World:
¶ “Canada Plants A Big Wet Kiss On Oil Pipelines” • Canadians largely agree Canada needs to take Trump’s threats seriously, DeSmog suggests. That doesn’t mean the country should write another blank check for an oil industry. The government of Canada is contemplating contributing funding to build pipelines to ports for exporting oil. [CleanTechnica]
Pipeline right of way (jasonwoodhead23, CC-BY-SA 2.0)
¶ “Can Auto Dealerships Survive the Squeeze?” • Like it or not, auto dealerships are a vital part of the distribution network for both new and used cars. At the moment, they are being squeezed by the adoption of EVs requiring less servicing and a price war in Australia. Can they survive? Should they survive? What might that look like? [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Toyota’s Late Shift to BEVs Evident in Latest Financials Report” • Toyota sold a bit more than 27,000 fuel-cell Mirai in ten years. It sold nearly ten times as many battery EVs, but it may not be blasting this from the rooftops. Its recent financial report for investors makes clear in various places that the future is indeed battery EVs. [CleanTechnica]
Toyota bZ3 (User3204, CC-BY-SA 4.0)
¶ “Energy Targets Could Be Missed Due To Renewable Energy Being Unused” • Almost 40% of Northern Ireland’s wind energy in December, 2024 went unused due to restrictions in the power grid, a forecast from Cornwall Insight says. Unused and wasted renewable energy will cause Northern Ireland to miss its 2030 power emissions target by more than 20%. [BBC]
¶ “Are Golf Courses Being Prioritized Over Renewable Energy?” • At a time when countries race to build more solar panels and wind turbines to fight climate change, a study from Institute Jülich Systems Analysis in Germany reveals a striking fact: In many nations, golf courses take up more land than all their renewable energy projects combined. [Study Finds]
Golf course (Matthew McBrayer, Unsplash)
¶ “Peter Dutton’s Nuclear Accounting Trick #4: Assume Climate Change Has No Cost” • The Coalition’s preferred plan for the electricity system involves slowing the replacement of coal with renewable energy over the next decade and instead waiting until the 2040’s to undertake a concerted replacement of coal with nuclear power. [RenewEconomy]
US:
¶ “California Governor Asks Congress For Nearly $40 Billion For La Wildfire Relief” • California Gov. Gavin Newsom has asked Congress to approve nearly $40 billion in aid to help the Los Angeles area recover from January’s devastating wildfires. He said those fires could become the costliest natural disaster in the history of the US. [ABC News]
Palisades fire destruction (SFC Jon Soucy, CC-BY-SA 2.0)
¶ “From Baywatch To Toxic Waste – LA’s Iconic Beaches Are Unrecognizable After Fires” • Will Rogers State Beach is one of the most recognizable stretches of sand in the world thanks to the global cult classic “Baywatch.” But the Palisades and Eaton fires generated a staggering amount of debris, estimated to be 4.5 million tonnes. [BBC]
¶ “Xcel Energy Is Keeping Its Renewable Energy Train On The Rails” • US President Donald Trump practically snuffed out the entire US offshore wind industry upon taking office. Nevertheless, activity still keeps bubbling up onshore as illustrated by the new Upper Midwest Energy Plan presented by the gigantic utility Xcel Energy. [CleanTechnica]
Renewable energy (Courtesy of Xcel Energy)
¶ “Executive Order Deletes Social Cost Of Carbon From Official US Policy Considerations” • ProPublica reported that failing to consider the social cost of carbon will upend environmental and energy regulations meant to address climate change and could have the effect of shifting costs from polluting industries directly onto the shoulders of Americans. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “The Impact of Renewable Energy On The US Economy” • Unlike fossil fuels, renewable energy resources are abundant and sustainable. In recent years, the US has made significant strides in harnessing renewable energy, driven by both environmental concerns and economic benefits. Its impact on the US economy is more significant now than ever before. [MSN]
Have a plainly spectacular day.
geoharvey 
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