Opinion:
¶ “Five Things To Watch For At COP28 In Dubai” • COP28 will take place against a backdrop of steadily rising GHG emissions, record-breaking heat, and extreme climate impacts. But even so, unbelievably, there has been a continued expansion in fossil fuel production and use, and there are yawning emissions gaps in countries’ climate efforts. [CleanTechnica]
We’re in the wrong place (David Kovalenko, Unsplash, cropped)
World:
¶ “BMW Ends Combustion Engine Production In Germany” • As one of the most iconic brands in the century-long optimization of automobile engines for sporty driving, BMW’s tagline was “The Ultimate Driving Machine.” Now, however, BMW is turning to EVs and has ended the production of combustion engines in its home country of Germany. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Brazil Records Its Hottest Ever Temperature” • Brazil has recorded its hottest ever temperature, 44.8°C (112.6°F), as parts of the country endure a stifling heatwave. The record was hit on Sunday in the town of Araçuaí, in Brazil’s south-eastern state of Minas Gerais. [BBC] (Please note: geoharvey.com had a report of a much higher temperature last week as a result of an error.)
Storm in Minas Gerais (Nathalia Segato, Unsplash)
¶ “1.5ºC Is In The Rear View Mirror. 3ºC Is Just Around The Corner – UN Emissions Gap Report” • This year’s Emissions Gap Report says as things stand, unconditional Nationally Determined Contributions made under the Paris Agreement in 2015 would put the world on track for limiting temperature rise to 2.9°C above pre-industrial levels. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Zero Carbon Charge Starts Construction On First National Network Of 100% Solar-Powered EV Charging Stations in South Africa” • While there is already a growing charging network in South Africa, Zero Carbon Charge now wants to help grow the network further, by including more of the national and regional roads that are not yet covered. [CleanTechnica]
Zero Carbon Charge site (Zero Carbon Charge image)
¶ “North Seas Energy Ministers endorse Wind Power Package” • The ten Energy Ministers of the North Seas Energy Cooperation agreed a new NSEC Action Agenda for the build-out of offshore wind. This Agenda aims to help strengthen Europe’s wind energy supply chain. The NSEC also welcomed the EU Commission’s Wind Power Package. [WindEurope]
¶ “Coal Power Plants Thriving At 65% PLF Despite Record RE Capacity Addition, Says CRISIL” • Plant load factors of India’s coal-based power plants will improve to about 65% this fiscal despite record renewable energy capacity addition, said a report by CRISIL Ratings. Conditions for companies generating with coal increase their credit ratings. [The Financial Express]
Coal plant (Saket swagat sahoo, CC-BY-SA 3.0, cropped)
US:
¶ “California Wildfires Altering Ecosystems, Disrupting Wildlife Habitats: Study” • Over the past two decades, US forest fires have become more intense, frequent, and widespread. The fires that burned large swaths of land in California are reshaping wildlife ecosystems, a study found. It was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. [ABC News]
¶ “Seppuku At GM’s Cruise Division Shows The Necessity Of Transparency, But That May Not Be Enough” • After a nasty crash involving one of its vehicles and a pedestrian, GM lost its license to run robotaxis in California, and it has put production of its next-generation vehicles on hold. But it seems a vital part of those stories was missing. [CleanTechnica]
GM Cruise EV (GM Cruise image)
¶ “Tesla Cybertrucks Roll Into Tesla Stores Before Black Friday” • With ten days remaining to the Cybertruck Delivery Event that is to take place at Tesla Giga Texas on November 30, Tesla has already started displaying Cybertrucks at its showrooms in the US. The Cybertrucks showcased at Tesla Stores are production models and will go to customers. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Revolution Wind Begins Construction Of Offshore Wind Farm In Rhode Island Sound” • Offshore wind projects along the Atlantic coast have suffered setbacks recently, particularly in New Jersey. But things are different in Rhode Island. Revolution Wind celebrated starting construction of a large offshore wind farm in Rhode Island Sound. [CleanTechnica]
Offshore wind farm (Pixy.org, CC0)
¶ “Texas, Weirdly, Is Leading America’s Clean Energy Future” • Texas, America’s oil capital for more than a century, is now the top producer of renewable energy in the US. While fossil fuel still reigns supreme in the state’s energy mix, wind and solar account for a growing share of the total. Some people are happy about that, but some are not. [Business Insider]
¶ “Amazon To Develop First Solar Farm In Oklahoma” • Amazon announced that it’s developing its first solar farm in Oklahoma, and plans to power local grids and its operations. The solar farm will be in Kiowa County in southwest Oklahoma, with a capacity of 100 MW. This will add to two Amazon wind farms in the state, for a total of 618 MW of capacity. [KGOU]
Wind turbines in Oklahoma (USDA, CC-BY-SA 2.0)
¶ “Governor Hochul Announces Installation Of First Offshore Wind Turbine For South Fork Wind” • Governor Kathy Hochul announced the completed installation of the first offshore wind turbine for South Fork Wind, a milestone for New York’s offshore wind development. It will be the first large wind farm completed in US federal waters. [Governor Kathy Hochul]
¶ “The Deeper Dig: A Plan For What’s Left Of Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Plant” • VY has been shut down since 2014, and NorthStar, the company that now owns it, is deconstructing it. NorthStar recently submitted a plan that describes in detail the final steps of decommissioning, which is projected to be finished ahead of schedule, by 2026. [VTDigger]
Have a successfully navigated day.
geoharvey 