Green Lights June 16: Top stories this week
Green Lights June 16: Top stories this week
Don't miss a single story: The best from Callaway Climate Insights
. . . . Welcome to Green Lights, our weekly roundup of the best of Callaway Climate Insights. This week, we’re hitting the road. David Callaway writes that Tesla’s lightning move to take over the U.S. charging network is a lesson in corporate pivoting strategy. Bison and the tourists who love them are on the roads to Yellowstone, and Marsha Vande Berg explains the opportunities and challenges on the road to green hydrogen. Here are the highlights in a simple and convenient format that makes it easy for our readers. It’s also easy to subscribe.
. . . . We wrote just 6 weeks ago about how Tesla was caught in an early EV price war as margins fell and the need to catch new government subsidies caused it to slash prices. We also said that how Elon Musk responded would likely be a case study in corporate turnarounds someday. But even we were shocked by how quickly the company pivoted to its side hustle — EV charging — as an alternative revenue stream.
. . . . If you’re thinking about a summer roadtrip, look to Yellowstone, the nation’s first national park. The park is almost completely repaired and reopen after floods devastated parts of the natural wonder a year ago. Just be prepared for buffalo jams.
. . . . ESG funds are hot again as the market picks up, but not because of their commitment to mitigating climate change, writes Mark Hulbert. According to a new study, ESG funds are loaded with growth stocks, which may be no surprise given that they lean toward tech companies. But with growth strategies currently in favor over value strategies, any fund with growth stocks in it will do better, no matter what it’s stated mission. Hulbert questions what this means for the ESG sector when the cycle inevitably turns back to value.
. . . . Solar power beamed from space? Yes, Scotty, it’s real. The hunt is always on for the next form of renewable energy. And now, Matthew Diebel writes, there is a breakthrough — and financial backing — for a Star Trek-like technology: beaming solar energy from space.
. . . . Record-breaking wildfires have become more frequent in California, and new research shows that nearly all of the increase we’ve seen in burned areas in the state over the past 50 years has been caused by anthropogenic climate change. Above, Cal Fire conducts a prescribed burn late last year in San Benito County, just east of Monterey, Calif. It’s part of the state’s strategic plan to reduce the risk of wildfire.
. . . . More than 1,000 projects are currently underway around the world to develop green hydrogen as a renewable energy source, with more than $30 billion of investment to date, writes Marsha Vande Berg.
More greenery . . . .
From The Hill: Protesters drop pants to protest climate change at Massachusetts Statehouse.
Listen up: 22 Best Environmental Podcasts of 2023
From Texas: Latest heatwave an ‘exceptional event driven by climate change,’ scientist says.
From The AP: June temps pass key climate threshold. Scientists expect more spikes.
From Montana: Climate change trial pits young people against the state.
From the UN: Secretary-General António Guterres warns we must phase out coal and other fossil fuels to avert ‘catastrophe’.
Climate commentary: We’re gambling with our future for the sake of hamburgers.