Podcasts about Methanol

This show has been flagged as Clean by the host. -------------------- 01 Introduction This is the second follow up to my 8 part series on nuclear power. In this episode I will attempt to answer a question posed by brian in ohio in a comment on HPR4583. In that comment he said: 02 -------------------- Loving this series. Maybe Whiskey Jack could give some cost comparisons between large and small reactors. He could also give us a realistic look at nuclear plant safety/accidents compared to conventional power production. Looking forward to the episode on FORTH generation reactors ;-) -------------------- 03 End of quote. The first question I answered in my previous follow up, which was HPR4628. In this episode I will attempt to answer the second question, which was about the safety of nuclear power compared to other sources of electrical power generation. One of the HPR janitors encouraged me to make this episode, so I think we can thank him for getting another HPR episode made. 04 Defining the Scope First, let's define the scope of the question. This will cover electrical power generation only. Within that scope I will consider only the following sources of energy. 05 Coal Oil Natural Gas Hydroelectric Nuclear Wind Solar I won't cover geothermal, wave, or tidal power as these are only used in very small amounts and so there simply isn't enough literature on them to base a discussion on . 06 Foreshadow Conclusion I should mention right away that I cannot provide absolute answers to this question in the form of a nice, neat ranking table based on numbers from peer reviewed scientific sources. The reasons for this will become apparent, but to put it briefly, the data on which to base such a ranking simply doesn't exist. I will however provide context within which people can think about the issue. Wherever possible, I will provide links to the references that I used in the show notes so you can read further on this yourself. -------------------- 07 Energy Catastrophism versus Energy Uniformitarianism First though I need to go off on a slight geological detour in order to explain an important analogy that I will use. 08 In the 19th century there was a great debate among geologists over what is known as catastrophism versus uniformitarianism. In seeking to explain the origins of the earth and of the landscape that we see around us, there were two points of view. 09 One was "catastrophism". This is the belief that the mountains, valleys, and plains that we see around us were formed as a result of great catastrophes which occurred relatively recently in earth's history. This explanation was necessary in order to fit geological features into an earth that was believed to be only a few thousands of years old. This view was heavily influenced by religious belief. In this view Noah's flood was the great catastrophe and the fossils of dinosaurs were the remains of animals who had not been saved on the ark and so had died in the flood. 10 The other point of view was uniformitarianism. This was the hypothesis that the landscape we see around us can be explained by the very slow accumulation of very small changes over very long periods of time. For this to be true however, the earth had to be far older than the few thousand years that a literal reading of the bible would suggest. The earth in fact had to be many, many, millions of years old. 11 Eventually, the uniformitarian view won out and people understood that while some catastrophes can take place, the shape of the landscape is overwhelmingly due to small changes over very long periods of time. 12 How is this Relevant to this Episode You Ask? How this is relevant is that I will use this analogy to explain how we need to think about energy and safety. Very small numbers of deaths and injuries multiplied over many occurrences can add up to big numbers, comparable in scale or possibly even larger than a single catastrophe or even several of them. 13 I don't know if anyone else has used this analogy before, I have just thought of this when writing the script for this podcast. None the less, I think it is a very useful way of helping to understand the issues. 14 As an example of this, think about the well known case of the safety of flying versus the safety of travelling in your car. Air crashes are catastrophes that make the headlines. Automobile crashes are seldom more than local news at best. You have probably heard many times the claim that if you making a trip somewhere, you are safer to fly than to drive yourself in your car. 15 Example - Hydro versus Solar I will now present an example of this. Hydro electric power has some notable large scale catastrophes associated with it. Roof top solar power does not have any notable catastrophes that I am aware of. However, which is safer? 16 Hydro Catastrophes Here are three examples of hydro electric catastrophes in just one country, Italy. The Vajont Dam which collapsed in1963 An estimated 1,917 to 2,500 people died. The Sella Zerbino dam which collapsed in 1935. More than 100 people died. The Gleno Dam which collapsed in 1923. An estimated 350 people died. https://damfailures.org/ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4997708/ 17 I haven't tried to compile a global list of the worst hydro electric dam collapses, as this sort of information is actually very difficult to find, even on web sites dedicated to dam failures. An additional problem is that information on whether a dam was used for electric power generation or not is often not available. 18 Dam failures where contradictory or insufficient information is available on whether there was an associated hydro power plant include the 1975 Banqian Dam failure, where death estimates range up to a quarter of a million. 19 Solar Panel Slow Accumulation Contrast this with roof top solar panels. Many small accidents can add up to big numbers as well. 20 Health and safety literature discussing solar panel safety mention things such as Falls from roofs. Electric shock. Arc flash (burns from electrical arcing). Normal electrical safety procedures which are based around locking out sources of energy do not work with solar panels which makes safety more difficult. Heat stress due to working exposed in the hot sun. Warning from US government on falls by solar panel installers. https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/228946 https://www.osha.gov/green-jobs/solar 21 Why We Cannot Compare the Two Hydro catastrophes are not well documented, but we can at least find records of some of the most notable ones. However, even those have very large variations in estimates of deaths. 22 Roof top solar deaths however are largely undocumented. The industry is largely unregulated. There is no central authority which accumulates many individual deaths or injuries. At best there are worker and public safety bodies who simply accumulate those statistics into general construction or household injuries. 23 Thus we have no reliable means of comparing the two energy sources on a comparable basis. We face the same problem with all other major electrical energy sources. So far as I am aware, there are no peer reviewed scientific studies which compare the relative safety of all of the major electrical energy sources we are considering here based on actual numbers. -------------------- 24 Safety Risks I will now try to list some the major hazards for each of energy sources we are considering. There is however limited data available. In many cases we just have reference to worker safety organizations as to what the hazards are. I will not attempt here to put numbers to these here. Categories 25 Coal, Oil, Natural Gas The hazards are Air pollution Mining and oil field accidents Pipeline explosions Transportation accidents. These- move a lot of material so these are significant. 26 Hydroelectric These include Dam collapse Drowning 27 Nuclear These include Radiation exposure 28 Wind These include Falls Confined space deaths (there is not much detail on this) Electric shock Ice throws (that is, throwing pieces of ice off the blades) This technology has a significant problem with people working alone which greatly increases risks associated with other dangers. 29 Solar These include Falls Electric shock Arc flash Heat stress 30 I have not tried to cover all possible risks associated with each category, just the ones which each industry considers to be the risks they concern themselves with. There does not exist any means by which risks of similar types are compared across different industries. 31 Reliability of Supply is Also Safety In a completely electrified net zero society, reliability of supply is a safety matter. People will die in very large numbers in cold climates if they do not have heat. If we have no fossil fuels, we need to also consider how reliably does a grid based on any of the options work. I have not seen anyone attempt to address this question and will not attempt to address it here. However, it must be addressed in any comprehensive attempt to rank safety. -------------------- 32 Studies or Articles on Estimates of Relative Safety Despite the difficulties of comparing the safety of different sources of energy, some people have attempted this anyway. Different estimates done at different times had different focuses, so unfortunately we do not have a nice set of studies that we can neatly use to cross check one another. I will however list the names and the authors and summarize the results. -------------------- 33 The Health Hazards of Not Going Nuclear By Dr. Petr Beckman Published in 1976 The author of this book tried to address the relative safety of different sources of energy in the mid 1970s. However, it is old at this point, so I won't bother digging through its pages to find his figures. 