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ladylooch · 3 months

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Odds were against us - John Marino

A/N: My submission for @wyattjohnston Winter Fic Exchange 2k24! This is the first time I have participated in a fic exchange and wow has it been really fun for me! Thank you so much, Demi, for being a gracious host and your rockstar organization!

@pcttymcrlecu I hope you love this as much as I enjoyed creating it for you. Also, I am IN LOVE with the song inso for this. I listened to it on repeat the entire time I was working on this. Thank you for sharing 🥰

Song Inspo: Solider by James TW

Word Count: 2.5k

The odds were against you.

Well, maybe not right away. You did grow up two houses down from each other.

But once you moved away for college, the world seemed to keep you apart as much as it flirted with the idea that you two could be together.

Growing up, it was the Masschusettes version of the three musketeers: John, Paul, and you. There was never a Marino brother around without you. Living on the same street had great perks, like a hockey net to shoot at, a ton of legos, and endless nights spent on their backyard play set.

From the beginning, John and you had a connection. Even as his twin brother was supposed to know him the best, you always seemed to be on the same page with your buddy. For years growing up, you and John had been tango-ing with will they, won't they, before he went to Harvard and you went to theUniversity of Pittsburgh. The next three years, every time you were both home, the tango continued. Both dating other people, never wanting to ruin the friendship, finding excuses for why you could never talk about the elephant in the room.

Then, John left Harvard after his junior year to play for the Pittsburgh Penguins. You were thrilled to show him the city! You took him to your favorite restaurants and introduced him to your college friends. It was you sitting next to his brother and his parents, in a freshly pressed Marino jersey, as he did his solo rookie lap in black and yellow.

It was you who left Pittsburgh a year later.

While others in your major wanted to be at Google and Microsoft, you wanted to use your computer science degree for good. When the call came for your dream job at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado, you knew you had to decide. You loved John, but he didn’t know, and it was hard to imagine a life where you stayed on the sidelines for potential. So before you decided, you nudged the situation to see what John would say when he was faced with the possibility of losing you.

“I got a job offer!” You exclaimed to him at happy hour.

“Whoa! Of course you did! You’re so cool.” He puts his chin in his hand, giving you googly, heart eyes in admiration. He is joking, but it puts a silly smile on your face. He sits back up, taking a sip of his beer, waiting expectantly. “So tell me everything. Will you get an office? How close will you work to the arena? And can I come to have lunch with you every day because that is a requirement. We have spent too much time apart.” Your stomach drops out of your body. You look away, taking in a heavy breath.

“That is the one downside.” You bite your lip, then continue. “It’s not here.”

“Oh? Is it like out in the boonies or Philly?”

“No. Like Colorado.”

Surprise slaps across John’s face. Then he looks away, trying to gather himself quickly.

“But you just got here and maybe I shouldn’t go...” You trail off. You hold your breath, wanting John to say something. You know this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. But a yearning inside of you begs for John to tell you to stay with him in Pittsburgh.

“You should go. This is everything you’ve been wanting. You deserve this.” John’s words are everything he should say, but they fucking sting. Tears build in your eyes and you nod. “I’m proud of you.” John finishes with a dainty whisper. He licks his lips, looking away. “Look at us.” He tries for a laugh but it comes out like a cough. “Both of our dreams are coming true.”

You want to ask him why it feels like your chest is imploding?

But you don’t.

Instead, you hug your childhood best friend while telling yourself how selfish it would be to confess you’re in love with him before you go

- - -

Three years later, so much has changed since you hugged John on that bar stool. You have been promoted twice and received national recognition for your work in solar energy. John had rough seasons in Pittsburgh, but has found a new, comfortable place in New Jersey. Paul is with the L.A. Kings in California. You make it a point to meet up with John and Paul when John visits on his West Coast road trips. John and you connect when he is in Colorado. When you’re back home, you make the commute to Jersey and fly home out of Newark. Otherwise, you’re texting daily, sending GIFs and memes and tiktoks back and forth while keeping each other abreast of your busy life.

