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Welcome to the Sober Thinking Forum. 
This is the continuation of the Renewable Revolution Forum, with the same categories and boards arrangement. In order to provide topic thread continuity, this post will be duplicated in frequently viewed topic threads along with selected posts from
that topic at the Renewable Revolution Forum. I will gradually, as time permits, copy pertinent articles posted there, update them, and post them here for your convenience.
I have no intention of closing the Renewable Revolution Forum, so any links you have to posts, articles and graphics there are valid for the time being. Nevertheless, I advise you to 🦉 copy and save any posts, articles and graphics that you wish to preserve for posting somewhere else on the internet. I am 75 years old. As long as my spirit hasn't permanently left my body, the Sober Thinking Forum will be kept open.
Although guests are encouraged to post and become members, this forum is mostly a library reference of important historical information and timeless articles that you are encouraged to pass on, with or without attribution.
In addition, relevant recent news will be posted almost daily, so be sure to 🧐 stop by often.
I have changed the title and the front page background graphic for two reasons:
1. My purpose, nearly a decade ago, of convincing most reality based people everywhere that human civilization, in order to stop and reverse (i.e getting back to 350 PPM of atmospheric Carbon Dioxide is sine qua non) the multiple extinctions causing biosphere degradation (i.e. the Sixth Mass Extinction Event now upon us), must VERY rapidly transition away from Hydrocarbon Energy Sources to Renewable Energy Sources, has been largely achieved. I have been one small voice among many that have made it clear that clean energy must be made available to everyone, not just the wealthy, if we are to survive Catastrophic Climate Change.
2. Celebrated social theorist and geographer David Harvey asked, "Is there a way to capture what (to the detriment of human civilization) is going on now"?
My answer: YES.
It's the SOCIAL DARWINISM, stupid!
"In human society, the amount of inequity is directly proportional to the amount of iniquity." -- A. G. Gelbert
No matter how much progress we make in cleaning up the biosphere, as long as the egocentric, morally bankrupt, empathy deficit disordered, Social Darwinist Ideology continues to be embraced by TPTB, we do not have a snowball's chance in Hell of surviving our Existential Crisis.
Social Darwinists believe that ethics based principles are 'limitations pretending to be virtues'. To them, ethics are 'feel good illusions' that humans invented to pretend our species has empathy. To Social Darwinists, empathy is irrefutable evidence of inexcusable weakness. To them, all who are guided by ethics are deluded fools that should be eliminated from the human 'apex predator' gene pool for the "good" of our species.
The ideology of the Social Darwinist is indistinguishable from the despicable ideology of NAZI Germany, clearly exemplified in their brutally enforced morally bankrupt concentration camp law: “Eat your own bread, and if you can, that of your neighbor.”
Social Darwinism is actually based, not on "survival of the fittest", but on fear of tomorrow, a morally bankrupt excuse for rejecting altruism and empathy and embracing a selfish greed dominated hoarding modus vivendi.QuoteEvery prudent man acts with knowledge, But a fool lays open his folly. -- Proverbs 13:16
Quote"One who fears tomorrow does not offer his bread to others. But one who is willing to divide his food with a stranger has already shown himself capable of fellowship and faith, the two things from which hope is born." -- Primo Levi, author of Survival in Auschwitz
Social Darwinism is the world view that spawned the profit over people and planet neoliberal ideology. Neoliberal intellectuals like Friedrich von Hayek, Ludwig von Mises and Milton Friedman were all Social Darwinists long before they renamed laissez-faire liberalism (that had been thoroughly discredited by the Great Depression) with the catchy title of "Neoliberalism".
The celebrated social theorist and geographer David Harvey explains that neoliberal ideology serves the following principle:
"There shall be no serious challenge to the absolute power of money to rule absolutely. And that power is to be exercised with one objective: Those possessed of money shall not only be privileged to accumulate wealth endlessly at will, but they shall have the right to inherit the earth, taking either direct or indirect dominion, not only of the land and all the resources and productive capacities that reside therein, but also assume absolute command, directly or indirectly, over the labor and creative capacities of all those others it needs. The rest of humanity shall be deemed disposable."
