#Fossil Fuel Drawdown

[meteorologistaustenlonek]

"#COP28 president secretly used #climatesummit role to push oil trade with foreign government officials"

Even though the team has since moved into a separate office, the whistleblowers alleged that COP28 meetings are still regularly held at Adnoc headquarters and Al Jaber frequently works on summit business from his office at the oil company."

[notwiselybuttoowell]

The election of Donald Trump as president for a second time and the Republican takeback of the U.S. Senate could undo many of the national climate policies that are most reducing planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions, according to climate solutions experts. When they list measures that are making the most difference, it lines up with policies Trump has said he’ll target. These rollbacks will come as more lives are being lost in heat waves, record amounts of climate pollution are accumulating in the atmosphere, the United States has been hit with what may be two of its most expensive hurricanes, and nations, which will meet in Baku, Azerbaijan next week for climate negotiations, have failed to take strong action to change these realities. [at time of posting COP29 has begun] Here are some of the measures.

The Inflation Reduction Act, the nation’s landmark climate law This law is significant because it is expected to reduce U.S. emissions by about 40% by 2030, if it unfolds as planned in the coming years. It funnels money to measures that substitute clean energy for dirty. One major way it does so is by giving credits to businesses people who build new solar and wind farms. But it’s not limited to that. It encourages developers of geothermal energy and businesses that separate the carbon dioxide from their smokestacks and bury it underground. It incentivizes the next generation of nuclear power. It gives a $7,500 tax credit to people who buy electric cars. People who buy their cars used can get a credit too, as long as they don’t earn too much to qualify. Trump, by contrast, has summed up his energy policy as “drill, baby, drill” and pledged to dismantle what he calls Democrats’ “green new scam” in favor of boosting production of fossil fuels such as oil, natural gas and coal, the main causes of climate change. He vows to end subsidies for wind power that were included in the landmark 2022 climate law. If Trump does target the climate law, there are provisions that are likely safe. One is a credit for companies in advanced manufacturing, because it is perceived as “America first and pro-U.S. business,” said David Shepheard, partner and energy expert at the global consultant Baringa. Incentives for electric vehicles are likely most at risk, he added. In a call Wednesday morning, Scott Segal, head of a communications group at the law firm Bracewell LLP, which represents the energy industry, said the climate law is not likely to be repealed. Dan Jasper, a senior policy advisor at Project Drawdown, said repealing parts of the climate law could backfire because most of the investments and jobs are in Republican congressional districts.

Pollution from electric power plants The main U.S. rule aimed at reducing the climate change that comes from making electricity at power plants that burn coal is also considered vulnerable. This rule from the Environmental Protection Agency, announced in April, would force many coal-fired plants to capture 90% of their carbon emissions or shut down within eight years, Shepheard said. It was projected to reduce roughly 1.38 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide through 2047, along with tens of thousands of tons of other harmful air pollutants. Industry groups and Republican-controlled states have filed legal challenges to a host of EPA rules including this one and Trump’s victory means the Justice Department is unlikely to defend it. Under a Trump presidency, it is unlikely to survive, Shepheard said. The United States has been reducing carbon dioxide emissions primarily by replacing coal-fired power plants with clean, renewable power, said Stanford University climate scientist Rob Jackson, who chairs the Global Carbon Project, a group of scientists that tracks countries’ carbon dioxide emissions. “I hope that we don’t lose sight of the benefits of clean energy,” he said. “It’s not just about the climate. It’s about our lives and our health.”

Limiting leaks from damaging methane, or natural gas The Biden administration was under pressure to reduce one of the main pollutants contributing to drought, heat waves, flooding and stronger hurricanes — methane or natural gas. It leaks out of oil and gas equipment, sometimes deliberately when companies consider it too expensive to transport. The Biden administration issued the first national rules on this. Industry groups and Republican-leaning states have challenged the rule in court. They say the Environmental Protection Agency overstepped its authority and set unattainable standards. The EPA said the rules are squarely within its legal responsibilities and would protect the public.

Fuel-efficient vehicles The Environmental Protection Agency has issued its strongest rules on tailpipe emissions from cars and trucks under the Biden administration. While it is unclear who will head the EPA under Trump, the agency is considered likely to begin a lengthy process to repeal and replace a host of standards including the one on tailpipe emissions, which Trump falsely calls an electric vehicle “mandate.″ Trump rolled back more than 100 environmental laws as president and that number is likely to grow in a second term. Trump has said EV manufacturing will destroy jobs in the auto industry and has falsely claimed that battery-powered cars don’t work in cold weather and aren’t able to travel long distances. Trump softened his rhetoric in recent months after Tesla CEO Elon Musk endorsed him and campaigned heavily for his election. Even so, industry officials expect Trump to try to slow a shift to electric cars.

Drilling in Alaska refuge Trump is almost certain to reinstate oil drilling in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, continuing a partisan battle that has persisted for decades. Biden and other Democratic presidents have blocked drilling in the sprawling refuge, which is home to polar bears, caribou and other wildlife. Trump opened the area to drilling in a 2017 tax cut law enacted by congressional Republicans. No drilling has occurred in the refuge, although the U.S. Bureau of Land Management on Wednesday proposed a lease sale by the end of December that could lead to oil drilling. The sale is required under the 2017 law.

