[GWSG] Zero-E, crewless ship; Gore's film; plummeting shares; effects of the transition; coastal insurance; Tesla's batteries

[Tilley, Al]

1. The Yara Birkeland is a zero-emissions Norwegian container ship (100 containers) which will begin hauling fertilizer next year. It is fully electric and, though it will be crewed next year and operated by remote control in 2019, the ship is scheduled to sail autonomously beginning in 2020.  http://inhabitat.com/worlds-first-autonomous-all-electric-cargo-ship-to-launch-next-year/



2.  Al Gore's An Inconvenient Sequel is due for general release in theaters August 18. Michelle Nijhuis observes that the film has the strength of its focus on the climate struggle, but might have shown more of the local actions now underway, and could have left more room for our grief at what is passing from our world.  http://www.newyorker.com/science/elements/whats-missing-from-an-inconvenient-sequel-al-gores-new-climate-change-documentary  Michael Mann admires Al Gore's spirit as he has pursued climate action in the teeth of attacks from the fossil fuel industry.  http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v547/n7664/full/547400a.html?foxtrotcallback=true  Gore observes that to address the climate crisis, we must address the government crisis. He had to delay the release of his film for a rework to deal with Trump's withdrawal from the Paris agreement.  https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jul/30/al-gore-interview-our-crumbling-planet-the-rich-have-subverted-all-reason-al-gore



3.  A survey of major investors predicts that the value of oil and gas shares will plummet within the next three to five years.  http://climatenewsnetwork.net/more-investors-will-spurn-fossil-fuels/?utm_source=Climate+News+Network&utm_campaign=7b1ff9d0cf-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_07_30&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1198ea8936-7b1ff9d0cf-38803053



4.  Outstanding loans and bonds of the oil and gas industry almost tripled 2006-14; bankruptcies are soaring, and development investments are stranded. The energy transition must feature the passing of the fossil fuel industry. What will be the impact on the general economy? The current centralized, top-down governmental organizations may be untenable. The future could belong to "smaller-scale, networked forms of political, social and economic organization, connected through revolutionary information technologies."  http://www.alternet.org/environment/we-could-be-witnessing-death-fossil-fuel-industry-will-it-take-rest-economy-down-it  This article was posted by Alternet in April 2016. Nafeez Ahmed's analysis seems more prophetic than dated now.



5.  As flooding increases, coastal insurance rates will rise and insurers are more and more likely to refuse to renew policies. Some people are already deciding to self-insure; one guy simply dismantled his tidal gauge. Thanks to Cherrill Heaton for the item.  http://cbemeraldcoast.com/blog/2017/07/29/rising-seas-climate-change-brings-new-risks-for-homeowners-insurers/



6.  Tesla's gigafactory will outstrip the current world production of batteries by a factor of two. Elon Musk has announced Gigafactory 2 near Buffalo, NY. Batteries are a major bottleneck in the transition to electric vehicles.  https://cleantechnica.com/2017/07/29/gigafactory-will-produce-batteries-rest-world-combined-factor-2/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+IM-cleantechnica+%28CleanTechnica%29  ?

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