Shuts Down, Unable to Compete with Natural Gas

Posted May 8, 2013 by Bob Petz

Wisconsin’s 556-megawatt Kewaunee Nuclear Power Station, located 27 miles southeast of Green Bay, permanently shut down yesterday after its owner, Dominion Resources, Inc., was unable to find a buyer for the 39-year old facility.

According to Dominion, the decision was purely economic; Kewaunee could no longer sell its electricity to utilities that could buy it cheaper from power plants fueled by natural gas.

Kewaunee went into service in 1974, but in 2008 was granted a 20-year license extension that would have permitted it to operate through 2033.

The recent boom in U.S. natural gas extraction, brought on by hydraulic fracturing (or fracking), has led to a market glut and a precipitous drop in prices — from about $12 per million BTU (mBTU) in 2008 to about $2 in 2012.

That Kewaunee is privately owned brings some uncertainty to the eventual decommissioning of the plant, since surcharges levied for such purpose are usually available only to publicly owned facilities.

In all, decommissioning is estimated to cost $900 million, and could take as long as 60 years.

 

[Continue Reading]

Atmospheric CO2 Poised to Exceed 400 PPM

Posted May 6, 2013 by Bob Petz

Chances are that in the next few days, the concentration of carbon dioxide in Earth’s atmosphere will exceed 400 parts per million (ppm) for the first time in about 4 million years.

Recently, Mauna Loa Observatory on the big island of Hawaii has been regularly recording daily CO2 levels above 399 ppm, with several hours already exceeding 400.

Atmospheric CO2 as recorded last week at Mauna Loa Observatory. Source: Scripts Institution of Oceanography.

Considering that carbon levels tend to peak in mid-May, one or more daily averages above 400 in the next few weeks is a near certainty. Yesterday’s reading, May 5, was 399.54 ppm.

While crossing the 400 ppm threshold is largely symbolic, the rate at which atmospheric carbon is increasing is anything but. When Mauna Loa began measuring CO2 in 1958, CO2 was running @ 317 ppm. Unless we begin to seriously slow the rate of greenhouse gas emissions now, we’re on track to surpass 450 ppm within 30 years.

The Keeling Curve shows concentration of atmospheric CO2 at Mauna Loa since measurements began in 1958. The sawtooth nature of the curve reflects the annual cycle of seasonal differences. Source: Scripts Institution of Oceanography.

Mauna Loa Observatory, operated by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, not only has the longest continuous history of monitoring CO2 concentrations, but thanks in part to its location, its measurements are regarded as the baseline standard for atmospheric carbon.

At 11, 335 feet (3,397 m) above sea level, Mauna Loa’s sits above low-level, local pollution and temperature inversion layers. Its location in the mid-Pacific also isolates it from major sources of pollution.

 

[Continue Reading]

7.8 Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Southeastern Iran

Posted April 16, 2013 by Bob Petz


A powerful, 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck southeastern Iran today at 3:44 p.m. local time (10:44 UTC), about 31 miles (50 km) from the Pakistani border, and 121 miles (195 km) SE of the city of Zahedan.

With the quake centered in a sparsely populated region of mountains, deserts and small villages, the extent of damage remains largely unknown. So far, Iranian television has reported at least 40 deaths but offered few other details; Pakistani news has reported 6 known deaths but hundreds of collapsed mud structures.

It is hoped that casualties and damage will be limited by the relative depth of today’s earthquake, at 51 miles (82 km) beneath the surface.

Shocks were felt across a wide region, shaking buildings and causing evacuations in Qatar, Dubai, Karachi, and 1,500 miles to the east in New Delhi.

Described as the most powerful earthquake to strike Iran in more than 50 years, today’s follows a 6.1 magnitude event on April 9. That quake, centered along Iran’s Persian Gulf coast, was blamed for more than 3 dozen deaths and more than 800 injuries.

 

[Continue Reading]

630 MW “London Array” Offshore Wind Farm Now Fully Operational

Posted April 11, 2013 by Bob Petz

© London Array Limited

The first phase of the London Array, the world’s largest offshore wind farm, became fully operational on April 6, and is expected to produce enough renewable electricity to power nearly half a million homes a year while reducing CO2 emissions by more than 900,000 tons each year.

The London Array is located in the outer Thames Estuary, approximately 20 km. off the coasts of Kent and Essex in waters up to 25 meters deep.

