World:
¶ “Storm Daniel: Greek Farmers Fear They May Never Recover” • During Storm Daniel, one of the worst hit parts of Greece was the Thessaly plain, an important agricultural area. Fruit trees, corn, and around a fifth of the cotton crop were destroyed and over 200,000 animals and poultry killed. The short-term cost could be up to €5 billion ($5.3 billion). [BBC]
Storm Daniel, three days of deluge (NASA, public domain)
¶ “Half Of UK Drivers See E-Bikes As Viable Alternative For Shorter Trips” • According to recent consumer research by Auto Trader UK, British car owners are increasingly considering the practical option of e-bikes for shorter journeys. Almost half (47%) view the e-bikes as a viable alternative. Nevertheless, the pace of growth is slow. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “50 New Electric Buses Will Soon Be Operating In Edinburgh” • Lothian Buses, a public transit provider in Edinburgh and the Lothians, ordered 50 new electric Volvo BZL buses for its fleet. The 50 double-deck buses cost over £24 million. They have zero direct emissions and will help improve air quality. They will start operating in 2024. [CleanTechnica]
Electric bus in Edinburgh (Volvo Bus UK & Ireland)
¶ “Renewable Energy Jobs Soared To 13.7 Million In 2022, Says Report” • Worldwide employment in renewable energy reached 13.7 million in 2022, an increase of one million since 2021 and up from a total of 7.3 million in 2012, according to a report by the International Renewable Energy Agency and the International Labour Organization. [The Business Standard]
¶ “Green Energy In Uzbekistan: Prospects Of Solar And Wind Power Plants” • According to the estimates of the International Energy Agency and the UN Economic Commission for Europe, Uzbekistan has a potential to produce 2,091 billion kWh per year from solar and windpower. That is thirty times as great as the country’s annual consumption. [Gulf Times]
Masdar solar farm in Uzbekistan
¶ “Solar-Powered Pump Charges Water Changes In Ethiopian Village” • The village of Gol’Anod has a pump to provide its water. There was a time when the pump was driven by a diesel engine, but now, it is solar-powered. But it was upgraded by Oxfam in 2022 with the installation of a set of solar panels as an alternative power source. [Oxfam America]
¶ “Atlas Renewable Energy commissions 600 MW Of Solar PV In Brazil” • Latin America-focused solar developer Atlas Renewable Energy has commissioned 600 MW of solar PV in Brazil. Sited in the eastern state of Minas Gerais, the two solar plants, Lar do Sol and Casablanca, have installed capacities of 239 MW and 359 MW, respectively. [PV Tech]
Casablanca solar plant (Atlas Renewable Energy image)
¶ “IAEA Demands Russia Immediately Leave Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant” • The International Atomic Energy Agency General Conference has adopted a resolution on the immediate return of the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant under Ukraine’s full control. There were 69 countries in support of the resolution. [Energy Central]
US:
¶ “Biden Administration Approves More Offshore Drilling In Bid To Expand Wind Energy” • The Biden administration revealed plans for as many as three new oil and gas drilling lease sales in federal waters over the next five years. The Interior Department was required by law to create the plan, but the number of leases offered is the smallest in history. [CNN]
Offshore oil rig (Kayden Moore, Pexels, cropped)
¶ “Record Rain In New York City Generates ‘Life-Threatening’ Flooding, Overwhelming Streets And Subways” • Record-setting rain overwhelmed New York City’s sewer system, sending a surge of floodwater coursing through streets and into basements and subways. A month’s worth of rain fell in Brooklyn in just three hours in a deluge worsened by climate change. [CNN]
¶ “Sea Lion Escapes From Central Park Zoo Pool Amid Severe New York City Flooding” • A sea lion escaped from its pool at the Central Park Zoo amid the severe flooding that’s pounding New York City, officials said. The sea lion never beached the zoo’s secondary perimeter, however, and has been returned to its familiar exhibit in the zoo. [ABC News]
Flooded sea lion habitat (New York City Police Department)
¶ “Gasoline Prices In California Are Up 80¢ In A Month” • The average price of a gallon of gas in California reached $6.08, up some 80¢ or 15% since a month ago, according to data compiled by AAA. At some gas stations in Los Angeles, prices are hovering around $7.00 a gallon. The high cost is partly due to a surge in the cost of crude oil. [ABC News]
¶ “$500 Million For Electric School Buses That Reduce Pollution, Save Money, And Protect Health” • The US EPA announced the availability of at least $500 million in funding from the Clean School Bus rebate competition. The program is transforming school bus fleets across America and protecting children from air pollution. [CleanTechnica]
Boston Public Schools electric buses (Blue Bird image)
¶ “New Transit Service Funding In California – How States Can Find More” • California has responded in part to advocates’ calls to support public transit, though State leaders stopped short of using historic federal funding to help avert an imminent ‘fiscal cliff.’ But the $1.1 billion in new funding falls well short of the $5 billion transit advocates sought. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Maine’s Largest Dairy Farm Demonstrates The ‘Power’ Of Cow Poop” • Flood Brother’s Farm is Maine’s largest dairy farm. It is one of seven farms that provide 170,000 gallons of manure a day to the state’s first community renewable natural gas dairy digester. The digester generates methane from the manure and injects it into a natual gas pipeline. [WMTW]
Have a soothingly restful day.
geoharvey 