Green Lights Nov. 10: Top stories this week
Don't miss a single story of the best from Callaway Climate Insights
. . . . Welcome to Green Lights, our weekly roundup of the best of Callaway Climate Insights. This week, David Callaway looks at the growing issues around data center energy usage, auto pollution, and the connections to the elections. Mark Hulbert analyzes why we might want to invest in polluters to save the world. And we now know humanity just lived through the hottest 12 months in at least 125,000 years. Here are the highlights in a simple and convenient format that makes it easy for our readers. It’s also easy to subscribe.
. . . . It may have started as a colony, but today Virginia’s Data Center Alley, in the north of the state, has more than a third of America’s datacenter capacity. That’s more than all of China or the whole of Europe. David Callaway says data center energy use, from Virginia to Dublin and around the globe, is becoming a hot political (and climate) issue.
. . . . Who would have thought? Your most climate-friendly investment strategy may be to buy shares in ExxonMobil, Royal Dutch Shell, and other huge producers of greenhouse gas emissions — and then let them know how you feel. Mark Hulbert reviews how engagement has proven more effective than divestment.
. . . . A new order to impose mandatory auto-use cuts in New Delhi next week to cut pollution is a signal of things to come for Western nations dragging their feet on climate mitigation efforts. Increasingly, as global warming bites, governments will need to impose restrictions for public health rather than incentivize, as most do now.
. . . . A mighty wind? H​urricane Otis, which devastated Acapulco last month, produced a preliminary wind gust of more than 200 mph. That would rank among some of the strongest winds ever recorded on Earth. If verified, this would be one of the top 15 strongest wind gusts ever recorded globally by a ground-based instrument, says Yale Climate Connections.
. . . . The northern lights put on a spectacular show last weekend, visible in Europe, North America and even as far south as Greece and Turkey. The colorful aurora displays were triggered by a strong geomagnetic storm. Here, they add an astonishing backdrop to Stonehenge on Sunday. Photo: Stonehenge U.K./Stonehenge Dronescapes via FB.
. . . . Ford and GM have signaled that they are slowing down on EV investing because sales growth is stagnant. But could it be that their products are too expensive? Matthew Diebel notes that in China, where electric vehicles are much more modest and less expensive, sales are booming.
More greenery . . . .
In hot water: Sharks are no match for warming oceans, studies say (USA Today)
Deep breath: Controversial yet hopeful, direct air capture hub unveiled near San Francisco (Fortune)
Earth’s hottest year on record: 7.3 billion felt the heat, thanks to climate change (Nature.com)
Eat your veggies: Plant-based diets emerge as key to combating non-communicable diseases and climate change (News-Medical.Net)
Who’s to blame?: Where the Republican presidential candidates stand on climate change (NPR)
But what about wildfires?: Canada wants to fight climate change and be a major oil producer (The AP)