Opinion:
¶ “Americans Want Sustainable Transportation Options, Not More Highways” • Americans want more sustainable choices for transportation, not more highways. A survey on Americans’ attitudes revealed strong interest in transportation options that prioritize walkable, bikeable, and transit-connected communities over highway expansions. [CleanTechnica]
Traffic jam (Aleksandr Popov, Unsplash)
¶ “Nuclear Facilities As Military Targets – The Zaporizhzhia Case An Overview” • For the first time in history, a nuclear plant is a military objective in a war. The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is being contested as a target in the war in Ukraine. It is a new and unprecedented situation for which the international community is unprepared. [Katoikos]
Science and Technology:
¶ “Sodium-Ion Battery Market To Surpass 2899 Million By 2030 Drives Due To Rising Industrial Use” • Global sodium-ion battery market is gaining traction as the focus shifts towards eco-friendly energy storage solutions. Sodium-ion batteries offer a sustainable alternative to lithium-ion batteries, reducing reliance on scarce resources and environmental harm. [Yahoo Finance]
Sodium-ion battery researcher (Tavo Romann, CC-BY-SA 4.0)
World:
¶ “Army Airlifts Hundreds To Safety From Fires In Northwest Territories” • More than 6,500 people were ordered to evacuate in parts of the Northwest Territories due to 236 active wildfires in the region. Some residents in the town of Hay River were forced to evacuate for the second time this summer. Others were in Hay River to shelter from Fort Smith. [BBC]
¶ “Multitrillion-Dollar Carbon Bubble? Climate Chief Warns World Leaders Over Fossil Fuel Plans” • The head of the IPCC says world leaders face a multitrillion-dollar threat by pushing plans for fossil fuel production. The UN climate panel estimated that fossil fuel investors could be at risk of losing $1 trillion to $4 trillion if governments limit global warming. [CNBC]
Offshore oil rig (Jan-Rune Smenes Reite, Pexels, cropped)
¶ “Europe Space Chief Warns Over Political Wavering On The Climate” • Europe’s top space official urged wavering politicians not to abandon European leadership on climate change. Josef Aschbacher, director general of the European Space Agency said record heatwaves and wildfires are “really alarming” evidence of the pace of global warming. [Reuters]
¶ “Crude Oil Prices Will Increase Through 2024 As Demand Rises Above Supply, US EIA Says” • The US Energy Information Administration forecasts higher crude oil prices in the second half of 2023 and into 2024 in its latest Short-Term Energy Outlook due to moderate but persistent inventory drawdowns with demand exceeeding supply. [CleanTechnica]
Past and expected Spot oil prices (EIA image)
¶ “Plan For How Indonesia Will Spend $20 Billion To Transition To Cleaner Energy” • A plan for Indonesia to spend $20 billion to transition to cleaner energy was submitted to the government, its authors said. It aims to use the funds over the next three to five years to accelerate retirement of the nation’s coal plants and switch to renewable energy. [AP News]
¶ “Pacific Flicks Switch On 6-MW Solar Farm As Hybrid Plant Powers Up” • Pacific Energy has delivered a hybrid power station incorporating a 6 MW solar array fitted with 11,088 PV panels, a 2.4-MW battery energy storage system, and a 9.5-MW gas-fuelled power plant at Westgold’s Tuckabianna mine site near Cue in Western Australia. [PV Magazine]
Ribbon cutting (Pacific Energy image)
US:
¶ “News Outlets Went All In On Maui Fire Coverage. But Did They Miss A Key Part Of The Story?” • News media have given a lot of coverage to climate change. But research by the watchdog Media Matters shows only 4% of television news segments about the disaster, during a two-day period starting August 9, tied the catastrophe to climate change. [CNN]
¶ “Feds Ease Water Cuts On Colorado River After Blockbuster Winter” • Federal officials are easing water restrictions on the Colorado River next year, after above-average winter snowpack helped lift water levels at the nation’s two largest reservoirs. Lake Mead has shown “significant improvement” because of the good winter and water conservation efforts by states. [CNN]
Colorado River (Westwind Air Service, Unsplash)
¶ “Maui Wildfires Leave Trail Of Death And Destruction” • About 2,000 housing units have been secured to house thousands of Maui residents who lost homes. Hawaii Gov Josh Green said 402 hotel rooms and 1,400 Airbnb units will be available. Another 160 residents have volunteered to shelter displaced people, and 222 displaced families are already in housing. [CNN]
¶ “Electrify America Opens Solar Plant To Offset EV Charging” • Electrify America announced that a project has gone online: a solar power plant that puts enough renewable energy into the grid to more than make up for its EV charging sessions. The 75-MW Electrify America Solar Glow™ 1 solar PV project is in San Bernardino County, California. [CleanTechnica]
Solar farm (Electrify America image)
¶ “Switching To EVs And Clean Electricity Could Result In 89,300 Fewer Premature Deaths In The US” • The American Lung Association recently released “Driving to Clean Air: Health Benefits of Zero-Emission Cars and Electricity.” The report foresees America running on clean, renewable electricity and driving all-electric vehicles. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “US Launches Program To Provide Electricity To More Native American Homes” • The US Interior Department unveiled a program to bring electricity to more homes in Native American communities, as the Biden administration looks to funnel more money toward climate and renewable energy projects. It will be funded by an initial $72.5 million. [ABC News]
Have an overwhelmingly happy day.
geoharvey 
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