Here are a few magnificent images from the last solar eclipse of 2021

The Australian government has rejected plans for a $36 billion wind, solar and hydrogen project in a remote area of Western Australia, leaving what would have been one of the world's largest green energy projects in limbo for now. 
 
In a decision dated June 15, published on the environment department's website, Environment Minister Sussan Ley ruled that the project, the Asian Renewable Energy Hub (AREH), 'will have clearly unacceptable impacts' on internationally recognised wetlands and migratory bird species. 
 
The AREH project, located in the state's Pilbara region, was designed to initially build 15 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy capacity, eventually to be expanded to 26 GW and produce green hydrogen and ammonia for export. 
 
The government had awarded the project fast-track approval status last September, touting the jobs, clean energy for local industry and large-scale export opportunity that it would bring. AREH is being developed by privately owned InterContinental Energy, renewables developer CWP Energy Asia, top global wind turbine maker Vestas and a Macquarie Group fund. 
 
The environment minister cited the expansion plan in the rejection decision. The project's original plan won environmental approval last December. 
 
The proposed enlargement came with a port facility for ammonia; a town that would be home to 8,000 people including project workers; expanded solar arrays; ammonia, hydrogen and desalination plants and storage facilities; and a pipeline route for transporting ammonia, seawater and brine through wetlands. 
 
"We are now working to understand the minister's concerns, and will engage further with the minister and her department as we continue to work on the detailed design and engineering aspects of the project," the AREH consortium said in a statement. The project, on the drawing board since 2014, originally planned to generate wind and solar power and transmit it via an undersea cable to Asia, but last year changed plans, aiming to use clean power to split water to produce hydrogen and ammonia for export. 
 
Australia's Clean Energy Council on Monday said it expects the government will work with AREH to assess and address any environmental impacts. "If the government is to be taken seriously on developing a hydrogen economy, companies prioritising genuinely zero emissions projects should be assisted to reach a final investment decision," said Dan Gocher, climate and environment director at the Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility. 
 
(With inputs from agencies)

The Australian government has rejected plans for a $36 billion wind, solar and hydrogen project in a remote area of Western Australia, leaving what would have been one of the world's largest green energy projects in limbo for now.

The Australian government has rejected plans for a $36 billion wind, solar and hydrogen project in a remote area of Western Australia, leaving what would have been one of the world's largest green energy projects in limbo for now. In a decision dated June 15, published on the environment department's website, Environment Minister Sussan Ley ruled that the project, the Asian Renewable Energy Hub (AREH), 'will have clearly unacceptable impacts' on internationally recognised wetlands and migratory bird species. The AREH project, located in the state's Pilbara region, was designed to initially build 15 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy capacity, eventually to be expanded to 26 GW and produce green hydrogen and ammonia for export. The government had awarded the project fast-track approval status last September, touting the jobs, clean energy for local industry and large-scale export opportunity that it would bring. AREH is being developed by privately owned InterContinental Energy, renewables developer CWP Energy Asia, top global wind turbine maker Vestas and a Macquarie Group fund. The environment minister cited the expansion plan in the rejection decision. The project's original plan won environmental approval last December. The proposed enlargement came with a port facility for ammonia; a town that would be home to 8,000 people including project workers; expanded solar arrays; ammonia, hydrogen and desalination plants and storage facilities; and a pipeline route for transporting ammonia, seawater and brine through wetlands. "We are now working to understand the minister's concerns, and will engage further with the minister and her department as we continue to work on the detailed design and engineering aspects of the project," the AREH consortium said in a statement. The project, on the drawing board since 2014, originally planned to generate wind and solar power and transmit it via an undersea cable to Asia, but last year changed plans, aiming to use clean power to split water to produce hydrogen and ammonia for export. Australia's Clean Energy Council on Monday said it expects the government will work with AREH to assess and address any environmental impacts. "If the government is to be taken seriously on developing a hydrogen economy, companies prioritising genuinely zero emissions projects should be assisted to reach a final investment decision," said Dan Gocher, climate and environment director at the Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility. (With inputs from agencies)

Australia rejects $36 billion wind, solar, hydrogen project

Scientists recently discovered 37 volcanic structures on the planet of Venus situated in our solar system. These volcano-esque structures were active until very recently, or perhaps still are - scientists are not sure.

For a long time, Venus was perceived as a dormant planet, but this new information proves otherwise.&nbsp;The researchers focused on coronae, which are ring-like structures made after hot rocks emerge from the deep centre of the planet. This in turn, solidified claims of intense tectonic activity on the planet.

