No agreement in the coalition Tenants have to bear the CO2 price alone

Status: 22.06.2021 4:31 p.m.

The coalition seemed to be in agreement: landlords and tenants should share the CO2 costs on oil and gas in the future. But the Union no longer went along with it. Associations and the opposition are angry – and generally criticize the climate protection concept. For the time being, tenants in Germany will have to bear the additional costs due to the CO2 price on oil and gas alone. An agreement reached by the federal government weeks ago to relieve tenants has now failed. The Union faction did not want to participate, did not want to burden landlords and landlords additionally. “A division of the additional CO2 costs between tenants and landlords would be counterproductive, since the CO2 price is intended to steer behavior”, said Union faction vice-chairman Thorsten Frei of the news agency dpa.

Incentive to produce less CO2

It should be worthwhile for the consumer if he uses less CO2, said Frei. That was the reason why the Union faction rejected the division. After all, landlords are not responsible for heating costs, according to Frei.

At the same time, Frei emphasized that it had already been ensured that it was not closed “social imbalances” come “Those who receive transfer payments receive their housing costs from the state. Those who are entitled to housing benefit have received ten percent more since the beginning of the year in order to cushion the CO2 price”said Frei.

Criticism from the SPD and the tenants’ association

The SPD side, on the other hand, expressed its disappointment. The Union has refused to include the landlords and landlords in the higher CO2 costs for living. This leave you behind “bitter aftertaste”said SPD parliamentary group leader Rolf Mützenich. “Now the tenants alone have to bear the additional costs”, he said. “This is not how we imagine social climate protection.”

Of a “impending price shock” SPD parliamentary deputy Sören Bartol spoke for tenants “Editorial network Germany” (RND). The no from the CDU and CSU to the division model “exposes the social coldness of the Union”, he said. The German Tenants’ Association called the regulation in the RND newspapers one “hit in the face” of the tenants.

Additional expenses of up to 160 euros

The cabinet decision of May 12th originally provided that landlords should bear 50 percent of the costs of the national CO2 price in future tenancies. According to the current legal situation, tenants take on the costs arising from CO2 pricing, currently EUR 25 per tonne.

The consequence of the regulation: If heating continues to be mainly fossil fuel, it will be expensive. Like the portal “Check24” has calculated, the CO2 price of 25 euros for a family with a rented apartment and a consumption of 1000 liters of heating oil per year results in additional costs of almost 79 euros. A family with a house has to pay about twice as much.

Eight billion euros for climate protection

Originally, the now burst relief for tenants was noted in the so-called immediate climate protection program. The immediate program will now go into the cabinet without the corresponding passage. It essentially contains the plan for the distribution of the eight billion euros that are to be used in addition to climate protection measures in the coming years. But the coming federal government has to implement this. SPD parliamentary deputy Matthias Miersch, who negotiated the details of the climate and energy program with the Union to the end, spoke of one “Bridge to the next legislative period”. Miersch criticized the concept for the expansion of renewable energies as a failure. Here it was not possible to give the federal states binding targets, for example for the expansion of wind energy on land. Giving wind and solar energy a boost through changes in the law is now the task “Future task of the next government”said Miersch. Environment Minister Svenja Schulze (SPD) referred to RTL / n-tv on concrete progress, for example in the replacement of climate-damaging oil heating systems, but also admitted: “We could do a lot more.”

The Federal Climate Protection Act is to be passed quickly

The Federal Climate Protection Act, which is due to pass this week by the Bundestag and Bundesrat, forms the framework for all measures and financial plans. This will anchor the new climate goals that the federal government had set for itself just two weeks after a ruling by the Federal Constitutional Court in May. The judges in Karlsruhe had instructed the federal government to regulate the national path to the reduction of climate-damaging greenhouse gases even beyond the year 2030.

Germany is aiming for greenhouse gas neutrality by 2045, five years earlier than originally planned. Then only as much climate-damaging gas should be emitted as can be neutralized again. Politicians argued for weeks about the right way to get there and only agreed on the final key points on Monday.

Less CO2 through power plants EUEmissions trading paying off

Status: 06/17/2021 3:36 p.m.

The European emissions trading system had an impact last year. According to figures from the Federal Environment Agency, CO2 emissions in Germany’s power plants have fallen sharply. It looks different with industry.

From Martin Polansky, ARD capital studio

The German power plants emitted 15 percent less CO2 last year than in 2019. Coal power plants in particular were shut down. The energy sector and industry in this country have reduced their CO2 emissions by 33 percent since 2013. This is shown by current figures presented by the Federal Environment Agency (UBA).

According to the head of the German Emissions Trading Authority at UBA, Jürgen Landgrebe, European emissions trading has proven its worth. “The greenhouse gas emissions of the plants in Germany have fallen significantly.” Since 2018, the EU has decided to significantly strengthen its ambitions in European emissions trading. “And as a result, the markets reacted immediately,” said Landgrebe.

Significant price increases since 2018

Emissions trading is seen as a market-based instrument to reduce CO2 emissions. The system has existed since 2005. It ensures that around 1,800 power plants and industrial companies in Germany require emission certificates in order to be allowed to emit CO2.

The certificates are traded. The number of these decreases annually, which means that their price increases gradually. As a result, CO2 emissions are also becoming more and more expensive. While the certificate price was quite low for a long time, it has increased significantly since 2018 – to more than 50 euros per ton of CO2.

Gas-fired power plants and renewable energy systems have benefited from this, said the head of the emissions trading office. Last year, more than 45 percent of the gross electricity consumption in Germany was covered by renewable energies. “The aim is for us to price fossil fuels heavily so that renewable energies also become competitive more quickly,” said Landgrebe.

Weak effects in industry

Many market observers assume that emissions trading could lead to the shutdown of coal-fired power plants in this country much earlier than 2038. This end date was agreed a good two years ago in the so-called coal compromise between industry, environmental associations and trade unions. The federal government had largely adopted the compromise in the coal exit law. In industry, however, the effect of emissions trading has so far been less pronounced. Emissions have only fallen by around eight percent since 2013 – also due to the corona pandemic. In many cases there is a lack of marketable alternatives, for example for chemical plants or the steel industry. The latter is to switch from coke to hydrogen in the long term.

Help for retrofitting

The head of the German Emissions Trading Authority advocated increasing the pressure on industry. Fewer CO2 certificates should soon be issued. In addition, public aid is available for retrofitting. Landgrebe referred to the European innovation fund, which will provide approximately 20 billion euros for corresponding investments.

“The national decarbonisation fund is also providing around two billion euros to strongly promote such technologies and bring them to market readiness,” said Landgrebe.

Special taxes on industrial imports?

The steel industry and other sectors fear that European companies could suffer competitive disadvantages if the pressure to switch becomes too strong. The argument goes that climate protection does not benefit from steel coming more from India or China in the future.

In the European Union there are therefore considerations to impose special taxes on industrial imports from regions of the world with low climate standards in order to protect domestic industry. The EU Commission wants to present plans in July on how emissions trading can be used even more. On the one hand, consideration is being given to lowering the CO2 cap more quickly in order to meet the more ambitious European climate targets. On the other hand, certificate trading could be expanded to the areas of transport and buildings.

Surcharge at the gas station

In Germany, there has been a national CO2 pricing for fuel, heating oil and natural gas since the beginning of the year. However, this system is currently not based on a fixed CO2 cap, which is gradually being lowered, but on a price surcharge, for example at the petrol station – in the hope that people will use less fuel.

Similar to the issue of phasing out coal, European emissions trading could in the long run make the special national regulations superfluous in this country – if it proves to be the more efficient and market-compliant system for reducing CO2 emissions

Clarification from Brinkhaus Petrol is also becoming more expensive with the Union

Status: 11.06.2021 10:40 a.m.

When it comes to the issue of gasoline prices, the focus is on the Greens. The grand coalition decided to increase the price of CO2 a long time ago. Union faction leader Brinkhaus made this clear again, but demanded an appropriate transition period. In the dispute over rising gasoline prices, Union parliamentary group leader Ralph Brinkhaus has made it clear that gasoline would also become more expensive with the Union at the head of the future federal government. “Petrol is getting more expensive, now a little bit, in the second half of this decade it will be really more expensive,” said the CDU politician in Im ARD morning magazine . This was already decided in autumn 2019. “The fight against climate change will not be for free.”

Not the “if”, but the “when” is up for debate

It is important to create realistic and fair transition periods. Germans do not have to sell their cars immediately, but they do have to be prepared to switch to electric cars or low-consumption cars in the future. The social question is not that gasoline will become more expensive. “But the social question is: Do people have a transition period that is long enough to adapt,” said Brinkhaus. This applies not only to gasoline, but also to heating. The plan is to absorb the rising prices through subsidy programs.