You’re closer than ever. More in love with him than ever too. But how would it ever work?

The repetitive thoughts consume you as you stir the queso you had been making for your taco night at your new home in Golden. It has been a long, competitive process to get this house, but you are so proud of it. A dream home to match the dream job that the dream boy will see tonight.

A knock sounds on the door. The dream boy waits for you on the other side of the wood.

“Hi!” You squeal when you see John. “Welcome to MY home!”

“Uh, Ma’am, where is the owner of this home? You’re too young and single? It couldn’t be you?” He jokes, then pulls you in for a tight hug. “Thought we could celebrate.” He tilts the bottle of wine at you. It is nothing fancy. In fact, it's Cook’s, the bottle you two had stolen from your parents’ bar to have after prom on the beach.

“Let’s get this expensive gal in a nice lil ice bath.”

“There is nothing nice about an ice bath. Or that wine.” He snorts, shrugging his coat off.

“You can put that in the closet right there.” You point to his right. He opens the door, settling his jacket between two of yours. A warmth spreads through your body at his clothes mingling together with yours, gathering each other's scents.

“Don’t dawdle in the doorway, Johnny. Come into my kitchen!” You’re giddy as John's sock covered feet slide across your wood floors to join you in the open, modern space.

“Gas range?” John oos and aws at all the fixtures you show him. He hypes and gasps at all the right moments. Your cheeks hurt from grinning as you become Vanna White against your refrigerator.

“Go best friend!” He cheers as you do a little spin and dance for him. You laugh at the end.

“I’m so glad you’re here.” You tell him honestly.

“Me too. Glad we got in early.” He opens his arms for you. The weight of you settles against his chest, creating a bonded connection. John squeezes tight, his chin on the top of your head. He works you both into a sway, enjoying the weight of each other’s arms. This version of John is your favorite. The one who blurs the lines between best friends and lovers. You breathe in the fresh scent of his cologne, then wait, making him be the one to break your embrace.

“So is there an upstairs?” He wonders.

“There is! They gave me two whole levels!”

“What! Scam. It’s all a scam.”

“Look at my wall of pictures.” You point out as you head up the stairs. There is a whole gallery wall of frames and people, many of which John is in. Paul too.

“I know these people!” He grins, looking at their decades of memories. “My favorite night.” He points to a picture. It’s the New Year's Eve you were pretty sure you almost kissed.

“Mmm, it’s up there for sure.” You agree, waiting for him. His eyes trace the memory like he wants to burn it into the membrane of his brain. Then he turns to you, grabbing your hand and leading you up the stairs, becoming the tour guide.

“So up here we have uh…” He looks around. “An office!”

“Oh! And a standing desk?! She works on her fitness.” You fill in.

“We have very different definitions of fitness.”

“I hope so, NHL player.”

“And over here,” He tugs you by your fingers. “We have a guest room. You would never have blue as your color. It is not boring enough. This can’t be your room.”

“Shut up! I love neutrals! They’re in!” You shove at him as he howls with laughter.

“Paul’s room for when he comes to visit. Your parents and sister too.” You can’t help but notice John doesn’t include himself in that.

“Oh here we go.” He gets to your room, pushing the cracked door open to expose your favorite space in the house. He pauses in the doorway, taking it in.

Two lamps on either side of the bed illuminate the room as the sun sets behind the mountains outside. Your white walls are warmed by their dim light. The bed is made with a plush, white comforter and a light tan blanket draped along the foot of the bed. The walls had been painted the faintest of olive green. Various shades of cream and tan pillows create the look of a bed you want to jump into to mess it all up. A black and white picture of waves sliding onto a Nantucket beach is above the headboard.

John has gone still and silent. You are nervous as he continues to look around the comfy oasis you have created as your escape from the world. You were meticulous in your quest for homey, comfort items that would dull the sometimes harsh world out there. Does he hate it?

“What do you think?” You finally ask.

“Honestly?” He murmurs.

“Yes!” You giggle, trying to cross the distance you feel separating you.

“I wish this was our house.”

