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April 28 class, solar, Forecasting Solar Energy Costs

Title: Forecasting Solar Energy Costs Using Moores Law

Solar energy could get real cheap. Not a good time to own a coal plant. From this rough forecast it looks like fossil fired power generation is not going to be cost effective much longer.

Wikipedia: Moore's law integrated circuit (density) doubles approximately every two years. 

Forbes, Oct 8, 2015, Wind And Solar Energy Technologies Eat Into Fossil Fuel Power's Business Plan by Mike Scott 

in UK and Germany cost is $106/MWh for coal. $122 for solar. 

Using Moore's Law I made a crude forecast for solar energy costs. Should we moth ball some fossil fuel plants?

Tags: Solar Energy, Climate Change, Fossil Fuel, Electricity, sustainability

I plan to look at solutions --

1 - the UN Agreement at COP21  - Obama just sighed it this week!?!

2 - Ethical Eating from Cowspircy and UUA website;

3 - Nuclear Breeder reactors - 'Pandora's Promise.'

see you thursdayl

In 2015 COP21, also known as the 2015 Paris Climate Conference, will, for the first time in over 20 years of UN negotiations, aim to achieve a legally binding and universal agreement on climate, with the aim of keeping global warming below 2°C.

Forbes, Oct 8, 2015, Wind And Solar Energy Technologies Eat Into Fossil Fuel Power's Business Plan by Mike Scott 

in UK and Germany cost is $106/MWh for coal. $122 for solar. 

Wikipedia Moore's law integrated circuit (density) doubles approximately every two years. 

350 MA NS news

L...
Apr 22 (2 days ago)

Happy Earth Day! Since ... is away I'm sending this update to you. At our next node meeting on May 3rd, we can discuss the recent Kinder Morgan announcement of the NED (Northeast Direct) pipeline suspension. However, since KM has not withdrawn their application from FERC (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission), that pipeline is still in play and, if reconfigured, could be revived. We also still face (1) a $5-8 Billion tax/tariff for any new gas infrastructure, (2) all the climate and safety risks of Spectra and KM pipelines, compressor stations, etc. to transport gas through our region primarily for export and (3) insufficient support from elected officials for green energy strategies such as solar, wind, divestment and carbon pricing.
So, to continue to work together to move away from fossil fuels towards a better clean energy future, below is our upcoming schedule. Events in bold are sponsored by our node...& will need your support!

·       Sat. 4/23 (9-2) W. Roxbury service and NVDA (nonviolent direct action) to stop Spectra (still 2 open spaces for carpool; call me 978/979-3686)
·       Sun. 4/24 (12:30-1:30) Congressman Moulton in Essex at Essex Sr. Ctr.
·       Tues. 5/3 (1-5) Statehouse Hearing on Global Warming Solutions Act & Pipelines (11:30 for grassroots celebration & lobbying)
·       Tues. 5/3 (6:30-8:30) 350MA NS NODE MONTHLY MEETING @Beverly Farms Library
·       Thurs. 5/5 (9AM prompt) Supreme Judicial Court hearing on legality of taking conservation land for pipelines, etc. @ John Adams Court House, Boston
·       Fri. 5/6 (11-11:15) NODE REPS. MEET CONGRESSMAN MOULTON @ his Salem office
·       Fri. 5/6 (6PM) "Merchants of Doubt" screening & Moulton Q&A@NPS Visitor Ctr., 2 Liberty St., Salem
·       Sat. 5/7 “Stop Spectra” NVDA @Burrville, RI
·       Tues. 5/10 (7:30-9AM) Moulton hosts NS Chamber of Commerce coffee at his Salem office, free or $20/non-members, pre-registration required
·       Tues. 5/10 (6:30PM) 350MA ENERGY AT THE CROSSROADS’ FORUM, Ryal Side Community Ctr., Beverly
·       Thurs. 5/12 (4PM) North Shore INTERFAITH ENERGY INFORMATION MEETING by 350MA NS & St. Andrews Episcopalian @St. Andrews, Marblehead
·       Fri & Sat. 5/13 & 14: 350.org "Break Free From Fossil Fuel" NVDA Events in Albany, NY (buses & carpooling available)
·       Tues. 5/17 (6PM) N2N & 350MA LYNN ENERGY FORUM, Lynn City Hall
·       Sat., 6/4 or other date pre or post, 350MA "Distributed Action" against Baker's gas pipeline tax/tariff

Fossil Fuel Decline

Fossil Fuel Decline

Solar energy will be come cheaper than fossil fuels when all the costs are counted. There is a cost associated with emitting carbon which fossil fuel industry has not been paying.