Transition to cleaner energy, transport will continue Trump, who has cast climate change as a “hoax,” has said he will also eliminate regulations by the Biden administration to increase the energy efficiency of lightbulbs, stoves, dishwashers and shower heads. Dan Jasper, a senior policy advisor at Project Drawdown said climate action will continue to move forward at the state and local level. Zara Ahmed, who leads policy analysis and science strategy at Carbon Direct, agreed. While there may be an abdication of leadership at the federal level on climate, she’s optimistic that states including California will continue to lead. Clean Air Task Force Executive Director Armond Cohen said on Wednesday that states, cities, utilities and businesses that have committed to net zero emissions will keep working toward those goals, driving record installations of wind and solar energy. Governors of both parties are also interested in ramping up nuclear energy as a carbon-free source of electricity, Cohen said. Trump has said he, too, is interested in developing the next generation of nuclear reactors that are smaller than traditional reactors. Gina McCarthy, a former EPA administrator who was Biden’s first national climate adviser, said Trump will be unable to stop clean energy such as wind, solar and geothermal power. “No matter what Trump may say, the shift to clean energy is unstoppable and our country is not turning back,″ McCarthy said. Advocates for clean energy are bipartisan, well-organized “and fully prepared to deliver climate solutions, boost local economies, and drive climate ambition,′ she said.

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this story from Medium:

Is seaweed the most effective way to reduce cattle emissions? This question points to a trend in agricultural industry efforts to tell the public we can have our cake and eat it too. Or in this case, have our climate-intensive beef burgers and call them climate-friendly.

It’s an academic question that keeps getting funding in pursuit of climate-friendly cows. Certainly, as we face the intensifying impacts of a climate crisis in which food production is the number-two source of greenhouse gases, we need every solution on the table.

In a new study out of UC Davis’s School of Animal Science, researchers wanted to see if feeding seaweed pellets to grazing beef cattle could reduce methane emissions from cow belches. It’s a novel take after first trying to adjust the feed of confined beef cattle, and then dairy cattle, with poor results.

Most beef cattle emit the vast majority of lifetime emissions while grazing—before being sent to feedlots, where they live for a short time to be fattened for slaughter, consuming corn, soy, alfalfa, and easily digested feed, thus producing less methane.

However, the UC Davis study required intensive amounts of supplemental feed for grazing beef cattle multiple times a day, which isn’t a viable or realistic solution for grazing systems, where cattle are often left out to pasture. As with most feed-additive studies, the scalability isn’t in reach.

Predictably, the UC Davis study ultimately ignores a crucial reality — that the most effective way to reduce the agricultural emissions of cattle is to eat less beef.

It’s true: Cattle are the leading source of agricultural emissions and a top source of U.S. methane. They’re also a leading driver of deforestation, habitat loss, direct wildlife killing, and species endangerment — and require the most land and water to produce. So while factory farms aren’t climate solutions, grass-fed systems where cattle belch methane for longer periods aren’t either.

The serious industry problems we face need more than just … producing beef slightly differently. The reality is that feed additives aren’t a silver-bullet solution to the ecological problems caused by beef in the first place.

The fact is there’s no solution for “climate-smart” beef that will work without transitioning away from the overproduction of beef. In the United States, we consume more than four times the global average. Just as we can’t “clean coal” our way out of fossil fuels, we can’t “seaweed” our way out of beef’s climate destruction.

Research into drawing down cattle-based emissions is important. But research already conclusively shows the urgent need for dietary shifts. Eating less beef — not feeding cattle more seaweed pellets — is what’s needed. As Project Drawdown, a leading climate research organization, states, “greenwashing and denial won’t solve beef’s enormous climate problem.”

[mariacallous]

On his first day in office, President Trump has signed a slew of executive orders that will set the United States on a radically different environmental path from the Biden administration. The executive orders and memoranda take the first steps to fulfilling many of Trump’s promises from the campaign trail: withdrawing the US from the Paris Agreement, drilling more oil and natural gas, and repealing multiple Biden-era environmental directives and departments.

While Trump’s day-one executive orders are far-reaching, it’s not yet clear how they will be implemented or how quickly they will be felt. Executive orders direct government agencies how to implement the law, but they can be challenged by courts if they appear to violate the US Constitution or other laws, as happened with Trump’s travel ban executive order in January 2017.

Trump’s executive orders do, however, send a clear signal about his administration’s environmental priorities: extracting more fossil fuels, weakening support for green energy, and stepping away from global climate leadership.

Withdrawing From the Paris Agreement

This executive order instructs the US Ambassador to the United Nations to submit formal notification that the US is withdrawing from the Paris Agreement under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. The Paris Agreement, signed in 2016, commits countries to reduce greenhouse emissions and submit five-yearly updates on their climate plans to reach agreed goals on reducing emissions.

In his first term, Trump also withdrew the US from the Paris Agreement, although the terms of the agreement meant that the withdrawal did not take place until November 2020. In one of his very first acts as president, Joe Biden had the US rejoin the Paris Agreement. It will take at least a year for the US to leave the Agreement.

