Your Week in Climate Solutions 🌎 🗞️

IPCC Report Reminds World That Climate Solutions Exist

😊 The Good News - The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reiterated that the technological solutions to climate change exist in a report they released last week. Even though the report was fairly grim, the IPCC made sure the world knows it isn’t the lack of solutions that are holding up action – but a lack of political will.

🥾 Follow This Path - As someone who has reviewed IPCC reports in the past, believe me when I say I was thrilled that most reports talked about solutions in detail. Far too often we only focus on the issues which have led to many people giving up hope when it comes to solving the climate crisis. We obviously can’t ignore the issues either, but I applaud the IPCC for taking a more balanced approach.

Scotch Whisky Distilleries Pledge To Go Net Zero

😊 The Good News - Every single Scotch whisky distillery in Scotland has voluntarily pledged to make their operations net zero by 2040 – a full five years before Scotland itself aims to be net zero. The industry has already expanded its renewable energy use from 2% to 39% over the past 13 years, and as part of these pledges, distilleries will help restore the carbon-sequestering peatlands they often rely on to produce their spirits.

🥾 Follow This Path - Every industry around the world will need to make efforts to decarbonize if we want to address climate change, and one that is often overlooked is the alcohol industry. It is rare to see every company in an industry voluntarily pledge to not only work together but to reduce their emissions, which is why I’m curious to see how the Scotch whisky industry moves forward with its goals – especially considering it is my favorite spirit.

Two Lawsuits Filed Against Willow Project Approval

😊 The Good News - The Australian federal government has reached a deal to secure enough funding and support to meet the country’s goal of reducing its emissions by 43% by 2030. Although the deal does not outright ban new fossil fuel projects, it will impose emissions limits on hundreds of polluting facilities across the country, and many theorize that will include the over 100 new fossil fuel projects currently in development there.

🥾 Follow This Path - Australia is far behind on meeting their Paris Agreement climate targets – especially considering they recently raised their emissions reduction target from 28% to 43%. But this new deal will help put the country back on track. I hope the same political division that led to Australia’s inaction leading up to this point won’t impact this climate deal moving forward, because major emitters like Australia must take steps now if we want to limit warming to under 1.5° C.

Company Finds New Ways To Recycle Wind Turbine Blades

😊 The Good News - Veolia North America is piloting a new way to keep the over 140,000 and counting wind turbine blades in the U.S. out of landfills. Currently, wind turbine blades last around 20 years, and they are difficult to recycle due to their size and material. But Veolia North America is now shredding them and sending them to be used in concrete.

🥾 Follow This Path - The few times I have encountered wind turbine blades at landfills it was a nightmare. Just one would take up more space than several trucks’ worth of waste, and considering the world is expected to generate nearly 50 million tons of wind turbine blade waste by 2050, we must find ways to effectively recycle them. I’ve been following Veolia North America’s progress on this for several years now, and it’s exciting to see how far they’ve come.

Old Coal Mines Have The Potential To Store Energy

😊 The Good News - Old mine shafts can be turned into gravity batteries for storing renewable energy, a study conducted by the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis has found. And if the over 3,000 coal mines around the world are retrofitted, they have the potential to store 70 terawatt hours of energy – which is equivalent to the energy we need for powering the United Kingdom for several months.

🥾 Follow This Path - Communities around coal mines are typically devastated after they close because the mines tend to be the largest employer in the area. I’ve seen this happen far too often in my region of Appalachia, which is why I support any sustainable use for the old mines. Retrofitting old coal mines into gravity batteries would not only help the world transition to renewable energy much quicker but it would help the local economy as well.

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Written in partnership with Pique Action. Tired of doom-scrolling? You've found your people. Find Pique's positive, educational climate content on Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and YouTube.