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davieG

Technology, Science and the Environment.

By davieG, in General Chat

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Zear0

Zear0

Posted
Posted

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/feb/05/worlds-biggest-battery-with-1200mw-capacity-set-to-be-built-in-nsw-hunter-valley-australia

 

Side note to the above.  When I was studying for my engineering degree back in 2006, I remember my lecturer saying as part of my thermodynamics modules on 2nd order efficiency and cogenerative energy production that this tech was the future.  It's taken a while, but combining energy storage systems along side conventional power generation has such fantastic potential, it's great to see it finally being implemented.

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Bellend Sebastian

Bellend Sebastian

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Posted

Not sure how easy it's going to be to do anything about this. I know so many people that have these now, in many cases spending thousands on the bloody things.

 

It's often the quite affluent, educated people that would ordinarily be quite tuned in to environmental issues, but I expect are conveniently not taking this in, which is perhaps understandable if you've just spent three grand having your chimney upgraded

 

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/feb/16/home-wood-burning-biggest-cause-particle-pollution-fires

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Zear0

Zear0

Posted
Posted
6 minutes ago, Bellend Sebastian said:

Not sure how easy it's going to be to do anything about this. I know so many people that have these now, in many cases spending thousands on the bloody things.

 

It's often the quite affluent, educated people that would ordinarily be quite tuned in to environmental issues, but I expect are conveniently not taking this in, which is perhaps understandable if you've just spent three grand having your chimney upgraded

 

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/feb/16/home-wood-burning-biggest-cause-particle-pollution-fires

My old man is a git for this.  Hasn't had the heating on all winter as he's got his burner permanently running.  He has a source of free wood as runs a company that clears footpaths etc.  Whenever I go near his house (Birstall), I can smell the thing from some way off.

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Bellend Sebastian

Bellend Sebastian

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, Zear0 said:

My old man is a git for this.  Hasn't had the heating on all winter as he's got his burner permanently running.  He has a source of free wood as runs a company that clears footpaths etc.  Whenever I go near his house (Birstall), I can smell the thing from some way off.

I'm not without sympathy, it's only recently that the extent of the issue has recently been talked about. If you've got a wood burner and a diesel car - both of which you might have bought as you saw them as being less environmentally damaging than the alternatives, you'd be within your rights to be a bit peeved (although judging by the number of folk now that keep their engine running while parked would suggest that a lot of folk simply don't give a shit)

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Milo

Milo

Posted
Posted
On 16/02/2021 at 11:58, Bellend Sebastian said:

Not sure how easy it's going to be to do anything about this. I know so many people that have these now, in many cases spending thousands on the bloody things.

 

It's often the quite affluent, educated people that would ordinarily be quite tuned in to environmental issues, but I expect are conveniently not taking this in, which is perhaps understandable if you've just spent three grand having your chimney upgraded

 

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/feb/16/home-wood-burning-biggest-cause-particle-pollution-fires

Blimey.

 

I'm just about to get one installed. Typical.

 

I did wonder what the guy was going on about with the ultra low emission properties of the burner - I just assumed that a log burner was a log burner. 

  

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leicsmac

leicsmac

Posted
Posted
24 minutes ago, Milo said:

Blimey.

 

I'm just about to get one installed. Typical.

 

I did wonder what the guy was going on about with the ultra low emission properties of the burner - I just assumed that a log burner was a log burner. 

  

Evidently you came across one of the guys who also marketed "clean coal", then.

 

It's frustrating just how much misinformation gets passed to the public for the sake of a quick buck, especially when that misinformation leads nowhere good long term.

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The Bear

The Bear

Posted
Posted
8 hours ago, leicsmac said:

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-56106536

 

Unfortunately, this is just a taste of what is round the corner.

I know a guy on the Wolves forums who is from there. He's suffering deliberate rolling blackouts as the power companies try to manage everything. It's only supposed to be off for a certain amount every hour but things have not gone well and he's been without power for two days now. 

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yorkie1999

yorkie1999

Posted
Posted
On 16/02/2021 at 12:06, Zear0 said:

My old man is a git for this.  Hasn't had the heating on all winter as he's got his burner permanently running.  He has a source of free wood as runs a company that clears footpaths etc.  Whenever I go near his house (Birstall), I can smell the thing from some way off.

My next door neighbour has one and it bloody stinks. If we get a fallen tree near us, they're all out cutting it up to burn it. You'd have thought an oak tree would make some decent furniture, but no, they're all out, burn it, burn it!

