Whether you're without power, enduring extreme heat or trying to save money, there are ways to feel comfortable without artificial cooling.Heat can foster fun summer activities, but the body shouldn't be too hot for too long, as too much heat can harm your brain and other organs, according to the U.S. National Institutes of Health. Sweating is the body's natural cooling system, but when that's not enough, there's an increased risk for developing the heat-related illness hyperthermia signs of which include heat cramps, heat edema and heat stroke.Staying cool can be done by using some basic supplies and knowing how to manipulate your home to control its temperatures. Here are 14 methods for doing so.Stay hydratedWhen you're hot and flushed, hydrating yourself is the first and foremost step to cooling down, said Wendell Porter, a senior lecturer emeritus in agricultural and biological engineering at the University of Florida.The temperature of the water doesn't matter since your body will heat it, he added. If your body is suffering from the heat and needs to cool itself, it can't do that without enough moisture, since the body cools itself by sweating.Take a cold shower or bathTaking a cold shower or bath helps cool your body by lowering your core temperature, Porter said.For an extra cool blast, try peppermint soap. The menthol in peppermint oil activates brain receptors that tell your body something you're eating or feeling is cold.Use cold washrags on your neck or wristsPlace a cold washrag or ice bags (packs) on your wrists or drape it around your neck to cool your body. These pulse points are areas where blood vessels are close to the skin, so you'll cool down more quickly.Use box fansPlace box fans facing out of the windows of rooms you're spending time in to blow out hot air and replace it with cold air inside.If the weather in your area tends to fall between 50 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit in the mornings and evenings, opening the windows on both sides of the house during those times can facilitate a cross-flow ventilation system. If you do this, you can opt to use or not use the fans, but the fans would help cool the house faster, Porter said. The outdoors can pull the hot air from your home, leaving a cooler temperature or bringing in the breeze. Just be sure to close windows as the sun comes out, then open them when the weather is cool again.You might not typically leave windows open for safety reasons, but if you're at home more anyway due to the pandemic, this method could be feasible, Porter said.Just resting near a fan would reduce your body temperature as well.Close your curtains or blindsIf you have windows that face the sun's direction in the morning through afternoon, close the curtains or blinds over them to "keep the sun from coming directly into the house and heating up (the) inside," Porter said.You could also install blackout curtains to insulate the room and reduce temperature increases that would happen during the day.If you do turn the air conditioning on, don't set it below 70 degrees Fahrenheit in an effort to cool the house faster, said Samantha Hall, managing director of Spaces Alive, an Australia-based design research company helping to create healthy, sustainable buildings."It just runs for longer to reach that temp and will keep going until you start to feel a bit chilly and is then hard to balance," she added. Instead, keep the unit temperature as high as possible while still comfortable.Sleep in breathable linensCotton is one of the most breathable materials, so cotton sheets or blankets could help keep you cool through the night.The lower the thread count of the cotton, the more breathable it is, Porter said. That's because higher thread counts have more weaving per square inch.Sleep in the basementIf you can't sleep through the night because you're too hot, try sleeping somewhere besides your bedroom, if that's an option. Heat rises, so if you have a lower or basement level in your home, set up a temporary sleeping area there to experience cooler temperatures at night.Don't refrigerate or freeze blankets or clothingCommon advice for staying cool without air conditioning includes refrigerating or freezing wet socks, blankets or clothing then ringing them out to wear while you sleep. But this isn't a good idea, Porter said.Because of "the amount of energy they can absorb from your body that night, they will be warm in just a matter of minutes," he said. "And then you'd have damp stuff that would mold your mattress. So you definitely don't want to do that."Close the doors of unused roomsIf no one's using a room that doesn't have vents or registers, close the door to that area to keep the cool air confined to only occupied areas of the house.Use the exhaust fan in your kitchen and/or bathroomFlip the switch for the exhaust fan in your kitchen to pull hot air that rises after you cook or in your bathroom to draw out steam after you shower.Install energy-efficient light bulbsIncandescent light bulbs generate a higher temperature than LED light bulbs do. To make the switch, watch for sales on energy-efficient bulbs, then slowly replace the bulbs in your house, Porter said.Switching light bulbs can save money but won't reduce a lot of heat in the home, Hall said. However, if you focus on switching the bulbs in areas you're sitting near, that would make a more noticeable difference, Porter said.Cook in the morning, with a slow cooker or outsideOven heat can spread throughout your house. Keep the heat centralized in one area, such as a slow cooker. Or, cook outdoors on a grill to keep the heat outside.Enjoy frozen treatsEating an ice pop or ice cream to cool down may help for a moment. But don't go overboard on the sugar if you're overheated or at risk of being overheated, Porter said."Sugar would run your metabolism up and you'd start feeling internally hot," he said. "So the cool treat might be good, but the extra sugar might not."Research what your state offersIf you've tried everything and still can't beat the heat at home, you could look online for any local programs that are offering ductless air conditioners.Depending on your state, some cooling centers air-conditioned public facilities where people might go for relief during extremely hot weather may be open and taking precautions to ensure they're as safe as possible. You could start by checking with your local utility offices, as they would know who is offering certain programs, Porter recommended.

Whether you're without power, enduring extreme heat or trying to save money, there are ways to feel comfortable without artificial cooling.

