Intelligent Aerospace - Courtney E. Howard
"Hybrid electric
flight represents one of the biggest industrial challenges of our time,
and our goal is to create aircraft designs that generate zero
emissions," explains Andy Anderson, chief operating officer for the
Corporate Technology Office at Airbus Group in San Jose, California.
Airbus Group officials debuted the E-Fan 1.2 experimental electric aircraft during EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, with a new hybrid electric/gas engine.
Airbus executives are on a mission to one day replace fossil fuels in
aviation, including with the help of E-Fan technology. As part of
Airbus Group's commitment to pioneering the future of energy-efficient
aviation, the company developed the E-Fan 1.1, an experimental aircraft
to validate the concept of electric-powered flight. Last year, the plane
made aviation history as the first electric-powered aircraft to cross
the English Channel.
"With
the E-Fan 1.2, we're continuing to explore innovative approaches to more
environmentally friendly technologies as possible alternatives to
fossil fuels. Using insights gained from the E-Fan program, we hope to
reduce – and possibly eliminate – the use of fossil fuels in aviation
design within the next 30 to 40 years," Anderson says.
The
E-Fan 1.2 operates on a hybrid engine to reduce noise, vibration, and
weight of the plane while increasing battery capacity and extending
range. With this hybrid engine, the E-Fan has significantly reduced its
noise level and operates on an electric taxiing system, officials say.
The
U.S. debut provided aviation experts and enthusiasts the opportunity to
view the hybrid engine for the first time publicly and learn more about
Airbus Group's vision for the future of green aviation.
Since
its founding in 2011, the Airbus E-Fan project has worked to develop
more energy efficient aircraft. The project is aligned with the European
Commission's "Flightpath 2050" goals, which call for significant
reductions in aircraft carbon dioxide emissions and noise to ensure the
sustainable development of the aviation industry. As a flying technology
test bed, the Airbus E-Fan is promoting research in electric propulsion
and the certification of electrical flight concepts.
Airbus Group Inc. is the U.S.-based operation of Airbus Group, a
provider of aeronautics, space, and related services. Airbus Group
contributes more than $16.5 billion to the U.S. economy annually and
supports over 250,000 American jobs through its network of suppliers.
Links
28/07/2016
Turnbull Government's Green Shift To Back Renewables
Fairfax - Mark Kenny
Malcolm Turnbull's new Environment and Energy Minister, Josh Frydenberg, has welcomed a declining role for coal in Australia's future energy mix, talked up reliable green energy, and locked in the current 23.5 per cent renewable energy target by 2020, in a marked change from the avowedly pro-coal rhetoric of the Abbott government.
And he has stated that recent price spikes in South Australia – where energies such as wind and solar power make up 40 per cent plus of supply, and Tasmania where the figure is above to 90 per cent - were not solely the fault of high renewable energy dependencies but to a "complex of factors" including the failure of other energy distribution infrastructure such as Basslink, as well as the effects of drought, a cold snap, and high gas prices arising from inadequate supplies and suppliers.
This, he said, could be addressed in part by lifting "blanket moratoria" on new gas extraction as applied currently in Victoria and "parts of" New South Wales, and through technological advances in battery storage, which were coming onstream.
"Now people have pointed the finger at the increased emphasis on renewables as the reason for what's happened in South Australia, it's a lot more complex than that," he said nominating the upgrade of the Heywood interconnecter as a significant factor.
He said the "intermittency" of renewable energy had been a factor in price peaks but not necessarily the main one, as many fossil fuel energy advocates had concluded, although these events would necessitate some deep policy assessment.
Mr Frydenberg has also moved to burnish his own green credentials by rejecting criticism of his dual portfolio responsibilities, which he defended as, "two sides of the same coin", while reinforcing the message that he has never personally doubted the science of anthropogenic climate change, nor that the economy is transitioning away from coal.
"It's been speculated for many years that energy policy and climate change policy are two sides of the same coin, and as a result, policy thinking should be better aligned and coordinated," he said.
"There's massive changes taking place," he said.
