Green Lights Oct 17: Top stories
Don't miss a single story from the best of Callaway Climate Insights.
. . . . Welcome back to Green Lights. Here’s our roundup of the best of Callaway Climate Insights. This week, David Callaway says that if anyone can actually take fusion energy to a scalable commercial project that rivals the energy of the stars, the promise (and madness) of AI will be a mere afterthought. In a related post, he also writes about the 24th anniversary of the collapse of Enron. That energy giant at one time was seen as not only the future of energy trading but a shining example of a new era of innovation. Hmm. Sound familiar? Don’t miss any of these great stories. Dave will be away traveling next week. Callaway Climate Insights will be back with new columns and posts on Monday, Oct. 27. Have a great weekend and please subscribe.
. . . . The White House is all in on fusion as America races China to make the nascent technology work and reap the benefits for the global AI arms race. David Callaway says he’s hoping fusion works, too. For one thing, it will help the world mitigate climate change once and for all. But the hype surrounding it, and the handful of companies behind it, is certainly now rivaling that of AI and the ubiquitous chatter of more and more data centers.
. . . . This month marks the 24th anniversary of the beginning of the end for Enron. Looking into the background of Enron’s collapse, David Callaway found many differences between then and today’s AI mania, but also some striking similarities — including charismatic CEOs, interlocking corporate relationships, and above all, rampant fund raising. There is one phenomenon, however, that marked the Internet bubble and the hubris of Enron, that has so far not appeared in today’s rally, he writes.
. . . . Donald Trump didn’t win the Nobel Peace Prize last week, but a trio of scientists did for their work identifying a new molecular architecture that could be used to combat climate change. Score one for the climate good guys. Just as importantly, honoring these chemists shows the process of science moves on.
. . . . The predicted surge in sales of electric vehicles before federal subsidies were canceled at the end of last month was everything car dealers had hoped for. But don’t expect a huge drop-off now that the subsidies are gone. Around the world EV sales are booming.
. . . . The European Union last week slashed the number of companies it will require to report on sustainability initiatives and climate impacts to only the market’s largest companies, taking a significant step back in its climate efforts in the face of political pressure from member states and from the White House.
. . . . With the glow of a Middle East peace deal at his back, President Donald Trump will now determine where his next big success needs to come from. While most expectations are that he will turn back to Ukraine, it’s possible he will instead try to push a series of winning energy deals in Greenland and the Arctic.
More greenery . . . .
A rare bird: First-ever blue jay–green jay hybrid discovered in Texas (The Weather Channel)
Skiing challenge: Utah’s resorts are winning the battle against climate change (Bloomberg)
It could be worse: World could add another 57 super-hot days a year (NBC News)
Another broken record: CO₂ levels reach record new high, locking in more global warming (LiveScience)
Add Tuvalu to the list: 100 countries committed to climate action for health (WHO)
We’d better hurry: Climate change is causing Greenland to shrink and drift away (euronews)