[NatureNS] Fwd: Climate change and Halifax

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To: Naturens <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>
From: David Webster <dwebster@glinx.com>
Date: Tue, 28 Apr 2020 17:14:28 -0300
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dug it out.

-------- Forwarded Message --------
Subject: 	Climate change and Halifax
Date: 	Wed, 30 Jan 2019 17:36:30 +0000
From: 	David <dwebster@glinx.com>
Reply-To: 	David <dwebster@glinx.com>
To: 	Voice of the People <letters@herald.ca>
CC: 	Mayor Mike Savage <Mayor@halifax.ca>, David Webster 
<dwebster@glinx.com>



Dear Editor/Mayor:
     The good news of the day is that Halifax council intends to get 
serious about climate change (Chron. Hrld., Jan.30, 2019, p. A7). I am 
not current with conditions or programs in urban Halifax so some 
suggestions regarding possible approaches to consider may be after the 
fact.  Most of my comments do not apply to the rural areas which I think 
are part of Halifax regional. Possible ways to combat are as follows.
1) Non industrial sewage could be fermented anaerobically in a closed 
system so that the resultant methane could be used to generate heat for 
electricity production. Some dairy farmers generate a good profit by 
processing cow manure in this way. Any power produced by means other 
than burning fossil fuels decreases the flow of new CO2 into the 
atmosphere-earth system. And by using a closed system the methane, bound 
to be released anyway, will not contribute to the greenhouse effect.
2) Yard waste and other organics, were at one time composted indoors and 
the final product smelled bad indicating anaerobic fermentation which 
would result in release of methane. Composting also does not enable 
energy production. The wet component of this waste stream could be used 
for methane production in a closed system and the dry could be used for 
production of electricity and biochar (Google 'The Local Carbon Network' 
for details). In common with charcoal, the elemental carbon of biochar 
can not be metabolized so represents carbon that is permanently removed 
from the carbon cycle; unless it somehow ends up in a fire. It or finely 
ground charcoal, when incorporated into the soil profile (see terra 
preta), increases the water and nutrient holding capacity of soil and 
consequently increases productivity. So it not only ties up carbon but 
improves soil.
3) Halifax is already doing a good job with respect to trees but putting 
all wires underground when streets are being repaved would perhaps make 
larger or more trees possible, the ideal city being a forest with 
streets and buildings, because trees decrease the need  for space heat 
in winter and for cooling in summer.
     For maximum cooling by transpiration, an ample supply of water to 
the potential rooting area is required and this implies ample area of 
infiltration; frequently absent in typical urban layouts. Use of porous 
pavement on sidewalks and eventually on streets would increase the 
cooling efficiency of trees and decrease the need for future increases 
in storm flow capacity.
4) Transportation is a major consumer of fossil fuels so conversely it 
represents a potential for major decreases in release of new CO2. The 
first logical steps would involve an efficient public transit system 
using electric vehicles run by batteries in conjunction with free 
parking for private motor vehicles on the outskirts. With city traffic 
limited to delivery, emergency and public transit vehicles congestion 
should be relatively low so traffic could move smoothly. Much energy is 
lost when a moving vehicle has to stop. With suitably designed electric 
vehicles, it should be possible to divert much of the kinetic energy of 
motion back into the battery by using a generator as the first brake 
followed, in emergencies only, by a mechanical brake. For a transit 
system to work to good effect there should be many small transit 
vehicles instead of a smaller number of large vehicles.
5) Germany has a climate which is not well suited for solar power but by 
offering a good carrot, guaranteed 8% income for 20 years on funds 
invested in solar panel installations, they became a world leader in 
solar power capture. As one happy homeowner observed "I am being paid to 
live in my house." By offering some similar incentives, in both urban 
and rural areas, Halifax could capture much power and perhaps displace 
the like of power generated by coal.
Yours truly, David H. Webster, Kentville
902-678-7824


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    <div class="moz-forward-container">dug it out.<br>
      <br>
      -------- Forwarded Message --------
      <table class="moz-email-headers-table" cellspacing="0"
        cellpadding="0" border="0">
        <tbody>
          <tr>
            <th valign="BASELINE" nowrap="nowrap" align="RIGHT">Subject:
            </th>
            <td>Climate change and Halifax</td>
          </tr>
          <tr>
            <th valign="BASELINE" nowrap="nowrap" align="RIGHT">Date: </th>
            <td>Wed, 30 Jan 2019 17:36:30 +0000</td>
          </tr>
          <tr>
            <th valign="BASELINE" nowrap="nowrap" align="RIGHT">From: </th>
            <td>David <dwebster@glinx.com></td>
          </tr>
          <tr>
            <th valign="BASELINE" nowrap="nowrap" align="RIGHT">Reply-To:
            </th>
            <td>David <dwebster@glinx.com></td>
          </tr>
          <tr>
            <th valign="BASELINE" nowrap="nowrap" align="RIGHT">To: </th>
            <td>Voice of the People <letters@herald.ca></td>
          </tr>
          <tr>
            <th valign="BASELINE" nowrap="nowrap" align="RIGHT">CC: </th>
            <td>Mayor Mike Savage <Mayor@halifax.ca>, David
              Webster <dwebster@glinx.com></td>
          </tr>
        </tbody>
      </table>
      <br>
      &