Spain’s coal-fired electric generation fell to record low 4% of total demand in 2019
Spain’s coal-fired electric generation fell to record low 4% of total demand in 2019 FacebookTwitterLinkedInEmailPrint分享S&P Global Market Intelligence ($):Spanish coal demand for generation slumped to its lowest year on record in 2019, with demand at around a quarter of the previous five years’ average and December recording the first coal-free generation days on record.Total coal-fired output in Spain was 10.8 TWh in the full year, according to data from grid operator Red Electrica de Espana S.A.U., down from an annual average of 40.8 TWh between 2014 and 2018. This meant that coal supplied just 4% of national demand in the year, down from 14% in 2018 and 17% in 2017.For December, coal-fired generation was just 400 GWh, close to all-time minimums recorded in March and August 2019, while five days — Dec. 14, Dec. 21, Dec. 22, Dec. 24 and Dec. 25 — resulted in zero coal-fired generation for the first time ever in Spain.In the coming year, there is likely to be an even sharper reduction as a number of coal plant closure plans were submitted in December, in addition to previously announced closures of plants supplied with domestic coal, which are due to take place at the end of June.On Dec. 27, Endesa SA announced its intention to close two plants that were previously expected to remain operating beyond 2020 — the 1.4-GW As Pontes facility in Corunna and the 1.1-GW unit at Carboneras, Almeria — although it didn’t give a date for either closure. To replace the lost output, the company said it will build 3 GW of renewables — 1.50 GW in Galicia and 1.52 GW in Andalucia — between 2020 and 2026.Spain’s drive to decarbonize its economy has seen it add around 5 GW of new renewable capacity in 2019 while increased LNG supply from the U.S. Gulf Coast and Russia has meant far more competitive gas prices. These two factors have increasingly pushed coal out of the thermal gap in the generating mix, leading to a flip in the position of gas and coal in the merit order. While coal outsupplied gas roughly three to two in 2018, gas has outsupplied coal five to one in 2019, according to Red Electrica data.[Henry Edwardes-Evans, Gianluca Baratti]More ($):Spanish coal generation slumps to record low in 2019
Rivers may well be hard hit by climate change, given the likelihood of increased droughts, floods and the associated spread of waterborne diseases. Pictured: The Columbia River in the Pacific Northwest, which has lost 14 percent of its water volume since the 1950s due to higher temperatures and shifting precipitation patterns. Credit: iStockPhotoEarthTalk®E – The Environmental MagazineDear EarthTalk: How is it that climate change is negatively affecting the health of rivers and, by extension, the quality and availability of fresh water? — Robert Elman, St. Louis, MOGlobal warming is no doubt going to cause many kinds of problems (and, indeed, already is), and rivers may well be some of the hardest hit geographical features, given the likelihood of increased droughts, floods and the associated spread of waterborne diseases.For one, rivers are already starting to lose the amount of water they channel. A 2009 study at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) found that water volume in the Columbia River in the Pacific Northwest declined by 14 percent since the 1950s. This trend is similar in major rivers all over the world.“Many communities will see their water supplies shrink as temperatures rise and precipitation patterns shift,” reports the nonprofit American Rivers, adding that a rise in severe storms will degrade water quality and increase the risk of catastrophic floods. “Changes in the timing and location of precipitation combined with rising levels of water pollution will strain ecosystems and threaten the survival of many fish and wildlife species.” These shifts will have dramatic impacts, threatening public health, weakening economies and decreasing the quality of life in many places. In the U.S., the number of storms with extreme precipitation has increased 24 percent since the late 1940s—and the trend is expected to continue.Another certain impact on rivers is more pollution as more frequent and powerful storms increase runoff from urban and agricultural areas that contain fertilizers, pesticides, chemicals and motor oil. “In older communities where storm water and sewage are transported together in one pipe, heavy storms can overwhelm the system and send raw sewage and polluted storm water into nearby streams and rivers,” says American Rivers. “These combined sewer overflows will grow more frequent as extreme storms increase.”Lower water flows and rising temperatures compound problems caused by more runoff. “More frequent droughts and shifting precipitation patterns lower water levels in rivers, lakes and streams, leaving less water to dilute pollutants,” says the group. “Higher temperatures cause more frequent algal blooms and reduce dissolved oxygen levels, both of which can cause fish kills and do significant harm to ecosystems.”American Rivers reports that the health of our rivers in the face of increasing warming will depend largely on community preparedness. Municipalities that fail to address aging infrastructure “will experience greater increases in storm water runoff and sewer overflows.” And communities that have damaged their wetlands, forests, streams and rivers will have fewer natural defenses to protect against the effects of climate change.There is much we can do to protect rivers besides reduce our carbon footprints. American Rivers is promoting green infrastructure—an approach to water management that protects, restores or mimics the natural water cycle—as the way to bolster the health of rivers. “It means planting trees and restoring wetlands rather than building a new water treatment plant. It means choosing water efficiency instead of building a new water supply dam. It means restoring floodplains instead of building taller levees.”CONTACTS: NCAR, ncar.ucar.edu; American Rivers, www.americanrivers.org.EarthTalk® is written and edited by Roddy Scheer and Doug Moss and is a registered trademark of E – The Environmental Magazine (www.emagazine.com). Send questions to: earthtalk@emagazine.com. Subscribe: www.emagazine.com/subscribe. Free Trial Issue: www.emagazine.com/trial.
