Trump Freezes 250+ Wind Projects | Earthview Weekly
The Trump administration is refusing necessary permits for any new wind energy project in the nation, reports Canary Media. Up to 30 GW of new generation is being held up by typically routine Department of Defense approvals.
Trump is keeping gigawatts of clean and cost-effective power off the grid at a time when the nation desperately needs more of it to power data centers, factories, and electric appliances coming online
It’s a particularly dumb strategy to pursue policies that raise both electricity and gasoline prices at the same time. –DB
2. Water Crisis Looming in Western US
Early melting of snowpack this spring means much of the Western US could run dry this summer, warns Grist. The Colorado River basin looks set to be particularly affected.
“What happened in March was unprecedented and stunning and disturbing and out of this world, frankly — we had temperatures the likes of which we have never seen and couldn’t have happened without human-caused climate change…”
3. Naturalist Icon David Attenborough Turns 100
Legendary naturalist and entertainer David Attenborough has reached the age of 100, relays Euro News. Attenborough is known for his prolific documentaries on the natural world.
“Over the course of my life I have encountered some of the world’s most remarkable species of animals,” the broadcaster said. “Only now do I realise just how lucky I have been. Many of these wonders seem set to disappear forever.”
Our Blue Marble
Uluru | Australia
25° 20′ 42″ S, 131° 2′ 10″ E 1
Good Climate News
1. Ford Launches Energy Storage Business
US automotive company Ford has launched its new battery storage business, notes Electrek. Its new venture will repurpose factories built for electric vehicles to churn out batteries for use in grid storage projects.
The subsidiary will operate out of Ford’s Glendale, Kentucky facility — the same plant that was originally built for EV battery production under the BlueOval SK joint venture. Ford now wholly owns the Kentucky operations and is repurposing them into what it calls a gigafactory for energy storage production.
Although it would be nice to have more EVs on US roads — battery storage enables deeper decarbonization of the electric grid. This is a pro-climate move by Ford. –DB
2. 4 GW Solar Plant Planned in Houston
The US state of Texas will be the site of a massive new solar panel plant, reports PV Magazine. Local company SEG Solar already has a 2GW plant in the state — which as a whole is expected to have a combined 15 GW of solar manufacturing capacity by the end of the year.
The 500,000 square foot facility represents an investment of more than $200 million and is projected to create 800 jobs.
3. Inside the Geothermal Energy Boom
Geothermal energy could soon add large amounts of 24/7 clean electricity to the grid, explains Euro News. A slew of companies with different approachs are finding success with field trials and moving to commercialization.
Experts believe this type of power could eventually expand beyond volcanically active regions. According to the IEA, advances in deep drilling could make it viable across larger parts of Europe, Asia and North America.
Book of the Week
Regeneration: Ending the Climate Crisis in One Generation | Paul Hawken
Hawken lays out a vivid sector-by-sector plan for solving the climate crisis and creating a better, more sustainable planet. A truly remarkable book that clarifies the net-zero challenge by breaking it down into discrete pieces. –DB
Bookshop.org US | Bookshop.org UK
In Brief
🇦🇺 Australia: Tech companies like Apple are investing in Australian macadamia farms for carbon credits.
🇧🇷 Brazil: Seasonal climatic extremes are now more common in the Amazon, according to tree ring analysis.
🇮🇷 Iran: The Caspian Sea is rapidly retreating and its decline may be approaching an irrevesible tipping point.
🇪🇸 Spain: Spain’s groundbreaking climate shelters are saving thousands of lives, and provide a model for the world.
Planetary Pulse
Planetary Health — Latest figures
CO2: 432.24 PPM (+1.79 YoY)2 | Temperature Anomaly: +1.48 C
Forest Cover: 31.8% | Protected Areas: 12.3% (17.3% terrestrial, 10.01% marine)
Emissions per Capita: 4.89 (World) | 9.1 (China) | 13.1 (USA) | 6.1 (EU) | 2.1 (India)
Low Carbon Electricity: 43.1% | Low Carbon Energy: 19.8% | EV New Sales : 24.1%3
The Other 74%
Australia is creating biobanks to help preserve marine species.
Greenpeace is livestreaming a deep-sea expedition to highlight thriving ecosystems in places that may be subject to mining in future.
Introduced pink salmon populations are surging in the Great Lakes, worrying conservationists.
New Orleans is uninhabitable and evacuation should begin now, according to a new study.
Meet the Endangered
Western Prairie Fringed Orchid (Platanthera praeclara)
The North American tallgrass prairie ecosystem once dominated the middle part of the continent, comprising a 170-million-acre inland sea of extremely biodiverse grassland. Today, 99% of it is gone. Humans replaced these verdant waves of vein with one invasive species in particular - Zea mays - known locally as ‘corn’.
Within the remaining 1% resides the Western Prairie Fringed Orchid, a handsome flower whose ambrosial luster feeds the soul rather than the belly. It is a fickle plant; hiding out as a tuber and waiting only for the perfect conditions to sprout. It emits its orchidaceous scent only at night, to attract one particular family of moth which serves as its pollinator.
Restoring American grasslands to their former glory remains a distant prospect. Efforts to conserve the orchid focus on reconstituting small patches, safeguarding the pollinating moths, and combating invasive species.
IUCN: Endangered (EN)
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Photo credit: Sémhur | CC BY-SA 4.0
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