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Why EVs Aren't a Climate Change Panacea

Cars That Think

In states (or countries ) with a high proportion of coal-generated electricity, the miles needed to break-even climb more. Behavioral change is hard How willing are people to break their car dependency and other energy-related behaviors to address climate change? The answer is perhaps some, but maybe not too much.

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Rhodium Group estimates US GHG fell 2.1% in 2019, driven by coal decline

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This decline was due almost entirely to a drop in coal consumption. Coal-fired power generation fell by a record 18% year-on-year to its lowest level since 1975. An increase in natural gas generation offset some of the climate gains from this coal decline, but overall power sector emissions still decreased by almost 10%.

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BloombergNEF: clean energy investment in developing nations slumps as financing in China slows; coal burn surges to record high

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While the number of new clean power-generating plants completed stayed flat year-to-year, the volume of power derived from coal surged to a new high, according to Climatescope , an annual survey of 104 emerging markets conducted by research firm BloombergNEF (BNEF). thousand terawatt-hours in 2018, up from 6.4 thousand in 2017.

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MIT report finds China’s actions on climate change crucial; argues for global economy-wide greenhouse gas tax

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A new report from the MIT Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change shows the importance of all major nations taking part in global efforts to reduce emissions—and in particular, finds China’s role to be crucial. The researchers argue for a global economy-wide greenhouse gas tax that spreads the burden of responsibility.

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Report finds says “negative emissions technologies” need to play a large role in mitigating climate change

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To achieve goals for climate and economic growth, “negative emissions technologies” (NETs) that remove and sequester carbon dioxide from the air will need to play a significant role in mitigating climate change, according to a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

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IEA: global CO2 emissions rebounded to their highest level in history in 2021; largely driven by China

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billion tonnes, their highest ever level, as the world economy rebounded strongly from the COVID-19 crisis and relied heavily on coal to power that growth, according to new IEA analysis. China was the only major economy to experience economic growth in both 2020 and 2021. billion tonnes. billion tonnes.

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PCAST suggests 6 key components for climate change strategy to President Obama; adaptation and mitigation

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The President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) released a letter to President Obama describing six key components the advisory group believes should be central to the Administration’s strategy for addressing climate change. —PCAST letter to the President. The six key components are: 1.