You freeze. John keeps looking at the bed, eyes ravenous over the clean bedding like he is seeing something else.

“I wish this was our bed.” He sighs. “I wish I was the one who got to sleep here with you because this is so clearly your dream house and I wish I was your dream man.” He stands there with his hands in his pockets, still not looking at you. This is when you realize he really doesn’t know. How does he not know?

“You are.” You whisper.

It’s John’s turn to be still and dumbfounded.

“You’re my dream man, Johnny.”

You bite your lip and John rushes towards you. His hands grip your face, tugging you into his lips. Your head falls back, delirious at his mouth finally being on yours. He holds your head up, working his lips to an angle so his tongue can devour your mouth. You never want to breathe again. His tongue and lips on yours are everything you’ve ever wanted. How will you stop?

Need takes over and you break apart begrudgingly. John rests his forehead on yours, thumbs delicately stroking your cheek bones.

“I’m in love with you, Johnny.”

“Good. Cause I am deliriously in love with you. And I’m sick of not telling you that every day.” You grin, inhaling heavily as tears fill your eyes.

“How are we going to do this?”

“I don’t know.” John sighs, gripping your face tighter in his fingers, like that will stop the rest of reality from intruding on your moment.

“I’m scared. We live so far apart. I don’t want to lose you as a friend.”

“We’ll have to be brave, sweetheart.”

Being brave is your second act.

The next 6 months you navigate the journey from friends to lovers while trying to mitigate the 1,700 miles that separate you. A 2 hour time zone difference weighs heavily on your relationship, along with two careers that threaten to ground you before your relationship even has a chance to take off. Then the off-season comes and John decides to train in Colorado with local NHL players at altitude, convinced it will give him that next step in his game.

The season begins again and your bed is as empty as it was before. You’re miserable. Lonelier than you’ve ever been and it spews mean thoughts in your brain at all hours of the night. John feels the same. You both discuss it openly, but neither of you have solutions for this next roadblock. Something will have to give, you both know it, but neither of you can speak it.

Right before Thanksgiving, your fist feels heavy against his Jersey City apartment door. He isn’t expecting you, but the relieved sigh when he has you in his arms tells you how welcome you are here. He ushers you in, pasting his lips against your skin as you try to set your bag down.

“What are you doing here?”

“Accepting my job offer.” John bolts up.

“No.”

“Yes.”

“No, babe. Don’t do this for me.”

“I’m not going to pretend it isn’t because of you. Of course it is. But this is a really good career move for me too. We can have it all.”

“Your house-”

“-will always just be my house. I’m ready to upgrade to our house.” You lock your hands around his neck, fingers guzzling up every bit of warmth from his skin. “I know what I want to do in my life and it’s to be where you are.” John groans then hugs you into his chest desperately.

In another month, you cut those 1700 miles down to 0. You and John move into your new place together. While you’re unpacking the neutral bedroom decor he makes fun of, John walks in then pops down to one knee.

“Can’t wait another minute.” He confesses. “I’ve been downstairs trying to talk myself out of doing it and why? For what? Because there isn’t an audience? There isn’t a photographer? Your nails aren’t done? That’s not us. This is us. So, marry me?” Your bottom lip quivers. A blink sends tear tracks down your face as you nod enthusiastically, telling the man, who is still your dream boy, “YES” you will marry him!

The wedding is a fast plan, you need to do it in the off-season and neither of you care for anything super fancy anyway. It’s a quaint ceremony on a similar Nantucket beach that hangs above your now shared bed. You and John stare in awe as you take turns reciting written vows that may as well be a decades long love letter to each other.

“Let’s keep betting on us, baby.” John finishes. You laugh, nodding vigorously.

When it’s time to seal the deal, John winds his hand around your waist, then tilts you down, kissing you so fully that you’re dazed when he brings you back up.

Like it has for thousands of years, a kiss between two lovers seals your fate.

It’s been decided.

A forever commitment.

One that binds you and John as partners, who keep bending the odds and winning anyway.

