Monthly Archives: November 2024

Faced with worsening climate-driven disasters and the increasing reliance on intermittent renewable energy sources, the United States is rapidly expanding its large-scale battery storage to stabilize the electricity grid and prevent power blackouts. In just four years, the US has added more than 20 gigawatts (GW) of battery capacity—equivalent to the output of 20 nuclear reactors—with 5 GW installed in the first seven months of this year alone, according to the federal Energy Information Administration (EIA). This surge in battery deployment is projected to double again, reaching 40 GW by 2025 if planned expansions proceed.

Leading this transformative growth are California and Texas, states that have embraced clean energy sources like solar and wind. These states have achieved record highs in battery-discharged grid power, with the newly installed systems playing a pivotal role in maintaining grid stability. Battery storage has become a critical tool in California, where wildfires and extreme heatwaves have previously led to blackouts and electricity rationing. “We can leverage that stored energy and dispatch it when we need it,” said Patti Poppe, CEO of PG&E, California’s largest utility, highlighting how batteries helped avoid outages during this summer’s intense heatwaves.

This rapid growth in battery deployment is reshaping the energy landscape. “It’s been extraordinary growth,” remarked John Moura, director of reliability assessment at the North American Electric Reliability Corporation. While the grid wasn’t originally designed to accommodate such technology, Moura emphasized the immense potential of batteries to revolutionize electricity production, delivery, and consumption. “Storage gives us a bit of a time machine to deliver energy when we need it,” he added, underlining the paradigm shift batteries bring to the energy sector.

As the US accelerates its battery deployment, this technology emerges as a cornerstone of a more resilient, reliable, and renewable-powered grid—offering hope in the face of intensifying climate challenges. Read More

News Credit: The Guardian

Picture Credit: Lucy Nicholson/Reuters

The European Union’s space programme has found it is “virtually certain” that 2024 will be the hottest year on record, marking a sobering milestone in the fight against climate change.

The report comes just days before the COP29 climate summit and follows the U.S. presidential election, where Donald Trump, a climate change sceptic, was chosen by voters to lead the country once again. Trump has previously called climate change a “hoax” and pledged to reverse policies aimed at reducing emissions.

According to the findings, 2024 is likely to be the first year global temperatures exceed 1.5°C (2.7°F) above pre-industrial levels—a critical threshold that has alarmed scientists worldwide. Global temperatures over the past 12 months were found to be 1.62°C above the 1850-1900 average, when industrial activity began releasing massive amounts of coal, oil, and gas emissions into the atmosphere.

“This marks a new milestone in global temperature records and should serve as a catalyst to raise ambition for the upcoming climate change conference,” said Dr Samantha Burgess, deputy director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service.

The findings underscore the urgent need for more decisive climate action as the world grapples with global warming’s intensifying impacts. Read More

News Credit: The Guardian

Picture Credit: Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images

Imagine the vast Alaskan tundra, home to migrating caribou and polar bears, carved up by oil and gas infrastructure. Picture copper-nickel mines infringing on one of the largest wilderness areas east of the Rockies, a 1.1 million-acre expanse of pristine lakes and forests teeming with loons, wolves, and moose. Envision uranium and coal exploration inching closer to once-protected landscapes, including areas bordering the Grand Canyon. This could become a reality if Donald Trump wins the 2024 U.S. presidential election.

With a renewed focus on energy dominance, Trump has vowed to “drill, baby, drill,” laying the groundwork for aggressive resource extraction projects. Early plans indicate a radical overhaul of the Department of the Interior, which manages over 500 million acres of public lands, national parks, and wildlife refuges while protecting endangered species. In stark contrast to Joe Biden’s emphasis on safeguarding public lands and transitioning to green energy, Trump’s administration would likely slash regulations, weaken environmental protections, and expand oil and gas development across the American West.

A senior leader at the far-right advocacy group Citizens United, Jorjani is reportedly instrumental in crafting a strategy to reverse Biden-era policies. With a focus on dismantling environmental safeguards and prioritizing resource extraction, Trump’s energy-dominance agenda could reshape some of America’s most iconic landscapes, leaving lasting environmental consequences. Read More

News Credit: The Guardian

Picture Credit: Lance King/Getty Images

Nature campaigners are urging UK taxpayers to take an active stake in forest and peatland projects intended to capture and store carbon, opposing the current system in which private investors reap the majority of profits from carbon credits. The Revive Coalition, a consortium of Scottish land reform and conservation charities, has issued a report highlighting the need for substantial improvements in the UK’s carbon market to drive greater demand and help meet the UK’s net zero targets.

The report argues that present policies aren’t restoring nature quickly enough. Due to overgrazing and deforestation, many upland areas are severely degraded, making Scotland one of the most nature-depleted regions globally. To address this, the coalition recommends stronger regulation of the carbon market and urges state-owned banks to participate, ensuring that carbon credit profits are shared somewhat with the public.