"Eight out of the 12 emissions-intensive, coal-fire power stations in
Australia, have closed in the last five years, and so I see part of my
job is to explain the changing face of energy production in Australia
and at the same time ensuring that we can move smoothly ahead."
Newly ensconced in his Parliament House ministerial office ahead of Thursday's first full cabinet meeting since the post-election reshuffle, Mr Frydenberg told Fairfax Media it was obvious that the economy was in transition from a high-carbon output to a low one, which was "no bad thing".
Critical to this is investment certainty, such as the retention of the national renewable energy target.
"With our RET, which is 23.5 per cent by 2020, that's set in stone, I want to make that very clear, the RET is set in stone and the goal must be affordable, accessible, and reliable energy supply as we transition to a lower-emissions future, that is what I see as my template for action," he said.
"One of the big swing factors in Australia's ability to reduce its carbon footprint is going to be technology and while renewables now does introduce elements of intermittent supply at certain levels, the improvements in battery storage give us great confidence in the future, that renewables, which should be taken up in greater and greater amounts, can provide a reliable steady source of energy supply".
Links
Malcolm Turnbull's new Environment and Energy Minister, Josh Frydenberg, has welcomed a declining role for coal in Australia's future energy mix, talked up reliable green energy, and locked in the current 23.5 per cent renewable energy target by 2020, in a marked change from the avowedly pro-coal rhetoric of the Abbott government.
And he has stated that recent price spikes in South Australia – where energies such as wind and solar power make up 40 per cent plus of supply, and Tasmania where the figure is above to 90 per cent - were not solely the fault of high renewable energy dependencies but to a "complex of factors" including the failure of other energy distribution infrastructure such as Basslink, as well as the effects of drought, a cold snap, and high gas prices arising from inadequate supplies and suppliers.
This, he said, could be addressed in part by lifting "blanket moratoria" on new gas extraction as applied currently in Victoria and "parts of" New South Wales, and through technological advances in battery storage, which were coming onstream.
"Now people have pointed the finger at the increased emphasis on renewables as the reason for what's happened in South Australia, it's a lot more complex than that," he said nominating the upgrade of the Heywood interconnecter as a significant factor.
He said the "intermittency" of renewable energy had been a factor in price peaks but not necessarily the main one, as many fossil fuel energy advocates had concluded, although these events would necessitate some deep policy assessment.
Mr Frydenberg has also moved to burnish his own green credentials by rejecting criticism of his dual portfolio responsibilities, which he defended as, "two sides of the same coin", while reinforcing the message that he has never personally doubted the science of anthropogenic climate change, nor that the economy is transitioning away from coal.
"It's been speculated for many years that energy policy and climate change policy are two sides of the same coin, and as a result, policy thinking should be better aligned and coordinated," he said.
"There's massive changes taking place," he said.
Incoming Environment and Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg has flagged a marked change in direction away from fossil fuels. Photo: Philip Gostelow |
Newly ensconced in his Parliament House ministerial office ahead of Thursday's first full cabinet meeting since the post-election reshuffle, Mr Frydenberg told Fairfax Media it was obvious that the economy was in transition from a high-carbon output to a low one, which was "no bad thing".
Critical to this is investment certainty, such as the retention of the national renewable energy target.
"With our RET, which is 23.5 per cent by 2020, that's set in stone, I want to make that very clear, the RET is set in stone and the goal must be affordable, accessible, and reliable energy supply as we transition to a lower-emissions future, that is what I see as my template for action," he said.
"One of the big swing factors in Australia's ability to reduce its carbon footprint is going to be technology and while renewables now does introduce elements of intermittent supply at certain levels, the improvements in battery storage give us great confidence in the future, that renewables, which should be taken up in greater and greater amounts, can provide a reliable steady source of energy supply".
Links
World's Largest Carbon Producers Face Landmark Human Rights Case
The Guardian - John Vidal
Filipino government body gives 47 'carbon majors' 45 days to respond to allegations of human rights violations resulting from climate change
The world's largest oil, coal, cement and mining companies have been
given 45 days to respond to a complaint that their greenhouse gas
emissions have violated the human rights of millions of people living in
the Phillippines.
