Henry Harrell"s Blog: October 19 Green Energy News

Headline News:

“A more climate-resilient Puerto Rico?” • As Puerto Rico faces a devastating humanitarian crisis, an emerging viewpoint is that the island should think twice about restoring its electrical system as it’s existed in the past. Instead, this reasoning goes, Puerto Rico should plan for more resilient, distributed infrastructure. [Yale Climate Connections]

Trees and power lines downed by Hurricane Maria (Photo: SSgt Michelle Y Alvarez-Rea, USAF)

“What is electricity resilience worth to you?” • Power outages are a nuisance to some, an economic burden to others, and even lethal in some cases. It is impossible to place a price on electric resilience that could be applied to everyone. So it is crucial that customers know what power loss could cost them as they weigh needs for microgrids. [Microgrid Knowledge]
It’s known as the windscreen phenomenon. When you stop your car after a drive, there seem to be far fewer squashed insects than there used to be. Scientists have long suspected that insects are in dramatic decline, but new evidence confirms this. German research suggests flying insects have declined by more than 75% over almost 30 years. [BBC News]
About 1 million Americans are without running water. There are 3 million without power. “You wake up and it’s this mess as far as the eye can see,” one man said. One month after Hurricane Maria, these realities are starting to feel less like an emergency and more like the new way of life – a nightmarish loop that resets each day the sun rises. [CNN]
Target announced a new climate policy and goals to further environmental progress. Target’s new policy and goals align with those of the Science-Based Targets Initiative, as it aims to cut back on carbon emissions, minimize water use, produce more eco-friendly products and foster a more sustainable supply chain. [Sourcing Journal Online]

Henry Harrell"s Blog