Renewable energy projects boomed in 2020, including solar, wind and hydropower. zhihao / Getty Images
By Kenny Stancil
Despite the difficulties associated with the Covid-19 pandemic, the world added a record amount of new renewable energy capacity in 2020, according to data released Monday by the International Renewable Energy Agency.
<p>IRENA's annual <a href="https://www.irena.org/publications/2021/March/Renewable-Capacity-Statistics-2021" target="_blank">Renewable Capacity Statistics 2021</a> shows that global renewable energy capacity grew by more than 260 gigawatts (GW) last year, beating the previous record set in 2019 by nearly 50%. Last year marked the second consecutive year in which clean energy's share of all new generating capacity increased substantially, with renewables accounting for over 80% of all new electricity capacity added in 2020.</p><p>Total fossil fuel additions, by contrast, fell by more than 6% last year—from 64 GW worth of new electricity capacity in 2019 to 60 GW in 2020.</p><p>"These numbers tell a remarkable story of resilience and hope. Despite the challenges and the uncertainty of 2020, renewable energy emerged as a source of undeniable optimism for a better, more equitable, resilient, clean, and just future," IRENA Director-General Francesco La Camera said in a statement.</p><p>"The great reset," as La Camera called the coronavirus-driven economic slowdown, "offered a moment of reflection and chance to align our trajectory with the path to inclusive prosperity, and there are signs we are grasping it."</p>
<div id="1e049" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="6a506a86dfdd474d0074cc1618a22064"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1379008959231762436" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">The growth of renewables in 2020 tells a remarkable story of resilience & hope. Despite the uncertainties,… https://t.co/PXycDqano8</div> — Francesco La Camera (@Francesco La Camera)<a href="https://twitter.com/flacamera/statuses/1379008959231762436">1617616331.0</a></blockquote></div><p>Referring to 2020 as "the start of the decade of renewables," La Camera noted that "costs are falling, clean tech markets are growing, and never before have the benefits of the energy transition been so clear."</p><p>Though hydropower—responsible for more than 43% of the world's total renewable energy generation capacity—still constitutes the largest global source of clean energy, other sources are catching up; solar and wind contributed 127 GW and 111 GW of new installations, respectively, together accounting for 91% of the growth in renewables in 2020.</p>
<div id="97d02" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="9a631f8526f6a868a2f468d0e889fc2a"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1378992308209786881" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">🟢JUST RELEASED Renewable Capacity Statistics 2021 report by @IRENA shows how #renewableenergy performed in 2020 - t… https://t.co/VPwW1snMcL</div> — IRENA (@IRENA)<a href="https://twitter.com/IRENA/statuses/1378992308209786881">1617612361.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>While La Camera described the widespread adoption of renewable energy sources as an "unstoppable" trend, he also emphasized that "there is a huge amount to be done."</p><p>Notwithstanding recent momentum in favor of clean energy, La Camera said that in order to limit global temperature rise to 1.5ºC, "significant planned energy investments must be redirected to support the transition if we are to achieve 2050 goals" of net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, as outlined last month in IRENA's<a href="https://irena.org/publications/2021/March/World-Energy-Transitions-Outlook" target="_blank"> World Energy Transition Outlook</a>.</p><p>La Camera's words of caution about the inadequate pace of the global energy transformation echoes a recent warning by Fatih Bitrol, executive director of the International Energy Agency, who <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/04/01/people-worldwide-said-build-back-better-iea-chief-says-just-opposite-happening" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">said</a> last week that even though the world's biggest economies have pledged to achieve net zero GHG emissions by mid-century, few have implemented the policies necessary to realize that objective.</p><p>Regarding the worldwide expansion of renewable energy capacity in 2020, La Camera stressed that "in this critical decade of action, the international community must look to this trend as a source of inspiration to go further."</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/04/05/remarkable-story-resilience-and-hope-renewable-energy-smashes-records-2020?cd-origin=rss" target="_blank">Common Dreams.</a></em></p>
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Fossil Fuel Companies Scored Billions in Tax Breaks in 2020 Before Laying off Thousands of Workers
02 April
Business
Marathon Petroleum Corporation's Los Angeles Refinery in Carson, California, on April 25, 2020. ROBYN BECK / AFP via Getty Images
Fossil fuel companies got billions in tax breaks and laid off more than 58,000 workers last year, a report from BailoutWatch found.
<p>Provisions in the CARES Act passed last March, gave 77 fossil fuel companies $8.2 billion in tax breaks, and their laid off workers a $1,200 stimulus check. Using SEC data, the report shows Marathon Petroleum, the biggest single beneficiary, got more than $2 billion before laying off almost 2,000 workers — about 9% of its workforce at a rate of around $1 million per laid off worker. </p>
<p>Five companies went bankrupt after receiving $308.7 million in tax bailouts and laid off a total of 5,683 workers. "I'm not surprised that these companies took advantage of these tax benefits, but I'm horrified by the layoffs after they got this money," said Chris Kuveke, a researcher at BailoutWatch, told The Guardian. "Last year's stimulus was about keeping the economy going, but these companies didn't use these resources to retain their workers. These are companies that are polluting the environment, increasing the deadliness of the pandemic and letting go of their workers."</p>
<p>As reported by <a href="https://bailoutwatch.org/analysis/fossil-fuel-firmsslashed-nearly-60000-jobs-in-2020?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=119258146&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8-rVE0_CZQMGrpG-GgqcftYULAWvTdVGqDPKkerrWLoOXczngZyKhVjUR1LiCuWmGfkWSHOHp-YPHcyfBlBSOiEW0sXA&utm_content=119258146&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">BailoutWatch</a>:</p><blockquote>As Washington debates ending tax subsidies for fossil fuels, part of President Joe Biden's $2 trillion infrastructure proposal, fossil fuel companies are quietly reporting their employee headcounts and final tax bills for 2020. The data underscore the hypocrisy of <a href="https://twitter.com/APIenergy/status/1377307228261191690" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">claims</a> that fossil fuels are a necessary engine of employment and succeed on an equal playing field in the free market.<br>---<br>The bailouts are the tip of a much bigger iceberg: Fossil fuels have long benefited from a trove of tax-code provisions. In the century since they emerged, the coal, oil, and gas industries' strength has reflected not market efficiencies, as defenders claim, but government largesse that far exceeds what has so far been extended to the clean energy sector.<br></blockquote>
<p><strong>For a deeper dive:</strong><br/></p><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/apr/02/fossil-fuel-companies-billions-tax-breaks-workers?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=119258146&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_CgjhgRzMBQWd-4C-p2HpHZsxe469jF0OxS_RrJ00ySFfAGZU45yhBxhCk4vMwPFG-CUFN2kcOhv8iwdj8jjNJNVpMMA&utm_content=119258146&utm_source=hs_email" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Guardian</a>, <a href="https://insideclimatenews.org/news/02042021/fossil-fuel-companies-took-billions-in-u-s-coronavirus-relief-funds-but-still-cut-nearly-60000-jobs/?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=119258146&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--4MdjEE5eiEKXeVftnpj7GxATDcsNomgwgt9nWh5BwaeH6N1PVrLA8Oo4zZTWFu-JObkTw5ETLTOnUFVqYzZfAZ4rg-A&utm_content=119258146&utm_source=hs_email" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">InsideClimate News</a></p><p><em>For more </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/climate-change-news/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>climate change</em></a><em> and </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/business/renewables/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>clean energy</em></a><em> news, you can follow Climate Nexus on </em><a href="https://twitter.com/ClimateNexus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Twitter</em></a><em> and </em><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ClimateNexus/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Facebook</em></a><em>, sign up for daily </em><a href="https://www.linktrack.live/hot-news-sign-up" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Hot News</em></a><em>, and visit their news site, </em><a href="https://nexusmedianews.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Nexus Media News</em></a><em>.</em></p>
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boonchai wedmakawand / Moment / Getty Images
Delta-8 THC is a cannabis product that has become a bestseller over the past few months, as many consumers find they can legally purchase it from CBD retailers. Its proponents say that Delta-8 THC will give you a nice little buzz, minus some of the more intense feelings (including paranoia) that are sometimes associated with marijuana.
Delta-8 THC is being marketed as a legal option for consumers who either don't live in a state with legal cannabis, or are a little apprehensive about how traditional psychoactive THC products will affect them. But is it all it's cracked up to be? Let's take a closer look, exploring what Delta-8 THC is, how it differs from other THC products, and whether it's actually legal for use.