Gasoline price hike long been a done deal

In the debate about higher fuel prices, government spokesman Steffen Seibert had recently made it clear that the prices for fuels such as gasoline and diesel would rise in the coming years anyway. The federal government has decided to scale the CO2 price up to 2025, which already has “effects on all fuel prices”, said Seibert last Friday. This applies equally to gasoline, diesel and heating oil. The background to the statements: The coalition of the Union and the SPD had introduced CO2 pricing in traffic and buildings as a central measure in the fight against climate change. Since the beginning of the year, the CO2 price has been 25 euros per ton. According to previous plans, it should rise to 55 euros by 2025. According to calculations, this would mean a surcharge of at least 15.5 cents for a liter of petrol and at least 17.4 cents for a liter of diesel.

Baerbock’s advance fueled debate

In line with the new climate goals of the federal government, the Greens are calling for the increase to be brought forward and for the CO2 price to be raised to 60 euros per ton as early as 2023. At the same time, they propose to give back 75 euros each from the state revenue from the CO2 price to the citizens in order to avoid social upheaval. Most recently, the Green Chancellor candidate Annalena Baerbock fueled the debate. According to her party’s draft program, she advocated a gasoline price increase of 16 cents and, after her announcement, received a lot of criticism, especially from the ranks of the SPD. CSU General Secretary Markus Blume also accused the Greens of proceeding ideologically in the climate debate. “For Annalena Baerbock, climate protection is above all a fight against drivers,” Blume told the media. Mobility shouldn’t be a luxury. Rural areas and commuters will not be allowed to bear the burden unilaterally.

A clear majority rejects gasoline price increases

Environmental groups have long accused the parties of “dishonest election campaigns at the expense of the climate and biodiversity” and argued that the German government itself initiated the price of CO2, which is already making fuel more expensive and will continue to make it more expensive. The opinion of the Germans is pretty clear: According to the latest GermanyTrend three quarters (75 percent) of Germans reject a gasoline price increase. 22 percent think such a measure is a step in the right direction. A switch from internal combustion engines to electric drives in cars is also rejected by 57 percent. 37 percent would support such a measure.

Burning rice straw often does not burn into flames, so there are many harmful gases in the smoke such as CO, CO2, SO2, NO2. Exhaust all toxic gas In 2020, the Hanoi People’s Committee issued Directive No. 15/CT-UBND on strengthening state management measures for the illegal burning of straw, crop by-products and other wastes in order to minimize the negative impact on the city environment. Prof. Dr. Hoang Xuan Co, Hanoi National University, said that now there are many researches and solutions to treat rice straw and limit post-harvest burning. However, the solutions need to be thoroughly researched, scientific and feasible. To solve the problem that needs to be studied to the end, we have had many studies such as converting tablets to burn, making mushrooms, and making manure. But the most basic is how to organize, where is the funding? Accordingly, from January 1, 2021, 100% of rice straw and crop by-products generated will be collected, reused or treated to meet environmental technical requirements; No more burning of straw, crop by-products and domestic solid waste in contravention of regulations in the city. However, at the beginning of June is the spring rice harvest of 2021, in many fields of the city, farmers continue to repeat the situation of burning straw. Typically in Soc Son district, people in communes: Phu Lo, Mai Dinh, Phu Cuong, Thanh Xuan, Tien Duoc… burn rice straw near Noi Bai International Airport, affecting the visibility of aircraft when taking off. , landing. Every year, the Northern Airport Authority must send an official dispatch to Soc Son district to take measures to prevent this situation. The Hanoi Department of Natural Resources and Environment said that the rate of burning straw in the spring crop is about 20%, higher than that of the crop. However, the actual number in districts is much larger such as: Thuong Tin, Thanh Oai accounted for 50%, Thach That 45%, Chuong My 37%, Thanh Tri 33%, Me Linh 30%, Soc Son 25. %… This situation not only causes traffic insecurity but also creates dust, smoke, greenhouse gas emissions, heat causing serious environmental pollution… Environmental experts analyze, burning rice straw often does not burn. As a result, the smoke contains many small dust particles and produces many harmful gases such as CO, CO2, SO2, NO2, affecting people’s health and increasing air pollution in the burning area as well as in the burning area. surrounding areas. Let straw not be a burden to the environment Prof. Dr. Pham Van Toan, Deputy Director of the Vietnam Institute of Agricultural Sciences (VAAS), shared that in the past, rice straw was considered a multi-purpose by-product for Vietnamese farmers (using for cooking, roofing, animal feed, etc.). But when the farming industry thrives, rice production is increasing, the annual source of rice straw generated in Vietnam is very large (estimated at about 50 million tons/year), then the straw is redundant and becomes waste to be treated. According to the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Vietnam currently burns more than 20 million tons of rice straw each year. Many localities have promoted the application of mechanization (straw roll machine) in the collection and transportation of straw. It is recommended that the application of biological products to treat rice straw after harvest into organic fertilizer for agriculture, contributing to minimizing environmental pollution. Facing the uncontrolled burning of straw in suburban districts, in the two years 2017 – 2018, Hanoi Department of Natural Resources and Environment introduced to 19 districts in the city a model of using bio-products. Learn to process rice straw into organic fertilizer, and at the same time support 50% of the cost of probiotics for farmers. Dan Phuong district (Hanoi) has an area of ​​​​about 2,500 hectares of rice cultivation. Every year, it has to process 37.5 thousand tons of rice straw and agricultural by-products. After 3 years of implementing the model “Field without burning straw”, using biological products to compost straw into organic fertilizer in 9 communes for growing crops, until now, the situation of burning straw The field is almost nonexistent. According to Mr. Thieu Van Son – Chairman of Dan Phuong District Farmers’ Association, this solution brings “dual” benefits of both improving crop productivity and protecting people’s health. But unfortunately, after a short pilot period and narrow scope, the project ended, the localities were not interested in communicating about the long-term benefits to farmers, so the straw returned to the reluctant treatment. is dried, burned. Strictly handle the act of burning straw in violation of regulations The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has just sent a written request to the People’s Committees of the provinces and cities to direct the Departments of Natural Resources and Environment, the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Department of Information and Communications, the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism; People’s Committees of districts, towns and cities organize propaganda and mobilization to prevent people from spontaneously burning waste, burning rice straw and agricultural by-products after harvesting crops; assigned Farmers and Women’s Unions, Youth Union to organize for members, union members and farmer households to sign a commitment not to burn rice straw in the field. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment also suggested that provinces and cities need to develop projects and tasks to guide farmers to implement measures to maximize collection, treatment and thorough processing of by-products, post-harvested rice straw into useful products. At the same time, direct the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, the Environmental Police, and local authorities at district, ward, and commune levels to strengthen inspection and strictly handle the improper burning of waste and agricultural by-products after harvest; direct Traffic Inspectors and Traffic Police to inspect and strictly handle vehicles carrying soil, stones, construction materials, and daily-life solid waste that are not covered, causing environmental pollution.

Emissions from a factory in Scunthorpe, UK. Photo: AFP/VNA The UK’s Emissions Trading Scheme officially became operational two weeks ago, replacing the UK’s participation in the EU’s common system. The UK government has announced that the new CO2 trading scheme will make a significant contribution to achieving the goal of being CO2 neutral by 2050. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson also plans to reduce emissions by 78%. pollutant emissions by 2035 compared to 1990 levels. UK prices start at around £50 ($71) per tonne of CO2, slightly higher than European prices. Meanwhile, the average selling price in the world’s third largest market, California (USA) is about 20 USD/ton. Observers say the supply of CO2 credits is dwindling in the UK to meet the Government’s environmental targets. Therefore, CO2 prices in this market are expected to continue to rise. According to Tim Atkinson, director of sales and brokerage at CF Partners, CO2 trading is one of the cornerstones of climate change policy. He considers this the most important tool to cut emissions in the power sector and heavy industries. For example, the UK has largely phased out the use of coal, largely because CO2 quotas make it too expensive to produce electricity this way. Meanwhile, other tools such as subsidies have fueled the boom of wind farms in the country. The efforts come as the UK, host of the G7 summit this month, is urging the world’s richest nations to facilitate for the “green” global economic recovery after the COVID-19 pandemic. London will also host the United Nations climate summit (COP26) in Glasgow in November.

