European carmakers: "Demand for EVs is lower than what we expected, which is why the EU should postpone the phase out of combustion engine vehicles sales" Also European carmakers: "You want to buy an EV from us? Sure thing, we can deliver it to you in 2 years from now!"

This is fascinating. Baden-Württemberg is one of very few regions in Europe led by the Greens. It is currently lobbying the EU for a further weakening of the (already weakened) internal combustion engine phaseout 🤦‍♂️ t.co/tlZJA4mJcf

"Germany spends almost half of its climate-damaging subsidies in the transport sector, which stands out for lagging particularly far behind emission-reduction targets, with tax reductions for diesel, kerosene and company cars among the costliest items." Try to act surprised. #Economics

Giulio Mattioli@giuliomattioli.bsky.social · 6d ago

There's a lot of talk about cutting welfare in Germany at the moment - but how about cutting this? www.cleanenergywire.org/news/germany...

There's a lot of talk about cutting welfare in Germany at the moment - but how about cutting this? www.cleanenergywire.org/news/germany...

I would like someone to explain to me why german political discourse seems to think Germany is an oil-producing nation.

Left: German daily Welt, 4 days ago, denouncing electric vehicles Right: German daily Welt, worried about petrol and diesel price spiking

Similar analysis could be made for the expansion of 99% state-owned Copenhagen Airport. But hey, that's not an issue, as Denmark doesn't have a climate target for aviation 🤷‍♂️. In fact, the current aviation strategy from 2017 *doesn't mention climate or CO2 at all* 🤯. bsky.app/profile/giul...

Giulio Mattioli@giuliomattioli.bsky.social · 2w ago

Interesting-looking new report on how expanding airports before climate technologies succeed is not compatible with climate change targets tyndall.ac.uk/news/heathro...

Bild, two weeks ago: "The EU lied on electric vehicles, we don't want them, here's why we should be able to buy diesel vehicles past 2035!". Bild today:

In 1990, when we started caring about climate change, transport was only the 3rd largest sector in the EU, well behind energy supply & industry, and barely higher than residential emissions Now it's the largest as emissions in those sectors have declined while it stayed stable

Interesting-looking new report on how expanding airports before climate technologies succeed is not compatible with climate change targets tyndall.ac.uk/news/heathro...

French companies are rapidly opting for electric vehicles for new cars in their fleets – that’s good news for them, and perhaps even more so for many consumers who will be able to buy those cars second-hand in a few years’ time via lnkd.in/p/epcNjQz7

Interesting-looking article on who voted against motorway expansion in a recent referendum in Switzerland doi.org/10.1016/j.jt...

May I humbly suggest that things like this ⬇️ (among other things ofc) actually feed the AfD vote that everyone's so worried about today?

Giulio Mattioli@giuliomattioli.bsky.social · 2w ago

"The narrative that ('Green technologies are useless', 'Regulation hinders industry', 'The EU is incompetent') is now in the heads of probably millions of (Germans), and correcting the press release now will not change that anymore" Ouch - but the damage is done.

"The narrative that ('Green technologies are useless', 'Regulation hinders industry', 'The EU is incompetent') is now in the heads of probably millions of (Germans), and correcting the press release now will not change that anymore" Ouch - but the damage is done.

Giulio Mattioli@giuliomattioli.bsky.social · 2w ago

Update: there is an ongoing conversation on Linkedin between the lead author of the White Paper & the author of the study misrepresented in the press release The latter is not pulling his punches, attributing what happened to either "incompetence" or to a set-up" www.linkedin.com/feed/update/...

„It may very well be that the German car industry has trouble defending itself against Chinese competition. If so, then discuss this problem. And while doing so, keep in mind that innovation and competitiveness usually are not served by clinging on to yesterday’s technologies.“ Klatsche für VW & Co

Batman Slapping Robin Meme

ALT: Batman Slapping Robin Meme

static.klipy.com

Giulio Mattioli@giuliomattioli.bsky.social · 3w ago

Wow. Researchers at Leiden university and TU Delft university in the Netherlands accuse TU Munich of "gross misrepresentation" of their findings in the TUM press release of last week, which attacked EU regulations on vehicle emissions www.linkedin.com/pulse/misint...

"Our paper concludes that high carbon reductions in automotive are only possible if we accelerate the use of EVs, stop the sales of petrol cars by 2030, and accelerate the transition to a green energy system."

Giulio Mattioli@giuliomattioli.bsky.social · 3w ago

Wow. Researchers at Leiden university and TU Delft university in the Netherlands accuse TU Munich of "gross misrepresentation" of their findings in the TUM press release of last week, which attacked EU regulations on vehicle emissions www.linkedin.com/pulse/misint...

