2024 Sun Sept 8

Article – Global Warming Primer

Article – Global Warming & Climate Change Myths

Article – Climate -Climate change could render many of Earth’s ecosystems unrecognizable

Johan Rockström at TEDCountdown@BloombergGreenFestival July 2024

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Key Points

1 The planet is changing faster than we have expected. We are, despite years of raising the alarm, now seeing that the planet is actually in a situation where we underestimate the risks. Abrupt changes are occurring in a way that is way beyond the realistic expectations in science.

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From canarymedia.com

1. The U.S. climate law is fueling a factory frenzy.

The Inflation Reduction Act, signed into law in August 2022, aimed to bring a clean energy manufacturing boom to the U.S. through generous subsidies. So far, the plan is working: In the law’s first year, more than 100 new clean energy manufacturing facilities or factory expansions were announced, adding up to nearly $80 billion in new investment from private companies

2. Renewables are on track to keep getting cheaper and cheaper

While fossil fuels have not gotten cheaper with time, renewable energy costs have plummeted over the past few decades. That’s made them more cost-effective than fossil fuels in many cases — and also more attractive to new investments. These cost declines are not expected to stop anytime soon. In fact, by 2030, technology improvements could slash the price of wind energy by a quarter and of solar by half.

Though they still make up just 20 percent of overall power generation, solar, batteries and wind account for the most new power flowing to the U.S. grid — and it’s not even close. In 2023, clean energy will have accounted for the vast majority of all new power capacity added to the U.S. grid, while fossil-fueled plants will make up just 16 percent of new capacity.

All-electric vehicles (also known as battery electric vehicles or BEVs) are powered by an onboard battery that stores electrical energy, according to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Alternative Fuels Data Center. Unlike conventional gas-powered or hybrid vehicles, EVs rely solely on electricity for propulsion. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) classifies EVs as zero-emissions vehicles due to the lack of exhaust or tailpipe emissions expelled.

Despite recent gloomy headlines, the U.S. electric-vehicle market has soared. According to marketwatch “Electric car sales have taken off in the U.S. since 2020. About 1.6 million EVs were sold in the U.S. in 2023 — a 60% increase from the 1 million sold nationwide in 2022.

From canarymedia.com

1. The United States is not currently on track to meet its goal of cutting emissions in half by 2030.

2. Over the past year, according to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service, global temperatures averaged 1.6 degrees Celsius (2.9 degrees Fahrenheit) above preindustrial levels.

Under the landmark 2015 Paris agreement, the world’s leaders pledged to hold Earth’s temperature rise “to well below” 2 degrees C (3.6 degrees F) above pre-industrial levels and pursue efforts “to limit the temperature increase” to 1.5 degrees C above pre-industrial levels, to avert some of the worst effects of global warming. The fact that the planet surpassed 1.5 degrees C for one year does not amount to a permanent shift, but it comes as scientists are warning that it is likely to happen again — within a few years.

A separate study published by a group of 57 scientists on Wednesday found that human activities were responsible for 92 percent of the warming observed in 2023, the planet’s hottest calendar year on record. It said the rate of warming in the past decade is “unprecedented in the instrumental record.”

3. Resource constraints. There may not be enough resources to fight climate change, and it can be difficult to allocate them efficiently. For example, funding for climate action, technology development, and climate adaptation in vulnerable regions may be insufficient.

4. Decarbonizing steel, cement and chemicals are still a challenge. They’re also among the largest global sources of carbon emissions — manufacturing them releases more CO2 into the atmosphere each year than all of the emissions generated by the United States.

These materials are so emissions-intensive not just because of how they’re made, but also because of how much of them the world uses

From Earthday.org

#1: The Ozone Layer is on Track to Heal by 2040. The ozone layer is recovering, with projections indicating a return to 1980 values by 2066 over Antarctica, 2045 over the Arctic, and globally by 2040 if current policies continue.

#2-The EPA Crackdowns on 5 Toxic Chemicals Commonly Used in Plastics. The EPA has prioritized risk evaluations for five chemicals used in plastics, signaling a strong effort to address plastic-related issues.

#3: 26 Species at Risk of Extinction Have Recovered in Australia. Australia, often recognized for its high mammal extinction rates, witnesses a glimmer of hope as 26 species have recovered enough to no longer be classified as threatened under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act.

#4: Scientists Discover Fungus Capable of Breaking Down Plastics. Australian scientists found a breakthrough method using backyard molds, Aspergillus Terreus and Engyodontium album, to efficiently break down persistent plastics, potentially enhancing plastic recycling rates.

#5: Youth Activists Win Historic Victory Against the State of Montana. In a landmark decision, a Montana state judge ruled the state’s support of fossil fuels violates citizens’ constitutional right to a clean and healthful environment, offering a legal precedent for climate activists. T

#6: Pepsi Cola Gets Sued for Their Part in the Plastics Crisis. In a positive move towards environmental responsibility, New York state’s Attorney General, Letitia James, has filed a lawsuit against PepsiCo and its Frito-Lay subsidiaries, holding them partially accountable for plastic litter affecting Buffalo’s drinking water. By taking legal action, the state emphasizes the right to clean water and aims to address plastic pollution, signaling a commitment to holding major corporations responsible for environmental impacts and pushing for cleaner practices.

#7: There Were More Investments in Solar Power Than Oil.The International Energy Agency (IEA) reports a significant shift in energy investment patterns, with solar power investments surpassing spending on upstream oil for the first time in human recorded history. More than $1 billion per day was invested in solar power in 2023, exceeding the total spending for new upstream oil projects.