34 He mainly focused on comparing electric power generated with coal to nuclear. His conclusion was that if the goal was to prevent deaths or ill health in the process of generating electricity, then the logical conclusion was to replace coal fired power plants with nuclear. 35 The book was relatively well known at the time, as least as far as books on energy are concerned, so I thought it was still worth mentioning. I happen to have a copy of this book which I bought back in that time period It was the 8th printing of the book, so it would appear to have had relatively good sales. 36 The author did address the issue of what I have termed "catastrophism" in his comparison of different energy sources, although I don't know if he used this phrase. I don't know if he was the first to use this sort of analysis, but he certainly was very influential in terms of popularizing it. -------------------- 37 Risk of Energy Production by Herbert Inhaber Publication AECB 1119 March 1978 This study is a scientific paper from the same time period as the book "The Health Hazards of Not Going Nuclear". 38 He based his risk estimates largely on estimates of the amount of material which was used in the construction and operation of various power sources. While we could argue over whether or not this is a valid methodology, I think any such argument would be pointless as I think the age of the study alone renders it not relevant today anyway. Advancements in materials have changed the basis results significantly by now. However, as it exists I thought I would mention it to show that the idea of comparing energy sources to each other is not a new one. The author compared a wider variety of potential sources than Beckman did. 39 Here's his conclusions. He assumes equal amounts of energy produced by each method. The numbers are normalized such that the total sums to 100%. You can think of it in terms of what proportion of total deaths or injuries would result from each source if each were equally used. 40 Coal 27.5% Oil 25.6% Methanol 16.7% Wind 10.8% Solar photovoltaic 9.2% Thermal 8.1% Solar space heating 1.5% Ocean thermal 0.4% Nuclear 0.13% Natural Gas 0.08% 41 His natural gas estimate is drastically different from that of other authors. I am not going to worry about explaining it however, as the study is as I said old enough to be not very relevant anyway. I am mainly including this here out of historical interest. 42 As a footnote, the methanol he refers to would be synthesized from wood. This was a popular idea in that era as a means of providing liquid fuels for transportation. Practical battery electric cars in those days were strictly science fiction. 43 The ocean thermal category is a real blast from the past and I had forgotten all about that concept. It was a very popular idea at that time and was supposed to be *the* big and upcoming thing in renewable energy. It involved various means of attempting to extract energy from differences in water temperature at different depths in the ocean. It gradually faded away however, as despite great efforts being put into it, designs never proved to be practical. -------------------- 44 Electricity generation and health Anil Markandya, Paul Wilkinson Published in the Lancet, Vol 370, 15 September 2007 45 This is more recent than the previous one, although it is nearly 20 years old at this point. Unfortunately it doesn't cover wind or solar, just fossil fuels and nuclear. However it is still useful, and the Lancet is a very reputable peer reviewed journal. 46 I will present just the results rather than discussing the whole paper. The authors break it down into deaths among the public, occupational deaths, and air pollution related deaths, serious illness, and minor illness. 47 They break the energy sources down into lignite, coal, gas, oil, biomass, and nuclear. Lignite is a type of very low grade coal used mainly for electric power generation. In this paper biomass refers to energy crops and forest residues. 48 I will summarize the results by category rather than trying to describe a table that has 6 rows and 5 columns. All numbers are normalized in terms of deaths or cases per TWh. 49 Occupational deaths from accidents lignite 0.1 coal 0.1 gas 0.001 oil no data biomass - no data Nuclear is 0.019. 50 Deaths among the public from accidents lignite 0.02 coal 0.02 gas 0.02 oil 0.03 biomass no data Nuclear 0.003 51 Air pollution deaths lignite 32.6 coal 24.5 gas 2.8 oil 18.4 biomass 4.63 Nuclear 0.052 52 Air pollution serious illnesses lignite 298 coal 225 gas 30 oil 161 biomass 43 Nuclear 0.22 53 Air pollution minor illnesses lignite 17,676 coal 13,288 gas 703 oil 9,551 biomass 2,276 Nuclear no data 54 Natural gas edges out nuclear power slightly in terms of occupational safety, but in every other category nuclear is drastically lower in terms of ill effects than any of the alternatives. -------------------- 55 2020 Fatalities for US Roofers Increased 15% as Solar Roof Installations Increase Published in The Next Big Future July 6, 2021 by Brian Wang 56 This seems to be written by someone who has a popular science blog. I'm not familiar with it personally, but he addresses the subject so I'll list it. The title implies that it's all about rooftop solar, but he provides comparative numbers for the other energy sources of interest, so that is useful for our purposes. However, he doesn't describe his methodology, so we need to treat them with some caution. Here are his results These are deaths per thousand terawatt hours. 57 Coal - 100,000 Oil - 36,000 Natural gas - 4,000 Hydro - 1,400 Rooftop solar - 440 Wind - 150 Nuclear - 90 58 If we plot these numbers on a bar chart, coal and oil are so large that all of the others are squished to the bottom of the chart and are difficult to see at all. Let's therefore look at these in terms of orders of magnitude. Keep in mind that this is a logarithmic scale. This means that the difference between 4 and 5 is much greater in linear terms than the difference between 1 and 2. 59 Coal - 5 Oil - 4 Natural gas - 3 Hydro - 3 Rooftop solar - 2 Wind - 2 Nuclear - 1 60 Each of these numbers represents an order of magnitude, that is a power of ten. We can see that with rooftop solar, wind, and nuclear, the numbers are so close and the uncertainties are so great and their relative values so small compared to say coal that they can be seen as equivalent so far as safety is concerned. -------------------- 61 What are the safest and cleanest sources of energy? by Hannah Ritchie Published in Our World in Data First published in 2017, updated in 2022 and 2024 62 The author of this study addressed both deaths and greenhouse gas emissions. Deaths from accidents and air pollution are normalized to per TWh of electricity, while greenhouse gas emissions are normalized to GWh of electricity over the life cycle of the plant. 63 Here are the death figures. Coal 24.6 Oil 18.4 Biomass 4.6 Natural Gas 2.8 Hydro power 1.3 Wind 0.04 Nuclear 0.03 Solar 0.02 64 For greenhouse gas emissions the figures are Coal 970 tons Oil 720 tons Natural gas 440 tons Biomass 78 to 230 tons Solar 53 tons Hydro power 24 tons Wind 11 tons Nuclear 6 tons 65 If we take the death figures and rank them by order of magnitude as we did with the previous article, we get the following. 66 Coal - 4 Oil - 4 Biomass - 3 Natural Gas - 3 Hydro power - 3 Wind - 1 Nuclear - 1 Solar - 1 67 Keep in mind that the previous article covered only rooftop solar and not large industrial installations, and so is not directly comparable. Also the units are different, with the previous article being in terms of thousand TWh, and this one being in TWh. If we exclude solar (as the numbers are not comparable), Brian Wang's numbers are between 1.5 to 4 times higher than Ritchie's, except for hydro which are almost identical. I think this latter is due to both sets of numbers are dominated by one exceptionally big hydro accident. 68 Overall however, the relative rankings are quite comparable. Ritchie's numbers for deaths from coal, oil, and natural gas appear to be directly from the study by Markandya and Wilkinson mentioned above. For the benefit of those who are wondering, Ritchie specifically states that her numbers for nuclear include the Chernobyl and Fukushima accidents. -------------------- https://www.iaea.org/publications/magazines/bulletin/21-1/solar-power-more-dangerous-nuclear Direct link to file https://www.iaea.org/sites/default/files/publications/magazines/bulletin/bull21-1/21104091117.pdf https://ourworldindata.org/safest-sources-of-energy https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(07)61253-7/abstract https://www.nextbigfuture.com/2021/07/2020-fatalities-for-us-roofers-increased-15-as-solar-roof-installations-increase.html -------------------- 69 Conclusion from Studies Remember that in engineering terms, when comparing groups of numbers which contain both both very small numbers and one or more very large numbers, the differences between the small numbers are often not significant. The differences between the small numbers may be the product of our ability to measure these things rather than any real differences. 70 For example, in the article by Ritchie wind power would appear to be twice as dangerous as nuclear. However, the difference between them is 0.02 compared to 24.6 for coal. In other words, the difference between apparently "dangerous" wind and apparently "safe" nuclear is equivalent to 0.08% of the total for coal. It's therefore meaningless and a red herring to even worry about. 71 With the above taken into consideration, generally the different sources of energy fall into two broad categories in terms of number of deaths, injuries, and illnesses. The fossil fuels and biomass fall into one group and wind, solar, and nuclear into another group. 