Climate change is costing the US $150 billion a year

By , CNN, 

  • The United States experiences an extreme weather event that produces $1 billion worth of damage every three weeks, according to the latest US National Climate Assessment report, which is a significant increase from 40 years ago when such events occurred once every four months on average.
  • As of November 8, there have been 25 weather and climate disasters with losses exceeding $1 billion, exceeding last year’s count, and the total cost of extreme weather events is estimated to be $150 billion per year.
  • The $150 billion annual cost includes direct impacts such as infrastructure damage, worker injuries, and agricultural losses, and is expected to grow in the near term due to a projected rise in sea levels and temperatures.
  • Notable examples of extreme weather events include the devastating wildfires in Hawaii, which cost $5.6 billion, and hurricanes that can result in higher mortgage delinquency rates, lower home prices, and strain government budgets.
  • Research has shown that property damage from hurricanes can lead to higher mortgage delinquency rates, and flooding and rising sea levels can lower home prices and property values, as people relocate to areas less prone to flooding.
  • Hurricanes can also lead to substantially higher social safety net disbursements, including unemployment insurance and public medical payments, according to research by Tatyana Deryugina, a finance professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
  • The National Climate Assessment report’s estimate of the total annual cost of climate change in the United States does not take into account loss of life and health care-related costs.
  • To put the $150 billion annual cost into perspective, it is a significant amount that can be compared to various other large-scale expenditures and investments.

total U.S. school-bus fleet has gone electric

San Francisco startup Zum is deploying electric school buses in Oakland, aiming to turn them into grid batteries that can help support the power grid. The company plans to electrify 10,000 school buses, which could significantly reduce harmful emissions and improve air quality. Electric buses can also charge during off-peak hours and provide power back to the grid during peak times, making them a valuable resource.

Author: Jeff St. John

URL: https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/clean-fleets/the-biggest-electric-school-bus-as-grid-battery-project-in-the-us-goes-live

When Ritu Narayan, CEO and co-founder of [Zum](http://www.ridezum.com/), looks at the 74 electric school buses and chargers her startup has deployed at a former industrial site in East Oakland, California, she sees a future where clean transportation and a clean and reliable grid come together.

“Today marks the next phase in our evolution,” Narayan said at an [event last week](https://www.ridezum.com/press-release/nations-first-all-electric-school-bus-fleet-oakland-ca/) marking the official launch of the country’s first all-electric school-bus fleet. By financing and installing thousands of electric school buses for the Oakland Unified School District, and tapping their spare battery capacity to support the power grid, the San Francisco–based, transportation-as-a-service startup plans to ​“become a fully fledged energy company,” she said.

The 74 electric buses in Zum’s Oakland fleet, which serve the district’s special-needs students, will ​“eliminate 25,000 tons of harmful emissions, improving air quality and health outcomes for students and families,” Narayan said. Swapping out the roughly 500,000 diesel school buses in the U.S. for electric buses could slash an estimated 8.4 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions per year.

A [dream of EV enthusiasts for decades](https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/ev-charging/evs-are-one-step-closer-to-becoming-roaming-grid-batteries), vehicle-to-grid charging is something for which electric school buses are [particularly well suited](https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/electric-school-bus-fleets-test-the-u.s-vehicle-to-grid-proposition). Unlike cargo trucks or city buses, they operate only a few hours per day while picking up and dropping off students. That leaves plenty of time for them to plug in and soak up off-peak electricity in the middle of the day — including the [surplus solar power that floods California’s grid](https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/batteries/batteries-are-taking-on-gas-plants-to-power-californias-nights) when it’s sunny out — and discharge it in late afternoons and evenings, when California’s grid faces its most [severe imbalance of supply and demand](https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/grid-edge/californians-saved-the-grid-again-they-should-be-paid-more-for-it).

What has the Inflation Reduction Act Accomplished for American Families on it’s Two Year Anniversary?

The Inflation Reduction Act became a law on 8/16/2022.

Here is what has been accomplished:

American families have claimed more than $6 billion in credits for residential clean energy investments on 2023 tax returns filed and processed through May 23, 2024. Over 3.4 million American families saved a total of $8.4 billion on clean energy and energy efficiency upgrades in 2023 due to tax credits.

  • Weatherization
    • Nearly 700,000 families claimed investments in insulation and air sealing
  • Residential solar
    • Residential solar electricity tax credits was claimed by over 750,000 families
    • Household installing residential solar have saved a median of $2,230 annually
  • Heat Pumps
    • Heat pump water heaters were claimed by over 100,000 families
    • Households that installed efficient heat pumps and improved building efficiency are expected to save up to $600, $1,200, or $3,100 per year, based on the type of heating and cooling system that was being replaced
  • Electric Vehicles
    • American consumers saved over $1 billion in upfront costs on over 150,000 clean vehicle purchases since January 1, 2024
    • The U.S. witnessed around 1.5 million clean vehicle sales in 2023, a 50% increase from 2022, marking the highest ever
  • Jobs
    • The IRA has incentivized the creation of higher-quality and higher-paid jobs in the clean energy sector
    • 334,000 and counting jobs created, with an economic value of $265 billion
Still waiting for clean energy rebates for most states