<h2>What is Delta-8 THC?</h2><p>To better understand <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/27/health/marijuana-hemp-delta-8-thc.html" target="_blank">Delta-8 THC</a>, it helps to cover some basics about THC and cannabis.</p><p>Cannabis plants come chock full of different <a href="https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/cannabis-marijuana-and-cannabinoids-what-you-need-to-know" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>cannabinoids</em></a>. These are naturally-occuring chemical compounds that bind with receptors throughout your body. They can offer a wide range of mental, emotional, and physical effects; indeed, the healing and therapeutic properties marijuana or <a data-linked-post="2648563694" href="https://www.ecowatch.com/strongest-cbd-oil-2648563694.html" target="_blank">CBD products</a> offer can be attributed to cannabinoids.</p><p>One of the most common cannabinoids is what's known as Delta-9 THC. Simply put, this is the part of marijuana that gets you "high." It's worth noting that Delta-9 THC remains illegal in many states, except for in the most minute doses, and is still illegal at the federal level. CBD products are made with trace amounts of THC, ensuring that consumers can enjoy positive health effects in a perfectly legal way, without the risk of getting high.</p><p>On a chemical level, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/27/health/marijuana-hemp-delta-8-thc.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Delta-8 THC</a> is not too different from Delta-9 THC; the distinction comes down to just a few molecules. But those molecules make a big practical impact: Delta-8 THC will give you a buzz, but the psychoactive effects are considerably milder than with Delta-9 THC.</p><p>More specifically, many cannabis enthusiasts report that Delta-8 THC helps them feel good but also leaves them relatively clear-headed; and, it doesn't produce the anxiety or jitteriness that often characterize a Delta-9 THC high.</p><p>Additionally, because of the way the law is written regarding Delta-9 THC, some CBD companies now sell Delta-8 THC products in places where traditional cannabis is still illegal.</p><h2>What's the Difference Between Delta-9 THC and Delta-8 THC?</h2><p>Here are the primary differences to note between Delta-9 and Delta-8 THC:</p><ul class="ee-ul"><li>Delta-9 THC is the primary psychoactive ingredient found in marijuana. In other words, it's the part that gets you high.</li><li>Though some states have found workarounds, Delta-9 THC is still illegal under federal law.</li><li>Delta-8 THC is also found in the cannabis plant, though it's not quite as powerful or as well-known. </li><li>Delta-8 THC is milder in its psychoactive effects. And, it's not <em>technically </em>illegal under current law.</li></ul><p>These are just a few of the key distinctions to keep in mind. Delta-8 THC is popular among consumers who want a smoother high, and don't want to violate federal law.</p><h2>Is Delta-8 THC Legal?</h2><p>We noted that Delta-8 THC is not <em>technically </em>illegal. Here, we need to get into some of the nuanced legal considerations that surround this substance.</p><p>First of all, there are plenty of cannabis companies that actively promote Delta-8 THC as a legal way to get high. Again, that's technically true, but is still a point of debate for some.</p><p>For one thing, it's not explicitly listed as an illegal substance. While federal laws, and some state laws, specifically ban Delta-9 THC, Delta-8 THC is never mentioned. More to the point, though, many proponents will cite the<a href="https://www.usda.gov/farmbill" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> 2018 Farm Bill</a>. This law legalized several industrial hemp products on a national level, including CBD.</p><p>The Farm Bill also includes some fairly nuanced positions regarding THC. In summary, the law says that hemp and cannabis-derived products are legal so long as they contain less than 0.3 percent Delta-9 THC.</p><p>With that said, some lawyers contend that Delta-8's heyday may soon come to an end. That's because the Farm Bill clears it only so long as it's derived directly from hemp; most of the Delta-8 THC products sold today aren't made from hemp, but rather from synthetically-altered CBD.</p><p>Some of these issues are a little fuzzy, and <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/delta-8-thc-legal-weed-explained-1113859/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the legal future of Delta-8 THC</a> remains a little uncertain. For now, though, many experts would argue that it is legal to purchase.</p><h2>What Kinds of Delta-8 THC Products Are Available?</h2><p><em>Each product featured here has been independently selected by the writer. If you make a purchase using the links included, we may earn commission.</em></p><p>If you're looking to try Delta-8 THC products, you'll certainly find plenty of different products. Dispensaries and legal cannabis stores currently have a trove of products that use this cannabinoid. Some examples include:</p><ul class="ee-ul"><li>Vape cartridges, tinctures, and capsules.</li><li>Beverages made with Delta-8 THC, including some seltzers.</li><li>Edibles, including Delta-8 THC gummy bears, chocolate bars, and more.</li></ul><p>The cannabis industry has really been running with Delta-8 THC, finding creative ways to bring it to market. And chances are, even more products will be springing up in the weeks and months to come. </p><p>It's very important to note that you should only purchase Delta-8 THC products from reputable brands and established cannabis retailers. We do not recommend purchasing any products that contain Delta-8 THC from gas stations or vape shops. If you are looking for a reputable place to explore these products, here are a few brands that we trust and recommend:</p>
<h2>What are the Pros and Cons of Delta-8 THC?</h2><p>As you consider whether Delta-8 THC is worth your time, it may be helpful to weigh the pros against the cons.</p><p><strong>Pros</strong></p><p>Let's start with some of the positives:</p><ul class="ee-ul"><li>Delta-8 THC does have psychoactive effects, but it's a milder effect than with traditional Delta-9 THC.</li><li>Delta-8 THC is currently legal and widely accessible in multiple states.</li><li>There are a wide number of products that use Delta-8 THC.</li></ul><p><strong>Cons</strong></p><p>Now, a few of the downsides.</p><ul class="ee-ul"><li>Delta-8 THC isn't quite as commonplace as other cannabis products, including CBD, and some of the options on the market are expensive.</li><li>While this substance is technically legal, there are plenty of uncertainties over its legal future. It's something you want to keep in mind.</li><li>As a relatively new product, Delta-8 THC products are not regulated by the FDA and there is not independent testing in place to verify that it is safe or pure.</li></ul><p>As with any cannabis product, Delta-8 THC has its pros and cons. As you seek the cannabis product that's best for you, it's largely a matter of personal preference.</p><p>Also note that smoking, vaping, or otherwise imbibing any kind of cannabis-related product can carry some medical risks and negative health consequences. If you have any specific concerns, we recommend consulting with your doctor before you try any Delta-8 THC product.</p><p><em><strong>Josh Hurst </strong></em><em>is a journalist, critic, and essayist. He lives in Knoxville, TN, with his wife and three sons. He covers natural health, nutrition, supplements, and clean energy. His writing has appeared in Health, Shape, and Remedy Review.</em></p>
NuLeaf Naturals Full Spectrum Delta 8 THC Oil
<img class="rm-lazyloadable-image rm-shortcode" type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNjAzNjAyMy9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzMTMxMjAyNX0.wRpb_E9ZFZFNgkYsYh6cleNbTezo16rUeTmifcP_yCk/img.jpg?width=980" id="60683" width="400" height="400" data-rm-shortcode-id="32630bf41fd6909a232194b540c570eb" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />nuleafnaturals.com
<p><a href="https://nuleafnaturals.com/product/full-spectrum-delta-8-thc-oil-30mg-ml/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">NuLeaf Naturals Full Spectrum Delta 8 THC Oil</a> is made from organic hemp and organic virgin hemp seed extract. It's available in a 150 mg bottle and a 450 mg bottle, which both provide 15 mg of Delta 8 THC per serving. This formula is also available in a soft gel.</p>
$20
Botany Farms Delta-10 THC Vape Cartridge
<img class="rm-lazyloadable-image rm-shortcode" type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNjAzNjE2Ni9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2OTcwNTgzM30.opm4l5-rSqV1HfvrbVE16EEVZvqxI42xgqnsQfL9p2M/img.jpg?width=980" id="2c749" width="400" height="400" data-rm-shortcode-id="a678e76d8cd5e13bae95d9c3ae664b85" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />botanyfarms.com
<p>The <a href="https://www.botanyfarms.com/product/delta-10-thc-vape-cartridge/?aff=14" target="_blank">Botany Farms Delta-10 THC Vape Cartridge</a> actually contains both Delta-10 and Delta-8 THC.This is designed to provide the desired effects of Delta-8 THC but without the drowsiness. They also offer a vape cartridge with a 1:1 concentration of <a href="https://www.botanyfarms.com/product/delta-10-delta-8-thc-vape-cartridge/?aff=14" target="_blank">Delta-8 THC</a> and Delta-10 THC. Note that while vape products can be used to aid in smoking cessation, we do not recommend vaping or smoking because of the negative health effects they can cause.</p>
$60
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U.S. Infrastructure, Climate and Health Crises Deserve $10 Trillion Investment, Says AOC
01 April
Politics
Activists participate in a rally along President Joe Biden's route to deliver a speech on March 31, 2021 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Jeff Swensen / Getty Images for Green New Deal Network
By Jake Johnson
Members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus made clear Wednesday that while President Joe Biden's roughly $2.3 trillion infrastructure proposal is a welcome start, they believe the final package must be far more ambitious if it is to truly transform America's fossil fuel-dominated energy system and bring the country into line with crucial climate targets.
<p><br/></p>
<p>Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) said in an appearance on MSNBC late Wednesday that ideally the top-line number would be around <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/03/29/biden-prepares-unveil-infrastructure-plan-progressives-push-10-trillion-investment" target="_blank">$10 trillion in spending</a> on core infrastructure, renewable energy, healthcare improvements, and other key priorities over the next decade, a <a href="https://www.epi.org/blog/next-round-of-recovery-spending-is-about-meeting-social-needs-not-filling-macroeconomic-gaps/" target="_blank">level of investment</a> the New York Democrat presented as necessary to match the scale of the crises facing the country.</p><p>"That may be an eye-popping figure for some people," said Ocasio-Cortez, a leading <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/02/07/major-party-backing-ocasio-cortez-and-markey-unveil-green-new-deal-outlining-wwii" target="_blank">Green New Deal advocate</a>. "But we need to understand that we are in a devastating economic moment, millions of people in the United States are unemployed, we have a truly crippled healthcare system, and a planetary crisis on our hands — and we're the wealthiest nation in the history of the world. So, we can do $10 trillion."</p>
<div id="bee6d" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="813f90839dd6e4921f1d866513025783"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1377457356754280448" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">[email protected] says we need $10 trillion over 10 years to deliver jobs, justice, and a livable planet.
https://t.co/EBjacEE4hW</div> — Justice Democrats (@Justice Democrats)<a href="https://twitter.com/justicedems/statuses/1377457356754280448">1617246400.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>The chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), issued a similar message in a <a href="https://progressives.house.gov/press-releases?ID=17D6B695-AFDA-4F81-ADAB-5CEBABB1A5FF" target="_blank">statement</a> released just ahead of Biden's speech in Pittsburgh, where he sketched the <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/03/31/critics-warn-biden-infrastructure-plan-falls-woefully-short-climate-crisis" target="_blank">broad outlines</a> of his plan and <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2021/03/31/remarks-by-president-biden-on-the-american-jobs-plan/" target="_blank">promised</a> "transformational progress in our effort to tackle climate change with American jobs and American ingenuity."</p><p>"We believe this package can and should be substantially larger in size and scope," said Jayapal. "During his campaign, President Biden committed to a '$2 trillion accelerated investment' over four years on climate-focused infrastructure alone... Today's proposal, which includes many other priorities such as care jobs, will invest half that amount — roughly $2 trillion over eight years — or 1% of GDP. It makes little sense to narrow his previous ambition on infrastructure or compromise with the physical realities of climate change."</p><p>The Washington Democrat went on to voice her caucus' preference for a single, sweeping package encompassing infrastructure spending and health insurance expansions, child care and long-term care, and other measures, rather than two separate pieces of legislation. Biden is expected to unveil the healthcare-focused portion of his package — titled the American Families Plan — some time this month.</p><p>"We believe that our country is ready for an even bolder, more comprehensive, and integrated plan that demonstrates the size, scope, and speed required to aggressively slash carbon pollution and avoid climate catastrophe; create millions of good, family-sustaining, union jobs; improve Americans' health and safety; reduce racial and gender disparities; and curb income inequality by making the wealthy and large corporations finally pay their fair share in taxes," said Jayapal.</p>
<div id="46237" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="6c0bd2e94d7e4944fa5f447b49bd1e62"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1377372632471982087" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">Now is the time to go BIG.
