We look at state electricity rates, the “15-cent rule,” and what it means for solar.

ByDan Gearino

October 19, 2023

Summary:

The Declaration will be the basis for Africa’s common position in COP 28 and beyond

From Africa Renewal: September 2023, 8 September 2023 By: UNECA

Summary of the Climate Summit Declaration

• African leaders attending the Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi are calling for urgent action from developed countries to reduce carbon emissions.
• They propose a new financing mechanism to restructure Africa’s debt and unlock climate funding.
• The leaders emphasize the importance of decarbonizing the global economy for equality and shared prosperity.
• Investment is needed to promote sustainable use of Africa’s natural assets for low carbon development.
• African countries face disproportionate burdens and risks from climate change, including droughts, floods, and fires.
• Climate change is the single greatest challenge facing humanity and the biggest threat to all life on earth.
• Despite not being historically responsible for global warming, Africa is willing to be a vital part of the global solution.
• Multilateral finance reform is necessary but not sufficient to provide the scale of climate financing needed.
• The leaders propose a global carbon taxation regime, along with other financial reforms, to finance climate-positive investments.
• They call for collective global action to mobilize capital for development and climate action.
• Concrete action and speed are needed to build resilience to climate shocks and better deploy financial mechanisms.
• The Nairobi Declaration adopted at the summit will serve as Africa’s common position in global climate change processes.
• The African Union plans to establish the Africa Climate Summit as a biennial event to address emerging global climate and development issues.

The Climate Crisis’ Detrimental Impact on Children’s Health: Risks, Challenges, and Calls for Action

Summary of The Guardian article by Andrew Gregory Health editor, Oct. 21, 2023

• Climate crisis poses existential risk to children:
  • The climate crisis poses an existential risk to the health and wellbeing of all children, according to Dr Camilla Kingdon, president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH).
  • Air pollution, extreme weather, and high energy costs are already having a detrimental effect on children’s physical and mental health.
• Impact on health and wellbeing:
  • Rising temperatures are causing adverse outcomes such as premature birth, hospitalization, and weight gain in babies and children.
  • Climate change is also linked to lung growth impairment, asthma, blood pressure issues, cognitive abilities, and mental health problems.
  • “Climate change is no longer tomorrow’s problem, it’s today’s,” Kingdon said. “Healthcare professionals across the UK are already seeing its impact first-hand.”
  • “Children exhibit high levels of concern over climate change and the mental health consequences, including post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, phobias, sleep disorders, attachment disorders and substance abuse, can lead to problems with learning, behaviour, and academic performance.”
• Health inequalities and vulnerable children:
  • Children from low-income households face greater risks due to living in deprived areas with extreme weather events and poor air quality.
  • Increased damp and cold properties increase health risks, while the government’s rollback on net-zero policies further exacerbates the burden on vulnerable children.
• Calls for action and support:
  • The RCPCH urges the government to appoint a cabinet minister for children and prioritize child health in climate crisis policymaking.
  • Paediatricians are provided with new resources to support children affected by the climate crisis, including template letters for housing improvements.

From Howard ChangHoward Chang, CEO at Just Boardrooms, Executive Chair theturnlab

Every Canadian taxpayer gets these a couple of times a year. If you’re wondering what it’s for it’s for the #taxrebate on the #carbontax. The idea of the carbon tax is to have polluting companies and their products pay so they are incentivized to clean up their act. But the way the tax is designed is that it’s revenue neutral, and the dollars that are collected are re-distributed to citizens. Advanced countries in Western Europe and Asia are proving the carbon tax works and our conservative politicians are just against it for political gain not for economic sense. #turnthetide #climatecrisis #globalwarming

Climate change isn’t all your fault. But that doesn’t mean there’s nothing you can do about it.

