I'm sorry. Is this "The Conversation" or "The Onion"?
Dr Verner Viisainen
@vernerviisas.bsky.social
Impact Research @sciencebasedtargets.org ex-@carbonbrief.org ex-Green Alliance PhD in Engineering he/him Personal account. Views expressed are my own and not those of my employer
Great work here from @carbonbrief.org , debunking common myths about solar power. The reason that solar power makes so much sense is fundamental physics - it takes energy in its most useful form, as soon as it arrives on Earth, before it's "taxed" in entropy. Making use of it is a slam-dunk win.
Factcheck: 16 misleading myths about solar
Carbon Brief factchecks 16 of the most common myths about solar power
interactive.carbonbrief.org
Very glad to have this piece with @joshgabbatiss.bsky.social published - even several months after me leaving Carbon Brief! This article was more than a year in the making, and very timely now given the ongoing heatwaves. Read more below ⬇️
Josh Gabbatiss@joshgabbatiss.bsky.social · 12mo agoNEW ANALYSIS - English neighbourhoods that are home to the most minority-ethnic people are 15 times more likely to face extreme heat than the least diverse areas. Heatwaves are getting more severe – but the effects of rising temperatures are not being felt equally... ➡️ buff.ly/boWI6M1
"climate realism" reading a lot like "sacrificing the global south and just shooting for 3 C" www.cfr.org/article/our-...
Our Approach to Climate Policy Has Failed. It’s Time for Climate Realism
U.S. policymakers need a new strategy to confront the risks of climate change, compete in the global energy transition, and stay the course regardless of which political party is in power. A doctrine…
cfr.org
🚨Personal News: As of today, I have started as the Impact Research and Evidence Manager at SBTi. I will be working at the intersection of research, comms and strategy, evaluating SBTi’s impact on reducing emissions. Thanks to everyone at @carbonbrief.org for making my time there so memorable!
Another year, another (territorial) emissions drop for the UK See our analysis below ⬇️
Simon Evans@drsimevans.carbonbrief.org · last yr.📢ANALYSIS: UK emissions fell 3.6% in 2024 to lowest since 1872 🏭Coal lowest since 1666, when Great Fire ravaged London 🚗EVs pushed oil down despite more traffic, saving £1.7bn 🌇Gas down on "cleanest ever" power 📈📉Since 1990, CO2 -54% / GDP +84% www.carbonbrief.org/... 1/9
Trump's aid cuts are bad news for international climate finance. I looked through the available data to work out how bad... Around 8% of the climate finance pledged to developing countries by rich countries last year came from the US. Those funds are now under threat. ➡️ buff.ly/BuxwfSL
I enjoyed writing this week's #DeBriefed newsletter for @carbonbrief.org! As part of this, I wrote a piece that takes you behind the scenes of how @joshgabbatiss.bsky.social and I went about doing our recent analysis on UK airport expansion. Find the full newsletter below. ⬇️
Carbon Brief@carbonbrief.org · last yr.What’s happened this week in climate change DeBriefed | Nearly 95% of countries miss UN climate deadline; 1.5C on horizon; Behind-the-scenes of CB analysis ✍️ Written by @vernerviisas.carbonbrief.org 📝 Edited by @daisydunne.carbonbrief.org Read here ➡️ buff.ly/4hCvOXc
In the past two years, floods ruined soybeans growing in Brazil, a hurricane destroyed millions of $$ worth of crops in Jamaica and drought hit Sri Lankan rice This new interactive map gives a snapshot of how extreme weather is damaging crops, feat. 100 news stories from 2023-24 buff.ly/42Rqf2D
NEW: Just 10/195 countries signed up to the Paris Agreement met the UN’s 10 Feb deadline to submit their 2035 climate pledges UN climate chief Simon Stiell said latecomers must submit by September
Carbon Brief@carbonbrief.org · last yr.NEW – Analysis: 95% of countries miss UN deadline to submit 2035 climate pledges | @daisydunne.carbonbrief.org Read here: https://buff.ly/4gz4NCG
In light of the Guardian's front page today, just reupping my story from August reporting that Labour could approve up to *13* new oil and gas projects like Rosebank These are projects that have a license but still need to obtain development consent from gov www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-uk-...
Analysis: UK could approve 13 new oil and gas projects despite North Sea pledge - Carbon Brief
The UK government could approve 13 new oil and gas projects in the North Sea, with the fuel produced emitting 350m tonnes of CO2 equivalent (MtCO2e)
carbonbrief.org
New runways at London airports would result in cumulative emissions of around 92m tonnes of extra CO2e by 2050, if the number of flights increases in line with their operating company targets. Carbon Brief’s analysis covered by Anushka Asthana on @itvpeston.bsky.social ➡️ buff.ly/3WJ9Ut1
Overtaking what looks like a Formula 1 car is really making the point
𝚃𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚜 𝙶𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚌𝚘𝚎 🚇@taras-grescoe.com · 2y agoOn a bullet train, you can cruise comfortably at speeds only attained—for very short stretches—by production cars like Bugattis or McLarens as they hit their flat-out maximums. In #China, the new CRH450 tops out at 280 mph. #Japan's shinkansen are being tested at 370 mph. 🚅🧵
Our new analysis on UK airport expansion! Note: the comparison to forests is very much a hypothetical comparison that is meant to highlight the scale of these expansions. We cannot just tree plant our way out of any potential expansion of fossil fuel use (although more trees is always nice!).
