FtF #181 – 31st May 2023
Spain runs 100% on renewables, edible coffee cups and what happens when landfills return from the grave
It’s a busy one again this week, with a whole gamut across the spectrum of goods and bads, tech wins versus political sluggishness. It might just be luck of the draw, but it is definitely pleasing to see a few more positives amongst the inevitable stories of decline and impact – renewables continue to go from strength to strength, and feel like they’ve finally crested the hill where their continued success is near inevitable. There’s always more to do, but seeing at least one area start to show fruit is exciting!
Once again, this week’s issue was ably assisted by Syuan Ruei Chang, who contributed a number of the articles and stories featured this week. If you spot any stories you’d like to share, you can submit them here.
Wild Weather
Mother nature’s reactions to the ever-warming world
Torrential rains and flooding in Italy have caused havoc, killing several people and forcing the cancellation of a major Formula 1 motor race.
Global warming is now expected to pass 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels in the next five years, albeit temporarily, thanks to El Niño conditions.
Heat has also reached the Pacific Northwest, with 12m people put under a heat advisory in the region recently.
Meanwhile, the heat in Vietnam has caused authorities to institute a series of planned blackouts as the grid struggles to manage the load.
It’s Science!
The latest from in climate research and analysis
A new study has found that the Montreal Protocol, which banned CFCs, also slowed Arctic sea-ice loss, potentially delaying an ice-free Arctic summer by 15 years.
The UNEP has released a report calling for major changes in plastic usage that could cut plastic pollution by 80% by 2040. However, their focus on increased recycling has come under fire, not only because current rates are dire, but also because new evidence shows that recycled plastic is even more toxic than virgin plastics.
New research has found that biodegradable plastic doesn’t break down in the sea, adding to the evidence stacking up against the material in its current form.
Pesticides and fertilisers used in industrial farming are the biggest cause of bird loss in Europe, with bird numbers down by over a quarter since 1980.
As many as 2bn people will face unlivable extreme heat by the end of the century – over ⅕ of the global population – with the impact especially severe in countries like India and Nigeria.
Party Political Broadcast
Climate politics are a special creature indeed
The G7 summit failed to result in any new commitments, with Japan continuing to back coal, and Germany pushing for more gas investment.
Eight EU nations are pushing back on planned Euro7 emissions rules, claiming bizarrely that they will actually distract from moving the bloc entirely to EVs.
Of 600 EU laws to be scrapped by the UK, over half are environmental rules, including key regulations around transparency over plans to reduce air pollution.
Over 100 US and EU politicians have appealed to their heads of state and the UN to replace Sultan Al Jaber as COP28 president given his links to the fossil fuel industry.
Money makes the world go around
The machinations of climate finance
The IEA predicts that clean energy investment will reach $1.7tn this year (versus $1tn for fossil fuels), though that ratio still needs to rise more than 5-fold by 2030.
France is weighing up a one-off €150bn ‘green wealth tax’ on the richest 10%, in order to help fund the €66bn annual shortfall in green spending in the country.
New research has found the cost of El Niño events is at least 100x higher than previously thought, putting the price tag at $4-5tn each time.
Haha, Business!
Climate happenings in the corporate world
A new study puts the annual cost of fossil fuel companies’ impact on the planet at at least $209bn, and suggests that they pay reparations for the damage they cause.
A study has linked close to 40% of forest area burned by wildfires in Canada and the western US to emission from the largest fossil fuel producers and cement firms.
English water companies, after years of dumping sewage, now want to make the public pay for upgrades to fix the mess, whilst still paying out billions in dividends to their shareholders.
Thanks to a weird loophole of regulations, vast amounts of unused or unsold clothing from fast fashion firms like Shein and H&M is being dumped in the Atacama Desert.
The CEO of now beleaguered offset provider Verra is to resign, following investigations that showed the firm produced huge numbers of worthless credits.
Brazil’s environmental regulator has refused to grant a drilling licence for a controversial offshore oil project near the mouth of the Amazon.
The Future is Electric
EVs and all things electrification
Texas is to boost EV registration fees far above those of combustion vehicles in a bid to dissuade people from buying them.
EV charger reliability continues to be an issue that puts some off switching to electric, but more and more charging firms are designing equipment for the long haul.
Clean Green Energy Machine
Renewables versus coal – a look at the changing energy system
For the first 3 months of the year, wind generated more electricity than gas in the UK for the first time ever.
Spain also saw a new record, with the country generating more than 100% of its energy from renewables for a nine hour period.
Europe’s emissions from power plants and industry fell below even lockdown lows this year, driven by high energy prices and strong renewables performance.
Zanzibar is to construct a 180MW solar project which it hopes will make it entirely energy independent for the first time.
Solar continues to grow at an unprecedented rate – here are four charts that illustrate just how dramatic the scale of the industry is.
Research suggests that rooftop solar panels could produce enough energy to power a third of US manufacturing, particularly in the south.
California is starting to reckon with the cost of oil clean-up – a survey estimated the cost of capping the states’ wells at $21.5bn – though it’s not clear who will pay.
Breakthroughs
New inventions to inspire hope
An Australian company is making edible coffee cups in a bid to address the mounting issue of plastic lined coffee cups that currently go into the landfill in their billions.
Climate Inequity
A hard look at the inequities of the climate crisis
A/C is a much needed lifeline to millions in countries like India that are both becoming wealthier but also dangerously hot. However, that lifeline comes with a significant climate impact that also needs addressing equitably.
Around half of developing countries are unable to properly report emissions, lacking the money and tools to do so, meaning the world is in the dark about how they’re doing on the climate.
Speaking truths
Efforts in activism and awareness
A teenager in LA is suing her school after it refused to let her promote non-dairy milk unless she also promoted dairy, highlighting the close links between the USDA and the dairy industry.
In the ongoing slow-motion catastrophe that is Twitter under Elon Musk, climate scientists are increasingly finding themselves the subject of mass abuse from climate deniers.
Long Reads
Interesting deep-dives into climate-related topics
Landfills are a very human solution to the problem of waste – bury it in an out-of-the-way hole where no one can see it. Unfortunately, waste has a habit of not staying buried, and communities across Essex are paying the price for decades of housing London’s waste.
America’s love affair with the automobile is an odd thing, but examining the history, particularly in contrast to places like Europe highlights interesting differences that might show a route forward.
However, to move away from the car, the US needs better public transport, but its trains are crippled by a lack of dedicated rail and priority, though new funding offers a hope for a brighter future.