#the winter fic exchange 2k24 #John Marino x reader #John Marino Imagine #NHL imagine

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probablyasocialecologist · 9 months

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The bifacial solar cell, developed at the US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), harvests reflected sunlight hitting the back of the device, offering an unconventional route to producing higher energy yields for less space and cost. Typical advances to solar cell efficiency rates centre on iterative improvements to the side facing the Sun. This new approach could boost the energy harvesting capabilities of solar panels beyond their theoretical limit. “This perovskite cell can operate very effectively from either side,” said Kai Zhu, a scientist at the Chemistry and Nanoscience Center at NREL who led the research. Current solar cell technologies, which use silicon as the semiconductor material, have an efficiency rate of around 26 per cent – higher than the 23 per cent achieved in lab tests by the front side of the new panel. The back side of the panel, however, achieves an efficiency of about 91-93 per cent of the front, which offers up to 20 per cent more power overall when harvesting reflected sunlight.

#solar energy #solar power #renewable energy

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materialsscienceandengineering · 14 days

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Transforming wood waste for sustainable manufacturing

Lignin, a complex organic polymer, is one of the main components of wood, providing structural support and rigidity to make trees strong enough to withstand the elements. When transforming wood into paper, lignin is a key ingredient that must be removed, and it often becomes waste. Marcus Foston, associate professor of energy, environmental & chemical engineering in the McKelvey School of Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis, is exploring how to add value to lignin by breaking it down into small molecules that are structurally similar to oxygenated hydrocarbons. These renewable chemicals are key components in many industrial processes and products, but they are traditionally sourced from non-renewable petroleum. Foston's study of lignin disassembly, done in collaboration with Sai Venkatesh Pingali, a neutron scattering scientist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), was published Jan. 17 in ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering.

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kp777 · 7 months

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By Brett Wilkins

Common Dreams

Sept. 13, 2023

"It's clear that the crisis is spiraling out of control and the policies of your administration with regard to fossil fuels fail to align with what the science tells us must happen to avert calamity."

In an open letter published Wednesday, around 400 scientists implored U.S. President Joe Biden to endorse the demands of this weekend's March to End Fossil Fuels in New York—which include halting new fossil fuel projects, ending oil and gas drilling on public lands, and declaring a climate emergency.

Noting that "on your first day in office, you issued an executive order pledging that it is 'the policy of my administration to listen to the science' in tackling the climate crisis," the letter's signers lamented that "more than two years later, it's clear that the crisis is spiraling out of control and the policies of your administration with regard to fossil fuels fail to align with what the science tells us must happen to avert calamity."

"With the climate crisis raging all around us—in the form of fires, floods, hurricanes, drought, heatwaves, crop failures, and more—we call on you directly, clearly, and unequivocally to stop enacting policies contrary to science and do what is needed to address the crisis," the signatories added.

The scientists called on Biden to:

Stop federal approval for new fossil fuel projects and repeal permits for climate bombs like the Willow project and the Mountain Valley Pipeline;

Phase out fossil drilling on our public lands and waters;

Declare a climate emergency to halt fossil fuel exports and investments abroad, and turbocharge the buildout of more just, resilient distributed energy (like rooftop and community solar); and

Provide a just transition to a renewable energy future that generates millions of jobs while supporting workers' and community rights, job security, and employment equity.

"We scientists heard the president loud and clear when he pledged two years ago to 'listen to the science' on climate. Yet now we're watching our nation's greenhouse gas emissions spiral out of control while White House policy becomes increasingly unaligned with reality," Sandra Steingraber—an initial signatory of the letter and a senior scientist at the Science and Environmental Health Network"—said in a statement.

"Science says we need to ratchet down fossil fuel extraction—the White House is doubling down," she added. " Scientists are here to say that our data support the demands of this march."

"Given how bad global heating has now gotten, it's simply insane that President Biden still refuses to declare a climate emergency."

Peter Kalmus of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory—another initial signer—said that "given how bad global heating has now gotten, it's simply insane that President Biden still refuses to declare a climate emergency, and indeed, continues to make everything worse by expanding fossil fuels."

