These are some of the stories I have found:
- Dominion seeks Virginia’s approval for offshore wind project
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Environmental photographer of the year 2021 – in pictures
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Raging Flood Waters Driven by Climate Change Threaten the Trans-Alaska Pipeline
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Coastal erosion: The climate challenge wearing away at Europe’s shores
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More Eyes on Polluters: The Growth of Citizen Monitoring
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This Amazon dam is supposed to provide clean energy, but it’s destroying livelihoods and unique species
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Ten Reasons for Optimism on Climate Change
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Saudi Arabian negotiators move to cripple COP26 – Greenpeace response
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Mini to unveil two new electric vehicles in 2023
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Anatomy of spin: how UK is trying to frame Cop26 as a success
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COP26: Fossil fuel industry has largest delegation at climate summit
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Queensland calls for multiple four hour batteries to deal with solar duck curve
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At COP26, a Rock Star Named Greta, and Threats to the Scottish Coast. Plus Carbon-Footprint Menus and Climate Art Galore
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NSW, ACT and South Australia in cross party push to speed transition to net zero
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Reimagining Coastal Cities as Sponges to Help Protect Them From the Ravages of Climate Change
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As Miami Keeps Building, Rising Seas Deepen Its Social Divide
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Glasgow first draft text revealed: “exceptionally weak” with no mention of fossil fuel phaseout – Greenpeace response
This Is An Open Thread
Brilliant Tweet
Dominion seeks Virginia’s approval for offshore wind project
Plans for Dominion Energy’s massive offshore wind farm near the Virginia coast are being filed with the State Corporation Commission, bringing the project one major step closer to becoming reality, the company said Friday.
Dominion plans to erect 176 wind turbines in the Atlantic Ocean about 27 miles (43 kilometers) from the shores of Virginia Beach. The project is expected to generate enough power for about 660,000 homes.
Dominion said in a statement that the filing with Virginia’s corporation commission keeps the project on schedule for completion by the end of 2026. Earlier this year, the company filed a request for federal approval through the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.
Environmental photographer of the year 2021 – in pictures
lots of pictures in that link
Raging Flood Waters Driven by Climate Change Threaten the Trans-Alaska Pipeline
It rained hard at the headwaters of the Sagavanirktok River in northern Alaska’s Brooks Range late in the summer of 2019, an unusually harsh downpour that was likely supercharged by climate change.
The Sag, as it’s commonly called, swelled and began to tear at its banks, gnawing away at the tundra. Chunks of earth crumpled into the churning water 22 miles south of Prudhoe Bay.
In August, the surging water jumped the riverbank and chewed away 100 feet of the land on the west side of the Sag, to within 30 feet of a buried segment of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, the four-foot diameter conduit that carries an average of 20 million gallons of crude oil a day from the Prudhoe Bay oil fields.
Coastal erosion: The climate challenge wearing away at Europe’s shores
Coastal erosion is tipped to be on the agenda at the COP26 climate conference on Monday. In Europe sea levels could reach 37cm by 2080, causing land loss that threatens infrastructure, livelihoods and heritage sites.
As
climate change causes sea levels to rise around the world, typically it is small island nations that sound the alarm at events like COP26.
Last week, Prime Minister of Barbados Mia Mottley told attendees at the conference in Glasgow that a 2-degree Celsius rise in global temperatures would cause an increase in sea levels equivalent to a “death sentence” for the Caribbean island. Tuvalu Foreign Minister Simon Kofe stood knee-deep in the sea around the South Pacific island to illustrate the scale of the problem as he filmed a video statement to send to the summit.
More Eyes on Polluters: The Growth of Citizen Monitoring
On the grounds of a western Pennsylvania convent, two small white cylinders fixed under the eave of a garage are helping to monitor air in a region that has long suffered from poor air quality and that soon will face a major additional source of emissions from a vast new petrochemical plant.
The cylinders, each not much bigger than a soda can, collect data on particulates and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) — both potentially harmful pollutants — in the air surrounding the Sisters of St. Joseph of Baden, about 25 miles north of Pittsburgh.
The monitors are part of a network in the vicinity installed by Mark Dixon, an independent air-quality advocate and filmmaker who has been monitoring air pollution in the Pittsburgh area since 2016. He’s now focusing on an ethane cracker plant being built by the oil giant Shell at Monaca on the south bank of the Ohio River, about five miles northwest of the convent. Dixon has so far installed 14 monitors within about five miles of the plant; he aims to add six more before the Shell plant opens.
This Amazon dam is supposed to provide clean energy, but it’s destroying livelihoods and unique species
The Volta Grande region of the Amazon is a lush, fertile zone supplied by the Xingu River, whose biodiverse lagoons and islands have earned its designation as a priority conservation area by Brazil’s Ministry of the Environment.