“This short-sighted move shows a disregard for science and the well-being of people around the world, including Americans, who are already losing their homes, livelihoods, and loved ones as a result of climate change,” says Jonathan Foley, executive director of the climate charity Project Drawdown.

The executive order also rescinds the US International Climate Finance Plan—a Biden administration increase in international climate finance that reached over $11 billion a year by 2024. “Essentially it’s the world’s richest country turning its back on the the poorest countries at the time when they are suffering the most,” says Bob Ward, policy director at the London School of Economics’ Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change the the Environment.

Encouraging Fossil Fuel Extraction

President Trump dedicated three executive orders to making it easier for the US to exploit its vast fossil fuel reserves. On the campaign trail Trump consistently promised to “drill, baby, drill,” and in his first day as president he underscored this sloganeering with orders to remove Biden-era regulations and environmental rules that restrict fossil fuel exploration.

One executive order focuses specifically on Alaska, which has vast fossil fuel reserves and was the location for Willow—a controversial oil and gas project approved by the Biden administration in 2023. Trump’s executive order opens the doors wide open to other projects, calling for the US to “expedite the permitting and leasing of energy and natural resource projects” in Alaska and the revocation of any regulations passed by the Biden administration that may hinder this aim. It also specifically rescinds the cancellation of leases within the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and withdraws an order from the Secretary of the Interior that temporarily paused oil and gas leasing in the refuge.

A second executive order declared a national energy emergency, stating that the US energy production was “far too inadequate to meet our Nation’s needs.” The order instructs the heads of government agencies to use emergency authorities in order to identify, lease, and exploit domestic energy resources.

A third executive order under the title “Unleashing American Energy” covers a wide range of policies, including encouraging energy production on federal land and waters, making the US the leader in non-fuel miners, including rare earth miners, and terminating state-level emissions waivers and subsidies for EVs. The order also promises to “safeguard the American people’s freedom to choose” lightbulbs, dishwashers, washing machines, gas stoves, and other appliances, in an apparent nod to the controversy over New York’s law banning natural gas stoves in new homes and buildings.

“The US will no longer be in a leadership position on these issues. It’s going to have real economic consequences for the US that will come back to bite President Trump before the end of this term,” says Ward, adding that the US will lose ground to China particularly in terms of electric vehicles and political leadership on climate change.

“China will be the one now seen as being the world leader on this and will be able to establish lots of economic and diplomatic links with other countries at a time when the US will look to be completely hopeless on this issue.”

Suspending New Offshore Wind Farms

In an executive memorandum, Trump suspended all new leasing for offshore wind farms, citing “growing demand for reliable energy” and “impacts on ocean currents and wind patterns.” The memorandum temporarily prevents the consideration of wind farm leases in areas on the US outer continental shelf—parts of the ocean floor that lie beyond state coastal waters.

Executive memoranda are similar to executive orders, but they are not required to cite the President’s legal authority, and the Office of Management and Budget is not required to issue a “Budgetary Impact Statement” as is the case with executive orders.

Redirecting Water in California

In another memorandum, Trump picked up a policy from his first administration—a plan to route water from the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta to other parts of the state. This plan was signed-off by Trump in 2020 but was challenged in court by California governor Gavin Newsom and the state of California. Trump has repeatedly blamed this delay on “worthless fish,” arguing that environmental rules have slowed the building of water infrastructure in California.

The memorandum—titled “Putting People Over Fish”—explicitly calls out “radical environmentalism,” which Trump implies is behind the delay to his infrastructure project. “This catastrophic halt was allegedly in protection of the Delta smelt and other species of fish,” the text of the memorandum reads.

Undoing Biden-Era Climate Projects

In the same executive order that “unleashed” US fossil fuel exploitation, Trump revoked Biden-era executive orders and actions that set up new organizations to tackle climate change. This includes Executive Order 14008, which established a National Climate Task Force, most recently chaired by National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi.

[climatecalling]

By allowing existing trees to grow old in healthy ecosystems and restoring degraded areas, scientists say 226 gigatonnes of carbon could be sequestered, equivalent to nearly 50 years of US emissions for 2022. But they caution that mass monoculture tree-planting and offsetting will not help forests realise their potential. “Conserving forests, ending deforestation and empowering people who live in association with those forests has the power to capture 61% of our potential. That’s huge. It’s potentially reframing forest conservation. It’s no longer avoided emissions, it’s massive carbon drawdown, too,” said Tom Crowther, the head of the Crowther Lab at ETH Zurich. He said thousands of different project and schemes were needed to preserve and revive forests. “It can be achieved by millions of local communities, Indigenous communities, farmers and foresters who promote biodiversity. It could be agroforestry for cacao, coffee or banana, natural regeneration, rewilding or creating habitat corridors. They’re successful when nature becomes the economic choice. It’s not easy but it’s doable.” ... “There is still only a finite amount of land to dedicate to forests, and ability of trees to sequester carbon is limited. The reality is that we need to slash fossil fuel emissions, end deforestation, and restore ecosystems to stabilise the climate in line with the Paris agreement.”