"In human society, the amount of inequity is directly proportional to the amount of iniquity." -- A. G. Gelbert
Sober Thinking requires that we all recognize the fact that a society that is founded on altruism, not the "invisible hand" of greed, is not optional if we wish to avoid exctinction. Capitalism's "invisible hand" modus operandi is rooted in the ideology of Social Darwinism.Quote“Capitalism is the astounding belief, that the most wickedest of men, will do the most wickedest of things for the greatest good of everyone.” — John Maynard Keynes
The main purpose of the Sober Thinking Forum is to convince you, regardless of your religious beliefs or lack of them, to soberly think about these two quotes, embrace altruism, reject greed, and convince as many people as you can that altruism is not optional for human society:Quote"Look at our world, our country, our interactions with each other……… this is not the mark of a healthy society, and if these are the self-appointed leaders of this flaming meteor…..it’s time to move on to new ideas and new people. Let’s relegate these fools to history. They perpetuate a narrative that it is right to behave in a strictly selfish, exploitative manner towards all. We simply can’t survive it any longer. Things will change because they have to." -- Kathleen Wallace
"Technical knowledge of Carrying Capacity will not save us; Only a Massive Increase in Caring Capacity will." -- A. G. Gelbert
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A New York Times article dated Nov. 22, 1936, quotes from a lecture titled “Discoveries and Inventions” Lincoln gave in 1860, before he became president. Here’s the relevant part:
“Of all the forces of nature, I should think the wind contains the largest amount of motive power … Take any given space of the earth’s surface, for instance, Illinois, and all the power exerted by all the men, beasts, running water and steam over and upon it shall not equal the 100th part of what is exerted by the blowing of the wind over and upon the same place.
And yet it has not, so far in the world’s history, become properly valued as motive power. It is applied extensively and advantageously to sail vessels in navigation. Add to this a few windmills and pumps and you have about all. As yet the wind is an untamed, unharnessed force, and quite possibly one of the greatest discoveries hereafter to be made will be the taming and harnessing of it.”
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October 23, 2013
Spain’s First Offshore Wind Turbine Inaugurated
Gamesa G97 Model Wind Turbine
The first offshore wind turbine for wind energy company Gamesa and for the host-country Spain was inaugurated on Monday, in in Arinaga Quay (Gran Canary Island). The ceremony was attended by the President of the Canary Islands regional government, Paulino Rivero, the Minister for Industry, Energy and Tourism, José Manuel Soria, and the Chairman of Gamesa, Ignacio Martín.
The 5 MW 154 meter-tall turbine has a rotor diameter of 128 meters, sporting 62.5 meter-long blades, all combining to produce enough energy to supply 7,500 Canary Island homes with clean energy.
Gamesa is noticeably excited about their entrance into the offshore wind market, proclaiming that “Gamesa’s platform is set to become a benchmark in the sector thanks to the low cost of energy it offers customers.”
They were equally proud of the fact that the turbine parts were all made in Spain, noting however that “teams from all over the world participated in the product’s design and development phases”, including:
•The blades, each of which measures 62.5m long and weighs 15 tonnes, making them the longest ever produced and transported in Spain and among the longest in Europe, were made at the factory in Aoiz (Navarre)
•The nacelle, which measures over 12.5m long, 4m tall and 4m wide and weighs 72 tonnes, was made in Tauste (Zaragoza)
•The tower, which stretches nearly 90m high, was made by Windar (a joint venture between Gamesa and Daniel Alonso)
•The electric parts were made in Lerma (power train), Benissano (electric control cabinets), Coslada (converters) and Reinosa (generator)
Spain is one of the world’s largest wind energy producers in the world, and leveraging their extended coastline to further their dominant role in the industry will see enormous benefits for country and industry alike.
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CleanTechnica
October 31, 2013
Siemens*, or at least the company it has commissioned to make the video above, knows how to make a wind power advertisement.
One of the key takeaway impressions people seem to have after visiting a wind turbine up close (or even going to the top of one) is how entirely awesome and majestic these giant machines are. They’re staggering in their height and power.
And I’m sure offshore wind turbines are even more impressive, especially the 6-megawatt ones and 7-megawatt ones.
In this new Siemens video, all of this is excellently portrayed in cinematic style — not your typical “green” or cleantech advertisement.