But a recent decision by the Federal Regional Court in the state of Pará, Brazil, allows the continuing diversion of water from the Xingu River to the Belo Monte hydroelectric dam complex – rather than to local indigenous fishing communities. This is a disaster for the ecosystems and people of the Volta Grande.
The ruling, which reversed a temporary order for river diversion to be suspended, means that 80% of Xingu River flow will continue to be diverted away from the communities of Volta Grande. This impedes the main transport route for many indigenous people who live along the river and reduces fish diversity, compromising food security and livelihoods.
Ten Reasons for Optimism on Climate Change
The 26th U.N. Climate Change Conference got underway in Glasgow this week, and it already looks like a slow-motion train wreck. The leaders of three of the biggest polluting nations – Russia, Brazil, and China – aren’t there. The national pledges that have already been made to cut emissions won’t be met – and even if they were, they aren’t enough to avoid catastrophic warming. Rich nations of the world are woefully behind in their commitment to pay $100 billion a year into the Green Climate Fund to help poor nations adapt to climate impacts and transition to clean energy. The conference runs through Nov. 12 and new deals and commitments will emerge. But right now, given the scale of the crisis we face, signs of urgency, ambition, and leadership are hard to find.
As Rob Larter, a scientist with the British Antarctic Survey, put it in a tweet: “I think that in the main what’s going on is a lot of politicians from many countries are trying to work out how they can come out of it looking good without really committing themselves to doing much.”
Cop26: Barack Obama says islands are the canary in the coal mine – day eight live
that link is like a live blog here on daily kos. You can check out what Barack had to say during the day.
Saudi Arabian negotiators move to cripple COP26 – Greenpeace response
Greenpeace International Executive Director Jennifer Morgan today expressed grave concern at moves by the Saudi government to cripple the COP26 climate talks in Glasgow.
On Friday night Saudi negotiators moved to block the negotiations taking place over the creation of the so-called ‘cover decision’ for the final text. The cover decision is the top line message coming out of a COP that signals what the final outcome means for the world and is a vital part of any successful summit. Many countries, especially those facing existential risks, have been attempting to ensure that Glasgow’s cover decision focuses on accelerating action to keep 1.5C alive – thus the absence of any cover decision at all would cripple that effort and critically undermine the outcome in Glasgow.
The Saudi government then blocked efforts to achieve progress on adaptation. A key pillar of the Paris Agreement, adaptation is the effort to help millions of people around the world cope with the impacts of rising temperatures. Lack of progress on adaptation would make it difficult for vulnerable countries, including the African block of nations, to embrace any final agreement, making success at COP26 less likely.
Mini to unveil two new electric vehicles in 2023
Mini has announced plans to unveil two new purely electric vehicles in 2023, including the typical Mini 3-door as well as a crossover model, which will compete in both the small-car and premium compact segments.
Mini published a lengthy “future strategy” late last week in which it outlined its plans for how the company will tackle the complete electrification of its model range by the early 2030s.
First among these announcements is the promise of a new Mini model that will lead “a new generation of purely electrically powered vehicles.” Offered in both a 3-door and crossover model – meaning that the company will be offering the new vehicle in both the small-car and the premium compact segments – the new EV Mini will be presented in 2023.
Anatomy of spin: how UK is trying to frame Cop26 as a success
The first week of Cop26 was a packed affair, with world leaders of the G20 group of the world’s biggest economies first meeting in Rome, then moving on to meet more than 100 other leaders in Glasgow for the initial stage of a fortnight of intensive talks.
António Guterres, the UN secretary general, warned that recent optimistic assessments were “an illusion”, exhorting leaders to make stronger efforts to cut greenhouse gases. The biggest country to respond was India, the world’s third biggest emitter, which set out a target of net zero by 2070, which most regard as too late for the Cop26 goal of limiting temperature rises to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels but some said would be met sooner.
Joe Biden used his final words to take a swipe at China. The Chinese delegation seemed less perturbed, having its own issues with marshalling smaller developing countries, which are concerned that the 1.5C goal is slipping out of reach.
COP26: Fossil fuel industry has largest delegation at climate summit
There are more delegates at COP26 associated with the fossil fuel industry than from any single country, analysis shared with the BBC shows.
They found that 503 people with links to fossil fuel interests had been accredited for the climate summit.
These delegates are said to lobby for oil and gas industries, and campaigners say they should be banned.
"The fossil fuel industry has spent decades denying and delaying real action on the climate crisis, which is why this is such a huge problem," says Murray Worthy from Global Witness.
"Their influence is one of the biggest reasons why 25 years of UN climate talks have not led to real cuts in global emissions."
Queensland calls for multiple four hour batteries to deal with solar duck curve
Energy Queensland – the state owned network operator – has announced a tender for multiple battery storage installations for up to four hours of storage to support the roll out of renewables, and solar in particular.
