Renewables Outpacing Demand In Scotland

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A wind farm in rural Scotland. THE SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT

Not exactly manatee charisma, but another ray of sunshine from a place we have been cheering from a distance for a few years now:

Scotland’s Renewable Output More Than 100 Percent of Demand

For the first time, in 2022, Scottish renewables generated more power than the country used, new government figures show.

The growth of wind power, coupled with a small drop in electricity consumption, meant that the volume of electricity produced by renewables in Scotland was equal to 113 percent of demand. Continue reading →

Manatees, To Brighten Your Horizon

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Manatees are generally solitary creatures, but tend to gather at warm water sites in the winter.
Florida State Parks

After a Kolbert doomcloud, a bit of sunshine is needed. Here it is in the form of creatures so charismatic they make you see something other than darkness. Thanks to National Public Radio (USA):

A Florida park just saw a record number of manatees gather together in its waters

Legend has it that centuries ago, manatees used to be mistaken for mermaids, so a sight last week at one Florida state park would have put ancient sailors in shock.

Blue Spring State Park is home to one of the largest winter gathering sites for manatees in Florida, and recently, the park reached a new record when the number of manatees spotted in one group was nearly 1,000. Continue reading →

A 20-Minute Read On Problematic Forest Management Policies

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Elizabeth Kolbert always carries out her duty, which often makes it difficult to savor life’s small pleasures or even big victories without considering the law of unintended consequences. Give 20 minutes of your time to this one:

The Perverse Policies That Fuel Wildfires

Strategies intended to safeguard forests and homes have instead increased the likelihood that they’ll burn.

The provincial government of Alberta defines a “wildfire of note” as a blaze that could “pose a threat to public safety, communities or critical infrastructure.” Continue reading →

A Gift For My Cold Brew Future

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Cold brew is one of those initiatives that came to and held my attention when time was more abundant. And then time was not so abundant. It has been months now since Amie gifted me this new tool, and I still have not brewed with it. The video above, and the photo below, are my motivators to get brewing:

 

 

Hydrogen & Us

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A hydrogen drilling facility in Nebraska. NATURAL HYDROGEN ENERGY

Thanks to Fred Pearce, as always, for making the complex more comprehensible; and to Yale e360′s contribution to our continuous learning:

Natural Hydrogen: A Potential Clean Energy Source Beneath Our Feet

As studies show far more natural hydrogen underground than believed, well-funded efforts to drill for the gas are underway around the globe. Boosters see a plentiful green replacement for fossil fuels, but skeptics say its large-scale use may not be practical or cost-effective.

A remote community of mud huts and corrugated iron roofs in the arid savannah of West Africa could be a trailblazer for a new form of carbon-free energy. Continue reading →

A Caffeine Primer

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Illustration by Ben Kothe / The Atlantic. Source: Getty.

Considering the coffee habits, and commercial interests of those of us contributing on this platform, we thank Yasmin Tayag, at The Atlantic for this:

Caffeine’s Dirty Little Secret

“How much is too much?” is an impossible question.

On Tuesday, curiosity finally got the best of me. How potent could Panera’s Charged Lemonades really be? Within minutes of my first sip of the hyper-caffeinated drink in its strawberry-lemon-mint flavor, I understood why memes have likened it to an illicit drug. My vision sharpened; sweat slicked my palms. Continue reading →

Victorious, For Now, Reining In LNG

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When Bill McKibben announces victory, savor it but stay vigilant:

A Massive Win, and What It Means

For Once, Big Oil Takes It on the Chin

I wrote you two days ago with provisional good news—it looked as if the long and deep fight to rein in runaway LNG export growth had scored a huge victory. Continue reading →

Charles Duhigg & 2024 Themes

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Charles Duhigg at home. PHOTOGRAPH OF CHARLES DUHIGG BY GLENN MATSUMURA

The themes in Charles Duhigg’s work are ones we aim to pay more attention to this year. So, thanks to Jonathan Shaw at Harvard Magazine for this:

Reporting, with an M.B.A.

Charles Duhigg unpacks how business and finance—and you—really work.

IN THE HISTORY OF stock market rallies and economic recessions, much defies quantitative explanation. Whether looking back on the tulip mania that gripped the Netherlands in the 1630s, or to the present obsession with bitcoin, the decisive role of human behavior fascinates journalist and author Charles Duhigg. Continue reading →

How Birds See Color

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Forget cerulean — a bright, clear sky is actually dominated by ultraviolet light. Humans can’t see ultraviolet light, but many birds can. “Their sky will be essentially an ultraviolet sky,” said Daniel Hanley, a sensory ecologist at George Mason University.

Birds have gotten more attention in our pages than any other person, place or thing since we first started. Today that attention is focused on their sight:

A Bird’s-Eye View of a Technicolor World

Scientists have devised a new video system that reveals how animals see color, and us.

Is the sky truly blue?

Cruise Ships Getting Messier & Messier

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The Royal Caribbean Icon of the Seas cruise ship docked in Miami on Jan. 11. Photographer: Eva Marie Uzcategui/Bloomberg

The “floating hotel” that many people consider the best way to vacation–cruise ships—are not the best environmentally.

We knew that. Now we know this in addition, thanks to Kendra Pierre-Louis at Bloomberg:

The World’s Largest Cruise Ship Is a Climate Liability

Water slides at the Thrill Island waterpark onboard the Icon of the Seas.Photographer: Eva Marie Uzcategui/Bloomberg

As massive ships like Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas tack on more energy-intensive amenities, emissions from the cruise industry are climbing.

When Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas embarks on its first official voyage on Jan. 27, the journey is sure to make waves. The world’s largest cruise ship, the Icon is over 1,000 feet long (360 meters) and weighs in around 250,000 gross registered tons. It boasts 20 different decks; 40 restaurants, bars and lounges; seven pools; six waterslides and a 55-foot waterfall. Royal Caribbean says its boat will usher in “a new era of vacations.” Continue reading →