FtF News #204 – 2nd June 2024

Huge heatwaves, elections everywhere, and a surfeit of SUVs

I’ve been aware of the growth of SUVs and their outsize impact (on emissions, on safety) for a while now, but even so, I was pretty surprised this week to read that half of new car sales globally are now SUVs. Not only that, but SUVs are estimated to be responsible for 20% of the emissions increase seen in 2023. To me that’s more than a little horrifying, given that SUV growth seems to be largely driven by car companies seeking increased profits. Sure, we can electrify them, but to me there’s comparisons to be made with the oil companies – car companies make cars they know are more polluting and more dangerous to pedestrians, and point the finger at consumers when questioned about it. Legislation is likely the only way this changes, and it’s good to see places like Paris start to take the first steps towards disincentivising these behemoths.

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Wild Weather

Mother nature’s reactions to the ever-warming world

• The south Asian heatwave continues, with hundreds hospitalised with heatstroke in Pakistan as temperatures reached 49°C in some areas.

• Delhi reached around 49°C, with schools shut and residents told to stay inside where possible. It was thought that temperatures might have reached 52°C, but this was later found to be due to a faulty sensor.

• However, Pakistan did see 52°C in the south of the country, which is close to the all-time high.

• Mexico has seen record electricity demand as it grapples with its own massive heatwave, making energy and water top issues in the country’s ongoing elections.

• A deadly landslide may have killed over 2,000 people in Papua New Guinea, with the remote location and size of the disaster making rescue efforts difficult.

• At least 25 people have been killed by heavy rain and landslides in NE India, after Cyclone Remal made landfall.

• The floods in southern Brazil have now displaced over 600,000 people, with five months of rain falling in just two weeks.

It’s Science!

The latest from in climate research and analysis

• A new study has found that more than a third of the Amazon is struggling to recover from drought, with four ‘once in a century’ dry spells occurring in less than 20 years.

• The first-ever expert assessment of mangroves has found that half of them are at risk of collapse, with human behaviour the primary cause.

• The UK’s seemingly unending rain through this last autumn and winter was made around 10x more likely and 20% wetter by climate change.

• New research has found that wealthy white men from rural areas are the UK’s biggest transport emitters.

Party Political Broadcast

Climate politics are a special creature indeed

• After a request brought by a group of small island nations, the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, the world’s top oceans court, has ruled that nations must take all necessary measures to reduce, control and prevent marine pollution from GHG emissions. Whilst not binding, it is likely to precipitate a wave of legal cases.

• Sadly, Trump is back in US climate politics again, this time meeting with US oil CEOs and promising to repeal climate policies if they pledge $1bn to his campaign.

• With the EU going to the polls this week, Carbon Brief put together a summary of the manifestos of the major parties on climate change and energy.

Money makes the world go around

The machinations of climate finance

• The much-hyped target of $100bn in climate funding to the developing world was reportedly achieved in 2022 (2 years late), according to the OECD. However, now that the numbers have been released, it turns out that much of the money was repurposed from other aid.

• Climate activists are becoming uneasy about the influence of the Bezos Earth Fund, which is ploughing its $10bn endowment into many organisations, and in so doing, exerting significant influence on their direction.

• A proposal is moving through US Congress for a $500m fund to help farmers whose livelihoods were destroyed by PFAS contamination of their farms.

• The European Central Bank is set to fine several lenders for failing to consider the impact of climate change.

Haha, Business!

Climate happenings in the corporate world

• The massive Adani conglomerate has been accused of passing off low-grade coal as purer fuel, not only committing fraud but likely exposing many to extra air pollution.

• A new lawsuit filed against TotalEnergies’ directors and top shareholders is thought to be the first of its kind in accusing them of criminal responsibility for the impacts of climate change-induced extreme weather events.

• Whilst major oil companies have announced climate plans, none of them are compatible with limiting warming to 1.5°C (quelle surprise).

The Future is Electric

EVs and all things electrification

• 10 years after Xi Jinping declared China’s intention to become a world leader in EVs, the country has undoubtedly succeeded. China is now the world’s largest car market, it exports more cars than any other nation, and sells more EVs than any other.

• Whilst many manufacturers said that EV sales were going through a major slowdown in the US, it looks like actually sales are massively up for all but a few companies.

• However, manufacturers are still concentrating EVs in the biggest, most populous states, meaning those in rural areas struggle to even find EVs for sale.

Clean Green Energy Machine

Renewables versus coal – a look at the changing energy system

• China’s monthly emissions have dropped for the first time in 14 months, leading some to predict that the country may have passed its peak emissions.

• The EU’s power sector emissions have fallen around 20% since the last elections in the bloc in 2019, with every single national power system becoming cleaner.

Climate Inequity

A hard look at the inequities of the climate crisis

• Saudi authorities have allegedly permitted soldiers to use lethal force to evict locals for the much-hyped futuristic eco mega-project, Neom.

Speaking truths

Efforts in activism and awareness

• Five members of the German climate group Letzte Generation have been charged with ‘forming a criminal organisation’, the first time a non-violent civil disobedience group has been charged in this way.

• This piece is an excellent read on the power of radical activists to move the Overton window on climate action, where even the wealthiest are more open to change.

Long Reads

Interesting deep-dives into climate-related topics

• With PFAS impacts and contamination now regularly making headlines, this deep dive into how 3M covered up its knowledge of the impacts is chilling reading.

• The impacts of climate change come in many forms, and one of the less expected is that extreme weather is eroding the famous Moai of Rapa Nui.

• New Zealand has planted over 175,000 hectares of forest after a change in its emissions trading scheme promoted forestry. However, the introduction of vast swathes of monoculture pine is now starting to have serious effects on the country.

• India has one of the world’s largest food waste issues, and the problem is being exacerbated by climate change-induced heating. Many farmers and traders are small-holders and simply cannot afford much-needed refrigeration, even with subsidies.

• Japan continues to grapple with how and when to restart its nuclear power plants, which are sorely needed, but are still extremely politically contentious.