By Ricky Lanusse

The article argues that while governments, industries, and corporations must change their practices to combat climate change, individuals and households also bear responsibility for their excessive consumption and carbon emissions. The author shares their own realization of the impact of their plastic bottle consumption and highlights the role of consumerism as a fundamental issue. The article also reveals the disparity in carbon emissions between the wealthiest and poorest individuals and the false promise of green consumption. The author concludes that individuals must cut back on excessive and unnecessary purchases and question economic ideologies to address climate concerns.

Sources: The Guardian / The Carbon Majors Database

But in this analysis, we forget about us: the households and individuals who are consumers of what these corporations sell and vote in these governments. We ignore us, the people whose excessive consumption of Gatorades, wardrobes, phones, and cars is wasting unnecessary sources while compounding silent harm and whose lifestyles need a change. Consumerism as a fundamental issue is overlooked.

Everything needs to change, and everything must change.
And this change starts with us, in our very homes.

The Clean Energy Future Is Arriving Faster Than You Think – The New York Times

Author: New York Times

August 13, 2023

URL: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/08/12/climate/clean-energy-us-fossil-fuels.html?campaign_id=54&emc=edit_clim_20230814&instance_id=100008&nl=climate-forward%C2%AEi_id=44226454&segment_id=141982&te=1&user_id=8dba6eb1e5a4ae19fd2fc08a25720d88

David Gelles reported from Tulsa, Okla.; Brad Plumer and Jim Tankersley from Washington; and Jack Ewing from New York to see how an accelerated energy transition is playing out.

Across the country, a profound shift is taking place that is nearly invisible to most Americans. The nation that burned coal, oil and gas for more than a century to become the richest economy on the planet, as well as historically the most polluting, is rapidly shifting away from fossil fuels.

A similar energy transition is already well underway in Europe and elsewhere. But the United States is catching up, and globally, change is happening at a pace that is surprising even the experts who track it closely.

Wind and solar power are breaking records, and renewables are [now expected to overtake](https://www.iea.org/reports/renewables-2022/executive-summary) coal by 2025 as the world’s largest source of electricity. Automakers have made electric vehicles central to their business strategies and are openly talking about an expiration date on the internal combustion engine. Heating, cooling, cooking and some manufacturing are going electric.

As the planet registers the highest temperatures on record, rising in some places to levels incompatible with human life, governments around the world are pouring trillions of dollars into clean energy to cut the carbon pollution that is broiling the planet.

“We look at energy data on a daily basis, and it’s astonishing what’s happening,” said Fatih Birol, the executive director of the International Energy Agency. “Clean energy is moving faster than many people think, and it’s become turbocharged lately.”

More than $1.7 trillion worldwide is expected to be invested in technologies such as wind, solar power, electric vehicles and batteries globally this year, according to the I.E.A., compared with just over $1 trillion in fossil fuels. That is by far the most ever spent on clean energy in a year.

Corporations are building new coal mines, oil rigs and gas pipelines. The government continues to award leases [for drilling projects](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/12/climate/biden-willow-arctic-drilling-restrictions.html?searchResultPosition=3) on public lands and in federal waters and still subsidizes the industries. After posting record profits last year, leading oil companies are backing away from recent promises to invest more heavily in renewable energy.

There are major challenges involved in adding large amounts of renewable energy to antiquated electric grids and mining enough minerals for clean technologies. Some politicians, including most Republicans, want the country to continue burning fossil fuels, even in the face of overwhelming scientific consensus that their use is endangering life on the planet.

Dozens of conservative groups organized by the Heritage Foundation have [created a policy playbook](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/04/climate/republicans-climate-project2025.html?searchResultPosition=2), should a Republican win the 2024 presidential election, that would reverse course on lowering emissions. It would shred regulations designed to curb greenhouse gases, dismantle nearly every federal clean energy program and boost the production of fossil fuels.

About two-thirds of the new investment in clean energy is in Republican-controlled states, where policymakers have historically resisted renewables. But with each passing month, the politics seem to matter less than the economics.

But clean energy became cheap far faster than anyone expected. Since 2009, the cost of solar power has plunged by 83 percent, while the cost of producing wind power has fallen by more than half. The price of lithium-ion battery cells fell 97 percent over the past three decades.

