Most Important Climate News 4/30/2024–Cooper Prices Soar
According to a new study from PriceWaterhouseCoopers, copper mining could be severely affected by the climate. Almost two thirds of mining could be affected by 2050. The study added that the impact on cobalt and lithium mining could be greater because of drought in areas where their facilities are located. Bloomberg reports, “Climate related disruptions would add another layer of supply risk. While the effects of rising temperatures and shifting weather patterns are widely documented for agricultural commodities, the impact on minerals is less known.” The price of these metals could soar as they become in short supply. Each is used to help build green technology. Climatecrisis247 believes that this is among the growing number of studies that show the effects on the businesses and environments critical to fighting climate change and the future effects that these have on the population. Researchers will likely find out more and more industries that will have similar trouble.
Disaster –Texas Running Out Of Electricity
$100 Oil –Ukraine Drones?
Germany appears ready to adopt hydrogen as a primary means of providing energy to businesses and homes. It could become the first large nation to do so. According to The New York Times, “By using electricity to split water into its two elements, the device, a test model called an electrolyzer, produces hydrogen, a carbon-free gas that could help power mills…” The German government is prepared to support these projects with hundreds of millions of euros in funding. Climatecrisis247 believes that industrial factories continue to be one of the world’s largest sources of greenhouse gasses, and new technology to lower those emissions is key to cutting global warming. The question is how widely these technologies will be adopted worldwide and how quickly this may happen.
Nuclear Energy
Nuclear energy has been identified as a primary means of producing clean energy, particularly electricity. However, its adoption slowed and reversed after disasters like the one at Three Mile Island in 1979. New nuclear installations are much smaller and built so that accidents that would cause leaks of nuclear material are virtually impossible. This has yet to be effective in reviving the industry in the US. However, alternatively, old plants may be restarted. This recently happened in Michigan. According to Bloomberg, Holtec International has received government money to restart the Palisades nuclear plant in Michigan. The news service reports,” It’s a sign of how much the conversation around nuclear power’s future has changed as the fight against global warming intensifies.” The Nuclear Energy Institute recently released a study that shows, “Every year, nuclear-generated electricity saves our atmosphere from more than 470 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions that would otherwise come from fossil fuels.” The organization adds that this is the equivalent of the emissions of 100 million cars. Climatecrisis247 believes that because of the effectiveness of nuclear power’s ability to produce emission-free energy, it is essential that governments give it financial support and give that support immediately. These need to be brought online in the next decade to have a significant effect or new, smaller plants that use next-generation technology must be built.
Wine Destroyed
A wine industry association says the industry had its worst harvest in 62 years. It blamed climate change for the problem. The International Organisation of Vine and Wine organization said in its report on the sector for 2023, “Extreme climatic conditions and widespread fungal diseases severely impacted many vineyards worldwide, culminating in a historically low global wine production of 237 million hectolitres. This marked a 10% drop from 2022 and represented the lowest output since 1961.” Climatecrisis247 believes this is just a tiny fraction of the agricultural damage done by climate change. These catastrophes range from cocoa production in West Africa to droughts affecting crop yield in southern California.