[female-malice]

Last week Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm announced $1.2 billion in new funding for “Direct Air Capture” projects, including a giant project led by Occidental Petroleum(link is external). Unbelievably, we will be giving tax dollars to an oil company – as Big Oil makes record profits – to try to mop up some of the pollution they created. And this is only part of a $3.5 billion DOE commitment to Direct Air Capture projects, and a much larger portfolio of government funding and tax breaks that reads like a love letter to the fossil fuel industry. (This is on top of the estimated $20 billion(link is external) in other annual subsidies the government already gives Big Oil.)

But this isn’t new. Previous administrations also funded Big Oil’s industrial carbon capture schemes, including ridiculous “Clean Coal” and Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS) projects that claimed they would reduce carbon pollution from fossil power plants. Of course, the projects flopped and wasted billions of tax dollars – even prompting a rebuke from the Government Accountability Office(link is external).

Currently, carbon removal technologies are so insignificant compared to emissions that they are effectively zero (see the green line on the above graph from the Project Drawdown Roadmap.) Eventually, they will have a role to play in removing the most stubborn emissions. But for now, resources would be better spent on emergency brake solutions and new low-carbon systems to reduce emissions as quickly as possible.

[shixunshangguan]

Blog 5

I still remember the first time we talked in class about “overshoot” – the idea that humanity could push global temperatures or resource use beyond safe boundaries before (hopefully) pulling back. As someone who cut my teeth covering the hazy skies of Toronto’s hottest summers as an environmental reporter, overshoot felt less like an abstract concept and more like the acrid smoke drifting across Lake Ontario from wildfires burning thousands of kilometers away. Those summers showed me that when we exceed planetary limits—whether carbon budgets, freshwater stocks, or biodiversity thresholds—the impacts cascade through our cities, our health, and the natural world we depend on.

In thinking about how the COP process can guide us toward a 2050 that may already be in overshoot, I find myself drawn back to the mix of ambition and frustration that marks each negotiation. COP’s cycles of pledges, reviews, and stocktakes create a rhythm for the world to course‑correct, even if belatedly. For instance, the Global Stocktake forces governments to ask, “Are our current Nationally Determined Contributions enough?” and “If we’re overshooting our 1.5 °C target, what mechanisms—carbon markets, accelerated renewables deployment, or negative‑emissions technologies—can bring us back?” In class, we discussed how overshoot is almost baked in by our delayed action, yet COP’s process can still chart a pathway: one that accepts temporary overshoot but accelerates drawdown measures and resilience building to avoid the most devastating outcomes.

Living in Toronto, I’ve seen how even a small overshoot in air pollution standards can turn our mornings orange and send seniors and children scurrying indoors. On a planetary scale, overshooting temperature targets risks triggering feedback loops—thawing permafrost releasing more methane, Arctic sea‑ice loss diminishing the planet’s ability to reflect sunlight, or warming oceans bleaching coral reefs and collapsing fisheries. These are not distant or hypothetical: they are the same dynamics that turned our westerly winds into carriers of British Columbia’s wildfire smoke, blanketing the concrete core of my city in a choking pall. COP30 must therefore focus its governance on ensuring that overshoot does not become runaway change: by scaling up finance for loss and damage, establishing legally binding phase‑out dates for unabated fossil fuels, and investing in nature‑based solutions that can both store carbon and safeguard ecosystems.

I believe the world should approach governance around key COP30 issues with humility, inclusivity, and urgency. Humility, because past promises often fell short or arrived too late; we must acknowledge that overshoot is partly the result of confident assumptions about gradual change that never materialized. Inclusivity, because those worst hit by overshoot—small island states facing sea‑level rise, Indigenous communities whose livelihoods depend on stable ice, urban poor who lack air conditioning during heatwaves—must have a seat at the table. And urgency, because every fraction of a degree above pre‑industrial temperatures translates into more intense and frequent heatwaves, storms, and wildfires. Drawing on lessons from Canada’s wildfire seasons, COP30 governance should prioritize early‑warning systems, community‑based adaptation, and streamlined funding channels so that when we inevitably overshoot, we’re not scrambling blindfolded.

In the end, I find a certain hope in the COP process’s very structure: it admits that our collective journey toward 2050 will be uneven, that overshoot may be the price we pay for decades of delay, but that every year of stocktakes and scaled‑up targets can still bring us closer to a stable climate. As someone who has watched Toronto’s skyline fade in smoke and heard the coughs of vulnerable neighbors, I take solace in the knowledge that governance—if it embraces honesty about our overshoot, equity for those most impacted, and real investment in both technology and nature—can still chart a livable path forward.

[darkmaga-returns]

From the University of Oxford and the Wellll….duhhhh! department comes this exercise in peer-reviewed futility.

In a new study, led by the University of Oxford’s Department of Physics and published November 18 in Nature, an international group of authors who developed the science behind net zero demonstrate that relying on ‘natural carbon sinks’ like forests and oceans to offset ongoing CO2 emissions from fossil fuel use will not actually stop global warming.

The science of net zero, developed over 15 years ago, does not include these natural carbon sinks in the definition of net human-induced CO2 emissions.

