Opinion:
¶ “Our Survival Depends On Treating Nature With More Respect” • Intersecting and escalating crises – disruption of our climate, the collapse of biodiversity, the declining health of the ocean and the depletion of natural resources – demonstrate clearly that we cannot continue on our current path. We are the authors of our own misfortune. [CNN]
Disapproving kingfisher (Vincent van Zalinge, Unsplash)
Science and Technology:
¶ “Clean Planet Energy Makes Fuels For Airplanes & Ships From Non-Recyclable Plastics” • The twin scourges of the modern world are carbon emissions and plastic waste. What if there was a way to take some of that plastic waste and turn it into clean burning fuels for aircraft and ships? Clean Planet Energy says it is doing just that. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “The Rivers That ‘Breathe’ Greenhouse Gases” • Rivers are a surprisingly large source of greenhouse gases, and pollution makes their emissions many times worse. On the surface, the New Territories appear to be Hong Kong’s green lung, but the reality is rather more disconcerting. It is releasing large amounts of greenhouse gases. [BBC]
New Territories (Ivan Theodoulou, Unsplash, cropped)
World:
¶ “Australia floods: Saving a home from fires only to lose it in floods” • Rob Costigan, an Australian farmer, has lost his dream home in the floods currently coursing through the nation. What makes the loss additionally brutal is that the family spent a week fighting hard to save their homes from Australia’s bushfires, just a year ago. [BBC]
¶ “World’s Biggest Coal Company Bets On Solar Power” • The world’s largest coal mining firm is to “aggressively” pursue solar energy and continue to close smaller mines. Coal India Limited plans to invest in a 3,000-MW solar project in a joint venture with state-run NLC India. It marks a major shift for CIL, which produces most of India’s coal. [BBC]
Solar array (Antonio Garcia, Unsplash)
¶ “Banishing Coal For Power Holds Key To India’s Net-Zero Goal” • India must phase out its coal-fired power plants by the middle of this century to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by that time, according to a report published by The Energy and Resources Institute, a New Delhi-based think-tank, and Royal Dutch Shell Plc. [The Indian Express]
¶ “Kraków Starts Receiving Electric Buses From Solaris” • The Polish city of Kraków ordered 50 electric buses from the Polish bus company Solaris last year. Those buses are now beginning to get delivered. The city already had 28 electric buses, among 366 other non-electric Solaris buses. So, Kraków is turning to electric buses, but still has a way to go. [CleanTechnica]
Solaris buses in Kraków
¶ “China To Adapt Power Generation To Run On Hydrogen” • China aims to retrofit coal-based utilities to shift from coal to hydrogen for power generation, targeting 100 GW of hydrogen-based generation capacity by 2050, and doubling that by 2060, according to Global Energy Interconnection Development & Cooperation Organization. [Upstream Online]
¶ “300-MW Green Hydrogen Plant Planned For Brazilian Port” • Porto do Açu Operações SA has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Fortescue Future Industries to conduct feasibility studies on a 300-MW green hydrogen plant at the Port of Açu in Brazil. It would produce 250,000 metric tons of green ammonia. [Power Engineering International]
Porto do Açu (Porto do Açu Operações SA image, cropped)
¶ “Australia Set To Reach Carbon Net-Zero Target A Decade Sooner Than Others” • Australia has had rapid uptake of small solar systems, while large-scale renewable projects accelerate our push towards a net-zero carbon future. Australian National University engineering found that Australia could likely reach net-zero emissions by 2040. [Energy Matters]
US:
¶ “St Louis Initiates Electric Transition” • St Louis is setting a brisk pace on its path toward clean transportation. In February, Mayor Lyda Krewson signed an executive order that formally begins the transition for the city fleet, requiring city departments to prioritize acquiring EVs over conventional vehicles as part of the city’s carbon neutrality efforts. [CleanTechnica]
St Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson signing Executive Order
¶ “Castañer, Puerto Rico Selected For Solar Energy Microgrid Project” • The village of Castañer, Puerto Rico was selected for a solar energy microgrid project, as part of an initiative led by The Solar Foundation and Pathstone Corp to strengthen and expand the solar industry in Puerto Rico and to make its communities more resilient. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Hyundai EV Buyers Get Free Ultrafast Charging With Electrify America” • People who buy a 2021 Hyundai Kona Electric or Hyundai Ioniq Electric are now given 250 kWh of free ultrafast charging on the Electrify America network. Hyundai estimates that 250 kWh comes out to about 1,000 miles of range (based on the EPA ratings). [CleanTechnica]
Hyundai Ioniq charging (Image courtesy of Hyundai)
¶ “FERC Adopts GHG Review in Natural Gas Order” • The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has incorporated a review of climate change impacts in a natural gas certificate decision, sparking a sharp debate among the commissioners over the major policy implications for future infrastructure projects under its purview. [Natural Gas Intelligence]
¶ “Fed, Treasury Vow To Evaluate Climate Change Risk To Financial System” • Two top Federal Reserve officials and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen reaffirmed the government’s commitment to assessing the risks that climate change pose to the financial system. The Federal Reserve will form a Financial Stability Climate Committee. [American Banker]
Have a hugely successful day.
geoharvey 