"Nothing takes away my hope for humanity's collective future more than Biden's choice to stand with the fossil fuel industry," Kalmus added. "He must pivot and become the climate leader the planet needs, or else he'll continue locking in higher temperatures and ever more irreversible damage to Earth's habitability."

Nearly 800 international, national, and local organizations have endorsed Sunday's March to End Fossil Fuels, which comes ahead of United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres' Climate Ambition Summit and this fall's U.N. Climate Change Conference—also known as COP28—in Dubai. More than 400 marches, rallies, and other climate mobilizations are slated for this weekend.

Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.

#climate action #joe biden #climate protest #climate justice #climate crisis #climate change #fossil fuels #martch to end fossil fuels #climate ambition summit #cop 28 #willow project

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mariacallous · 2 months

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When turbine blades for the United States’ first offshore wind project left port in September 2023, headed for the Vineyard Wind 1 project off Massachusetts, they were traveling on a barge instead of a wind turbine installation vessel, or WTIV. These purpose-built vessels are common in other parts of the world and make the job much, much easier. A WTIV is a transportation and construction rig in one. Frequently equipped with a big crane, deployable legs, and a dynamic positioning system, WTIVs can support the installation of several humongous turbines per trip.

There are dozens of WTIVs plying the world’s waters. So, why were the Vineyard Wind 1 blades delivered on a barge? This expensive, inefficient workaround was necessary because of a century-old law known as the Jones Act.

Also known as the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, the Jones Act requires anyone transporting goods from one point in the United States to another to use an American ship. And by a modern interpretation of the old law, an offshore turbine counts as a point in the United States. The trouble is, the United States doesn’t have any WTIVs. And without the appropriate equipment, the country’s offshore wind efforts are being plagued by the need for repeated, smaller-capacity barge trips that have added costs to projects already beset by financial difficulties. Danish energy company Ørsted, for example, cited vessel delays when it canceled two planned projects off the New Jersey coast: Ocean Wind 1 and 2.

The country’s first Jones Act–compliant WTIV, the Charybdis, is currently under construction in Texas. While originally planned for completion in 2023, labor constraints have pushed the Charybdis’s launch back at least a year, possibly into 2025, says Dominion Energy, the vessel’s owner.

The Biden administration’s goal is to deploy offshore wind turbines capable of generating 30 gigawatts of power by 2030. That’s more than 2,000 turbines. To meet this target, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), part of the US Department of Energy, says there’s a need for four to six WTIVs. But as 2030 draws ever closer, the incomplete Charybdis remains the only one.

The Jones Act is tricky to navigate. For a vessel to be compliant, it must not only be built in the United States and running the country’s flag but also be owned and crewed by Americans. Consequently, US shipyards enjoy a monopoly, which allows them to demand massively inflated prices.

When finished, the 144-meter-long Charybdis will boast over 5,000 square meters of main deck area and accommodate up to 119 people, supported by on-board cabins, mess rooms, and shops, as well as a cinema, gym, and hospital. But the WTIV’s cost has climbed from US $500 million to $625 million. Meanwhile, the major shipyards in South Korea could have built a similar vessel in less time, for less money, and with a more powerful crane.

The reason for the Jones Act’s longevity, says Colin Grabow, a research fellow at the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank, is that while it tends to benefit only a few people and businesses, the act goes unnoticed because there are many payers sharing the increased costs.

The Jones Act is one in a string of protectionist laws—dating back to the Tariff Act of 1789—designed to bolster US marine industries. The Jones Act’s existence was meant to ensure a ready supply of ships and mariners in case of war. Its authors reasoned that protection from foreign competition would foster that.

“Your average American has no idea that the Jones Act even exists,” Grabow says. “It’s not life-changing for very many people,” he adds. But “all Americans are hurt by the Jones Act.” In this case, that’s by slowing down the United States’ ability to hit its own wind power targets.

Grabow says those most vocal about the law—the people who build, operate, or serve on compliant ships—usually want to keep it in place.