Not a dormant planet

On Monday, July 20, scientists claimed the planet not only had volcanic structures but these were also very similar to those on Earth, contrary to previous beliefs. Earth’s surface is reshaped by tectonics, the similar ones found on Venus. It was earlier believed that Venus had stayed dormant for the past half a billion years.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="/science/earths-magnetic-poles-may-be-flipping-by-10deg-each-year-way-more-than-previously-thought-312931" hreflang="en">Earth's magnetic poles may be flipping by 10° each year, way more than previously thought!</a>

"Our work shows that some of that interior heat is still able to reach the surface even today. Venus is clearly not so geologically dead or dormant as previously thought," said Anna Gülcher, Earth and planetary scientist, the Institute of Geophysics in&nbsp;Zurich, lead author of the research published in the journal Nature Geoscience.

Based on their findings, the scientists extrapolated that such features appear on planets if there was a recently active corona, suggesting similar offshoot activity on the planet.

<h6><img alt="Two coronae, ring-like structures formed when hot material from deep inside the planet rises through the mantle and erupts through the crust, are observed on the surface of Venus in a 3-D rendition provided to Reuters July 20, 2020. " data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="cbf25a96-6b46-41e2-9ced-7a232486fe2e" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design-3_28.jpg" /> 
Two coronae, ring-like structures formed when hot material from deep inside the planet rises through the mantle and erupts through the crust, are observed on the surface of Venus in a 3-D rendition provided to Reuters July 20, 2020. | Reuters 
&nbsp;</h6>

Looking for more answers, the scientists juxtaposed old NASA data with their findings. They referred to radar images of Venus from NASA’s Magellan spacecraft from the 1990s to find coronae which would fit the description.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="/science/we-all-come-from-star-dust-is-no-longer-just-a-saying-and-scientists-agree-311418" hreflang="en">'We all come from star dust' is no longer just a saying, and scientists agree!</a>

They went looking for one, but found many. Out of the 133 which were examined, 37 showed signs of activity in the last 2-3 million years. In geological terms, it’s not as long as one might think. Stars and planets live for way longer than human beings before collapsing or becoming dormant, and this is testimony to that.

Still active? Probably yes! 
 
In fact, scientists believe that many of such structures could actually be active today. "In my opinion, many of these structures are indeed active today," said University of Maryland geophysicist and study co-author Laurent Montesi.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="/science/a-massive-star-in-a-far-off-galaxy-just-disappeared-leaving-behind-no-trace-310032" hreflang="en">A massive star in a far-off galaxy just disappeared, leaving behind no trace!</a>

Coronae, as the name suggests, signify a circular area and the fields around it. These fields include lava flows, and considerable tectonic faults, similar to the movement that triggers eruptions and earthquakes on Earth.

Most of the 37 coronas were found within a large circular area in the Southern Hemisphere of Venus. One of these coronas span over 2,100 kilometres (1,300 miles) in diameter. It’s called Artemis!

Venus is Earth’s closest neighbour, and is sized similar to our planet. However, the planet is way hotter than Earth. Clouded by sulfuric acid, it is hot enough to melt lead!

Scientists recently discovered 37 volcanic structures on the planet of Venus situated in our solar system. These volcano-esque structures were active until very recently, or perhaps still are - scientists are not sure.

Scientists recently discovered 37 volcanic structures on the planet of Venus situated in our solar system. These volcano-esque structures were active until very recently, or perhaps still are - scientists are not sure. For a long time, Venus was perceived as a dormant planet, but this new information proves otherwise. The researchers focused on coronae, which are ring-like structures made after hot rocks emerge from the deep centre of the planet. This in turn, solidified claims of intense tectonic activity on the planet. Not a dormant planet On Monday, July 20, scientists claimed the planet not only had volcanic structures but these were also very similar to those on Earth, contrary to previous beliefs. Earth’s surface is reshaped by tectonics, the similar ones found on Venus. It was earlier believed that Venus had stayed dormant for the past half a billion years. Also read: Earth's magnetic poles may be flipping by 10° each year, way more than previously thought! "Our work shows that some of that interior heat is still able to reach the surface even today. Venus is clearly not so geologically dead or dormant as previously thought," said Anna Gülcher, Earth and planetary scientist, the Institute of Geophysics in Zurich, lead author of the research published in the journal Nature Geoscience. Based on their findings, the scientists extrapolated that such features appear on planets if there was a recently active corona, suggesting similar offshoot activity on the planet. Two coronae, ring-like structures formed when hot material from deep inside the planet rises through the mantle and erupts through the crust, are observed on the surface of Venus in a 3-D rendition provided to Reuters July 20, 2020. | Reuters Looking for more answers, the scientists juxtaposed old NASA data with their findings. They referred to radar images of Venus from NASA’s Magellan spacecraft from the 1990s to find coronae which would fit the description. Also read: 'We all come from star dust' is no longer just a saying, and scientists agree! They went looking for one, but found many. Out of the 133 which were examined, 37 showed signs of activity in the last 2-3 million years. In geological terms, it’s not as long as one might think. Stars and planets live for way longer than human beings before collapsing or becoming dormant, and this is testimony to that. Still active? Probably yes! In fact, scientists believe that many of such structures could actually be active today. "In my opinion, many of these structures are indeed active today," said University of Maryland geophysicist and study co-author Laurent Montesi. Also read: A massive star in a far-off galaxy just disappeared, leaving behind no trace! Coronae, as the name suggests, signify a circular area and the fields around it. These fields include lava flows, and considerable tectonic faults, similar to the movement that triggers eruptions and earthquakes on Earth. Most of the 37 coronas were found within a large circular area in the Southern Hemisphere of Venus. One of these coronas span over 2,100 kilometres (1,300 miles) in diameter. It’s called Artemis! Venus is Earth’s closest neighbour, and is sized similar to our planet. However, the planet is way hotter than Earth. Clouded by sulfuric acid, it is hot enough to melt lead!