72 Hydro power would seem to fall into the higher risk category or at least somewhere between the two, but this I suspect is mainly due to one exceptionally large dam collapse in China, the Banqian Dam failure in 1975. This is mentioned as being specifically included in the article written by Ritchie. This was a multi-purpose dam, and information on this dam is difficult to find. It is not clear to me whether it had a hydro electric generator associated with either it or another dam that was part of the same system. 73 Some people therefor may argue for its exclusion from the numbers. Of course some people may argue for its inclusion anyway, as it was a dam regardless of whether it actually had an electric generator attached. If we exclude it, then I think the numbers for hydro power would fall into the same range as for nuclear, wind, and solar. 74 Most people would consider hydro power to be safe and clean enough regardless of this and I will rank it as such in any conclusions that I come to. As you can see, even if we have numbers, it can be a matter of opinion as to how to interpret them. -------------------- -------------------- 75 Taking a Systems Approach Now let's take a look at the broader energy picture today and into the future. Many countries in many parts of the world have committed to the concept of "Net Zero", which means eliminating carbon emissions on a net basis. Net zero essentially means the complete electrification of society. We must therefore have electrical energy on demand and at low cost. We must as a result of this look at complete electrical systems rather than individual sources in isolation. 76 At one time many electrical systems were entirely coal or entirely hydroelectric. This is no longer the case. There are now major amounts of wind and solar involved in many countries. However these are inherently intermittent. This means that other sources of energy are inherently also required to have a functional system. 77 If any particular solution inherently requires fossil fuels to meet part of the demand, then the safety, pollution, and climate issues relating to those fossil fuels have to be factored in to that complete system when trying to come up with a relative ranking. Talking about Individual sources in isolation are therefore meaningless in these countries. 78 There are battery systems, but these are mainly used to stabilize and regulate the grid plus to a lesser degree to smooth out short term daily peaks in demand. They do not have the ability to store large amounts of electricity on a large scale for an entire grid for days, weeks, and months to make up for intermittency. 79 So a serious attempt to rank sources of energy would need to look at a variety of representative countries and for each one come up with a plan that involves 'x' megawatts from source 'a', 'y' megawatts from source 'b', etc., and total up the values for each. 80 I am not aware of anyone who has studied this larger issue. However, the problem has to be addressed from this perspective in order for any answer to be useful. Not taking this into account is like ordering a diet soft drink to go with with a high calorie meal and assuring yourself that your plans to diet are fine. 81 This is not to imply there is anything inherently wrong with wind or solar. It does mean that if your goal is to achieve both net zero and a clean environment, you have to look at your entire energy system as a complete system rather than focusing on what you feel are the most reassuring parts of it while ignoring the rest. This does however add to the argument that it is in fact inherently very difficult to come up with a system of ranking energy sources for safety. -------------------- 82 Nuclear, Climate, and Clean Air - Contrasting Examples To give a tangible example we will now look at two different places that followed two divergent paths at roughly around the same time frame. These are the province of Ontario in Canada, and Germany. 83 Ontario had a mix of coal, hydro electric, and nuclear generating plants. Germany had a mix of coal, nuclear and natural gas plants. Ontario shut down their coal fired plants and kept their nuclear plants. Germany however shut down their nuclear plants and kept their coal fired plants. 84 The Phase Out of Coal in Ontario In 2003 Ontario decided to close all of its coal fired generating plants, which consisted of 19 units (that is boilers and turbines) totalling 8,800 MW. This phase out was completed by 2014. 85 Here are the figures for amount of power generated by each energy source in 2003 and 2014. Nuclear went from 42% to 60% Hydro went from 23% to 24% Gas went from 11% to 9% Coal went from 25% to 0% Non-hydro renewable went from 0% to 7%. 86 As you can see, the bulk of that replacement came from increased use of nuclear power. Furthermore, this did not result in simply replacing coal with natural gas. While gas is cleaner than coal, it still has emissions and if you recall from the studies that we looked at earlier, had an estimated death rate roughly 2 orders of magnitude greater than nuclear, solar, or wind. 87 To put this in more practical terms, at one time Toronto regularly had clouds of smog obscuring it, to a large extent due to these coal fired power plants With the phase out of coal, smog days went to zero in 2015 compared to 53 a decade earlier. The 2023 figures for Ontario show carbon emissions of 53 grams per kWh of electricity generated. We can use this as a rough benchmark comparison for total emissions. 88 The Phase out of Nuclear in Germany Until March of 2011, Germany generated one quarter of its electrical power from nuclear. Starting in 2011 however, they began shutting down their nuclear power plants. These were then phased out over the next decade. However, the coal plants were to be kept to 2038. In 2026 Germany began talking about increasing use of coal in order to save gas. In the same year the German chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that the phase out of nuclear was a quote “serious strategic mistake”. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said it was "a strategic mistake for Europe to turn its back on a reliable, affordable source of low-emissions power". 89 I won't go into the details of the phase out, but let's look at some emissions numbers for Germany. If we look at the official numbers from the European Environmental Agency for 2024, for Germany their emissions were 298 grams per kWh of electricity generated. Recall that we are using emissions as a very rough guide to amount of air pollution, and that this has a direct effect on the safety of the overall electrical energy system. 90 So, who actually made their people safer, Ontario who phased out their coal plants and kept their nuclear plants, or Germany who phased out their nuclear plants and kept their coal plants? 91 If you want a comparison directly within Europe, then Germany has one of the highest rates of emissions per kWh of electricity generated, whereas France, who use mainly nuclear power, have one of the lowest at 43 grams per kWh of electricity generated. Again, who is making their people safer, Germany or France? 92 I don't want to make it sound like I am picking on Germany. I am also not going to tell them how they ought to run their country. However they provide a good real world example of how we need to look at things in overall context when we are thinking about the choices that we make. https://www.ontario.ca/page/end-coal https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/smog-study-shows-significant-decreases-in-pollutants-in-ontario-1.4151183 https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/analysis/indicators/greenhouse-gas-emission-intensity-of-1 https://world-nuclear.org/information-library/country-profiles/countries-g-n/germany https://www.politico.eu/article/friedrich-merz-is-right-to-reject-germanys-nuclear-phase-out-says-iea-chief-fatih-birol/ https://www.politico.eu/article/germany-considers-ramping-up-coal-power-to-avert-energy-crisis/ https://www.iea.org/countries/estonia/electricity https://www.iea.org/countries/malta/electricity -------------------- 93 Conclusions As we can see, there don't appear to be an abundance of peer reviewed scientific studies that we can simply point to in order to answer the question of safety of all possible major different energy sources once and for all. Collecting the data to even attempt to answer the question is inherently very difficult as we cannot readily conduct experiments to answer the question, and sources of data are not collected or consolidated in a manner which can answer this question adequately. 94 The essence of the problem is that most energy industries are not as tightly regulated and monitored to the same degree that say nuclear power or commercial airliners are, so this data is simply not being systematically recorded. However, a number of people have attempted to make estimates. 95 Their conclusions would seem to be that nuclear, wind, and solar are roughly equivalent in terms of safety. All fossil fuels are much less safe than nuclear, wind, and solar, by as much as several orders of magnitude. 96 We can however say with a reasonable degree of certainty that if a country shut down their nuclear power plants and kept their fossil fuel plants, particularly coal, then they probably made their people less safe than if they had done things the other way around. 97 I hope that I have provided some context in which to think about the issue. Thanks again to brian in ohio for providing the question upon which this episode is based. -------------------- Provide feedback on this episode.

