Climate change: what are YOU doing to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions in New Zealand?

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#1843690 10-Aug-2017 17:35

Even a Prius has regen braking. There is no physical connection between you and the braking system - the pedal is effectively a switch I think. The computer will decide how much 'normal' braking you need depending on your pedal input. To maximise benefit from the system, you should stop accelerating and coast to the line at junctions etc for as long as you can, as that period puts energy back in the battery. If you wang up to the line and just stand on the brakes, you'll get next to no benefit from regen braking systems.

frednz

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#1845123 11-Aug-2017 12:39

MarkH67:

Obviously I'm taking the small risk because I'm wanting to jump in with a zero emissions vehicle. For me it is worthwhile financially due to the significant savings on running cost. I have had a desire for many years now to stop the continual burning of fossil fuels. The more coal and oil we extract and burn the worse off our planet is - seriously not good! The more rapid the transition to EVs the better in my opinion. I also want to see 'clean green NZ' transitioning the 20% non-renewable electricity generation to renewable generation - hydro, geothermal, wind, solar or tidal generation is all fine, anything that doesn't involve burning coal, oil or gas. It would also be nice if other countries replace their coal fired power plants with something that doesn't pour huge amounts of CO2 into our atmosphere, we share that same atmosphere and will share on the same negative effects from climate change.

This is the best planet in the universe, it is the only one with WiFi! We really should look after the only home we have.

Good post. Perhaps someone can update me on when NZ intends to withdraw its coal burning electricity generators? The extract from this 2015 article suggested that it may be by December 2018, but is this still the current thinking?

Genesis Energy has announced that its last two coal-burning electricity generators at the Huntly Power Station will be permanently withdrawn from the market by December 2018, signalling the end of large scale coal-fired generation, and associated carbon emissions, in New Zealand.

The closure will knock five per cent off the total CO2 emissions of New Zealand.

It will move the New Zealand electricity generation sector closer to its 90% renewable target.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/element-magazine/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503340&objectid=11492913

Wow, 5% of NZ's total emissions could be knocked off just by closing down these coal burning generators.

It seems to me that NZ's total emissions will drop only if Government policy gets right in behind the efforts of individuals to do this! For example, when are going to ban the import of petrol vehicles?

kryptonjohn

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#1845131 11-Aug-2017 12:50

Do they close it or just switch to gas only?

frednz

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#1845134 11-Aug-2017 12:55

kryptonjohn: Do they close it or just switch to gas only?

Good question, but should we feel "guilty" when we fire up our natural gas heating at home, I don't think this is free of emissions?

kryptonjohn

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#1845143 11-Aug-2017 13:08

No but gas is way way better than coal. This is how the USA has reduced its emissions over the last decade, a big switch to new, abundant gas from shale and fracking.

So don't feel bad about using gas, it's relatively clean!

MikeB4

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#1845147 11-Aug-2017 13:11

Gas has lower emissions but it's not sustainable. We are better off developing clean sustainable energy.

dramatic

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#1845155 11-Aug-2017 13:24

We are certified tree-hugging hippies - we live off grid with solar and microhydro. Unlike many people generating our own power, we downsized our power usage first - 6-star fridge and 5.5-star freezer, very few appliances (coffee grinder and laptops! :-)

We've just upgraded to a more fuel efficient vehicle and switched to 95 fuel (greater efficiency means about 3.5% less fuel used compared to 91) - nitrogen in tyres to maintain best efficiency. Our next vehicle will probably be electric, but we'd need to upgrade our power system first.

We're getting rid of our pine resources and planting more suitable firewood trees for coppicing. Pine makes absolutely lousy firewood as it is very slow-drying compared to most firewood species. The NZ guidebook to firewood forestry discounts pine completely. Most of the split pine you buy from firewood yards has been kiln-dried (by burning waste oil or gas!)

Minimising food miles by growing what we can and swapping at the local village (we're at altitude, most people there aren't).

We're planning a straw-bale house that we aim will be so thermally efficient it basically won't need space heating.

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shk292

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#1845165 11-Aug-2017 13:31

frednz:

It seems to me that NZ's total emissions will drop only if Government policy gets right in behind the efforts of individuals to do this! For example, when are going to ban the import of petrol vehicles?

