Climate crisis | Good News for Humankind

Major new commitment from nearly 350 mayors to accelerate U.S. electric vehicle transition

By Peter Schulte / August 13, 2024 / Good news links

As a part of the 2nd anniversary of the Inflation Reduction Act, nearly 350 Climate Mayors announced a commitment to electrify at least 50% of municipal fleets by 2030 while increasing electric vehicle (EV) chargers by at least 500%, with at least 40% of the charging infrastructure benefitting disadvantaged communities. This collective effort is a pivotal move to meet the Biden-Harris Administration’s goal to make 50% of all new vehicle sales electric by 2030.

India increases number of EV charging stations by 800% in last two years

By Peter Schulte / August 10, 2024 / Good news links

India has grown from 1,800 charging stations two years ago to 16,347 today, a greater than nine-fold increase. While this is great progress, the country will need more than one million stations by 2030 to keep up with the nearly $50 billion EV market expected there by 2030.

And nine more of humanity’s social change milestones from the week of July 1 – 7 2024 C.E.

Wind and solar capacity overtake coal in China in historic first

By Peter Schulte / August 2, 2024 / Good news links

In what is being hailed as a “pivotal moment” and an “historic first”, the accumulated capacity of wind and solar projects in China has overtaken coal for the first time, and solar capacity alone is predicted to overtake coal within two years. Rystad Energy says it has analyzed the latest data from China’s National Energy Administration and says the additions of wind and solar have outstripped coal in China by a factor of 16 in the first half of 2024 – as new coal additions slump to just eight gigawatts.

U.K. fee leads to 80% drop in plastic bag litter on beaches

By Peter Schulte / July 29, 2024 / Good news links

A new survey, undertaken by the Marine Conservation Society, found just one plastic bag, on average, for every 100 meters of coastline, down from five plastic bags in 2014. It was roughly a decade ago that governments began requiring retailers to charge consumers for single-use plastic bags.

Aerial photography of solar photovoltaic power plants in sunny weather

China installs more than 100GW of solar in first half of 2024

By Peter Schulte / July 26, 2024 / Good news links

China remains the world leader on solar. It has already installed over a whopping 100GW of new solar capacity this year, bringing the country’s total solar fleet to over 700GW. Total solar generation capacity is up 51% year-on-year.

Ocean Energy grid-scale wave energy generator Hawaii

Revolutionary grid-scale wave energy generator deployed in Hawaii

By Peter Schulte / July 26, 2024 / Good news links

Ocean Energy has deployed its 826-tonne wave energy converter buoy OE-35 at the US Navy’s Wave Energy Test Site off the coast of the island of Oahu ahead of it being hooked up to Hawaii’s electricity grid. With a potential output of 1.25 MW, OE-35 harnesses energy from the waves using a remarkable double-flow air system.

South Africa passes its first sweeping climate change law

By Peter Schulte / July 23, 2024 / Good news links

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has signed into law a broad climate change act that will set caps for large emitters and require every town and city to publish an adaptation plan. The Climate Change Bill aims to enable South Africa to meet its emissions reduction commitments under the Paris climate agreement. South Africa, which is the world’s most carbon-intensive major economy and among the top 15 greenhouse gas emitters, is on track to miss those targets because of to its heavy reliance on coal for electricity.

Island states win historic climate case in world oceans court

By Peter Schulte / July 21, 2024 / Good news links

Nine small island states have won a historic climate change case at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, which ruled that all signatories to a United Nations treaty on marine activities must do more to protect the world’s oceans from climate change. The tribunal found that signatories to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea’s responsibilities to prevent marine pollution extend to greenhouse gas emissions, which harm oceans by altering the earth’s atmosphere.

Deforestation in Colombia falls to lowest level in 23 years

By Peter Schulte / July 10, 2024 / Good news links

The amount of forest loss fell from 1,235 sq km in 2022 to 792 sq km in 2023 – a 36% decrease, official figures revealed. Most of the environmental gains were in the Amazon rainforest, where the Colombian government is focusing much of its conservation efforts. The two main successes have been reaching agreements where farmers are paid to protect the land and negotiations with armed groups who are the de facto authority in deforestation hotspots.

Denmark to pioneer CO2 tax on farms in a global first

By Peter Schulte / July 8, 2024 / Good news links

The CO2 tax proposal, first proposed by government-commissioned scientists in February, is part of Denmark’s ambitious ambition to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 70 percent from 1990 levels by 2030. The agriculture sector, which is the country’s greatest producer of CO2 emissions, is the main focus of this project.