Not a dormant planet: Venus is home to 37 recently active volcanic structures!

The sun appears to be a "boring" personality, according to scientists. But that may not be a bad thing for us Earthlings.

Researchers said on Thursday that the sun has been far less active than similar stars in terms of brightness variations caused by sunspots and other phenomena.

The sun - essentially a hot ball of hydrogen and helium - is an average-sized star that formed more than 4.5 billion years ago and is roughly halfway through its lifespan. Its diameter is about 864,000 miles (1.4 million km). Its surface temperature is about 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit (5,500 degrees Celsius).

An examination of 369 stars similar to the sun in surface temperatures, size and rotation period - it takes the sun about 24-1/2 days to rotate once on its axis - showed that they displayed on average five times more brightness variability than the sun.

"This variability is caused by dark spots on the surface of the star rotating in and out of view. A direct measure of solar activity is the number of sunspots on the surface," an astronomer said.

Elevated magnetic activity associated with sunspots can lead to solar flares, coronal mass ejections - large expulsions of plasma and magnetic field from the outermost part of the sun`s atmosphere - and other electromagnetic phenomena that can affect Earth, for example disrupting satellites and communications and endangering astronauts.

A much more active sun might have also affected Earth on geological time scales - paleoclimatology. The monotony, hence, is good news!

The researchers compared data on the similar stars to historical records of the sun's activity. These records included about 400 years of observational data on sunspots and about 9,000 years of data based on chemical element variants in tree rings and ice cores caused by solar activity. These records indicated the sun has not been much more active than it is now.

The findings, however, do not rule out that the sun may be in a quiet phase and may become more variable in the future.

(with inputs from Reuters)

The sun appears to be a "boring" personality, according to scientists. But that may not be a bad thing for us Earthlings. Researchers said on Thursday that the sun has been far less active than similar stars in terms of brightness variations caused by sunspots and other phenomena.

The sun appears to be a "boring" personality, according to scientists. But that may not be a bad thing for us Earthlings. Researchers said on Thursday that the sun has been far less active than similar stars in terms of brightness variations caused by sunspots and other phenomena. The sun - essentially a hot ball of hydrogen and helium - is an average-sized star that formed more than 4.5 billion years ago and is roughly halfway through its lifespan. Its diameter is about 864,000 miles (1.4 million km). Its surface temperature is about 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit (5,500 degrees Celsius). An examination of 369 stars similar to the sun in surface temperatures, size and rotation period - it takes the sun about 24-1/2 days to rotate once on its axis - showed that they displayed on average five times more brightness variability than the sun. "This variability is caused by dark spots on the surface of the star rotating in and out of view. A direct measure of solar activity is the number of sunspots on the surface," an astronomer said. Elevated magnetic activity associated with sunspots can lead to solar flares, coronal mass ejections - large expulsions of plasma and magnetic field from the outermost part of the sun`s atmosphere - and other electromagnetic phenomena that can affect Earth, for example disrupting satellites and communications and endangering astronauts. A much more active sun might have also affected Earth on geological time scales - paleoclimatology. The monotony, hence, is good news! The researchers compared data on the similar stars to historical records of the sun's activity. These records included about 400 years of observational data on sunspots and about 9,000 years of data based on chemical element variants in tree rings and ice cores caused by solar activity. These records indicated the sun has not been much more active than it is now. The findings, however, do not rule out that the sun may be in a quiet phase and may become more variable in the future. (with inputs from Reuters)

'Less active than similar stars': Solar monotony is good news

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hong-kong-democrats-romp-to-local-election-landslide-after-months-of-protests-264272">China </a>plans to make power purchasers take fair returns into account when buying electricity from renewable power generators, according to a draft rule issued by the National Energy Administration on Monday aimed at improving their revenues.

