?? The Grumpy Optimists #128

Happy Monday. ??

Welcome back to another episode of The Grumpy Optimists, your weekly positive climate newsletter from me, George. After a weekend when our social feeds were filled with incredible pictures of the aurora borealis, it’s hard not to care about how incredible our existence is here on this planet.

Anyway, here’s some positive news to get you through your week. ??

?? Things to read

???Never really understood Hydrogen? Now you will. The Big Guide to Hydrogen is the first of 5 episodes by the brilliant Ben James in his series on climate molecules. Ever wanted to know about hydrogen, its challenges, why it's a pain to transport and what it should be used for? Well, look no further. This is a really great blog. Check it out. Share it with your friends. Find out why the fossil fuel industry is lying about hydrogen in our homes.

??2023 saw record renewables and a new era in energy. The world got more than 30% of its electricity from renewables last year, a milestone that will usher in “a new era of falling power sector emissions”. That’s what analysis from climate think tank Ember says. China led the charge, contributing 51% of additional global solar generation and 60% of new global wind generation.

???Solar and batteries are now cheaper than coal in China. China's climate and energy policies present a paradox: while rapidly expanding clean energy, the country is also constructing new coal power plants at an alarming rate. In 2023 alone, China added 70 gigawatts of new coal-fired power capacity, accounting for 95% of global construction. With renewables costs decreasing and peak demand rising, analysis in Carbon Brief suggests that a combination of solar and battery storage could be a more cost-effective option than new coal, helping China's climate commitments and aligning with market trends.

???BIPOC communities get climate funding boost. Communities with large populations of Black, Indigenous, and people of colour (BIPOC) are often affected by climate change, yet they receive a small share of funding. The?Climate Funders Justice Pledge will announce a fresh funding boost of $135 million to BIPOC communities for climate funding.

???Out of home advertising can do good. I loved this ad from OTHERWAY and Homebase, a homeware shop in the UK, this week. A really smart way to engage people on engaging with nature.

??? UK Government defeated for the second time on climate failure. The government has been defeated in court for a second time over its failure to meet greenhouse gas emission targets. The legal challenge was brought by environmental groups Friends of the Earth, ClientEarth and The Good Law Project.

???Has the world reached peak pollution? Data suggests that emissions of harmful air pollutants like sulphur dioxide and carbon monoxide have peaked globally, except for ammonia. While pollution has fallen rapidly in countries like the US, the UK, and even China, it continues to rise in low—to middle-income countries like Nigeria and Pakistan. However, it does show that progress can be made; we need to accelerate countries through the pollution curve faster.

???? Video to check out

My absolute nutter of a friend, Romain, has not only just sailed across the Atlantic, he’s now swimming 30km between two islands in the Caribbean in aid of Clean My Island, an organisation dedicated to reducing plastic ending up in our seas and oceans. Go and follow his journey and tell him I say hi. ??

That’s all from me this week, folks. I had the absolute pleasure of getting my first road bike this weekend and took to the lycra-clad roads of Richmond Park. Boy cycling is a really fun sport, I think I’ll be doing that more often. This episode was written after a solid time of listening to MC Hammer’s 2 Legit 2 Quit, a classic and the soundtrack of my recent trip to Vegas.

Wanna make my day? Why don’t you share The Grumpy Optimist with a friend, colleague or family member? Dare ya.

For the planet,

George, the Grumpy Optimist ??