Of course, there’s more going on with the country’s slow rollout of offshore wind power than just a century-old shipping law. It took a slew of factors to sink New Jersey’s planned Ocean Wind installations, says Abraham Silverman, an expert on renewable energy at Columbia University in New York.

Ultimately, says Silverman, rising interest rates, inflation, and other macroeconomic factors caught New Jersey’s projects at their most vulnerable stage, inflating the construction costs after Ørsted had already locked in its financing.

Despite the setbacks, the potential for offshore wind power generation in the United States is massive. The NREL estimates that fixed-bottom offshore wind farms in the country could theoretically generate some 1,500 gigawatts of power—more than the United States is capable of generating today.

There’s a lot the United States can do to make its expansion into offshore wind more efficient. And that’s where the focus needs to be right now, says Matthew Shields, an engineer at NREL specializing in the economics and technology of wind energy.

“Whether we build 15 or 20 or 25 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2030, that probably doesn’t move the needle that much from a climate perspective,” says Shields. But if building those first few turbines sets the country up to then build 100 or 200 gigawatts of offshore wind capacity by 2050, he says, then that makes a difference. “If we have ironed out all these issues and we feel good about our sustainable development moving forward, to me, I think that’s a real win.”

But today, some of the offshore wind industry’s issues stem, inescapably, from the Jones Act. Those inefficiencies mean lost dollars and, perhaps more importantly in the rush toward carbon neutrality, lost time.

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beardedmrbean · 1 year

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Dr. Chukwumerije Okereke’s New York Times guest essay argued against climate activists like Bill Gates and George Soros writing, "My Continent Is Not Your Giant Climate Laboratory."

Okereke, who works as the director of the Center for Climate Change and Development at Alex Ekwueme Federal University in Nigeria, explained in the essay on Tuesday the concept of solar geoengineering, which is supposed to redirect climate damage from the sun’s rays.

Although the concept has been gaining traction in recent years, Okereke criticized efforts by Western countries to persuade Africa to get involved.

"As a climate expert, I consider these environmental manipulation techniques extremely risky. And as an African climate expert, I strongly object to the idea that Africa should be turned into a testing ground for their use. Even if solar geoengineering can help deflect heat and improve weather conditions on the ground — a prospect that is unproven on any relevant scale — it’s not a long-term solution to climate change. It sends a message to the world that we can carry on over-consuming and polluting because we will be able to engineer our way out of the problem," Okereke wrote.

Ideas such as reflecting sunlight away from the Earth by injecting aerosols are "highly speculative," Okereke insisted, and could cause more damage to an already poorer nation.

He wrote, "Africa is already suffering the effects of climate change, such as drought, floods and erratic weather. And while geoengineering advocates see these technologies as a solution to such problems, the technologies run the danger of upsetting local and regional weather patterns — intensifying drought or flooding, for example, or disrupting monsoon cycles. And the long-term impact on regional climate and seasons is still largely unknown. Millions, perhaps billions, of people’s livelihoods could be undermined."

Efforts to push these ideas, however, continued to be pushed by organizations funded by Bill Gates. In addition, George Soros has recently called for further investments into potentially altering the climate in the Arctic.

"Sir David King has a plan to repair the climate system. He wants to recreate the albedo effect by creating white clouds high above the earth," Soros said. "With proper scientific safeguards and in consultation with local indigenous communities, this project could help restabilize the Arctic climate system which governs the entire global climate system."

Okereke continued to warn that these risky investments would not only "need to be deployed essentially forever" to combat "suppressed warming of the carbon dioxide" but would also "divert attention and investments from building renewable energy and other climate solutions in Africa."

He concluded, "African nations should strongly resist letting their territories be used for experimental exercises like this. And they must join efforts to strengthen the de facto moratorium (under the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity) on the development and deployment of these technologies. The technologies are potentially dangerous, and a major distraction from the real change that we all know wealthier nations need to make if we have a hope of outrunning climate devastation."

In December, the White House announced a five-year plan to study the effects of geoengineering. The plan was authorized by Congress and will be executed by the Office of Science and Technology Policy and the Department of Energy.