Warming up does more than prevent torn tendons and tweaked muscles. Revving up your body can help win the battle of the running doldrums.Dear Mountain Mama,I’m a time-crunched runner training for the Charleston Marathon. My goal is to finish – I’m not looking to break any records of set a PR. My training plan involves logging the miles at a moderate to slow pace.I keep hearing how important warming-up is, but does that apply to a runner like me? When time is at a premium, why bother with a warm-up?Yours,Time-CrunchedDear Time-Crunched,I get the time-is-so-scarce-I-barely-manage-to-squeeze-in-a-run mind frame, an apt description of my own head space most of the time. But skipping a warm-up does more than ensure you won’t hit your peak performance. Running first thing in the morning or after being sedentary for long stretches increases the risk of pulling a muscle or tweaking a tendon or joint. “A proper warmup increases heart rate, breathing rate, and blood flow to the muscles,” says Ann Alyanak, a University of Dayton coach who placed seventh at the 2008 U.S. Women’s Olympic Marathon Trials. “It prepares the body for increasingly vigorous activity, allows it to work more efficiently, and reduces injury risk by loosening you up.”Warming up also helps runners err on the side of starting out more like a tortoise than a hare. Beginning a run at an unsustainable pace results in an inevitable slow-down, leaving runners feeling discouraged and daunted at the thought of their next run.Even for everyday runs, at a minimum warm-up by walking for 3 – 5 minutes to loosen up joints and muscles. Then begin running at a deliberately slow pace for the first half mile or more, starting easy and gradually adding speed.Oh but there will be days. Day when real life conspires against you. Last week I’d calendared every hour of my work days, lunch presentations that required preparing after my toddler went to sleep. By Thursday, I dreaded my training run, even thought it was an easy 3-miler. It started raining thirty minutes before my babysitter was scheduled to arrive.Rain was just the excuse I needed to bail on my run, only my babysitter wouldn’t let me. When I texted her I wanted to cancel, she replied, “You positive? You can always run in a rain jacket! Or just get soaked!”So reluctantly I replied that I’d run, mostly out of guilt. But when I got home washing the dishes and folding the heap of laundry on my couch seemed more appealing. I spent close to an hour putting away dishes and clothes and sweeping. After a day behind my desk, even that activity revved up my energy level so when my babysitter set a time limit that I must leave the house to actually run, since that’s why I’d asked her to babysit. By then running, while still not completely exciting, at least seemed doable.Warming up, even if it’s cleaning your house, helps on those days when you just don’t feel in the mood to lace up your shoes. Telling yourself that you’ll start slowly will help to get into the right mindset before tackling long distances. Warming up ensures you’ll be mentally pumped up for your next workout.Happy Trails!Mountain Mama
What defines a college? Some people say it’s the food. Some people think it’s the parties. Well I say it’s the adventure. It’s being able to drive any direction for a few miles and embark on a daring mountainous hike. It’s having some of the best mountain biking trails in all of Virginia only minutes from campus. It’s waking up on a snowy morning to an email canceling class and being able to drive 20 minutes to Massanutten Ski Resort. This is the life here at James Madison University and the best part is that there is an adventure team of faculty and students ready to lead you to any adventure you hear echoing over the Blue Ridge Mountains, begging you to go outside and play.“JMU is unique in that we are sandwiched in between a national forest and a national park,” says Guy deBrun, the Assistant Director of Adventure and TEAM Programs.He is the one you can thank for scheduling many of JMU’s adrenaline pumping activities such as the recent spring break trip he co-led to Patagonia. Guy began spreading his love and passion for adventure when he attended James Madison University as a graduate student and became the graduate assistant for the adventure program. Opportunities led Guy to work for the outdoor programs at various other universities, but ultimately he was drawn back to JMU by its allure of a smaller atmosphere, beautiful location, and the growing opportunities of the adventure department.“All the access to public lands gives us plenty of opportunities to hike, bike, rock climb, and so much more. The opportunities are endless,” Guy tells me when I ask why he thinks JMU is a top adventure college.
