[Mar 25-31'24] "Modern" agriculture kills

Fertilizer spill kills, EV adoption pass important tipping point, planting trees worse in some areas and 4x fossil fuels by 2030.

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.

🙀 Remember this when you see farmers protesting in the streets

😻 The EV revolution has passed an important tipping point in 31 countries

😼 Planting trees can make warming worse in some areas

💩 Quadrupling of fossil fuels by 2030 expected

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👩‍⚕️ Status: Climate & Science

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

[#heatwaves] — As climate change warms the planet, heat waves are moving slower and lasting longer, according to a study. Each decade between 1979 and 2020, the rate at which heat waves travel slowed by about 5 miles per day, and heat waves now last about four days longer on average. These changes have strong impacts on public health, economic productivity, and the risk of wildfires. The study attributes these changes to human-caused climate change and natural climate variability.

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📰 The 7 Grand Challenges

⚡️Decarbonize Electricity

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

[#fossildemand] — Georgia's economic boom has led to increased electricity demand, prompting Georgia Power to seek additional energy sources. While their plan includes solar power and battery storage, it heavily relies on fossil fuels, which has drawn criticism from customers and clean energy advocates. This trend of utilities turning to fossil fuels is occurring nationwide, despite the Biden administration's efforts to promote renewable energy. Tax credits for clean energy projects are not being fully utilized, and utilities are resorting to gas plants to meet peak demand. However, alternatives such as demand response, reconductoring, and virtual power plants exist and have proven effective. Education and awareness about these alternatives are crucial for shifting away from fossil fuels and reducing planet-warming emissions.

🏘 Reduce impact of urban and rural areas

Lowering the impact of urban and rural areas.

[#evtippingpoint] — The EV revolution has reached a tipping point, with electric car sales surpassing 5% of the market in 31 countries. This milestone indicates mass adoption and signals a shift towards mainstream acceptance. While the US has lagged behind, other countries have experienced rapid growth in EV sales. The competition to reduce costs and expand charging infrastructure is driving the continued growth of the EV market worldwide.

[#evmisinformation] — As the 2024 presidential election approaches, there is increasing misinformation about electric cars. Both Joe Biden and Donald Trump have made electric cars a central focus of their campaigns. This article addresses some common myths and misleading claims about electric vehicles, including the misconception that Biden is banning gas cars and the idea that all electric cars will be made in China. The article also discusses the Biden administration's new EPA pollution standards for cars, clarifying that they do not ban gas cars but aim to reduce emissions and promote the production of electric, hybrid, and hydrogen-powered vehicles. While the new standards are ambitious, they do not fully address the need for a transition to electric vehicles to combat climate change.