Opinion:
¶ “Presidential Climate Policy Report Card: Biden vs Trump” • The US is approaching an election which will be pivotal for climate action. While not ideal, the Biden-Harris administration delivered enormous movement on climate action. By contrast, Trump’s first term and promises are a sea of red, a tsunami of climate action failure. [CleanTechnica]
America (Matthew Smith, Unsplash, cropped)
Science and Technology:
¶ “ETH Zurich Heat Pump Technology For Process Heat Applications” • About 95% of process heat comes from burning fossil fuels. It accounts for 8% of global carbon emissions. A heat pump can supply heat for manufacturing up to 200ºC (392ºF), and heat pumps can supply process heat for industrial and commercial applications. [CleanTechnica]
World:
¶ “Zimbabwe Wants To Increase Rooftop Solar Adoption To Address Electricity Generation Shortfall” • In a bid to get some generation capacity online ASAP, Zimbabwe is looking to speed up adoption of solar PV. The country’s electricity transmission and distribution company called for homes and business to install more rooftop solar. [CleanTechnica]
Zimbabwe (St John Wilson, Unsplash)
¶ “Portugal Plans To Raise Share Of Renewables In Electricity Consumption To 93% By 2030” • Portugal plans to increase the amount of renewables in electricity generation to 93% by 2030, as part of its decarbonisation push, found in an updated draft of its energy and climate plan. The draft will be available for public consultation until September 5. [Yahoo Finance UK]
¶ “Renewable energy costs to see big drop: Tata Power CEO Praveer Sinha” • In India, Tata Power Company Ltd expects energy storage and green power related costs to fall “drastically” backed by technological innovations amid growing demand for uninterrupted power, chief executive and managing director Praveer Sinha told ET. [MSN]
Solar plant in Telangana (Thomas Lloyd Group, CC-BY-SA 4.0)
¶ “Nuclear Option Would Mean Shutting Off Cheap Solar To Use Expensive Power” • A Queensland Conservation Council analysis shows that the equivalent of 45,000 Queensland household solar systems would need to be shut off daily for one nuclear station to operate in 2040. By the time we build a nuclear power plant, we won’t need it. [Queensland Conservation Council]
¶ “Residents Protest Over Power Cuts In Southern Russian City” • Residents angry over power cuts in southern Russia staged a rare public protest in the city of Krasnodar, posts on social media said. The local governor blamed a heatwave for the blackouts. Unusually hot weather led to the shutdown of a power unit at the Rostov nuclear plant. [Reuters]
Krasnodar (Alexey Komarov, CC-BY-SA 4.0)
US:
¶ “Heat-Related Texas Deaths Climb After Beryl Left Millions Without Power” • Almost two weeks after Beryl hit, heat-related deaths during the prolonged power outages have pushed the number of storm-related fatalities to at least 23 in Texas. It may be weeks or even years before the full human toll of the storm in Texas is known. [ABC News]
¶ “Where Kamala Harris Stands On Green New Deal And Climate Initiatives” • Vice President Kamala Harris has thrown her hat in the ring for the 2024 presidential race with President Joe Biden’s endorsement, following his announcement that he’s stepping aside. Harris said she will make the climate crisis a top national security priority. [ABC News]
Kamala Harris and Joe Biden (Adam Schultz, The White House)
¶ “Maine Offshore Wind Plan Splits Environmentalists” • The Maine coastal town of Searsport is a balance of tradition and tourists, of long winters and trusted neighbors. That shifted in May, when the state applied for a $456 million federal grant to build a specially designed port on about 100 acres to support a floating offshore wind industry. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Van Life Testing Shows Us That Appliances Could Be A Lot More Efficient” • A recent video at CheapRVLiving on YouTube shows us that the comforts of home don’t necessarily require a lot of electrical power to enjoy. While most people want a clothes washer with more features, people living an off-grid life have to optimize for other things. [CleanTechnica]
Washing machine (Costway image)
¶ “Puerto Rico Could Soon Build Its Biggest Solar And Grid Battery Plants” • Utility-scale solar in Puerto Rico has received a $861 million boost from the federal government. The DOE’s Loan Programs Office announced a conditional commitment to finance 200 MW of solar and 285 MWh of battery storage on the southern coast of the island. [Canary Media]
¶ “Renewable Wind Energy Blows Away Coal-Fired Power In The US” • Good news for planet Earth. According to the US Energy Information Administration, in the five years from 2019 to 2024, in March and April specifically, electricity production using wind power has almost doubled, greatly outdoing generation from coal plants in the US. [New Atlas]
Have an absolutely grand day.
geoharvey 