https://t.co/1qmtnhXPFy</div> — Rep. Pramila Jayapal (@Rep. Pramila Jayapal)<a href="https://twitter.com/RepJayapal/statuses/1377372632471982087">1617226200.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>In his <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2021/03/31/remarks-by-president-biden-on-the-american-jobs-plan/" target="_blank">remarks</a> late Wednesday afternoon, Biden stressed the urgency of "bold" action on climate and characterized his proposal as "a once-in-a generation investment in America," but environmentalists and progressive lawmakers said major improvements are needed to align the actual package with the president's lofty rhetoric.</p><p>As Common Dreams <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/03/31/critics-warn-biden-infrastructure-plan-falls-woefully-short-climate-crisis" target="_blank">reported</a>, climate groups are expressing concern that the package in its current form falls well short of what's needed to meet Biden's commitments to <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/joe-biden/bidens-paris-climate-goal-50-percent-rcna454" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">slash U.S. carbon emissions</a> by 50% by 2030, end <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/01/27/denouncing-handouts-big-oil-biden-calls-congress-end-40-billion-taxpayer-subsidies" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">fossil fuel subsidies</a>, transition to <a href="https://grist.org/politics/bidens-difficult-but-possible-path-to-100-clean-electricity-by-2035/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">100% clean electricity by 2035</a>, and ensure clean water for all.</p><p>"It's not enough," Evan Weber, political director of the youth-led Sunrise Movement, <a href="https://twitter.com/evanlweber/status/1377438089765740544" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">said</a> of the current package. "Set ambitious national targets. Rally the nation. Treat it like it's an emergency. And most importantly: tell the truth about the severity of the crisis... It's the only way to close the gap between the politics of now and what's needed."</p>
<p>Given Democrats' narrow majorities in both the House and Senate, progressive lawmakers have significant leverage over the size and scope of the final package, which will likely be pushed through the filibuster-proof budget reconciliation process amid Republican opposition. Whether the CPC is willing to use its power to force dramatic changes to the legislation <a href="https://www.dailyposter.com/p/corporate-dems-show-progressives" target="_blank">remains to be seen</a>.</p><p>Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), the CPC whip, said in a <a href="https://omar.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-omar-s-statement-biden-s-infrastructure-plan" target="_blank">statement</a> Wednesday that "in addition to the proposals the president laid out, we must use this moment to dramatically lower drug prices, expand Medicare to millions of people, make college more affordable, strengthen the care economy, provide a roadmap to citizenship for our immigrant communities, address the housing crisis, and make much bolder investments in green jobs."</p><p>"Now is not the time to remain beholden to a bankrupt, unpopular ideology that allows the richest people in the world to continue paying next to nothing in taxes, while millions starve in our streets," Omar added. "Now is the time to be bold, to tackle the once-in-a-millennium challenge of the climate crisis, and to ensure that we as a country at long last live up to our promise of justice for all."</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/04/01/planetary-crisis-our-hands-says-aoc-we-can-do-10-trillion-infrastructure" target="_blank">Common Dreams</a>.</em><br/></p>
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President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris during remarks on COVID-19 response and vaccinations at South Court Auditorium in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on March 29, 2021. Demetrius Freeman / The Washington Post via Getty Images
Today in Pittsburgh, President Biden will outline his American Jobs Plan, proposals for major infrastructure investments in clean energy, water system updates, and other economy-growing initiatives designed to create millions of jobs, address aging infrastructure and lessen racial and other inequities throughout the economy.
<p>Biden's $2 trillion plan to fight climate change and revitalize the American economy includes calls for Congressional funding to the tune of: $16 billion to employ union oil and gas workers to cap orphaned oil and gas wells and clean up mines, $35 billion in clean tech R&D to address the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/climate-crisis" target="_self">climate crisis</a>, $85 billion to modernize public transit systems, $174 billion to promote <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/electric-vehicles" target="_self">electric vehicles</a> through consumer incentives, supply chain support, charging network build outs, school bus electrification, and electrifying the federal fleet, $100 billion for power grid modernization and resilience, and $213 billion to build, modernize, and weatherize affordable housing.</p>
<p>Biden's plan also calls for investing $111 billion to improve the country's <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/drinking-water" target="_self">drinking water</a> systems, including eliminating all lead water pipes and service lines in the country. Labor and environmental groups called for even greater ambition and spending to "build a more just, equitable, clean and more prosperous American economy" in a letter to Biden and Democratic Congressional leaders. Funding will pay for itself over 15 years, the administration says, by a combination of eliminating fossil fuel subsidies, raising corporate taxes, ending offshore-tax havens and strengthening corporate tax enforcement.</p>
<p>The plan also calls for passage of a bill aimed at significantly strengthening workers' rights to organize. The $2 trillion plan push is just the first of the administration's massive two-part infrastructure investment agenda as Biden is expected to release part two, the "American Families Plan" in two weeks. </p>
<p><strong>For a deeper dive:</strong><br/></p><p><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/us-policy/2021/03/31/biden-infrastructure-climate-plan/?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=118865891&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_RArlqOPSkNGuWEQ2Exfn745iYfz7IIR2QbT3vqlPG4k4SSfjg0S2aS6K_bkKV6O3ymVDUZU0I00Rjt8gFI9v57uAiwg&utm_content=118865891&utm_source=hs_email" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Washington Post</a>, <a href="https://login.politicopro.com/?redirect=https%3A%2F%2Fsubscriber.politicopro.com%2Farticle%2F2021%2F03%2Fwhat-bidens-plan-seeks-for-climate-clean-energy-and-water-2045506%3Futm_campaign%3DHot%2520News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=118865891&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_9OeQ7yLbd5aWToK7H5E2OJvirpDGOdIJQ20H5nHoPyeHCPa5rYas5fvMhTJg4J2Z600ZqV_dvl-SuVGtNYbvdJPejhQ&utm_content=118865891&utm_source=hs_email" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">POLITICO Pro</a>, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/31/business/economy/biden-infrastructure-plan.html?searchResultPosition=1&utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=118865891&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--nw8fDMowGLlJA-JCJWR9o0hNen04YVOeLq-cm2lpLdC7tQav8UBAIjc-PatFxnvt7iVImCHv7Fd1En3INHZcRpcWdcA&utm_content=118865891&utm_source=hs_email" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The New York Times</a>, <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2021/03/30/biden-infrastructure-plan-478627?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=118865891&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-__0OCkLT__BzecPoZsh9FFB5_6s7g2_EtvvZ6rPRvcLwBQhVhte3NtLWfIq5mFXC4uNDLaV7GItmL5yybfO9t7V-d0SA&utm_content=118865891&utm_source=hs_email" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">POLITICO</a>, <a href="https://newsletter.climatenexus.org/e2t/tc/VW784p3Jqlf9V338b98qTgKKVNrtzX4pRkD7N3wqV775nxH1V3Zsc37CgTLGW97NTdB5Rb7lKVnmD3P9gBbX9W1QXBpW6N41tbW7t4fCQ69LkcyW5LNMDQ5ZNRzrW3wPlhx6ty4BSN5ynmbWfh0zbN2gMnQYPXh6DW66skJd6j75hvN4FJ_QrBSN8PW5Jw3MM44F8-ZW5dbDkP2Q8LqKW40c4TT3j9YMqW2P5gY72TKcsfW3_gdLQ3pbMlNW2_xzxM2S2pl8W8_d0bT8lWHH2W5Dpj0G6Q_ds-W5CWssf6xMPM_VkQg9k3gDZ1jW2lq2yG1jRzk-N1v9FjcQQ4vHW54Khk62jjR5ZW3_f0Md7bBnP6W2jK7sY73TgRdW467Vlh3ccc55W5PDQ8q100wpCN4hRzlW6KSXwW3c0wNf3NfX8kN5b-2BCf0x7KW1k9NT95tF6XPW1BKjWl8p7XB9W4KXD-88YmP0-https://www.post-gazette.com/news/politics-nation/2021/03/29/Joe-Biden-Pittsburgh-infrastructure-proposal-United-Steelworkers-Conor-Lamb/stories/202103290090?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=118865891&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_6OIdHhZshdz756ULxsIxSRUubrxp10Nx_O-8EQSXyt3igJ8oe1_13FUnfKIdjY8SC330edKxkSzks-21RN92uQgNw5Q&utm_content=118865891&utm_source=hs_email" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Pittsburgh Post-Gazette</a>, <a href="https://www.vox.com/22334274/joe-biden-infrastructure-climate-push-explained?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=118865891&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_cSN9RrswTO4aBf5cGh2QOsiF9c6FsLdHX3urytAWkymb1UnvOSp7C-Yij2TiXOyqKoe1zu5pHAo37W9kNmmg-cDAxQw&utm_content=118865891&utm_source=hs_email" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Vox</a>; Labor and green groups: <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-03-30/biden-urged-to-spend-4-trillion-by-labor-environment-groups?sref=oUjKJw8m&utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=118865891&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-93OO7mEMnsiw5wtxdKeodW2QoyGaPsqR_k_iqAP9T404BYdMx7Fawd76m3n7ajCfW26asXA89H0E6dfhboFIjFqH58zg&utm_content=118865891&utm_source=hs_email" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Bloomberg</a>; Pay-fors and taxes: <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/biden-makes-a-big-gamble-on-infrastructure-spending--and-higher-taxes-on-the-wealthy-to-pay-for-it/2021/03/30/6fc7d928-90da-11eb-9668-89be11273c09_story.html?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=118865891&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8AkcItXDCTeFaO55ZNv0Vyr8hJQLbC10Gkk5v9n_X2EKq6PRGzGYMQ5S8dzmBpGIhAli3mBVao99wm5QFMG_I8JPuRNg&utm_content=118865891&utm_source=hs_email" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Washington Post</a>, <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2021/03/30/blue-state-democrats-salt-taxes-478556?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=118865891&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9wzXWI54uwaY34BAB7G5bCom6IxIxxMzMBVWgQSrjX7YsqIm-tcYuI1lK1Nxqsv87e4CNxnacCwFyDYZQIRZOd30O4Zw&utm_content=118865891&utm_source=hs_email" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">POLITICO</a>, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/30/business/economy/biden-infrastructure-taxes.html?searchResultPosition=3&utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=118865891&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--uISMA_pOXi4rnr-PrNYjlj4mUuNCHidkqFeH2OMmNcivTE1QPSrpBEz2ACVhUOdGKXxeIfx21PLuwdAjoS4bM-QYQBg&utm_content=118865891&utm_source=hs_email" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The New York Times</a></p><p><em>For more </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/climate-change-news/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>climate change</em></a><em> and </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/business/renewables/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>clean energy</em></a><em> news, you can follow Climate Nexus on </em><a href="https://twitter.com/ClimateNexus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Twitter</em></a><em> and </em><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ClimateNexus/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Facebook</em></a><em>, sign up for daily </em><a href="https://www.linktrack.live/hot-news-sign-up" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Hot News</em></a><em>, and visit their news site, </em><a href="https://nexusmedianews.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Nexus Media News</em></a><em>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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The plan involves selling leases off the coasts of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Patrik Del Mestre / EyeEm / Getty Images
By Andrea Germanos
Climate action groups and ocean defenders issued strong praise Monday after the Biden administration announced its intention to boost the nation's offshore wind capacity with a number of steps including preparing forfede leases in an area off the coasts of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut.
