FtF News #200 – 4th April 2024
FtF News #200 – 4th April 2024
The fossil fuel industry doubles down even as climate change is ‘off the charts’
Apologies for the late issue this week – I was travelling for work, and unfortunately managed to end up in accommodation without internet – unusual in this day and age, and perhaps in other circumstances would have been a blessing! Hence this is coming to you 24 hours late, now I’m back home once more.
Somehow we’ve rolled around to issue number 200 – I’m not sure I imagined that when I started this newsletter back in 2019 I’d make it to 200 posts! It’s been an interesting view into how the climate space has evolved over the past five years, from the research through climate tech, activism to the increasing politicisation of climate issues in many parts of the world. It feels like a shifting in perspectives is happening (see the FT of all people calling out the fossil fuel industry’s hypocrisy this week), but the incumbents who have benefited from the status quo are not going out quietly, even as the stakes rise by the day.
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
All schools were closed in South Sudan as the country braces for a heatwave, with temperatures expected to hit 45°C – highly unusual so early in the year.
Hong Kong saw its highest ever March temperatures since records began 140 years ago, reaching 32°C in some areas.
The Mississippi River is likely to be at low levels for a third successive year, threatening the 1tn lb of freight that moves along the waterway each year.
Canada’s record wildfires last year have kept smouldering throughout the winter, and with high drought levels in many regions, this year looks set for more record blazes.
Cocoa production has nearly completely shut down in Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, which together supply 60% of the world’s cocoa, thanks to the impacts of El Niño.
It’s Science!
The latest from in climate research and analysis
The WMO has released its State of the Global Climate for 2023, warning that many climate indicators are rising so steeply they are ‘off the charts’.
A new study has found that, after many years of being a net carbon sink, Africa has flipped to become a carbon source for the first time as human emissions grow.
Climate change made the recent humid heatwave that impacted much of west Africa 10 times more likely, and around 4°C warmer.
Numerous studies are finding links between climate disasters and mental and physical health conditions, suggesting that the climate crisis could also precipitate a major health crisis.
Geologists recently rejected a proposal to officially define the current epoch as the Anthropocene.
After years of impacts to giant redwoods in California, researchers found that there are actually many more of the trees in the UK now than in its home state.
Party Political Broadcast
Climate politics are a special creature indeed
The Biden administration has finalised its new emissions rules, keeping its planned limits by 2032, but slowing the ramp up of emissions targets to appease car makers and give them more time to comply. Naturally, no-one is completely happy, with environmentalists calling it a compromise too far, and Republicans decrying the ‘car ban’.
Meanwhile, Australia has already watered down its upcoming fuel emissions rules after political pressure, bowing to lobbying from major ICE car-makers.
After repeatedly failing to make legally-required emissions cuts, the CCC has found that Scotland’s pledge to cut emissions by 75% by 2030 is no longer credible.
Aruba is considering a change to its constitution that would make it the second nation to recognise nature on a constitutional level.
Money makes the world go around
The machinations of climate finance
Germany is introducing a Contracts for Difference scheme to the tune of €23bn to reach net zero across high emissions industries, essentially offering contracts that will pay for the extra cost of clean tech in sectors such as steel, cement and glass. The technique has been used to great effect in renewable energy, but this is the first time for heavy industry, and at such scale.
Shipping might become the first industry to introduce a carbon price, with a meeting of the IMO (the UN shipping regulatory body) discussing a variety of prices for emissions. Details are thin, but if it passes it would be a major step forward.
Haha, Business!
Climate happenings in the corporate world
A major fossil fuel industry summit in Texas saw oil and gas executives mock efforts to move away from fossil fuels, and attack the speed of the clean energy transition.
At the same time, analysis has found that emissions from fuels produced by the biggest oil companies could cause millions of excess deaths by the end of the century.
On a similar theme, Drilled did a great analysis of how big oil companies drive much of the interest in fossil fuels from developing countries, as well as extracting most of the profit, paying off elites but benefiting most people very little.
Logging companies have grabbed around 1 million hectares of Indigenous territory in the Democratic Republic of the Congo since 2000, with the government tending to favour commercial rights over those of Indigenous peoples.
Chevron is to pay a record $13m fine for past oil spills in California, even as some of those spills continue to the present day. The fines come after a long investigation by journalists that found that the company was actually selling oil from spills and profiting from it. Whilst the fine is good, the company made almost that amount from selling the oil from just one of the spills.
Deutsche Post has ended the use of aircraft for domestic post deliveries after 63 years, which will lower emissions for letters by over 80% on the affected routes.
The Future is Electric
EVs and all things electrification
A European Commission report has found that plug-in hybrids have a fuel consumption around 3.5x more than predicted, likely due to drivers charging them far less than expected.
Denver has seen huge take-up on an e-bike subsidy program, with the bikes replacing up to 170,000 vehicle miles per week.
With heat pumps on the rise, Carbon Brief has published a fact-check on the technology, debunking many misleading myths that have been spread about them.
Clean Green Energy Machine
Renewables versus coal – a look at the changing energy system
Fossil fuel producers are on track to nearly quadruple extracted oil and gas from newly approved projects by the end of the decade, led by the US, in a wave of activity that could completely blow past all climate targets. Many of the companies that have the largest share of new oil and gas projects also have net zero targets, showing how meaningless such targets are for fossil fuel firms.
India is to re-introduce limits on imported solar energy modules after relaxing them for a year, in a bid to support domestic production and reduce reliance on other countries for solar.
Breakthroughs
New inventions to inspire hope
Electra, a startup making iron at low temperature using renewable energy, says it can now make emissions free iron without melting ore at commercial scale.
Fouling that builds up on the bottom of ships is a huge problem, causing not only ecological concerns but also increasing emissions by up to 30%. Now, robots are being used to help clean the ships, avoiding what would otherwise be a slow and dangerous manual task.
Speaking truths
Efforts in activism and awareness
The winner of this year’s British Wildlife Photography award is a stunning photo of marine life adapting to waste from the ocean – a powerful image for our time.
Long Reads
Interesting deep-dives into climate-related topics
In a welcome success story, coral reefs destroyed by blast fishing in Indonesia have been regrown in just four years, through a community led scheme that uses ‘reef stars’ – special metal devices that anchor in new coral and encourage regrowth.
Whilst most of the focus has been on net-zero, some countries are now aiming for net-negative emissions. Whilst this isn’t possible for every country, it’s good to see some, particularly in the developed world, aiming to go above and beyond.
Dubai has long struggled with sustainability, despite the region being highly vulnerable to climate impacts. However, one development tried to buck the trend, demonstrating that it was possible to build a ‘sustainable city’ in the country. However, whilst it was successful, replicating the effort more widely has proved extremely tricky.