World:
¶ “Meet The Residents Who Won’t Let Bonaire Sink Without A Fight” • In the Caribbean, Bonaire, a special municipality of the Netherlands, has been fighting climate change for years. Now they’ve won a big victory. The Hague District Court ruled that the government discriminated against them by failing to protect them from climate change. [Euronews]
Bonaire (Chris Favero, CC BY-SA 2.0)
¶ “EU Ministers Weigh Oil Price Cap And Windfall Tax To Rein In Soaring Energy Costs” • EU finance ministers are considering capping oil prices or taxing windfall profits as they weigh how to respond to rising energy costs, as prices for natural gas and oil rise due to the war in Iran. Analysts warn that more price spikes could echo the 2022 energy crisis. [Euronews]
¶ “Largest Battery Maker In The World Says USA Can’t Make EVs Without China” • The world’s largest EV battery producer in the world, by far, is China’s CATL. Second is China’s BYD. The USA wants to block automakers from using Chinese batteries, but these Chinese companies are basically saying, “Yeah, good luck with that, hahaha.” [CleanTechnica]
CATL sodium battery announcement (Screenshot, CnEVPost)
¶ “India’s Solar Manufacturing Has Grown To 172 GW. Here’s What Changed In Ten Years” • India pulled off one of the most dramatic energy transformations in the world. In just ten years, the country grew its solar module manufacturing capacity from a modest 3 GW to 172 GW, according to Pralhad Joshi, the Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy. [India Today]
¶ “Ethiopia On Forward Trajectory Anchored With Immense Renewable Energy” • Ethiopia, driven by its economic reforms, renewable energy resources, and green initiatives, is on a forward trajectory. With more than 90% of its electricity generated from renewable sources, the country is expanding its energy capacity through major infrastructure projects. [MSN]
Addis Ababa (Abenezer Shewaga, Unsplash)
¶ “Australia Has To Fight Misinformation About Climate Change, Senate Report Says” • The Aiustralian Senate’s select committee on information integrity on climate change and energy released a report that sounded an alarm about the health of the country’s digital town square and the erosion of trust. It said we need clean debates. [Australian Broadcasting Corporation]
US:
¶ “Huge Crowds Protest Against Trump On ‘No Kings’ Day” • Millions of people were on the streets of the US – and even worldwide – in over 3,100 events to protest against President Trump on a range of different issues, in what they see as his autocratic governance, hardline immigration policies, climate change denial and the war with Iran. [Euronews]
No Kings protest in Chicago (AlphaBeta135, public domain)
¶ “As Fuel Prices Rise, Lawmakers Push To Suspend The Federal Gas Tax” • As the war in Iran pushes average gas prices toward $4 a gallon, some lawmakers are pushing to suspend the federal gasoline tax in the latest attempt to try to control surging energy costs. Lawmakers say the action would provide much-needed relief for families and businesses. [ABC News]
¶ “Intensifying Drought In The West” • Much of the West has drought conditions that are being worsened by historically low snowpack and persistent record-breaking temperatures. With mountain snowpack sharply reduced, the region’s water supplies are facing mounting challenges and elevated wildfire risk is here earlier than usual. [ABC News]
Smoke from a Texas wildfire, February 17 (US Forest Service)
¶ “Iran War: Beginning Of The End For Fossil Fuels” • David Wallace-Wells, who has written extensively on climate change and the politics of energy, wrote in the New York Times that he thinks the current war in Iran is a harbinger of something bigger. It is a recognition by all concerned that fossil fuels are the past, while renewables are the future. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Balcony Solar Is Spreading Across The US” • The balcony solar movement is spreading in the US like gangbusters, just in time for US President Donald Trump’s war in Iran to send the cost of coal, oil, and natural gas through the roof. Come to think of it, if coal is so great, why are so many people so eager for these plug-in solar panels? [CleanTechnica]
HIITO balcony solar installation (Courtesy of HIITO)
¶ “Utah Regulators OK Program Meant To Promote Increased Use Of Renewable Energy” • Utah regulators gave the green light to the Utah Renewable Communities initiative. It is rooted in legislation that calls for the participation of as many as 19 Utah communities in a partnership with Rocky Mountain Power to promote renewable energy. [KSL.com]
¶ “Nuclear Power In A Wind State” • Each unit of electricity from small modular reactors would be far more expensive that a unit from solar or windpower, even when the cost of storage or other ways to account for renewable energy’s variability are included in the bill. Who would want to buy nuclear power when the costs are so high? [Blog For Iowa]
Have a thoroughly nice day.
geoharvey 
Leave a comment