<p>"Today's announcement marks a revolutionary moment for offshore wind. This powerful renewable resource has been waiting in the wings of our energy system for too long, and now it can finally take center stage," Hannah Read, an associate with Environment America's Go Big on Offshore Wind campaign, told <em>Common Dreams</em>.</p><p>Taken together, the initiatives will create 77,000 jobs, generate enough electricity to power over 10 million homes for a year, and avoid 78 million metric tons of CO2 emissions, according to the administration.</p><p>The plan would general 30 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind by 2030—a capacity that would surpass the roughly 19 GW <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/03/29/%20https%3A//www.nrel.gov/docs/fy21osti/77411.pdf" target="_blank">predicted</a> in 2019 by some industry analysts. As <em>NBC News</em> <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/biden-administration-plans-major-reboot-u-s-offshore-wind-power-n1262394" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">noted</a>, the nation's offshore wind capacity is largely untapped: </p><blockquote>[W]hile on-land wind farms have flourished in recent years, offshore wind has yet to take off in a significant way, in part due to bureaucratic and permitting hurdles that were a source of major frustration for renewable energy companies during the Trump administration. As of now, the U.S. has only one operational offshore commercial wind farm, with just five turbines.<br></blockquote><p>According to Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, making up for such inaction is urgent.</p>
<p>"For generations," Haaland said in a statement, "we've put off the transition to clean energy and now we're facing a climate crisis."</p><p>Although "every community is facing more extreme weather and the costs associated with that," Haaland said that "not every community has the resources to rebuild, or even get up and relocate when a climate event happens in their backyards." She noted that the "climate crisis disproportionately impacts communities of color and low-income families."</p><p>"As our country faces the interlocking challenges of a global pandemic, economic downturn, racial injustice, and the climate crisis, we must transition to a brighter future for everyone," said Haaland.</p><p>Among steps announced by the <a href="https://www.doi.gov/news/interior-joins-government-wide-effort-advance-offshore-wind" target="_blank">Interior</a>, <a href="https://www.commerce.gov/news/press-releases/2021/03/us-secretary-commerce-gina-m-raimondo-announces-efforts-advance" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Commerce</a>, and <a href="https://www.energy.gov/articles/energy-secretary-granholm-announces-ambitious-new-30gw-offshore-wind-deployment-target" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Energy</a> departments were a data sharing agreement between NOAA and offshore wind development company Ørsted Wind Power North America to help development of infrastructure; the identification of nearly 800,000 acres in the shallow ocean triangle known as the New York Bight to be "Wind Energy Areas"; $8 million for 15 new offshore wind research and development projects; and notice that BOEM would launch an Environmental Impact Statement for Ocean Wind's proposed 1,100 megawatt facility off the coast of New Jersey.</p><p>"The ocean energy bureau said it will push to sell commercial leases in the area in late 2021 or early 2022," the <em>Associated Press</em> <a href="https://www.startribune.com/biden-boosts-offshore-wind-energy-wants-to-power-10m-homes/600039918/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">reported</a>. </p>
<div id="9de38" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="436c73594836bd3a639c3291cca438c6"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-twitter-tweet-id="1376592987300462595" data-partner="rebelmouse"><div style="margin:1em 0">@SecDebHaaland @SecGranholm @SecRaimondo @SecretaryPete @ginamccarthy46 It’s a bit buried, but here’s the final map… https://t.co/TBdHTFQOdl</div> — Brett Edkins (@Brett Edkins)<a href="https://twitter.com/Brettkins/statuses/1376592987300462595">1617040318.0</a></blockquote></div>
<p>Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-N.J.)—who's previously introduced <a href="https://pascrell.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=4349" target="_blank">legislation</a> to incentivize offshore wind—framed the development as "a sea change in American energy policy and a new day in the fight against climate change."</p><p>"This is a down-payment on our national future for our children and their children after them," <a href="https://twitter.com/BillPascrell/status/1376589018368987141" target="_blank">Pascrell</a> tweeted.</p><p>Read, with Environment America, said the administration's announcement could serve as a major catalyst.</p><p>"The potential to power our country using clean, renewable energy off our coasts is immense, and the Biden administration's commitment forges a path to take full advantage of offshore wind. This federal leadership should give states the confidence to continue making bold commitments to go big on offshore wind. Now that the executive branch is throwing its weight behind timely and ambitious development, it's full-steam ahead," she said.</p><p>The news also drew praise from climate group 350.org, which, like Haaland, put the announcement in the context of the multiple crises gripping the nation.</p><p>"This is the type of climate action we need from the Biden administration: major investment in renewable energy that creates thousands of good-paying union jobs," the group's U.S. communications director Thanu Yakupitiyage said in a statement.</p>
<p>"In this moment of compounding health, economic, racial, and climate crises," Yakupitiyage continued, "it's beyond time to get our country off fossil fuels and on track towards a renewable future that centers the working class and communities of color."</p><p>For Oceana, the administration's good news for offshore wind must be matched with an equally important element—a forceful departure from dirty energy.</p><p>"We applaud the Biden-Harris administration helping to make offshore wind a reality in the United States—a necessary step in our climate strategy," said Jacqueline Savitz, chief policy officer with the group, adding that it must also have "strong protections for ocean habitat, especially for the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale."</p><p>But for "the U.S. to successfully take full advantage of this unlimited resource that can help solve our climate and energy challenges, Oceana is calling for permanent protections from dirty and dangerous offshore drilling as well," Savitz added.</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/03/29/revolutionary-moment-biden-white-house-announces-major-boost-offshore-wind?cd-origin=rss" target="_blank">Common Dreams</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
- Biden Admin Advances First Major US Offshore Wind Farm Project ›
- Biden Admin Advances First Major US Offshore Wind Farm - EcoWatch ›
- Offshore Wind Power Is Ready to Boom. Here's What That Means for ... ›
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California moves more water than any other system in the world. Steve Proehl / Getty Images
Installing solar panels over California's network of water canals could save the state an estimated 63 billion gallons of water and produce 13 gigawatts of renewable power every year, according to a feasibility study published in Nature Sustainability.
<p>California moves more water than any other system in the world, with 75% of the state's available water in its northern third and the southern two-thirds accounting for 80% of the state's demand. </p><p>Covering the canals with solar panels would reduce evaporation by shading the canals from the sun (along with the co-benefit of reducing canal-choking plant growth) and the cooling effects of the water could boost solar panel efficiency.</p><p> The final third of this win-win-win is the land elsewhere that won't need to be covered by a solar farm, Michael Kiparsky, director of the Wheeler Water Institute at the UC Berkeley School of Law, told Wired. </p><p>Kiparsky likened it to the obvious preference for putting solar panels on one's roof, instead of in the middle of the backyard. </p><p>"You're taking something that's already been altered by human activity and doubling up on the benefits it provides. That's the profound piece," he said.</p>
<p><strong>For a deeper dive:</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.wired.com/story/why-covering-canals-with-solar-panels-is-a-power-move/?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=117176136&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_fWWH41RioetET-7Xx2faFRzITFfnHw0BbNgZju9iQ3UChmijMKzPrRdp1S1Ywbs62QGozozoo5kgih0oni5V1AqrJ1N3wYTDqL8Pvx5h6gLEXvAE&utm_content=117176136&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Wired</a>, <a href="https://earther.gizmodo.com/covering-california-s-canals-with-solar-panels-could-so-1846502802?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=117176136&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9yxt55EJwE1ENXn2xWE8UoTuhR_63PO1aijyEB1XbcRSH0FuyjiUOropnbFnkyw0dkHs7Bl6euq9J8_63tFmvBhwz5qDh8CV2TtpByS4lpoGvvgAU&utm_content=117176136&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">Earther</a><br/></p><p><em>For more </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/climate-change-news/" target="_blank"><em>climate change</em></a><em> and </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/business/renewables/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>clean energy</em></a><em> news, you can follow Climate Nexus on </em><a href="https://twitter.com/ClimateNexus" target="_blank"><em>Twitter</em></a><em> and </em><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ClimateNexus/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Facebook</em></a><em>, sign up for daily </em><a href="https://www.linktrack.live/hot-news-sign-up" target="_blank"><em>Hot News</em></a><em>, and visit their news site, </em><a href="https://nexusmedianews.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Nexus Media News</em></a><em>. </em></p>
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People wear face masks on the subway amid the coronavirus pandemic on March 10, 2021 in New York City. Noam Galai / Getty Images
By Kenny Stancil
Four congressional Democrats on Friday unveiled the BUILD GREEN Infrastructure and Jobs Act, a bill that would invest $500 billion over 10 years in state, local, and tribal projects to galvanize the transition to all electric public transportation — reducing climate-damaging greenhouse gas emissions and health-threatening air pollution while expanding clean mass transit and creating up to one million new jobs.