Since Siemens is the company behind this excellent contribution to cleantech messaging and wind turbine branding, I thought I’d share more about what it has been up to in this space. Here are a few of the company’s recent wind power highlights:
1.Siemens To Fullfil 267 MW Wind Order In Washington
2.Largest Federal Wind Farm In US Contract Awarded To Siemens
3.Siemens Opens World’s Largest R&D Test Center For Wind Turbine Technology
4.Siemens To Provide 80 Wind Turbines For Giant German Offshore Wind Power Plant
5.Siemens CEO: Cleantech Is A “Vital Part Of Our Business” (VIDEO)
6.World’s Largest Wind Turbine Rotor Goes Online
Together with other wind power leaders, it should be noted that the cost of wind power has come down tremendously in recent years, from over 30¢/kWh 10 years ago to as low as 4¢/kWh today.
Notably, this cost dropped has largely been brought on by making wind turbines larger and larger, more and more majestic.
wind turbines are getting bigger and bigger
While the cost optimization from making onshore wind turbines larger and larger seems to be hitting a limit, larger offshore wind turbines may provide useful benefits for the quite different offshore wind environment. Hence the 6- and 7-MW wind turbines. Simply look above at how a 7-MW wind turbine compares to an Airbus A380 with a wingspan of 80 meters to get an idea of how humungous these machines are.
*Full Disclosure: This post was supported by Siemens through Be On media. That said, I wouldn’t have covered it if I didn’t think it was worth covering, and nobody from Siemens or Be On had any influence over what I wrote above.
About the Author:
Zachary Shahan is the director of CleanTechnica, the most popular cleantech-focused website in the world, and Planetsave, a world-leading green and science news site. He has been covering green news of various sorts since 2008, and he has been especially focused on solar energy, electric vehicles, and wind energy for the past four years or so. Aside from his work on CleanTechnica and Planetsave, he's the Network Manager for their parent organization – Important Media – and he's the Owner/Founder of Solar Love, EV Obsession, and Bikocity. To connect with Zach on some of your favorite social networks, go to ZacharyShahan.com and click on the relevant buttons.
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January 28, 2022
Chinese Floating Offshore Wind Turbine
In the last year alone, China added 16.9 gigawatts of offshore wind capacity, cementing its position as the world’s biggest market for wind farms at sea. The second-biggest market, the U.K., generates about 10 gigawatts of wind total. -
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April 6, 2022
SNIPPET:
(CNN)The United States set a major renewable energy milestone last Tuesday: wind power
was the second-highest source of ⚡ electricity for the first time since the Energy Information Administration began gathering the data.
As E&E reporter Ben Storrow noted and the EIA confirmed, wind turbines last Tuesday generated over ⚡ 2,000 gigawatt-hours of electricity, edging out electricity generated by
nuclear and ☠️ coal (but still trailing behind 🦕 natural gas) 
.
Last year, wind was the fourth-largest electricity source behind natural gas, coal, and nuclear, generating close to 380 terawatt-hours for the entire year, according to the EIA. For context, a terawatt is a thousand times bigger than a gigawatt.
Read more:
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May 21, 2022,(Bloomberg) By Irina Anghel and Eamon Akil Farhat
Coffee Shipped by Sailboats In Efforts To Distrupt The Heavy Ships’ Command Of The High Seas
SNIPPETS:
A few years ago, a small group of environmentally focused entrepreneurs, such as Shipped by Sail in the UK, started using pirate-like schooners to prove that goods like coffee could be transported with near-zero emissions — even if it took more money and all the risks linked with crossing the Atlantic on hundred-year-old wooden boats for a couple dozen bags of high-end beans. ... ...
Here’s a glimpse of the journey: Roasters buy the beans directly from growers in countries like Colombia before they’re stored in a warehouse and loaded onto a sailboat — destined for ports like Le Havre, France or Penzance, England. The crossing typically takes six weeks. The beans are then couriered to specialty roasters before ending up in espressos served in coffee shops or at home.
“You’re one step away from the coffee being grown, almost,” said Richard Blake, founder of Yallah Coffee, a Cornwall-based roaster who sells beans sailed from Colombia. A 1-kilogram bag of Yallah Coffee’s Las Brisas beans costs £50 ($62) but boasts “a carbon footprint close to zero.” As a price comparison, the most expensive coffee beans UK supermarket Tesco Plc sells online is a 1-kilogram bag for £13.75 ($17).
