Opinion:
¶ “The ‘Lucky Country’ Is Facing A Crucial Test. The Result Will Affect Us All” • Australia is called the “Lucky Country” because of its vast resources. But it’s now sitting on the frontier of a climate crisis, with droughts and floods getting worse. The government response to climate change is among the world’s worst, and the voters are set to go to the polls. [CNN]
Australia (Graham Holtshausen, Unsplash)
¶ “How President Biden Can Win The Energy War With Russia And Lower Gas Prices” • Vladimir Putin is clearly weaponizing Europe’s dependence on Russian fossil fuels to deter support for Ukraine. This should serve as a wake-up call on energy and its connection to security, telling us why a rapid transition to clean energy is imperative. [CNN]
Science and Technology:
¶ “The Uncertain Fate Of Asia’s Monsoons” • Covid-19 slowed economic activity and decreased emissions of aerosols in India. The result was that in 2020, researchers were able to study the effects of a sharp decline in aerosols in the atmosphere, and at a broader level, map the impacts on the Indian and East Asian summer monsoons. [BBC]
Monsoon (Frankie Lopez, Unsplash)
World:
¶ “Europe Is Still Confused About How To Pay Its Russian Gas Bills” • Several European gas buyers have been preparing to work around the Kremlin’s demand that gas bills be paid in rubles. But the European Commission said companies opening an account in Russia’s Gazprombank to allow conversions from euros to rubles would fall foul of EU sanctions. [CNN]
¶ “India Offered To Help Fix The Global Food Crisis. Here’s Why It Backtracked” • A month ago, as Russia’s war in Ukraine pushed the world to the brink of a food crisis, India’s prime minister Narendra Modi offered to help countries facing shortages. Now, life-threatening heat worsened by climate change is set to stunt output, putting an end to that goal. [CNN]
Indian wheat crop (Wandering Indian, Unsplash)
¶ “Climate Change Swells Odds Of Record India, Pakistan Heatwaves” • Climate change makes record-breaking heatwaves in northwest India and Pakistan 100 times more likely, a Met Office study finds. The region should now expect a heatwave that exceeds the record temperatures seen in 2010 once every three years. It should be once every 312 years. [BBC]
¶ “Ford, Volvo Cars, And Broad Industry Coalition Appeals To EU For All New Cars And Vans Are Zero Emissions From 2035” • A broad cross-industry coalition including Ford of Europe and Volvo Cars are appealing to the EU to ensure all new cars and vans in Europe are zero emission from 2035 and to establish charging infrastructure targets. [CleanTechnica]
Volvo XC40 (Image courtesy of Volvo)
¶ “It’s Now Cheaper To Switch From Coal To Renewables Instead Of Coal To Gas, Report Shows” • According to the findings of climate analytics firm TransitionZero, it is now cheaper to switch from coal to clean energy, compared to switching from coal to gas, thanks to the falling cost of renewables and battery storage, coupled with the volatility of gas prices. [CNBC]
¶ “Brazilian Community Leaders Call On EU To Stop Promoting ‘Ecocide'” • Industrial soybean farming is causing destruction and conflict in Brazil, in part driven by the EU’s biofuel policies. Community leaders from Brazil have asked the EU to stop this ecocide in a joint press release from Transport & Environment and Rainforest Foundation Norway. [CleanTechnica]
Soybean field (James Baltz, Unsplash)
¶ “Japan Nuclear Regulator Grants Initial Nod to Fukushima Water Release Plan” • Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority granted an initial approval for a TEPCO plan for releasing water from the destroyed Fukushima nuclear power plant into sea. A decision on final approval will follow after a one-month public comment period. [USNews.com]
US:
¶ “Arcimoto Announces Manhattan Pilot Program For Last-Mile Delivery Drivers” • Arcimoto and JOCO, the world’s first light EV sharing platform for delivery drivers, have announced a pilot program in Manhattan, New York City, to field test the Arcimoto Deliverator, a three-wheel EV designed by Arcimoto for local and last-mile delivery. [CleanTechnica]
Arcimoto Deliverator (Photo courtesy Arcimoto)
¶ “Ford Mustang Mach-E Is Best Overall Car For 2022 – AAA” • You know electric vehicles are going mainstream when the American Automobile Association calls one their overall best car for the year. This time, the Ford Mustang Mach-E rose to the top of AAA’s Car Guide by scoring the most points, securing the Best Overall Car spot. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Renewable Energy Industry Warns Of ‘Concerning’ Impact Of Regulatory Uncertainty” • Regulatory uncertainty could restrain the growth of the renewable energy industry in coming years, according to a report by the American Clean Power Association. It said about 10 GW of the renewable energy capacity set to go online last year was delayed. [The Hill]
Solar PVs (American Public Power Association, Unsplash)
¶ “Governor Lamont Signs Key Climate Change And Energy Legislation” • Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont announced that he has signed into law two bills that further demonstrate the state’s commitment to mitigating the impacts of the climate crisis by decarbonizing the electric sector and expanding existing renewable energy programs. [CT.gov]
¶ “Environmentalists Oppose More Life For Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant” • There are dozens of environmental and anti-nuclear organizations opposing any attempt to extend the operating life of California’s last running nuclear power plant. They say the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant is old, unsafe, and too close to earthquake faults. [KSBY]
Have an amazingly fine day.
geoharvey 