But you actually don’t even have to leave campus to quench your thirst for adventure. If you take a step inside JMU’s gym, which is in the process of doubling its current size, you’ll notice the 33 foot rock wall, led by the Adventure Program, that is sure to please beginners and experts alike. Need to be outside? No problem. Head to UPark and feast your eyes upon the towering pine trees that nest the high and low ropes course. Led by a staff that is passionate about the outdoors, the ropes course is a hot spot for most all clubs and organizations on campus.
Cassidy Harvey is one of these passionate instructors.“Groups come to the ropes course looking to have a good time but when they leave, they walk out with new teamwork skills that can carry over to other aspects of life,” she explains. Not only is Cassidy a Lead TEAM Facilitator for the ropes course, but she also works as an Adventure Trip Leader for the University. Only a sophomore, she has already led hiking trips, canoeing trips, and backpacking trips that attract a wide variety of JMU students.When Cassidy decided to attend school here, she was not what you would call an outdoorsy person.“I came here because I liked the people and it’s a beautiful campus with great scenery. The job looked fun so I took it and Guy began training us, teaching us how to kayak, build a fire, camp, and other specific skills,” she explains. “Now, every trip I go on puts determination in me to do something bigger. I can be very proud but at the same time I am so humbled by the huge mountains.”As James Madison University’s adventure program continues to prosper, providing once in a lifetime opportunities to all students here, they still remain humbled by earth’s natural beauties. That’s part of what makes it such a unique and wonderful program. No matter where the trail leads, the river takes the kayak, or the rocks lead the climber, Cassidy, Guy, and the rest of the Adventure Program are there and enthusiastic to provide students with a glimpse of the powerful and inspiring ways of nature.
My son began speaking late, but once he started he told me memories of being a baby and a toddler. I’d thought he was too young to understand what was happening. He started these stories with, “when I was a little boy,” a preamble that always made me laugh.I’d marvel at the thoughts that became traced as memories and how he’d saved them up until he finally had the words to share the world that he’d taken in years before.“What are you thinking baby bear?”He looked at me in a way that made me feel I might be slow or dense. “Mama bear,” he said, “I’m remembering.”
He reached for my hand and I squeezed it, eclipsing his small hand with mine. My fingers folded over his and I tried to memorize the imprint of his handprint, his hand now bigger than it had ever been, smaller than it would ever be from that day forward. I etched the outline of his hand into my mind and squeezed it tighter.“Thank you,” I said, recognizing that something in me shifted because he had told me the exact thing I needed to hear. The simple act of remembering was an act of surrender, trusting that the wisdom of a place or experience doesn’t need to be reduced to words in that exact moment. It wasn’t up to us to find the words that shaped that moment, but to soak up what was right before us, and let the unraveling happen when our words caught up to our memories.
If I manage to take photos during my outdoor adventures with my son at all, they feature only him. So when I saw Melina Coogan post an opportunity for a photo shoot at one of our places in the outdoors, I jumped at the chance for recent photos of us both.When I saw the photos, I was overwhelmed the way they captured something about my experience of motherhood that I hadn’t yet realized, the way my wild boy, so comfortable in his element, also needs protecting. The photos reminded me of my desire to show my son the whole world and let him run wild sits side-by-side with the urge to hold him tight and protect him from anything that might hurt him. Knowing when to let go or even nudge him further away and when to cuddle him closer is something that evolves in an instant.
I’m in awe of the fierceness and beauty of my own mama bear instinct. Photos allow me to reflect on experiences that happened once I have the emotional distance to process the meaning.