Carbon Brief@carbonbrief.org · 2y agoNEW – Analysis: UK would need forest ‘twice size of London’ to offset new airport expansion | @joshgabbatiss.bsky.social @vernerviisas.carbonbrief.org Read here ➡️ https://buff.ly/4hsYYrt
NEW ANALYSIS - With the UK government poised to back the expansion of Heathrow, Gatwick and Luton, we crunched the numbers on the climate impact of these plans. The UK would need to plant a new forest 2X the size of London to offset the emissions from all the extra flights 🌳✈️ ➡️ buff.ly/4hsYYrt
This one sounds like a cool job!
Carbon Brief@carbonbrief.org · 2y agoNew #vacancy 🚨 ➡️ Do you know how to find, process and analyse data? ➡️ Can you spot opportunities to use data to inform topical talking points? ➡️ Do you want to contribute to accurate reporting of climate change and energy? Apply for the data analyst position here ⬇️
Solar and wind growth in the EU has pushed fossil fuel power to a 40-year low in 2024, with solar alone overtaking coal generation for the first time, according to our analysis of new figures from energy analysts @ember-energy.org
Carbon Brief@carbonbrief.org · 2y agoNEW – EU’s solar and wind growth pushes fossil-fuel power to lowest level in 40 years | @mollylempriere.carbonbrief.org Read here: https://buff.ly/4hfcKhk
Now you see why @carbonbrief.org estimated that a Trump presidency would add an extra four billion tonnes of CO₂ₑ to the atmosphere by 2030.
Analysis: Trump election win could add 4bn tonnes to US emissions by 2030 - Carbon Brief
A victory for Donald Trump in November’s presidential election could add 4bn tonnes of US emissions by 2030 compared with Joe Biden’s plans
carbonbrief.org
NPR@npr.org · 2y agoPresident Trump issued a barrage of orders Monday targeting Biden-era initiatives on global warming. The decisions come on the heels of the hottest year ever recorded.
I assume most people know this, but seems important to point out basic truths at this moment in time. There is no energy emergency in the U.S. The U.S. is the world's top producer of oil and gas at the moment, and the top exporter of gas, and U.S. oil and gas producers are making record profits.
Apply apply apply! Feel free to reach out if you have any related questions!
Carbon Brief@carbonbrief.org · 2y agoNew #vacancy 🚨 ➡️ Do you know how to find, process and analyse data? ➡️ Can you spot opportunities to use data to inform topical talking points? ➡️ Do you want to contribute to accurate reporting of climate change and energy? Apply for the data analyst position here ⬇️
Brilliant documentary - would also recommend everyone to watch this. It's only 25 minutes long and will likely leave a much longer impression on you. Fardowsa is such an inspiration!
Gaia Vince@wanderinggaia.bsky.social · 2y agoReally recommend watching this brilliant, moving documentary made with @ejfoundation.bsky.social Everyone should see it to understand the impact of climate migration today. Then imagine the world in 20 years… #NomadCentury vimeo.com/840897591/14...
A few years ago, my friend, outspoken climate scientist Peter Kalmus @climatehuman.bsky.social, moved his family out of LA because he could extrapolate from the data. This week the house where he raised his kids burned down. His words for us all (gift link): 🧪 www.nytimes.com/2025/01/10/o...
Opinion | As a Climate Scientist, I Knew It Was Time to Leave Los Angeles (Gift Article)
After the Bobcat Fire, L.A. no longer felt safe.
nytimes.com
Britain’s electricity supplies were the cleanest in history last year as fossil-fuel power generation sank to its lowest since 1955, the year Rock Around the Clock topped the charts www.thetimes.com/uk/environme...
+++NEW ANALYSIS+++ UK electricity was the cleanest ever in 2024, with emissions per unit falling by more than two-thirds in a decade Highlights: 🏭end of coal power after 142yrs 🔥fossil fuels at record-low 29% share 🌄renewables at record-high 45% www.carbonbrief.org/... 1/9
Our NEW analysis - just released! The carbon intensity of UK electricity was only 124gCO2/kWh in 2024, down 70% from 419gCO2/kWh in 2014.
Carbon Brief@carbonbrief.org · 2y agoNEW – Analysis: UK’s electricity was cleanest ever in 2024 | @drsimevans.carbonbrief.org @vernerviisas.carbonbrief.org Read here: https://buff.ly/423utnJ
One word: Plastics. www.carbonbrief.org/five-charts-... h/t @drsimevans.carbonbrief.org and the excellent @carbonbrief.org team
Is a plastic production reduction target on the cards at #INC-5? The PSIDS group submitted a proposal on Tues that calls for a 40x40 target (40%⬇️ on 2025 levels by 2040): https://buff.ly/4eUAXrs We show that 40x40 could cut plastics cumu. emissions between 2024-50 by half* wrt to BAU. 1/
To understand global south anger at the COP29 climate finance goal it's crucial to understand two key numbers. 1️⃣ "At least" $300bn/year - developed nations agreed to "take the lead" in mobilising this for developing countries 2️⃣ $1.3tn/year - a wider, vaguer goal They sound pretty big! But...
