[GWSG] Pledged to 2C; cement & steel; big drones; democracy first; CH4 overview; EU cars vs. Putin

[Tilley, Al]

1. If all nations hold to their emissions pledges at COP 26, global heating will be limited to 1.9C. 1.5C is still possible. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/apr/13/historic-global-climate-plans-can-now-keep-heating-below-2c-study-shows

2. An article in Nature observes that cement and steel produce 6.5% and 7% of global emissions. We could save most of that with such known fixes as using green hydrogen (produced by using renewable energy for electrolysis of water) and recycling steel. The industries, clinging to existing infrastructure, will need to be peeled from that and steered to the necessary alterations. https://cleantechnica.com/2022/04/14/greening-cement-steel-the-building-blocks-of-our-civilization/

3. Small electric planes which can fly with no pilot aboard and need no runway could bring significant changes to transportation of both people and goods. Beta, a startup in Vermont, is well on the way to providing it. FAA approval appears to be the major challenge. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/16/business/beta-electric-airplane.html?campaign_id=2&emc=edit_th_20220417&instance_id=58731&nl=todaysheadlines&regi_id=43628374&segment_id=89471&user_id=8c547d53af6ff6fc7d49cb8612c07102

4.  Representative Jeremy Raskin holds that we must protect democracy if we are to deal with the climate breakdown. “The democratic governments and democratic parties and movements of the world have got to confront this reality. Nobody else is going to do it,” Raskin said. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/apr/18/jamie-raskin-climate-crisis-democracy

5. The Rocky Mountain Institute provides an overview of sources of methane emissions and how to cut them. Replacing Russian gas to the EU with renewables, for example, could cut emissions by 40%. (The Russian system must be even leakier than ours.) https://rmi.org/making-the-invisible-visible-methane-solutions-offer-down-payment-on-our-climate-future/

6. Cars present other opportunities to cut Putin’s war budget. Europeans could use more efficient transportation, beef up their CO2 targets, and support the switch to electric vehicles by requiring that half of new cars be EVs by 2025. https://europe.autonews.com/guest-columnist/why-electric-cars-tougher-co2-goals-will-help-europe-undermine-putin
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