Thank you, Joe

Here is a statement from Brett Walter, Founder & CEO, Climate Action Now:

Although it sometimes doesn’t feel that way, the last four years have seen unprecedented progress on climate. Millions of people worldwide worked tirelessly to achieve these gains, but the achievements of one person in particular stand out above all others: those of President Joe Biden.
Under Joe’s leadership, the U.S. government:

  • Rejoined the historic Paris Climate Agreement and reclaimed a measure of U.S. leadership on climate that had been forfeited under Trump.
  • Passed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), which allocated significant funding for climate-related projects, including electric vehicle charging infrastructure, public transit, and clean energy research and development.
  • Passed the historic Inflation Reduction Act, which unlocked hundreds of billions of public and private dollars to accelerate the energy transition, creating hundreds of thousands of high-paying jobs.
  • Paused expansion of a catastrophic build-out of LNG infrastructure.
  • Passed historic regulations to reduce emissions in our transportation and energy sectors.
  • Protected 3.5 million acres of natural areas for future generations.
  • Tailored policies to address environmental justice and promote equity in climate.
    And so much more.

It has been an extraordinary record of achievement on climate.

On Sunday, July 21, President Biden made the ultimate sacrifice for any politician — he put aside his political ambitions for the sake of the nation.
We grieve the loss of Joe’s leadership after his current term, and we are immensely grateful to him for his vision, his perseverance, and his unwavering commitment to protecting our planet for future generations. His legacy as a great climate president will be remembered. We dedicate ourselves to protecting and building upon that legacy.

Although we have entered a new period of uncertainty, we believe the next few months will see a rebirth of hope and democratic energy. Trump’s strongest line of attack — Joe’s apparent infirmity — has vanished with a single Tweet. Big donors sitting on the sidelines will come flooding out onto the field. Young minds that were closed to Joe because of Gaza will reopen. Those who had decided against him because of his debate performance are back in play. And those climate warriors who have soldiered on under a cloud of dread will have their hearts lifted with new hope. The 2024 Democratic Convention will be the most watched and exciting event of the year and a testimony to the vitality of our democracy. We can’t wait to watch it unfold!

The only question that remains is whether Joe’s sacrifice and the newfound hope and energy will be sufficient to defeat a Republican Party that, until Sunday, was jubilant and confident of victory. Today, they are not so jubilant. And perhaps a bit less confident.

In the coming months, we will spend countless hours writing postcards and sending texts to disengaged environmental voters. We will dig so deep into our pockets that our arms will hurt. We will use the CAN app to send hundreds of thousands of messages to media organizations, business leaders, politicians, and others urging them to make climate an issue because this is the issue on which Trump is most vulnerable.

The good news is that this fight is winnable. Trump is a weak candidate. Most Americans do not share his values or goals and don’t want him to be president again. Our job is to ensure that he isn’t.

Action is the antidote to despair. Our actions have more power than we often realize—especially when we’re not acting alone. And now, more than ever, we are united.

So, let’s get to work!

A Battery Company CEO on the ‘Massive’ Effect of the Inflation Reduction Act

Freyr Battery plans to invest billions in a factory near Atlanta.

A Battery Company CEO on the ‘Massive’ Effect of the Inflation Reduction Act

Author: Derek Harrison

URL: https://insideclimatenews.org/news/15022024/inside-clean-energy-battery-company-ceo-on-the-massive-effect-of-inflation-reduction-act/

A Norwegian battery company has been working since 2022 to open a supersize factory outside of Atlanta that will bring more than 700 jobs to the region.

Freyr Battery is developing a manufacturing process for lithium-ion batteries that it says will be less expensive and have less waste than the processes many competitors use. The batteries would be available for stationary energy storage and for use in large electric vehicles such as buses.

The Georgia plant is one of the many projects whose existence is at least in part due to the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), President Joe Biden’s 2022 climate law.

The IRA provides support based on the capacity of batteries produced, making it a significant factor in attracting investment and creating jobs. The CEO of Freyr Battery, Birger Steen, discusses the company’s goals and challenges, including the importance of automation in their manufacturing process and the significance of the IRA in the United States.