Natural sinks play a vital role to moderate the impact of current emissions and draw down atmospheric CO2 concentrations after the date of net zero, stabilizing global temperatures. Yet governments and corporations are increasingly turning to them to offset emissions, rather than reducing fossil fuel use or developing more permanent CO2 disposal options. Emissions accounting rules encourage this by creating an apparent equivalence between fossil fuel emissions and drawdown of CO2 by some natural carbon sinks, meaning a country could appear to have ‘achieved net zero’ whilst still contributing to ongoing warming.

The authors call on governments and corporations to clarify how much they are counting on natural carbon sinks to meet their climate goals, as well as recognising the need for Geological Net Zero.

Geological Net Zero means balancing flows of carbon into and out of the solid Earth, with one tonne of CO2 committed to geological storage for every tonne still generated by any continued fossil fuel use. Given the cost and challenges of permanent geological CO2 storage, achieving Geological Net Zero will require a substantial reduction in fossil fuel use.

The authors stress the importance of protecting and maintaining natural carbon sinks while accepting that doing so cannot compensate for ongoing fossil fuel use. Total historical CO2 emissions determine how much a country or company has contributed to the global need for ongoing natural carbon sinks. A country like the UK, with large historical emissions and limited natural sinks, has implicitly committed other countries to maintain natural sinks for decades after UK emissions reach net zero. This is not currently addressed in climate talks.

Professor Myles Allen, of the University of Oxford’s Department of Physics, who led the study, summarises: “We are already counting on forests and oceans to mop up our past emissions, most of which came from burning stuff we dug out of the ground. We can’t expect them to compensate for future emissions as well. By mid-century, any carbon that still comes out of the ground will have to go back down, to permanent storage. That’s Geological Net Zero.”

[tsmom1219]

Webinar: Unsung (Climate) Hero: The Business Case for Curbing Methane

May 23, 2024, noon CDTRegister here. Reducing methane emitted by agriculture, fossil fuels, and landfills is one of the most important and effective actions we can take to stabilize Earth’s climate. This presentation — part of the Drawdown Ignite webinar series — will go beyond the science to explore the business case for methane reduction. Reducing methane will require us to invest billions,…

[meteorologistaustenlonek]

"An oil executive is leading the UN climate summit. It’s going as well as you’d expect."

“#AlJaber’s comments are absurd and troubling, betraying both an ignorance about the science and a dismissiveness about the need for rapid #decarbonization, which is at the very center of the proceedings over which he is in principle presiding as #COP28 president,” University of Pennsylvania climate scientist #MichaelEMann told Vox.

"“The outcome of COP28 must be that all the oil, gas, and coal nations of the world see that now we are truly at the beginning of the end of the fossil fuel era for the world economy. And that we are now starting to bend the curve, properly,” Johan Rockstrom, director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, told CNBC."

[arbtvtr]

Climate change progress

[skye-h-ecology]

vocal aspects

In regards to singing, there was the fact that there were two instances wherein Lockley had altered the lyrics to Part of Your World to coincide with the environmental theme, being the following;

Ariel: Wind for power 

We use the sun too

Iceberg: Wind & Solar Power 

Ariel: Dams make electricity

Better than fossil fuels do

Iceberg: Hydro power

Ariel: Water from underground

Biomass that lays around

Iceberg: Geothermal & biomass power 

Ariel: Drawdown’s achieved . . .

We cleaned the air and yes we cleaned the seeeeeeeeeeeas . . .

As well as:

Ariel: I had to see

 Audience: I had to see

Ariel: It’s up to meeeeee

Audience: It’s up to meeeeee

Ariel: (spoken) You sing with me now! Everybody let’s all sing it together.

 Ariel and EVERYONE: TO PROTECT OUR WORLD

[globalempowermentleadership]

Innovation Revolution: Balancing Benefits and Costs for a Sustainable Future

The fight for a sustainable future hinges on innovation.  While traditional methods have brought us this far, advancements across various sectors are crucial for tackling environmental challenges and building a thriving future. Let's delve into the cost-benefit analysis of these innovations:

Environmental Benefits:

Reduced Air and Water Pollution: Renewable energy sources like solar and wind power drastically cut air and water pollution compared to fossil fuels.

Soil Conservation: Technologies like precision agriculture and vertical farming minimize land use and soil degradation.

Improved Energy Efficiency: Innovations like smart grids and energy-efficient appliances lead to significant reductions in energy consumption.

Economic Benefits:

Cost Savings: Renewable energy sources are becoming increasingly cost-competitive, offering long-term economic benefits.

Job Creation: The transition to a sustainable future fosters the creation of new green jobs in clean technology and sustainable infrastructure.

Market Opportunities: Companies developing and implementing sustainable solutions gain a competitive edge, attracting environmentally conscious consumers and investors.

Examples of Innovative Companies:

Fintech: Companies offering sustainable investment options and green bonds facilitate environmentally conscious financial decisions. (e.g., Triodos Bank)

Proptech: Proptech firms develop solutions for smart buildings and energy management, leading to reduced energy consumption in the real estate sector. (e.g., NeST)

Climatech: Climate tech companies focus on innovative solutions for carbon capture, storage, and emissions reduction. (e.g., Climeworks)

Challenges and Costs:

Initial Investment: Developing and implementing new technologies often requires significant upfront costs compared to established methods.

