Michael Clifford
@michaeljclifford.bsky.social
Conservation scientist focused on biodiversity, energy transition, and critical mineral mining. I work in Nevada, Mojave Desert, Great Basin, and other drylands.
TNC has a spatial analyst position open to work on the Energy Transition. nature.wd108.myworkdayjobs.com/ExternalCare...
CET Spatial & Data Analyst
What We Can Achieve Together: The Global Tackle Climate Change team is recruiting a Spatial & Data Analyst to work on the Clean Energy Transition (CET) team - an interdisciplinary team focused on ...
nature.wd108.myworkdayjobs.com
I love this concept bc either: - big parking lot gets solar - big parking lot stays small to avoid solar Either way, it's some type of win.
@alexvonwitzleben.bsky.social · 2mo ago"France passed a single law and instantly unlocked 11 gigawatts of #solarenergy — without using new land. In 2023, France's government mandated solar canopies over all car parks larger than 80 spaces. The scale was enormous: There are 400,000 parking areas across France #ActOnClimate #Renewables
Here's the BNEF PV forecast for 2Q 2026. Still 50.5GW of buffer for 2026, which can absorb a fair amount of small markets growing. We cut the China annual estimate by 11GW(DC) which makes a big hole.
A low-cost reversing valve added at manufacturing is all that stands between your heat pump doing double duty. ❄️🌡️🌞 Every new or replacement AC can double as a heating system. Homes with existing furnaces could keep them as backup. Read more by Heather McDiarmid, Sr. Fellow: https://bit.ly/4fbUmYR
Wind and solar famously can’t produce power all the time. Here’s how batteries are making them a viable 24/7 clean power solution. https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/clean-energy/24-7-renewables-could-happen-soon
24/7 renewables could happen sooner than you think
Grouping wind, solar, and batteries together can already be more affordable than building a coal or gas plant in prime locations, new report finds.
canarymedia.com
Exciting times ahead! As solar expands, let’s prioritize smart storage and strong transmission. Together, we can power a cleaner, brighter future! 🌞⚡️ #CleanEnergy #Optimism
Brian Willis@bwillisful.bsky.social · 3mo agoSolar’s getting much bigger. India’s 30 GW Khavda project, China’s 17+ GW Talatan cluster, and California’s 21 GW proposal suggest the next clean energy race is less about cheap panels—and more about storage, transmission, and execution. via @canarymedia.com www.canarymedia.com/articles/sol...
With so much attention given to CO₂ and fossil fuel production and consumption, some of the biggest opportunities are often left out of the climate solutions conversation. New charts by @globalecoguy.bsky.social & @jamesgerber.bsky.social show the full picture. 🔗 https://bit.ly/42ghOg3
The most recent nuclear power plant to come online in the US came in 88% behind schedule (15 years of construction instead of 8) and 163% over budget ($36.8 billion instead of 14). Georgia let the monopoly utility pass the cost overruns through to ratepayers, who will be on the hook for decades.
Two Years After Completion, Plant Vogtle Still Looms Over the Nuclear Debate - Inside Climate News
As states consider a new wave of reactors, the fallout of the most expensive power project in U.S. history offers a cautionary tale.
insideclimatenews.org
A quiet crisis is unfolding in our rivers. A global assessment created with The Nature Conservancy finds 325 migratory freshwater fish species at urgent risk. Their numbers have fallen 81%. Rivers connect us, and united action can still change their future. Read more here https://nature.ly/4c64foV
Global Assessment of Migratory Freshwater Fishes
New findings reveal an 81% decline in migratory freshwater fish populations, leaving 325 species in danger.
assets.worldwildlife.org
6 months since the launch of Drawdown Explorer and the numbers speak for themselves! 📊 500K+ views online ✅ 90 solutions published 📋 158 solutions on our master list - and growing And we're just getting started! www.drawdown.org/explorer #climatesolutions
Drawdown® Explorer
We know what we need to do: stop climate change as quickly as possible. Now, with the Drawdown Explorer, we know how to do it.
drawdown.org
Official 2025 electricity data is in today, and US power generation rose nearly 3% to a record high last year, driven primarily by an 85TWh increase in both solar & coal Low-carbon sources made up a record 42% of US electricity, with solar alone making up a record 8.6%
New research shows socially vulnerable U.S. communities are already facing temperatures ~1.6°C (3°F) hotter than other areas, and the gap is growing as the planet warms. Extreme heat isn’t hitting everyone equally.
Global Heating Will Hit Socially Vulnerable U.S. Communities First and Hardest
TNC-led study stresses urgency of directing climate adaptation funding to the places that need it most.
nature.org
TNC-California is looking for an island scientist! nature.wd108.myworkdayjobs.com/ExternalCare...
Island Scientist, California
Application Instructions: Please note that the application period ends at 12:00 am EST on the due date listed. For applicants in Pacific Standard Time, please plan to submit your application by 8:59pm...
nature.wd108.myworkdayjobs.com
Interesting article. Single queries don’t require much energy, but there’s still a lot that can be done to reduce the impacts of AI.