Welcome to this Methanol Market Puts-and-Takes podcast episode, part of the Chemical Conversations series.  In this episode, Senior Analyst Cassidy Staggers talks with Dave McCaskill, Argus VP of Methanol and Derivatives on: Impact of the Iran–US peace agreement on the methanol industry Potential for softer pricing in Asia and slower declines in the Atlantic basin A longer-term outlook for the global methanol market Argus offers methanol prices, news, analysis, forecasts, and consulting. Get more information and request a free trial.

Es ist nicht einfach nur ein Podcast. Es ist ein Plädoyer. Paul Cooper, der kultige Grasbahnfahrer aus York, nimmt die Hörer von PITCAST und bahndienst.com mit auf eine Runde über den Bergring. Er schildert dabei alle Details derart mitreißend, dass man sich selbst im Sattel seiner urwüchsig-brachialen Halblitermaschine wähnt. Und Cooper ruft auch dazu auf, zu Pfingsten möglichst zahlreich nach Teterow in der Mecklenburgischen Schweiz zu pilgern, um den Klassiker des Bahnsports zu erleben. Er tut es auf eine derart mitreißend Art und Weise, dass man sich am liebsten sofort ins Auto setzen und nach Nordosten fahren möchte. Wer das tut – für den hat diese Sonderausgabe vom PITCAST noch weitere gute Tipps parat: Wo kann man in Teterow essen und trinken? Was sollte man in der malerischen Kleinstadt unbedingt machen? Und was darf man längs der Bahn in den Heidbergen auf keinen Fall verpassen? Das arbeiten die beiden Lokalmatadore Danny Knakowski und Ronny Stüdemann heraus. Wem der Weg nach Teterow zu weit ist, für den hat Podcaster Norbert Ockenga einen anderen Wochenendtipp parat: eine Reise nach Ostfriesland, an die Nordseeküste, zum Störtebeker-Superpokal in Halbemond. Ockenga zeigt dabei auch, wie man die Familie für den Törn hoch oben in den Nordwesten begeistern kann: Er liefert andere Veranstaltungen in der Region als Tipps für jene Familienmitglieder, die nicht so viel Methanol im Blut haben – die man aber mit der einen oder anderen touristischen Aktivität am Pfingsmontag locken kann. Mehr Informationen und aktuelle News vom Training auf dem Bergring, aber auch zum Störtebeker-Superpokal findet Ihr auf http://www.bahndienst.com

BSH-Präsident Helge Heegewaldt warnt im neuen HANSA-Podcast vor den Risiken der Schattenflotte in der Ostsee. "Die Gefahr ist real – insbesondere für Umwelt und Küste", so der Behörden-Chef. Viele dieser Schiffe seien alt, hätten unklare Besitzstrukturen und erfüllten teils nicht mehr die Standards, die deutsche Reeder akzeptieren würden. Rechtlich sei der Umgang schwierig, weil Schiffe die Ausschließliche Wirtschaftszone grundsätzlich passieren dürften. Komme es zu einem Ölaustritt, könne dies vor allem Mecklenburg-Vorpommern und Schleswig-Holstein treffen. "Das wäre eine absolute Katastrophe", so der Behördenchef. Das Thema zeigt, wie stark sich die Lage auf Nord- und Ostsee verändert hat. Das Bundesamt für Seeschifffahrt und Hydrographie sei zwar eine zivile Behörde, Sicherheitsthemen seien aber deutlich stärker in den Fokus gerückt. Dazu zählen der Schutz von Offshore-Infrastruktur, Datenkabeln und Energieanlagen ebenso wie die Zusammenarbeit mit Marine, Bundespolizei und weiteren Sicherheitsbehörden. Das BSH ist die zentrale maritime Fachbehörde Deutschlands. Zuständig ist es unter anderem für Sicherheit auf See, Seevermessung, Seekarten, ozeanographische Daten, Offshore-Genehmigungen und Fragen der deutschen Flagge. Seit März 2023 steht Heegewaldt an der Spitze der Behörde. Im Gespräch geht es außerdem um den Offshore-Ausbau. Bis 2045 sollen in der deutschen AWZ 70 GW Offshore-Windleistung entstehen, aktuell sind es etwas mehr als 10 GW. "Wir wollen in den nächsten 20 Jahren eine Versiebenfachung der Leistung", sagt Heegewaldt. Dafür brauche es Unternehmen, die investieren, und verlässliche Rahmenbedingungen. "Planungssicherheit muss die Verwaltung, muss die Politik geben.“ Auch Cyberangriffe auf maritime Energieinfrastruktur beschäftigen das BSH. Der Jurist verweist auf eine deutlich verschärfte Bedrohungslage. Absolute Sicherheit werde es nicht geben. Entscheidend sei, "vor die Welle" zu kommen und mögliche Angriffsmuster frühzeitig zu erkennen. Das BSH lasse sich dabei unter anderem vom Bundesamt für Sicherheit in der Informationstechnik (BSI), der Marine und weiteren Sicherheitsbehörden beraten. Ein weiterer Schwerpunkt ist die eigene Flotte des BSH. Die fünf Schiffe bezeichnet Heegewaldt als "Datensammler des BSH". Rund 80 % der Einsätze entfielen auf Seevermessung, 20 % auf Forschung. Mit zwei Neubauten will die Behörde ältere Einheiten ersetzen. Die Schiffe sollen in Spanien gebaut und perspektivisch mit Methanol beziehungsweise Biomethanol betrieben werden. Auch bei den geplanten BSH-Neubauten wird es politisch und wirtschaftlich interessant: Warum die Schiffe nicht auf einer deutschen Werft gebaut werden, sondern in Spanien, erklärt Heegewaldt im Gespräch mit einem bemerkenswert klaren Kostenvergleich. Am Ende habe es zwei Angebote gegeben: "Mit der einen Werft hätten wir ein Schiff bauen können, mit der anderen zwei.“ Auch die deutsche Flagge kommt zur Sprache. Heegewaldt wirbt für eine moderne, serviceorientierte Flaggenstaatsverwaltung. Die Verfahren seien bereits vereinfacht worden, Zuständigkeiten würden stärker gebündelt. Aus mehreren Einflaggungsanträgen sei ein einziger geworden, zudem gebe es mit deutsche-flagge.de eine zentrale Anlaufstelle. "Wir haben das sehr entbürokratisiert", sagt Heegewaldt. Zum Schluss richtet der BSH-Präsident den Blick auf die maritime Wahrnehmung in Deutschland. Sein Ziel sei es, die Sichtbarkeit maritimer Themen zu erhöhen – nicht nur an der Küste, sondern auch in Süd- und Westdeutschland sowie in Berlin. "Wir sind ein Land, das nicht sehr meeresbewusst ist", so Heegewaldt.

Welcome to this Methanol Market Puts-and-Takes podcast episode, part of the Chemical Conversations series.  In this episode, Senior Analyst Cassidy Staggers talks with Dave McCaskill, Argus VP of Methanol and Derivatives on: ·  Continued impacts from the war in Iran ·  Global market update on prices, trade flows and supply and demand ·  Update on low-carbon methanol projects and post-IMO spring meeting reflection Argus offers methanol prices, news, analysis, forecasts, and consulting. Get more information and request a free trial.

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SpaceTime Series 29 Episode 49 *Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS is changing A new study has discovered that the interstellar comet 3I Atlas appears to be undergoing a change in the composition of the volatile gasses its emitting. *Large craters offering new clues to the origin of the strange asteroid Psyche Scientists believe large impact craters on the surface of the mysterious metallic asteroid 16 Psyche may provide clues about its formation. *Fighting the growing threat of space junk Debris from space craft is becoming a growing problem in orbit. Now days considerable time and effort is undertaken to track the millions of pieces of spent rocket stages, disused satellites, and collision or explosion sourced spacecraft debris currently orbiting the Earth. *The Science Report Older men are more likely to add extra salt to their food despite its health dangers. Sightings of the world's two largest whale species - blue and fin whales - have increased in the southeastern Atlantic. New study shows Nutmeg, probably originated in the Banda Islands. *Skeptics guide to the Bank of England's fears over UFO disclosures.   Our Guests This Week: Astronomical Society of Australia Page Medal winner Jonathan Bradshaw Purdue University engineer Carolin Frueh   And our regular guests: Alex Zaharov-Reutt from techadvice.life Tim Mendham from Australian Skeptics  

Welcome to this Methanol Market Puts-and-Takes podcast episode, part of the Chemical Conversations series.  In this episode, Senior Analyst Cassidy Staggers talks with Dave McCaskill, Argus VP of Methanol and Derivatives discuss: Impacts from the war in Iran Changing trade flows due to demand destruction How will global and regional prices respond Argus offers methanol prices, news, analysis, forecasts, and consulting. Get more information and request a free trial.