The draft rule will apply to non-hydropower resources, including wind, solar, biomass, geothermal and ocean power, the energy body said in a statement.

Despite the rapid expansion and a drastic fall in the cost of producing power, renewable firms are still struggling to produce power as cheaply as coal-fired plants.

China said last week it will cut its renewable power subsidy by 30 per cent&nbsp;to 5.67 billion yuan ($800 million) in 2020 and plans to stop funding large solar power stations and onshore wind farms in the coming two years, partly due to a payment backlog.

China, the world's largest energy consumer, has been boosting the consumption of clean energy by forcing grid firms to prioritize renewable power resources and to maximize purchases from local renewable power providers.

In the future, local energy administrations would also need to take into account "fair returns" for renewable power producers, the National Energy Administration said in the draft rule. It did not give further details.

The administration said it also plans to look at tightening supervision of grid firms, electricity trading firms and renewable power generators, in a bid to ensure electricity is bought from renewable sources.

In the first 10 months of this year, China generated 38.62 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) electricity from solar and wind resources, accounting for 6.6 per cent&nbsp;of total power generation, official data showed.

China plans to make power purchasers take fair returns into account when buying electricity from renewable power generators, according to a draft rule issued by the National Energy Administration on Monday aimed at improving their revenues.

China plans to make power purchasers take fair returns into account when buying electricity from renewable power generators, according to a draft rule issued by the National Energy Administration on Monday aimed at improving their revenues. The draft rule will apply to non-hydropower resources, including wind, solar, biomass, geothermal and ocean power, the energy body said in a statement. Despite the rapid expansion and a drastic fall in the cost of producing power, renewable firms are still struggling to produce power as cheaply as coal-fired plants. China said last week it will cut its renewable power subsidy by 30 per cent to 5.67 billion yuan ($800 million) in 2020 and plans to stop funding large solar power stations and onshore wind farms in the coming two years, partly due to a payment backlog. China, the world's largest energy consumer, has been boosting the consumption of clean energy by forcing grid firms to prioritize renewable power resources and to maximize purchases from local renewable power providers. In the future, local energy administrations would also need to take into account "fair returns" for renewable power producers, the National Energy Administration said in the draft rule. It did not give further details. The administration said it also plans to look at tightening supervision of grid firms, electricity trading firms and renewable power generators, in a bid to ensure electricity is bought from renewable sources. In the first 10 months of this year, China generated 38.62 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) electricity from solar and wind resources, accounting for 6.6 per cent of total power generation, official data showed.

China aims to boost revenue for renewable power firms

Ukraine unveiled a solar plant in Chernobyl on Friday (October 5), just across from where a power station, now encased in a giant sarcophagus, caused the world's worst nuclear disaster three decades ago.

Built in a contaminated area, which remains largely uninhabitable and where visitors are accompanied by guides carrying radiation meters, 3,800 panels produce energy to power 2,000 apartments.

In April 1986, a botched test at reactor number 4 at the Soviet plant sent clouds of nuclear material billowing across Europe and forced tens of thousands of people to evacuate.

Thirty-one plant workers and firemen died in the immediate aftermath of the accident, mostly from acute radiation sickness.

Thousands more later succumbed to radiation-related illnesses such as cancer, although the total death toll and long-term health effects remain a subject of intense debate.

The one-megawatt solar plant is a joint project by Ukrainian company Rodina and Germany's Enerparc AG, costing around 1 million euros ($1.2 million) and benefiting from feed-in tariffs that guarantee a certain price for power.

It is the first time the site has produced power since 2000, when the nuclear plant was finally shut down. Valery Seyda, head of the Chernobyl nuclear plant, said it had looked like the site would never produce energy again.

Two years ago, a giant arch weighing 36,000 tonnes was pulled over the nuclear power station to create a casement to block radiation and allow the remains of the reactor to be dismantled safely.

It comes at a time of sharply increasing investment in renewables in Ukraine. Between January and September, more than 500 MW of renewable power capacity was added in the country, more than twice as much as in 2017, the government says.

Yulia Kovaliv, who heads the Office of the National Investment Council of Ukraine, said investors want to reap the benefits from a generous subsidy scheme before parliament is due to vote on scrapping it in July next year.

Ukraine unveiled a solar plant in Chernobyl on Friday (October 5), just across from where a power station, now encased in a giant sarcophagus, caused the world's worst nuclear disaster three decades ago.

