Opinion:
¶ “Hottest Day Ever, Three Days In A Row” • Zachary Shahan: I wrote a story yesterday about Monday being the hottest day ever recorded by humans. It turns out, the next day, Tuesday, was hotter. And then yesterday was hotter still. Maybe I shouldn’t write and publish this article until tomorrow to see if we go for 4 days in a row. [CleanTechnica]
Heat-related illness (US CDC Health & Heat Tracker)
¶ “Is China Really Leading The Clean Energy Revolution? Not Exactly” • China’s solar capacity is 228 GW, more than the rest of the world combined, Global Energy Monitor says. Its 310-GW wind capacity leads the world. It has 750 GW of wind and solar projects in the pipeline and will hit its 2030 target of 1,200 GW five years early. But it is a big polluter. [The Guardian]
¶ “Zaporizhzhia Alarms Should Signal End Of Nuclear Power Pursuit” • Amidst accusations from both Russian and Ukrainian sides that the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant has been wired for detonation or could be deliberately attacked during the current war there, one absolute truth remains: nuclear power plants are inherently dangerous. [Common Dreams]
Nuclear plant (Kelly, Pexels, cropped)
Science and Technology:
¶ “The Simple Ways Cities Can Adapt To Heatwaves” • Images constantly captured by the International Space Station show extreme land surface temperatures in cities. They also much cooler areas that result from having parks or water features. One study found that areas within a 10-minute walk of a park are as much as 3°C cooler than other areas. [BBC]
¶ “4000 Scenarios For A Climate Turnaround” • A computer simulation was developed to shed light on addressing climate change. It combines climate models, economic models, and 1200 energy-related technologies to analyze and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The study employed a supercomputer to calculate 4,000 scenarios for 15 world regions. [CleanTechnica]
Supercomputer (Pixy.com, CC0)
World:
¶ “Last Month Was The Planet’s Hottest June On Record By A Huge Margin” • Earth’s temperature was off the charts in June. An Analysis from the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service found that last month was the hottest June by a “substantial margin” above the previous record. The nine hottest Junes have all occurred in the last nine years. [CNN]
¶ “IAEA Chief ‘Completely Convinced’ It’s Safe To Release Treated Fukushima Nuclear Wastewater” • Japan’s plan to release treated radioactive water into the ocean is safe and there is no better option to deal with the massive buildup of wastewater collected since the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, the head of the UN nuclear watchdog told CNN. [CNN]
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi (IAEA Imagebank, CC-BY-SA 2.0)
¶ “Amazon Deforestation Down By A Third In 2023, Says The Brazilian Government” • Deforestation in Brazil’s Amazon fell by 33.6% in the first six months of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s term compared with the same period in 2022, Brazil’s government says. Lula has pledged to end deforestation, or forest clearance, by 2030. [BBC]
¶ “Cape Town Electric Bus Pilot Program Shows $34,000 In Reduced Costs Per Bus Per Year” • A case study by GreenCape and partners gives us a look at Golden Arrow Bus Services’ recent electric bus pilot program in Cape Town. GABS could save R657,000 ($34,000) in fuel costs per bus per year by switching from diesel to electric. [CleanTechnica]
Electric bus (Courtesy of Golden Arrow Bus Services)
¶ “First Nations Won’t Back Nuclear Plant Expansion Until Waste Questions Are Answered” • Two First Nations near the proposed expansion of Canada’s largest nuclear power plant will not support any new projects until there is a solution to the nuclear waste problem on their territory, the Saugeen Ojibway Nation wrote in a membership letter. [National Observer]
US:
¶ “Nonfossil Fuel Energy Sources Accounted For 21% Of The US Energy Consumption In 2022” • Primary energy consumption in the US was 100.4 quadrillion BTUs in 2022, a 3% increase from 2021. About 21% of US energy consumption in 2022 came from nonfossil fuel sources such as renewables and nuclear, according to the EIA’s Monthly Energy Review. [CleanTechnica]
US Energy, all sources (Monthly Energy Review)
¶ “Fossil Fuel Companies Paying Big Bucks To Kill California Emissions Reporting Laws” • Two bills before the California legislature would require fossil fuel companies to disclose more about carbon emissions. Not surprisingly, the industry strongly opposes both bills and is spending freely to make sure they do not get passed. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “State Regulators Approve Xcel Energy’s Plan For Battery Storage In Becker” • The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission unanimously approved an Xcel Energy project that will test a 10-MW Form Energy iron-air battery system. Xcel expects it will begin operating in late 2025. The system will be able to store a 100 hour supply of energy. [MPR News]
Rendering of a 56-MW iron-air battery (Form Energy image)
¶ “High Summer Heat Means ⅔ Of North America At Risk Of Energy Shortfalls” • If temperatures spike this summer, parts of the US could face electricity supply shortages. The latest summer reliability report from NERC warns that two-thirds of North America is at risk of energy shortfalls this summer in times of extremely high electricity demand. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Community Power Coalition Announces New Rates” • In New Hampshire, Community Power Coalition customers will get a new electricity base rate of 10.9¢/kWh starting in August. The reduction is expected to generate $5.5 million in savings and $1.7 million in community financial reserves for the 75,000 CPCNH customers. [Eagle Times]
Have a perfectly pleasant day.
geoharvey 
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