In dieser Folge tauchen wir in die kontroverse Welt der E-Fuels ein: Wo liegen die realen Potenziale und welche Herausforderungen müssen überwunden werden? Wir diskutieren anhand einer aktuellen Studie des Interessenverbands "eFuel Alliance", ob E-Fuels eine tragfähige Lösung oder nur ein weiterer Hoffnungsträger im Energiemix sind. Auch hier stoßen wir wieder auf die Lücke (diese entsetzliche Lücke!) zwischen Ankündigung und Realität (bzw. zwischen Planung und FID).

Als brandstof, energiedrager en grondstof voor de chemie kunnen olie en gas in principe vrij eenvoudig worden vervangen door hernieuwbare methanol. In dat geval kan het overgrote deel van de wereldwijde fossiele uitstoot worden voorkomen. Wat is daar voor nodig? Hoe ver is de ontwikkeling van groene methanol? En kan Europa de Chinezen bijbenen? Ik vraag het allemaal aan Alex Döll, de CEO van het Methanol Institute.

In this episode of ICIS Chemical Connections, we unpack how geopolitical tensions have driven sharp divergence in methanol prices across Asia—and how that volatility is feeding through into the acetic acid market. We explore why China looks structurally different, where demand is failing to keep up outside China, and what this means for producers across the region.Key takeaways Methanol shock drives regional divergence Supply exposure explains the widening price gap: China's coal‑based methanol production has cushioned the shock, while import‑dependent markets in Northeast and Southeast Asia have seen faster and sharper price spikes. Acetic acid rally is cost‑push, not demand‑led In China, acetic acid prices have lagged methanol as supply remains resilient and margins stay positive; outside China, higher offers linked to methanol are running into resistance from weak downstream demand—especially in VAM. Asia ex‑China faces limited outlets as India demand strains Spot volumes freed up by VAM run cuts have flowed into India, but panic buying is fading, gas curtailments are weighing on downstream demand, and narrowing China–India arbitrage raises the risk of broader run‑rate adjustments.

In today's episode of Astronomy Daily — S05E61, Thursday 12 March 2026 — Anna and Avery cover six of the biggest stories in space and astronomy from the past 24 hours.   Stories in this episode: •       3I/ATLAS, our third confirmed interstellar visitor, has been found to be extraordinarily rich in methanol — a type of alcohol — with ALMA observations revealing methanol-to-hydrogen cyanide ratios far beyond almost any known solar system comet. The findings offer a chemical fingerprint of a distant planetary system, and the comet makes its closest pass to Jupiter on March 16. •       Firefly Aerospace's Alpha rocket successfully returned to flight on March 11, completing its seventh mission — 'Stairway to Seven' — after an 11-month stand-down following two mishaps in 2025. The mission also validated key Block II upgrade systems ahead of the next-generation rocket's debut on Flight 8. •       NASA held its Artemis II Flight Readiness Review today at Kennedy Space Center, a critical milestone ahead of a potential April launch. The SLS/Orion stack is being prepared for its second rollout after a helium flow issue was repaired in the Vehicle Assembly Building. •       A landmark helioseismology study from the University of Birmingham and Yale, drawing on 40 years of data from the Birmingham Solar-Oscillations Network, reveals that the Sun's internal structure shifts measurably between solar cycle minima — with implications for space weather forecasting. •       NASA's Van Allen Probe A reentered Earth's atmosphere on March 11, eight years earlier than expected, with the current active solar cycle responsible for accelerating its orbital decay. Most of the 600kg spacecraft burned up over the eastern Pacific. •       Astronomers using ESO's Very Large Telescope have discovered a third gas cloud — G2t — orbiting Sagittarius A*, the Milky Way's central supermassive black hole. Its near-identical orbit to the previously known G1 and G2 clouds suggests all three likely originated from the same binary star system.   Find full episodes, transcripts and more at astronomydaily.io. Follow us @AstroDailyPod on all major platforms.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/astronomy-daily-space-news-updates--5648921/support.Sponsor Details:Ensure your online privacy by using NordVPN. To get our special listener deal and save a lot of money, visit www.bitesz.com/nordvpn. You'll be glad you did!Become a supporter of Astronomy Daily by joining our Supporters Club. Commercial free episodes daily are only a click way... Click HereThis episode includes AI-generated content.

Welcome to this Methanol Market Puts-and-Takes podcast episode, part of the Chemical Conversations series. In this episode, Senior Fuels and Octane consultant Roel Salazar and Dave McCaskill, VP of Methanol & Derivatives discuss: Methanol market headlines during the first 2 months of 2026. China MTO production and outlook Methanol derivative demand and challenges. Iranian methanol production Global MTBE market analysis Argus offers methanol prices, news, analysis, forecasts, and consulting. Get more information and request a free trial.

Bộ Ngoại giao và Thương mại Úc (DFAT) đã xin lỗi gia đình của hai nữ du khách trẻ người Úc đã chết vì ngộ độc methanol ở Lào sau khi họ bị bỏ mặc trong bóng tối về một vụ kiện liên quan đến cái chết của con gái mình. Lời xin lỗi được đưa ra sau khi gia đình các nạn nhân tiết lộ rằng họ chỉ biết về một vụ kiện liên quan từ gia đình của một nạn nhân khác.

This week on the podcast, our guest is Brandon Moffatt, Chief Development Officer at StormFisher Hydrogen. StormFisher Hydrogen develops projects that repurpose energy, water, and power, with a focus on green hydrogen and e-fuels across the North American market. The company is currently advancing a low-carbon methanol project in Varennes, Quebec. The conversation begins with an overview of green hydrogen–derived products, including e-methane, e-methanol, and green ammonia. Brandon explains why e-methanol is emerging as a leading end-use for green-hydrogen-derived fuels, particularly for marine shipping and aviation. The discussion then turns to Canada's competitive advantages in producing e-fuels, including access to low-carbon grid electricity in Quebec, Manitoba, and British Columbia, as well as the Canadian Investment Tax Credits (ITCs). With the United States rolling back support for green hydrogen in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) last summer, Brandon notes that Canada currently holds a policy advantage in North America. However, global competition remains strong, particularly from India, China, and the Middle East, where cost structures are advantaged. For Canada to remain globally competitive in green hydrogen-derived products, Brandon outlines several changes he believes are needed to Canada's existing ITC framework. These include:Allowing access to the full green hydrogen ITC when grid power is more than 90% non-emitting Extending eligibility to downstream equipment, including e-methanol and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production, consistent with how ammonia is treated  Allowing the use of carbon dioxide in fuel production to qualify for the carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) ITCThe episode concludes with a deeper dive into the Varennes project, including the potential for local job creation and the anticipated timing for a final investment decision and first production. Content referenced in this podcast:S&P Canadian Electric Car Insights to Q3 2025 (Dec 2025) StormFisher Hydrogen's website Learn more about StormFisher's low-carbon methanol project in Varennes, Quebec Note, the ARC Energy Funds are an investor in StormFisher Hydrogen. Please review our disclaimer at: https://www.arcenergyinstitute.com/disclaimer/ Check us out on social media: X (Twitter): @arcenergyinstLinkedIn: @ARC Energy Research Institute Subscribe to ARC Energy Ideas PodcastApple PodcastsAmazon MusicSpotify 

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Shaun Bowles, father of Holly Bowles joined 3AW Mornings.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In dieser Folge betrachten wir die technologischen Unterschiede von Methanol- und Wasserstoff-Brennstoffzellen bei SFC Energy. Gemeinsam mit unserem Gast Stefan Laistner gehen wir auf konkrete Systemaspekte, politische Rahmenbedingungen und reale Markterfahrungen ein. Anhand konkreter Praxisbeispiele zeigen wir, warum Lösungen nicht eins zu eins übertragbar sind und welche strategischen Entscheidungen für einen nachhaltigen Markterfolg entscheidend sind.

