QUICK NEWS, July 15: Key To The Climate Crisis Fight; Economics Send Red States To New Energy
Key To The Climate Crisis Fight The most important thing you can do right now to fight climate change, according to science; It is "massively important" we all start talking about climate change, a Yale researcher explains.
Joe Room, July 11, 2019 (ThinkProgress)
Americans rarely talk about climate change with family and friends…Tragically, research shows that this climate silence reinforces the dangerously wrong belief that climate change isn’t an existential threat requiring urgent action…[J]ust discussing the issue with friends and family leads them to learn more facts about the climate crisis, which in turn leads to greater understanding and concern…[Climatologist Michael Mann said the study shows that the] more people actually understand about the science of climate change, the more they are likely to accept the scientific consensus — that climate change is real, human-caused, and a threat to human civilization…
[M]ost Americans ‘rarely’ or ‘never’ talk about climate change with family and friends…[which, according to the research,] leads the public to underestimate how many other Americans realize climate change is happening…[A 2018 study found that] only 11 percent of the U.S. public correctly estimate the scientific consensus on climate change as higher than 90 percent…[Yelling people how big the actual consensus is] increases their perception of the scientific norm by 16.2 percentage points on a 100-point scale…[By tracking awareness over time, the new study showed] increased perceptions of scientific agreement led to increases in discussions about climate change…[and] climate conversations can initiate a positively reinforcing cycle between learning, worry, and further conversation…” click here for more
Economics Send Red States To New Energy Daily on Energy: Red states lead the switch to renewables
John Siciliano and Josh Siegel, July 09, 2019 (Washington Examiner)
“State energy regulators in Republican strongholds are forcing utilities to look at the improved economics of solar and wind, facilitating the switch to an electric grid that is reliant on mostly renewable energy…The red states of Iowa and Texas lead the nation as the largest generators of electricity from wind…[Natural gas power plants are dominating the national power mix,] and that will likely continue because of the low cost of shale gas compared to many other resources. Natural gas is also lower in carbon emissions and other pollutants than coal power plants, which makes it even more important for states looking to cut their emissions through 2050…
[But] in places like the coal-heavy state of Indiana, state commissions are beginning to second guess the natural gas boom, and are making the decision to transition to more renewables…Coal was officially dethroned as the nation’s top power provider in 2016 when natural gas took its place as the dominant fuel for electricity production…[Now,] states are following in Indiana’s path, with Arizona placing a moratorium on new natural gas plants in order to take into consideration the cost reductions coming from solar and wind energy. State energy regulators in Colorado, Virginia, California, and others have taken similar steps to promote energy storage devices like big batteries combined with solar and other low-cost renewable energy…” click here for more
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