Specifically, Germany will provide $9.72 billion (€8 billion) for 62 projects it has selected to reduce emissions in the transportation, steel and chemical sectors. According to Economy Minister Peter Altmaier, Germany wants to be a global leader in hydrogen technology, noting that the just announced investment is a step towards making the German economy neutral. with carbon. Mr. Altmaier said that, through the use of hydrogen, Germany could annually cut several million tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from the steel and chemical industries. Germany has ambitions to lead the world in green hydrogen production. Photo: DW. Transport Minister Andreas Scheuer added: “We are making Germany a hydrogen country. A total of 95% of road traffic still depends on fossil fuels, so Germany needs transport based on renewable energy… We have to push and want to accelerate the transition to mobility. climate-friendly transition”. The German Energy Ministry will oversee 50 of these 62 projects, including plans for more than 2 gigawatts (GW) of electrolytic capacity to produce green hydrogen. This is 40% of the 5 GW target in Germany’s national hydrogen strategy by 2030. The Ministry of Transport will finance the remaining 12 projects in the transport sector. These activities will include the development and production of fuel cell systems and vehicles, including cars, trucks and buses… Hydrogen has gained a lot of momentum in recent years. It is appearing in almost every major oil company strategy and can be seen in many government plans for industrial decarbonisation. Governments, international organizations and oil and gas companies say that blue hydrogen (hydrogen plus carbon is collected and stored) and blue hydrogen (hydrogen produced by electrolysis of water using electricity from energy) solar or wind) could be the key to helping industries decarbonize waste in the energy transition.

The solar power market has many attractive factors for investors. Photo: VNA According to the Japan Economic Times, the revised law to promote countermeasures to prevent global warming was approved by the Japanese National Assembly on May 26. The content that attracted attention was that the goal of carbon neutrality before 2050 was first recorded in a Japanese law. To realize the goal of a coal-free society, Japan, the US, Europe and China alone will require an investment of up to 8.5 trillion yen in the period 2021-2050. The world will enter fierce competition in the field of technology that can change the world economic map. Japan’s Law on Promoting Countermeasures to Prevent Warming is expected to come into effect in April 2022, which clearly states the provision stipulating the basic perception of the government’s goals related to the implementation ” carbon neutral” to ensure a balance between greenhouse gas emissions and the amount of gas absorbed by vegetation. The regulation in the law shows the commitment of the Japanese Government to inherit the policy even when the government has a transfer, and is the basis for promoting business investment in the long run. Around the goal of carbon neutrality, the European-American countries have expressed their intention to achieve this goal before 2050. Countries around the world are also urgently using the public-private partnership mechanism to develop the carbon neutrality. new techniques to achieve the goal of a zero-emission society. Japan is currently at the forefront of the world in the development of next-generation battery technology and is realizing hydrogen-related techniques. The development of CO2 landfilling techniques is also being evaluated in Japan. The battery needed to develop electric cars is considered as one of the indispensable techniques to realize a zero-emissions society. However, in the field of lithium-ion battery production, Japan has not shown an advantage over Chinese manufacturers such as Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL) and South Korean chemical company LG. Perhaps Japan can only create an advantage in this area by developing a new generation of solid batteries that can extend the travel distance on a single charge that companies like Toyota and Panasonic are at the forefront of this trend. this direction. Renewable energy production devices are also said to be the key to building a zero-emission society. During the 2000s, the Sharp and Sanyo Electric companies swept the world market for solar panel development and manufacturing. However, to date, about 80% of the world’s shipments are made in China. Japanese businesses have lost in the bidding war. Expectations are being held for solar panels using materials with a special crystalline structure (Perovskite) researched and developed by Toshiba and Ricoh. The technique of using hydrogen is expected to bring about a breakthrough in achieving the goal of carbon neutrality in the iron and steel manufacturing sector, which uses a large amount of energy source and is currently the three major Japanese steel corporations as well. is collaborating on research into hydrogen-using steelmaking technology. A test furnace has been set up at Nippon Steel’s factory (Kimitsu City, Chiba Prefecture) with the goal of realizing the technique before 2030. According to calculations by chemists, hydrogen is used instead of coke, combined with the use of carbon dioxide (CO2) separation and recovery techniques, can reduce CO2 emissions into the environment by 30%. According to Astamuse, a company that analyzes patent application trends, Japan can maintain its number one position in the world in terms of patents related to hydrogen engineering. In the context that countries around the world are increasing the speed of technical development, the issue of concern is how Japan will promote public-private partnership to bring hydrogen technology to applications in industries. industry of this country. For a country as highly dependent on fossil fuels as Japan, the turning point is CCS – capturing and burying CO2 underground. Currently in the world, the US is the leading country in research, development and realization of this technology. Some companies in Japan such as J-Power and Toshiba are also promoting the development of techniques to capture and landfill CO2 generated from thermal power plants. Car manufacturers in Japan have pioneered the world in the development and popularization of the hybrid vehicle (HV) model that combines an electric motor with a gasoline engine and has made a great contribution to cutting reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Hybrid cars are widely used in Japan, but in European and American countries, the trend of using electric vehicles (EVs) is more prevalent. If they can take advantage of the electrification technique used in HV cars, Japanese enterprises are fully capable of dominating the EV development competition in the world.

The company is interested in planting large timber trees. The tropical monsoon climate is a favorable condition for Vietnam to exploit the largest natural wind source in Southeast Asia. With the potential for average wind speeds of more than 10m/s, Vietnam’s territorial waters are in the top 10% of windiest places on the planet. Some wind power plants are rushing to be completed, in parallel with that is promoting afforestation, greening bare hills, bringing more sustainable growth to localities. Energy source to protect the environment Currently, energy generated from fossil fuels accounts for about 67% of the energy supplied to the world, but is polluting the environment with carbon dioxide emissions. Producing wind power with a 20-year-old turbine generates renewable energy (RE), with no carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. According to calculations by the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA), the potential for wind power installed in Europe by the end of 2007 with a total capacity of 56.5 GW, will avoid the emission of 90 million tons of CO2 to the environment per year. year. This is equivalent to 45 million cars on the road. In addition to being able to cut CO2, wind power also avoids toxic chemical waste such as mercury and other chemicals that pollute the environment. Using wind power will not deplete or destroy natural resources, but also ensure good use of resources from wind potential. According to the United Nations (UN’s Emissions Gap Report 2020), success in managing the transition to green energy will help developing countries take the leap beyond high-emission technologies. CO2, which underpins richer nations. Vietnam with about 97 million people and 6.5-7% GDP growth has seen energy consumption more than double since 2010. Access to reliable, cost-effective energy sources will be a factor. important for sustainable economic growth. Wind Turbine No. 1. Working together for the program “one billion trees” In the orientation and planning of renewable energy development, Nhon Hoi 1 Wind Power Plant and Nhon Hoi 2 Wind Power Plant invested by FICO Binh Dinh Energy Joint Stock Company as an investor are being built at Phuong Mai mountain, area. Nhon Hoi economy, Binh Dinh province. This is one of the areas assessed to have the largest wind power potential in the country. Nhon Hoi 1 Wind Power Plant has a capacity of 30 MW, surveyed, researched and invested on an area of ​​about 175 hectares, with a total investment of more than VND 1,321 billion. Nhon Hoi 2 Wind Power Plant Project has a capacity of 30 MW, surveyed and researched on an area of ​​about 201 hectares, with a total investment of more than 1,249 billion VND. As of May 2021, the factory has basically completed the infrastructure and safe transportation of super-heavy equipment. Compared with other renewable energy sources such as solar power, after installing wind turbines, the area where the wind turbines are located is still used for farming or other agricultural and forestry activities. Mr. Huynh Van Luan, Deputy General Director of FICO Binh Dinh Energy Joint Stock Company, said that the Nhon Hoi Wind Power Plant site is refurbishing the infrastructure and landscape, accelerating the speed of afforestation. The whole project is expected to be completed by the end of August. Due to the steep rocky and windy terrain, Phuong Mai mountain has no large trees, mainly naturally growing low shrubs. The afforestation project of FICO Company invests in afforestation of large timber trees on the entire Phuong Mai mountain, phase 1 of the project to plant 40 hectares of forests will be implemented from April 2021 by Anh Vu Seed Company Limited. Due to the hot season, priority should be given to afforestation in favorable locations first. Plant breeding work and planting site are also actively preparing for mass planting starting from August this year. The selection of plant species must also take into account factors that are suitable for the rocky terrain and harsh sea breezes at Phuong Mai mountain, therefore, the company will research plants suitable for natural conditions, soil, Abundant native trees create lush green forests. Also according to Mr. Huynh Van Luan, afforestation is difficult, care and protection of forests is even more difficult. “In order to implement the project effectively, we have taken into account detailed plans, such as care procedures, pest control, and weed clearance. Particularly for the Phuong Mai mountain afforestation project, the company will prioritize using local workers right from the stage of planting to tending, managing and protecting forests … “, Mr. Luan affirmed.