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Buce

Buce

Posted
Posted
6 hours ago, leicsmac said:

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-56119931

 

To expand on the above.

 

Superb news.

 

Purely out of of curiosity, what is it that excites you about this and space exploration in general, Mac?

 

I get that it would be exciting from a professional perspective but your enthusiasm seems to transend that.

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leicsmac

leicsmac

Posted
Posted
3 minutes ago, Buce said:

 

Purely out of of curiosity, what is it that excites you about this and space exploration in general, Mac?

 

I get that it would be exciting from a professional perspective but your enthusiasm seems to transend that.

Decent question, and I have a couple of answers.

 

Firstly, it's one of the few "peacetime" (I know it started as Cold War willy-waving but it's not really so anymore) areas where innovation and development of spin-off tech to help the world really happens at any pace. So as it goes, it makes things better elsewhere, too.

 

Secondly, and more importantly (and this I have talked about before and it is real long game stuff) the simple truth is that if we don't get out there, something is going to happen down here that will ensure that we never will. I can understand the fears of some Expanse-style dystopia, it's a fair possibility. But given the dichotomy between the possibility of that if we go out there and the *certainty* of oblivion if we do not, then I'd choose the former.

 

As someone most interested in the long term survival of humanity, space exploration isn't just a professional interest - it's the best and perhaps only chance of achieving that aim.

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Buce

Buce

Posted
Posted
8 hours ago, leicsmac said:

Decent question, and I have a couple of answers.

 

Firstly, it's one of the few "peacetime" (I know it started as Cold War willy-waving but it's not really so anymore) areas where innovation and development of spin-off tech to help the world really happens at any pace. So as it goes, it makes things better elsewhere, too.

 

Sure, I see the value of it from that perspective and also the pursuit of knowledge for its own sake. But as an undertaking, those are the limits of its usefulness. It would be fascinating to know if microbial life existed there millions of years ago, but that knowledge doesn't really impact on anythingn in any real sense. It would be great for the philosophers and the exobiologists but would be nothing to humanity as a whole.

 

8 hours ago, leicsmac said:

 

Secondly, and more importantly (and this I have talked about before and it is real long game stuff) the simple truth is that if we don't get out there, something is going to happen down here that will ensure that we never will. I can understand the fears of some Expanse-style dystopia, it's a fair possibility. But given the dichotomy between the possibility of that if we go out there and the *certainty* of oblivion if we do not, then I'd choose the former.

 

As someone most interested in the long term survival of humanity, space exploration isn't just a professional interest - it's the best and perhaps only chance of achieving that aim.

 

I'm not sure what your vision of 'long term survival of humanity' looks like, but I can take a guess given the Laws of Physics.

 

The idea that we could somehow colonise another Earth-type planet in a different star system is pure science fiction: there will be no generational ships, no cryogenics or faster-than light drives. We are prisoners of the Solar System, the Inner Solar System for all practical purposes. Since you know that already, the only remaining option to achieve your aims would be a Lunar or Mars colony.

Since both are extremely hostile to human survival, the few hundred colonists would presumably live within some hermetically-sealed, self-sustaining prison. What would be desirable about that? Why is the idea of a handful of people continuing humanity's existence in the event of planetary disaster so important to you?

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Izzy

Izzy

Posted
Posted (edited)

I'm not really into space and science and all that but must say this Mars Rover stuff is incredible.

 

IDK whether it's worth all the time, effort and money, but purely the fact we've sent something over 200 million km's and it's landed in one piece and started taking photo's and stuff blows my mind a bit.

 

Edited by Izzy
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The Bear

The Bear

Posted
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46 minutes ago, Izzy said:

I'm not really into space and science and all that but must say this Mars Rover stuff is incredible.

 

IDK whether it's worth all the time, effort and money, but purely the fact we've sent something over 200 million km's and it's landed in one piece and started taking photo's and stuff blows my mind a bit.

 

And it's going to package up the samples it collects into tubes, then there'll be a future mission to land, collect them, lift off again and bring them back to Earth! 

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Izzy

Izzy

Posted
Posted
17 minutes ago, The Bear said:

And it's going to package up the samples it collects into tubes, then there'll be a future mission to land, collect them, lift off again and bring them back to Earth! 

I mean, how the fvck? :D It's incredible stuff really. 

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