The Positive Impact of Holistic Management on Soil Health and Ecosystems

Holistic Soil Management

  • The Importance of Soil Health:
    • Soil health is crucial for our well-being and that of future generations. Holistic Management has been instrumental in promoting healthy soil with benefits such as improved water infiltration, carbon sequestration, and wildlife habitat.
    • Rattan Lal of Ohio State University emphasizes the urgent need for carbon-rich topsoil formation, which he refers to as the greatest priority and opportunity of our time.
  • Impact of Holistic Management:
    • Holistic Management has proven to be an effective practice for enhancing soil health and productivity, leading to increased forage production, water infiltration, and organic matter.
    • By integrating crops and livestock for profit, several farms have experienced notable improvements in soil health and ecosystem balance.
  • Conservation and Wildlife Habitat:
    • Holistic Management serves as a powerful tool for land conservation and wildlife improvement, aiding in the regeneration of land and meeting the needs of diverse species.
    • Several ranches and farms have witnessed significant enhancements in wildlife habitat and species diversity through the application of Holistic Management practices.
  • Understanding the Soil Ecosystem:
    • Delving into the world of soil reveals the potential for growing more topsoil, producing nutrient-dense food, and fostering healthy families, communities, and wildlife habitat.
    • In-depth understanding of soil health and life within the soil has led to the adoption of Holistic Management as a crucial management tool for achieving sustainable land productivity.

https://holisticmanagement.org/

Jane Goodall only wants one thing: For You to Vote

New York Times

By David Gelles

January 23, 2024

Jane Goodall, the renowned primatologist, is urging people to vote in the upcoming global elections to combat climate change. “Half of the population of the planet is going to be voting,” she said on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos last week. “This year could be the most consequential voting year in terms of the fate of our planet.”

Goodall noted that the outcomes of national elections can have profound and immediate impacts. She pointed to Brazil, where two years ago, voters ousted the far-right leader, Jair Bolsonaro, and brought back President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Overnight, Lula abandoned Bolsonaro’s laissez faire approach to environmental regulation and redoubled efforts to protect the Amazon rainforest. “Every vote matters, more this year than perhaps any time in history.”

“We’ve got to get the message out there for people to understand, and then they’ll vote in the right way,” she said. “Then they’ll understand how important it is for their children, and their children’s children.”

Number of Electric School Buses More than Doubled in the U.S. in Past Year

Number of Electric School Buses More than Doubled in the U.S. in Past Year

Author: Good News Network

URL: https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/number-of-electric-school-buses-more-than-doubled-in-the-us-in-2022-23/?utm_source=pocket_saves&utm_medium=email

According to the World Resources Institute, the number of electric school buses operating or delivered in the United States more than doubled—from 598 in 2022 to 1,285 through June 2023—all driven to serve school children while providing cleaner air in 40 states.

Looking into the near future, the number of electric school buses that were already funded or on-order nearly tripled, and were spread across districts located in 49 states.

The emissions-free buses are found in 914 U.S. school districts and private fleet operators, according to the evidence-based nonprofit’s report published in September, 2023: [*State of Electric School Bus Adoption in the US*](https://datasets.wri.org/dataset/electric_school_bus_adoption).

California leads all states, with over 2,000 committed electric buses across the sprawling territory. This is more than five times as many EV buses as the next leading state, Maryland, with 391 commitments.

Zero pollution from tailpipes (https://www.epa.gov/cleanschoolbus/benefits-clean-school-buses) while buses are idling or driving means the students, staff, and community will be exposed to significantly less harmful air particulates that contribute to asthma and lung disease. The environment also benefits from reduced greenhouse gas emissions.

The federal government’s Clean School Bus Program, administered by the Environmental Protection Agency, is one of the biggest funders of these vehicles, having awarded 2,339 electric school buses—with more on the way.

The Electric-Vehicle Transition Is Quietly Surging Ahead

The Electric-Vehicle Transition Is Quietly Surging Ahead

Author: Ryan Cooper

URL: https://prospect.org/infrastructure/transportation/2024-01-02-electric-vehicle-transition-surging-ahead/?utm_source=ActiveCampaign&utm_medium=email&utm_content=You+Are+Entering+the+Infernal+Triangle+%7C+Weekend+Reads&utm_campaign=Weekend+Prospect+Reads+1062024

One of the biggest climate challenges for any country will be decarbonizing transportation. According to the EPA, about [29 percent](https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/inventory-us-greenhouse-gas-emissions-and-sinks) of greenhouse gas emissions come from transportation after accounting for electricity use, just behind industrial production at 30 percent.

Fortunately, the electric-vehicle transition is happening faster than many expected, despite concerns earlier in the year that automakers were [pushing back their EV rollouts](https://prospect.org/environment/2023-11-01-electric-vehicles-labor-uphill/). Clearly, that is not a response to consumer demand. A [new report](https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2023-12/420r23033.pdf) on the state of the American car market, again from the EPA, has the goods. The EV share of new car purchases increased from 1.8 percent in 2020, to 3.2 percent in 2021, to 5.2 percent in 2022, to an estimated *9.8 percent* in 2023. Plug-in hybrid vehicles, meanwhile, increased from 0.5 percent to 2 percent.

In other words, the EV share of new cars increased more than fivefold in three years, while the share of plug-in hybrids quadrupled. At that pace of acceleration, EVs will make up half of new car sales by 2026 or so. These two developments reduced the emissions of the vehicle fleet by roughly 6 percent in 2022, and perhaps *11 percent* in 2023.

The Inflation Reduction Act provides ten years of secure subsidies for EVs, and every auto manufacturer around the world has made huge investments—even if some have been delayed somewhat—around the assumption that EVs are where the industry is going over the medium term.