Ukraine unveiled a solar plant in Chernobyl on Friday (October 5), just across from where a power station, now encased in a giant sarcophagus, caused the world's worst nuclear disaster three decades ago. Built in a contaminated area, which remains largely uninhabitable and where visitors are accompanied by guides carrying radiation meters, 3,800 panels produce energy to power 2,000 apartments. In April 1986, a botched test at reactor number 4 at the Soviet plant sent clouds of nuclear material billowing across Europe and forced tens of thousands of people to evacuate. Thirty-one plant workers and firemen died in the immediate aftermath of the accident, mostly from acute radiation sickness. Thousands more later succumbed to radiation-related illnesses such as cancer, although the total death toll and long-term health effects remain a subject of intense debate. The one-megawatt solar plant is a joint project by Ukrainian company Rodina and Germany's Enerparc AG, costing around 1 million euros ($1.2 million) and benefiting from feed-in tariffs that guarantee a certain price for power. It is the first time the site has produced power since 2000, when the nuclear plant was finally shut down. Valery Seyda, head of the Chernobyl nuclear plant, said it had looked like the site would never produce energy again. Two years ago, a giant arch weighing 36,000 tonnes was pulled over the nuclear power station to create a casement to block radiation and allow the remains of the reactor to be dismantled safely. It comes at a time of sharply increasing investment in renewables in Ukraine. Between January and September, more than 500 MW of renewable power capacity was added in the country, more than twice as much as in 2017, the government says. Yulia Kovaliv, who heads the Office of the National Investment Council of Ukraine, said investors want to reap the benefits from a generous subsidy scheme before parliament is due to vote on scrapping it in July next year.

Three decades after nuclear disaster, Chernobyl goes solar

If you were travelling via motorway from Islamabad to Lahore during November or December 2016, you might have felt like your head was in the clouds. That&rsquo;s thanks to the smog that engulfed large parts of Pakistan&rsquo;s Punjab and Sindh provinces in that period.

This was clearly &ldquo;not a natural phenomenon&rdquo;, as the Pakistani newspaper Dawn recently noted. Beyond causing acute ailments such as asthma, lung tissue damage, bronchial infections and heart problems, the smog also resulted in dozens of fatal road accidents due to poor visibility.

Qamar-uz-Zaman Chaudhry, former director general of Pakistan&rsquo;s meteorological office and now an international climate change specialist at the Asian Development Bank, attributed the smog primarily to toxic car emissions and atmospheric pollutants coming from coal-based industries in neighbouring Indian Punjab.

Imagine, then, what will happen to the environment when Pakistan begins mining billions of tonnes of coal, in part due to its plan to open at least five new coal power plants by 2018 under a new agreement with China.

Smog would spread across cities and rural areas, including in the Thar region, which spreads across Pakistan and parts of India. The poor indigenous people there might have to be relocated to other areas thanks to planned coal projects, losing their livelihoods, lands and villages to new mines.

A global challenge for climate change

Burning coal is not just a matter of local social and environmental concern. It is clear today that the coal that powered the developed world&rsquo;s industrial revolution has also triggered global climate changes.

According to Greenpeace International, coal is the single greatest threat to our climate. Emissions from burning coal fuel global warming and coal mining is also a source of climate-warming methane gas.

Pakistan is responsible for a mere 0.43 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, but it is among the world&rsquo;s ten most vulnerable countries to climate change. Domestic climate change experts see the issue as a bigger threat than terrorism.

The country is grappling with many issues, including receding glaciers, floods, heatwaves, droughts, shifting weather patterns and declining groundwater levels &ndash; and the list goes on.

Agriculture, which comprises 21 per cent of Pakistan&rsquo;s GDP, 60 per cent of exports and employs 45&nbsp;per cent of the national labour force, is particularly vulnerable to climate change.

China reduces coal investments at home but not abroad

In the landmark December 2015 Paris Agreement, 195 countries agreed to curtail climate change by keeping global warming to &ldquo;well below 2&deg;C and &hellip; pursu[ing] efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5&deg;C above pre-industrial levels&rdquo;.

All told, 141 countries (including Pakistan and China), jointly responsible for over 82 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, have ratified the agreement.

China &ndash; world&rsquo;s second-biggest economy and largest coal consumer, which also has the world&rsquo;s highest coal-fired power plant capacity &ndash; is considered a crucial player in the success of the Paris Agreement.

Domestically, China has realised that its over-dependence on coal causes severe air pollution and other environmental impacts. The most recent data show reductions in coal use for the third year in a row.

Yet China also invested US$25 billion in coal projects worldwide between 2007 and 2015, according to a recent report by the Natural Resources Defense Council. The report criticises China and other G20 countries for such investments, which are in conflict with their climate commitments under the Paris Agreement.

It shows how some of the world&rsquo;s leading polluters have, on one hand, pledged to control climate-changing carbon emissions within their borders, and, on the other, continued to finance fossil fuel projects elsewhere.

That&rsquo;s precisely what happened with Pakistan. After most international financial institutions turned away from coal, China established itself as Pakistan&rsquo;s partner in developing the new coal power plants.

