[GWSG] EVs a boon; E Ant. melt driver; aerosoling the poles; ASTL close to 2/3; Guterres calls for profit tax; Kerry on loss claims; solar saves farms

[Tilley, Al]

1. A fossil talking point on the electric vehicle is that they would swamp the grid with their power demand. Instead, they are likely to improve things. They can be (and some are already) set to charge when the grid is not stressed, and their added usage will give utilities the leeway to improve their infrastructure—say, by closing all the gas and coal plants, building renewable sources, and relocating the grid to tap those. https://climatecrocks.com/2022/09/16/how-evs-iphones-and-electricitys-weirdness-may-save-the-grid/

2. The East Antarctic ice sheet, which holds most of the ice, has in the past 100,000 years grown and shrank in response to ocean temperature, and the state of flow of the AMOC is the most significant factor in temperature variations. The bad news is that the AMOC is threatening to tip to a lower rate of flow, which will raise southern ocean temperatures. The good news is that in the past the ice losses seem to have been relatively low and have reversed as the ocean temperatures fell. https://phys.org/news/2022-09-antarctic-ice-sheet-response-climate.html

3. Using aerosols at the poles can lower temperatures there and, according to the study, could refreeze the ice sheets. (However, if the Antarctic is responding primarily to ocean temperature and not to atmospheric temperature, it may not refreeze as suggested.) https://phys.org/news/2022-09-antarctic-ice-sheet-response-climate.html

4. Australia is approaching 2/3 renewable electricity. https://reneweconomy.com.au/wind-and-solar-records-tumble-again-as-coal-and-fossil-fuel-hit-another-low/

5. Antonio Guterres, UN secretary general, has called for nations to tax the profits of fossil fuel corporations and those who serve them, including public relations firms, banks, and private equity firms. “Those funds should be redirected in two ways – to countries suffering loss and damage caused by the climate crisis and to people struggling with rising food and energy prices.” COP27 in November will deal in part with loss and damage issues.   https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/sep/20/un-secretary-general-tax-fossil-fuel-companies-climate-crisis

6. Yesterday in a New York Times Climate Forward symposium US special climate envoy John Kerry said that we have a full plate in trying to deal with our own mitigation and adaptation efforts, and with the needs of poorer nations as they attempt to produce their energy renewably. He said that we could not realistically expect congress to approve funds to satisfy loss and damage claims.  I think he regards loss and damage issues as matters for the courts. https://climate-events.nytimes.com/climate-forward
Al Gore’s interview, the first section of the program, is worth watching. He describes our situation as one in which we have embarked on the proper course, but must make better time even as adverse climate conditions continue to emerge.

7. Bowling Green KY heard that not only would solar power be cheaper, it would preserve farmland. https://climatecrocks.com/2022/09/21/conservative-message-on-solar-in-heartland/

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