<p>Modeled after the Department of Transportation's BUILD grant program, the <a href="https://www.warren.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/BUILD_GREEN_Act%20Summary.pdf" target="_blank">bill</a> to provide grant funding to green the nation's public transportation infrastructure while creating good-paying jobs in the process was introduced by Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Ed Markey (D-Mass.) as well as Reps. Andrew Levin (D-Mich.) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.). </p><p>"The climate crisis is an existential threat to our planet," Warren <a href="https://andylevin.house.gov/media/press-releases/levin-warren-markey-and-ocasio-cortez-unveil-build-green-infrastructure-and" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">acknowledged</a> in a press release, "but it's also a once-in-a-generation opportunity to rebuild our crumbling infrastructure, create a million good new jobs, and unleash the best of American innovation."</p>
<p>The BUILD GREEN Act, she added, "will make the big federal investments necessary to transform our country's transportation system, confront the racial and economic inequality embedded in our fossil fuel economy, and achieve the ambitious targets for 100% clean energy in America."</p><p>That assessment was shared by Markey, who <a href="https://andylevin.house.gov/media/press-releases/levin-warren-markey-and-ocasio-cortez-unveil-build-green-infrastructure-and" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">said</a> that "we cannot build back better without building back greener." Markey called the bill "our opportunity to invest in a clean energy revolution across our country, transform our transportation sector to be climate-smart, and create millions of good-paying union jobs at the same time."</p><p>"We can work together," he added, "to leverage investment in climate action, reduce emissions, and support environmental justice communities through bold infrastructure projects, all while tackling our climate crisis."</p><p>Co-sponsors of the <a href="https://www.warren.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/BUILD%20GREEN%20Bill%20Text.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">proposed legislation</a> — which is supported by almost three in five Americans, according to a new <a href="https://www.filesforprogress.org/datasets/2021/3/dfp_build_green_act_toplines.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">poll </a>(pdf) conducted by Data for Progress—include Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Reps. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), Mondaire Jones (D-N.Y.), and Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.), among others.</p><p>Alluding to the recent <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/02/18/forget-ted-cruz-whats-really-missing-texas-green-new-deal" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">crisis in Texas</a> caused by the collision of a <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/02/16/failed-state-power-outages-amid-freezing-weather-texas-threaten-lives-and-covid" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">deregulated</a>, fossil-fuel dependent energy system and a climate change-driven <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/02/17/role-climate-crisis-cant-be-hand-waved-away-scientists-say-freezing-texas-linked" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">winter storm</a>, Ocasio-Cortez <a href="https://andylevin.house.gov/media/press-releases/levin-warren-markey-and-ocasio-cortez-unveil-build-green-infrastructure-and" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">said </a>that "we must stop spending billions of taxpayer money on infrastructure systems only for them to fail at the most crucial moment."</p><p>"The BUILD GREEN Act," Ocasio-Cortez continued, "helps ensure that our federal dollars are being invested in infrastructure that can sustain the impact of climate change and better prepares our communities for extreme weather events."</p><p>"In most of the country," she added, "subways, buses, and other public transit are practically inaccessible or completely overburdened," meaning that "this bill would make a dramatic, material difference in the everyday lives of hundreds of millions of people."</p><p>Calling the electrification of personal vehicles and mass transit a "central pillar" of the Green New Deal resolution <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2019/02/07/major-party-backing-ocasio-cortez-and-markey-unveil-green-new-deal-outlining-wwii" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">introduced</a> in 2019 by Ocasio-Cortez and Markey, Levin <a href="https://andylevin.house.gov/media/press-releases/levin-warren-markey-and-ocasio-cortez-unveil-build-green-infrastructure-and" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">said</a> that "the answer to both the climate crisis and the crisis of wealth inequality is to empower working people with the sustainable investments necessary to rebuild the communities devastated by decades of pollution and corporate trade policy."</p><p>He added that the bill "will deliver the transformational change demanded by the American people while ensuring that we build the green economy of the 21st century here at home with good-paying, union jobs."</p><p>The Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development and Generating Renewable Energy to Electrify the Nation's (BUILD GREEN) Infrastructure and Jobs Act would:</p><ul><li>jumpstart the transition to all electric public transportation, expand clean mass transit to underserved communities, and help modernize our crumbling infrastructure by covering up to 85% of costs for eligible state, local, and tribal projects, with an option for the Secretary of Transportation to cover 100% of costs;</li><li>reduce carbon emissions by an estimated 21.5 million metric tons of CO2 annually or the equivalent of taking 4.5 million combustion engine cars off the road;</li><li>prevent an estimated 4,200 deaths annually by reducing significant sources of local air pollution that cause adverse health effects like asthma, and avert $100 billion annually in healthcare costs;</li><li>start to correct decades of health disparities and environmental injustice by dedicating at least 40% of all funding to projects in frontline, vulnerable, and disadvantaged communities; and</li><li>create up to one million good new jobs with strong labor protections.</li></ul><p>In its <a href="https://www.dataforprogress.org/memos/electrifying-transportation" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">evaluation</a> of the economic and environmental impacts of the bill, which it called "a vital component of tackling the climate crisis," Data for Progress estimated that electrifying the nation's public transportation systems, installing electric vehicle charging infrastructure nationwide, and expanding associated renewable energy generation capacity would save lives and money.</p><p>The proposed legislation is endorsed by a slew of progressive advocacy groups, including Data for Progress as well as Sunrise Movement, League of Conservation Voters, Natural Resources Defense Council, Sierra Club, 350.org, Greenpeace, Public Citizen, Friends of the Earth, Center for Progressive Reform, GreenLatinos, Rewiring America, New Consensus, Zero Hour, and WE ACT for Environmental Justice.</p>
<p>Given that "transportation represents about 29% of U.S. emissions," <a href="https://andylevin.house.gov/media/press-releases/levin-warren-markey-and-ocasio-cortez-unveil-build-green-infrastructure-and" target="_blank">said</a> Natalie Mebane, U.S. policy director at 350.org, "we can make huge progress in lowering our greenhouse gas emissions by electrifying the transportation sector and ensuring that it is powered by 100% clean energy."</p><p>A recent assessment of President Joe Biden's climate plans <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/03/11/researchers-say-true-climate-leadership-us-would-be-60-emissions-reduction-2030" target="_blank">found</a> his transportation policies to be inadequate if the U.S. is to reach his administration's goal of net-zero emissions by 2050.</p><p>Mebane added that "this bill will create close to one million jobs at a time when we need a just economic recovery immediately" in the wake of the devastating Covid-19 pandemic and corresponding economic crisis.</p><p>Robert R.M. Verchick, president of the board of directors of the Center for Progressive Reform and professor of environmental law at Loyola University, New Orleans, <a href="https://andylevin.house.gov/media/press-releases/levin-warren-markey-and-ocasio-cortez-unveil-build-green-infrastructure-and" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">said</a> that "the transportation networks we build today shape the possibilities for tomorrow."</p><p>"If we want our children and grandchildren to thrive in their schools and in their jobs, they will need ways to get there," said Verchick. "If we want neighborhoods free of smog and industrial racket, we will need clean and efficient ways of moving around. Few investments we make today will have as profound an impact on the opportunities available to future generations as our infrastructure choices."</p><p>The BUILD GREEN Act was unveiled just two weeks after Sunrise Movement <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/03/05/good-jobs-all-sunrise-movement-launches-campaign-fight-climate-crisis-work-guarantee" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">launched</a> its "Good Jobs for All" campaign to put the country on a path toward a Green New Deal; that happened not long after Pressley introduced the <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/02/18/demanding-dignified-work-and-living-wage-legal-rights-ayanna-pressley-unveils-jobs" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Federal Job Guarantee Resolution</a>, which seeks to make "meaningful, dignified work" at a livable wage an enforceable legal right.</p><p>Earlier this week, hundreds of local officials across the nation <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/03/16/hundreds-local-officials-demand-transformative-infrastructure-plan-us" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">called on</a> the Biden administration and Congress to deliver a bold infrastructure plan that improves the health of communities across the country.</p><p>Sanders, for his part, <a href="https://twitter.com/SenSanders/status/1372619319344050178" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">said </a>Thursday that if Republicans try to obstruct progress on green jobs and infrastructure, Democrats "must use our majority to get it done."</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/03/19/democrats-unveil-build-green-infrastructure-and-jobs-act" target="_blank">Common Dreams</a>. </em></p>From Your Site Articles
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Kids are the ones that will be inheriting the world from us. Getting them invested early in protecting the environment will ensure that their curiosity and interest will live on once they become adults.
Figuring out how to introduce the concept of renewable energy to kids can be tricky. The more significant challenge comes down to getting kids interested and excited versus putting them on the receiving end of another lecture.
It will take a bit of planning and creativity, but there are ways to get children interested in renewable energy even at a young age.