Under the 2015 China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) initiative, the Chinese government and banks have planned to finance companies to invest US$27.6 billion in energy and infrastructure projects in Pakistan over the next six years, of which Pakistan is contributing US$18.1 billion. According to Pakistan&rsquo;s Ministry of Planning, Development and Reform, coal-fired plants with a combined capacity of 7,560 mW will be established as CPEC-energy priority projects.

In the guise of bringing energy, this investment will harm the air, water, public health and environment of Pakistan. The costs and lifespans of such coal projects can stretch over decades, trapping developing nations in a system of carbon-intensive energy use.

Rapid utilisation of coal &ndash; the &ldquo;dirty&rdquo; energy-generation option &ndash; has given many Chinese cities, including Shanghai and Beijing, the world&rsquo;s worst air quality.

Pakistan&rsquo;s proposed Port Qasim Power Project, a 1320-mW coal plant in Sindh province, will be located near Karachi, a metropolis of 25 million. This could cause disastrous damage to air quality and environment.

Potential for clean energy

No country can be expected to compromise on development, and development requires energy. But, as the cases of Jordan, Peru and Mexico demonstrate, it doesn&rsquo;t require dirty energy. Instead of using coal, Pakistan could drive development with renewables, in particular solar energy.

Much of Pakistan&rsquo;s territory is arid or semi-arid, an ideal setting for harnessing solar energy with more than the necessary number of sunny days per year.

In addition to providing clean energy, solar solutions can produce energy in the same places it is consumed, making it useful in remote areas that may lack transmission infrastructure.

Recent research suggests that the deployment and maintenance of renewable energy projects are also likely to create better quality jobs than coal.

The costs of renewables are declining rapidly worldwide. Solar and wind now cost the same or less than new fossil fuel in more than 30 developing and developed countries.

India&rsquo;s energy minister noted last year that solar tariffs had become cheaper than coal-based electricity, and India is pushing ahead with its renewables plan.

China, too, has realised the economic potential of leading in renewable sources. By the end of 2016, its solar energy capacity hit 7,742 mW, double that of 2015, and this year it claimed the title of world&rsquo;s biggest solar power producer.

The investment bank Lazard reckons that, given proper infrastructures, prices will continue to decline in the near future.

Yet under the CPEC, there is only one sizeable solar project in Pakistan, the Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park project, with a relatively skimpy total capacity of 1,000 mW. 
So why is China, a leader in renewable energy technologies, investing in coal-based projects abroad? It may be a way to provide overseas business opportunities for Chinese coal-plant equipment manufacturers, engineering and construction companies as a recent Bloomberg article pointed out.

Pakistan&rsquo;s domestic interests are otherwise. Instead of seeking foreign investment to fulfil its energy needs with fossil fuels, it can ride the renewables wave, developing its workforce and technical and institutional capacity to harness solar energy. Climate conditions suggest the country could produce enough power to both cover&nbsp;domestic needs and to export, along with associated equipment and technology.

What Pakistan needs now are forward-looking policies to foster renewable development, innovative business models, and strong leadership in obtaining financial and technical partnerships, both local and international. The World Bank&rsquo;s new solar maps of Pakistan can support these clean-energy efforts. Transparency in costs and production also need to be ensured.

One thing is certain: Winning the future will not be done with technologies of the past.

This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" rel="nofollow">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/in-china-and-pakistans-coal-romance-wheres-the-love-for-the-climate-74772" rel="nofollow">original article</a>.

(Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).

Massive new coal plants planned for Pakistan will further harm the environment in a country already suffering the effects of climate change. Solar energy is a clear alternative

