[April 22-28'24] Earth day 2024

Record warm start to 2024, fossil fuel reaches new low in UK, 27 law firms needed and remember the US election

Welcome to this week’s edition of The Weekly Climate 🎉

References: [1], [2], [3], [4], [5] and [6].

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‼️News you can’t miss

Here’s one important scary/bad (🙀), good (😻), interesting (😼) and fossil (💩) news item.

🙀 State of the climate 2024 is off to a record warm start

😻 Fossil fuels fall to record-low 2.4% of British electricity

😼 “You need 27 law firms to figure out the rules of working in industries related to climate change”

💩 Remember that the US election is going to be critical for solving the climate crisis

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👩‍⚕️ Status: Climate & Science

Let’s look at how we’re doing this week!

[#stateofclimate] — Global temperatures in 2024 are on track to match or surpass the record-breaking year of 2023. The past three months have seen exceptionally high temperatures, with each month setting new all-time records. The first quarter of the year has also experienced record-high temperatures in various regions around the world. Based on current trends and forecasts, it is estimated that 2024 will likely be the warmest or second-warmest year on record. This continued warming is attributed to a combination of natural climate variability and human-caused emissions of greenhouse gases.

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📰 The 7 Grand Challenges

⚡️Decarbonize Electricity

Clean electricity is the one do-or-die challenge we must solve.

[#UKfossil] — According to Carbon Brief analysis, the share of electricity in Great Britain generated from burning coal and gas fell to a record-low of 2.4%. There have been a record 75 half-hour periods in 2024 when fossil fuels met less than 5% of demand. The National Grid Electricity System Operator (NGESO) is closing in on its target of running the country's electricity network without fossil fuels for short periods by 2025. However, the analysis also highlights challenges in meeting the government's target of a fully decarbonized electricity grid by 2035.

[#spacesolar] — Despite financial and technological obstacles, the development of space-based solar power is gaining momentum. This technology has the potential to provide 24/7 solar power regardless of weather conditions, reducing land use issues on Earth. Startups like Reflect Orbital in California and Space Solar in the UK are actively working on space solar power projects. Scaling up orbiting solar arrays and scaling down with smaller satellites are among the approaches being explored. While NASA does not prioritize space solar power, other areas of technology development align with it. The future of space solar power holds promise for renewable energy and sustainability.

[#agrivoltaics] — Australia's largest solar farm, New England Solar, is now home to over 6,000 sheep. The solar farm, which is currently generating at peak output, is co-located with the sheep who help keep vegetation down and provide feed. The sheep spend six weeks on the land before being moved to other areas or back to their sheds. Early signs suggest that the solar panels create a microclimate that benefits the sheep, and the project landholders are optimistic about the potential benefits of solar grazing.

🏘 Reduce impact of urban and rural areas

Lowering the impact of urban and rural areas.

[#EVoutlook] — The IEA 2024 Global EV Outlook report highlights the progress of electric cars becoming a mass market product in several countries. Electric car sales grew by around 25% in the first quarter of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023, with the market share of electric cars projected to reach up to 45% in China, 25% in Europe, and over 11% in the United States. The report also discusses the sales of heavy-duty electric vehicles, trends in charging infrastructure, battery demand, and the effect of electric vehicles on emissions. An important detail of that report is that global battery rollout doubled last year, but it needs to be six times faster to meet renewable energy targets, according to the IEA. The report highlights the need for 1,500GW of energy storage, including 1,200GW from batteries, by the end of the decade. While batteries have seen significant cost reductions and growth due to electric vehicles, further cost reductions and diversification of supply chains are necessary. A battery boom could unlock transformations in renewable energy uptake and the introduction of electric vehicles. Global investment in batteries reached $150bn last year, with strong growth expected in electric car sales and their role in power grids.