In a potential landmark legal case, the Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines (CHR), a constitutional body with the power to investigate human rights violations, has sent 47 "carbon majors" including Shell, BP, Chevron, BHP Billiton and Anglo American, a 60-page document accusing them of breaching people's fundamental rights to "life, food, water, sanitation, adequate housing, and to self determination".
The move is the first step in what is expected to be an official investigation of the companies by the CHR, and the first of its kind in the world to be launched by a government body.
The complaint argues that the 47 companies should be held accountable for the effects of their greenhouse gas emissions in the Philippines and demands that they explain how human rights violations resulting from climate change will be "eliminated, remedied and prevented".
It calls for an official investigation into the human rights implications of climate change and ocean acidification and whether the investor-owned "carbon majors" are in breach of their responsibilities.
The Philippines, an archipelago of more than 7,000 islands, is one of the most vulnerable countries in the world to climate change.
Four of its most devastating super-cyclones have occurred in the last decade, and the country has recorded increasingly severe floods and heatwaves that have been linked to man-made global warming.
Typhoon Haiyan, known locally as Yolanda, was one of the most powerful storms ever recorded, killing more than 6,000 people and displacing 650,000 others in 2013.
The legal complaint has been brought by typhoon survivors and non-governmental organisations and is supported by more than 31,000 Filipinos.
"We demand justice. Climate change has taken our homes and our loved ones. These powerful corporations must be called to account for the impact of their business activities," said Elma Reyes from Alabat Island in Quezon, who survived super typhoon Rammasun in 2008 and is part of the group submitting the complaint to the CHR.
The full legal investigation is now expected to start in October after the 47 companies have responded. Although all 47 will be ordered to attend public hearings, the CHR can only force those 10 with offices in the Philippines to appear.
These include Chevron, ExxonMobil, BP, Royal Dutch Shell, Total, BHP Billiton, Anglo American, Lafarge, Holcim, and Taiheiyo Cement Corporation. The CHR has the power to seek the assistance of the UN to encourage any which do not attend to co-operate.
"The commission's actions are unprecedented. For the first time, a national human rights body is officially taking steps to address the impacts of climate change on human rights and the responsibility of private actors," said Zelda Soriano, legal and political adviser for Greenpeace Southeast Asia, one of the groups which has brought the complaint to the CHR.
"This is an important building block in establishing the moral and legal 'precedent' that big polluters can be held responsible for current and threatened human rights infringements resulting from fossil fuel products. From the Netherlands to the US, people are using legal systems to hold their governments to account and demand climate action," she said.
The list of the 47 "carbon majors" being asked to respond to the CHR is based on research by Richard Heede, director of the Climate Accountability Institute in Colorado. In 2013 he calculated that just 90 global companies had produced nearly two-thirds of the greenhouse gas emissions generated since the start of the industrial revolution.
Together these companies emitted around 315 gigatons of CO2
equivalent into the atmosphere, or nearly 22% of estimated global
industry greenhouse gas emissions from 2010 to 2013, said Heede.
"We pray that the CHR heed the demand to recommend to policymakers and legislators to develop and adopt effective accountability mechanisms that victims of climate change can easily access," said Father Edwin Gariguez, executive secretary of Caritas Philippines and a recipient of the Goldman environmental prize.
The CHR is not a court and would have no power to force companies to reduce emissions or fine them. However, it can make recommendations to government and would add to the worldwide pressure to persuade shareholders to divest from heavy carbon emitters.
The investigation is the latest in a growing tide of climate liability cases being brought against governments and corporations. In June, the Netherlands' high court ruled on the world's first climate liability suit, ordering the Dutch government to take stronger action against climate change to better protect its citizens.
However, several court cases launched in the US urging the US government to take more action against climate change have been dismissed.
Links
Filipino government body gives 47 'carbon majors' 45 days to respond to allegations of human rights violations resulting from climate change
Typhoon Haiyan, known locally as Yolanda, struck in 2013 and was one of the most powerful storms ever recorded. Photograph: Erik de Castro / Reuters/REUTERS |
In a potential landmark legal case, the Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines (CHR), a constitutional body with the power to investigate human rights violations, has sent 47 "carbon majors" including Shell, BP, Chevron, BHP Billiton and Anglo American, a 60-page document accusing them of breaching people's fundamental rights to "life, food, water, sanitation, adequate housing, and to self determination".