Welcome to this Methanol Market Puts-and-Takes podcast episode, part of the Chemical Conversations series. In this episode, Senior Fuels and Octane consultant Roel Salazar and Dave McCaskill, VP of Methanol & Derivatives, talk about: · Methanol market headlines at the end of 2025 · The Argus Fall 2025 Methanol and Derivatives update · Methanol price outlook · MTBE price volatility and trade flows Argus offers methanol prices, news, analysis, forecasts, and consulting. Get more information and request a free trial

Year 12 celebrations are in full swing, but teenagers are being reminded to stay alert to the dangers of drinking overseas, following the tragic methanol poisoning deaths of Bianca Jones and Holly Bowles. SBS Hindi spoke with Shally Khanna from Lyndhurst Secondary College to explore if smart travel should be part of the school curriculum, and to get her insights on some crucial questions.

Grotelüschen, Frank www.deutschlandfunk.de, Forschung aktuell

Fecke, Britta www.deutschlandfunk.de, Forschung aktuell

This episode examines the monumental strategic and technological changes sweeping through the cruise industry, from the urgent quest for net-zero emissions to the redefining of onboard experiences and fleet demographics.Decarbonization at a Crossroads (The Fuel Challenge): The industry is accelerating efforts toward achieving net-zero carbon emissions, focusing on a multi-fuel strategy. LNG remains the most practical choice for new ships in the near term, supplemented by drop-in fuels to meet IMO 2030 and 2040 goals. However, operators face hurdles, including supply constraints for sustainable options like bio-LNG, which requires complex solutions like the book-and-claim model to verify green attributes. Methanol is gaining traction, requiring specialized tank construction, as seen with ships like Disney Adventure. While biofuels offer easy retrofitting for existing fleets, feedstock constraints and sustainability documentation standards limit their scalability. Long-term options like hydrogen face significant challenges due to low energy density and the vast infrastructure investments required. Beyond fuels, digitalization is critical for optimizing energy use and delivering immediate emissions reductions through data analytics. Shipowners remain hesitant to invest heavily in unproven technologies without established supply networks and cost-effective options.The Icon Debut (Legend of the Seas): Royal Caribbean's third Icon-class vessel, Legend of the Seas, is set for a July 2026 debut, initially sailing the Mediterranean before repositioning to Fort Lauderdale for Caribbean routes. The ship will feature world-first entertainment, including the debut of Broadway's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory at sea, alongside the renowned AquaTheater and the largest ice arena at sea, Absolute Zero. Culinary innovations include the Hollywoodland Supper Club, inspired by the Golden Age of Hollywood, and the Royal Railway's Legend Station, an immersive, story-driven dining experience tracing Marco Polo's Silk Route. Thrill-seekers can try the Category 6 waterpark and the Crowns Edge ropes course, which ziplines 154 feet above the ocean. The ship is currently in the outfitting phase following its August 2023 float-out.P&O's Adults-Only Shift: P&O Cruises is strategically opening its formerly adults-only ships, Arcadia and Aurora, to select family-friendly sailings starting December 2026. This shift addresses the increasing market demand for multi-generational holiday options. This change has generated mixed reactions, with some long-time passengers expressing concern that the children will disrupt the tranquil atmosphere cultivated over nearly 20 years. While families are excited for options on smaller, traditional ships, P&O will only provide family-friendly entertainment, children's menus, and amenities like bottle warmers, not dedicated kids clubs or babysitting services. Passengers booked before the change have the option to switch to another adults-only cruise or receive a full refund if they act by December 1, 2025.

Send us a textIn this episode I talk to Dr Gabriel Caluzzi about drink spiking, methanol poisoning & young people's drinking. Dr Caluzzi is a Research Fellow at the Centre for Alcohol Policy Research at La Trobe University. His interests include youth and gendered drinking practices, and he recently co-authored the book “Young People, Alcohol, and Risk: A Culture of Caution”.For further reading on drink spiking, see:Burrell A, Woodhams J, Gregory P, et al. Spiking prevalence and motivation: A review of the literature: National Crime Agency, 2023.Caluzzi G, Wilson I, Riordan B, et al. Alcohol and legitimate victimhood: Analysing Reddit posts to understand perceptions of alcohol's role in drink spiking and sexual violence. International Journal of Drug Policy 2025;138:104743. doi: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2025.104743For further reading on youth drinking, see:Vashishtha R, Pennay A, Dietze P, et al. Trends in Adolescent Drinking Across 39 High-Income Countries: Exploring the Timing and Magnitude of Decline. European Journal of Public Health 2020:1-8. doi: 10.1093/eurpub/ckaa193Caluzzi G, Livingston M, Holmes J, et al. Declining drinking among adolescents: Are we seeing a denormalisation of drinking and a normalisation of non-drinking? Addiction 2022;117(5):1204-12. doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/add.15611 Support the showIf you are interested in one-to-one support for your drinking with Dr James Morris, contact him at DrJamesMorris.com For more episodes visit https://alcoholpodcast.buzzsprout.com/Follow us at @alcoholpodcast on X and Instagram

Send us a textOn this week's episode of the WTR Small-Cap Spotlight, Jeff Bonar, Chief Executive Officer of privately held CapCO2 Solutions, joined Tim Gerdeman, Vice Chair & Co-Founder and Chief Marketing Officer of Water Tower Research, and Peter Gastreich, Energy and Sustainable Investing Analyst at Water Tower Research to discuss: 1) how CapCO2 Solutions uses biogenic CO2 captured from ethanol biorefineries and intermittent wind power to produce low-cost, high volume green methanol; 2) what makes the process more efficient and cost-effective than traditional or competing methods; 3) how the technology also can support the production of SAF; 4) why and by how much green methanol demand is rising; 5) how the technology benefits the economics of ethanol plants, reduces emissions, and supports rural communities; and 5) how strategic partnerships and modular design enable rapid scaling and integration into existing ethanol facilities.

Welcome to this Methanol Market Puts-and-Takes podcast episode, part of the Chemical Conversations series.  In this episode, Senior Analyst Cassidy Staggers and Dave McCaskill, VP of Methanol & Derivatives, discuss: Update on IMO vote – implications for low-carbon methanol and marine fuel decarbonization efforts Developments in the Asian methanol market Atlantic Basin market response Argus offers methanol prices, news, analysis, forecasts, and consulting. Get more information and request a free trial.   

Methanol poisoning has surged in Brazil, mostly around São Paulo. At least three people have died, including a 30-year-old woman. Hundreds more have been poisoned. Methanol is a type of alcohol commonly found in cleaning products, fuel and antifreeze. It is highly poisonous, even in small amounts, and easily goes undetected - which makes it very dangerous. BBC Brasil's Luiz Fernando Toledo has been investigating how Brazil's methanol poisoning crisis started, and why it's so widespread. He joins us to talk through his findings. Plus, a few young women in Brazil share why they've stopped drinking, and even socialising, all together. Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6 Presenter: Hannah Gelbart Producers: Mora Morrison and Benita Barden Video Journalist: Baldeep Chahal Editor: Verity Wilde

World news in 7 minutes. Monday 6th October 2025Today : Israel Hamas plan. Japan female leader. Czechia elections. Syria indirect. Georgia, Morocco protests. Ukraine missiles. Germany arrests. DRC Kabila sentence. Brazil methanol. US treasure.SEND7 is supported by our amazing listeners like you.Our supporters get access to the transcripts and vocabulary list written by us every day.Our supporters get access to an English worksheet made by us once per week.Our supporters get access to our weekly news quiz made by us once per week.We give 10% of our profit to Effective Altruism charities. You can become a supporter at send7.org/supportContact us at podcast@send7.org or send an audio message at speakpipe.com/send7Please leave a rating on Apple podcasts or Spotify.We don't use AI! Every word is written and recorded by us!Since 2020, SEND7 (Simple English News Daily in 7 minutes) has been telling the most important world news stories in intermediate English. Every day, listen to the most important stories from every part of the world in slow, clear English. Whether you are an intermediate learner trying to improve your advanced, technical and business English, or if you are a native speaker who just wants to hear a summary of world news as fast as possible, join Stephen Devincenzi, Juliet Martin and Niall Moore every morning. Transcripts, vocabulary lists, worksheets and our weekly world news quiz are available for our amazing supporters at send7.org. Simple English News Daily is the perfect way to start your day, by practising your listening skills and understanding complicated daily news in a simple way. It is also highly valuable for IELTS and TOEFL students. Students, teachers, TEFL teachers, and people with English as a second language, tell us that they use SEND7 because they can learn English through hard topics, but simple grammar. We believe that the best way to improve your spoken English is to immerse yourself in real-life content, such as what our podcast provides. SEND7 covers all news including politics, business, natural events and human rights. Whether it is happening in Europe, Africa, Asia, the Americas or Oceania, you will hear it on SEND7, and you will understand it.Get your daily news and improve your English listening in the time it takes to make a coffee.For more information visit send7.org/contact or send an email to podcast@send7.org