<h2>What to Explain</h2><p>The concepts you plan on teaching children should be age-appropriate. An elementary schooler doesn't need to know the inner complexities of thermodynamics. Start small and slowly build into the topics you want to cover. </p><h3>Start With Sustainability</h3><p>Leaping straight into renewable energy is a quick way to lose a kid's interest. If you start throwing around terms they don't understand, they will quickly tune out. Depending on their age, you may even get an eye roll.</p><p>Sustainability means something can continue to exist for an indefinite amount of time. Gardening is an easy example to present to children for this concept. If a tomato is grown, that tomato contains seeds. Those seeds can be replanted, and the cycle will continue. </p><p>Once they understand the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/sustainability/learn-about-sustainability" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">concept of sustainability</a>, you can move on to the next step. </p><h3>Continue With Energy Sustainability</h3><p>Now that sustainability is a familiar concept, start leading them into how it applies to energy. </p><p>Most, if not all, children today know the basics of electricity as it applies to charging items they interact with, like tablets or even smartphones. Explaining to them that energy is where electricity comes from shouldn't take more than a couple of minutes. </p><p>If you want to continue the gardening analogy for continuity's sake, it's adaptable. Using energy sources like natural gas, fossil fuels, and oil, you will still get tomatoes. However, these tomatoes don't have seeds. Eventually, you won't even be able to grow tomatoes due to a lack of seeds. </p><p>Other ways of explaining it may be easier depending on the children. The key factor they need to learn is that the current energy sources are not sustainable. </p><h3>End With the Types of Renewable Energy</h3><p>There are five primary renewable energy types, but you don't want to introduce them all to kids in one go. Be sure to fully explore all of them so the kids can grasp how and why each one is an option. </p><p>The primary types of renewable energy to include in your discussion include:</p><ul class="ee-ul"><li><strong>Solar </strong>- solar energy is one of the <a href="https://www.seia.org/initiatives/about-solar-energy" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">most popular forms</a> of renewable energy and one of the easiest to teach kids about. Turning the sun's rays into electricity is sure to catch their interest. Teach them about how solar panels capture the heat and light (even on cloudy days) and convert all of that into usable energy. You can even describe how astronauts in space rely on solar energy on the International Space Station.</li></ul><ul class="ee-ul"><li><strong>Hydro</strong> - this is another easy renewable energy to explain. It's a rare child that hasn't interacted with a creek or river at some point. Explain that the <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/special-topic/water-science-school/science/hydroelectric-power-how-it-works?qt-science_center_objects=0#qt-science_center_objects" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">constant movement of the water</a> from the current can be converted into usable energy. </li></ul><ul class="ee-ul"><li><strong>Wind</strong> - show a child a picture of those <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/wind-energy/#:~:text=Wind%20energy%2C%20or%20wind%20power,a%20generator%20to%20create%20electricity.&text=These%20turbines%20can%20generate%201.8%20megawatts%20of%20power." rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">massive wind turbines</a> and they're bound to be curious. The wind turns the blades of the fan, much like a pinwheel, which then creates energy that we can use. Really get them thinking about the world around them and how something as simple as the wind can be turned into energy.</li></ul><ul class="ee-ul"><li><strong>Geothermal</strong> - geothermal energy may require a bit of extra explanation if the children haven't learned about <a href="https://www.power-technology.com/features/what-is-geothermal-energy/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">the earth's core</a> and how hot it is. If they already know about that, then you can show them how pipes that go deep into the ground run steam from this heat up into plants that turn it into electricity. </li></ul><ul class="ee-ul"><li><strong>Biomass</strong> - biomass renewable energy is as simple as burning a source of fuel, so most of this explanation will be what they set on fire and how do they get it. The fuel for these fires comes from <a href="https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/biomass/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">byproducts of plants and animals</a>. Manure, crops, and other waste can all apply here. </li></ul><h2>How to Explain It</h2>
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<img class="rm-lazyloadable-image rm-shortcode" type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTg1MTkwMS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyMjg4NTM5MX0.swm2cINlaaaNKJjxzLuu_K1wzCfq99qOZt-HiO6CY-c/img.jpg?width=980" id="2099b" width="1280" height="754" data-rm-shortcode-id="bda350e50ebf4cbc7ab2252282f8e708" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">Stanislaw Pytel / Stone / Getty Images</small></p>
<p>Now that you know the basics, it's time to pass that on to the kids. The big question is, how are you supposed to make all of this sound cool enough to get the kids interested in renewable energy?<br></p><h3>Online Resources</h3><p>Kids tend to be more into visual learning, so just telling them about these concepts isn't going to make anything stick. </p><p>There are a plethora of options online that can help teach children about renewable energy. Educational games are a great pick to get them interacting with the information, but YouTube videos or simple animations can do the trick as well. </p><p>You can use these resources to help kids understand the big picture. Or, you can find videos and games revolving around specific steps like how exactly river currents can provide energy or why fossil fuels aren't sustainable. </p><h3>DIY Projects</h3><p>This is one of the best options you can choose to teach kids about renewable energy. Helping them create a science project to test out an aspect of renewable energy will be sure to hold their interest. A hands-on approach always helps with getting the information to stick. </p><p>Try these projects for an immersive adventure in alternative energy:</p><ul class="ee-ul"><li><strong>Build a mini water wheel</strong> - the water wheel has been used throughout history, and <a href="https://learning-center.homesciencetools.com/article/how-to-make-a-water-wheel-science-project/" target="_blank">having kids build their own</a> is a great way to teach how hydropower is created. It can be as simple or as complex as you want, but used popsicle sticks can be turned into a wheel in a pinch. Having a nearby creek or river will be the most immersive way to test this project, but using the water in your sink will get the job done. </li><li><strong>Purify water</strong> - this is an effortless <a href="https://www.clearwaycommunitysolar.com/blog/science-center-home-experiments-for-kids/science-center-creating-clean-water/" target="_blank">multi-day project</a> to set up and will help you explain how versatile the heat from solar energy is. All you need is two containers (one smaller than the other), some water, food coloring, plastic wrap, and a rock. Long story short, the sun's heat will cause condensation and create a container of purified water. Bonus points if you can show the same results with your stove to show that the energy used naturally is more sustainable. </li><li><strong>Build a wind turbine</strong> - while you won't be able to make it as large as actual wind turbines, this is still a sure way to show how efficient it is to harness the wind's power. The items you use to build this can vary greatly but cut-up plastic water bottles tend to make solid fan blades. Once you and the kids have <a href="https://www.clearwaycommunitysolar.com/blog/science-center-home-experiments-for-kids/create-wind-turbine/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">created the wind turbine</a> just take it outside and watch the wind spin it around! A pinwheel works if you'd just rather explain with an example, but the act of building the wind turbine will work wonders. </li><li><strong>Cook using a campfire </strong>- this may sound more like a leisurely activity than a science experiment, but that was before you told the kids about using biomass for renewable energy. Unless you have casual access to manure, the fuel can just be dead branches and leaves you might find lying around. As you use the fire's heat to cook (something that requires electricity with the stove) you can show that the fuel to provide the heat came from dead plants that will eventually regrow the lost leaves and branches used. However, be sure to point out the smoke caused by the fire and how any fuel source that creates too much of that can be harmful to people and the planet.</li></ul><h3>Take a Field Trip</h3><p>Field trips don't just have to be school-organized. See if you can find a day to take your child (or students) to a <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/where-to-take-a-tour-of-the-worlds-power-plants-73950581/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">nearby renewable energy plant</a>. Many of these locations are willing to give tours or educate interested people about what they do there. </p><p>This is also an excellent way to get free knowledge directly from the experts. They can answer any questions your kids may have that you would need some extensive researching to answer. It's also engaging for the children to directly see the process that they've been learning about. </p><h3>Show the Impact of Non-Renewable Energy</h3><p>This is far more effective when the children in question love animals and nature, but it can be useful regardless. Showing them videos of how things like pollution and global warming negatively impact nature can inspire them to start learning about renewable energy to help prevent it. </p><h3>Be a Role Model</h3><p>Kids do quite a bit of learning just from observing what the adults in their lives do. How you utilize energy in your day-to-day life can greatly help or hinder the learning process for the kids around you. </p><p>It's not an option for everyone, but many people are beginning to have solar panels installed on the roof of their house. Explaining to kids that their phones charge by way of the power of the sun is sure to get them interested in the overall process. </p><p>One way anyone can be a role model is to conserve energy where they can. Once your children know that most energy comes from non-renewable sources, they will realize why you always want lights off when not in use or when you try to keep your energy bills low (besides money). </p><h2>How to Keep Them Interested</h2>
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<img class="rm-lazyloadable-image rm-shortcode" type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTg1MTk0MS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzMjI0NDg4OX0.K1S76m_b0S56QYTGw6beYEJp3xhIphpxJCCyO8uZGMg/img.jpg?width=980" id="79bc7" width="1280" height="762" data-rm-shortcode-id="973b8852e7a121179246f94da72aa6f8" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image">
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">JGI/Jamie Grill / Getty Images</small></p>
<p>Now that you have the children interested in renewable energy, you'll have to make sure that interest continues to grow as time goes on. Unless they completely fell in love with the concept, they may start to forget important information if you don't keep them engaged.<br></p><h3>Have a Weekly Theme</h3><p>This has the dual purpose of keeping children interested and getting them to look forward to learning. </p><p>Give each week a theme that you can base activities and games around. Wind Week could involve some time at the park messing around with kites, or Hydro Week could be learning new aspects of hydroelectricity like how the tides can be used as well. </p><h3>Home Improvement Projects</h3><p>You shouldn't trust a group of young ones to go and install solar panels on the roof, but there are smaller projects around the house or classroom that you can do with them so that they feel they are directly contributing to using clean energy.</p><p>These projects don't even have to be big ones. It could be as simple as swapping out your current light bulbs for more energy-efficient ones. The key is to make children feel involved in the process and let them know exactly how these projects are helping. </p><h3>Make Games</h3><p>One of the best ways to get children interested in anything is to make a game of it. </p><p>Whether it's at home or in the classroom, a game will get them involved in an activity that could continue to teach them about renewable energy. It could be as simple as a made-up card game or as complex as setting up stations around the yard and have them decide which energy would work best at each station. </p><p>Some kids also enjoy incentives, so don't be afraid to offer some sort of prize or reward if they do well in the games. </p><h2>Keep Your Kids Invested in Clean Energy</h2><p>It can be a challenge teaching complex concepts to kids, especially if you want them to take an interest in it. Start by breaking down the basic concepts so that you can have good conversations with them about renewable energy. </p><p>Kids learn best from visuals and by hands-on learning. Showing them videos, designing and creating projects, and even taking them to a renewable energy plant are all great ways for them to learn. Just remember, they also need a role model to look up to if they are going to take a true interest. </p><p>They may stay interested on their own, but there are ways that you as a parent or teacher can help that along. Creating fun ways to bring the subject back around like setting up games, projects, or weekly topics can go a long way towards keeping them interested and invested in renewable energy.</p>
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A wind turbine in Bayonne, New Jersey on Feb. 1, 2018. Environmentalists are urging Congress to include climate action, such as renewable energy funding, in a new infrastructure bill. Kena Betancur / VIEWpress / Corbis via Getty Images
Environmental groups are launching a $10 million push for Congress to make climate change central to infrastructure legislation.
