[April 8-14'24] Forever chemicals everywhere

Why GHGs reached new highs last year, solar eclipse shows importance of solar power, staff revolt at climate pledge verifier and world's riches keeps investing in fossil fuels in global south.

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.

🙀 Why greenhouse gas emissions hit an all-time high last year

😻 Total solar eclipse shows how important solar power is

😼 Staff revolt at climate pledge verifier

💩 The world richest keep funding fossil fuel expansion in global south

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👩‍⚕️ Status: Climate & Science

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

[#oceanheat] — Ocean temperatures have been breaking records for over a year, with 2024 continuing the trend of surpassing previous records. The entire planet has been experiencing high temperatures for months. The causes behind these temperature records, including climate change, El Niño, reduced aerosol pollution, and the effects of a volcanic eruption, are still being studied. Scientists are working to better understand these processes and improve climate models for future temperature predictions.

[#emissions] — According to a new study from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, emissions of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide reached historic highs last year, despite global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The rising emissions continue a long-term trend and have led to significant changes in the planet's atmosphere and climate. The study highlights the need for radical changes in energy, transportation, and food production systems to address the issue of greenhouse gas emissions.

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📰 The 7 Grand Challenges

⚡️Decarbonize Electricity

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

[#🇨🇳chinacoal] — According to a report from Global Energy Monitor, China was responsible for 95% of the world's new coal power construction in 2023. Construction began on 70 gigawatts of new capacity in China, while the rest of the world saw less than 4 gigawatts of new coal power construction. The report also highlights that coal power plant retirements were at their lowest level since 2011.

[#🇺🇸solareclipse] — The total solar eclipse in the US highlights the importance of solar energy and the challenges of supply and demand. Grid managers have had to find backup sources of energy during the eclipse, revealing the need for a more reliable and clean power grid. While gas and hydropower can compensate for the loss of solar energy, they contribute to pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. The growth of solar energy capacity and battery storage in the US shows progress, but more is needed to ensure a reliable and sustainable energy supply.

[#🇬🇧UKrenewables] — Analysis suggests that England could produce 13 times more renewable energy using less than 3% of its land. Onshore wind and solar projects have the potential to power all households in England two and a half times over. The research, commissioned by Friends of the Earth, highlights the availability of suitable land for renewable energy generation without impairing agricultural production. The analysis calls for lifting restrictions on onshore windfarms, identifying suitable areas for renewable development, upgrading the electricity grid, and implementing tougher requirements to protect biodiversity.

[#🇺🇸USgrid] — Replacing existing power lines with cables made from state-of-the-art materials could double the capacity of the electric grid in many parts of the United States, allowing for more wind and solar power. This technique, known as "advanced reconductoring," is widely used in other countries but has been slow to be adopted in the U.S. due to unfamiliarity with the technology and regulatory hurdles. Upgrading power lines with advanced conductors could nearly double the capacity of existing transmission corridors at less than half the cost of building new lines. However, questions remain about how much additional renewable energy can be built near existing lines and the need for new lines in remote areas. The sluggish build-out of the electric grid is seen as a major obstacle to the transition to cleaner energy in the U.S.

🏘 Reduce impact of urban and rural areas

Lowering the impact of urban and rural areas.