Heat can foster fun summer activities, but the body shouldn't be too hot for too long, as too much heat can harm your brain and other organs, according to the U.S. National Institutes of Health. Sweating is the body's natural cooling system, but when that's not enough, there's an increased risk for developing the heat-related illness hyperthermia signs of which include heat cramps, heat edema and heat stroke.

Staying cool can be done by using some basic supplies and knowing how to manipulate your home to control its temperatures. Here are 14 methods for doing so.

When you're hot and flushed, hydrating yourself is the first and foremost step to cooling down, said Wendell Porter, a senior lecturer emeritus in agricultural and biological engineering at the University of Florida.

The temperature of the water doesn't matter since your body will heat it, he added. If your body is suffering from the heat and needs to cool itself, it can't do that without enough moisture, since the body cools itself by sweating.

Taking a cold shower or bath helps cool your body by lowering your core temperature, Porter said.

For an extra cool blast, try peppermint soap. The menthol in peppermint oil activates brain receptors that tell your body something you're eating or feeling is cold.

Place a cold washrag or ice bags (packs) on your wrists or drape it around your neck to cool your body. These pulse points are areas where blood vessels are close to the skin, so you'll cool down more quickly.

Place box fans facing out of the windows of rooms you're spending time in to blow out hot air and replace it with cold air inside.

If the weather in your area tends to fall between 50 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit in the mornings and evenings, opening the windows on both sides of the house during those times can facilitate a cross-flow ventilation system. If you do this, you can opt to use or not use the fans, but the fans would help cool the house faster, Porter said. The outdoors can pull the hot air from your home, leaving a cooler temperature or bringing in the breeze. Just be sure to close windows as the sun comes out, then open them when the weather is cool again.

You might not typically leave windows open for safety reasons, but if you're at home more anyway due to the pandemic, this method could be feasible, Porter said.

Just resting near a fan would reduce your body temperature as well.

If you have windows that face the sun's direction in the morning through afternoon, close the curtains or blinds over them to "keep the sun from coming directly into the house and heating up (the) inside," Porter said.

You could also install blackout curtains to insulate the room and reduce temperature increases that would happen during the day.

If you do turn the air conditioning on, don't set it below 70 degrees Fahrenheit in an effort to cool the house faster, said Samantha Hall, managing director of Spaces Alive, an Australia-based design research company helping to create healthy, sustainable buildings.

"It just runs for longer to reach that temp and will keep going until you start to feel a bit chilly and is then hard to balance," she added. Instead, keep the unit temperature as high as possible while still comfortable.

Cotton is one of the most breathable materials, so cotton sheets or blankets could help keep you cool through the night.

The lower the thread count of the cotton, the more breathable it is, Porter said. That's because higher thread counts have more weaving per square inch.

If you can't sleep through the night because you're too hot, try sleeping somewhere besides your bedroom, if that's an option. Heat rises, so if you have a lower or basement level in your home, set up a temporary sleeping area there to experience cooler temperatures at night.

Common advice for staying cool without air conditioning includes refrigerating or freezing wet socks, blankets or clothing then ringing them out to wear while you sleep. But this isn't a good idea, Porter said.

Because of "the amount of energy they can absorb from your body that night, they will be warm in just a matter of minutes," he said. "And then you'd have damp stuff that would mold your mattress. So you definitely don't want to do that."

If no one's using a room that doesn't have vents or registers, close the door to that area to keep the cool air confined to only occupied areas of the house.

Flip the switch for the exhaust fan in your kitchen to pull hot air that rises after you cook or in your bathroom to draw out steam after you shower.

Incandescent light bulbs generate a higher temperature than LED light bulbs do. To make the switch, watch for sales on energy-efficient bulbs, then slowly replace the bulbs in your house, Porter said.

Switching light bulbs can save money but won't reduce a lot of heat in the home, Hall said. However, if you focus on switching the bulbs in areas you're sitting near, that would make a more noticeable difference, Porter said.

Oven heat can spread throughout your house. Keep the heat centralized in one area, such as a slow cooker. Or, cook outdoors on a grill to keep the heat outside.

Eating an ice pop or ice cream to cool down may help for a moment. But don't go overboard on the sugar if you're overheated or at risk of being overheated, Porter said.

"Sugar would run your metabolism up and you'd start feeling internally hot," he said. "So the cool treat might be good, but the extra sugar might not."

If you've tried everything and still can't beat the heat at home, you could look online for any local programs that are offering ductless air conditioners.

Depending on your state, some cooling centers air-conditioned public facilities where people might go for relief during extremely hot weather may be open and taking precautions to ensure they're as safe as possible. You could start by checking with your local utility offices, as they would know who is offering certain programs, Porter recommended.