Blake said people are happy to pay for a premium product “if they feel like there is value in all the steps.”
“That can be lost with the homogenized mix of beans on a supermarket shelf,” he said, “whereas if it’s single origin, and if it’s on a ship, there’s less people in the chain, and that creates more value.”
Ceiba flagship ship that carries the Costa Rican flag with products that can be truly sold under the seal of ‘zero emissions’ like coffee, turmeric, salmon, barley and others,” said John Porras, co-founder and legal representative of Sailcargo.
Full article:
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June 29, 2022 By Mike Schuler
Image coutesy Berge Bulk, Yara Technologies, BAR TechnologiesBerge Bulk Newcastlemax to Be Fitted with ‘WindWings’ Sails
SNIPPET:
The WindWings technology is offered by BAR Technologies and Yara Marine Technologies, who partnered in 2021 to offer commercial-scale wind-assisted propulsion technology to the global shipping industry.
The installation will involve the 2018-built, 210,000 DWT bulk carrier Berge Olympus, making Berge Bulk an early adopter of the technology. The large, solid wing sails will measure up to 50 meters tall and will be capable of reducing CO2 emissions by as much as 30% through a combination of wind propulsion and route optimisation, according to a joint press release. A video also shows the sails tilting.
Full article:
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CleanTechnica
August 3, 2022 By Guest ContributorCan Meteorological Models Correctly Characterize Daily Cycles In Wind Generation?
SNIPPETS:
It is challenging and expensive to measure wind speeds at tower height (~90 meters), and publicly available data, from tall towers or remote sensing, is very limited. Therefore, researchers and practitioners commonly use meteorological models to characterize wind speeds at tower height and above. But, how well do these models work? Can they accurately characterize wind profiles, and what are their limitations?
A new study out of Berkeley Lab and the University of California, San Diego, evaluates three commonly used weather models for their ability to characterize hourly profiles of wind speeds (at tower height) across Texas. The study was published in the journal Wind Energy. ... ...
Key Findings
🌬 The analysis found that, by some metrics, these weather models performed well, and accurately represented hourly profiles of wind generation resources across Texas. However, the paper also identifies key areas in which the accuracy of these models is limited. Note, our results mostly focus on two of the three models we evaluated (ERA5 and MERRA2), as we evaluated the model HRRR over only a subset of the study period.
🌬 The models represent wind generation with relatively small bias and decent hourly correlation. Specifically, the average error across all hours and plants, in capacity factor terms, was 1.1% for ERA5 and 6.4% for MERRA2 (implying, for example, that a plant with a recorded capacity factor of 40% would be modeled with a 46.4% capacity factor using MERRA2). Average hourly correlation coefficients range from 0.7 to 0.9, depending on the model and hour of the day (see Figure 2).Figure 2. Correlation coefficient by hour (in solar time) for MERRA2, ERA5, and HRRR, for the year 2019.
🌬 Errors were larger on an hourly basis than a daily basis. For example, the probability that modeled capacity factor from the ERA5 model was within ±20% of recorded capacity factor was 78% on an hourly basis, but 99% on a daily basis. Again, this is in capacity factor terms, so, for example, if recorded capacity factor for a day was 80%, there was a 99% probability that the ERA5 model capacity factor was between 60% to 100% for that day and plant. MERRA2 followed a similar pattern, but with slightly lower accuracy in both daily and hourly timeframes.
🌬 Improved geographic model resolution reduced errors and improved correlation. ERA5 (horizontal resolution ~30 km) performed better than MERRA2 (horizontal resolution ~50 km), and HRRR (horizontal resolution 3 km) had the best performance metrics. Though resolution is dramatically different between the models, other methodological differences within the models likely also contributed to performance differences.
🌬 Correlation between modeled and recorded generation declined during nighttime hours, especially during summertime.
Full article:
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August 17, 2022 By Mike Schuler
Virginia Awards $223 Million Contract for Offshore Wind Port Project
SNIPPETS:
The contract was awarded to Skanska USA, the U.S.-based unit of the Swedish multinational specializing in construction and development.