Infrastructure Upgrade: Transitioning to a fully sustainable infrastructure necessitates substantial investments in renewable energy grids and sustainable transportation systems.

Call to Action:

While challenges exist, the long-term benefits outweigh the costs.  Here's how you can contribute:

Support Sustainable Businesses: Choose companies committed to environmental responsibility and invest in sustainable solutions.

Advocate for Change: Demand sustainable practices from corporations and policymakers.

Embrace Innovation: Stay informed about advancements and support the development and adoption of sustainable technologies.

Together, by fostering innovation and embracing a sustainable future, we can create a world where environmental benefits outweigh the initial costs, paving the way for a healthier planet and a thriving economy.

Explore further:

The World Bank - Climate Action for Sustainable Development: https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/climatechange

Project Drawdown - Solutions to Reverse Global Warming: https://drawdown.org/

Let's be the generation that ushers in a sustainable future. Share this information and encourage others to join the movement!

#sustainability #innovation #climatechange #renewableenergy #greentech #fintech #proptech #climatetech

[whatsonmedia]

Wednesday Wisdom: 5 Best Climate Change Books To Read

With COP 28 in full swing, the climate crisis is at the forefront of our minds. But how do we make sense of it all? How do we stay informed and engaged without getting overwhelmed?

This Wednesday Wisdom, we’re diving into five must-read books that offer a spectrum of perspectives on climate change. From the sobering realities of “The Uninhabitable Earth” to the rousing call to action in “All We Can Save,” these books will equip you with knowledge, hope, and the power to make a difference.

The Uninhabitable Earth By David Wallace-Wells

Wallace-Wells doesn’t shy away from the brutal realities of climate change, painting a vivid picture of a future we’re hurtling toward. He delves into rising sea levels, extreme weather, mass migration, and political unrest, showing how these issues will ripple across every facet of society. While the book is undeniably bleak, it’s also a call to action. Wallace-Wells argues that we still have time to avert the worst-case scenarios, but it will require a radical transformation of our economy and way of life. “The Uninhabitable Earth” is a challenging but essential read for anyone who wants to understand the true scope of climate change and what we can do about it.

Regeneration: Ending the Climate Crisis in One Generationby Paul Hawken

Paul Hawken’s “Regeneration” isn’t just another climate doomsday book. It’s a potent antidote, overflowing with optimism and practical solutions. Hawken, the environmental guru behind “Drawdown,” ditches the mitigation rhetoric and dives into a revolutionary concept: regeneration. He paints a vivid picture of a world where we heal our planet, from flourishing forests to teeming oceans, not just survive its decline. This isn’t airy-fairy idealism; Hawken meticulously presents achievable action plans, backed by experts and bursting with possibility. It’s a call to arms, not a mournful dirge. Read this book. It’s the shot of hope we need to face the crisis, not with fear, but with rolled-up sleeves and determined hearts.

This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. the Climate by Naomi Klein

In “This Changes Everything,” Naomi Klein cracks open the climate crisis like a geode, revealing its glittering potential for revolution. She argues that the fight for a livable planet necessitates dismantling the engine of endless growth: capitalism. With Klein’s signature blend of investigative fury and trenchant analysis, she exposes the corporate greed and free-market idolatry fueling our descent.

Yet, amidst the bleak portraits of disaster capitalism, she unearths a vibrant network of resistance, from the tenacious communities on the frontlines to the burgeoning “Blockadia��� movement. While solutions remain tantalizingly vague, Klein’s call to action resonates loud and clear: Embrace the urgency, confront the system, and change everything. While some may find the anti-capitalist lens one-dimensional, Klein’s unflinching gaze forces us to confront uncomfortable truths. This is more than a climate book; it’s a manifesto for a seismic shift in consciousness, a call to arms for a future where humanity and planet thrive in harmony.

All We Can Save

“All We Can Save” isn’t your typical climate crisis book. Forget the gloom and doom; instead, prepare for a potent shot of adrenaline. This diverse anthology amplifies the voices of 60+ women leading the charge, from scientists to activists to farmers. Each essay is a punch of truth, courage, and practical solutions, urging readers to join the fight. You’ll find yourself energized, equipped, and ready to roll up your sleeves alongside these brilliant minds. Whether you’re a seasoned campaigner or a curious newbie, “All We Can Save” is a must-read, proving that saving the planet isn’t just possible, it’s essential… and a whole lot more empowering than you think.

The New Climate War, by Michael Mann

In “The New Climate War,” Mann exposes the fossil fuel industry’s insidious campaign to manipulate public opinion and stall climate action. He masterfully dismantles their deceptive tactics, from cherry-picking data to funding misinformation campaigns. But Mann doesn’t stop at blame. He lays out a powerful battle plan for reclaiming our planet, urging us to mobilize grassroots movements and demand accountability from those in power. This is more than a climate book; it’s a rousing call to arms, empowering readers to join the fight for a livable future.