The fossil fuel industry will discourage the growth of solar. In some way they have to have a stake in solar. At the same time, we may need to take out of production some fossil fuel generating stations.

Steven A. Levy, Video Producer, (781) 771-2779, stevenlevymath@gmail.com

26 Sagamore Road, Marblehead, MA 01945

My Sites: Teachertube video, Youtube video, My Blog, Linkedin

Favorites: 350Mass, MDTC MassDemPrty Denier Database

Expanding the Democratic Party Base by Steven A. Levy

To: Senator McGee and Representative Lori Ehrlich, April 21, 2016

Expanding the Democratic Party Base by Steven A. Levy

Men of color have frequently lost their voting rights due to drug violations.

Ideas:

1) These will new voters will most likely be Democrats

2) We need to decriminalize drug crimes

3) Invest in public health around drug usage

4) Help ex drug felons regain their voting rights and re-start their lives

5) Reduce the number of people in prison for drug crimes

How can I help?

Steven A. Levy, Video Producer, (781) 771-2779, stevenlevymath@gmail.com

26 Sagamore Road, Marblehead, MA 01945

My Sites: Teachertube video, Youtube video, My Blog, Linkedin

Favorites: 350Mass, MDTC MassDemPrty Denier Database

Spinponics

https://www.facebook.com/gogdc/

Spinponics – Green Thumb for Lynn

Wed, 11/24/2010 - 10:54am

Aquaponics project is underway at the SPIN Center on Union Street!

Technically, it’s Aquaponics, but since the Director of the SPIN (Serving People In Need) Family Financial Stability Center at 270 Union St in Lynn has generously donated a large well-lit area to become the home for this endeavor we thought it appropriate to give it that SPIN.

So what is Aquaponics? It is a new technology-a combination of two older ideas- aquaculture, or the husbandry of edible fish, and Hydroponics, which is the growth of edible foods without soil, pesticides, fertilizer or antibiotics.

Aquaponics combines the two in a symbiotic relationship that uses the waste product produced by the fish, Ammonia, to fertilize the roots of plants grown in pea stone consistently flushed with the waste water. The water is filtered and purified for the fish through a natural process known as the Nitrogen Cycle. This eliminates any need for unnatural additives and maintains a healthy environment.

The result is a rich nutrient base for the plants which thrive under these conditions. Because it is an indoor, controlled setting, the yields of plants can be as much as 6 times the output of soil-based methods. The constant change of water and nutrients creates a strong healthy environment. This allows growth to table readiness in as little as three and a half weeks for some vegetables and Tilapia fish can be raised from egg to table in ten months.

These results allow for a solid, dependable return for workers and consumers. No waste products form that are not used in the process, and the system can even be used to grow edible food on a brownfield. In the future, we hope to establish a local garden here in Lynn employing workers trained in this technology to produce a steady stream of wholesome food for Lynn residents, helping to impact poverty issues as well as environmental issues.

Local food is fresher and is healthier for you and healthier for the environment since transportation costs and pollutants are minimized. It is further hoped to form a cooperative enterprise with workers sharing, developing and maintaining a new center of wealth from urban farming here. Another positive aspect of this endeavor will be advancing the educational value of what is learned here through the public school system in Lynn.

This project came about as a joint effort between SPIN and the Lynn Coalition for Green Development (LCGD). The North Shore Labor Council is a leader within the LCGD and has played a prominent role in this coalition; acting as convener and helping to create this effort. The idea came from a Pathways Out of Poverty grant application the LCGD submitted last year to the federal government. NSLC and MIT CoLab have been working closely together to bring environmental change in attitude and effect to the City of Lynn. This project is the first of many planned developments we hope to affect though this partnership.

North Shore Labor Council

Click Here
attended: 3/30/2016

350 North Shore Node, Meeting Notes - April 5, 2016, By Steven

350 North Shore Node, Meeting Notes - April 5, 2016, By Steven Levy

Please make corrections. This was my first meeting.