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Summer is heating up. Here's how to stay cool without air conditioning - WYFF4 Greenville

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United States of AmericaUS Virgin IslandsUnited States Minor Outlying IslandsCanadaMexico, United Mexican StatesBahamas, Commonwealth of theCuba, Republic ofDominican RepublicHaiti, Republic ofJamaicaAfghanistanAlbania, People's Socialist Republic ofAlgeria, People's Democratic Republic ofAmerican SamoaAndorra, Principality ofAngola, Republic ofAnguillaAntarctica (the territory South of 60 deg S)Antigua and BarbudaArgentina, Argentine RepublicArmeniaArubaAustralia, Commonwealth ofAustria, Republic ofAzerbaijan, Republic ofBahrain, Kingdom ofBangladesh, People's Republic ofBarbadosBelarusBelgium, Kingdom ofBelizeBenin, People's Republic ofBermudaBhutan, Kingdom ofBolivia, Republic ofBosnia and HerzegovinaBotswana, Republic ofBouvet Island (Bouvetoya)Brazil, Federative Republic ofBritish Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago)British Virgin IslandsBrunei DarussalamBulgaria, People's Republic ofBurkina FasoBurundi, Republic ofCambodia, Kingdom ofCameroon, United Republic ofCape Verde, Republic ofCayman IslandsCentral African RepublicChad, Republic ofChile, Republic ofChina, People's Republic ofChristmas IslandCocos (Keeling) IslandsColombia, Republic ofComoros, Union of theCongo, Democratic Republic ofCongo, People's Republic ofCook IslandsCosta Rica, Republic ofCote D'Ivoire, Ivory Coast, Republic of theCyprus, Republic ofCzech RepublicDenmark, Kingdom ofDjibouti, Republic ofDominica, Commonwealth ofEcuador, Republic ofEgypt, Arab Republic ofEl Salvador, Republic ofEquatorial Guinea, Republic ofEritreaEstoniaEthiopiaFaeroe IslandsFalkland Islands (Malvinas)Fiji, Republic of the Fiji IslandsFinland, Republic ofFrance, French RepublicFrench GuianaFrench PolynesiaFrench Southern TerritoriesGabon, Gabonese RepublicGambia, Republic of theGeorgiaGermanyGhana, Republic ofGibraltarGreece, Hellenic RepublicGreenlandGrenadaGuadaloupeGuamGuatemala, Republic ofGuinea, RevolutionaryPeople's Rep'c ofGuinea-Bissau, Republic ofGuyana, Republic ofHeard and McDonald IslandsHoly See (Vatican City State)Honduras, Republic ofHong Kong, Special Administrative Region of ChinaHrvatska (Croatia)Hungary, Hungarian People's RepublicIceland, Republic ofIndia, Republic ofIndonesia, Republic ofIran, Islamic Republic ofIraq, Republic ofIrelandIsrael, State ofItaly, Italian RepublicJapanJordan, Hashemite Kingdom ofKazakhstan, Republic ofKenya, Republic ofKiribati, Republic ofKorea, Democratic People's Republic ofKorea, Republic ofKuwait, State ofKyrgyz RepublicLao People's Democratic RepublicLatviaLebanon, Lebanese RepublicLesotho, Kingdom ofLiberia, Republic ofLibyan Arab JamahiriyaLiechtenstein, Principality ofLithuaniaLuxembourg, Grand Duchy ofMacao, Special Administrative Region of ChinaMacedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic ofMadagascar, Republic ofMalawi, Republic ofMalaysiaMaldives, Republic ofMali, Republic ofMalta, Republic ofMarshall IslandsMartiniqueMauritania, Islamic Republic ofMauritiusMayotteMicronesia, Federated States ofMoldova, Republic ofMonaco, Principality ofMongolia, Mongolian People's RepublicMontserratMorocco, Kingdom ofMozambique, People's Republic ofMyanmarNamibiaNauru, Republic ofNepal, Kingdom ofNetherlands AntillesNetherlands, Kingdom of theNew CaledoniaNew ZealandNicaragua, Republic ofNiger, Republic of theNigeria, Federal Republic ofNiue, Republic ofNorfolk IslandNorthern Mariana IslandsNorway, Kingdom ofOman, Sultanate ofPakistan, Islamic Republic ofPalauPalestinian Territory, OccupiedPanama, Republic ofPapua New GuineaParaguay, Republic ofPeru, Republic ofPhilippines, Republic of thePitcairn IslandPoland, Polish People's RepublicPortugal, Portuguese RepublicPuerto RicoQatar, State ofReunionRomania, Socialist Republic ofRussian FederationRwanda, Rwandese RepublicSamoa, Independent State ofSan Marino, Republic ofSao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic ofSaudi Arabia, Kingdom ofSenegal, Republic ofSerbia and MontenegroSeychelles, Republic ofSierra Leone, Republic ofSingapore, Republic ofSlovakia (Slovak Republic)SloveniaSolomon IslandsSomalia, Somali RepublicSouth Africa, Republic ofSouth Georgia and the South Sandwich IslandsSpain, Spanish StateSri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic ofSt. HelenaSt. Kitts and NevisSt. LuciaSt. Pierre and MiquelonSt. Vincent and the GrenadinesSudan, Democratic Republic of theSuriname, Republic ofSvalbard & Jan Mayen IslandsSwaziland, Kingdom ofSweden, Kingdom ofSwitzerland, Swiss ConfederationSyrian Arab RepublicTaiwan, Province of ChinaTajikistanTanzania, United Republic ofThailand, Kingdom ofTimor-Leste, Democratic Republic ofTogo, Togolese RepublicTokelau (Tokelau Islands)Tonga, Kingdom ofTrinidad and Tobago, Republic ofTunisia, Republic ofTurkey, Republic ofTurkmenistanTurks and Caicos IslandsTuvaluUganda, Republic ofUkraineUnited Arab EmiratesUnited Kingdom of Great Britain & N. IrelandUruguay, Eastern Republic ofUzbekistanVanuatuVenezuela, Bolivarian Republic ofViet Nam, Socialist Republic ofWallis and Futuna IslandsWestern SaharaYemenZambia, Republic ofZimbabwe

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Rebates can help offset the cost of a new heating and cooling system - Green Valley News

BY MIKE FESTA, STATE DIRECTOR, AARP MASSACHUSETTS

High speed internet is no longer a luxury, its a necessity.And with the COVID-19 pandemic now entering its third year, access to affordable and reliable high-speed internet, also known as broadband, is essential to providing the connections Massachusetts residents need to family, friends, health care providers, work and so much more.

