KCCI reporter Zane Satre saw at least three 250-foot towers snapped by tornadoes, leaving some buckled and on fire. The Des Moines Register reports more than 35,000 people are without power, and the National Weather Service has a tornado watch in effect across most of the state until 9PM CT.
AI, EVs, and Joe Biden’s push for domestic manufacturing are putting more pressure on aging power grids. The nation also needs double the transmission capacity to meet Biden’s goal of 100 percent carbon pollution-free electricity.
To get more transmission lines up, FERC just overhauled rules for new projects — including a mandate that grid operators start anticipating energy needs at least 20 years in advance.
More residents across the US are asking that question about carbon dioxide, The Washington Post reports, as technologies that capture CO2 from smokestacks become more popular with companies that want to claim they’re fighting climate change. All that captured carbon dioxide has to go somewhere, and concerns are growing about the safety of new CO2 pipelines and underground storage wells.
[The Washington Post]
The group of 800 demonstrators accused Tesla of environmental harm, citing mining lithium for EV batteries. The group is said to want to stop the factory’s expansion. CEO Elon Musk said it’s “fishy,” and called them dumb. In March, the factory shut down temporarily after an arson attack.
In a memo sent to stores, Apple says it’s not including stickers with the new iPad Pro or iPad Air, but customers can still ask for them at the store, according to 9to5Mac. The company reportedly pointed to its environmental initiatives, like its plastic-free packaging goals.
Apple has been omitting stickers in more products, but that’s mostly only included gadgets like its AirPods.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) just launched its Energy Star NextGen Certified Homes and Apartments program. For decades, Energy Star has certified efficient products from kitchen appliances to washers, dryers, air conditioners, and heat pumps. Now, it’s also starting to certify homes and apartments that are at least 20 percent more efficient than typical builds.
Shell sold millions of carbon credits that were supposed to represent CO2 emissions captured in Canada. But only half of those credits were linked to real eductions in pollution, according to documents obtained by Greenpeace and shared with the Financial Times. It’s an explosive investigation into carbon capture tech fossil fuel companies are using to make sustainability claims that might not pass the smell test.
[FinancialTimes]
A dam in the Philippines dried out, revealing the flooded town of Pantabangan. This is the sixth time the town has emerged, but Philippine officials believe this is the longest it has been visible.
Asia was named the most disaster-prone region in the world. Sweltering temperatures forced government officials in the Philippines to close schools.
The move is supposed to save the average household at least $100 a year in lower utility bills. As new water heaters are shipped out over 30 years, energy savings from the tougher standards are also expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 332 million metric tons. That’s like erasing the annual planet-heating pollution of nearly 43 million homes, the Department of Energy says.
[The New York Times]
By simplifying the permitting process, the Biden administration hopes to speed the deployment of solar and wind farms and other energy projects crucial to meeting US climate goals. At the same time, the new rules are designed to make potential impacts on local communities (environmental justice) a bigger consideration when permitting new projects.
Earth Month is coming to a close, but there’s still time to catch up on The Verge’s package of stories from Costa Rica on turning cattle ranches into forests, Indigenous leaders fighting for their land back, and how the country runs on nearly 100 percent renewable electricity. On the ground in Costa Rica, we found reasons to be hopeful about solutions to climate change.
They brought forests back to life in Costa Rica. Their next challenge? Restoring ecosystems in a warming world.
Paging Helen Hunt. Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton to Twister, please.
The Verge spoke to EPA administrator Michael Regan about the agency’s new rules for power plant pollution.
One of the biggest residential solar companies announced today that it’ll lay off 1,000 people. It’s also shutting down its direct sales business and residential installation locations.
“We need to achieve financial viability, which includes simplifying our business structure, transitioning away from areas where we have been unable to sustain profitable operations, and improving financial controls,” SunPower Executive Chairman Tom Werner told employees.
[SunPower Newsroom]
Costa Rica gets more than 99 percent of its electricity from renewables — it’s still not enough.
There are plenty of great stories to read today from our sister site, Vox — on everything from more efficient (and yet controversial) appliances to how phones affect kids’ experiences in nature and how climate change is transforming our sense of home.
And stay tuned this week for more reporting on reforestation in Costa Rica from The Verge. We published the first story — about restoring Indigenous territories — in our Earth Week package today.
[Vox]
These women took back their land in Costa Rica, and now they plan to reforest it.