For many reasons which have been reiterated many times in this and other posts, the exclusion of ICE vehicles from NZ is not practical now (or for quite a few years) without imposing severe constraints on NZers' lifestyle. I would suggest such a ban would be good for a party that is tired of being in government

tdgeek

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#1845169 11-Aug-2017 13:36

frednz:

MarkH67:

Obviously I'm taking the small risk because I'm wanting to jump in with a zero emissions vehicle. For me it is worthwhile financially due to the significant savings on running cost. I have had a desire for many years now to stop the continual burning of fossil fuels. The more coal and oil we extract and burn the worse off our planet is - seriously not good! The more rapid the transition to EVs the better in my opinion. I also want to see 'clean green NZ' transitioning the 20% non-renewable electricity generation to renewable generation - hydro, geothermal, wind, solar or tidal generation is all fine, anything that doesn't involve burning coal, oil or gas. It would also be nice if other countries replace their coal fired power plants with something that doesn't pour huge amounts of CO2 into our atmosphere, we share that same atmosphere and will share on the same negative effects from climate change.

This is the best planet in the universe, it is the only one with WiFi! We really should look after the only home we have.

Good post. Perhaps someone can update me on when NZ intends to withdraw its coal burning electricity generators? The extract from this 2015 article suggested that it may be by December 2018, but is this still the current thinking?

Genesis Energy has announced that its last two coal-burning electricity generators at the Huntly Power Station will be permanently withdrawn from the market by December 2018, signalling the end of large scale coal-fired generation, and associated carbon emissions, in New Zealand.

The closure will knock five per cent off the total CO2 emissions of New Zealand.

It will move the New Zealand electricity generation sector closer to its 90% renewable target.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/element-magazine/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503340&objectid=11492913

Wow, 5% of NZ's total emissions could be knocked off just by closing down these coal burning generators.

It seems to me that NZ's total emissions will drop only if Government policy gets right in behind the efforts of individuals to do this! For example, when are going to ban the import of petrol vehicles?

The article said it all, the Govt isn't doing it, private industry is increasing our renewables. We are 80%, Govt says we will be 100% by 2050, 33 years, a third of a century. Genesis will do half that next year.

kryptonjohn

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#1845176 11-Aug-2017 13:46

MikeB4:

Gas has lower emissions but it's not sustainable.

Doesn't matter.

MikeB4:

We are better off developing clean sustainable energy.

Great, looking forward to it. But best use gas at the moment if that's the most efficient method.

tdgeek

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#1845204 11-Aug-2017 14:11

kryptonjohn:

MikeB4:

Gas has lower emissions but it's not sustainable.

Doesn't matter.

MikeB4:

We are better off developing clean sustainable energy.

Great, looking forward to it. But best use gas at the moment if that's the most efficient method.

If we can use gas instead of fossil fuels, any effort is a good one. I assume Genesis cannot convert the plants to run on gas?

kryptonjohn

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#1845208 11-Aug-2017 14:16

Huntly always ran on either gas or coal.

Rikkitic

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#1845295 11-Aug-2017 16:52

tdgeek:

If we can use gas instead of fossil fuels, any effort is a good one. I assume Genesis cannot convert the plants to run on gas?

Gas is a fossil fuel. It's just a different one.

Plesse igmore amd axxept applogies in adbance fir anu typos

tdgeek

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#1845298 11-Aug-2017 17:01

Rikkitic:

tdgeek:

If we can use gas instead of fossil fuels, any effort is a good one. I assume Genesis cannot convert the plants to run on gas?

Gas is a fossil fuel. It's just a different one.

Yes. As stated above its cleaner, and while we maintain FF power generation, it would help to use gas instead to lessen emissions. Genesis, who I just left, are going ti shut down a plant end of 2018, which will increase renewables by up to 10%, thats great. The govt says that last 20% will take another 33 years. We are at 80 now

frednz

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#1845347 11-Aug-2017 19:41

tdgeek:

Rikkitic:

tdgeek:

If we can use gas instead of fossil fuels, any effort is a good one. I assume Genesis cannot convert the plants to run on gas?

Gas is a fossil fuel. It's just a different one.

Yes. As stated above its cleaner, and while we maintain FF power generation, it would help to use gas instead to lessen emissions. Genesis, who I just left, are going ti shut down a plant end of 2018, which will increase renewables by up to 10%, thats great. The govt says that last 20% will take another 33 years. We are at 80 now

In this article it says there are additional climate risks associated with natural gas which can erode the benefits of replacing coal with natural gas:

Compared to coal, natural gas produces approximately half of the carbon emissions per unit of electricity generated. But natural gas is expected to replace not just declining coal power in the future, but also a significant portion of low-carbon nuclear power.

However, ... Methane – a primary component of natural gas – leaks from drilling sites and pipelines. It is 34 times more potent than carbon dioxide at trapping heat. An estimated one to nine percent of all natural gas produced escapes into the atmosphere, equivalent to the global warming emissions from 35 – 314 typical-sized coal power plants (600 megawatts). This methane leakage poses additional climate risks and erodes the climate benefits of replacing coal with natural gas.

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