The move is the first step in what is expected to be an official investigation of the companies by the CHR, and the first of its kind in the world to be launched by a government body.
The complaint argues that the 47 companies should be held accountable for the effects of their greenhouse gas emissions in the Philippines and demands that they explain how human rights violations resulting from climate change will be "eliminated, remedied and prevented".
It calls for an official investigation into the human rights implications of climate change and ocean acidification and whether the investor-owned "carbon majors" are in breach of their responsibilities.
The Philippines, an archipelago of more than 7,000 islands, is one of the most vulnerable countries in the world to climate change.
Four of its most devastating super-cyclones have occurred in the last decade, and the country has recorded increasingly severe floods and heatwaves that have been linked to man-made global warming.
Typhoon Haiyan, known locally as Yolanda, was one of the most powerful storms ever recorded, killing more than 6,000 people and displacing 650,000 others in 2013.
The legal complaint has been brought by typhoon survivors and non-governmental organisations and is supported by more than 31,000 Filipinos.
"We demand justice. Climate change has taken our homes and our loved ones. These powerful corporations must be called to account for the impact of their business activities," said Elma Reyes from Alabat Island in Quezon, who survived super typhoon Rammasun in 2008 and is part of the group submitting the complaint to the CHR.
The full legal investigation is now expected to start in October after the 47 companies have responded. Although all 47 will be ordered to attend public hearings, the CHR can only force those 10 with offices in the Philippines to appear.
These include Chevron, ExxonMobil, BP, Royal Dutch Shell, Total, BHP Billiton, Anglo American, Lafarge, Holcim, and Taiheiyo Cement Corporation. The CHR has the power to seek the assistance of the UN to encourage any which do not attend to co-operate.
"The commission's actions are unprecedented. For the first time, a national human rights body is officially taking steps to address the impacts of climate change on human rights and the responsibility of private actors," said Zelda Soriano, legal and political adviser for Greenpeace Southeast Asia, one of the groups which has brought the complaint to the CHR.
"This is an important building block in establishing the moral and legal 'precedent' that big polluters can be held responsible for current and threatened human rights infringements resulting from fossil fuel products. From the Netherlands to the US, people are using legal systems to hold their governments to account and demand climate action," she said.
The list of the 47 "carbon majors" being asked to respond to the CHR is based on research by Richard Heede, director of the Climate Accountability Institute in Colorado. In 2013 he calculated that just 90 global companies had produced nearly two-thirds of the greenhouse gas emissions generated since the start of the industrial revolution.
A Filipino nun joins the Climate Solidarity prayer march in Manila, Philippines, November 2015. Photograph: Aaron Favila/AP |
"We pray that the CHR heed the demand to recommend to policymakers and legislators to develop and adopt effective accountability mechanisms that victims of climate change can easily access," said Father Edwin Gariguez, executive secretary of Caritas Philippines and a recipient of the Goldman environmental prize.
The CHR is not a court and would have no power to force companies to reduce emissions or fine them. However, it can make recommendations to government and would add to the worldwide pressure to persuade shareholders to divest from heavy carbon emitters.
The investigation is the latest in a growing tide of climate liability cases being brought against governments and corporations. In June, the Netherlands' high court ruled on the world's first climate liability suit, ordering the Dutch government to take stronger action against climate change to better protect its citizens.
However, several court cases launched in the US urging the US government to take more action against climate change have been dismissed.
Links
- US environmentalists take aim at second TransCanada pipeline
- Greenpeace activists scale British Museum to protest BP sponsorship
- Charlotte Church sings in protest at Shell's plans to start Arctic drilling - video
- Shell's Arctic drilling is the real threat to the world, not kayaktivists
- US taxpayers subsidising world's biggest fossil fuel companies
- Arctic oil: it is madness to celebrate a new source of fossil fuels
- Greenpeace vows incarceration will not stop Arctic oil campaign