Unfortunately for many Massachusetts residents, affordable high-speed internet is not available where they live. Unfortunately, the lack of accessibility and affordability of high-speed internet also serves as a barrier for many who find themselves increasingly isolated and without many options for maintaining these vital connections.

Thats why AARP fought for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), which provides new long-term assistance for Bay State residents who are struggling to afford the high-speed internet services they need in these challenging times. Applications are now being accepted for the ACP, a $14.2 billion federal program created late last year as part of the bipartisan infrastructure bill.

The ACP provides eligible recipients a discount of up to $30 per month for high-speed internet services. Massachusetts residents who are struggling to get by may be eligible to apply for the ACP, including those who:

o Have household income of less than $25,760 for a single-family household or $43,540 for a couple (at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines).

o Qualify for the Lifeline program or Medicaid, receive SNAP or WIC benefits, Federal Public Housing Assistance or Veterans and Survivors Pension Benefits.

o Live on Tribal lands and have at least one person in the household who participates in Bureau of Indian Affairs general assistance, Tribally administered Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Head Start (only those households meeting its income qualifying standard), or the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations.

The ACP modifies and extends the temporary Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) program in effect last year as part of COVID-19 relief.

Bay Staters enrolled in the EBB Program before 6 p.m. ET on December 30, 2021 will continue to receive their current monthly benefit (up to $50) during the 60-day transition period, which ended on March 1, 2022. As of March 1, 2022, the monthly discount for all legacy EBB participants not located on qualifying Tribal lands has been reduced to $30.

More than 8.5 million Americans took advantage of the EBB program during its tenure, but we know millions more could be eligible. AARP encourages all Americans who are without access to high-speed internet, or struggling to afford it, to look into the Affordable Connectivity Program today. Visit aarp.org/ACP for more information; call 1-833-511-0311; or Text INTERNET to 22777.

For those needing some assistance to heat their homes in winter, know there is help available to pay your heating bills through the Home Energy Assistance Program (also commonly referred to as Fuel Assistance, and more formally known as LIHEAP the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program). Home Energy Assistance programs play a critically important role to protect public health and safety by ensuring that all families and individuals have safe access to home heating.

Homeowners and renters are eligible including households whose costof heat is included in the rent and not subsidized. Eligibility is based on household size and the gross annual income of every household member over the age of 18. Household income cannot exceed 60% of estimated State Median Income.

To find out if you qualify, and for more information on other Home Energy assistance programs in Massachusetts, please contact the Massachusetts Association for Community Action (MASSCAP) at http://www.masscap.org or call (800) 632-8175.

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Affordable Connectivity Program and heating assistance help - fiftyplusadvocate

Representatives from Bryant center and Make-A-Wish Canada recognized partnership at a check presentation event on April 4

WINDSOR, ON , April 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Bryant Heating & Cooling Service Experts announces a $75,000 gift to Make-A-Wish Foundation Canada in celebration of the center's 100 years in business in Windsor, Ontario. The funds will go directly toward granting wishes to children diagnosed with critical illnesses.

Service Experts Logo (PRNewsfoto/Service Experts Heating and Air Conditioning LLC)

Bryant Heating & Cooling Co. Ltd., founded in early 1921 by the Bryant family of Windsor, originally specialized in the manufacture of automated stoking systems for coal-fed boilers. By the outbreak of World War II, Bryant was one of the largest employers in the City of Windsor and as the 1940s ended, innovation in the heating and cooling industry led the Bryant family to sell the business to one of their long-time employees, who shifted the company's focus to residential air conditioning over the next four decades. Bryant has been affiliated with Service Experts since 1998.

"Service Experts has a long history of giving back to the communities where we operate," said Randall Barnes, Regional Marketing Manager - Canada & Northeast U.S. at Service Experts. "Make-A-Wish Foundation Canada does such meaningful work to support children diagnosed with critical illnesses, and we're honored to support that work with this gift in celebration of the Bryant center's centennial milestone."

Every year, approximately 27,000 children are diagnosed with a critical illness. Make-A-Wish seeks to renew hope, uplift spirits, and encourage the belief in the impossible by giving kids the strength to fight againstand even overcomea critical illness. Make-A-Wish fulfills life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses and Service Experts is proud to continue its support of the organization. To date, the company has donated more than $1 million to Make-A-Wish, granting more than 100 wishes.

Story continues

Rosie and Lydia are two of many recipients of such wishes. Rosie is an 8-year-old who was diagnosed with Leukemia in 2018, and wished to have a big koala bear playhouse, and Lydia is a 17-year-old who was diagnosed with a rare bone marrow failure disorder when she was 11. Lydia wished to have a French Bulldog and named the dog "Wish."