If you were travelling via motorway from Islamabad to Lahore during November or December 2016, you might have felt like your head was in the clouds. That’s thanks to the smog that engulfed large parts of Pakistan’s Punjab and Sindh provinces in that period. This was clearly “not a natural phenomenon”, as the Pakistani newspaper Dawn recently noted. Beyond causing acute ailments such as asthma, lung tissue damage, bronchial infections and heart problems, the smog also resulted in dozens of fatal road accidents due to poor visibility. Qamar-uz-Zaman Chaudhry, former director general of Pakistan’s meteorological office and now an international climate change specialist at the Asian Development Bank, attributed the smog primarily to toxic car emissions and atmospheric pollutants coming from coal-based industries in neighbouring Indian Punjab. Imagine, then, what will happen to the environment when Pakistan begins mining billions of tonnes of coal, in part due to its plan to open at least five new coal power plants by 2018 under a new agreement with China. Smog would spread across cities and rural areas, including in the Thar region, which spreads across Pakistan and parts of India. The poor indigenous people there might have to be relocated to other areas thanks to planned coal projects, losing their livelihoods, lands and villages to new mines. A global challenge for climate change Burning coal is not just a matter of local social and environmental concern. It is clear today that the coal that powered the developed world’s industrial revolution has also triggered global climate changes. According to Greenpeace International, coal is the single greatest threat to our climate. Emissions from burning coal fuel global warming and coal mining is also a source of climate-warming methane gas. Pakistan is responsible for a mere 0.43 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, but it is among the world’s ten most vulnerable countries to climate change. Domestic climate change experts see the issue as a bigger threat than terrorism. The country is grappling with many issues, including receding glaciers, floods, heatwaves, droughts, shifting weather patterns and declining groundwater levels – and the list goes on. Agriculture, which comprises 21 per cent of Pakistan’s GDP, 60 per cent of exports and employs 45 per cent of the national labour force, is particularly vulnerable to climate change. China reduces coal investments at home but not abroad In the landmark December 2015 Paris Agreement, 195 countries agreed to curtail climate change by keeping global warming to “well below 2°C and … pursu[ing] efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels”. All told, 141 countries (including Pakistan and China), jointly responsible for over 82 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, have ratified the agreement. China – world’s second-biggest economy and largest coal consumer, which also has the world’s highest coal-fired power plant capacity – is considered a crucial player in the success of the Paris Agreement. Domestically, China has realised that its over-dependence on coal causes severe air pollution and other environmental impacts. The most recent data show reductions in coal use for the third year in a row. Yet China also invested US$25 billion in coal projects worldwide between 2007 and 2015, according to a recent report by the Natural Resources Defense Council. The report criticises China and other G20 countries for such investments, which are in conflict with their climate commitments under the Paris Agreement. It shows how some of the world’s leading polluters have, on one hand, pledged to control climate-changing carbon emissions within their borders, and, on the other, continued to finance fossil fuel projects elsewhere. That’s precisely what happened with Pakistan. After most international financial institutions turned away from coal, China established itself as Pakistan’s partner in developing the new coal power plants. Under the 2015 China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) initiative, the Chinese government and banks have planned to finance companies to invest US$27.6 billion in energy and infrastructure projects in Pakistan over the next six years, of which Pakistan is contributing US$18.1 billion. According to Pakistan’s Ministry of Planning, Development and Reform, coal-fired plants with a combined capacity of 7,560 mW will be established as CPEC-energy priority projects. In the guise of bringing energy, this investment will harm the air, water, public health and environment of Pakistan. The costs and lifespans of such coal projects can stretch over decades, trapping developing nations in a system of carbon-intensive energy use. Rapid utilisation of coal – the “dirty” energy-generation option – has given many Chinese cities, including Shanghai and Beijing, the world’s worst air quality. Pakistan’s proposed Port Qasim Power Project, a 1320-mW coal plant in Sindh province, will be located near Karachi, a metropolis of 25 million. This could cause disastrous damage to air quality and environment. Potential for clean energy No country can be expected to compromise on development, and development requires energy. But, as the cases of Jordan, Peru and Mexico demonstrate, it doesn’t require dirty energy. Instead of using coal, Pakistan could drive development with renewables, in particular solar energy. Much of Pakistan’s territory is arid or semi-arid, an ideal setting for harnessing solar energy with more than the necessary number of sunny days per year. In addition to providing clean energy, solar solutions can produce energy in the same places it is consumed, making it useful in remote areas that may lack transmission infrastructure. Recent research suggests that the deployment and maintenance of renewable energy projects are also likely to create better quality jobs than coal. The costs of renewables are declining rapidly worldwide. Solar and wind now cost the same or less than new fossil fuel in more than 30 developing and developed countries. India’s energy minister noted last year that solar tariffs had become cheaper than coal-based electricity, and India is pushing ahead with its renewables plan. China, too, has realised the economic potential of leading in renewable sources. By the end of 2016, its solar energy capacity hit 7,742 mW, double that of 2015, and this year it claimed the title of world’s biggest solar power producer. The investment bank Lazard reckons that, given proper infrastructures, prices will continue to decline in the near future. Yet under the CPEC, there is only one sizeable solar project in Pakistan, the Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park project, with a relatively skimpy total capacity of 1,000 mW. So why is China, a leader in renewable energy technologies, investing in coal-based projects abroad? It may be a way to provide overseas business opportunities for Chinese coal-plant equipment manufacturers, engineering and construction companies as a recent Bloomberg article pointed out. Pakistan’s domestic interests are otherwise. Instead of seeking foreign investment to fulfil its energy needs with fossil fuels, it can ride the renewables wave, developing its workforce and technical and institutional capacity to harness solar energy. Climate conditions suggest the country could produce enough power to both cover domestic needs and to export, along with associated equipment and technology. What Pakistan needs now are forward-looking policies to foster renewable development, innovative business models, and strong leadership in obtaining financial and technical partnerships, both local and international. The World Bank’s new solar maps of Pakistan can support these clean-energy efforts. Transparency in costs and production also need to be ensured. One thing is certain: Winning the future will not be done with technologies of the past. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. (Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).

