[GWSG] Bonn bust; Pre-Paris letter; anti-heat protection; displacing coal; Murcia reuses 98% of water; UN passes oceans treaty

[Tilley, Al]

1. The recent climate conference at Bonn was something of a preparation for COP 28 this December. In theater, a sorry dress rehearsal is often shrugged off as promise of a good opening night. If that holds true for Bonn, COP 28 is going to be a monstrous success. Or, perhaps, the current mix of attendees, including fossil fuel interests, and a consensus process which gives veto power to oil states is not serving us well. https://www.carbonbrief.org/bonn-climate-talks-key-outcomes-from-the-june-2023-un-climate-conference/?utm_source=cbnewsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_term=2023-06-19&utm_campaign=Daily+Briefing+19+06+2023

2. Fourteen world leaders of countries from Senegal to the US have written a letter of economic solidarity in the face of the climate crisis. It is an opening move toward the economic summit in Paris June 22-23.  https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jun/21/a-green-transition-that-leaves-no-one-behind-world-leaders-release-open-letter

3. The Texas legislature has stripped local authorities of their attempts to protect workers from extreme heat by measures such as required breaks and water.  States such as California, Washington, Oregon, and Minnesota have provided protection; attempts have failed in others such as New York and Florida. Thanks to Steve Crowley for the article. https://stateline.org/2023/06/20/many-states-decline-to-require-water-breaks-for-outdoor-workers-in-extreme-heat/

4. The head of Australia’s utility Synergy remarked what a good replacement for coal batteries are as he revealed yet another 2000MWh battery. Not just batteries. “Coal is being displaced on a daily basis by rooftop solar,” Fyfe said on Wednesday at the Australian Energy Week conference in Melbourne. “That’s the equivalent of a fairly decent sized power station.” https://reneweconomy.com.au/batteries-are-a-good-replacement-for-coal-utility-unveils-another-2000mwh-big-battery/

5. Thanks to careful treatment, 98% of Murcia’s wastewater is reused, and meets 15% of the region’s irrigation needs. https://phys.org/news/2023-06-spain-crops-wastewater.html

6. The UN has successfully passed a treaty to extend environmental protection to international waters. To enter into force it must be ratified by at least 60 nations.  https://phys.org/news/2023-06-historic-high-seas-treaty.html I am attending a National Academy of Sciences workshop on geoengineering. One challenge is to develop a model for international action. This treaty, which took 15 years of discussion to develop, provides a model. That time schedule about fits the 20 years it will take us to develop a plane able to deliver aerosols to the atmosphere to give temporary respite from the heat while we draw down carbon; it might also provide a model for negotiating a global program to build and deploy the SeaChange electrolysis floats to fix the carbon into limestone.

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