New knowledge; new threat. Recently, scientists at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution wrapped up the most comprehensive study of the twilight zone in history, helping to establish that some 11 billion tons of microorganisms, crustaceans, squid, fish and gelatinous animals that live there are helping to draw down a third of the carbon dioxide emitted by human activity, likely saving us and our planet from catastrophic climate change….[But] The private sector is working quickly to overcome obstacles to catching fish in the zone by devising new nets and trawling rigs that can operate a half-mile under the water’s surface. One firm from Norway has already constructed a processing plant onboard a ship to mill twilight zone creatures into liquid. When commercial fishing operations do eventually make it to the twilight zone, they won’t be subjected to many fishing regulations because much of the zone is part of the so-called high seas, beyond the jurisdiction of a single nation.
CLEAN ENERGY: Data show the California grid met 100% of its electricity demand with renewable energy during 5- to 10-minute periods on 100 of the last 144 days. (news release)
ELECTRIC VEHICLES: A southern California city becomes the nation’s first to replace its entire fleet of gasoline-powered police patrol cars with electric vehicles. (Associated Press)
Washington state begins offering a $200 utility bill credit to income-qualified households as part of a program funded by the state’s climate law and cap-and-invest initiative. (KUOW)
A developer proposes a 900 MW solar-plus-storage installationthat would be built along the edges of agricultural fields in north-central Oregon. (Renewables Now)
California increased plastic waste export to Mexico to 5.5 million kg/month (35 trucks per day). Analysis of CalRecycle state data by Basel Action Network/The Last Beach Cleanup proved that California plastic waste exports have about 50% contamination of unrecyclable plastic trash.
Methane is 85 times as warming as CO2; leaks can make natural gas dirtier than coal. One of the most comprehensive aerial surveys of methane gushing from US oil and gas facilities shows operators must slash emissions by roughly 80% or more to meet major industry targets. The nonprofit Environmental Defense Fund conducted about 30 flights between June and October of last year over fossil fuel basins that account for nearly three-quarters of onshore oil and gas production in the contiguous US. On average, the data collected show that around 1.6% of gross gas production is released as methane into the atmosphere. That’s about eight times higher than what many operators have pledged to reach by 2030 or earlier in a bid to limit their emissions under programs including the Oil and Gas Climate Initiative and the Oil & Gas Decarbonization Charter.
FREE TRADE FOR FOSSIL FUELS. Australia, Canada, Colombia and Slovenia are facing tens of billions of dollars in claims from companies for phasing out coal power plants, rejecting mining licenses or disallowing liquefied natural gas permits. In 2022, Italy was ordered to pay a British oil company roughly $200 million after offshore drilling restrictions upended the firm’s development plans. In other countries, the system set up for these claims—investor-state dispute settlement, or ISDS—has driven up costs of closing coal power plants, prevented governments from canceling oil and gas licenses or otherwise impeded efforts to reduce fossil fuel use, government ministers and researchers say. Companies even win awards despite leaving behind environmental contamination, violating human rights or breaking national laws. The ISDS system is uniquely daunting for governments because arbitrators overseeing the cases can award compensation not just for real losses but also for unearned, expected future profits. It’s a key reason awards can balloon into the billions of dollars. “These are issues which, by definition, will have an impact beyond the immediate disputing parties,” said Toby Landau, a British lawyer who works as an ISDS arbitrator and counsel and has called for reforming the system. “But the problem with the commercial arbitration mindset is you never think about anybody beyond the immediate parties.”
ONE STEP BACKWARD: 15% is how much coal demand has risen since 2015, when countries agreed to reduce emissions through the Paris Agreement. Surging electricity demand in some major economies is offsetting the impact of renewable energy expansion, according to a new report from the International Energy Agency.
ONE STEP FORWARD: China has unveiled the world’s first meltdown-proof nuclear power plant, achieving a groundbreaking and potentially transformative feat in the field of nuclear energy. The plant, developed by researchers at Tsinghua University, represents a major leap forward in nuclear energy safety, which has been under scrutiny since the catastrophic meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan over a decade ago. The new Chinese plant uses an innovative design called a “pebble-bed reactor” to mitigate the risk of meltdown. Unlike most reactors that use water to cool down, it uses helium gas, which can handle much higher temperatures. And instead of large fuel rods, it uses small, billiard-ball-sized graphite spheres filled with tiny uranium fuel particles. These spheres are provided by the German company SGL Group and are highly resistant to heat. Here.
Lack of Passage Drives Continued Decline of Upper Willamette Chinook Salmon and Steelhead
Upper Willamette River Steelhead and Chinook salmon should remain listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, NOAA Fisheries has concluded in its 5-year review of the status of the species. Many communities, tribes, and conservation organizations have restored habitat along the Willamette and its tributaries. Chinook salmon and steelhead still lack safe downstream passage past dams that limit access to the high-elevation habitat that once fostered their wild populations. Only further action can halt their continuing decline, which could be compounded by climate change.
Last week, the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) hosted the first-ever White House Summit on Environmental Justice in Action, showcasing the Biden-Harris Administration’s progress on advancing environmental justice and delivering benefits to disadvantaged communities. During the summit, the Biden-Harris Administration released detailed progress reports from 24 federal agencies showcasing how the President is delivering for communities that have faced longstanding environmental injustices and inequities. The second annual Environmental Justice Scorecard describes the impacts and benefits of more than $600 billion in federal investments that the Administration has secured over Fiscal Years 2022-2027, including through his Investing in America agenda, for programs that are part of the Justice40 Initiative.
MORE INNOVATION:
- The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recently announced $33 million for nine projects across seven states to advance concentrating solar-thermal (CST) systems technologies to produce solar fuels—including clean hydrogen—and long-duration energy storage. CST technologies use mirrors to reflect and concentrate sunlight onto a receiver, helping to produce carbon-free clean fuels, heat, and energy storage for a wide variety of applications.
- Wind Energy Technologies Office (WETO) presents: the Offshore Wind National and Regional Research and Development funding opportunity! WETO is offering nearly $50 million for projects that address major areas of need for offshore wind; successful projects will speed up the use of wind power off U.S. coasts and contribute to a robust U.S. clean energy economy. The areas include accelerating research and development of floating offshore wind platforms; exploring innovations for fixed-bottom foundations; improving offshore wildlife protection through new monitoring technologies; expanding the reach of the domestic supply chain; advancing U.S. academic leadership in floating offshore wind; and investigating solutions to protect future infrastructure from lightning. Submit your concept paper by September 3 and join the Teaming Partner List to get started. [Got ideas? Maybe team with Schatz.]