<p>"The Great American Build" campaign, a joint effort of Climate Power, the League of Conservation Voters and Potential Energy Coalition, will pressure lawmakers to include funding for climate action as part of the emerging infrastructure package. </p>
<p>"Americans elected pro-climate majorities in Congress, and they expect big things on the issues that drove them to the polls — including clean energy and climate change," Lori Lodes, executive director of Climate Power, told NBC.</p>
<p>As reported by <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/news/543368-green-groups-press-biden-democrats-to-boost-climate-spending-with-ad-blitz?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=116341714&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9M_GlEJKP6-2Krip7XP_tS1x2cf09wUtK2B7JO_IBtnbbRyN1ssHHkqPa7Mqr60cWgtoYIjGJVkFIHRRq9Nf1GSh0agQ&utm_content=116341714&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">The Hill</a>:</p><blockquote>Democrats in Congress began openly discussing an infrastructure package last week, just days after the president's $1.9 trillion COVID-19 stimulus package became his first legislative victory in Congress and he signed the bill into law.</blockquote><blockquote>Some lawmakers have hinted that any successful infrastructure push would likely require Democrats to use the budget reconciliation process, as they did with the stimulus package, to avoid defeat at the hands of Republicans. Under the parliamentary process, bills can pass with a simple majority in the evenly split Senate, where Vice President Harris serves as a tie-breaker.</blockquote><blockquote>"Ultimately, it's going to be put together similar to how the American Rescue Plan was put together," Sen. <a href="https://thehill.com/people/benjamin-cardin" target="_blank">Ben Cardin</a> (D-Md.) <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/pete-buttigieg-infrastructure-bill-reconciliation-hot-mic-cardin" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">was heard</a> telling Transportation Secretary <a href="https://thehill.com/people/peter-pete-buttigieg" target="_blank">Pete Buttigieg</a>. "Most likely, we're going to have to use reconciliation."</blockquote>
<p><strong>For a deeper dive:</strong><br/></p><p><a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/green-groups-launch-10-million-ad-campaign-pressuring-biden-congress-n1261177?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=116341714&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-803C9y5v2s-8uOQ_mcfYn3O5hBClm7qTCGVScZa9Yrb95OQ5IHz5Bt6YLBEnGfmdU1xshSAqH5BCERImWTGC_OB41btg&utm_content=116341714&utm_source=hs_email" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">NBC</a>, <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/news/543368-green-groups-press-biden-democrats-to-boost-climate-spending-with-ad-blitz?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=116341714&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9M_GlEJKP6-2Krip7XP_tS1x2cf09wUtK2B7JO_IBtnbbRyN1ssHHkqPa7Mqr60cWgtoYIjGJVkFIHRRq9Nf1GSh0agQ&utm_content=116341714&utm_source=hs_email" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Hill</a>, <a href="https://www.eenews.net/greenwire/2021/03/16/stories/1063727587?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=116341714&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_BP0ONkzHRyKHtfnyc1w_uN3f_TOfVxY8m7zYPh7dun2_7gh4eUu3nweQx_lAcydNbTZUGMbwy9zU-CsZpy_ow9z3KFA&utm_content=116341714&utm_source=hs_email" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">E&E</a></p><p><em>For more </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/climate-change-news/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>climate change</em></a><em> and </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/business/renewables/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>clean energy</em></a><em> news, you can follow Climate Nexus on </em><a href="https://twitter.com/ClimateNexus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Twitter</em></a><em> and </em><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ClimateNexus/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Facebook</em></a><em>, sign up for daily </em><a href="https://www.linktrack.live/hot-news-sign-up" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Hot News</em></a><em>, and visit their news site, </em><a href="https://nexusmedianews.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Nexus Media News</em></a><em>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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Ninety percent of electricity would have to come from renewable sources, mainly sun and wind, to stay in line with climate targets. yangphoto / Getty Images
By Gero Rueter
Proven technologies for a net-zero energy system already largely exist today, according to a report published Tuesday by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). The report predicts that renewable power, green hydrogen and modern bioenergy will shape the way we power the world in 2050.
<p>Adopting such solutions would set world leaders on track to meet their target of keeping the planet from heating by more than 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) above preindustrial levels this century, according to the World Energy Transitions Outlook report. The UN had warned in November that pledges to meet this goal were so far "<a href="https://www.dw.com/en/un-report-woefully-inadequate-climate-pledges-spell-32c-temperature-rise/a-55878680" target="_blank">woefully inadequate</a>."</p><p>"The window of opportunity to achieve the 1.5 C Paris Agreement goal is closing fast," said Francesco La Camera, the director-general of IRENA. "The gap between where we are and where we should be is not decreasing, but widening. We are heading in the wrong direction."</p><p>Instead, IRENA — an intergovernmental organization based in Abu Dhabi made up of 162 countries and the European Union — calls for a change in direction and a dramatic acceleration of the energy transition as countries walk the "narrow tightrope" toward the 1.5 C target.</p><h2>Global Turnaround Through Green Power</h2><p>To meet the growing need for electricity in heating and transport and to make <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/power-to-x-the-secret-to-a-100-renewable-energy-system/a-51662014" target="_blank">green hydrogen</a>, the <a href="https://irena.org/publications/2021/March/World-Energy-Transitions-Outlook" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">report</a> projects that global electricity demand will triple by 2050. </p><p>That would make it the main energy source in the world, powering more than 80% of all vehicles. Heating would mainly be provided by <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/climate-friendly-heating-how-to-stay-warm-without-fossil-fuels/a-52072206" target="_blank">heat pumps</a>, whose number is set to rise 20-fold by 2050 to around 400 million. </p>
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<p>To stay in line with climate targets, coal-fired power plants would have to be shut down and no new ones built. Ninety percent of electricity would have to come from renewable sources, mainly sun and wind, with a global installed capacity of photovoltaics almost 30 times greater than in 2018. There would have to be 14 times the wind power, and hydropower would have to double.</p><p>Fossil gas and nuclear energy, meanwhile, would make up 4% and 6% of electricity generated, respectively.</p><p>But, even with such an expansion of renewables and a drop in fossil fuels, the report relies on removing CO2 from the atmosphere to meet climate goals. This includes reforesting areas in which trees have been hacked down or burned, taking CO2 out of the atmosphere by growing plants, and capturing it from industrial sites and injecting it underground. The technology to <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/carbon-capture-paris-agreement-co2-emissions-soil-reforestation-biochar-biomass/a-54717755" target="_blank">capture carbon</a> and store it is expensive, and exists only at a small scale.</p><h2>Major Challenge, But Possible </h2><p>To meet climate goals, the report assumed a globally available budget of 500 billion tons of CO2 for the current scenario. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), if no more than this amount is released into the atmosphere, the world has a half-chance of warming 1.5 C and missing the target.</p><p>But, for a two-thirds chance of avoiding that level of warming, even more CO2 would have to be kept out of the atmosphere. According to the IPCC, total emissions would have to be limited to about 285 billion tons. Around 42 billion tons of CO2 are emitted by the energy and agricultural sectors every single year.</p>
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<p>"A scenario like the one presented by IRENA is conceivable," said Christian Breyer, a professor of solar economics at LUT University in Finland, who was not involved in the study. Breyer criticized the report for its high CO2 budget and reliance on technologies to remove emissions rather than stop them in the first place.</p><p>In addition, he said, the benefits "of extremely low-cost solar electricity have not yet been fully incorporated into the scenario, but very expensive system solutions such as nuclear power and biomass with CO2 capture." </p><h2>Economic Stimulus to Bring Jobs</h2><p>That turnaround has already begun.</p><p>Global oil consumption will continue to fall in the coming years, and fossil gas is set to join it in 2025. "Financial markets are already reflecting this change by shifting capital away from fossil fuels and toward sustainable assets like renewables," La Camera said.</p><p>Echoing warnings from the UN last year, IRENA said that stimulus packages in the wake of the pandemic must be used strategically to meet the 1.5 C target. Doing so would also help employment. The report projects that investing in the energy transition will create close to three times more jobs than fossil fuels for every million dollars spent.</p><p>"While the pathway is daunting, several favorable elements can make it achievable," La Camera said. "Major economies accounting for over half of global CO2 emissions are turning carbon-neutral. Global capital is moving, too."</p>
<p><em>Reposted with permission from <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/irena-world-energy-transitions-outlook-report/a-56888942" target="_blank">Deutsche Welle.</a></em><br/><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/r/entryeditor/2651115660#/" target="_self"></a></p>
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Tesla batteries installed by United Power at their battery station near Longmont, Colorado on Oct. 17, 2018. AAron Ontiveroz / The Denver Post via Getty Images
Almost a decade after moving into the electric vehicle industry, Elon Musk's Tesla is supersizing its plans to bring its battery technology into the power storage game.