Toyota Cross HV operates in the inner city of big cities in Vietnam The picture of electrified vehicles in Vietnam At the seminar on electrified vehicles in Vietnam organized by Tien Phong newspaper, sharing about the picture of electric cars in the world and Vietnam, Expert Nguyen Trung Hieu – Head of Policy Planning Department TMV said: a unit that has the conditions to participate in the research and production of electric vehicles, we have a general view of the picture of electrified cars as follows: Firstly, from the 70s of the last century, when the gasoline crisis When oil broke out, car manufacturers were forced to find a new direction, which is to find a way to replace internal combustion engine fuel. Second is the factor of climate because internal combustion engines contribute to the cause. Therefore, global warming is caused by the third is the concentration of too many vehicles using internal combustion engines, which causes air pollution, and the fourth is that along with the development of society, the technological trend is a condition. necessary to contribute to the promotion of production. Therefore, since the 70s, car manufacturers have been looking for new directions in vehicles using clean energy.” When the chairperson asked the question, is the price an important issue affecting the development of electric vehicles in Vietnam? Mr. Nguyen Trung Hieu said: the general car price includes production costs and taxes. For electric vehicles, there is a discount on prices due to the decreasing price of batteries. The second is in terms of tax, currently the Vietnamese government has preferential treatment for electric vehicles. Therefore, the factors of usage habits and some other factors are the issues that need attention. Maybe in about 5-10 years, the electric vehicle market will be doubled, tripled and the price will decrease. Currently Toyota has a full range of models, but it is only a matter of when to launch to match the status and development potential of the country. To do this is a matter of policy. In general, the picture of electric vehicles is a story of national challenges, and seizing the opportunities is a national problem. Outstanding advantages of electrified vehicles Toyota Cross uses environmentally friendly electrified vehicle technology Toyota Vietnam and Hanoi University of Science and Technology (HUST) have cooperated, discussed and implemented a project to monitor and evaluate the performance of gasoline cars and hybrid gasoline-electric vehicles (Hybrid) in 4 areas. factors include Fuel Consumption, Emission Level, Safety and Driving Experience under real conditions. During the period from October 23, 2020 to December 23, 2020, with test conditions including actual roads, labs and test sites in peak hours, normal hours / ring roads , radial roads, inner city roads, one-way roads, research results show that the advantages of Hybrid cars are maximum fuel savings, low exhaust levels, smooth and powerful operation, and very smooth and quiet. In particular, Hybrid cars can save fuel and reduce CO2 emissions from 1.5 to 2 times compared to conventional cars, so they are very environmentally friendly. Why is the hybrid car line suitable for the current situation in Vietnam? Sharing about why hybrid cars are suitable for Vietnam’s current situation, Mr. Mai Ngoc Tuy, Head of Technical Service Department of Toyota Motor Vietnam said, firstly, with this model, we There is no need to change the user’s usage behavior. Because the way to use this car is like using an internal combustion engine car today. Second, there is no need to invest in infrastructure, which is extremely expensive. Third, if using hybrid cars, it will have less impact on socio-economic issues. Because if using this vehicle, the gasoline supply chain will not be affected and the problem of solving social jobs will not change.

1.8g of SiC requires about 177 kW / h of energy. Researchers have proposed a new way of turning plants into a valuable industrial material called silicon carbide (SiC). In a new study, scientists at the Salk Institute (USA) have converted tobacco and corn husks into SiC. These findings are critical to help researchers evaluate and quantify carbon uptake strategies. “The study gives a very careful calculation of how this valuable substance is made and how many carbon atoms are removed from the atmosphere,” said study co-author Professor Joseph Noel of the Salk Institute. SiC is also known as carborundum. This is a super hard material used in ceramics, sandpaper, semiconductors, and LEDs. Salk’s team used a previously reported method to convert plant materials into SiC in three stages. First, the researchers planted tobacco plants from seeds, which were selected for the short growing season. They then pulverized the harvested plants and treated it with a number of chemicals, including silicon-containing compounds. In the final stage, the starch plants are turned into rocks to give SiC. This process involves heating the material to 1,600 degrees Celsius. “We have demonstrated that carbon can be isolated from agricultural residues such as corn husks,” said study author Suzanne Thomas. Thereby, a green material is created ”. Through elemental analysis of plant meal, the authors measured a 50,000-fold increase in carbon sequestration from seed to laboratory plants. This is a demonstration of the effectiveness of plants in reducing atmospheric carbon. When heated to high temperatures to freeze, the plant material loses some of its carbon as a variety of decomposition products. The researchers calculated that the generation of 1.8 g of SiC requires about 177 kW / h of energy. Most of the energy (70%) is used at the freezing step. The current SiC manufacturing process has comparable energy costs, the authors note. Therefore, the team thinks that new technologies produced by renewable energy companies could reduce energy costs. In the future, the team expressed hope to explore this process in a variety of plants, especially species such as horsetail or bamboo. These are species that contain large amounts of natural silicon.

Factory DAC. After 2050, we still have to double our efficiency. Currently, the fastest and most powerful solution is CO2 extraction by DAC method. For one thing, it takes 30,000 large-capacity DAC (Direct Air Capture) plants, estimated to cost $ 15,000 billion. Direct CO2 filter Since the Paris Agreement was signed in 2015, the world has made many efforts to reduce CO2. The most popular solution is afforestation, but this way of “green” still has many potential risks. First, afforestation takes space and time. It requires a large investment, likely to push food prices five times higher. Second, even when the Earth is completely green, forests will only absorb 30% of the annual emissions that need to be treated. Third, the plant itself is the “receptor for CO2”. If not handled properly upon death, they will turn out to be harmful to humans. “Humanity needs a faster, more drastic solution”, Steve Oldham (USA) affirmed. He introduced the initiative of Carbon Engineering Company: DAC Factory, removed CO2 by the method of direct air capture (DAC). The DAC method was invented in 1999. It operates on the principle of absorbing air, leading to an alkaline environment, isolating and compressing to preserve CO2. The experimental DAC plant was built in Squamish, British Columbia, Canada. It is installed with a series of giant fan tubes on the roof, sucking in ambient air. Currently, CO2 makes up about 0.04% of the air. Carbon Engineering fan duct connected to a filtration system consists of 3 chambers. The first chamber contains alkali potassium hydroxide (KOH) solution. When the air passes through, the KOH reacts with CO2, forming potassium bicarbonate (KHCO3). The KHCO3 formed is led to a second chamber containing calcium hydroxide (Ca (OH) ₂). It reacts, forming limestone and being expelled into the third chamber. In the third chamber, the heated limestone decomposes, creating pure CO2. The DAC recycles the catalyst residue, forming a closed and repeating loop. It captures CO2 without releasing waste. “We are miserable with climate change and the cause of it is excess CO2” – Oldham said – “But with the DAC plant, you can purify this emissions anywhere and anywhere. when”. Cost “huge” CO2 can be commercialized by selling it to agriculture. The world is emitting about 36 billion tons of CO2 / year. “To avoid the risk of global warming, we need to successfully remove 10 billion tons of CO2 / year”, ecologist Jane Zelikova (Ukraine) said. To remove 10 billion tons of CO2 / year, a widespread DAC system is needed, with a total of 30,000 factories. Each year, these three thousand plants require 4 million tons of KOH. They also need a huge amount of energy to operate, estimated to account for up to one-sixth of total global energy. The cost of building a DAC factory is 500 million USD. With 30,000 factories, mankind has to spend 15,000 billion USD. “We need to filter 800 billion tons of CO2 out of the atmosphere,” Oldham said. Recently, many philanthropists and large corporations have expressed their support for DAC. Billionaire and philanthropist Elon Musk (South African American) pledges $ 100 million to develop CO2 capture technology by this method. Microsoft, United Airlines, ExxonMobil … also enthusiastically invested billions of dollars. Until now, estimates of the cost of capturing CO2 in the air have been very expensive. It ranges from 100 to 1,000 USD / ton. Oldham believes that the DAC industry will help lower it to only 94 USD / ton. Big bet Mankind sees CO2 as an enemy, wanting to be wiped out from the atmosphere. Did you know that in the business sector, compressed CO2 is still a valuable commodity? In Switzerland, Climeworks (a CO2 capture center) is compressing CO2 with an efficiency of 900 tons / year. They sell it to greenhouses that increase crop yields. Unfortunately, the most potential customer of compressed CO2 is the fossil fuel industry – the most terrible CO2 emission sector. Petroleum is a finite source of energy, but can be renewable by adding CO2. Occidental Petroleum Company in Texas signed a contract with Carbon Engineering to build a large-scale DAC plant. They aim to filter and utilize 50 million tons of CO2 / year, used for the purpose of increasing oil regeneration. Naturally, this amount of CO2 will be re-emitted in the new oil. It makes efforts to remove CO2 “evenly”. “We must admit, DAC is an expensive solution”, businessman and writer Chris Goodall (UK) said. The problem is that humanity urgently needs to deal with its excess CO2. If we are late, we could pay a heavy price. Losses caused by natural disasters from climate change are extremely severe. It is even able to exceed the amount of money spent operating DACs by many times. The more you hesitate and delay, the more CO2 increase cannot be controlled. The role of DAC is to control emissions. For tomorrow, mankind may have to accept today’s costly. In the event of failure to do business, Iceland proposes mineralization. They succeeded by mixing CO2 into water, pumping down basalt layers in the ground 500 – 600m deep. After about 2 years, CO2 self-changes into calcite (limestone). Waiting time for mineralization, CO2 mixed in water. CO2 containing water is heavier than normal, sinks deeply, so it does not affect the quality of floating water. In other words, the mineralization of CO2 ensures ecological safety.

