Renewable Electricity, Trump's Climate Roll Backs, and Livestock Pastures

☀️ Numerous Countries on the Path to 100% Renewable Electricity

Scotland already generates enough renewable energy to cover its annual electricity needs. Uruguay recently ran on 100% renewable power for 10 months straight. A new report by the International Energy Agency (IEA) says at least 10 other countries are on track to get more than 2/3 of their electricity from wind and solar by 2030. Another 19 countries are expected to have more than ½ of their electricity produced from wind and solar by 2030. Europe is leading the transition to wind and solar, with Chile also likely to breach the 90%+ mark by the end of the decade. The IEA report says renewables will generate close to half of global electricity needs by 2030, up from around 30% today.

Nick Hedley, The Progress Playbook

🇺🇸 Trump’s Second Term Could Roll Back Important Climate Measures

Although a lot of uncertainty remains, experts have pointed out the potential roll back of several climate policies in Trump’s second term. Many of the climate measures that are making the most difference in reducing planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions are policies that Trump has said he’ll target. The Inflation Reduction Act could be at risk. The Act is expected to reduce U.S. emissions by 40% by 2030. It also gives credits businesspeople who build new solar and wind farms. The Act incentivizes the next generation of nuclear power and gives a $7500 tax credit to people who buy electric cars. Trump has pledged to boost production of fossil fuels, one of the main causes of climate change. He also vows to end subsidies for wind power. Another rule that would be vulnerable during Trump’s term is from the EPA, which would force many coal-fired plants to capture 90% of their carbon emissions or shut down within 8 years. During his first term, Trump rolled back more than 100 environmental laws, and that number is expected to grow during his second term.

Jennifer McDermott and Matthew Daly, Associated Press

🐄 Returning Pastures to Forest Yields Climate Benefits

For years, scientists have urged people to cut back on meat and dairy consumption to limit greenhouse gas emissions from cattle production. New research suggests that letting pastures where cattle graze regrow into forests could significantly lower emissions of methane and carbon dioxide. A reduction in livestock by as little as 13% could remove 125 billion tons of CO2 from the atmosphere. That is the equivalent of global fossil fuel emissions over the last 3 years. The study used remote sensing to determine how much edible grass is grown on pastureland globally, and found which areas are more and less productive due to growing seasons. Returning the less productive areas to native forest could boost carbon storage. Pasture for livestock is the biggest use of the world’s land, with roughly 55% in dry grasslands and 45% is land that would be a forest if cattle weren’t there, which is a huge opportunity cost. Researchers say if that removing livestock from all of this once-forested land could sequester 445 gigatons of CO2 by the end of the century, which is equivalent to more than a decade of fossil fuel emissions at the current global rate.

Georgia Gustin, Inside Climate News

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