Today, solar and wind power are the least expensive new sources of electricity in many markets, generating 12 percent of global electricity and rising. This year, for the first time, global investors are expected to pour more money into solar power — some $380 billion — than into drilling for oil.

In the United States, President Biden signed a trio of laws during his first two years in office that allocated unprecedented funds for clean energy: A $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure law provided money to enhance the power grid, buy electric buses for schools and build a national network of electric vehicle chargers. The bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act set aside billions of dollars for semiconductors vital to car manufacturing. And the Inflation Reduction Act, which marks its first anniversary on Aug. 16, is by far the most ambitious attempt to fight climate change in American history.

Combined, the three laws have prompted companies to announce [at least $230 billion in manufacturing investments](https://www.jackconness.com/ira-chips-investments) so far.

Electric vehicles are by far the fastest-growing segment of the auto industry, with record sales of 300,000 in the second quarter of 2023, a 48 percent increase from a year earlier. Teslas are now among the best-selling cars in the country, and Ford has expanded its production of the F-150 Lightning, the electric version of its popular pickup truck, after a surge of initial demand created a waiting list.

Concerns among consumers about the availability of charging stations as well as the cost of some models have helped to cool sales somewhat, [leading some automakers to slash prices.](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/17/business/ford-f150-lightning-electric-vehicle-prices.html)

Government action is also helping heavier vehicles go electric. Sales of electric school buses are soaring, largely because of $5 billion in federal grants that can cover 100 percent of the cost for low-income communities. The Postal Service plans to spend n[early $10 billion to purchase 66,000 electric mail trucks](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/20/climate/postal-service-electric-trucks.html?searchResultPosition=2) — roughly 30 percent of its fleet — over the next five years.

In an unusual move, seven carmakers — BMW Group, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes-Benz Group and Stellantis — are spending $1 billion in a joint venture to build 30,000 charging ports on major highways and other locations in the United States and Canada.

The Guardian

Brian Kahn

March 10, 2023

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/mar/11/heat-pump-revolution-what-you-need-to-know

Heat pumps have become the tech of choice to keep homes warm – but what are they and how do they work?

1. Heat pumps are becoming the tech of choice to keep homes warm.:
– Heat pumps both heat and cool your home depending on the season, using electricity instead of methane gas.
– Heat pumps work by moving heat from one place to another, similar to how air conditioners work.

2. Heat pumps are more efficient and safer than gas furnaces.:
– Heat pumps are 300% more efficient than gas furnaces and can save households up to $557 a year on energy bills.
– Replacing gas furnaces with heat pumps could cut carbon emissions by up to 53%.

3. Heat pumps can work in cold weather with improved efficiency.:
– Air source heat pumps have become more efficient at capturing heat even in sub-zero temperatures.
– Real-world tests show that heat pumps can operate in harsh winter conditions.

4. Heat pump installation costs vary depending on factors like house size and climate.:
– Installing a heat pump can be a four- or five-figure investment, with air source heat pumps generally being cheaper.
– Ground source heat pumps may be more cost-effective in the long run due to efficiency gains.

5. Incentives are available to help make heat pumps more affordable.:
– In the US, tax credits cover a portion of the cost of installing a heat pump, with additional benefits for low-income households.
– Many states offer rebates for heat pump installations.
– The UK government offers up to £6,000 to cover heat pump installations.
– Some Australian states and the federal government provide incentives for heat pump hot water heaters.

6. Challenges in widespread heat pump adoption include apartment dwellers, electrical panel updates, and refrigerant choices.:
– Certain companies are working on window heat pumps to provide options for apartment dwellers.
– Homeowners may need to update their electrical panels when installing a heat pump.
– New forms of heat-pump refrigerants that are low-impact are being developed.

7. Future developments include multifunction heat pumps and improved refrigerants.:
– A multifunction heat pump is being developed for space and hot water heating.
– Efforts are being made to find better refrigerant options to replace high-global warming potential refrigerants.