#nunyas news

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spacetimewithstuartgary · 8 months

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Looking Down on the Andes

This oblique photograph of the Chilean Andes in South America was taken by an External High-Definition Camera (EHDC) on the International Space Station. These high-elevation mountains reach up to 6,962 meters (22,840 feet) above sea level (Mount Aconcagua) and serve as a natural border between Chile, Argentina, and Bolivia.

The Andes mountain chain causes a rain shadow effect that results in minimal precipitation in the Atacama region of Chile. This area—known as the Atacama Desert—is widely recognized as one of the driest places on Earth. Some areas of the Atacama are touched by rain only four times a century. Other areas have never received rainfall for as long as records have been kept.

Precipitation is more abundant toward the east, where moisture is carried by winds from the interior of South America toward the eastern slopes of the Andes. Notice the shift from the moist Amazon basin rainforest (dark green) at the top of the image to dry desert conditions (brown) approaching the coast.

The desert climate is conducive to the formation of salt flats, which are scattered throughout the landscape. Among them are Bolivia’s Coipasa and Uyuni Salt Flats (known as Salar de Coipasa and Salar de Uyuni). Uyuni is the world’s largest salt flat and spans about 9,600 square kilometers (3,700 square miles).

Uyuni and other Atacama salt flats contain high concentrations of minerals such as lithium, potassium, and magnesium in their brines. These brines are often mined for their minerals as resources for the medical, electronic, and renewable energy industries.

Astronaut photograph ISS069-E-65 was acquired on March 28, 2023, with a Nikon D4 digital camera using a focal length of 56 millimeters. It is provided by the ISS Crew Earth Observations Facility and the Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, Johnson Space Center. The image was taken by a member of the Expedition 69 crew. The image has been cropped and enhanced to improve contrast, and lens artifacts have been removed. The International Space Station Program supports the laboratory as part of the ISS National Lab to help astronauts take pictures of Earth that will be of the greatest value to scientists and the public, and to make those images freely available on the Internet. Additional images taken by astronauts and cosmonauts can be viewed at the NASA/JSC Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth. Caption by Amber Turner, Jacobs JETS Contract at NASA-JSC.

#science #space #nasa #news #andes #earth observatory

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wolfnowl · 3 months

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Here’s how – and why – EVs and solar are connected

Add in V2H and a battery system and you're golden. 🌞

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awesome-casuallyfamouscollector · 5 months

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In one of the largest studies on EV mileage to date, researchers at GW and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory examined odometer data from 12.9 million used cars and 11.9 million used SUVs between 2016 and 2022. They found that battery electric vehicle (BEV) cars were driven almost 4,500 fewer miles annually than gas cars. The study found a gap for both cars and SUVs: electric cars had travelled 7,165 miles while gas-powered cars had travelled 11,642 miles annually, and electric SUVs travelled 10,587 miles while their gas-powered counterparts travelled 12,945 miles annually(..)

P.S. It is a well-known fact that ONLY RICH city dwellers who do not have to travel long distances and who can afford to charge their car at home or in the office can actually buy and use electric cars. More and more, especially in rural areas, I come across people who openly say that their old trusty diesel (it works in cold winter and hot summer and no worries to travel - 600 miles on a single tank of fuel.) will only be taken from their dead hands by the stupid government and the greedy rich...

Most "cheap" EVs can't go even 170 miles in real road conditions without a problems. This is one of the reasons why, as an electric car technology enthusiast, I resisted the legacy car manufacturer ads (You know this nonsense: average driver's daily trips are short...! But, what about long trips and unreliable chargers!???). I didn't buy their really overpriced "cheap" short-range EVs...These "legacy" electric cars are definitely NOT "cheap or affordable" and in many cases they are not practical for longer journeys, especially if charging stations are rare and unreliable...