Location: Beverly Farms Library, Date: Tuesday, April 5, 2016

Meeting started at 6:30 PM. Several people came in after the meeting started.

Attendees: Andy Gordon, Charlette Kahn, Charlie Perez, Fern MacDougal, Fred Hopps, Carolyn Britt (meeting leader), Herb Brown, Jay Gustaferro, Joy Gurrie, Maxine Taymore, Steven Levy (note taker), Terry Hall, Tom Gale,

Reading and approval of minutes - None

Announcements - none

Reports of officers, boards and standing committees - none

Old Business - From Agenda

(Text from meeting agenda is underlined)

1) Review of agenda and any additions – identify note-taker and facilitator

We should do updates electronically.

2) Update on Northeast Energy Direct Pipeline issues – 30 minutes

          DPU hearings – ACTION: organize attendance: April 6th there is a meeting in Lynnfield at the middle school.

          Article 97 happenings: Is for pipeline use. Kinder Morgan is suing the state. The outcome will effect public lands.

          Tariff

          ACTION: Submitting comments to Moultons web page: Survey is open ended. It would be nice to see the results.

3) Meeting with Moulton??!! – ACTION: Put together team to attend and items to be discussed -15 minutes: Is 15 minutes enough? The meeting is May 6th at 10:30 AM.

4) Attendance at Merchants of Doubt Showing in Salem on 4/22 with Moulton present – ACTION: Identify who will attend - 5 minutes.

Will Rep. Moulton be there? This is a movie about methodical corporate banding, distortion, obfuscation, and misrepresentation. http://www.commondreams.org/ is a good source for ideas. NS Chamber of commerce is pro pipeline. Markey is

5) Lynn follow-up meeting on water supply – ACTION: identify team to plan meeting, set up meeting – 10 minutes. No date has been set for water supply discussion, water shed implications, pesticide objections.

6) Pipeline tariff memes for Governor Baker – ACTION: Prepare memes -20 minutes. Prepare memes and take photos. Attendees completed the statement "I'd rather pay for". Then pictures were taken with each person and their sign.

7) Update on other legislation – solar, energy bill (Andy) – 10 minutes. Net metering is now at 3% which is higher than the 2% which was expected. There was a 40% reduction for commercial installations. Residential, municipalities and small business was not affected. The tariff on electric bills would pay for the pipeline. 47 out of 160 representatives rejected tariff. Representative Lori Ehrlich. was one of the 47. Voters in her district should say thanks.

8) 350MA Campaign Summit – Worcester, April 16 –10 minutes  ACTION- develop attendance list from North Shore Node: Five people can go.

9) North Shore Node Organizational Issues, (see notes to be sent later, including Rapid Response Legislative Team) ACTION: Review items, identify changes, identify next organizational topics for discussion -  15 minutes  Next meetings on May 3rd and June 7th at the Beverly Farms Library. There may be smaller sub meetings. Time and Place: TBD. We need a steering team of about three people. The team would set the agenda for the next meetings.

New business

1) Fern MacDougal talked about FANG (Fighting Against Natural Gas. There are events planned to oppose a natural gas plant in Burrillville, RI.

2) Fred Hopps talked about walking the Greenway in Peabody.

For the good of the club (small items, happy thoughts) - None

Meeting ended at 8:30 PM.

Narrated @ half speed! Per Capita Carbon Emissions

Overcoming barriers to environmental progress

Overcoming barriers to environmental progress

One of the greatest barriers we face in realizing environmental progress is the quarterly bonus for CEO's. The fiscal emphasis on short term results makes it difficult to justify infrastructure improvements. You could consider the environment as an infrastructure for this argument.

I was a project manager for 10 years. I found most new projects fail to yield results. In a situation that is so risk adverse making progress is very difficult. It is hard to try new things. It can take five years to get something started and another five to get positive returns.

What does this mean? The solution to our transportation problems may come from a company that is not in the automotive business. Our environmental solutions might have to come from places we never imagined.

Narrated! Per Capita Carbon Emissions

Marblehead wind energy

http://www.wickedlocal.com/article/20140114/NEWS/301149780

environmental organizations in mass

http://www.environmentalleague.org/pages.php?name=Member%20Organizations

SLOWER! USA and Others, 2011 per capita carbon emission, Animated graphs