The project entails the redevelopment of approximately 72 acres of the 287-acre Portsmouth Marine Terminal located in Portsmouth, Virginia, which will improve 1,500 feet of an existing 3,540-foot wharf.
The terminal is set to serve as an offshore wind staging port for Dominion Energy’s Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) project, which is the largest offshore wind project currently planned in the U.S.
Construction at the terminal is set to begin in July 2022, with completion is scheduled for 2025. ... ...
The contract award comes about a week after the State of Virginia approved the 2.6-gigawatt CVOW farm, consisting of 176
wind turbines to be constructed 27 miles off the coast of Virginia Beach. 
The farm will be capable of generating enough energy to power up to 660,000 homes starting in 2026. ... ...A preliminary illustration of the South Brooklyn Marine Terminal offshore wind port. Courtesy Equinor
Similar port redevelopment projects to support offshore wind project are also planned in New York at the historic South Brooklyn Marine Terminal, as well as in Salem and New Bedford in Massachusetts.
With regards to the Portsmouth Marine Terminal project, Skanska’s work will include:
Full article:
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Dyneema® is helping deliver a renewable energy future
APPLICATIONS Ropes, Lines, Slings & Chains
Dyneema® 5.11K subscribers
At DSM we are proud to play an important role in renewable energy generation. We are committed to the United Nations Sustainable Development goals, and as part of this continue to advocate responsible action on climate change with our stakeholders, while increasing the use of renewables in our energy mix to reduce our carbon footprint. Dyneema® is helping deliver a renewable energy future.
With renewable power sources like wind farms increasingly recognized as an answer to the world’s rising ⚡ energy demands, ropes, slings and synthetic chains made with Dyneema® will play a significant role in making renewable energy viable.
https://www.dsm.com/dyneema/en_GB/home.html -
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October 10, 2022 By Mike SchulerPhoto courtesy Akita Offshore Wind Corporation
Japan’s First Commercial Offshore Wind Farm Takes Shape
All 33 offshore wind turbines have now been installed
at Japan’s first commercial-scale offshore wind farm.
The installation was carried out by Seajacks International’s Seajacks Zaratan jackup vessel at the Akita and Noshiro offshore wind farm situated off the Japanese Akita Prefecture.
The project, which is owned by Akita Offshore Wind Corporation (AOW), is the first commercial-scale fixed-bottom wind farm to be constructed in Japan. It is being constructed at two locations just off Akita Port and the nearby Noshiro Port.
The two locations have a total capacity of 140 megawatts (MW), enough to ⚡ power approximately 150,000 homes. The power will be sold to Tohoku Electric Power Co. under a 20-year purchase agreement.Akita Offshore Wind Corporation
“The completion of the turbine installation at Akita and Noshiro is an achievement that all parties involved can be proud of. The project is a powerful demonstration of a successful collaboration between international partners to deliver a successful project outcome,” said Seajacks CEO, Blair Ainslie. “It is a testament to the capabilities of all parties, that the project has been completed safely and without any major incidents, despite the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.” 
Commercial operations of the wind farm are planned to begin later this year.
UK-based Seajacks International is a wholly owned subsidiary of Eneti Inc. (NYSE: NETI). The company owns and operates an advanced fleet of self-propelled jack-up vessels
operating in offshore wind and oil and gas sectors.
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October 12, 2022 By Mike SchulerIllustration of a floating offshore wind farm courtesy Damen
Floating Offshore Wind Pipeline Sees Explosive Growth
The global pipeline of floating offshore wind projects has more than doubled in terms of capacity in the past year with the UK leading the charge, according to a new report by RenewableUK.
According to the report, the number of projects in the global pipeline, spanning from those in early planning stages to operational, has increased from 130 projects to 230 projects in just the last 12 months. In terms of capacity, the pipeline has expanded from 91GW a year ago to 185GW today.
The pipeline in the UK is much larger than that of any other country. A year ago, the UK had 23GW worth of floating wind capacity in the pipeline, compared to over 33GW today. Over the same period, the number of projects has increased from 29 to 51, with projects planned in the North Sea, Celtic Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean.
Among the 185GW global pipeline, nine projects representing 121MW capacity are fully commissioned in seven countries. Another 96MW worth of projects are under construction, 288MW are consented or in the pre-construction phase, 31GW are in planning or has a lease agreement, and 153GW are in early development or in the leasing process.