Farm operators say animal welfare is guaranteed when salmon are kept in shallow pools as they are swimming in artificial water. Photo: Smart Studio. In the row of indoor swimming pools there, 5 million adult salmon were swimming passionately away from their home town. pass cold water fish to a hot area This is a Atlantic salmon species, famous for cold water in Norwegian fjords or in cold water lakes in Scotland. They are not native to hot and warm Florida, so in order to cope with the completely different weather where they were born and the ideal environment to grow, the aquarium is cooled, housed in a large building. cold and of course very good insulation. The building is named the Green House, which has just come into operation in phase 1 since last year. When completed, it will be the largest salmon farm in the world. The investor is the Atlantic Sapphire Company, said the current output of the farm is 9,500 tons / year, and when the farm is operating at full designed capacity – it is expected that by 2031, the output will increase to 222,000 tons. If so, about 41% of the American’s salmon demand each year, or 1 serving serving, would be supplied domestically. Atlantic Sapphire is currently one of the pioneers of the trend of investing in terrestrial and indoor aquaculture. The company is headquartered in Norway. “When we came up with this idea 10 years ago, a lot of people were talking so crazy,” said Johan Andreassen – CEO of the company. “At that time, no one believed that bringing cold-water salmon to terrestrial farming could or was financially viable. The advancement of technology dispelled their doubts. Johan Andreassen introduces salmon farmed in Green House. Photo: Atlantic Sapphire. According to Andreassen, Atlantic Sapphire has proven successful in technology, now only dealing with financial viability and how scalable it can be effectively scaled. Salmon farming in shallow tanks – Pioneering technology New technologies equipped for the Green House to operate are not unfamiliar, but the investment rate to ensure profitability has only been achieved in recent years. The building is equipped with a recirculating aquaculture system called RAS, controlled from data on temperature, salinity, pH, oxygen level, flow, and light in the water. The tank also has an automatic mechanism that removes CO2 and waste and water into a filter for treatment and reuse. Raised in a closed process, salmon is immune to diseases and parasites found in the natural environment, so Atlantic Sapphire does not need antibiotics or other drugs. “Compared to marine farms, we guarantee fewer incidents of disease, the death rate is also among the lowest,” said Neder Snir, chief technician of AquaMaof in Israel. This is the company that provides technology for Atlantic Sapphire and about 10 other businesses around the world. “We ensure farmers do not need vaccines or antibiotics. This technology ensures disease isolation and control of the farming environment ”. Atlantic Sapphire has invested $ 400 million into their US facility in a total of $ 2 billion in funding plans. By 2031, they expect to own a 372,000 square meter aquarium on the 65-hectare project area. Why is it America? A Norwegian company that invests in large farms in Florida raises the question of purpose, especially when the culture is in doubt or does not guarantee the welfare of the chosen fish. According to the Atlantic Sapphire, they ensure a closer supply to the US market instead of bringing fish from Europe to by plane, in addition to taking advantage of the natural conditions endemic to the southern state. Florida sits atop two layers of water – one is the surface freshwater layer, the other is the lower saltwater aquifer. Trout need a freshwater environment in the early stages of growth, larger than they need salt water. In the Green House, the technology system ensures these two water sources. Here, wastewater is pumped into deep underground rock under the salty water layer separated from useful aquifers, so it does not pollute the area’s common water source (only at a very small rate compared to the government’s regulations. ). The salmon tank area at the Green House by technology of AquaMaof. Photo: AquaMaof. According to Andreassen, Atlantic Sapphire’s choices were even more valuable when the Covid-19 pandemic struck. The supply chain right in the US enables customers to traceability and create confidence in the end product without having to go through many stages of virus infection. Also, the transport stage is not congested when the cost of the road increases dramatically due to the impact of the epidemic. Atlantic Sapphire salmon has become familiar with American consumers. Last year, the brand “Green House Salmon was sold for 12 USD / kg, 2 times higher than imported Norwegian wild salmon. Would that worry salmon farmers and exporters in Nauuy and Scotland? Ragnar Tveteras – Professor of Commerce at Stavanger University (Norway) explains in a detour: “I think there is a challenge of using energy, about CO2 emissions, but I still do not have enough data. Demand (farmed fish) does not bother me too much, it is important that the price will probably go up ”. And Alan Tinch, technical head of the fishing services firm Benchmark Genetics in Scotland, predicts a change from Scottish farmers to adapt. “Maybe they will transfer the fry to an indoor farm, when healthy, they will be brought back to the natural marine environment. The wild fish still has its quality and location ”. The Green House project is not really smooth, even though it is advertised as a pioneer in technology. In July 2020, a water quality incident forced the company to harvest 200,000 salmon early before they were 20 months old. In March this year, fish also died abnormally and at the beginning of April there was a gas leak incident causing 3 workers to be hospitalized. Animal Rights Protection PETA criticizes the Green House project and about 40 other businesses developing terrestrial aquaculture farms, including a planned seabass farming project in Arizona. “Fish can feel, think, can know pain or joy, they belong to themselves, not people,” said Dawn Carr, Project Director of (food) vegetarian PETA said. “This fish farming is cruel.” But Director Johan Andreassen argues that the criteria for animal welfare, at the Green House, are fin shape and swimming speed, which is continuously and fully controlled by the company.

Even though there is news of reduced CO2 emissions into the atmosphere in the early stages of a pandemic, the risk of climate change remains evident. New research has shown that, even after a year of decommissioning and production cessation, global greenhouse gas emissions continue to increase at an unceasing rate. To mitigate the worst effects of climate change, the researchers note, humanity needs to focus purposefully on reducing fossil fuel emissions to close to zero, but even less. In that case, humans also need to find ways to further remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. Covid-19 is believed to have contributed to change in planetary climate; Source: topnewsrussia.ru The rapidly changing climate is caused by human activities and this is a scientific conclusion. Back in 1988, scientists put the issue of global warming on the agenda, emphasizing that humanity is facing a “climate emergency”. In 2020, 11,000 scientists around the world released a statement with the same name, calling for immediate action. According to the scientific community, our failure to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere will turn unusually hot waves, storms, wildfires and melting glaciers “a daily thing” and could “make the a large area of ​​uninhabitable Earth ”. Researchers noted that the world leaders’ actions against climate change cannot be called enough and effective. At the same time, the media’s response to the Covid-19 epidemic, such as the use of masks and social isolation, illustrated a useful, effective model of action. People should do the same with climate change. Since CO2 has remained in the atmosphere for decades, the longer humans wait for decisive action, the more extreme the weather, and the more likely it is to pass points of no return or out of control. Covid-19 pandemic and global warming A pandemic may have little effect on climate change, but Covid-19 can certainly teach us a lot about the global threats that exist. Recently, researchers from King’s College London have concluded that countries that are better prepared for a climate emergency have much more advantages in dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic. More importantly, the scientists also concluded that countries should treat the climate crisis as a pandemic. Research taking data from 110 countries shows that societies “in which people care about each other” cope better with pandemics. The work highlights the urgent need to invest in both climate action and public health infrastructure so countries can better prepare for similar disasters in the future, as Sciencealert writes. By looking at the social, economic and health measures each country is proposing to deal with the pandemic, the King University researchers found a lack of “social cohesion” in America. and Western Europe led to an increase in Covid-19 mortality. More than 71% of emissions since 1988 are believed to have been generated by 100 of the world’s super corporations; Source: topnewsrussia.ru Last year, the economic slowdown caused by the global pandemic cut CO2 emissions by about 7%, which according to some studies, only 10% of this initial sharp drop was due to air travel. reduction. Another study shows that the Covid-19 pandemic will only cool the planet by about 0.01 ° C by 2030. This is a small difference, but the good news is that if combined, then cut. By investing in fossil fuels, we can avoid warming of 0.3 ° C in the future by 2050. “Increased fossil fuel emissions may not be entirely the cause of the increase in methane concentrations in the Earth’s atmosphere, but a reduction in fossil fuel emissions,” says chemist Ed Dlugokenski. is an important step to climate change mitigation. Reality shows that, even if people around the world decide to stay home, travel less, fly less and consume less, it’s still not a solution, because 71% more emissions since 1988 have been generated by only 100 of the world’s super companies. These are companies and the systems related to these companies need to be changed. Therefore, it will take more than one global pandemic to address the climate crisis.