In Europe, one of the cheapest and easiest "petrol" cars to buy, the Dacia Sandero Stepway (Bare bones price tag -14590 € in Latvia) easily outperforms any electric car over a long distance trips, besides, it costs at least 2x cheaper than "cheap" EVs, and for this price difference you can buy a huge tank of gasoline, which is enough for all the fossil fuel car for its life, and no worries about "charger anxiety"...! Plus, this fossil fuel car is still pretty basic by today's standards and won't break the bank to repair. This also explains why the Dacia brand is becoming popular among practical, rational and frugal motorists in Europe...

#ev adoption #Latvia #electric car #electric vehicle #expensive EV #charger anxiety #Dacia #Dacia Sandero Stepway

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energy-5 · 5 months

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Optimizing Your Solar System Year-Round

As the Earth tilts and turns, the changing seasons can have a profound effect on the performance of solar power systems. From the height of summer to the depths of winter, a solar panel owner’s strategy must adapt to ensure their system is optimized throughout the year. Let's take a closer look into how each season affects solar output and how you can maximize your system's efficiency, regardless of the weather.

Summer: Sun’s Out, Panels Out

Summer often means longer days and more direct sunlight, which is excellent news for solar energy production. In the United States, the average solar panel efficiency can climb during these months due to increased insolation – a term that refers to the amount of solar radiation reaching a given area. The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) reports that in peak summer, a well-positioned solar panel system can produce twice as much energy as during winter. However, extreme heat can sometimes decrease panel efficiency, a phenomenon known as temperature coefficient, typically resulting in a performance drop of about 0.5% for every 1°C above 25°C.

Fall: Preparing for the Pivot

As fall approaches, the sun’s angle begins to lower, and days get shorter, which can lead to a decrease in solar production. Despite this, cooler temperatures can enhance panel efficiency, slightly offsetting the loss from reduced daylight. It’s essential to prepare for leaf fall during this season, as debris can obstruct panels and impact performance. A National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) study suggests that a single leaf on a panel can reduce power output by up to 10%.

Winter: Weathering the Cold

Contrary to what many assume, solar panels don't go dormant in winter. They can still produce significant energy, especially in areas with strong winter sunlight. Snow can even act like a mirror, reflecting light and potentially increasing performance on clear days. The key statistic to watch, however, is daylight hours. For instance, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), regions like the Pacific Northwest see a reduction of about 40% in solar radiation from November through February, affecting potential output.

Spring: A Time for Tune-Ups

Spring is often seen as a time of renewal, and for solar panel systems, it's an ideal period for maintenance to optimize energy capture. As days lengthen, your solar system's production will naturally increase. To fully capitalize on this, ensure your system is free from the winter’s accumulation of dirt and debris. Data from the Department of Energy indicates that a clean solar panel is approximately 21% more efficient than one covered in the season’s grime.

Year-Round Maintenance and Monitoring

Regular maintenance is crucial for keeping your solar power system at peak performance. It’s advisable to check your system's output against benchmarks provided by your installer or local averages. Most modern systems come with apps or monitoring software, enabling you to track energy production in real-time and notice any significant discrepancies that may indicate an issue.

Utilizing Battery Storage

To truly optimize your system year-round, consider integrating battery storage. This allows you to capture excess energy during peak production times and use it when the sun isn’t shining. For example, Tesla’s Powerwall reports that, when used effectively, battery storage can increase the self-consumption of solar power from 30% to upwards of 70%.

Embracing Energy Efficiency

Lastly, optimizing a solar system isn’t just about maximizing production; it’s also about minimizing consumption. Implementing energy efficiency measures within your home can significantly impact how much solar power you need to meet your energy demands. The EPA suggests that for every kilowatt-hour of solar energy used efficiently, a typical system’s return on investment can improve by 5-10%.

By understanding and adapting to the seasonal shifts in solar production, you can ensure your system is not only effective but also contributes to a sustainable future all year round. Whether you’re dealing with the abundance of summer sun or the scarcity of winter light, these strategies will help you stay powered through every season.

#solarpanels #solar #solarenergy #photovoltaics #solartechnology #renewables #sustainability #greenenergy #cleanenergy #residentialsolar #solarathome #energyefficiency #solarroi

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