[GWSG] Fungi rule; mapping the networks; contra overshoot; shifting jobs; record renewables; battery prices

[Tilley, Al]

1. Fungi in the soil are essential to the life of plants. Because fungi sequester vast amounts of carbon, and because we depend on plants for other services such as food, fungi are vital to us as well. We have been destroying them through agricultural practices and logging. Effective climate action demands that we reverse this. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/nov/30/fungi-climate-crisis-ally

2. The Society for the Protection of Underground Networks is collecting 10,000 fungi samples from around the world to discover the most threatened regions. The samples will allow the first maps of the vast underground fungi networks. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2021/nov/30/worlds-vast-networks-of-underground-fungi-to-be-mapped-for-first-time

3. Most studies of the emissions paths necessary to meet the Paris targets of 1.5C or 2C focus on distant achievements of the goals, allowing us to overshoot temporarily and then pull back within temperature limits by drawing down atmospheric carbon. A new international study shows that near-term emissions control programs which avoid overshoot would result in great economic savings. Though the study did not address the issue, it would also avoid the floods, fires, heat, and social disruption which would result from the heightened temperatures. https://phys.org/news/2021-11-temperature-overshoot-climate-policy.html

4. A survey of oil and gas workers indicates that over half would choose to move to jobs in renewables. Their pay is likely to rise if they succeed in the transition. https://climatecrocks.com/2021/11/30/fossil-fuel-workers-looking-for-exit-to-clean-energy/

5. The International Energy Agency finds that this year has seen a record amount of renewable energy added, beating last year’s record construction. We are on track for renewable energy capacity greater than that of fossils and nuclear combined by 2026. Renewables added in those years would account for 95% of new capacity. We still require policy changes to reach zero emissions by 2050. Among them are more ambitious targets and easier permitting for new solar and wind installations.  https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/dec/01/renewable-energy-has-another-record-year-of-growth-says-iea

6. Battery prices have fallen 90% since 2010. Next year’s prices will probably constitute a pause in the drop. https://climatecrocks.com/2021/12/01/report-battery-prices-plummeting/

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.unf.edu/pipermail/gwsg/attachments/20211201/22e8bc11/attachment.htm>