Phase One covers an area of 100 sq.km. and consists of 175 3.6 MW Siemens turbines, two offshore substations and an onshore substation  at Cleve Hill near Graveney. Combined, phase one has a combined peak capacity of 630 MW.

Turbines are arranged in a grid aligned to the prevailing southwesterly wind. Spaced 650-1,200 m apart, they are connected to each other and the offshore substations by cables buried in the seabed.

Offshore construction of the London Array began in March 2011 with laying of the first foundation; the last turbine was installed in December 2012.

“It has been a complex operation but I am delighted that the commissioning of the wind farm has now been completed on schedule, despite the worst of the winter weather,” said Project Director Richard Rigg.

If approved, a second phase would raise the project’s capacity to 870 MW.

 

[Continue Reading]

Germany to Test Recharging Electric Buses at Wireless Bus Stops

Posted April 1, 2013 by Bob Petz

The city of Mannheim, Germany, is about to undertake a pilot project that just might pave the way to the future for zero-emissions and low-noise public transit – electric buses that charge themselves wirelessly while waiting for passengers to get on and off at bus stops.

The project is built upon Bombardier PRIMOVE inductive technology, which uses charging stations embedded beneath the pavement to transfer electricity to receivers built into the bus frame. Charging stations are activated automatically when a bus is present, and deactivated when a bus leaves the stop.

One advantage of the system is that charging buses en-route eliminates the downtime and additional vehicles that would be required if they were charged off-line. Another is that smaller batteries can be used, thus reducing both cost and weight.

During the 12-month demonstration program, 2 electric buses will take over an existing inner city route, providing real-world technical data and consumer feedback for future product development and deployment.

Germany’s Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Development has agreed to provide 3.3 million euro to fund the demonstration, which should be operational in the second quarter of 2014.

A similar demonstration of wireless, inductive charging is scheduled to be rolled out later this year on the University of Utah campus.

 

 

[Continue Reading]

Maryland Approves Development of Offshore Wind Energy

Posted March 22, 2013 by Bob Petz

Harnessing the power of ocean winds off the U.S. mid-Atlantic coast came a step closer to reality last week when the Maryland State Legislature approved the Maryland Offshore Wind Energy Act of 2013, authorizing a $1.7 billion subsidy over 20 years to kick-start development of a 200-megawatt wind farm projected to be operational in the next 4-7 years.

While bids have yet to be solicited or plans drawn, the offshore facility is expected to include as many as 40 wind turbines located 10-40 miles off the Maryland shore of the 170 mile-long Delmarva Peninsula, home to popular destinations such as Ocean City, and the protected barrier island of Assateague.

Appearing before the State Senate Finance committee last month, Governor Martin O’Malley (D) testified, “Wind is one of Maryland’s two most abundant natural resources. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates we could be generating 10,000 megawatts off the coast of our state alone. That’s enough energy to power every home in Maryland. This bill would get the ball rolling with 200 megawatts.”

Passage of the bill represents a hard-fought victory for O’Malley who, along with environmental and alternative energy groups, has advocated for such legislation for the past three years. Similar measures passed the Maryland House in 2010 and 2011, only to be stalled in the State Senate’s Finance Committee.

In order to secure passage this year, proponents scaled down previous versions of the project by nearly two-thirds, and included measures designed to broaden support.

A $10 million fund aims to assist small and minority businesses in gearing up to participate in the project, and a special task force will investigate the creation of degree programs in offshore wind at Maryland’s Historically Black Colleges & Universities.

In response to opposition over the impact of the $1.7 billion subsidy on energy rates, the 2013 bill caps project-related increases in residential bills at $1.50 per month, and increases in commercial rates at 1.5% annually. No project-related increase can go into effect until the wind farm is operational, at which time untilities will be required to purchase 2.5 percent of electricity from wind-generated sources.

Proponents estimate that the project will, over 5 years, create up to 850 jobs during manufacturing and construction, and 160 jobs thereafter in operations and maintenance. The project is also projected to reduce CO2 emissions by 378,000 tons per year, and reduce public health costs by $17 million annually.

Six firms previously expressed interest in bidding for an offshore lease, but whether the scaled-down project as approved will still be attractive to potential developers remains to be seen. A $3.3 million ocean floor survey, already contracted by the state, should add some incentive by providing developers with a clearer picture of how and where wind turbines might be anchored.