<p>Gambit Energy Storage LLC, a Tesla subsidiary, is building a 100 megawatt energy storage project in Arlington, Texas, outside of Houston. The giant battery will plug into the Texas power grid, providing backup to a system that last month suffered a devastating failure when a severe winter storm knocked generation offline at the same time as demand soared. </p>
<p>Tesla introduced its Powerwall home batteries in 2016; the Gambit battery would store enough energy to power 20,000 homes during summer peak hours, and is expected to be operational on June 1st. Blackouts are becoming increasingly common as <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/climate-change" target="_self">climate change</a> exposes the energy grid's vulnerability to climate change, and battery-supported microgrids are increasingly seen as a critical backup for lifesaving systems.</p>
<p>As reported by <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/03/08/973512033/how-giant-batteries-are-protecting-the-most-vulnerable-in-blackouts?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=114919869&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_xZ2kzSQ183a-jNMz2QL7cs3A359EcCGAirKivD14z-DA3MQyukmqSJSOvwCs75n78qokY70iAM4k041s6ULYh9UUJDQ&utm_content=114919869&utm_source=hs_email" target="_blank">NPR</a>:</p><blockquote>Like falling dominos, infrastructure around Texas, dependent on electricity, began failing in the extreme cold. In Austin, the Ullrich Water Treatment Plant shut down due to an electrical failure. That, combined with low water pressure from broken pipes, meant residents had to boil their water.</blockquote><blockquote>Blackouts are <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/02/28/971877481/its-not-just-texas-the-entire-energy-grid-needs-an-upgrade-for-extreme-weather" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">becoming increasingly common</a> as extreme weather causes electricity demand to skyrocket, while simultaneously damaging the aging electric grid. Climate change-driven disasters, like more intense storms and hurricanes, only increase that risk.</blockquote><blockquote>So, some communities are looking for new ways to ensure that vulnerable people and infrastructure can withstand power outages. They're installing solar panels and large batteries to create tiny "microgrids" that continue working when the larger grid goes dark.</blockquote><blockquote>Some are being sited at crucial facilities, like water treatment plants, hospitals and emergency response centers. Smaller battery systems also aid people who rely on life-saving medical equipment at home. While electric utilities traditionally invest in keeping up the electric grid, disaster experts say they need to also explore newer solutions, adapted to extreme weather, for when the grid falters and can't be repaired fast.</blockquote><blockquote>"These natural disasters and disruptive events are going to continue," says Eliza Hotchkiss, senior resilience analyst at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. "We're seeing them, especially in hurricanes, happening more frequently with greater intensity. So we just can't bury our heads in the sand and ignore that this is a thing that's happening, because it will just continue to disrupt our lives."</blockquote>
<p><strong>For a deeper dive:</strong><br/></p><p><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2021-03-08/tesla-is-plugging-a-secret-mega-battery-into-the-texas-grid?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=114919869&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--IghVFLaKw8Hf7AbyxIMefSS3QcS7RJemRvpD9iGZc01p7ZstR3N5CmYCy7g1yfFIm8Uwy6Upq9pkmNymmo_tNl2B4vg&utm_content=114919869&utm_source=hs_email" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Bloomberg</a>, <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/03/08/973512033/how-giant-batteries-are-protecting-the-most-vulnerable-in-blackouts?utm_campaign=Hot%20News&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=114919869&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_xZ2kzSQ183a-jNMz2QL7cs3A359EcCGAirKivD14z-DA3MQyukmqSJSOvwCs75n78qokY70iAM4k041s6ULYh9UUJDQ&utm_content=114919869&utm_source=hs_email" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">NPR</a></p><p><em>For more </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/climate-change-news/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>climate change</em></a><em> and </em><a href="http://ecowatch.com/business/renewables/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>clean energy</em></a><em> news, you can follow Climate Nexus on </em><a href="https://twitter.com/ClimateNexus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Twitter</em></a><em> and </em><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ClimateNexus/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Facebook</em></a><em>, sign up for daily </em><a href="https://www.linktrack.live/hot-news-sign-up" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Hot News</em></a><em>, and visit their news site, </em><a href="https://nexusmedianews.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><em>Nexus Media News</em></a><em>.</em></p>
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Visitors look at a Volkswagen ID.4 electric car at the Autostadt promotional facility next to the Volkswagen factory on Oct. 26, 2020 in Wolfsburg, Germany. Sean Gallup / Getty Images
By David Reichmuth
Over the last month, I've seen a number of opinion articles attacking electric vehicles (EVs). Sadly, this comes as no surprise: now that the Biden administration is introducing federal policies to accelerate the roll out of electric vehicles, we were bound to see a reaction from those that oppose reducing climate changing emissions and petroleum use.
<p>Some of the opposition will come from auto companies that want to delay the transition to electric vehicles, but others will be from <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/fossil-fuels">fossil fuel</a> interests or climate deniers. But it really doesn't matter why they're trying to mislead the public about electric vehicles.The important thing is that you know that this is familiar and worn-out disinformation, designed to sow doubt and confusion. Here are some of the truths about EVs, so that you can spot misleading attacks.</p>
<h3>1. EVs aren't the perfect solution for the future of transportation – they're just much, much better than gasoline vehicles.</h3><p>EVs offer us a way to have personal mobility with much fewer global warming emissions than gasoline vehicles. It's clear that the emissions from driving on electricity are lower than those from using a gasoline vehicle, even when accounting for electricity generation. Our most recent analysis shows that, across the country, <a href="https://blog.ucsusa.org/dave-reichmuth/are-electric-vehicles-really-better-for-the-climate-yes-heres-why" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">driving electric is cleaner than even the most efficient gasoline car</a>. As our electric grid continues to get cleaner (with lower coal use and more renewable energy sources), the climate benefit from electric vehicles is increasing. And, of course, because they avoid burning gasoline, electric vehicles can reduce <a href="https://blog.ucsusa.org/dave-reichmuth/air-pollution-from-cars-trucks-and-buses-in-the-u-s-everyone-is-exposed-but-the-burdens-are-not-equally-shared" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">tailpipe emissions that lead to harmful air pollution across the country</a> and put us on the path to reducing the pollution and environmental degradation that is associated with extracting and refining petroleum.</p><p>Of course, there are emissions from building every vehicle. Because of battery manufacturing, climate emissions from building electric vehicles are slightly higher those from manufacturing a gasoline vehicle. <a href="https://www.ucsusa.org/resources/cleaner-cars-cradle-grave#ucs-report-downloads" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">However, those increased emissions are quickly (within 6 to 16 months depending on location) made up from the savings from using electricity in place of gasoline</a>. As we increase the production of EVs, it will be important to work to minimize manufacturing emissions by reducing energy use in the extraction and preparation of battery materials and by the recycling and reuse of used batteries.</p><p>It will also be important to hold all companies to environmental and human rights standards for their manufacturing and supply chains. Auto companies and battery suppliers need to source products and raw materials in a sustainable and ethical way. Greater transparency from manufacturers would be helpful in this area. <a href="https://responsiblemining.net/2020/01/10/bmw-group-joins-the-initiative-for-responsible-mining-assurance/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Some have started to disclose details on their supply chain and make commitments to improve their practices</a>. We also need to remember this goes beyond electric cars; we should be asking the same sorts of questions about our consumer-electronics companies and yes even the companies that produce and extract petroleum products and other fossil fuels.</p>
<h3>2. EV sales are a small fraction of U.S. autos now, but that's going to change.</h3><p>A common line used to argue against EVs is that they have historically made up a small fraction of the sales in the U.S. and therefore they can't possibly make a difference in our emissions. Others try to use the fact that fewer EVs were sold than gasoline cars to mean that EV's just aren't very popular.</p><p>These backwards-looking approaches could be used to dismiss any new technology, not just EVs. For example, in 2000 only <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_in_the_United_States" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">2.5% of households had broadband internet access.</a> Of course that didn't mean that home internet wasn't going to be a transformative technology. We can't look in the rear view mirror to see the road ahead for EVs.</p><p>It's obvious if we look back 10 years ago that the number and the capability of EVs was not at the level needed to replace gasoline vehicles. The good news is that in 2021, the EV landscape is vastly changed from even 5 years ago. New car buyers now have multiple options for long range EVs and can choose compelling options from more automakers than ever before. Currently, plug in cars make up about 2 percent of all sales in the U.S., but the number is higher in areas that have sought to accelerate the market via regulation and incentives. For example, in California, EV sales were over 8% of all new car sales in the state, showing the potential for higher sales elsewhere in the country with the use regulations, incentives, and customer awareness efforts.</p>
<h3>3. EVs are much more than the Tesla Model S.</h3><p>Tesla gets the lion's share of attention in the EV market, and for good reason. Tesla has led in plug-in car sales and the introduction of the Tesla Model S in 2012 changed many people's impression of what an electric car is. While some may have thought EVs were "golf carts", unstylish, or boring before, it would be hard to apply those labels to Tesla's Model S. However, Tesla's success (and press coverage) has now meant that the Tesla brand or the Model S is used synonymously with "EV."</p><p>Tesla has been a game changer in the EV market, but there are many more plug-in options now than the Tesla Model S. We're seeing many more affordable EVs on the market, though they often get much less press coverage. As more automakers introduce EV models and production volumes of plug-in vehicles increase, we are seeing even long-range battery electric cars being offered for lower than the MSRP (Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price) of the average new car in the U.S. (<a href="https://www.coxautoinc.com/market-insights/average-weighted-manufacturers-suggested-retail-price-sets-record-in-2019/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">estimated to be over $40,000 in 2019</a>). The majority of EVs sold in 2020 were models with a base model MSRP under $40,000 and only a fifth of models had a starting price over $60,000. Those who are critical of EVs would like to portray all plug-ins as high-priced luxury vehicles, but that simply isn't the case in 2021. Both here and abroad, automakers are increasing electric vehicle production, pushing down prices and making more options available to buyers.</p><p>Despite the proliferation of anti-EV arguments in the press, these arguments are old and long-debunked — dubious even when they were introduced, but downright silly after a decade of advancement in the EV market.</p>
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The majority of EVs sold in 2020 were models with a starting price (Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price) under $40,000 and only a fifth of models had a starting price over $60,000.
<h3>Now is the time to accelerate the switch to EVs.</h3><p>With the impacts of climate change becoming more evident every year and the clear science on the health harms of air pollution, it's imperative that we switch from gasoline to electric vehicles as soon as possible. To make this happen, we need to use all of the policy tools available.</p><p>Federal and state incentives are vital in the short term to make buying EVs easier for more people. Battery prices (and therefore EV prices) are dropping as the scale of production ramps up, but incentives are vital now to offset the extra initial cost of EVs.</p><p>We also need to use existing greenhouse gas emissions and air quality regulations to make sure the <a href="https://blog.ucsusa.org/dave-reichmuth/press-releases-alone-arent-going-to-clean-up-cars-and-trucks" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">aspirations of automakers to go electric become reality</a>. This means setting both strong federal standards for emissions and using California's authority under the Clean Air Act to require zero emission vehicles. Because the Clean Air Act also allows other states to adopt the California standards, there are now 11 states representing 30% of the U.S. population now moving forward with zero emission clean car standards to reduce their residents' exposure to tailpipe pollution and put their states on a path to lower carbon emissions and more states are poised to enact these standards.</p><p>Some have argued that we shouldn't rush this transition or wait until electricity and EVs are perfectly clean to start rolling out electric vehicles. There might be value in those propositions if there was not such urgency in the need to reduce emissions and clear costs for delay. Every gasoline vehicle we put on the road today means 10 to 20 years of pollution over its lifetime, and the climate-warming tailpipe pollutants accumulate in the atmosphere accumulate over time. If we want to avoid the worst impacts of climate change, we can't afford to keep putting tailpipes on the road.</p>
<p><em>David Reichmuth is a senior engineer in the Clean Transportation Program with the Union of Concerned Scientists, focusing on oil savings and vehicle electrification.<br/></em></p><p><em>Reposted with permission from the <a href="https://blog.ucsusa.org/dave-reichmuth/three-truths-about-electric-vehicles" target="_blank">Union of Concerned Scientists</a>.</em></p>From Your Site Articles
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