Daily review 1/11/2019

8 comments on “Daily review 1/11/2019 ”

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1. aj 1

   1 November 2019 at 6:22 pm

   This makes the decision on the Tiwai Smelter even more interesting.

   “I’m not going to speculate on the outcome but clearly the current situation is not sustainable.”

   The warning comes after Rio Tinto boss Jean-Sebastian Jacques warned in August that Australian smelters were 'on thin ice' and follows the company flagging last week that it might close its New Zealand smelter.

   Barrios was speaking to reporters ahead of a quarterly update to investors that listed “low-carbon technology” as a priority for its aluminium business.

   The company’s head of economics, Vivek Tulpule, said the profitability of aluminium was “challenged by the quick and cheap expansion of supply to meet growth in demand”.

   “This underlines the value of our position in Canada with operating costs in the bottom decile of the cost curve supported by hydro power which will become increasingly important in a carbon-constrained world,” he said.

   Australian aluminium smelters 'not sustainable’ due to high power costs, Rio Tinto says
   • gsays 1.1

     1 November 2019 at 7:52 pm

     I am confused.

     I would have thought a smelter powered by hydro is two ticks in the "carbon constrained" and "sustainable" box.

     Edit. ahh, I see we are talking Aussie smelters, not Tiwai
     • Andre 1.1.1

       1 November 2019 at 8:16 pm

       Quebec generates vastly more electricity than it uses, and about 97% of that generation is hydro. That excess electricity has to be exported, either to the rest of Canada, to the US, or in a congealed form (ie aluminium ingots).

       Canada's electricity sector as a whole has some similarities to NZ, with around 20% getting generated by fossil fuels. So they, like us, could conceivably get pretty close to zero-ghg electricity by giving their aluminium smelters the arse and shutting down their fossil generation.

       Then there's Iceland, with as near as dammit 100% renewable (70% hydro, 30% geothermal). Their installed aluminium smelters have a bit over 3x the capacity of Tiwai Point.
2. WILD KATIPO 2

   1 November 2019 at 6:36 pm

   The ability to witness two men stand toe to toe in the spirit of sportsmanship and pummel each other into insensibility is what separates us from the animals.

   Christopher Lloyd

   (1938 – ) American actor

   – as Jim Ignatowski
   • Stuart Munro. 2.1

     1 November 2019 at 7:02 pm

     It's a fine quote.

     But actually it's cooking. Some use tools, some have language, some even practice a kind of agriculture, but only humans cook.
     • Graeme 2.1.1

       1 November 2019 at 9:50 pm

       Their home

       The only other species that does better is varroa destructor, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varroa_destructor

       At some point in our past we became homo destructor
3. greywarshark 3

   1 November 2019 at 9:58 pm

   Are we going to give up exploring space for Lent? The time of fasting to enable sustainability and limit greenhouse gases etc. The scientific community into space probes don't indicate that there is any problem here on earth. Perhaps they embrace the idea of a depleted earth as more grist to their mill.
4. greywarshark 4

   1 November 2019 at 10:36 pm

   Ted Talk – We need a new economics. Interesting – is this true – what he is saying? Did we just hear this or dream it?

   The link does finish with a bs!
   The dirty secret of capitalism — and a new way forward | Nick Hanauer

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