August 30 NEC Energy News
¶ “Fossil Fuels’ Share In EU Power Mix At Lowest Level Since Records Began” • Fossil fuels produced just 33% of EU power in the first half of 2023, the lowest share in records going back to 1990, think tank Ember said. The main reason was lower demand for electricity, which meant the rising renewable energy output could meet more of the demand. [Reuters]
¶ “Chris Bowen’s Five Reasons Why Nuclear Is Wrong For Australia” • After 10 years of denial and delay on climate action, Chris Bowen, the Australian Minister for Climate Change and Energy, says he is not interested in more years of distraction by nuclear energy, an energy source that “clearly doesn’t stack up for our country.” [Proactive Investors]
¶ “The Bacteria That Can Capture Carbon” • Scientists have recently discovered a microbe, a type of cyanobacteria, off the coast of a volcanic island near Sicily, that eats carbon dioxide “astonishingly quickly.” The microbes found in September 2022 are “hyper-efficient at taking up CO₂ through photosynthesis,” one scientist said. [BBC]
¶ “Chinese People Are Living Two Years Longer Thanks To ‘War On Pollution,’ Report Says” • Ten years ago, China’s capital was often covered in thick yellow and gray smog. The air quality was so bad that Chinese leaders launched a multibillion-dollar “war against pollution.” A decade on, China’s pollution levels had fallen 42%. [CNN]
¶ “EPA Reduces Federally Protected Waters By More Than Half After Supreme Court Ruling” • The Environmental Protection Agency and US Army released a new rule that reduces federally protected water by over half. A Supreme Court decision in May had rolled back protections for US wetlands. By acerage, 63% of US wetlands could be impacted. [CNN]
¶ “Hurricane Idalia Is Expected To Hit Florida As A Category 4 Storm. Officials Warn Of ‘Potential For Death And Catastrophic Devastation’” • The National Hurricane Center warned Hurricane Idalia could hit Florida’s west coast as an “extremely dangerous” Category 4 storm on Wednesday morning, as Idalia continued to intensify and churn toward the state. [CNN]
¶ “Biden DOJ Tells Court There Is No Constitutional Right To A Stable Climate” • Our Children’s Trust developed a legal theory that a lack of government action on climate change infringes on rights to life, liberty, and equal protection as set forth in the 14th Amendment. The DOJ said “there is no constitutional right to a stable climate system.” [CleanTechnica]
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