Cows and other ruminants use microbes in their stomachs to break down tough fibers that cannot be digested by humans. Artwork: AFP. Accordingly, one of the largest dairy producers in the world, the Fonterra Cooperative Group, is using a cocktail branded “Kowbucha”, a well-known kombucha fermented drink, to see if it can reduce the anesthetic gas. -tane produced from 4.9 million New Zealand cows. Unlike most developed economies, New Zealand is heavily dependent on agriculture, especially cows and sheep. So while other countries focus on cutting carbon dioxide, New Zealand has a much bigger problem with gases produced in animal stomachs. “The ferment produced can have quite a large impact on digestion, not just in humans, but also in animals,” said Jeremy Hill, a scientific researcher at the Fonterra Cooperative Group. Kowbucha is one of the company’s options, and the company is also looking at other options including seaweed. The technology is still in the early stages of research and, like other potential solutions to treat methane emissions from cows, questions about how to implement it are and whether the farmer will have enough. affordability or not. But what matters for New Zealand is whether it reaches zero net emissions. Methane, made up of carbon and hydrogen, is 56 times more effective than the effects of CO2 to heat the Earth when measured over 20 years. The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change estimates that global methane levels need to be reduced by 40-45% by 2030 to be able to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. . What’s more, because methane has been in the atmosphere for only a decade, reducing it can yield a relatively quick victory over CO2, which has been around for centuries. The Global Methane Assessment, to be released next week, shows that curbing man-made methane emissions at 45% by 2030 will drop by almost 0.3 degrees Celsius. global warming in the 2040s, preventing more than a quarter of a million premature deaths. But the scientific approach to reducing the emissions from cow digestion is much more difficult than to limit other methane emissions, such as oil and gas field outbreaks or leaks from fields. bury. Cows and other ruminants use microbes in their stomachs to break down tough fibers that cannot be digested by humans. Therefore, suppressing the methane they generate requires adjusting the biology and physiology of the animal. Like the Kowbucha solution, Fonterra is working on using red seaweed to suppress bacteria. The company partnered with the Dutch Royal DSM NV Nutrition Company to accelerate the rollout of Bovaer, a synthetic feed supplement that has been shown to reduce methane emissions by about 30%. The company, which has an annual $ 72 million research budget, has also researched the development of “climate-smart” cows whose stomachs release less methane, as well as research to develop vaccines. But producing climate-friendly cows takes years and vaccine development is “very, very difficult,” Hill said. Seaweeds, which have attracted a lot of attention in recent years, are difficult to eat in grassland animals, species that do not like the taste and may have safety problems with substances such as bromoform, A toxic chemical found in small amounts in ocean plants. Dairy companies are under increasing consumer pressure to reduce livestock carbon emissions, according to Dan Blaustein-Rejto, director of agriculture and food at Breakthrough Institute, an environmental research organization. Creating more climate-friendly products could allow them to gain an edge and could help fight competition from a growing number of alternatives, such as oatmilk, sandwiches. Vegan meats and other plant-based alternatives. If successful, the New Zealand efforts could serve as a test case for the global livestock industry, especially countries like Ireland and Brazil that rely on ruminants for a share of export revenue. . But the Climate Change Commission says technologies under development cannot be considered to meet the interim goal. Harry Clark, commissioner of the Climate Change Commission, said: “The silver bullet (referring to the easy, quick-PV solution) for dairy technology has only been taken into account for the past 12 years. It hasn’t worked yet. “

Let’s start with the apple story in America. According to the American Apples Association, every year, only about 5% of the apples consumed in the country are imported products, the remaining 95% are domestic apples. American apples are produced mainly in three states: Washington, New York and Michigan. Remove fruit from storage with gas regulation technology. Photo: Thanh Son. Depending on the variety and state, the apple harvest season in the US is between mid-August and mid-November each year. However, Americans can eat apples all year round and the quality of the apple is still very good, even if it has been harvested for many months. The secret to keeping the American apple fresh for a long time lies in the preservation technology with the CA (Controlled Atphosphere) method. Once harvested, the apple continues to respire by absorbing oxygen, releasing CO2, and maturing to ripening. But when the apple is hibernated, the respiration rate slows down, and the quality, color, taste and nutrition are maintained. Based on that principle, CA technology adjusts the ratio of oxygen, CO2, nitrogen, temperature, and humidity to a suitable level to form a friendly hibernation environment for apples after harvest. Thanks to that, it helps apples in the US to be more fresh for a long time compared to being stored in a cold environment. Professor Chris Watkins (Cornell University) affirmed, the apple industry in the US would not exist without CA technology. High loss in conventional refrigeration Ms. Quach Thi Le Chan, Director of CASS Agricultural Conservation Company Limited (Long An) said that after harvest, vegetables, fruits and other agricultural products continued to breathe and breathe stronger than before. when harvested. Therefore, agricultural businesses all know that refrigeration will slow down agricultural respiration, reduce nutrient loss, reduce heat generation, and prolong the life span. The earlier agricultural products reduce their respiration, the longer their life expectancy. Therefore, cooling quickly for fruits and agricultural products is the first choice of many businesses in preserving fresh agricultural products. Put the fruit into storage in cold storage at CASS Agricultural Product Preservation Company Limited. Photo: Thanh Son. However, every agricultural product has a storage temperature limit, if refrigerated beyond the lower limit, they will suffer cold damage. Vietnam is in the tropics, so agricultural products often have not low lower limit. Therefore, the storage must ensure that the temperature is cooled quickly and not above the appropriate temperature. Under commercial storage conditions, this is difficult to do because produce is stacked on pallets, preventing cold air from cooling the bulk. In addition, the ventilation fan system is only located in a few points, near the fan, very strong wind is easy to lose water, cold damage, the blinds will be poor convection, difficult to cool the block. On the other hand, when the temperature has not decreased, the intensity of respiration (heat generation) in the mass is still high, making it more difficult to cool down. A typical example is that dragon fruit has the recommended storage temperature of 6 degrees Celsius, but the current cold stores do not dare to stay at this temperature because most are damaged after a few days. The warehouses currently have to cool down a few degrees to ensure a quicker cooling of the left mass. This means that a certain proportion of goods will be cold (about 20-30% of volume). The signs of cold lesions will usually appear after about 10 days, causing the loss rate to increase. The “5 star hotel” hibernates the fruit In order to contribute to reducing post-harvest agricultural product loss and keeping Vietnamese agricultural products fresher longer, CASS Agricultural Product Preservation Company Limited (CASS) has invested in a warehouse system to preserve fresh agricultural products. with the first fully automated CA gas control technology (all operation processes are managed by software and the storage and retrieval activities are operated by robots) in Vietnam, also known as “customer. 5-star hotel for fruit. Accordingly, in the warehouses of CASS, fresh vegetables and agricultural products will immediately fall into a state of hibernation, reducing respiration thanks to CA technology. Thereby, it helps to adjust the proportion of gas components in the warehouse in the direction of reducing oxygen to low and increasing Nitrogen up to over 90%. Thanks to that, each warehouse of CASS is like a giant nitrogen tank containing agricultural products, making fruits and agricultural products immediately reduce respiration, no more heat generation in the agricultural block. In addition, in the warehouse, the distance between the pallets is very uniform due to being stowed with a robot system, thereby facilitating easy ventilation. The ventilation fan system is arranged with thousands of points, reasonable wind speed is all over the warehouse, helping to exchange heat quickly and evenly throughout the warehouse. With the three above synchronous solutions, CASS can quickly cool down agricultural products without having to lower the temperature in the warehouse. This is the most important starting step of the preservation process, this step makes a valuable contribution to the effectiveness of prolonging the life of vegetables and agricultural products by many times by slowing down the ripening and aging process, without causing damage. for them. Many types of fruit are brought in by businesses for preservation using CA technology. Photo: Thanh Son. CA technology helps fruits and agricultural products to maintain freshness during storage, while inhibiting microbial growth that damages agricultural products as well as cross-contamination between consignments. Agricultural products stored in this environment can extend their life by 2-4 times compared to other methods. As for apples, CASS’s CA technology can last up to 12 months. This is an advanced method of preserving green and clean agricultural products, meeting the strict preservation standards of high-end markets. Ms. Quach Thi Le Chan, Director of CASS said, compared with conventional cold storage, preservation by CA technology has a higher cost. But in return, the CA technology brings many great benefits to agribusinesses, which is much greater than the extra cost of using this technology. First of all, preserving by CA technology helps produce only lose weight due to dehydration of 1-2% after about 10 days of storage, compared with 8-10% loss in conventional cold storage; failure rate is reduced from 15-30% to below 5%; quality decline rate (must sell at a discount), reduced from 30-40% to 2-10%. In particular, CA technology helps businesses increase brand reputation because the goods are always of stable quality, the source of goods is always ready, not passive when the market is in trouble such as ship jam, container jam … With such great advantages, the fully automatic gas adjustment technology of CASS has quickly attracted the attention of many businesses trading in fruit and agricultural products. Up to now, many kinds of fruits and agricultural products have been trusted by businesses to send to CASS’s warehouses such as beetroot, sweet potato, guava, coconut, pomelo, kumquat, lemon, dragon fruit, watermelon, melon. own, jackfruit, passion fruit … “CASSS’s model of preserving agricultural products using fully automated gas control technology is a pioneer and unique model currently in Vietnam. This is a breakthrough in logistics, contributing to capacity building. competition of Vietnamese vegetables, fruits and agricultural products because it prolongs storage time while still ensuring quality, thereby helping businesses to be more proactive in doing business “.

