FtF News #203 – 19th May 2024

Record heat (again), US trade tariffs, 15 minute cities and the benefits of bison

The climate crisis is definitely one of those long struggles. Even if we did everything that we collectively could, it would still take decades to halt, let alone reverse the impacts of climate change. And as is usually clear from the stories shared here in each post, we’re far from doing enough, with plenty of powerful actors doing their best to delay or block climate action. 

Given that, it can be tough to keep ploughing away, and not lose hope, nor look away from what can seem a rather bleak situation. I was struck by this again when reading a recent piece on what were deemed the most effective personal actions to take on climate (no surprise, it’s voting green, reducing flying, and limiting meat consumption). Individual actions might not do much, but they can help us feel a sense of action, and just as importantly, they increase awareness, and as with everything, being surrounded by like-minded people can make all the difference.

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

• Heatwaves have continued in SE Asia, with Bangladesh experiencing its hottest ever April, with temperatures 2-8°C warmer than the average for the time of year. The event was almost certainly made more extreme by climate change.

• A heatwave sweeping Mexico has pushed temperatures above 40°C in dozens of states and broke records in 10 cities, with at least 14 people dying due to the heat.

• Catastrophic floods in Afghanistan have killed more than 300 people, washing away entire villages, with aid efforts struggling due to the remote location.

• The impacts of flooding in southern Brazil continue to escalate, with over 100 dead and at least 150,000 left homeless.

• Venezuela has lost its last glacier – the first country in modern times to have done so – the Humboldt Glacier has shrunk so much that it has been reclassified as an ice field.

• The world’s oceans have broken temperature records every single day for the past year, with no sign of the trend being broken any time soon. April was also the hottest April on record.

It’s Science!

The latest from in climate research and analysis

• Recent measurements of CO2 at the Mauna Loa observatory are showing the largest ever seen year-on-year increase in CO2 levels, which are now at 425.22ppm.

• A survey of the world’s leading climate scientists shows that most foresee at least 2.5°C of global heating, with at least half predicting 3°C or more – an outcome that would completely change the world as we know it.

• New research suggests that 76% of Africa’s energy could come from renewables by 2050, and some countries, such as Nigeria and Zimbabwe, already have enough projects in the pipeline to completely transition away from fossil fuels by then.

• A new report from the WWF has found that the EU could be spending as much as €48bn each year on environmentally harmful activities.

• The UK’s targets for ‘sustainable’ aviation fuel are likely to only cut aviation emissions by 0.8% by 2040, thanks to rising demand for flying.

• A study of 170 bison reintroduced into Romania’s Țarcu mountains suggests the animals could help store CO2 equivalent to removing 43,000 US cars from the road for a year.

• Audio captures of whale song suggest that after centuries of whaling, the Antarctic blue whale population is stabilising.

Party Political Broadcast

Climate politics are a special creature indeed

• The US has cranked up tariffs on Chinese goods, massively increasing import duties on EVs and solar cells amongst a variety of other goods.

• A new study has found that some countries are writing off large portions of their emissions as ‘inevitable’, allowing them to retain or even expand fossil fuel production despite having a net-zero plan.

• The Australian Prime Minister is facing a revolt from his own MPs after unveiling a new gas strategy which aims to increase production.

Money makes the world go around

The machinations of climate finance

• World leaders have pledged $2.2bn to make 2024 the ‘pivotal year’ for improving access to clean cooking globally, with a particular focus on sub-Saharan Africa.

• Some US Democrats are looking to revive a bill that would provide $500bn to public transport and carbon reduction, after the IRA’s focus was shifted to roads and cars.

Haha, Business!

Climate happenings in the corporate world

• Despite pledging four years ago to become ‘carbon negative’ by 2030, Microsoft’s push into AI risks derailing that strategy, with its emissions rising 30% since 2020.

The Future is Electric

EVs and all things electrification

• Tesla is in chaos after CEO Elon Musk fired its entire charging team as part of a massive jobs cut, then re-hired many of those same staff just weeks later in a complete about-face.

• Whilst many in the west are accusing China of dumping cheap EVs on the rest of the world (see the new tariffs introduced by the US just this week), a journalist who visited the Beijing motor show found that China’s EVs are actually for the most part just better than those from western manufacturers.

Clean Green Energy Machine

Renewables versus coal – a look at the changing energy system

• Renewable power has now reached 30% of global energy production, with China adding 51% of new solar and 60% of new wind power alone. Were it not for a record fall in hydropower output, emissions from the power sector would already be falling.

Breakthroughs

New inventions to inspire hope

• Climeworks’ new plant, dubbed Mammoth, has come online, becoming the biggest DAC plant in the world, capable of drawing down up to 36,000 tons of CO2 per year (though this is less than one minute of current global emissions).

• Hydrostor, one of the front-runners in the field of compressed air energy storage, is to begin construction on its first commercial plant this year, which will be able to store and re-deliver up to 200MW for up to 8 hours.

Speaking truths

Efforts in activism and awareness

• Whilst Microsoft has made a lot of its climate ambitions, it has continued to use its expertise to help the oil and gas industry, something that some of its employees have spent years fighting, sadly to little effect so far.

• Michigan’s attorney general is planning to sue major fossil fuel companies for knowingly contributing to climate change.

Long Reads

Interesting deep-dives into climate-related topics

• 15 minute cities have attracted increasing attention in recent years, and this deep dive from the original author of the concept explains just how beneficial they could be.

• Norway’s massive salmon farming industry has in turn driven up demand for herring, which is causing factory fishing ships to push Baltic herring to the verge of extinction.

• A restaurateurs group recent overturning of Berkeley’s ban on gas hookups in new buildings turns out to be the latest in a long series of push-backs against legislation, and one that, surprise surprise, is likely backed by the fossil fuel industry.

• It might seem like putting solar panels in space might be a good idea, but it turns out there are a host of physical and technical reasons why it won’t work, despite the idea’s periodic popularity.