Average inches of snowfall? 60-80 inchesNumber of slopes? 8Skiable acres? 25Pass prices? Weekend/Holiday – Adult: $70, Junior: $62Weekday – Adult: $45 Junior: $40Opening day? November 16, 2019Number of lifts? 5 surface lifts and 2 aerial liftsLongest run? Redeye at 3,500 feetBase/summit elevation? 1,250 ft/1,750 ftDriving distance to nearest major cities?Washington, D.C. – 116 MilesRichmond, Va. – 141 MilesCharlottesville, Va. – 97 MilesRoanoke, Va. – 146 MilesLexington, Ky. – 449 MilesCharlotte, N.C. – 330 MilesWinston Salem, N.C. – 251 MilesAtlanta, Ga. – 567 MilesChattanooga, Tenn. – 503 Miles[divider]What’s new at the resort this year?[/divider]Bryce is adding an ice skating rink this year. The rink will be in front of the restaurant by the tubing hill. Fifteen dollars covers one hour of skating and rentals which, includes skates, a helmet, and wrist guards. Expect the rink to open around Thanksgiving weekend.
[divider]What are the best après ski activities available at the resort and in the area?[/divider]The Copper Kettle Bar & Lounge offers food and beverage with picture windows overlooking the slopes and features live music on the weekends.[divider]Where do you recommend visitors buy or rent their gear?[/divider]Our onsite Ski Boutique, located in the new Shenandoah Center, offers the latest gear and apparel that will equip anyone for a day out on the slopes.[divider]How many beginner, intermediate, and expert trails are there?[/divider]2 beginner, 4 intermediate, 1 expert[divider]What activities are available beyond the slopes?[/divider]Snow Tubing is directly beside the slopes, no skills required. Ice skating is a new addition that will be placed next to the tubing hill in front of the restaurant. The surrounding mountains offer a variety of hiking trails to explore with unbeatable views. Visit the historic Shrine Mont in Orkney Springs just down the road. You can even stay a night in one of their quaint cabins.
[divider]Where is the best place to stay in the area? And if they are looking to buy?[/divider]Several onsite locations are offered through different companies as well as realty companies for those looking to buy. From hotels and condos to slopeside cabins, you can browse all of the options online.[divider]What do you offer for beginners who want to learn how to ski or snowboard?[/divider]Our First Time Package bundles a lift ticket, one hour lesson, and rental equipment for anyone 8 years of age and older looking to take to the slopes for the first time. The award-winning Kinder School features unique and interactive activities designed to teach children ages 4-7 how to get started in the sports of skiing and snowboarding.[divider]What are the best runs and why?[/divider]Our signature trail, Bootlegger, is the perfect intermediate slope, offering an upper section that provides moderate pitch, perfect for carving, and featuring a steep headwall at the end to challenge most skiers and snowboarders.
[divider]Do you offer any family-friendly activities?[/divider]All of our activities, both winter, and summer are geared towards families, young and old for all to enjoy![divider]Are there activities available in the offseason?[/divider]We are a four-season resort! Dependent upon season, we offer golfing, scenic lift rides, mini-golf, disc golf, Zipline Adventure, Bryce Bike Park, Lake Laura, and more.
By Dialogo January 15, 2010 The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) arrived off the coast of Port-Au-Prince, Haiti Jan. 15 to commence humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations. Carl Vinson received orders from U.S. Southern Command to deliver assistance to the Caribbean nation following a 7.3 magnitude earthquake which caused catastrophic damage within the capital city Jan. 12. The aircraft carrier’s speed, flexibility and sustainability make it an ideal platform to carry out relief operations. “Our initial focus is to concentrate on saving lives while providing first responder support to the people of Haiti. Our assistance here reflects our nation’s compassion and commitment to those impacted by this tragedy,” said Rear. Adm. Ted Branch, commander of the Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group and the U.S. Navy’s sea-based humanitarian support mission of Haiti. The carrier arrived on station with a robust airlift capability, picking up extra helicopters while in transit that will will prove essential during the mission. Carl Vinson commanding officer Capt. Bruce H. Lindsey said, “When tasked to support humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations in Haiti, we immediately headed to Mayport, Fla., at more than 30 knots and loaded 19 helicopters, personnel and support equipment from five different East Coast Navy squadrons in less than eight hours. There is no other platform that can do all of that so quickly.” U.S. Southern Command is well-versed in providing humanitarian assistance to the region. Since 2005, the command has led U.S. military support to 14 major relief missions, including assistance to Haiti in September 2008. During that mission, U.S. military forces airlifted 3.3 million pounds of aid to communities that were devastated by a succession of major storms.
The Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro will be placed on maximum alert in order to guarantee the security of the Rio+20 UN summit on sustainable development in June, and the security arrangements will serve as a trial run for future events, such as the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games. “What we don’t want is for something to happen that would compromise Rio’s image (…) With Rio+20, we’re going to practice for 2013,” when the Confederations Cup will be held, as well as for 2014 and 2016, the undersecretary of security for Rio state, Roberto Alzir, declared at a press conference. According to Alzir, the expulsion of drug traffickers from several shantytowns in Rio’s most touristed area, begun in 2008, and the recovery of those territories by the police have made the city much safer than in 1992, during the UN Earth Summit. “In 1992, there were 64.7 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants in the city, and in 2011, we were at 24.1,” a rate that continues to fall, Alzir affirmed. Preparing the city to be “safe” for Rio+20 required close collaboration between the civilian and military police forces, an unprecedented occurrence, he specified. During the event, the number of police on the streets will double, with 3,000 additional personnel a day, he indicated. One of the goals is to reach “appropriate crime rates” in 2014, meaning under 10 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants, according to Alzir. Rio+20 will be the UN’s fourth major conference on sustainable development since 1972. Around 100 heads of state and government and around 50,000 people, including businesspeople and representatives of various social movements, will participate. The official summit will take place from June 20 to 22, but negotiators working on the summit’s final text, businesspeople, and activists will gather starting on June 13. By Dialogo May 21, 2012
By Dialogo August 03, 2012 The Peruvian state anti-drug agency decided on July 30 evening to form a working group to determine the country’s potential cocaine production, in response to a U.S. report stating that Peru has become the world’s leading producer of that drug. The decision was adopted by the Commission for Development and Life without Drugs (Devida) after the U.S. drug czar, Gil Kerlikowske, released a report in Washington that states that Peru produced 325 tons of cocaine in 2010, more than Colombia and Bolivia. According to Kerlikowske’s report, Colombia produced 195 tons in 2011, while Bolivia’s production reached 265 tons in the same year. Devida pointed out in a statement that the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) calculated Peruvian production of cocaine hydrochloride at 302 tons in its 2011 world drug report. The agency noted that there are “methodological differences” in the calculation of that potential production, and it emphasized that UNODC did not include in that report potential drug production amounts for Peru for the years 2009 and 2010, as it also did not do for Bolivia. As far as Colombia is concerned, UNODC “estimates that production in the range of 350 tons for 2010,” Devida added. With the aim of overcoming those methodological differences, Devida formed a specialized working group to determine “as rigorously as possible” the amount of cocaine hydrochloride produced in Peru. In that work, “it can rely on the active participation of UNODC and the financial support of France,” the anti-drug agency said. “Peru is firmly committed to decisively and comprehensively confronting the worldwide problem of drugs and their consequences,” Devida emphasized. Sincerely, new joint policies regarding actions of intelligence, at the South America and Central America levels, should be implemented, which would allow the development of new interventions against drug trafficking and drug terrorism. The U.S. collaboration with a well-defined action policy would be essential with this coordination. The undersigned is currently drawing up a project on intelligence. It is at your disposal if you want to know it in depth.
Human trafficking “goes well beyond sexual exploitation,” said Justice Minister Jose Eduardo Cardozo, flanked by his counterparts Maria do Rosario, in charge of human rights, and Eleonora Menicucci, in charge of women’s issues. Between 2005 and 2011, 475 Brazilians were found to be victims of international human trafficking, mainly in Suriname, Switzerland, Spain and the Netherlands. Most of them were women subjected to sexual exploitation. The new strategy would target not only sexual slavery but also forced labor, organ trafficking and the illegal adoption of children, government officials told the press. “The borders are a source of great concern,” said Cardozo, adding that the country plans to invest nearly $3 million for the creation of new control posts to deal with human trafficking. Cardozo said the figures understated the magnitude of the problem, as many victims — most of them women — do not report it out of fear or shame. By Dialogo February 28, 2013 Brazil unveiled new steps to combat human trafficking on February 26, including tighter border controls and a clampdown on both the organ trade and the recruitment of slave labor. 
The new plan aims to step up border vigilance through the creation of new control posts and includes penal reform to criminalize the illegal adoption of children, organ extraction and forced labor. Data from the Justice Ministry indicated that most of the cases were in Suriname, a neighboring country used as a transit point for trafficking into the Netherlands. “Brazil does not want to see its people trafficked, exploited, nor does it want to be a place where Latin American or African immigrants are exploited,” Do Rosario said. The first national plan against human trafficking was launched in 2008. “With this new plan, we hope that this crime will stop being hidden so we can combat it,” he added.