By Ivan Penn, The New York Times Highlights Even though the renewable energy sector is facing some losses during the coronavirus pandemic, renewables are set to account for nearly 21% of the electricity in the United States, a 3% increase from 2019 Renewables prices have not dropped as much as oil and gas prices during … Read more
from Climate Nexus Highlights There is a noticeable global surge in methane emissions with the U.S. accounting for the largest source of growth. If this trend continues, all progress made towards reaching Paris Agreement climate goals will be lost. Though tropical wetlands may play a role, scientists agree that large methane emissions are from the … Read more
by Tim McDonnell, Quartz Highlights Failing prices are a hard blow for many of these companies, who need oil prices of at least $30 to be profitable. Stocks that were once over $100 a share are now dipping dramatically and the top largest fracking companies in the US can’t turn a profit. Whiting Petroleum, a … Read more
Due to the COVID-19 disruption, the legislature has gone into recess until April 13 at the earliest. While the legislature is on recess, The Climate Center continues to analyze the bills that were introduced in February, and is in the process of determining positions on many of them. Below are several, but not all, of … Read more
by David Wethe, Bloomberg Highlights: Major fracking companies are expecting to crash and don’t anticipate receiving financial help from Wall Street, potentially paving the way for more renewable energy projects. Though drilling rig numbers have dropped in the past, the current decline could come much faster this time according to fracking giant Schlumberger Ltd. Halliburton, … Read more
by Naveena Sadasivam, Grist Highlights: Clean energy-based investments, known as Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) funds, are performing better than fossil fuel backed investments during the current financial decline. ESG funds were not considered safe investments by naysayers, but the hits taken throughout the year are not nearly as bad as their fossil fuel counterparts $30 … Read more
by Ken Kimmel, President of the Union of Concerned Scientists Highlights Current situation: Federal government response to COVID-19: In Washington DC a bi-partisan effort to help the country cope with COVID-19 is underway. So far, one immediate emergency bill appropriated approximately $8 billion designed to treat and prevent the virus. A second bill has also … Read more
by Tony Barboza, The Los Angeles Times Highlights: As the world shelters-in-place due to the pandemic of COVID-19, greenhouse gas emissions have lowered. However, this reduction in emissions is temporary and emissions will rise again once the pandemic reaches an end: Once self-isolation and quarantines end, more people will travel by car and airplane, ruining … Read more
by James Temple, MIT Technology Review Highlights First and foremost, the whole point of addressing global warming is to avoid widespread suffering and death, so climate activists should keep this lens Greenhouse gas emissions rebound is likely after the deadly coronavirus (COVID-19), as history tells us for several reasons: If capital markets lock up, it’s … Read more
Cheap oil, lower investment in renewables and a post-virus rebound will likely offset the emissions drop, but there are climate lessons in the response to the virus.