Welcome to this Methanol Market Puts-and-Takes podcast episode, part of the Chemical Conversations series.  In this episode, Senior Analyst Cassidy Staggers speaks with Alex Dӧll, the newly appointed CEO of the Methanol Institute, to discuss: Alex Dӧll's background and strategic vision for the Methanol Institute and its global initiatives Key takeaways from the Argus Methanol Forum Updates and trends in the gray methanol market Methanol's advancement in marine fuels, plastics, and SAF striving toward sustainability and decarbonization Argus offers methanol prices, news, analysis, forecasts, and consulting. Get more information and request a free trial.   

Op 29 september 2023 overlijdt Linda Coen op 43-jarige leeftijd. Later dat jaar overlijdt ook Mehmet Herdem, die op dat moment 45 jaar was. Twee onverwachte overlijdens, twee Limburgers die elkaar nooit hebben ontmoet. Toch delen ze hetzelfde lot: ze werden namelijk allebei vergiftigd door methanol. Waarom kozen de daders voor dit gif? En wat doet methanol met het lichaam? CREDITS: Journalist: Phillip Pergens. Host, redactie en montage: Tom Verstappen. Muziek: Stef Lenaerts (House of Media). Chef podcast: Geert Nies.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today's episode, Hame is joined by Bethany Clarke, who shares her personal and devastating story to raise global awareness about the dangers of methanol poisoning. In November 2024, Bethany and her best friend, Simone White, were traveling in Laos when they were unknowingly served a deadly substance in free shots at their hostel. Simone, along with six other tourists, tragically lost their lives.This powerful conversation explores the deceitful and deadly nature of methanol poisoning, which is being regularly used as a cheap alternative to alcohol worldwide. Bethany explains how methanol can mimic a severe hangover, making it incredibly difficult to detect in time. She also discusses the journey of grief and her tireless campaign to prevent such a tragedy from happening to others.Bethany is determined to see a change. She details the progress of her campaign, which has already garnered significant media attention and political support, and outlines what's next, including a push for new travel warnings and school curriculum changes. This is a story of profound loss, but also of incredible resilience and a commitment to creating a legacy of awareness for her best friend.

  Welcome to this Methanol Market Puts-and-Takes podcast episode, part of the Chemical Conversations series.  In this episode, Argus Global Methanol Consultant Dave McCaskill and Senior Analyst Cassidy Staggers deliver insights into the: Key trends shaping the methanol market this summer Impact of regional dynamics on pricing direction Perspectives on the upcoming IMO decision in October Argus offers methanol prices, news, analysis, forecasts, and consulting. Get more information and request a free trial.  For more information on attending the Methanol Forum in Houston on Sept 8–10 and connecting with the Argus methanol team, please contact Cassidy Staggers at cassidy.staggers@argusmedia.com.  

Morse code transcription: vvv vvv White House talks more important than US Russia summit in Alaska Methanol poisoning Man saw kaleidoscopic light before going blind Skibidi and tradwife among words added to Cambridge Dictionary Man guilty over role in shooting of nine year old girl in Dalston Croatian ultra nationalist mega gig exposes divided society Swatch apologises for slanted eyes ad after uproar in China Herefordshire farmer sees broccoli harvest hit by heatwave and lack of water James Bond should be a man, says Dame Helen Mirren Liverpool man banned after Antoine Semenyo racist abuse report BBC witnesses Israeli settlers attack on Palestinian farm in West Bank

In this second part of the podcast, Michael Barnard pursues his conversation Paul Martin and Emiel van Druten with explores emerging insights into the Netherlands' energy transition, addressing core assumptions around efficiency, hydrogen usage, and electrification.Building efficiency upgrades yield disappointing returns, with gas consumption often rebounding within 2-4 years post-renovation, limiting achievable reductions to about 50%. The recommended solution is a clear shift toward electrification-first strategies, emphasizing cost-effective insulation to properly size heat pumps, a strategy supported by Heat Geeks' methodology and monitored at heatmonitor.org.Tata Steel's ambitious hydrogen-based direct reduction of iron (DRI) plans illustrate the industrial challenge. The strategy begins with natural gas DRI combined with carbon capture by 2025, transitioning fully to green hydrogen by 2040. However, declining global steel demand, driven by China's reduced infrastructure spending and a shift to scrap-based electric arc furnace production, calls into question the economic viability of domestic hydrogen-based steelmaking. A preferred interim solution involves biogenic methane with CCS, progressing eventually to importing green iron pellets for local processing.Contrary to broader industry forecasts, Dutch hydrogen demand may collapse by as much as 80% by 2050, drastically reducing electrolysis capacity requirements from over 30 GW to around 3 GW, reserved primarily for refineries and biorefineries. This scenario eliminates hydrogen from previously expected uses, such as ammonia production, transportation, steelmaking, and electricity backup generation.Methanol emerges surprisingly as a preferred shipping fuel, surpassing ammonia due to safety advantages and ease of biological sourcing. In aviation, hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) derived from waste oils becomes the preferred fuel, driven by its simpler conversion process, though competition for limited feedstocks will favor aviation, pushing shipping toward methanol. Electrification projections for short-sea shipping and inland waterways see significant upward revisions, with long-haul shipping partially electrified due to soaring alternative fuel costs.Transportation electrification accelerates, with full truck electrification anticipated by 2035, eliminating earlier expectations for hydrogen trucks. Industry expert Johnny Ninehuis predicts no diesel trucks sold beyond that point, emphasizing battery technology overcoming heavy transport challenges.The chemical industry faces transformation, with methanol production pathways favoring gasification of waste plastics and biomass, particularly for chemical feedstocks and fuel applications. A smaller, cleaner petrochemical sector will remain viable, shifting to low-sulfur crude and significantly cutting hydrogen demand.System-wide rebalancing adjusts electricity demand growth forecasts downward from a previously projected fivefold increase to approximately 3.5 to 4 times current consumption. This adjustment significantly reduces offshore wind expansion targets, eliminating expensive distant and deep-water installations. Nuclear power is also excluded as non-economic, positioning the Netherlands as a future electricity exporter to neighboring markets, notably southern Germany. Direct air capture and synthetic fuel production are considered economically impractical within the Netherlands, and the fertilizer sector is projected to shift towards ammonia imports as local production becomes increasingly uneconomic. Highlighting broader electrification trends, Fortescue's recent $3 billion investment in electrified mining equipment illustrates a growing momentum towards electrification even in challenging, heavy industrial sectors.    

Robert Norton, Vice President and General Counsel of Hillsdale College, sits down with Steve to make the case for reviving methanol as a fuel, and in turn, bringing back the power, performance, and innovation of great American engines. From energy independence to engineering excellence, Norton explains why methanol could be the game-changer America needs.

Stang, Michael www.deutschlandfunk.de, Forschung aktuell

Fecke, Britta www.deutschlandfunk.de, Forschung aktuell

Welcome to this Methanol Market Puts-and-Takes podcast episode, part of the Chemical Conversations series.   In this episode, Argus Global Methanol Consultant Dave McCaskill and Senior Analyst Cassidy Staggers deliver insight into: •  Recent contract and spot price dynamics •  Methanex's acquisition of OCI is complete – what happens next? •  How the latest economic tariffs impact the methanol market Argus offers methanol prices, news, analysis, forecasts, and consulting.   Get more information and request a free trial.   