Other considerations factoring into the final location and timing of the project include ongoing state and federal inquiries into its potential impacts upon birds, fish, marine mammals and shipping lanes.

With this legislation, Maryland joins several other east coast states with offshore wind projects in development or under consideration, including Massachusetts, Delaware, New Jersey and Virginia. Presently, the U.S. has no operational offshore wind capacity.

 

[Continue Reading]

Despite Progress, Immunization of African Children Falling Short

Posted March 21, 2013 by Guest

Joe DeCapua, VOA News
March 20, 2013
 

Florence Devoaurd/Wikipedia Commons

Researchers say that despite progress immunizing African children against disease, vaccination efforts are falling far short of what’s needed. They warn that vaccine supply and cost need urgent attention.

University of Cape Town researchers say there are “failures within the immunization system.”

The Vaccines for Africa Initiative is based at the University of Cape Town.

“Well, there’s a very wide range if you look at African countries in terms of performance of immunization programs. Some are doing very well and others are doing very badly. So this disparity is a very big concern,” said Shingai Machingaidze, associate researcher at the university’s Vaccines for Africa Initiative.

Similar problems exist in developing countries outside Africa, as well.

“For the countries that are not doing so well in terms of their vaccine coverage it means that large numbers of children do not get basic vaccinations before they reach one year. 1.5 million vaccine preventable disease deaths were recorded in 2010,” she said.

Professor Gregory Hussey, director of the Vaccines for Africa Initiative, said that polio, which had been on the verge of eradication, remains entrenched in some places.

​​​​“There’s a worldwide move to eradicate polio in the next five to 10 years. The stumbling blocks in Africa are in fact [in] Nigeria where there’s continued transmission of polio because of sub-optimal uptake of polio vaccine,” he said. “And I’m sure you’re aware of the fact that the people refusing to immunize their children for a list of reasons – religious, political, etcetera, etcetera.”

The World Health Organization had said after polio immunization was disrupted in northern Nigeria several years ago, that particular strain of the virus spread all the way to Ethiopia.

Continued outbreaks of measles, Hussey said, are another example of immunization system failure.

“With our porous borders in Africa disease can spread from one place to another place, especially if children are not being immunized properly,” he said.

Hussey said that while various U.N. and international agencies have campaigns advocating immunization, Africa lacked a home-grown program to do so.

“We started this Vaccines for Africa Initiative precisely to try to make people more aware of issues around vaccine and immunization practices. And this includes not only the individuals who are delivering the vaccines, the healthcare workers, but also the policymakers, as well as communities, who should be receiving the vaccines,” he said.

A major obstacle to effective immunization is the cost of vaccines. For example, more countries are starting to introduce vaccines against pneumonia and diarrheal disease – two of the leading killers of young children.

Hussey said, “You’re looking at pushing up the price from a few dollars up to about $58. And that’s way beyond the per capita health expenditure of most countries in Africa, which probably is around about $10 to $20 per person.”

An international public-private partnership, the GAVI Alliance, plays a major role in helping developing countries introduce vaccines. GAVI negotiates with pharmaceutical companies to lower the cost of a vaccine dose. But Hussey warned that cheaper prices for vaccines won’t last forever.

“Once they sort of graduate from GAVI they still will have to purchase those vaccines. So there are a number of countries that are going to graduate in the next year or two and that’s a problem for them,” he said. “Because how to they then fund the supply of those vaccines?”

He said that some countries that can afford the vaccines on their own have not made child health a priority.

The University of Cape Town researchers say, “African leaders must be held accountable for meeting agreed country immunization targets and honoring international commitments.”

Last November, the first International African Vaccinology Conference was held in Cape Town, South Africa where participants adopted the Cape Town Declaration. Among other things it called for strengthening childhood immunization programs; encouraging regional co-operation; strengthening purchasing power by pooling resources and ensuring African governments commit to saving children’s lives.

[Continue Reading]

Microbial Life Discovered Thriving at the Bottom of the Mariana Trench

Posted March 20, 2013 by Bob Petz

One of the most interesting scientific developments in recent years has been the discovery of life in some of the most extreme conditions on the planet.

From the waters surrounding deep-sea thermal vents and soils beneath the driest deserts, to deep within rock beneath the ocean floor and the frigid troposphere high above, microorganisms have shown a remarkable ability to survive in the unlikeliest of places.