[ailtrahq]

 Sustainable energy sources now account for more than 50% of Bitcoin mining. Emissions relative to Bitcoin’s market value plunged by 75% over the last four years. Over the years, Bitcoin’s [BTC] stupendous network growth has come hand-in-hand with the criticism around its significantly increased power consumption and greenhouse emissions. This very issue has snowballed into a major sticking point between climate activists and Bitcoin maximalists, with the former raising the question – Will Bitcoin production be environmentally sustainable in the long run? Read BTC’s Price Prediction 2023-24 Unique correlation comes to light According to Bloomberg crypto market analyst Jamie Coutts, a symbiotic relationship was shaping up between Bitcoin network’s expansion and the green energy transition. As evident from the stats below, while the network has grown in practically all key performance indicators (KPIs) of on-chain activity, carbon footprints have continued to decline, much to the delight of Bitcoin supporters. Source: Bloomberg Intelligence This negative correlation was a result of miners’ preference for cheaper and cleaner sources of energy to drive their mining rigs, as per Jamie Coutts. He said, “With energy constituting well over 50% of mining’s op cost, the incentive to acquire the cheapest energy sources is contributing to the network’s rising hash rate while simultaneously reducing the industry’s emissions or carbon intensity.” Demand for renewables shoots up Over the years, the share of renewable sources like hydropower solar and wind have gone up considerably. Coutts emphasized how these sustainable sources now account for more than 50% of Bitcoin mining consumption, citing data from climate-tech venture capitalist Daniel Batten. Source: Bloomberg Intelligence This remarkable transition could be linked to a geographic shift in mining activities. Countries like China used to be the epicenter of BTC mining at one point in time. However, it ceded its position to the U.S. after a blanket ban on cryptocurrency mining in May 2021. China, along with other Asian countries like Kazakhstan, are regions where fossil fuels are heavily subsidized. This incentivized miners to exploit these resources, resulting in higher carbon footprints. But as the mining activity has moved to the U.S., things have changed. The south-central state of Texas has dished out favorable policies and tax incentives to attract miners to its wind and solar power. Furthermore, the economic benefits of renewables couldn’t be stressed enough. According to a report by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), cost of electricity generation from wind, solar, and geothermal sources fell sharply in 2022. For comparison, the new-age solar photovoltaics (PV) were found to be 29% less expensive than the cheapest fossil fuel-fired solution in 2022. Greenhouse emissions drop despite network growth Another way to analyze the inverse relation between emissions and network growth was through the emission per market cap metric. As indicated clearly, emissions relative to Bitcoin’s market value plunged significantly by 75%. Source: Bloomberg Intelligence The counter-argument that could be made here is that Bitcoin’s value has also seen a sharp drawdown from its 2021 peaks. Indeed, BTC was 60% below its all-time high (ATH) at the time of writing, per CoinMarketCap data. However, the fall in market cap didn’t impede Bitcoin’s network growth. In fact, a recent update from the on-chain analytics firm Glassnode revealed that ownership continued to rise to new highs on a daily basis. 📈 #Bitcoin $BTC Number of Addresses Holding 0.01+ Coins just reached an ATH of 12,454,017 Previous ATH of 12,453,322 was observed on 20 September 2023 View metric: pic.twitter.com/6roEN4EQM5 — glassnode alerts (@glassnodealerts) September 21, 2023 As the network has grown in size, so has the need for more miners to keep the system secure and decentralized. As per the data cited, Bitcoin’s global hash rate has nearly tripled over the last four years.

However, we have yet to see a proportional increase in the carbon footprints. Source: Bloomberg Intelligence Is your portfolio green? Check out the BTC Profit Calculator Researchers studying Bitcoin’s emissions and power consumption have made substantial adjustments to their data modelling methodologies over the years. Recently, the popular portal Cambridge Bitcoin Electricity Consumption Index (CBECI) revised BTC’s power consumption for 2021 and 2022. This resulted in a significant reduction in annual estimates. Source

