"Wisdom begins in wonder" – Socrates
Category: Earth/Climate science
How Accurate Weather Prediction can Help Grid Resiliency
09/06/18
“How can weather forecasts help stabilize the grid?”
Weather forecasts have become apart of our daily lives. But did you know that they can also help with grid resiliency? By being able to forecast the future, we can obtain how large our cooling loads will have to be. And with this knowledge, we can get ancillary reserves ready when the time comes. This way, Accurate Weather Prediction can Help Grid Resiliency!
Some thoughts on how the peculiar but personal effects that Climate Change has had on me
09/02/18
“A small little note on Climate Change”
Right now in the United States it’s Labor Day Weekend. For many people this means an extra day off to finally relax or catch up on work. But for me it has become a personal reminder of how climate change has affected my life.
Last year, I decided to celebrate by having a lot of fun hanging out at First Fridays in Oakland and cruising down Russian River in Sonoma County. But this was during the greatest heatwave the San Francisco Bay Area had experienced on record. Once the weekend was done I had to travel over 70 kilometers (45 miles) from Berkeley to San Jose on public transportation. The air conditioning (AC) systems onboard malfunctioned, leading me to becoming greatly dehydrated. This condition was only exacerbated when I had arrived at my living space with no AC. Within a few hours, my medical condition had destabilized, leading to a series of painful events that ended with me being thrust into the emergency room for the first time in my young life.
When I had returned home, I had to recover by being in a cooler environment. This meant being stranded in the only room with working air conditioning. However, the water fountain and restrooms were in a completely different room, requiring me to travel. I soon noticed how the temperature would vary widely from room to room, and how if I had left my one area of the house I would be in extreme pain.
In this dark episode, I had came to a stark conclusion. As global temperatures rise, people will become more dependent on their climate control systems. The more these processes are used, the more electricity will be used. If this electricity comes from a non-renewable source, the global temperatures will further rise, making people even more dependent on air conditioning. This creates a positive feedback cycle that will only cause further suffering.
This weekend has brought in much of the same experience. Again there are abnormal climate conditions. Again I have gone up to Berkeley to see friends. Again I am sick. Again the bad climate has exacerbated my conditions (the air pollution from the wildfires have worsened my runny nose considerably). And heck again I have even eaten too much!
Just a few personal notes on how Climate Change has affected my life.
How Building-Integrated PV Can Increase Climate Resiliency
08/21/18
“How do solar panels on buildings increase climate resiliency?”
With the advent of exacerbated global catastrophes, climate change resiliency must be built into all of our critical infrastructure systems. One facet is this is to reduce the reliance on long-distance transmission for electricity and carbon-intensive energy sources. One way to do this is to implement building-integrated solar PV. with BIPV systems, clean energy can be generated on site (allowing for off-grid power use even in the case of a blackout), and the need for transmission lines will be reduced (fewer transmission lines can reduce the potential for wildfires). In short, Building-Integrated PV Can Increase Climate Resiliency.
Renewable vs Zero Carbon Energy Resources
08/20/18
“Is there a difference between a renewable energy resource and a zero carbon one?”
Renewable energy is often tied to the idea of having zero carbon emissions. But not all net carbon zero energy resources are renewable. Some like Nuclear is run off elements with finite supply but do not add any more CO2 to the atmosphere. This is the prime difference Renewable and Zero Carbon Energy Resources, with the former meaning that the original source is replenishable and the latter meaning the use of this energy source does not (directly) contribute to climate change. This little piece of knowledge is vital for making policy decisions, where we might have to compare the trade-offs between the viability of renewables and meeting climate goals.
What is causing the California Wildfires and What Can We Do About It?
08/19/18
“Why are there so many wildfires in California now and how can we fix them?”
I love living in Northern California. Whether it be the myriad of different natural wonders I can visit, the passionate people who want to change the world, or the wealth of scientific opportunity that is available. But things are definitely changing and it’s not just the housing prices. It seems like wildfires are becoming more frequent and even more deadly. And the statistics say that this isn’t just my intuition. 13 of the 20 greatest fires in recorded Californian history have taken place since the turn of the millennium, and the average cost to fight them has only grown.
Why is this happening? There are many reasons. Increasing temperatures and decreasing rainfall have left much of the state arid and prone to combustible accidents. Aging transmission infrastructure has resulted in power lines becoming more prone to failure, often times resulting in a fire occurring. Suburban sprawl has also led to overdevelopment in fire-prone areas.
So what can we do about this? Well, we can adapt our infrastructure and society to climate change to increase our resilience to climate change. This can be accomplished by repairing grid lines, restricting development in fire-prone areas, and reducing reliance on the grid through distributed energy resources such as building integrated solar. If California can take action to solve these problems, then it can provide an example for other areas facing similar catastrophes such as Portugal and India to follow. Only through these actions can we ensure the safety of our society.
The fact that I couldn’t see the Santa Cruz mountains from San Jose or breathe the fresh marina air in Berkeley in the way I used to take for granted troubles me greatly. I want to ensure that the next generation will have the same privileges I had during my early years in the Bay.
Climate Change Resilience
07/23/18
“How can humanity adapt to climate change?”
Sustainability is the overarching goal of many people who work in energy, climate, and infrastructure. However, we must also take into account the concept of Climate Change Resilience. Simply put, Climate Change Resilience is the measure of a system’s capacity to withstand the increased external stresses of climate change. Take for example Puerto Rico during Hurricane Maria. When the extreme weather knocked down transmission lines and diesel plants, those who were dependent on them lost all power. However, people who had installed solar panels and microgrids were able to continue to use their electrical appliances despite the tumultuous events. Climate Change Resilience is used to quantify how much adaptation an area needs to do before becoming climate ready. By having infrastructure ready for the climate chaotic future, we can ensure human civilization a safe and resilient time on this planet.
Urban Tree Cover
07/20/18
“How can we increase urban climate resilience with trees?”
With each passing day, more and more people are living in cities. However, dense urban conglomerations are prone to drastic climate change events, such as deadly heat waves worsened, exacerbated pollution, and flooding from rainfall. But one simple way to combat this is to plant more trees. This Urban Tree Cover lowers temperatures, absorbs pollution, and protects from rainfall flooding. This is just a simple illustration of how a little bit of scientific knowledge can help increase climate change resilience.
Flood Control
07/10/18
“How can we make our built infrastructure resilient to unpredictable floods?”
As the climate continues to warm, floods such as those in Houston are becoming more common. To act in accord with climate change adaptation, societies can make implement flood control into their infrastructure. This includes measures such as constructing floodgates or zoning buildings away from flood zones.
How much energy does a person use in a year?
06/25/18
“So how much energy does the average person use in a year?”
Humans use energy around the world every day, whether it be in powering their house or driving the car. However, have you ever wondered how much energy is used in one year? Well, it all depends on where you live. Around the world, the average is around 77 gigajoules per capita, with the highest being Iceland at 786 gigajoules to Bangladesh at 9.05 gigajoules. The US sits at 290.47 gigajoules per capita, and California at 122.6 gigajoules per capita because of The Rosenfeld Effect.