China's net greenhouse gas emissions *fell* this past quarter. Why? Because rapidly expanding electric vehicle use is putting a serious dent in oil demand. We could do that too. But we're not. We have the slowest EV update in the developed world, thanks to Trump.

Analysis: China’s CO2 emissions fall in Q2 2026 due to plummeting oil use - Carbon Brief

China’s carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions fell by 1% in the second quarter of 2026, as oil consumption plummeted amid the strait of Hormuz crisis.

carbonbrief.org

most of the supposed benefits of climate change will pan out like this

Richard Delevan@richard.wickedproblems.earth · 3w ago

Chatting just now with local Kent winegrower at farmer's market. This year's grapes are "smaller than peas" - not going to bother to harvest. What did he think of politicians saying 'hey enjoy your English sparkling wine thanks to climate change'? "Fucking morons."

This BTW is why typically (in my experience) universities do not author documents that mix scientific references and controversial political demands themselves, but rather let *their researchers* do it and bear responsibility for it. Much is at stake for their reputation. As we clearly see here.

Giulio Mattioli@giuliomattioli.bsky.social · 3w ago

Wow. Researchers at Leiden university and TU Delft university in the Netherlands accuse TU Munich of "gross misrepresentation" of their findings in the TUM press release of last week, which attacked EU regulations on vehicle emissions www.linkedin.com/pulse/misint...

Wow: "We are deeply disappointed by this misinterpretation of our work in the TUM press release. (...) It may.. be that the German car industry has trouble defending itself against Chinese competition. (But) innovation and competitiveness.. are not served by clinging on to yesterday’s technologies."

Giulio Mattioli@giuliomattioli.bsky.social · 3w ago

Wow. Researchers at Leiden university and TU Delft university in the Netherlands accuse TU Munich of "gross misrepresentation" of their findings in the TUM press release of last week, which attacked EU regulations on vehicle emissions www.linkedin.com/pulse/misint...

Full-sized SUVs are pedestrian killers. New research finds that they're more than twice as likely to kill or seriously injure a pedestrian than other cars. (Notably, vehicle height—not weight—was the biggest risk factor.) doi.org/10.1016/j.js...

Interesting column (in German, automatically translated here) on how there is a "stab-in-the-back myth" in German politics whereby "German diesel, undefeated on the front lines, (would be) stabbed in the back by left-wing EU policies" www.mdr.de/altpapier/da...

Wow. Researchers at Leiden university and TU Delft university in the Netherlands accuse TU Munich of "gross misrepresentation" of their findings in the TUM press release of last week, which attacked EU regulations on vehicle emissions www.linkedin.com/pulse/misint...

Let's talk about the weather and climate changes that preceded the Nepali glacier collapse and landslide. It's well known that Nepal is warming, but we can do better and estimate the changes at the 5200m elevation site where the mass of ice and rock ultimately broke loose. A thread. 🧵🧪

Climate change was the 100% cause behind the Nepal disaster. Watch this excellent video explaining the precise causes of the mountain faults that were kept together with ice acting as cement. This area’s air is warming up 5x faster than global average temperatures, melting this icy cement.

Everything We Know About Nepal's Flood - And What Everyone Got Wrong

YouTube video by Critical Latitude

youtu.be

This is so sad… 🐝 Climate change is making it harder for bumblebees to find suitable habitats across Europe. When was the last time you even saw one? www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Declines in European bumblebee habitat suitability attributable to climate change - Nature Climate Change

The authors consider factual and counterfactual scenarios to isolate the role of climate change in the decline of suitable habitats for European bumblebees (1901–2019). They show reductions of 5% on a...

nature.com

Meanwhile, in Germany, the Bild makes headlines about the "EV-lie", basing their argument on a White Paper from one of German elite universities.

Jan Rosenow@janrosenow.bsky.social · 3w ago

In country after country we start to see EV sales up and ICE down. The lines cross in an X typical for transitions. Norway in 2019. Sweden and Nepal in 2023. Denmark and Singapore in 2024. Belgium and the Netherlands in 2025. Finland is crossing now. janrosenow.substack.com/p/the-car-in...

Very interesting-looking new article on sufficientarianism in accessibility research doi.org/10.1080/0144...

It was melting permafrost. Even worse than melting glaciers. Deadly Landslide in Nepal Most Likely Caused by Weakened Bedrock www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

Deadly Flash Floods in Nepal Most Likely Caused by Weakened Bedrock

As the planet warms, glacier meltwater and a thawing permafrost could have contributed to destabilizing the rock.

nytimes.com