Currently, corporations, investment firms, and pension funds leverage carbon credits—compensating each tonne of CO₂ absorbed by forested or peat moorlands—to offset emissions and provide investment returns. This demand has driven up land prices across Scottish uplands and Highlands, with prominent firms like BrewDog, Standard Life, Gresham House, and Aviva acquiring land for forest planting to offset carbon emissions. However, the market’s growth has slowed as investors question the financial viability of UK-based carbon projects compared to other investment options, citing concerns that current offsetting projects in the UK are too small to attract major players.

Despite the rising interest in carbon credits, only 124,000 hectares of UK land is dedicated to woodland and peatland under carbon certification (with 103,300 ha in Scotland), representing a small portion of the nation’s land area. The coalition’s call for reform aims to broaden access to the carbon market and ensure it aligns with both environmental and public benefit goals. Read More

News Credit: The Guardian

Picture Credit:  Murdo MacLeod/The Guardian

A heatwave warning remains in effect for large parts of Queensland, with temperatures soaring up to 42°C in several regions. The Bureau of Meteorology has issued severe heatwave warnings, particularly impacting the northwest and inland areas of the state. By midday, Mount Isa recorded a scorching 40°C, Longreach reached 41°C, and Richmond topped out at 42°C. Meanwhile, Brisbane recorded a high of 31°C.

The extreme weather intensified on Tuesday night, prompting over 500 residents to evacuate the small border town of Dirranbandi, situated six hours west of Brisbane. Two rapidly advancing grassfires threatened the community. Despite an urgent “leave immediately” warning issued around 8 p.m. AEST, about 45 residents chose to stay behind.

By Wednesday morning, approximately 80 people had arrived at an evacuation centre set up in nearby St George. Queensland Police declared an emergency under the Public Safety Preservation Act, coordinating the evacuation and providing assistance throughout the night to ensure residents’ safety. Read More

News Credit: The Guardian

Picture Credit:  Windy.com

Kathleen Armstrong watched the smoke rise over Mariposa, California, with dread. It was the Fourth of July, and wildfires were again threatening the town near Yosemite. Memories of the destructive 2022 Oak fire spurred her to evacuate quickly, but this recent scare left her and her neighbours questioning the safety of the narrow escape routes they rely on.

Adding to their worries, Kampgrounds of America (KOA) plans to open a new camping and glamping site nearby, potentially bringing up to a thousand visitors. Locals fear this influx would worsen evacuation challenges, strain resources, and stress ecosystems already battered by drought, heatwaves, fires, and floods due to climate change.

Mariposa isn’t alone. Communities near Mammoth Lakes, Zion National Park, and other natural areas across the U.S. are also grappling with the impacts of increased tourism. While outdoor recreation brings $1.1 trillion annually to the U.S. economy, the environmental toll on fragile regions like Mariposa is leaving residents torn between economic gains and safeguarding their homes and natural surroundings. Read More

News Credit: The Guardian

Picture Credit: Noah Berger/AP

A record 512 billion work hours were lost globally in 2023 due to heat exposure risks, according to a new report from the Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change. The report notes that agricultural workers in low-income countries bore the brunt of these losses, costing some nations around 8% of their GDP.

This ninth annual report highlights essential climate and health indicators, including heat-related mortality, air pollution exposure, and national adaptation measures. Although deaths from fossil fuel-derived air pollution dropped by 7% between 2016 and 2021—mainly due to coal phase-outs in wealthier countries—many low-income nations still rely heavily on biomass and other polluting fuels. This reliance disproportionately affects women and children, who are often responsible for sourcing and burning these fuels, according to lead author Dr Marina Romanello.

The authors criticize governments and fossil fuel companies for investing in oil and gas projects that risk surpassing global warming thresholds. The report reveals that fossil fuel subsidies exceeded health spending in over 20 countries in 2022, raising concern about priorities that, Romanello warns, jeopardize the health and survival of people worldwide. Read More

News Credit: Carbon Brief

Picture: FreePik

Rescue operations are intensifying in Spain as emergency teams search for victims of catastrophic floods, raising questions about how a nation renowned for its infrastructure struggled to respond to such an extreme storm. Torrential rains at the start of the week triggered flash floods that have left at least 95 people dead, marking Spain’s deadliest flood disaster since 1973.

To date, the exact number of missing remains unclear. The floods, which turned streets into rivers and swept away vehicles, left more than 1,200 people stranded on highways among about 5,000 abandoned cars. Thousands remain without electricity or phone service. Defense Minister Margarita Robles announced that military rescue teams, equipped with sniffer dogs and mobile morgues, would begin combing through debris in the worst-hit areas.

More rain is forecast in the hardest-hit eastern Valencia region, prompting Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to urge residents to stay indoors. “The storm continues,” he warned, emphasizing the need to prioritize life-saving measures. He further reassured the public that the government is doing everything possible to locate those still missing, pledging support by land, sea, and air for as long as necessary.

However, in the middle of all of the reassurances, the families are seeking information about missing loved ones. Leonardo Enrique, speaking to RTVE, described the last message he received from his son, a delivery driver, saying it was raining heavily near the industrial town of Riba-roja. Families across Spain are waiting anxiously as rescue teams race against time to bring answers and, hopefully, reunite them with loved ones. Read More

News Credit: The Guardian

Picture Credit: David Ramos/Getty Images