"We are grateful to Service Experts for this generous gift," said Meaghan Stovel McKnight, CEO of Make-A-Wish Canada. "Their support will help us continue our mission to create life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses, many of whom view the wish as a pivotal moment in their healing journey and a much-needed source of hope and joy for their entire family."

About Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning North AmericaFounded in 1996, Service Experts is a leading provider of HVAC repair, maintenance, new equipment sales and related services to residential and commercial customers in 31 states in the U.S. and three provinces in Canada. Headquartered in Richardson, Texas, Service Experts is one of North America's largest heating and air conditioning service companies, with 91 locations serving approximately 2,500 homes and businesses, on average, each working day. For more information, visit ServiceExperts.ca.

Contact: Ash NandiniEmail: ash@theckpgroup.com

SOURCE Service Experts Heating and Air Conditioning LLC

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Service Experts Celebrates Bryant Heating & Cooling's 100th Anniversary with $75,000 Grant to Make-A-Wish Foundation - Yahoo Finance

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Researchers have found a way to make plastic waste suck up excess carbon dioxide.

The newly discovered chemical technique seems like a win-win for a pair of pressing environmental problems.

In the journal ACS Nano, researchers report that heating plastic waste in the presence of potassium acetate produces particles with nanometer-scale pores that trap carbon dioxide molecules.

These particles can be used to remove CO2 from flue gas streams, the researchers say.

Point sources of CO2 emissions like power plant exhaust stacks can be fitted with this waste-plastic-derived material to remove enormous amounts of CO2 that would normally fill the atmosphere, says James Tour, professor of chemistry and of materials science and nanoengineering at Rice University. It is a great way to have one problem, plastic waste, address another problem, CO2 emissions.

A current process to pyrolyze plastic known as chemical recycling produces oils, gases, and waxes, but the carbon byproduct is nearly useless, Tour says. However, pyrolyzing plastic in the presence of potassium acetate produces porous particles able to hold up to 18% of their own weight in CO2 at room temperature.

In addition, while typical chemical recycling doesnt work for polymer wastes with low fixed carbon content in order to generate CO2 sorbent, including polypropylene and high- and low-density polyethylene, the main constituents in municipal waste, those plastics work especially well for capturing CO2 when treated with potassium acetate.

The lab estimates the cost of carbon dioxide capture from a point source like post-combustion flue gas would be $21 a ton, far less expensive than the energy-intensive, amine-based process in common use to pull carbon dioxide from natural gas feeds, which costs $80-$160 a ton.

Like amine-based materials, the sorbent can be reused. Heating it to about 75 degrees Celsius (167 degrees Fahrenheit) releases trapped carbon dioxide from the pores, regenerating about 90% of the materials binding sites.

Because it cycles at 75 degrees Celsius, polyvinyl chloride vessels are sufficient to replace the expensive metal vessels that are normally required. The researchers note the sorbent is expected to have a longer lifetime than liquid amines, cutting downtime due to corrosion and sludge formation.

To make the material, waste plastic is turned into powder, mixed with potassium acetate and heated at 600 C (1,112 F) for 45 minutes to optimize the pores, most of which are about 0.7 nanometers wide. Higher temperatures led to wider pores. The process also produces a wax byproduct that can be recycled into detergents or lubricants, the researchers say.

The Department of Energy and Saudi Aramco supported the research.

Source: Rice University

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Heating trick gets plastic waste to suck up CO2 - Futurity: Research News

Reaching 1.5C of global heating is now pretty much inevitable, and we will reach it somewhere around 2035, no matter what we do. Thats the conclusion from the latest climate projections, which suggest even if we reach net zero emissions within the next 30 years, we will be stuck with at least that level of heating until 2070 or so.

Staying below 1.5C of global warming is currently not plausible, says Jochem Marotzke, from the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology in Hamburg, Germany.

The calculations, which are published in the journal Weather and are based on data from the recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, plot future global heating relative to average temperature for the period 1850 to 1900. Starting in 2010, when the 20-year average global temperature (2001-20) was 0.99C above the baseline, the projections suggest the world could become anywhere between 1.4C and 4.4C hotter by 2090, depending on which emissions scenario we follow.

If emissions remain at their current high level then we can expect to reach 2C above pre-industrial levels by mid-century. But if emissions are reined in fast and reach net zero by about 2070 the low emissions scenario then we can be reasonably confident about avoiding 2C of heating.

However, burgeoning greenhouse emissions in recent decades mean that we have baked in at least 0.5C of heating between 2010 and 2045, even if we were to pull out all the stops and slash emissions as fast as possible.

There is still a slim chance of avoiding 1.5C of heating, but it can only happen if we follow the very low emissions scenario whereby carbon dioxide emissions drop to zero within 30 years and the climate system works in our favour.

Sensitivity to carbon dioxide and warming resulting from historic emissions would have to be on the lower end of the uncertainty range, says Marotzke.

And while stopping carbon dioxide emissions will enable us to stabilise global temperatures, well need to stop all greenhouse gas emissions if we want to produce a decline in global temperature. Some emissions like methane from agriculture are much harder to reduce, says co-author Chris Jones from the Met Office Hadley Centre in Exeter, UK.

The impact of global heating is already being felt in the form of more intense and frequent extreme weather events. From the heatwave in Antarctica in recent weeks to catastrophic flooding across Europe last July, researchers are increasingly confident that many of the weather extremes being seen can be attributed to human greenhouse gas emissions.

Accepting that more heating and therefore even more intense and frequent extreme weather events are on the way makes mitigation measures more crucial than ever. The risk from extreme weather increases substantially for the communities that are unable to protect themselves because of poverty, says Marotzke. This is especially true for low-lying countries, who will have to deal with the impact of rising sea levels for centuries to come due to the oceans delayed response to global heating.

Some regions, such as Germany, have already experienced more than 1.5C of long-term heating and in the coming years the chances of any individual year passing the 1.5C mark will become increasingly likely.

The latest forecasts show a 40% chance of temporarily exceeding 1.5C in the coming five years, says Doug Smith from the Met Office.

But all is not lost. There are certainly pathways which will achieve the goals of the Paris agreement, if governments choose to actively pursue them, says Jones. He stresses that 1.5C and 2C of heating are not thresholds beyond which the world ends.

Even if we miss 2C, for example, then achieving 2.5C is still viable and much better than 3C or 4C. The severity of impacts increases with warming level, but there is no real threshold between safe and dangerous, just a gradual worsening, he says. The future is still in our hands and we can still avert the worst to come.

The rest is here:

When will the world reach 1.5C of global heating? - The Guardian

Offshore

Off of the Jensen Beach area, the bottom bite has picked up.

Lots of lane and mutton snapper are being found, with plenty of keepers making their way to the coolers recently. They are mostly being caught on live baits, grunt plugs and butterfly ballyhoo with long leaders.

Lane and yellowtail snapper are being caught on some of the shallower reefs in the area.

More and more cobia are being found in the waters off of St. Lucie and Martin County. In 60 to 90 feet watch for them following sharks, rays and turtles.

This past Sunday there was a really good blackfin tuna bite reported off of the Jensen Beach area with plenty of dolphin and sailfish being found in the same areas. All are hitting live baits including threadfin herring, pilchards and goggle eyes. Whether drifted, slow trolled or on kites those three are the key.

If you're looking for those live baits the guys at Stuart Live Baits in Manatee Pocket have got them.

Working mostly the inshore reefs off of Jupiter, Capt. Bill Taylor said he had his clients into some good-sized yellowtail snapper and lane snapper on Wednesday. He said they were using squid and threadfin herring for bait.

Though they were getting some nice yellowtail and lanes, a lot of baits were being taken by the millions of triggerfish that have moved into the area recently.

In addition to snapper, there have been increasing numbers of cobia moving into and through the Jupiter area.

Though there have been banded rudderfish out a little deeper off of Jupiter, many of those are being stolen by sharks before they can be reeled into the boat.

Some boat captains have agreed to limit the number they're taking to only three because they are in the area to spawn.

Off of Boynton Beach, anglers have been catching a few dolphin. Though they have been scatttered, fish up to 15 pounds are being caught trolling naked ballyhoo and skirted bonito strips in 200 out to 650 feet of water. Look for the color changes, any debris and birds.

Wahoo between six and 20 poundsare also being taken on the troll in 180 to 350 feet. Rigged swimming mullet, fished on top, have been very productive as have ballyhoo and bonito strips behind small Ilander-type lures.

There has been some decent sailfish and small blackfin tuna action recently. They have beenhitting live pilchards and sardines fished from kites on the east winds. Working those baits along the current edges between 190 to 275 feet of water has been key.

From Spanish River Park up to The Breakers there have been king mackerel up to 12 pounds and cobia up to 30 caught in 200 feet into as shallow as 25 feet. Drifting dead sardines on one-ounce drift rigs has been effective. Bouncing cobia jigs off the bottom and slow pitching vertical jigs has also beenproductive.

The bite along the reefs off of Boynton Beach remains slow.A few yellowtail snapper, grunts and porgies have been hitting cut squid and shrimp fished on the bottom in 50 to 80 feet of water.

Like many areas off of Palm Beach County, sharks remain a big problem off in waters off of south countyand it has been hard to get many nice fish to the boat lately.

Whether it's a monster or a minnow, if you've got a good fishing photo send it to us at eritz@pbpost.com

The snook bite in the St. Lucie River keeps getting better and better with plenty of slot, overslotand underslot fish being caught along the docks, bridges and seawalls as well as the fenders at the Stuart Causeway. Live baits are king right now, especially croakers and pilchards. If you're looking for croaker, the Snook Nook has them and are the 'croaker brokers' of Jensen Beach right now.

At Bear Point and Middle Cove, anglers are getting good numbers of sea trout. Top water lures are working best in the mornings and when that bite starts backing off switching to shrimp on a jig head or an artificial like a Monster 3X can keep the action going.

Also in the St. Lucie River have been some massive jack crevalle lately. Though they will hit just about anything, they seem to be focused on live baits.

The pompano bite along the St. Lucie County beaches is still good with a lot of bigger fish being taken now. Electric Chicken Crab and Sand Flea Fishbites are working best.

The whiting and croaker bite along the same beaches has continued to improve. First trough is the area to target.

Working the Intracoastal Waterway from Singer Island and heading south, Capt. Pat Smith has had his clients into good numbers of snook, tarpon and some big jack crevalle the past few days. Using DOATerroreyz or big live baits including sand perch and mullet has been producing good hits.

Though he wasn't targeting them, Capt. Pat Smith caught a huge black grouper while fishing from the beach in the central county area. He said it hammered a live pilchard. The fish was immediately released as it was out of season.

There were some bluefish and some big jack crevallein the same areas.

Anglers working the Intracoastal Waterway from Boynton Inlet up to the Flagler Bridge are reporting catches of snook, ladyfish, jack crevalle and small sharks. Usinglive shrimp fished around the cuts and docks during the falling tides or trolling small Yo-Zuri crystal minnows has been great forlight tackle fun. The sharks can be caught while fishing cut mullet or bonito chunks along the channel edges.

For past reports and other fishing-related information click here

Despite the wind blowing pretty hard on Wednesday, Capt. Larry Wright had his clients into 16 bass by 9 a.m. fishing in the Kissimmee River. He said they were using live shiners.

Though on Wednesday, he said they hadn't had anything all that spectacular size wise, he said the day before they had an eight pounder and a seven pounder the day before that.

In the lake itself, theIndian Prairie area has been one of the hot spots the past week with just inside the outside grassline being the target area.

If you're determined to use an artificial bait, white spinner baits and watermelon red Skinny Dippers have been offering some success.

Even though the spec season is wrapping up, there have been a few last hurrahs this week. One group of four anglers landed 152 of the tasty panfish during a trip. They were using white jigs.

With the consistent south and southeast winds the past few days, the north end of the lake has gotten somewhat churned up and makinga lot of areas pretty murky. The cold front that is forecast to push through the area on Friday, and the northwest winds that will accompany it, should settle things down quickly and have the water looking good again as early as Saturday morning.

Clown knifefish along with peacock, sunshine and largemouth bass are being around structure including docks, culverts and bridges as well as along the weed edges and canal mouths. Live shiners and shad on a one-thirtysecond- to one-eighth-ounce jig heads have been working well.

The West Palm Beach Fishing Clubs annual Marine Yard Sale will be held 8 a.m. to noon onSaturday. Held at the clubs historic headquarters at 201 Fifth St., West Palm Beach, the event will feature a huge variety of used items. Incredible deals can be found onrods,reels, marine hardware, offshore and inshore lures, dock lines, gaffs, marine artwork, boat propellers, fly fishing tackle and many more marine-related items.Proceeds support the youth education and marine conservation efforts of the Palm Beach County Fishing Foundation, the Fishing Clubs charitable affiliate. Forinformation:https://westpalmbeachfishingclub.org/;561-832-6780

All fishing report information courtesy ofAlec at the Snook Nook in Jensen Beach, Black Dog Fishing Charter, Capt. Pat Smith, Capt. Bruce Cyr and Capt. Larry Wright.

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Snook, cobia action heating up ahead of approaching cold front - Palm Beach Post

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Right Time Group of Companies Acquires Wardlaw Heating and Cooling - ACHR NEWS

LULEA, Sweden (AP) For hundreds of years, raging blast furnaces fed with coking coal have forged steel used in cars, railways, bridges and skyscrapers.

But the puffs of coal-fired smoke are a big source of carbon dioxide, the heat-trapping gas thats driving climate change.

According to the World Steel Association, every metric ton of steel produced in 2020 emitted almost twice that much carbon dioxide (1.8 tons) into the atmosphere. Total direct emissions from making steel were about 2.6 billion tons in 2020, representing around 7% of global CO2 emissions.

In Sweden, a single company, steel giant SSAB, accounts for about 10% of the countrys emissions due to the furnaces it operates at mills like the one in the northern town of Lulea.

But not far away, a high-tech pilot plant is seeking to significantly reduce the carbon emissions involved in steel production by switching some of that process away from burning coking coal to burning hydrogen that itself was produced with renewable energy.

HYBRIT or Hydrogen Breakthrough Ironmaking Technology is a joint venture between SSAB, mining company LKAB and Swedish state-owned power firm Vattenfall launched in 2016.

The cost of renewable energy, fossil-free energy, had come down dramatically and at the same time, you had a rising awareness and the Paris Agreement in 2015 to reduce global emissions, said Mikael Nordlander, Vattenfalls head of industry decarbonization.

We realized that we might have a chance now to outcompete the direct use of fossil fuels in industry with this electricity coming from fossil-free sources, he added.

Last year, the plant made its first commercial delivery. European carmakers that have committed to dramatically reducing their emissions need cleaner steel. Chinese-owned Volvo Group became the first carmaker to partner with HYBRIT. Head of procurement Kerstin Enochsson said steel is a major contributor to their cars carbon footprint, between 20 and 35%.

Tackling only the tailpipe emissions by being an electric company is not enough. We need to focus on the car itself, as well, she said.

Demand from other companies, including Volkswagen, is also sending a signal that there is demand for green steel. Steelmakers in Europe have announced plans to scale up production of steel made without coal.

The HYBRIT process aims to replace the coking coal thats traditionally used for ore-based steel making with hydrogen and renewable electricity.

It begins with brown-tinged iron ore pellets that react with the hydrogen gas and are reduced to ball-shaped sponge iron, which takes it name due to pores left behind following the removal of oxygen. This is then melted in an electric furnace.

