5GW solar panel order for US co. while China climate talks underwhelm. World still hot.

Issue: 2023/07/23

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Jul 23, 2023

Each week we share news and social media updates related to our “The 10 Ways to Save Our Planet” list.

1. Act Now

Climate Litigation Is Spreading Around the World
(ucsusa.org)
The blog post "Climate Litigation is Spreading Around the World" discusses the global surge in climate change-related lawsuits aimed at holding corporations and governments accountable for their contributions to the climate crisis. It highlights how impacted communities, NGOs, and environmental activists are filing landmark cases in various regions, including the United States, Europe, and Asia. These legal actions seek to establish a connection between corporate activities and climate impacts, demanding urgent climate action and responsibility from the parties involved.

Expert Panel Warns Journalists of Coordinated Climate Disinformation Campaigns (theenergymix.com)
An expert panel has issued a warning to journalists about the emergence of coordinated climate disinformation campaigns. As reported by The Energy Mix, the panel highlights the deliberate efforts by certain groups to spread false information about climate change, aiming to sow doubt and confusion among the public and policymakers.

2. Build Political Will

Open letter from 14 countries to G20: Safeguard a liveable future (climatechangenews.com)
In an open letter addressed to the ministers attending COP28, G20 countries have called for urgent action to address the issue of fossil fuels and combat climate change. The letter, signed by 20 nations, emphasizes the need for a swift transition to renewable energy sources and the phasing out of fossil fuels. The G20 countries acknowledge the critical role they play in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and stress the importance of collective efforts to achieve global climate goals. The letter also highlights the economic opportunities that can arise from investing in clean energy technologies and emphasizes the need for international cooperation and financial support to facilitate this transition.

US-China climate talks brought goodwill, modest progress (reuters.com)
While the talks did not result in any major breakthroughs, they did lay the groundwork for future negotiations and collaboration.

3. Eliminate Fossil Fuels

The Transformation Of Global Steel Making — Huge Potential (cleantechnica.com)
Why Heat Waves Are Deepening China’s Addiction to Coal (nytimes.com)
Proposed Pipeline Expansion Could Upend Three States’ Climate Plans (desmog.com)
For the first time in a century, the US is raising fees for drilling on federal lands (grist.org)
After Litigation and Local Outcry, Energy Company Says It Will Not Move Forward with LNG Plant in Florida Panhandle (insideclimatenews.org)

4. Speed up renewable energy

The US's largest solar panel maker just scored a 5 GW order (electrek.co)
First Solar, the largest solar panel manufacturer in the US, has received an order from Israeli energy company Energix for 5 gigawatts of solar panels. First Solar has announced plans to expand its U.S. manufacturing capacity from 6.5 to 10.9 GW by 2026. The company is investing $185 million into its current plant in Ohio, and $1.1 billion into a new plant in Alabama.

5. Shift towards sustainable transportation

Train fares are up to 30 times more expensive than planes in Europe, says Greenpeace (cnn.com

Decarbonizing Transportation Must Come with People-Powered Mobility Justice (blog.ucsusa.org)

6. Adopt planet-friendly agricultural practices

7. Eat a more climate friendly diet

Vegan Diets Have One-Fourth the Climate Impact of Meat-Heavy Diets, Study Finds (e360.yale.edu)
A new study published in the journal Climatic Change suggests that adopting a vegan diet could have a significant positive impact on the climate. The study compared the greenhouse gas emissions associated with different diets, including meat-based, vegetarian, and pescatarian diets. Researchers found that a vegan diet has the lowest carbon footprint, producing 42% less greenhouse gas emissions compared to a meat-based diet. Vegetarian and pescatarian diets also showed lower emissions, but not as significant as the vegan diet.