[GWSG] Beef emissions; planes like birds; LA's Footprint Project; tasty waste; panel on new US climate position

[Tilley, Al]

1. A claim by Tyson that they are targeting zero greenhouse emissions by 2050 is under court challenge. As the article’s title asserts, it’s time to accept that there is no such thing as climate smart beef. https://cleantechnica.com/2024/10/19/its-time-to-accept-that-there-is-no-such-thing-as-climate-smart-beef/

2. Birds have covert feathers on the leading surfaces of their wings which allow them to fly in conditions which lead aircraft to stall. Tests with flaps on the leading edge of aircraft wings uncovered great advantages. “The researchers tested configurations with a single flap and with multiple flaps ranging from two rows to five rows. They found that the five-row configuration improved lift by 45%, reduced drag by 30% and enhanced the overall wing stability.”  https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1062424?et_rid=17155387&et_cid=5414078
The implications for electric planes should be game-changing. They should be able to carry greater loads further at a given level of power. They should also be better able to deal with turbulence, which is increasing as the atmosphere heats.

3. The Footprint Project in Louisiana has provided 50 solar microgrids to areas which had lost power to storms. The goal of the project is to provide a supply of solar cells, batteries, and associated provisions which can be checked out to needy communities. https://energynews.us/2024/10/24/this-disaster-relief-nonprofit-is-pioneering-a-clean-energy-alternative-to-noisy-polluting-generators/

4. A mold from Indonesia can transform waste food into tasty dishes, with great implications for food emissions and our food supply. https://grist.org/food-and-agriculture/oncom-fermented-fungus-food-waste-solution-study/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&utm_campaign=daily

5. Carbon Brief hosted a one hour panel discussion of the impact on climate action of our expressed preference for Donald Trump over Kamala Harris. Here are my notes on the comments of the four panelists:
Camilla Born, former UK senior official at COP 26: The biggest hit will be to the confidence of international actors. Under the convention rules, it will be a year before the US can withdraw, and they can reenter. The discussion at COP 29 next week, and generally, could actually improve as the constraints posed by the presence of US special interests become less significant. China’s place in discussions will shift.
Mohamed Adow, founding director of Power Shift Africa: Trump will not be allowed to hold climate action hostage. But there’s a risk that other countries will withhold resources. New leaders will have to step forward. We are not going to panic. No one can run from the climate crisis, though the US is retreating from the world stage and will be to some extent left behind. The climate tax credits are already baked into US law. Much of the US support for action will now come from the individual US states. The US government will now be distrusted. The technology will now come from China. We will now depend on the global majority.
Simon Evans, deputy editor and senior policy editor at Carbon Brief: A retreat from emissions controls in the US could add 4 billion tonnes of emissions by 2030, the entire benefit of renewables developed globally in the last 5 years. It could be worse if drilling and LNG exports are increased.
Li Shuo, director of China Climate Hub at the Asia Society Policy Institute: We are confronted by much good climate news. Climate financing is our challenge. We must reunite and accelerate our actions. The US is making things more difficult. The US-China dialogue may move to non-state actors. China will progress on the green economy track and take more leadership. China will form a new coalition as US influence wanes. The greatest drive of change is not political but economic. The US risks falling behind and losing this race. The US and China will need to realign on the credit issue. The US withdrawal complicates the situation.
Carbon Brief will post a recording of the discussion on their web site. Their free newsletters are worth your time. https://www.carbonbrief.org/


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