Opinion:
¶ “The Insanity Of Expanding Nuclear Energy” • Former nuclear regulatory top dogs from the US, France, Germany and Great Britain issued a joint statement in January strenuously opposing any expansion of nuclear power to combat climate change. There is not a single good reason to build new nuclear plants, and many reasons not to. [E/The Environmental Magazine]
Old sign (Ilja Nedilko, Unsplash)
Science and Technology:
¶ “Tulane Scientists Develop Powerful Family Of 2-D Materials” • A team of scientists at the Tulane University School of Science and Engineering has developed a new family of two-dimensional materials. Researchers say the development has some promising applications, including in advanced electronics and high-capacity batteries. [CleanTechnica]
World:
¶ “Great Barrier Reef Suffers Sixth Mass Bleaching Event With 91% Of Reefs Surveyed Affected” • Warmer waters from climate change caused coral bleaching in 91% of reefs surveyed along the Great Barrier Reef this year, an Australian government agency said. It was the sixth mass bleaching event of the reef on record and the fourth since 2016. [CNN]
Bleached coral (Vardhanjp, CC-BY-SA 4.0)
¶ “Putin Tells Local Officials To Do Better On Fighting Siberian Fires” • Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered regional officials to do more to tackle fires raging in Siberia, after at least eight people were killed over the weekend and hundreds of buildings burned. Putin warned against any repeat of last year’s fires, which set a record for Russia. [CNN]
¶ “Australia Election 2022: What Will The Vote Mean For Climate Policies?” • When Australia heads to the polls on 21 May, the outcome could be significant for the planet’s future. Still reliant on coal for most of its electricity, it is one of the dirtiest countries per capita. But it’s also one of the nations most at risk from climate change. [BBC]
Wind farm in Western Australia (Harry Cunningham, Unsplash)
¶ “Which Corporations Pledge To Reduce Business Flying?” • A new ranking of corporate air travel reveals that work is underway to reduce emissions by businesses, but more action is needed. The ranking, launched as part of T&E and Stand.Earth’s new Travel Smart campaign, grades 230 US and European companies according to nine indicators. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Glacier Dam Overwhelmed By South Asian Heatwave” • A record heat wave accelerated ice and snow melt, feeding a lake near the Shishpar glacier in northern Pakistan’s Hunza District so quickly it breached its ice dam and dumped 10,000 cubic feet of water per second down the valley. It wiped out a bridge and two power plants, and it flooded a village. [CleanTechnica]
Hassanabad, Hunza (Zachaboi, CC-BY-SA 4.0)
¶ “Green Power Growth To Flatline Without Stronger Policies ‘In Next Six Months’, IEA Warns” • The next six months will be crucial to shaping the outlook for renewable energy beyond 2023, according to the International Energy Agency. Green power growth is set to flatline unless governments strengthen policy measures. [Recharge News]
¶ “Renewables ‘Primed For Record 2022’” • Renewable power is set to break global records in 2022, despite higher costs and supply chain bottlenecks, according to the International Energy Agency. The world added a record 295 GW of renewable power capacity in 2021, but 320 GW of renewable capacity is expected to be added this year. [reNews]
Offshore wind workers (EnBW image)
¶ “SA Renewables Surge Bringing Down Energy Prices, But Consumers Miss Out” • South Australia has “substantially lower” wholesale electricity prices because of its world-leading uptake of renewable energy, but the savings are not being passed through to customers, a report confirmed. Reforms will be needed for consumers to benefit. [Renew Economy]
¶ “Norway Unveils 30-GW Offshore Wind Goal By 2040” • The Norwegian Prime Minister, Jonas Gahr Store, has unveiled plans to build 30 GW of offshore wind off Norway’s coast by 2040. The government said the ambition is that almost as much new power will be produced from offshore wind as is produced in total in Norway today. [reNews]
Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store (Government of Norway)
US:
¶ “In Las Vegas, Grass Lawns Are Outlawed” • The removal of lush green grass is happening a lot these days in Las Vegas, as it is now illegal to grow even small lawns for aesthetic use. There are many issues with lawns, including build-ups of chemicals, but the biggest problem is that there just isn’t enough water anymore to irrigate them. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Hyundai And Kia Pondering New EV Factory In Georgia” • Hyundai wants to construct a factory in the US to build EVs, and is considering locating it in Georgia. Rivian says it wants to build a new $5 billion factory there, too. But a political fight is raging over the factories, with one candidate for governor claiming they threaten aquafers. [CleanTechnica]
Kia (Image by Kia)
¶ “Fifth Third Sets New Operational Sustainability Targets By 2030” • In Cincinnati, Fifth Third Bank announced six new sustainability targets to be achieved by 2030. These targets build upon the bank’s initial five goals set in 2017, which established the foundation for Fifth Third to reduce the environmental impact in its own operations. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “The Navajo Nation’s Transition To Renewable Energy: What And Where To Expect It” • Since the closure of the Peabody Black Mesa coal mine near the four corners region in northeast Arizona, the Navajo Nation has established a transition from coal to renewable energy sources, including a solar power plant in Kayenta, Arizona. [Navajo-Hopi Observer]
Have an insightfully inspired day.
geoharvey 
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