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Michelle Lewis

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Michelle Lewis is a writer at Electrek. She has previously worked for Fast Company, The Guardian, News Deeply, Time, and others. She lives in Massachusetts.

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EGEB: Fossil-fuel investor JP Morgan warns of ‘catastrophic’ climate change

banks fossil fuels

In today’s Electrek Green Energy Brief (EGEB):

  • A report sent out by JP Morgan to clients says climate-change inaction could be catastrophic.
  • The Farmers for a Sustainable Future coalition has been formed by 21 agricultural groups.
  • EV software solutions provider Electriphi signs with the largest fleet of e-school buses in North America.


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A fossil-fuel, ICE-car champion is tipped to be the EPA’s next chief of staff

EPA

Mandy Gunasekara, the self-proclaimed “chief architect of the withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord,” is tipped to replace Ryan Jackson, the EPA’s chief of staff, who will step down on February 21. (Michael Molina will be acting chief of staff.) Jackson is to become the top lobbyist for the National Mining Association (yes, really).


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EGEB: Local areas are buying electricity in bulk for residents

electricity

In today’s Electrek Green Energy Brief (EGEB):

  • More towns and cities are buying electricity in bulk — it’s called community choice aggregation.
  • Startup Notpla makes edible, biodegradable pods for beverages and sauces that replace plastic.
  • Fossil-fuel advocate Mandy Gunasekara is tipped to become the next EPA chief of staff.


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US presidential candidates’ environmental report cards: the results

presidential candidates

Electrek compiled how three environmental and political groups — The Center for Biological Diversity Action Fund, Build a Movement 2020, and Greenpeace — grade the presidential candidates on environmental and climate-change issues.

As we previously wrote in Climate Crisis Weekly, The Yale Program on Climate Change Communication reported that among all registered voters, global warming is ranked fifth and environmental protection is ranked eighth as the “most important issue” when it comes to deciding who they’ll vote for.


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solar panels

How fourth-graders won their campaign for school solar panels

A group of fourth-graders at Big Hollow Primary School in Ingleside, Illinois, completed a writing and science project three years ago on why solar power would be beneficial to the Big Hollow District 38 campus. Their primary school, as well as a middle and high school, make up the campus.

The system will go live next month, and the campus will have enough energy to cover about 85% of the district’s power needs and save about $90,000 a year.


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EGEB: Britain sets a new daily record for wind energy with Storm Ciara

Green energy

In today’s Electrek Green Energy Brief (EGEB):

  • Wind sets a record of 44% of Britain’s daily energy consumption due to Storm Ciara.
  • How the persistence of fourth-graders in Illinois resulted in school solar-panel installation.
  • Costa Rica aims to reach net zero by 2021, but still has work to do to reduce single-use plastics.


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EGEB: How transparent solar panels could make greenhouses net zero

greenhouses

In today’s Electrek Green Energy Brief (EGEB):

  • Transparent solar panels might make greenhouses energy-neutral in the future, says a new study.
  • The House Republicans’ released their big climate-change ‘plan’: Carbon capture and trees.
  • Martha’s Vineyard offshore wind farm is delayed due to federal political wrangling.


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How does a Tesla Model 3 perform in an Arctic Circle winter?

EV winter

To say that Tesla’s performance in extremely cold temperatures is a regular talking point among EV drivers (and those of us at Electrek) is a bit of an understatement. For example, Tesla Model Y prototypes were recently spotted cold-weather testing in Minnesota snow in January, and in December, Tesla started offering anti-ice window treatment after some winter issues.

But Tesla Model 3 owner Thomas Nilsen, who lives in Norway’s Arctic Circle, tells Electrek that his EV performs even better in the freezing north than his previous ICE (no pun intended) vehicle.


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EGEB: Each of these Oregon homes will feature solar off-grid microgrids

solar off-grid microgrids

In today’s Electrek Green Energy Brief (EGEB):

  • A new luxury development in Burns, Oregon, will feature 600 homes with solar off-grid microgrids.
  • The US DOJ drops its antitrust investigation against Ford, Volkswagen, Honda, and BMW.
  • Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti signs an enhanced Green New Deal plan to stop using fossil fuels.


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Climate Crisis Weekly: The crucial issues Trump ignored in his SOTU speech

Trump
  • What Donald Trump said (and didn’t) say about climate change, energy, and EVs in his State of the Union speech.
  • Nine leading environmental organizations released a statement about Trump’s environmental track record (spoiler: they’re not impressed).
  • The bumblebee population is in decline across North America and Europe due to rising temperatures.
  • And more…


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EGEB: All of New York City’s municipal vehicles will be fully electric by 2040

electric vehicles

In today’s Electrek Green Energy Brief (EGEB):

  • NYC’s mayor signed an order requiring all municipal vehicles to be electric by 2040.
  • Democrats in the US House of Representatives introduce a nationwide EV charging network bill.
  • A big storm headed for Europe this weekend is expected to set wind power records.


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