Opinion:
¶ “Why Republicans Can’t Get Out Of Their Climate Bind, Even As Extreme Heat Overwhelms The US” • Scientists say July will be the hottest month on record. And after years of skepticism and denial, a small number of Republicans are urging their party to get proactive on the climate crisis. But Republicans are living under the shadow of Donald Trump. [CNN]
Ghost forest (Sanjana’s MagicPix, Pexels)
¶ “Is Oppenheimer The Anti-Nuclear Movement’s Braveheart?” • The release of Braveheart in 1997 had an impact on Scotland’s cultural identity and politics. The independence movement and tourist industry have never looked back. ICAN, the International Campaign Against Nuclear Weapons, hopes Oppenheimer will do the same sort of thing. [Scottish Left Review]
¶ “Could A Drastic Change In Atlantic Ocean Currents Leave Chicago High And Dry? Yes” • Last week’s heat wave was not a cheery time to think about the central US getting hotter and dryer. But researchers at the University of Copenhagen say that could happen if an important system of oceanic currents suddenly shuts down. [Chicago Sun-Times]
Atlantic Ocean (Colin Watts, Unsplash)
Science and Technology:
¶ “World’s Tallest Wooden Wind Turbine Is Nearly Complete – And Its Creators Say It Makes Wind Power Way More Efficient” • Sweden’s Modvion is building a wood-based wind turbine for Varberg Energi. It will be the world’s tallest wooden turbine when completed. It will stand at 344 feet, with the blades, an Electrek report says. [Yahoo News]
World:
¶ “Canada wildfire: Firefighter dies tackling British Columbia blaze” • A third firefighter has died battling Canada’s worst wildfire season on record. So far this season, Canadian wildfires have burned about 30 million acres – more than the land area of South Korea or Cuba. Out of the 990 active fires in Canada, 613 are considered out of control. [BBC]
Firefighters (BC government image)
¶ “Greece Sees Its Most Intense Wildfire Emissions For July On Record” • The largest wildfires started by July 17 west of Athens and on the island of Rhodes, forcing nearly 20,000 people to evacuate, in the largest evacuation from a wildfire in the country. CAMS GFAS data show the highest July wildfire carbon emissions ever recorded for Greece. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Electric Two-Wheelers In Indonesia” • Out of the 125 million motorcycles in use in Indonesia at the end of 2022, only 32,000 are electric. The Indonesian government intends to use a $455 million subsidy to encourage manufacture of 800,000 electric two-wheelers and the conversion of 200,000 petrol-powered scooters to electric. [CleanTechnica]
Alva CERVO (Alva CERVO image)
¶ “Indonesia’s Minister Of Energy Urges Swift Adoption Of Renewables, Emphasizing Solar And Wind As Key Solutions” • In response to the alarming impact of climate change, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Arifin Tasrif stressed the urgency of achieving a new target for renewable energy that is three times the current goal. [SolarQuarter]
Australia:
¶ “CETF Counters Long Lead Times With 200 MWh Battery ‘Hives’” • Clean Energy Transfer Fund, based in Queensland, plans to get around long lead times and major capital outlays of grid-scale renewables projects by use of hundreds of sub-5-MW battery units across Australia to create coordinated battery ‘hives’ of up to 200 MWh each. [pv magazine Australia]
Energy Storage (CETT image)
¶ “Vanadium Battery To Power Regional WA” • Horizon Power, Western Australia’s regional energy provider, bought a vanadium redox flow battery for a long-duration energy storage pilot in Kununurra. The 78-kW, 220kWh battery will enable Horizon Power to test the provision of 100% renewable energy over long periods. [Government of Western Australia]
¶ “Pocock Seeks To Impose Duty Of Care Over Climate Harm On Australian Government” • With July on track to be the world’s hottest month on record, the independent senator David Pocock will call for a duty of care in Australian law that would require governments to consider the impact of climate harm on young people in their decision-making. [The Guardian]
Uluru (Ondrej Machart, Unsplash)
US:
¶ “VinFast Breaks Ground At Its First US Factory In North Carolina” • North Carolina has also positioned itself to be a favorable place for businesses to come and has doubled down since the introduction of the most recent federal stimulus bill. VinFast, moving rapidly into the US market, broke ground at the site of its new factory in that state. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Electric School Bus US Market Study And Buyer’s Guide: A Resource For School Bus Operators Pursuing Electrification” • The updated 2023 Electric School Bus Market Study is a guide offering school districts and others an overview of the electric school bus market and a catalog that presents electric school bus models available. [CleanTechnica]
First electric school bus in California (Theurv, CC-BY-SA 4.0)
¶ “Instant Permits Now Available For Residential Rooftop Solar Projects In SLO County” • Last week, the County of San Luis Obispo Department of Planning and Building announced that instant permits for residential rooftop solar projects are available through an automated application for permitting new residential rooftop solar systems. [Paso Robles Daily News]
¶ “Northland Transmission Line To Boost Reliability As Power Plants Are Replaced By Renewables” • Large cross-country transmission lines carrying clean energy from remote rural areas to population centers will be a key strategy for cutting emissions. The 180-mile-long Northland Reliability Project has a budget of $970 million. [Energy News Network]
Have a superbly admirable day.
geoharvey 