Opinion:
¶ “Climate Damage Caused By Growing Space Tourism Needs Urgent Mitigation” • Researchers from UCL, the University of Cambridge and MIT used a 3-D model to explore the impact of rocket launches and re-entry, and the impact of projected space tourism. The damage done by space launches was shown to be almost incredibly polluting. [CleanTechnica]
Launch in 2016 (SpaceX, Unsplash)
¶ “The Key To Climate Action May Be Debt Forgiveness” • It should be clear to everyone that solving the climate challenges of an overheating planet will take cooperation among all nations. It seems hard to imagine such a thing now, with lunatics running things in so many places. When enough tragedy strikes, people to act. But there may be another way. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Adventurer Chris Ramsey Talks EVs And His Upcoming Pole-To-Pole Trip – Part 1” • Chris Ramsey will drive a Nissan Ariya E-4ORCE from the North Pole to the South Pole in March 2023. He sat down with Johnna Crider for an interview and chatted about his achievements, his gratitude for Nissan’s support, and more. This is part one. [CleanTechnica]
Chris Ramsey in a Nissan (Courtesy of Chris Ramsey and Nissan)
World:
¶ “Camouflaged Figures Lurking In The Bush Expose Australia’s Angst Over Climate Activists” • New South Wales state police formed a Strike Force Guard, a special squad formed to “prevent, investigate and disrupt unauthorised protests.” Their actions look repressive. Newly elected Prime Minister Anthony Albanese vowed to end the “climate wars.” [CNN]
¶ “Will Electric Motorbike Sales Take-Off Across Asia?” • Visit most Asian countries, and you’ll notice that motorcycles swarm and buzz about everywhere. In several countries, well over 80% of families have one. Nearly all of Asia’s motorbikes currently run on petrol, but transport experts say that a big switch to electric versions is now gathering pace. [BBC]
NIU Technologies electric scooter (NIU Technologies image)
¶ “Japan Urges 37 Million People To Switch Off Lights” • Japan’s government has urged people in Tokyo and its surrounding area to use less electricity on Monday, as it warned that supplies will be strained as the country faces a heatwave. It said people should switch off unnecessary lights but still use air conditioning to avoid heatstroke. [BBC]
¶ “In Europe, 11% Of New Car Sales Are Battery Electric, And 19% Are Plugins” • The overall European car market is still suffering, down 34% compared to May 2019, and the European passenger plugin vehicle market has also started to be affected. It grew just 3% last month, with approximately 183,000 plugin vehicles registered in May. [CleanTechnica]
Fiat 500e (Daniel Przygoda, CC-BY-SA 4.0)
¶ “Light At The End Of The Tunnel As Italy’s EV Sales Recover In May” • Italy’s EV market is not yet out of the woods, but things are starting to look up again. As European countries continue their long run to electrification, the continent’s fourth-largest auto market struggles to regain the pace it lost a few months ago. But the rebound may be under way. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Voltalia Unveils 1.5-GW Brazilian PV Plans” • Voltalia has unveiled plans for an over 1,500-MW solar power complex called Arinos in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. The company said Arinos will be developed on its own account and also on behalf of third parties. It has already signed partnerships, including with CTG Brazil. [reNews]
Solar panels (Jeremy Bezanger, Unsplash)
¶ “Khan Moves Toward Running London Tube On 100% Renewable Electricity” • Mayor Sadiq Khan is beginning the London Underground’s transition to being carbon neutral as he opens London Climate Action Week. He is launching a Power Purchase Agreement, with the first tender spent on ensuring 10% of the required electricity is renewable. [City AM]
¶ “Philippines Allocates 1.57 GW Of Solar In 2-GW Renewables Auction” • The Green Energy Auction Bids Evaluation and Awards Committee of the Philippines’ Department of Energy published a list of 19 winners of a recent auction to allocate 2 GW of renewable energy capacity. It allocated 1,966.4 MW in the procurement exercise. [PV Magazine]
Philippine solar plant (Solar Philippines image)
¶ “France Likely To Restart Coal-Fired Power Plant To Deal With Energy Crisis” • France is likely to restart coal-fired power plants to cope with the energy crisis fueled by the Russia-Ukraine war, Anadolu reported. The Energy Transition Ministry proposed to restart the Emile Huchet power plant in Saint-Avold. Many of the French nuclear plants are offline. [The Sun daily]
US:
¶ “Arizona DOT Wants You To Suggest Sites for EV Charging Stations” • The Arizona Department of Transportation has an interactive map that gives EV enthusiasts a chance to express their views on where EV chargers should be installed. As pioneers of a new technology, and many of EV drivers know a lot more about such things than state officials do. [CleanTechnica]
Monument Valley (Florian Schneider, Unsplash)
¶ “Full-Bodied With Notes of Band-Aid and Medicine” • Vintners are no strangers to the vicissitudes wrought by climate change. Warmer temperatures have been a boon to some in traditionally cooler regions who are rejoicing over riper berries. But scorching heat waves, wildfires, and other climate-driven calamities have more often ruined harvests. [The Atlantic]
¶ “Milwaukee To Join Cities Nationwide In Measuring The ‘Urban Heat Island’ Effect From Climate Change” • Milwaukee is measuring its extreme heat affects, hoping to avoid heat-related fatalities like those that happened in the area in 1995. Volunteer citizen scientists with weather sensors attached to vehicles are measuring temperatures. [The Milwaukee Independent]
Have a perfectly relaxing day.
geoharvey 