Opinion: China and Pakistan are dabbling with 'dirty' energy

Tata Power Solar has commissioned India&#39;s first rooftop solar car port at Unity One mall in Rohini, in association with Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), to offer provide 300KW of solar electricity.

&quot;We feel proud to be associated with yet another milestone solar project for India. After earning the distinction of executing world&#39;s largest rooftop at a single location and India&#39;s largest carport at Cochin, we feel proud to accomplish India&#39;s first carport on a rooftop,&quot; Ashish Khanna, ED and CEO, Tata Power Solar said.Inaugurated by Minister of Power Satyender Jain, the plant is estimated to set off 438 tons of carbon emission annually.

The company had earlier won the bid in the open tender process fielded (DMRC) for multi-level car parking.

The project has been envisaged under net-metering scheme enabling self -&nbsp;reliance in the energy consumption and production cycle.

It enables the mall to receive real value of the energy produced by earning on the unused and excess solar electricity produced.

Tata Power Solar has commissioned India's first rooftop solar car port at Unity One mall in Rohini, in association with Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), to offer provide 300KW of solar electricity

Tata Power Solar has commissioned India's first rooftop solar car port at Unity One mall in Rohini, in association with Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), to offer provide 300KW of solar electricity. "We feel proud to be associated with yet another milestone solar project for India. After earning the distinction of executing world's largest rooftop at a single location and India's largest carport at Cochin, we feel proud to accomplish India's first carport on a rooftop," Ashish Khanna, ED and CEO, Tata Power Solar said.Inaugurated by Minister of Power Satyender Jain, the plant is estimated to set off 438 tons of carbon emission annually. The company had earlier won the bid in the open tender process fielded (DMRC) for multi-level car parking. The project has been envisaged under net-metering scheme enabling self - reliance in the energy consumption and production cycle. It enables the mall to receive real value of the energy produced by earning on the unused and excess solar electricity produced.

Tata Power Solar commissions India's first rooftop solar carport

Electric car maker Tesla said today it has won agreement from solar panel installer SolarCity to acquire the solar company for $2.6 billion, confirming a deal that has been criticised on Wall Street. 
 
Tesla announced the bid in late June, but it drew jeers on Wall Street, in part because of skepticism over the motives of Tesla chief executive Elon Musk, who is also chairman of SolarCity, as well as a major shareholder. 
 
Some analysts also questioned whether the deal would divert Tesla&#39;s attention from an ambitious plan to significantly expand electric-car production in the next few years. 
 
But Tesla said the buyout would enable it to achieve lower hardware costs and boost manufacturing efficiency, creating the &quot;world&#39;s only vertically integrated sustainable energy company.&nbsp;Solar and storage are at their best when they&#39;re combined,&quot; Tesla said. 
 
The deal is a major part of Musk&#39;s master plan &quot;part deux&quot; that calls for the company to offer consumers a single source of hardware to power a low-carbon lifestyle.&nbsp; 
 
Under the all-stock deal, SolarCity shareholders will receive 0.110 Tesla common shares. 
 
The agreement allows SolarCity to solicit alternative proposals for 45 days. SolarCity shares fell 5.5 per cent to $25.23 in pre-market trade, while Tesla rose 0.2 per cent to $235.25. 
 
(AFP, Reuters)

The electric car maker announced the bid in late June, but it drew jeers on Wall Street

Electric car maker Tesla said today it has won agreement from solar panel installer SolarCity to acquire the solar company for $2.6 billion, confirming a deal that has been criticised on Wall Street. Tesla announced the bid in late June, but it drew jeers on Wall Street, in part because of skepticism over the motives of Tesla chief executive Elon Musk, who is also chairman of SolarCity, as well as a major shareholder. Some analysts also questioned whether the deal would divert Tesla's attention from an ambitious plan to significantly expand electric-car production in the next few years. But Tesla said the buyout would enable it to achieve lower hardware costs and boost manufacturing efficiency, creating the "world's only vertically integrated sustainable energy company. Solar and storage are at their best when they're combined," Tesla said. The deal is a major part of Musk's master plan "part deux" that calls for the company to offer consumers a single source of hardware to power a low-carbon lifestyle. Under the all-stock deal, SolarCity shareholders will receive 0.110 Tesla common shares. The agreement allows SolarCity to solicit alternative proposals for 45 days. SolarCity shares fell 5.5 per cent to $25.23 in pre-market trade, while Tesla rose 0.2 per cent to $235.25. (AFP, Reuters)

Tesla acquires SolarCity for $2.6 billion

solar

Solar, News on Solar, stories on Solar, articles on Solar, Solar stories at Wion, Solar news, Solar latest news