The hottest Climate & Environment Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Climate & Environment Topics

Climate Cons

Diane Francis • 419 implied HN points • 20 May 21
🌞 Climate & Environment Climate Science Environmental Policy Media Analysis Public Perception Climate change
  1. The climate debate has shifted from discussing pollution to claiming a climate emergency, leading to the rise of organizations that spread alarmist messages to gain influence and donations.
  2. A scientist named Steven Koonin argues that climate science isn't as settled as people think. He believes that most severe weather events aren't increasing and that extreme predictions about climate change often aren't based on solid facts.
  3. Koonin points out that natural factors like volcanic activity have more impact on climate than commonly acknowledged. He emphasizes the importance of using accurate science and not exaggerating threats in climate discussions.

Climate, Displacement, and the Gendered Cost of Survival

The Weekly Gazette • 3 implied HN points • 07 Jan 26
🌞 Climate & Environment Water security Climate Adaptation Environmental justice
  1. Rising heat, drought, and saltwater intrusion have already made life in Gaza and the West Bank precarious, degrading water, food, and health systems people rely on.
  2. Restrictions on land, movement, and infrastructure have blocked basic climate adaptation, and the war has destroyed energy, water, and waste systems while creating massive toxic rubble and emissions.
  3. When climate systems and protection services break down, displacement and scarcity push women and girls into greater danger — shelters, privacy, and support vanish while sexual violence, survival sex, and early marriage increase; preventing and responding to this requires climate action, an end to the violence, and targeted survivor support.

The Iron and the Forest

Anima Mundi • 20 implied HN points • 06 Aug 25
🌞 Climate & Environment Ecology Sustainability Biodiversity Technology Social Issues
  1. Technology has advanced a lot, but we've often forgotten to work together with nature. It's important to design our systems in a way that respects the environment.
  2. Nature has its own ways of solving problems that we can learn from. For example, forests help each other thrive without competition, and we should do the same in our communities.
  3. Real progress should focus on long-term health for both people and the planet. Instead of quick fixes, we need solutions that take care of the environment and ensure a better future.
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Explaining Climate Policy: When Costs Aren't

David Friedman’s Substack • 260 implied HN points • 26 Aug 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Climate Policy Global Warming Energy Use Nuclear power Geoengineering
  1. When it comes to climate policy, some people view costs as benefits, creating different perspectives on energy use and global warming solutions.
  2. Alternatives like nuclear power, natural gas, and geoengineering can help reduce global warming without reducing energy use, but not all advocates support these options.
  3. Using a crisis like global warming as an excuse for political agendas or personal beliefs is a common pattern across different contexts and political ideologies.

How One Founder’s Frustration Became A Global Open-Source EV Movement

The Green Techpreneur • 4 implied HN points • 12 Dec 25
🌞 Climate & Environment Electric Vehicles Clean Tech Open Source Startups Mobility Software
  1. EV charging often fails not because of hardware but because many vendors interpret standards differently, creating software fragmentation and frequent charging breakdowns.
  2. EVerest turns complex charging standards into shared, working code so chargers and backends can interoperate, letting a global community find and fix bugs faster and making charging more reliable.
  3. Placing the core under open governance built trust and a sustainable model: the foundation stays free while companies buy enterprise tools like ChargeBridge and Pionix Cloud to deploy and scale.

Salt in our Fresh Waters

An Interpersonal Journal • 79 implied HN points • 24 Feb 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Environmental Impact Conservation efforts Research Findings
  1. Levels of salt in freshwater bodies are increasing across North America, posing risks to ecosystems and potentially human health.
  2. The rise in freshwater salinity is primarily attributed to road salt usage, with even a modest reduction in usage showing potential to mitigate the issue.
  3. Efforts are being made by local governments and researchers to address the rising salt levels in freshwater bodies through exploring alternative salt usage and more efficient application methods.

Fifty Coyotes in Seattle

Street Smart Naturalist: Explorations of the Urban Kind • 139 implied HN points • 13 Oct 22
🌞 Climate & Environment Wildlife Urban Nature Ecology Conservation Biodiversity
  1. Coyotes have adapted well to urban environments like Seattle, showing that they can thrive despite human efforts to control their population. They are survivors and often even increase their numbers when faced with threats.
  2. Many myths exist about coyotes, including the idea that they are dangerous to pets and people. In reality, coyotes are not aggressive and usually avoid confrontation with humans and their pets.
  3. Coyotes play an important role in urban ecosystems, helping to remind us that nature is all around us, even in the city. Their presence can bring joy and a connection to the natural world.

The future of low-carbon heating is heat pumps

Sustainability by numbers • 261 implied HN points • 07 Aug 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Renewable Energy Energy Efficiency Carbon Emissions Green Technology Government Policy
  1. Heat pumps are around 4 times more efficient than gas boilers, reducing heating emissions close to zero.
  2. Switching to heat pumps reduces gas demand even if all electricity comes from gas, making them effective in cutting emissions.
  3. Heat pumps are much more efficient than hydrogen for heating, requiring far less electricity to operate.

Rising Sea Levels, Rising Waves: With the Rising Things, Islands can't Last Forever

Adetokunbo Sees • 208 implied HN points • 25 Nov 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Climate change Environmental Impact Displacement Global Warming
  1. Islands are disappearing due to rising sea levels, putting many at risk of displacement.
  2. Climate change is causing faster sea level rise, threatening the existence of many islands.
  3. Protective circuits, control systems, heat sinks, and gate drivers are crucial for managing power electronics.

Climate and the Media I

David Friedman’s Substack • 260 implied HN points • 05 Aug 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Climate change Media bias
  1. Many people form their beliefs about climate change based on second-hand sources like news stories and blogs.
  2. The media tends to exaggerate the severity of climate change, leading to misconceptions about the actual scientific findings.
  3. The IPCC reports provide a more balanced and nuanced view of climate change impacts compared to how they are portrayed in the media.

Links #8

Splitting Infinity • 19 implied HN points • 26 Feb 24
🌞 Climate & Environment Immigration Climate change Fertility Nuclear Energy
  1. Increased immigration to the U.S. can bring significant economic benefits, with estimates projecting a boost of $7 trillion to US GDP and $1 trillion to federal tax revenues if sustained over the next decade.
  2. Climate change mitigation costs can be reasonable, with projections indicating that offsetting 1.2 degrees of warming by 2100 could cost around $432 billion, showing that effective measures are possible at a manageable cost.
  3. Pro-natal policies to encourage fertility growth may require substantial financial incentives, estimated at $283 billion per year to achieve replacement fertility, but alternative approaches could potentially be more cost-effective.

Monthly captured values of solar in selected EU countries

GEM Energy Analytics • 79 implied HN points • 30 Mar 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Renewable Energy Solar Power Market Analysis Energy Policy
  1. Spain is rapidly increasing its solar energy capacity, expecting to reach over 77 GW by 2026. However, it faces challenges in exporting excess energy due to its limited connections to other countries.
  2. