Florian Ahrens

@[email protected]
13 Followers
36 Following
27 Posts
PhD student @ Heriot-Watt University Island Centre for Net Zero, Energy Transition, Transition Engineering, Transition Labs, No. 1 Rule: Downshift Fossil Fuels, transdisciplinary energy systems research
energy transition
transition engineering
transition labs
fossil-fuel downshift
Florian AhrensJan 25, 2023
Christian SchwägerlJan 25, 2023
Es wäre großer Fortschritt, wenn unter „Technologieoffenheit“ auch verstanden würde, existierende Technologien, mit denen sich Probleme lösen lassen, zu forcieren – vom Fahrrad für klimaneutrale urbane Mobilität über Tempolimitierung via Gaspedal beim Auto bis zu erneuerbaren Energietechniken. Stattdessen wird mit „Technologieoffenheit“ aber die reine Hoffnung auf noch nicht einsatzreife Verfahren instrumentalisiert, um alten Businessmodellen Zeit zu verschaffen – das Gegenteil von Innovation.
Show threadFlorian AhrensJan 13, 2023
@ChrisBataille the takeover of massive waste reduction can’t come soon enough. Maybe that’s enough to reduce oil used in garbage management by 80% instead of building massive batteries into massive trucks?
Show threadFlorian AhrensJan 13, 2023
@rutherdan did anybody ever crunch the numbers to see if SAF even makes sense? Like, for real - everyone can claim growth numbers but I don’t see the engineering system analysis behind it.
Show threadFlorian AhrensJan 6, 2023
@ths4bc @denki @Herbstfreud @VQuaschning die Studienlage zu grünem Düngemittel sieht das aber etwas anders https://doi.org/10.3390/su14148564
Decarbonization of Nitrogen Fertilizer: A Transition Engineering Desk Study for Agriculture in Germany

The use of fossil fuel and artificial nitrogen fertilizer in German agriculture is a wicked problem. The incumbent system allows access to nutrition, but relies on unsustainable fossil fuel, produces greenhouse gas emissions along the whole production chain, and nitrogen pollution. This article uses the Interdisciplinary Transition Innovation, Engineering, and Management (InTIME) method for German agriculture systems with data from FAO and the German Ministry For Food And Agriculture. The purpose of this article is a rigorous analysis of the complex agriculture system and the development of feasible opportunities for sustainable carbon downshifting. Sustainability indicators are biodiversity loss, fossil-fuel use, mineral depletion, energy use, carbon emissions and eutrophication. The results indicate that the technology-based solution of “green hydrogen” as a substitute for fossil hydrogen in the fertilizer production decreases the sustainability of the agriculture system. The most promising results arise from shifting consumption of meat and animal-based products to a more plant based diet, and transitioning to organic agriculture. Net-zero sustainability goals and a reduction in eutrophication are achieved by 75% downshift of animal products and the upscaling of organic agriculture. Strategic scenarios to achieve the results are developed and recommendations for policy implementation to ease the transition are examined.

MDPI
Show threadFlorian AhrensJan 6, 2023
@rahmstorf es wäre bereits ein großer Schritt wenn in den UNSDG ganz klar „fossil fuel downshift“ als oberstes Ziel stehen würde.
Show threadFlorian AhrensJan 2, 2023
@Hypx „The original catenary power supply system was replaced by a hydrogen fuel cell and supercapacitor energy supply mode for the hydrogen-powered city train.“ - doing hydrogen trains is nowhere near a sustainable transport system
Show threadFlorian AhrensDec 26, 2022
@pauleastwood although we can be happy about these costs, we shouldn’t forget that unit cost does not represent the cost of an energy system that runs entirely on renewable without demand side flexibility.
Show threadFlorian AhrensDec 22, 2022
@giulio_mattioli From the Irish climate action plan for transport „We will drive policies to reduce transport emissions by improving our town, cities and rural planning, and by adopting the Avoid-Shift-Improve approach: reducing or avoiding the need for travel, shifting to public transport, walking and cycling and improving the energy efficiency of vehicles.“ What do we find when we look into the German climate action plan for transport?
Florian AhrensDec 21, 2022
Qasim Rashid, Esq.Dec 20, 2022

I think the biggest thing about Mastodon that I'm enjoying is the normalizing of dialogue. Questions aren't dunks, they're inquiries to understand better. A perhaps not the best stated phrase is still taken with positive intent. And the atmosphere really does focus on uplifting voices, rather than finding the next target.

All of the above has exceptions, of course, but after all exceptions prove the rule.

Grateful for this growing Mastodon community. I appreciate you. ❤️✊🏽

Show threadFlorian AhrensDec 20, 2022
@andrew interesting! Do you know how they intend to separate the shredded metals? Flotation processes? Last I checked it was feasible on a prototype scale but far away from managing even current volumes of batteries.