Europe represents approximately 58%, or 107GW, of the floating capacity pipeline, while UK represents 18% with 33.3GW, of which 29GW is planned in Scottish waters. Outside Europe, leasing areas off the west coast of the United States, along with project proposals off the south east coast of Australia and South Korea, make up the majority of the rest of the capacity.
The report states that by the end of 2030, commissioned floating wind capacity in the UK could reach 11GW, with 31GW in Europe and 41GW globally.
The report also notes that demand for floating foundations is expected to ramp up fast, with the potential for nearly 1,000 floating foundations to be installed in UK waters by the end of 2030, with 3,200 floating foundations installed globally by the end of the decade.
“The growth of floating offshore wind is surging ahead at a phenomenal rate year on year around the world. We’re proud that the UK is a global leader in this innovative technology with nearly a fifth of the total pipeline – significantly greater than any other country,” say RenewableUK’s CEO Dan McGrail. “In the years ahead, as we build projects further out to sea where wind speeds are even stronger, floating wind will play a central role in proving cheap, clean electricity for British homes as well as boosting our energy security.
“It also offers a significant opportunity to build up a whole new industry in the UK, with a world-class supply chain which will enable us to export our expertise and state of the art technology worldwide,” McGrail adds.
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December 6, 2022 by Mike Schuler
Kite System for Ships Trialed on Transatlantic Voyage 
France-based wind propulsion specialist Airseas is sharing the first footage of its automated kite system Seawing in use during transatlantic sea trials.
The trial took place on board the roll-on/roll-off ship Ville de Bordeaux as it transported aircraft components between Europe and the United States. With the release of the new footage, Airseas is also announcing the successful completion of the crucial initial stages of sea trials.
Flying at an altitude of about 200 meters, the Seawing system comes in both 250 sq meter 500 sq meter versions, both of which were on board for the trial.
Combining expertise from the aerospace and maritime sectors, Seawing is aiming to slash fuel consumption and emissions by an average of 20% by harnessing the wind to reduce the main engine load. It’s using “digital twins” and advanced automation systems to ensure that the system could be safely deployed, operated and stored at the push of a button with minimal input or training needed from crew.
The 154-meter-long Ville de Bordeaux is operated by Louis Dreyfus Armateurs (LDA) and chartered by Airbus, Airseas’ minority shareholder and launch customer. A team of Airseas engineers is on board to test the system and gather data, with the operational support of LDA’s crew and Airbus’ Transport & Logistics department.
The Seawing system has applications on virtually any type of commercial vessel. Airseas has also received firm orders from K Line, a Japanese shipowner who owns the fifth largest fleet worldwide, for five Seawing systems, with additional options to equip up to 51 vessels in total.
Airseas says the first stages of the sea trials have successfully validated key steps such as the folding and unfolding of the wing, take-off and landing, and flights in altitude. The next phase will test the Seawing in a broader range of weather conditions and fine-tune the automation system.
“Seeing the Seawing in action on a commercial vessel is such a proud moment for us, and the culmination of years of meticulous research and development,” said Vincent Bernatets, CEO of Airseas. “Testing a brand new technology in real-life conditions and while respecting the operational constraints of a commercial ship is an ambitious endeavour, and the solid progress of our sea trials is a testimony to the dedication of our team of engineers on board and on shore.”
“With these strong initial results, we’re more determined than ever to keep testing the system and collecting data, and accelerate our mission to scale up and rapidly deploy wind propulsion technology on vessels around the world. Immediate action is needed to tackle climate change and shipping’s impact on GHG emissions; we are proud to have a solution that can help ships reduce their emissions right now, and accelerate the decarbonisation of the maritime sector over the coming years.,” Bernatets added.
The deployment of Seawing on commercial voyages could mark an important milestone for wind propulsion technology in commercial maritime shipping, which is responsible for about 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
“We are committed to playing an active role in reducing shipping’s carbon emissions, starting now. We are proud to be associated with this project as a supplier and partner of Airbus, working for the success of this innovative wind propulsion solution alongside Airseas,” said Antoine Person, Corporate Secretary of Louis Dreyfus Armateurs.
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CleanTechnica 
CNN 
gCaptain 