The tender is seeking “megawatt scale” battery storage installations of around 4MW and between two and four hours of storage, and is focused on the distributed, or local, networks, and will support the rollout of both large scale renewable and rooftop solar installations.
Queensland is currently the leading state for solar in the country – both in terms of large scale and rooftop installations – but it has little in the way of storage, apart from the Wivenhoe pumped hydro facility in the south of the state, and it often experiences negative prices in the middle of the day which could discourage future investment.
At COP26, a Rock Star Named Greta, and Threats to the Scottish Coast. Plus Carbon-Footprint Menus and Climate Art Galore
What do three square meals a day look like in Glasgow this week?
Perhaps in the morning, you begin with Scottish morning rolls with Ayrshire bacon. Then for lunch you order a smoked ham sandwich with mature cheddar cheese, and for dinner, you enjoy braised Scottish venison casserole. The climate impact of your food choices would total 2.8 kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent.
You could opt for a more planet-friendly, plant-based diet and swap a vegetable and mushroom substitute for the bacon, select a grilled vegetable and kale pesto sandwich for lunch and enjoy a pearl barley and root vegetable hot pot with marinated cabbage for dinner. Your food would have produced just 0.5 kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent.
The dozens of dishes on the menu at COP26 this week appear alongside their carbon dioxide equivalents, a metric calculated by the Swedish start-up company Klimato to encompass the food’s carbon footprint from farm to table. Plant-based and vegetarian dishes make up 59 percent of the COP26 menu, and 65 percent of menu items are considered “low impact,” according to these calculations, meaning their carbon dioxide equivalents are less than 0.5 kilograms.
NSW, ACT and South Australia in cross party push to speed transition to net zero
The New South Wales, South Australia and Australian Capital Territory governments have created a new multi-state, cross party initiative to try and fast track the shift to zero emissions, with a focus on proven and mature technologies.
The Net Zero Emissions Policy Forum has been initiated by the NSW, ACT and SA governments to help sub-national jurisdictions – who tend to have more ambitious policies than national governments – address the practical challenges of achieving net zero emissions.
“Taking action on climate change is an economic and environmental imperative, and this is about ensuring states and territories are working together to address it,” NSW energy minister and treasurer Matt Kean said in a joint statement.
Reimagining Coastal Cities as Sponges to Help Protect Them From the Ravages of Climate Change
As an environmental officer in Samoa, Violet Wulf-Saena worked with the Lano and Saoluafata Indigenous peoples to restore coastline mangrove ecosystems that could slow incoming waves and protect communities from storm and flood damage.
Two decades later, in California’s San Francisco Bay Area, she’s the director of a nonprofit called Climate Resilient Communities that works on the same issue: restoring marshlands and wetlands to better protect vulnerable neighborhoods in low-lying areas from sea level rise.
Some areas of the Pacific Islands, where Wulf-Saena grew up, are projected by conservative estimates to see the sea level rise 10 inches by mid-century. By then, East Palo Alto, about 30 miles south of San Francisco, where Wulf-Saena works now, may also be frequently underwater during high tide events.
As Miami Keeps Building, Rising Seas Deepen Its Social Divide
There is an inescapable truth about life in South Florida: This low-lying region is set to be swallowed by the sea. An array of powers — municipal, state, federal, and private — have begun to plan and borrow and spend to defend Miami and its environs. But as sea levels steadily rise, the porous limestone rock its residents walk on every day means there is no stopping the Atlantic Ocean.
The sea at the southern end of the Florida Peninsula has risen a foot since the 1900s, and almost 5 inches since 1993. The ocean reclaims chunks of land in the fall and spring during so called “sunny day” floods, which have become four times more common today than 15 years ago. Some scientists say that another 6 inches of sea level rise could very well arrive by 2030, and infrastructure planners are bracing for 2 feet by 2060. Five to 6 feet of sea level rise by 2100 is likely, and likely catastrophic: An inundation of this magnitude would physically displace some 800,000 residents of Miami-Dade County — nearly a third of the current population — and render a large portion of the city uninhabitable.
Glasgow first draft text revealed: “exceptionally weak” with no mention of fossil fuel phaseout – Greenpeace response
The first draft of the Glasgow final decision text at COP26 completely fails to mention fossil fuels, despite expert consensus on the need to end new coal, oil and gas immediately to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement 1.5C goal.
Thanks to blocking by fossil fuel interests, the first version of the official text, published by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, fails to acknowledge that fossil fuels are driving the climate crisis, nor does it make any commitment to tangible actions to end global reliance on coal, oil and gas. The text is just 850 words long.
Campaigners are gravely concerned because ordinarily, the first draft of a COP text is relatively ambitious, and becomes weaker over the second week as countries work in caveats for themselves. For the first draft to be so weak does not bode well.