Have We Peaked?

Peak Fossil Fuel Demand May Be Upon Us

😊  The Good News - A recent report by the Rocky Mountain Institute has shown that fossil fuel demand for electricity generation has likely peaked globally. The report predicts that fossil fuel use for electricity will start to decline at 4% per year starting in 2026 based on current and proposed fossil fuel investments and climate commitments.

🥾  Follow This Path - I’ve been waiting for this day for years. It may not sound like good news, but it actually is because it means fossil fuel use should begin to decline in the coming years. This should start to pave the way for renewable energy demand – which we need to address climate change.

EPA Vetoes Mine In Alaska For Salmon

😊  The Good News - The EPA has vetoed Pebble Mine, a proposed copper and gold mining project, as well as any future mining projects near Alaska’s Bristol Bay in order to protect biodiversity. The area is home to the world’s largest sockeye salmon run, which is culturally significant to several Alaska Native communities.

🥾  Follow This Path - It is refreshing to see the EPA enforce regulations, such as the Clean Water Act, and outright veto a project as large as the proposed Pebble Mine. I hope the trend continues because we must prevent environmental injustices and protect biodiversity in order to address climate change.

Scientists Confirm Bacteria Can Break Down Plastics

😊 The Good News - Research conducted at the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research has confirmed that the bacterium Rhodococcus ruber successfully breaks down plastics, and researchers theorize that wild bacteria of this strain could be breaking down plastics in our oceans right now.  

🥾 Follow This Path - Before you start trying to add Rhodococcus ruber to the plastic sitting in your recycling bin, just know that we are not ready to use this bacterium to manage plastic waste yet. Research and development take time, but it’s still exciting to know there is more than one strain of bacteria that can break plastic down.

New Wind Turbine Doesn’t Even Move

😊 The Good News - Aeromine Technologies has patented a motionless wind turbine that is 50% more efficient than traditional turbines. The turbines can easily be installed on commercial rooftops for a fraction of the space needed for solar panels, and they do not pose a threat to birds, unlike traditional turbines.

🥾 Follow This Path - Bird deaths associated with wind turbines have been a longstanding concern — so much so that groups have called to ban them. But now, we have one less thing to worry about as we try to make renewable energy more affordable and accessible.

Minnesota Boundary Waters Protected From Mining

😊 The Good News - The Department of the Interior recently protected over 200,000 acres of public land near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in Minnesota from mining. The protections will remain in place for 20 years, and come after the Forest Service withdrew support for the mining leases due to the risk it posed for nearby indigenous and low-income communities.

🥾 Follow This Path - Even though the demand for minerals has gone up because they’re being used in electric vehicle batteries and solar panels, we must be careful about where we mine for them since mining operations have a tendency to negatively impact the surrounding environment. I am excited that the Forest Service and other federal agencies are paying more attention to the long-term impacts of projects, and I hope they continue to push for environmental justice.

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