In some California cities, the average price of a gallon of regular gas is $6. At 40 million people, it is also the largest state by population. It also has the most EVs. In the short term, the problem is that disposable income is the primary component of GDP. There is more to $6 gas…
Car companies can’t sell EVs. People worry about how far they will go on a charge. They also worry about how many charging stations are available. So, the manufacturers have added small gas-powered engines to charge batteries when they are low. So much for the argument that they avoid the use of fossil fuels.
It’s not just the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Cargo ships can’t make it through the Panama Canal, or down the Mississippi River or Rhine. Drought has lowered their water levels. And there are no ready solutions
Green energy adoption is slow. This is true even though it is usually less expensive than fossil fuels. Oddly, it appears that old habits trump money.
Google has a problem. In most AI applications, it is behind OpenAI and Anthropic. It needs to find some large niches. It thinks weather forecasting is one of them. It means humans will be less and less useful
New EPA regulations would make it easier for AI data centers to use fossil fuels. This may be more convenient for powering them quickly. However, it harms the environment.
Research firm Wood Mackenzie says that solar could power a third of the homes in the US. That totals 50 million. The challenge is that the grid infrastructure isn’t in place to bring all of this online. And the process is very expensive.
Google is probably ahead of other AI companies in using nuclear power for data centers, which could mean less electricity drawn from the grid, less fossil fuel use, and greater public acceptance.
As has been the case so far in 2027, most are in the far west in states like Idaho and Montana. Some are hard to reach. Smoke from these fires continues to move toward the eastern half of the country.
People see so much news about the climate, and it seems like their reading and interest are dropping off. There is no easy solution. However, it is certainly bad for attempts to slow global warming
Cities find that National Weather Service forecasts aren’t accurate, especially for near-ground events, so they have moved to AI-based forecasts. What does that say about the NWS’s future? Bad news.
A primary objection to data centers is that they compete with residents for electricity. This drives up the price. If data centers want to break this jam, one way is to create their own electricity. The worry is that these may not use green energy. That, in turn, means more greenhouse gases.
Because of melting sea ice, China and Russia have begun using the Arctic Ocean as a sea lane. This means that drought problems in the Panama Canal and war dangers in the Middle East aren’t affecting ship traffic.
Climate Central data show that in some regions of the US, climate change-driven heat has increased emergency room visits by as much as 50%
The higher oil prices go, the more attractive alternative energy becomes. That includes everything from EVs to larger offshore installations.
It is good news that the sector continues to get huge investment. It is bad news that the figure is flat in the first half compared to the same period last year.
Several scientists have called the Nepal flood, US and EU heat, and a sharp rise in wildfires “A new age of disaster.” Most of them think the new age will only get worse as the planet continues to warm.
During periods of extreme heat, emergency room visits can rise by 10%. That may not seem like much, but many of these are already overflowing. Sometimes, these emergency rooms are not set up for sudden heat illness. That is changing fast.
Wildfires and record temperatures hit vineyards in France and Italy. This is triggering wine price increases. It is similar to what is happening to beef and grain in the US.
The number of beef cattle produced this year is at the lowest level since 1951. The primary reason is global warming. Drought has destroyed grain crops in states like Nebraska. Farmers use grain to feed beef cattle.
Harvard reports that the average American family’s utility costs are just under $1,000. As that rises, people’s budgets tighten. As budgets tighten, spending on other items falls, which affects US GDP. High heat days are straining household budgets.