If the hydrogen is made using renewable energy, too, the process produces no CO2.

We get iron, and then we get water vapor instead, said SSABs chief technology officer Martin Pei. Water vapor can be condensed, recirculated, reused in the process.

We really solve the root cause of carbon dioxide emissions from steel making, he said.

Steel is a recyclable material, but demand for the alloy is expected to grow in the coming years, amid a push to transform society and build wind turbines, solar plants, power transmission lines and new electric vehicles.

Steel is a superb construction material. It is also possible to recycle steel again and again, said Pei. You can reuse steel as many times as possible.

The only problem today is the current way of making steel from iron ore emits too much CO2, he said.

By the end of this decade, the European Union is attempting to cut overall CO2 emissions in the 27-nation bloc by 55% compared to 1990 levels. Part of that effort includes making companies pay for their C02 emissions and encourage the switch to low-carbon alternatives.

Swedens steel industry has set out plans to achieve fossil-free operations by 2045. SSAB in January brought forward its own plans to largely eliminate carbon dioxide emissions in its steel-making processes by the end of the decade.

The companies are well aware of their possibilities and limitations in the current processes and that they have to do something about it, said Helen Axelsson, director of energy and environment at Jernkontoret, the Swedish steel producers association.

But according to the World Steel Association, over 70% of global steel production takes place in Asia, where steel producers dont have access to the same quantities of old scrap steel as countries that have been industrialized for a longer time. Thats another reason why average emissions per ton of steel are higher in the global south.

Filip Johnsson, a professor in energy technology at Gothenburgs Chalmers University, said the vast amounts of renewable electricity necessary to make hydrogen and cleaner steel could make rolling out the HYBRIT process difficult in other parts of the world.

I would say that the major challenge is to get loads of electricity and also to provide it sort of constantly, he said.

The small Lulea pilot plant is still a research facility, and has so far produced just a couple of hundred tons. There are plans to construct a larger demonstration plant and begin commercial deliveries by 2026.

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Follow all AP stories on climate change issues at https://apnews.com/hub/climate.

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Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives support from several private foundations. See more about APs climate initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

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'Green steel' heating up in Sweden's frozen north - The Associated Press

With energy prices soaring concern about how to keep your home warm without breaking the bank is high on most people's minds. And there are some tips around on some of the cheapest ways to help keep the heat up after gas and electricity bills went up by 54%.

The NHS warns that cold weather can lead to health complications and has some tips for people.

READ MORE:Weather warning for Wales issued

Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis has been researching the issue and his team have found that the common theme is "heat the human, not the home."

"This is a guide I really wish we neednt be publishing," he says on his long-running website MoneySavingExpert, "the reason I asked Sarah and the team to put this together is due to my overflowing e-mail bag of desperation from people who cant afford their energy bills."

He added he "regretfully" advises to see the guide not as a traditional Money Saving Expert hint and tricks type piece.

He added: "It's more that were trying to help provide some options and information for those that may need to drastically cut down on energy usage due to financial desperation and some help for others who may want to do it out of a commitment to green issues."

His research team have been looking at whether wearing heated USB gloves, hand warmers, an electric gilet or an electric blanket to get warm without having to heat the entire house can help.

They say: "Wearing the right clothes can make a huge difference when living in a cooler house. But many MoneySavers also recommend getting extra warmth from electric blankets, heat pads, footwarmers and so on."

The guide points out that it costs only 14 to buy a cheap electric blanket which in turn, costs 3p an hour to run, even in today's climate of rising costs. That equals a cost per week of 1.37 if used for seven hours a day.

An electric gilet, basically a heated jacket, would cost 46 to buy and just 4p per week to run, while USB gloves would cost 4p per week to run and just 5 to buy.

Another easy ways to reduce your bills is by turning your thermostat down, even slightly. According to MoneySavingExpert, for each degree you cut the thermostat, you can expect to cut bills by around 4%, or about 65 a year on average for a typical home.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) and NHS say 18C is usually enough for healthy adults, with slightly higher temperatures needed for the very old or young.

Cutting down on your water bill can also help save on energy costs as, if you use less water, you're likely heating less water too.

Depending on your water supplier, you might be able to get a free water-saving shower head which could save a typical family around 2%, or about 35 a year on average for a typical home.

For those on Welsh Water, you'll have to use the online savings calculator to access the shower heads for free. You can find it here.

Cutting just a minute off your shower time could save 75 a year in energy bills and a further 105 a year in water bills if you have a meter 180 a year for an average four-person household, according to MoneySavingExpert.

One piece of advice often cited by energy saving experts is making sure furniture is not covering radiators, as this can block heat from filling your home. A sofa or chair will trap heat, meaning youre paying for the warmth but not feeling the benefit of it.

When you do have the heating on, it is recommended that you keep the doors of rooms shut. This is so that the heat remains within the designated space and stops cold air entering.

Putting clingfilm on windows is one of the more bizarre tactics energy savers have come up with in recent years, but the Energy Saving Trust says this one actually works. Putting a sheet on your window traps a small layer of air which can help stop heat escaping, providing an extra layer of glazing if it is airtight. However, specialist secondary glazing is probably preferable as it'll last longer.

Read more:

Ways to spend less on heating that actually works - Wales Online