Now, thanks to an international team of scientists and a specialized underwater robot, we can add the crushing pressures at the bottom of the Mariana Trench to those places where life has been found to thrive.

Source: Wikipedia Commons, user Wallace

Located in the western Pacific, the Mariana Trench is nearly 11 km beneath the surface and the deepest known spot on Earth. There, pressures run as high as 15,750 psi, or roughly 1,100 times the standard atmospheric pressure at sea level.

Despite such an inhospitable environment, researchers found a “highly active bacteria community” living in sediments at the bottom of the trench. In fact, these sediments contain nearly 10 times more bacteria than sediments from the surrounding plain at a depth of only 5-6 km.

Deep sea trenches act as hot spots for microbial activity because they receive an unusually high flux of organic matter, made up of dead animals, algae and other microbes, sourced from the surrounding much shallower sea-bottom. It is likely that some of this material becomes dislodged from the shallower depths during earthquakes, which are common in the area. So, even though deep sea trenches like the Mariana Trench only amount to about two percent of the World Ocean area, they have a relatively larger impact on marine carbon balance — and thus on the global carbon cycle, according to lead author Professor Ronnie Glud of the Nordic Center for Earth Evolution at the University of Southern Denmark.

In order to detect the rates of microbial activity at such depths, a specially-designed robot measured the distribution of oxygen in sediments at the sea floor — a challenging but necessary approach since microorganisms that have adapted to such extreme conditions would likely die if brought to the surface for study.

The expedition to the Mariana Trench took place in 2010, and the research appeared online at Nature Geoscience, March 17.

A subsequent expedition has explored the bottom of the Japan Trench (9 km deep), and later this year the team is planning a dive in the world’s second deepest trench — the 10.8 km Kermadec-Tonga Trench near Fiji in the Pacific.

“The deep sea trenches are some of the last remaining ‘white spots’ on the world map. We know very little about what is going on down there or which impact the deep sea trenches have on the global carbon cycle as well as climate regulation. Furthermore, we are very interested in describing and understanding the unique bacterial communities that thrive in these exceptional environments. Data from multiple deep sea trenches will allow us to find out how the general conditions are at extreme depths, but also the specific conditions for each particular trench – that may experience very different deposition regimes. This will contribute to our general understanding of Earth and its development,” says Glud.

[Continue Reading]

A Cure for Infant HIV?

Posted March 4, 2013 by Bob Petz

A group of physicians and medical researchers announced yesterday what appears to be the first functional cure of an infant born with HIV — marking what may be a breakthrough development in how such cases are treated.

Credit: Navit (Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0)

Sunday’s announcement came in advance of a presentation of the group’s as yet unpublished findings, scheduled for today at the 20th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Atlanta Georgia.

The unidentified child, born in rural Mississippi in 2010 and now 2 1/2 years old, was infected through her mother, who had not received prenatal care and was unaware of her own HIV positive status until tested at a hospital during premature labor.

Those results led the hospital to transfer the newborn to the University of Mississippi Medical Center, where HIV tests of the 30-hour-old infant were conducted.

But before the child’s positive results were known, pediatrician Dr. Hannah B. Gay began administering an atypically aggressive, 3-drug anti-retroviral regimen.

The infant responded so well that after a month, the virus was no longer detectable, and after 18 months, the mother stopped bringing the child in for treatment.

Yet, when they returned five months later, doctors were surprised to find no signs of the virus.

Whether similar success can be replicated in other cases of newborn HIV remains to be seen, but it does appear that the immune systems of infants are different enough from those of adults that different approaches warrant consideration.

 

[Continue Reading]

Thousands of Dolphins Spotted in “Super Pod” Near San Diego

Posted February 19, 2013 by Bob Petz

Over the weekend, thousands of common dolphins were spotted 9 miles off the coast of San Diego, engaged in an apparent feeding frenzy that stretched 7 miles wide and 5 miles long.

Dolphins usually travel in groups of 200 or less, but occasionally are spotted in pods of 1,000.

According to KFMB television in San Diego, experts estimated 2,000-3,000 in this “super pod,” but Capt. Joe Dutra, who piloted the tour boat that followed the dolphins for more than an hour, estimated the number closer to 100,000.

At times, the dolphins reached speeds greater than 25 mph, outpacing the boat while churning the ocean’s surface into a boil.

 

[Continue Reading]