In this episode (2/2), Michael Barnard concludes his conversation with Tristan Smith, a leading voice in maritime decarbonization and professor at the UCL Energy Institute, to unpack the tangled web of choices, regulations, and constraints facing the shipping industry as it attempts to cut emissions. From dual-fuel ships and synthetic fuels to compliance markets and long-term infrastructure investment, our conversation covered the broad terrain that policymakers, shippers, and fuel producers are all trying to navigate—with varying degrees of alignment and clarity.The core challenge, as Tristan makes clear, is the uncertainty. Despite rhetoric about decarbonization, the shipping industry remains paralyzed by confusion over which fuel pathways will ultimately dominate. LNG got a big early lead, with over half of dual-fuel ships opting for it before the IMO's revised climate strategy took hold. But now? Stakeholders are stuck in a feedback loop: shipbuilders hesitate to commit without clarity on fuel availability, and fuel suppliers can't scale up without clear demand signals. Hydrogen and synthetic fuels are still expensive and energy-intensive. Methanol offers potential but with its own limitations. Even advanced biofuels are subject to competing demands, especially from aviation. The result? Fleet choices made today could lock in constraints that ripple out for decades.We dove into the IMO's recent regulatory shift, a surprisingly muscular move for a UN body. The new rules focus not just on emissions, but on the carbon intensity of the fuels ships burn. GHG Fuel Intensity (GFI) targets are now baked in, with meaningful penalties: ships that fail to comply will pay fines starting at $100 per ton of CO₂, with funds used to accelerate zero- and near-zero-emission fuel development and assist lower-income countries with energy transitions. It's not a symbolic gesture. Modeling suggests the system could generate $11–12 billion annually in the first three years alone, creating a $33–36 billion fund for global maritime decarbonization. For once, there's a stick and a pot of carrots.Tristan stressed the importance of early action. Ships being built now will still be in service by 2050, and port infrastructure decisions last even longer. Regulatory clarity today means the excuses are drying up. Planning needs to happen now to avoid locking in fossil dependency for another generation. The regulation also means that even if the industry's fuel mix is uncertain, the cost of carbon is not. That changes investment calculus across the board, from ship design to bunker fuel contracts.We also touched on the equity angle. If global shipping decarbonization happens only in the wealthiest ports, it undermines the whole effort. The transition must include support for infrastructure, workforce training, and technology deployment in lower-income nations. Otherwise, we're just pushing emissions and economic pain offshore—literally.This conversation reinforced what I've argued for years: while aviation drags its feet and road transport electrifies at speed, shipping sits in the middle—finally regulated, still confused, and facing real opportunity. The IMO's climate strategy isn't perfect, but it's real, binding, and globally coordinated. It's a serious signal to a sector long stuck in the waiting room of decarbonization. Now the countdown has started.      

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Welcome to this Methanol Market Puts-and-Takes podcast episode, part of the Chemical Conversations series.   In this episode, Argus Senior Analyst Cassidy Staggers is joined by Argus lead methanol consultant in Asia Becky Zhang to discuss the following:  China's biomethanol market – including capacity updates. New Argus China Biomethanol Price Assessments – methodology, delivery terms, and more. Hurdles to new expansion in Asia – technology, cost, feedstock availability. Argus offers methanol prices, news, analysis, forecasts, and consulting.   Get more information and request a free trial.  Spotlight content: Please include the other existing Methanol Market Puts-and-Takes episodes:   Methanol Market Insights: Prices, Tariffs, and Forecasts | Argus Media  Methanol Market Podcast | Chemical Conversations | Argus Media  Chemical Conversations: Methanol Market Puts-and-Takes | Argus Media  

The thought of a celebrity falling in love with you seems pretty implausible to most of us. But why do so many people keep falling for celeb romance scams? Plus, six months after two Melbourne teenagers died from methanol poisoning in Laos, their mothers are still fighting for justice. And in headlines today singer Dawn Richard says she feared for her life after allegedly witnessing Sean Combs assault Cassie Ventura; Alleged mushroom killer Erin Patterson's phone pinged towers near known death cap mushroom sites; Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu says they will control all of Gaza while retrieving hostages and eliminating Hamas; Joe Exotic has called on help from Donald Trump after his husband was deported to Mexico THE END BITSSupport independent women's mediaCheck out The Quicky Instagram here GET IN TOUCHShare your story, feedback, or dilemma! Send us a voice note or email us at thequicky@mamamia.com.au CREDITS Hosts: Taylah Strano & Claire Murphy Guest: Carly Dober, Psychologist & Policy Coordinator for Australian Association of Psychologists Audio Producer: Thom LionBecome a Mamamia subscriber: https://www.mamamia.com.au/subscribeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nordwig, Hellmuth www.deutschlandfunk.de, Forschung aktuell

In November 2024, six people died after visiting a bar in Vang Vieng, Laos. Authorities in the country said it was a suspected mass poisoning - the culprit, methanol. It made headlines around the world, but it was not an isolated incident. It is happening across South East Asia, Central America and the Middle East, often in countries where drinking alcohol is frowned upon, taboo, or even illegal. Matthew Hill investigates a devastating story of a rising death-toll, and travels to Bangladesh to meet the people on the ground urgently working to treat those affected.

Like many people around the world we were hugely shocked and saddened by the recent news of the 6 tourists who lost their lives to suspected methanol poisoning in Laos. As sensitive and raw as this seems, we felt compelled to use our platform to try and educate and warn others about the risks of methanol and how best to avoid it. This episode is a tribute to all of the friends and family who are grieving at the moment. We sincerely hope that their lives were not given in vain and that they become the catalyst for change so that nobody else needs to lose their life in this way again.We are sorry we even had to record this episode, but we hope you agree that its as important as any we have ever had to record.Show NotesVic's book is out! Go and get yourself a copy whilst you can...https://www.booktopia.com.au/a-thousand-wasted-sundays-victoria-vanstone/book/9780645757941.htmland please give a review at www.goodreads.comJOIN PATREON! and buy us a Cuppa so we can keep being awkward!https://www.patreon.com/user?u=81897291www.cuppa.community – The Free Social Network for the Sober and Sober Curious - Sober Events – Therapy – Sobriety Courses – Sober Groups and loads more.@soberawkward @drunkmummysobermummy@cuppa.community @hamishadamscairns @patreon @spotifyIf you are struggling with your relationship with alcohol please reach out to your local doctor, a therapist, AA Group or just chat to a close friend. Don't feel shame, just get the help you deserve. Contact us! If you have a topic you'd like us to cover then please email us -vicandhamish@soberawkward.comSign up to our 30 Day Sober Tour Guide at www.soberawkward.com#soberawkward #soberawkwardpodcast #drunkmummysobermummy #cuppa.community #sober #sobermom #sobermummy #sobriety #soberaf #sobermovement #sobercurious #alcoholfree #mummybloggers #writersofinsta #soberfamily #greyareadrinking #addiction #soberissexy #soberwomen #sobermomtribe #sobrietyrocks #soberlifestyle #alcoholfreelife #wedorecover #sobernation #mumblog #mentalhealth #motherhood #wineoclock #sobermums #selfcare #womeninrecovery #sobercommunity #soberdads #1000sundays Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Not all hangovers leave you blind, but Ashley King's did. In this episode, the actor and playwright shares her harrowing experience of methanol poisoning after being served a contaminated beverage while on vacation in Bali. Unlike ethanol, the alcohol found in drinks, methanol is highly toxic and can cause severe health issues. This tragedy left Ashley with irreversible vision loss. From the life-saving medical intervention in New Zealand to navigating daily life with a disability, Ashley's story is one of resilience and reinvention. She opens up about the emotional toll, shifting social circles, and the internalized ableism that kept her from even telling a date she was blind. Ashley also dives into her creative process for Static, a darkly comedic play (and podcast) inspired by her journey. With humour and heart, she sheds light on the hidden dangers of homemade alcohol and the power of storytelling in healing.Be sure to check out Ashley's new podcast Static: A Party Girl's Memoir.Check out some of our other episodes where guests share their experiences with blindness here, here and here.Follow Sickboy on Instagram, TikTok and Discord!