Submarine KRI Nanggala-402. Choking because of CO2 CNA quoted Mr. Clark – a naval expert – who used to be a submarine sailor – as CO2 accumulating in the KRI Nanggala-402 submarine can suffocate the crew even if they have not exhausted oxygen. “CO2 needs to be filtered out of the atmosphere with a chemical. But this chemical will soon run out. Oxygen can be produced by chemical candles. But CO2 will suffocate the crew before running out of oxygen. ” The power outage also affects the crew’s lifetime, Clark said. Electricity is needed to operate the CO2 absorber and the fan transfers air through the oxygen candle. The Indonesian lifeboat joins the search for the KRI Nanggala-402 submarine. Photo: AP Why the submarine lost power? Underwater submarines often depend on battery power, Clark said. And a breakdown in the battery compartment such as fire, explosion, flooding, etc. can cause a power failure. Meanwhile, Mr. Ben Ho – naval analyst said that a torpedo explosion could also cause the submarine to lose power. “Historically, major submarine accidents have often occurred due to technical problems or weapon explosions. Indonesian submarines went missing while torpedo shooting exercises. Maybe a torpedo exploded, ”said Mr. Ben Ho. Oil spills at the location where the submarine went down on the morning of April 21. Photo: AP Submarine locator If the submarine is intact, it can be “relatively easy” to be located using sensors, Clark said. Magnetic sensors, similar to mine detection systems, can detect the steel hull of a submarine. Sound sensors can show the sound from submarines. “But the area they need to look for is relatively large. The sensors can only be effective in a small area. Searching can take a long time. ” Mr. Ben Ho, meanwhile, said that even modern sonar equipment can hardly detect the wreck of a submarine if the seabed is rough. “The submarine’s nature is inherently difficult to detect. Submarine fleets are often referred to as silent soldiers, ”said Ho. If the submarine is truly trapped at a depth of 600 meters or less, the crew has a “near zero chance of survival,” said Ho. “The grim reality is that once the submarine exceeds its maximum depth, it will explode due to the enormous water pressure.” If this happens, the explosion will be picked up by a sensor in a nearby area, he added. Rescue process Once the submarine is found, Singapore’s MV Swift Rescue can begin its mission. MV Swift Rescue is the first ship in Southeast Asia capable of rescuing submarines. Singapore’s MV Swift Rescue train. Photo: Facebook The ship can operate at sea for four weeks before needing refueling. On board is a rescue cabin named Deep Search and Rescue Six (DSAR 6). Cabin is used to evacuate crew from submarines. However, Mr. Clark warned that the biggest challenge is the lying direction of the submarine in distress. “For example, if the submarine is on its side, the DSAR 6 will be difficult to reach.” Cabin DSAR 6. Photo: Facebook According to the naval news site Naval Technology DSAR 6 is 9.6m long and can reach a depth of 500m. It is operated by two crew members and can accommodate up to 17 people. When the DSAR 6 floats to the surface and is recovered by MV Swift Rescue, the submarine crew will be transferred to a recovery chamber for treatment. The cabin can accommodate up to 40 people. Singapore and Indonesia signed a cooperation agreement to assist with submarine rescue in 2012. The agreement allows the two countries to send resources and help each other if their submarines crash. The KRI Nanggala-402 submarine went missing on the morning of April 21 while participating in a torpedo drill near Bali. On board there are 53 people, including 49 sailors, a commander and three weapons specialists. The 1,395-ton KRI Nanggala-402 was built in Germany in 1977, and joined the Indonesian fleet in 1981. About 40 countries in the world have submarines, but only a few countries have the ability to rescue submarines.

An image of polluted air was taken on February 13, following the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, in Beijing, China. Photo: Reuters. On April 20, the International Energy Agency said that global CO2 emissions from electricity use will increase by nearly 5% this year. This suggests that an economic recovery from Covid-19 could bring many benefits, except for climate sustainability. The IEA’s 2021 Global Energy Assessment predicts that carbon dioxide emissions will rise to 33 billion tons this year, 1.5 billion tons higher than in 2020, the highest increase in more than a decade. IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said this year’s increase in emissions this year could be increased by the recovery of coal use in the power sector, which is forecast to be particularly strong in Asia. It will also put pressure on governments to take action on climate change. US President Joe Biden will hold an online summit involving dozens of world leaders this week to discuss climate change ahead of global negotiations in Scotland at the end. this year. Last year, as electricity usage fell due to the Covid-19 pandemic, energy-related CO2 emissions fell 5.8% to 31.5 billion tons, after reaching a peak in 2019 of 33, 4 billion tons. The IEA’s annual review analyzed the latest country data from around the world, economic growth trends and new energy projects. Global energy demand is expected to grow 4.6 percent by 2021, led by developing economies, pushing it above 2019 levels, the report says. Demand for fossil fuels is on the rise in 2021, with both coal and gas rising above 2019 levels. IEA said more than 80% of its forecast for coal demand growth by 2021 will come from Asia, led by China. Coal use in the US and the European Union is also on the rise but will remain below pre-crisis levels.

Berkeley Lab is pursuing negative emission technologies and related research to remove CO2 from the atmosphere. According to Jeffrey Long, senior scientist in the Berkeley Laboratory’s Materials Science Department, UC Berkeley Professor of Chemistry, MOFs are highly porous solid materials that act like a sponge. They are capable of absorbing large amounts of a specific gas molecule, like CO2. A special feature of MOFs is its high internal surface area. Therefore, if properly designed, a small amount of MOF can remove large amounts of CO2 from the flue gases produced during the burning of fossil fuels. “We have shown that MOFs can capture and release CO2, using a much smaller temperature change than is required by other technologies. This offers a great advantage over conventional methods of CO2 capture. Variations of MOF can be effective in removing CO2 from other gas mixtures, including biogas, natural gas and even directly from the air, ”explained Mr. Long. However, this expert emphasized, reducing the cost of direct gas collection is essential, because this process is extremely expensive. The cost of removing CO2 with such a technology is at 500 – 1,000 USD / ton. Therefore, Mr. Long said that in the future, researchers will create more efficient materials. As a result, it helps to reduce costs below 100 USD / ton. Besides, the main issue is the amount of energy required to regenerate the adsorbent. This means that the scientists want to release CO2 in its pure form. As a result, the material can then be reused to capture more CO2. “One of our research goals is to develop materials with high capacity, high capture rate, fast kinetics for CO2 adsorption and low regeneration temperature. At the same time, limit the co-adsorption of water so as not to waste energy on the desorption process “, Mr. Long said. According to the scientist, it is possible to find a way to achieve below $ 100 for each ton of CO2 removed from the air. However, scientists will have to do much of the research needed to achieve that. “We need to really rethink some of the ways materials are designed and understand how to manipulate things like delta-S (entropy) to adsorb CO2, so that less heat is needed to release CO2,” Mr. Long stressed.