Katharine Hayhoe@katharinehayhoe.com · 6mo agoCritiques of AI are valid; but many climate-based arguments reveal our bias toward small individual actions over real systemic change. e.g. ⬇️ An LLM query = running a microwave for seconds An hour of Netflix = enough to make popcorn Yet few are boycotting their fav shows. Interested? Read more:
Beavers might be nature’s most underrated climate resilience engineers 🦫. New research shows that restoring beavers or mimicking their dams can cool streams, store more water, boost biodiversity, and help landscapes better handle wildfires and climate extremes. Learn more https://nature.ly/3YWA7oI
Beaver‐related restoration and freshwater climate resilience across western North America
Climate change will diminish the quality and connectivity of stream and riparian habitats and threaten native stream-associated species across western North America. Ecological restoration that mitig...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Snowpack in Nevada is off to a grim start as high temperatures have prevented snow packs from forming, despite high precipitation.
Warm temperatures hamper snowpack formation in Nevada • Nevada Current
Snowpack in Nevada and the Eastern Sierra – a major source of water for the Truckee River in northern Nevada – are below normal at 74% of median for the time of year. While precipitation in December w...
nevadacurrent.com
As TX heads into what may be the biggest ice storm of the year, let’s get one thing straight before the disinfo starts. Solar and wind energy operate reliably in far colder places. The real issue is simple: large parts of the grid are not appropriately winterized. When storms come, they fail.
![A screen capture from Wikipedia stating that "Data showed that failure to winterize traditional power sources, principally natural gas infrastructure but also to a lesser extent wind turbines, had caused the grid failure,[15][16] with a drop in power production from natural gas more than five times greater than that from wind turbines."](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:u3qtwr3xni67et44ip5vov2z/bafkreiaymecl4di73c2noegebfizuuninjuzxbxary7uxlqsvuoxpa6kyy)
Clean energy demand is soaring, and so is the need for lithium. New research shows proposed mining sites overlap with habitats for vulnerable species. The authors point to smart, low conflict planning as a path to protect nature while powering the future. Read more here nature.ly/4bvBMJh
An example of a policy that could easily gain traction in red and blue states alike, if framed in terms of "energy freedom" and an antidote to the current electricity affordability crisis. (1/2) www.eenews.net/articles/plu...
Plug-in solar gains momentum as states confront energy costs
More than a dozen states are considering legislation to support small solar energy systems that can plug directly into home outlets.
eenews.net
Global demand for critical minerals is growing strongly And following a wave of investment, projected supply gaps through 2035 are narrowing, notably for nickel, cobalt, graphite & rare earths But the outlook for copper is more challenging ➡️ iea.li/44L3spO
A new study finds significant biodiversity loss in spiders & insects including butterflies and beetles. The likely culprit is long-term changes to the El Niño cycle, fuelled by climate change. Read more in The Conversation: https://ow.ly/KmLw50XqtvY
Climate-fuelled El Niño events are devastating butterflies, beetles and other tropical insects
The research suggests the life-support system underpinning the tropics is at serious risk in a warmer world.
ow.ly
Cutting methane is one of the fastest ways to slow warming. UNEP’s Eye on Methane shows the data is here, but action isn’t. Governments must turn measurement into real cuts: https://www.unep.org/resources/eye-methane-2025-measurement-momentum #CutMethane
www.sltrib.com/opinion/edit...
Tribune editorial: Experience shows that Utah must exert aggressive oversight of rare earth bonanza mine
“Experience shows that Utah must exert aggressive oversight of rare earth bonanza mine,” writes The Salt Lake Tribune editorial board. “And effective provisions for monitoring and clean-up must be mad...
sltrib.com
Policy Brief on vehicle-to-home charging can cut costs and emissions.
Vehicle-to-home charging can cut costs and emissions - Nature Energy
By optimizing the timing of electricity purchases for electric vehicle (EV) charging at home, as well as shifting electricity purchases for other household loads, US EV owners could reduce their lifetime charging costs by 40–90%, and lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions from household electricity use by 70–250%. Integrating EVs with homes can increase the greenhouse gas reductions they deliver, while reducing the cost of EV ownership.
nature.com
Interesting analysis showing the importance of recycling battery materials and echos other studies showing demand will outpace production of certain elements depending on growth scenarios. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Material bottlenecks of batteries within the energy transition
The growing adoption of electric vehicles has significantly increased demand for advanced energy storage solutions. Lithium-ion batteries are at the f…
sciencedirect.com
Many proposed climate solutions work well, and are ready to go *now*. Those are the ones to focus on. Others will take more time to develop. They might help a little, someday. And some don't make sense and are unlikely to work at all. How do you tell the difference? drawdown.org/insights/cli...
Climate solutions aren’t created equal. Here’s how we evaluate what works and what doesn’t.
Just as science has led the way in describing the problem of climate change, we at Project Drawdown are using science to guide resources toward the most effective solutions to the crisis.
drawdown.org
Too high a cost for convenience. For the approximate 12 minutes a plastic bag is used, that bag then contributes to centuries of environmental harm. Every decision to reach for a reusable bag matters. We can stop this cycle. #PlasticPollution #SingleUsePlastic #environment 🌎🙏