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[ad_1] The Southern Ocean is certainly an important carbon sink -- soaking up a considerable amount of the surplus carbon dioxide emitted into the ambience by way of human actions -- consistent with a brand new learn about led by way of the Nationwide Heart for Atmospheric Analysis (NCAR). The findings supply readability in regards to the function the icy waters surrounding Antarctica play in buffering the affect of accelerating greenhouse gasoline emissions, after analysis revealed in recent times steered the Southern Ocean may well be much less of a sink than prior to now idea. The brand new learn about, revealed this week within the magazine Science, uses observations from analysis plane flown all over 3 box tasks over just about a decade, in addition to a choice of atmospheric fashions, to resolve that the Southern Ocean takes up considerably extra carbon than it releases. The analysis additionally highlights the ability that airborne observations have to expose vital patterns within the international carbon cycle. "You'll be able to't idiot the ambience," mentioned NCAR scientist Matthew Lengthy, the paper's lead writer. "Whilst measurements taken from the sea floor and from land are essential, they're too sparse to offer a competent image of air-sea carbon flux. The ambience, on the other hand, can combine fluxes over huge expanses. Airborne measurements display a drawdown of CO2 within the decrease surroundings over the Southern Ocean floor in summer season, indicating carbon uptake by way of the sea." The analysis is funded by way of the Nationwide Science Basis (NSF), which is NCAR's sponsor, in addition to by way of NASA and NOAA. Uncertainty in regards to the function of the Southern Ocean As soon as human-produced emissions of CO2 -- from burning fossil fuels and different actions -- input the ambience, one of the gasoline is taken up by way of vegetation and a few is absorbed into the sea. Whilst the full focus of CO2 within the surroundings continues to extend, inflicting the worldwide temperature to upward thrust, those land and ocean "sinks" sluggish the impact. A extra actual figuring out of the place carbon sinks exist, how large they're, and the way they could also be converting as society continues to emit extra CO2 is a very powerful to projecting the longer term trajectory of local weather trade. It is usually important for comparing the affect of attainable emission aid measures and CO2 elimination applied sciences. Scientists have lengthy idea that the Southern Ocean is a very powerful carbon sink. Within the area round Antarctica, chilly water from the deep ocean is transported to the skin. This upwelling water won't have noticed the skin of the sea for centuries -- however as soon as involved with the ambience, it is in a position to soak up CO2 earlier than sinking once more. Measurements of CO2 and comparable homes within the ocean counsel that 40 p.c of all human-produced CO2 now saved within the ocean used to be initially taken up by way of the Southern Ocean. However measuring the true flux on the floor -- the backward and forward change of CO2 between the water and the overlying air all over a 12 months -- has been difficult. Lately, scientists have used observations of pH taken from independent floats deployed within the Southern Ocean to deduce details about air-sea carbon flux. The result of the ones efforts steered that the carbon sink within the Southern Ocean may well be a lot smaller than prior to now idea. The likelihood that the existing figuring out of the function the Southern Ocean performs within the carbon cycle may well be improper generated a large number of dialogue inside the clinical group and left unanswered questions, together with the place the surplus CO2 goes if now not into the Southern Ocean. May there be an important sink on land or in different places within the international oceans that scientists have overlooked? The worth of atmospheric measurements

Within the new learn about, the analysis crew sought to handle the uncertainty by way of taking a look at carbon within the air as an alternative of within the water. The ambience and the sea exist in steadiness, and they're continuously exchanging CO2, oxygen, and different gases with each and every different. The analysis crew pieced in combination airborne measurements from 3 other box tasks with deployments stretching over just about a decade: the HIAPER Pole-to-Pole Observations (HIPPO) mission, the O2/N2 Ratio and CO2 Airborne Southern Ocean (ORCAS) learn about, and the Atmospheric Tomography (ATom) challenge. Whilst there also are floor tracking stations that measure CO2 within the surroundings over the Southern Ocean, those stations are rather few and a ways between, making it tough to signify what is going on throughout all of the area. "The atmospheric CO2 indicators over the Southern Ocean are small and difficult to measure, particularly from floor stations the use of other tools run by way of other laboratories," mentioned NCAR scientist Britton Stephens, a co-author of the learn about who co-led or participated in the entire box campaigns. "However with the suite of high-performance instrumentation we flew, the indicators have been placing and unequivocal." Seriously, the information from the plane campaigns captured the vertical CO2 gradient. As an example, all over the NSF-funded ORCAS box marketing campaign, which came about in January and February 2016, Stephens, Lengthy, and different scientists on board the NSF/NCAR HIAPER Gulfstream V analysis plane may see a lower in CO2 concentrations on their tools because the airplane descended. "Each time the GV dipped close to the skin, turbulence larger -- indicating the air used to be involved with the sea -- at exactly the instant when the entire CO2 tools registered a drop in concentrations," Stephens mentioned. "You have to really feel it." The brand new learn about unearths that this gradient is fairly delicate to the air-sea carbon flux, providing researchers an remarkable alternative to signify the Southern Ocean's carbon uptake. "We wanted observations that integrated each extensive surveys at a selected time of the 12 months and that spanned the seasonal cycle," Lengthy mentioned. "That used to be the inducement for combining a couple of plane campaigns that span more or less a decade. We have been in a position to mixture them in combination to evaluate the imply seasonal cycle of CO2 variability within the surroundings." After piecing in combination how CO2 generally varies within the surroundings at a selected time of the 12 months, the analysis crew grew to become to a collection of atmospheric fashions to lend a hand them translate their atmospheric profiles into an estimate of ways a lot CO2 the sea used to be absorbing or freeing. Their conclusion used to be that the Southern Ocean takes in considerably extra carbon in the summertime than it loses all over the iciness, soaking up a whopping 2 billion lots of CO2 over the process a 12 months. In the summertime, blooms of photosynthetic algae, or phytoplankton, play a key function in riding CO2 uptake into the sea. The analysis crew famous that a standard program of long run airborne observations over the Southern Ocean may additionally lend a hand scientists perceive whether or not the world's capability to proceed taking on carbon might trade at some point. A an identical size technique may yield essential data in different areas of the globe too. "We have now actually noticed that those observations are vastly tough," Lengthy mentioned. "Long run plane observations may yield extraordinarily excessive clinical price for the funding. It is vital that we have got a finger at the pulse of the carbon cycle as we input a length when international society is taking motion to scale back CO2 within the surroundings. Those observations can lend a hand us do exactly that." [ad_2] #learn

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