Apple logo in San Francisco, California, USA. Photo: AFP / VNA On April 15, Apple announced an initiative to reduce carbon emissions with the Recovery Fund (RF), which aims to invest in forestry projects to reduce carbon emissions from the atmosphere while generating profits. for financial investors. Together with Conservation International and Goldman Sachs, Apple’s $ 200 million fund aims to remove at least 1 million tons of CO2 annually from the atmosphere, equivalent to the emissions of more than 200,000 passenger vehicles. According to the company “Apples Defect”, RF can help expand the scale of investment in forest rehabilitation. Conservation International will co-invest in RF while Goldman Sachs will take on the role of fund manager. Apple said the three sides will identify new projects later this year. Nature offers one of the best tools for removing carbon from the atmosphere, says Lisa Jackson, Apple’s vice president of environmental, policy and social initiatives. By setting up a fund that generates both financial returns as well as helping to reduce emissions, Apple seeks to promote broader change in the future, by encouraging investments in carbon removal across the country. bridge. Apple hopes that others will share its goals and contribute resources to support and protect ecosystems. In July 2020, Apple announced its goal of neutralizing 100% of its entire supply chain and product lifecycle by 2030 and directly eliminating 75% of its supply chain and product emissions. 2030. It is expected that RF will help solve the remaining 25% of Apple’s emissions by removing carbon from the atmosphere. During the past year, 15 Apple suppliers in China pledged to join the plan and shift Apple’s manufacturing operations to 100% renewable energy. Apple Vice President and CEO of Apple in China Isabel Ge Mahe said that as early as 2015, Apple has launched a long-term cooperation plan for many years with the World Natural Foundation to build more than 400,000 hectares of forests in China. to 2020./.

German National Railway Company Deutsche Bahn (DB) high-speed train at the station in Munich, Germany, February 10, 2020. Photo: AFP / VNA The joint announcement stated that the BDL and DB aim to attract about 4.3 million passengers shifting from air to rail for domestic travel in the medium term. The program will also seek to increase the number of trains connecting to international flights, make the transfer between aircraft and train travel easier, and shorten the transit time by mid-rail. major cities of Germany. Through this partnership, the BDL and DB hope that CO2 emissions from Germany’s domestic air traffic can be reduced by a sixth. According to the German Ministry of the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, the country’s transport sector emissions in 2020 will decrease by 11.4% year-on-year, mainly due to the low Use a car more – especially for long-distance journeys – in the first blockade. The ministry noted that the COVID-19 pandemic also had a significant impact on Germany’s domestic aviation industry. By 2020, the CO2 generated by the sector is 60% less than the year before, thanks to travel warnings, blockades and canceled vacations. The German government is aiming to reduce emissions in the transport sector by almost 42% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels.

However, electric cars are not perfect and they come with their own pollution problems. Typically, their batteries contain ingredients such as lithium, which require a considerable amount of energy to source and extract.

However, making batteries is only part of the life cycle of electric vehicles. A 2014 study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences looked at the entire emissions life cycle of an electric vehicle, from mining the metals needed for batteries to producing the electricity needed. to power them, then compare this to the average emissions of a gasoline car. The team found that when electric cars are charged with coal-fired electricity, they actually do more harm to the environment than conventional gasoline cars.

Buying an electric car is much more affordable than a gas or diesel from an environmental perspective. Illustration

But that is not a problem because today, in most countries around the world, the national grid is “clean” enough for electric cars to beat competitors running on gasoline.

There are very few countries in the world where the grid is entirely or mostly coal. China is one of them. In 2019, an estimated 58% of the country’s electricity supply comes from coal. China’s grid is improving, however, with more investments in renewables – for example, it has twice the capacity of wind power as the US and builds more solar panels than any other country. Every year, according to Nature.

Mr. Gordon Bauer, an electric vehicle researcher at the International Council for Clean Transport in San Francisco, USA, said the current improved grid model, with more renewable energy and less fossil fuels. , is a global model and helps improve the environmental quality of electric vehicles. “As the grid becomes” greener “, the use of electric vehicles will be more perfect,” he said.

In a study published this month in the journal Environmental Science and Technology, Colin Sheppard, a researcher in energy and transport systems engineering at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California, Work with Gordon Bauer to model a hypothetical future scenario where all cars are powered by electricity. “We want to understand the impact of energy, infrastructure and emissions if all passenger vehicles are electrified,” Sheppard told Live Science.

For example, Mr. Sheppard calculated that if all private vehicles in the United States were powered by electricity, the annual reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in the country would be 46% (0.5 gigatons of CO2) compared to cars. run on conventional gas.

This reduction could be further increased if the vehicles were subjected to so-called “controlled charging”, a technique also known as “smart charging”, in which the vehicles are recharged into Timing is selected to minimize the financial cost of electricity generation. (For example, charging at night is generally less expensive than during the day; this strategy also favors plants that produce more energy efficiently to generate cheaper electricity.) If all privately owned electric cars were charged in the same way, emissions savings could be increased by up to 49% annually.

In addition, electric vehicles are said to also emit CO2, but not during use, but when generating electricity – this is why many people believe that this car is not completely pure. Even the president of Toyota once harshly said that electric cars are being overblown.

In fact, electrochemical vehicles including Hybrid (HEV), Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV) still emit CO2 even when used (because there is still an internal combustion engine) and possibly when generating electricity, depending on how it is generated. electricity. While pure electric vehicles can only generate CO2 in the production process, not when used.

Depending on the source of electricity generation is hydroelectricity, wind power or thermal power, nuclear power … that the amount of CO2 generation will be different. If hydroelectricity, CO2 level is almost zero, while thermal power is too much CO2.

Research by Bloomberg NEF in Thailand shows that electric cars generate 60% of the CO2 equivalent of a gasoline equivalent vehicle. This source of CO2 comes entirely from production, because Thailand generates electricity mainly from natural gas. While internal combustion engine vehicles produce CO2 in an 80/20 ratio between use and production.

For example, if a gasoline car generates 100 g CO2 / km 80 g from use and 20 g from gas production. While a corresponding electric car model only generates 60 g of CO2 from use. As such, electric cars are still significantly cleaner than gasoline cars.

For countries with clean electricity generation sources such as Norway, up to 95% of electrical energy comes from hydroelectricity, CO2 emissions are even lower. The future of electric vehicles is becoming clearer as more automakers are involved in the production and research of electric vehicles. Users often do not care too much about CO2 emissions in production, but realize that when used, it will help where cars circulate with less pollution.

Ultimately, the conclusion is that buying an electric car is much more affordable than a gas or diesel car from an environmental perspective.

Thu Ha (Th)

According to research published in Nature, fishing operations emit about 1 billion tons of CO2 emissions per year – higher than those emitted by aviation (before the COVID pandemic – 19 ).

Industrial fishing, in particular the method of pulling nets along the seabed, not only contributes to climate change becoming more serious, but also greatly damages biodiversity. positive.

“This activity is the equivalent of plowing an old forest, repeating until there is nothing left,” report author Enric Sala, a marine biologist, points out.

Industrial fishing is also one of the least expensive fishing methods. Researcher Sala also said that most of the hunting grounds have been repeatedly caught, leaving little value left to catch.

Mr. Eric Sala is looking at possible dynamics that could cause the fishing industry and governments to abandon netting methods and hope the findings on the carbon footprint could be just a wake-up call.

The study of Mr. Sala et al. Breaks down the entire ocean into 50 square km units, measuring the extent to which each unit contributes to global marine biodiversity, fish stocks and climate protection, based on a complex analysis of the location, water temperature, salinity and distribution of species, among other factors.

At the same time, this study also monitors the amount of CO2 emissions each unit is capable of absorbing.

By mapping baselines for each previously divided unit, research can calculate the effects of an increase or decrease in fishing and other human activities.

The overall goal is to develop a map of ocean locations that, if protected, would be of maximum benefit to humans in increasing fish stocks, biodiversity and carbon sequestration while minimizing losses. income harm to the fishing industry.

Dismissing the long-held view that protecting oceans harm fisheries, research shows that marine protected areas designed to prevent overfishing will actually boost marine life. by acting as fish nurseries.

According to the study results, ocean protection could increase global fisheries production by more than 8 million tons per year, despite the challenges of overfishing and climate change.

“However, the fishing will have to stop,” said Mr Sala. While mangroves, kelp forests and sea grasslands have good carbon sequestration capacity, below the ocean floor is a large carbon sink.

Once fishermen’s nets are released into the ocean, the carbon gas is released back into the water. Excess carbon in the water turns it into acid, which is harmful to marine organisms.

Worse yet, this situation also affects the ocean’s ability to absorb carbon in the atmosphere: if seawater is saturated, it will not be able to absorb man-made emissions, limiting one of the The best “weapon” of man in the fight against climate change.

By combining publicly available data on the operations of fishing vessels globally with unit estimates of the amount of carbon stored in ocean sediment layers, researcher Sala and his team had The amount of emissions generated by this method can be calculated at the national level.

For example, the European Union emits 274,718,086 tons of carbon into the oceans each year, while Chinese fleets emit 769,294,185 tons and the US emits 19,373,438 tons.

Technological innovations such as green energy production and battery storage are critical to reducing global greenhouse gas emissions. But there is a need to reduce the amount of carbon in the atmosphere, and so far the technology has not been able to do it at a reasonable cost and scale.

Mr. Sala said the oceans have been absorbing carbon for thousands of years. “Most people still see oceans as victims of climate change. What people don’t realize is that nature is part of the solution to the climate crisis. ”

Sapphire

According to Time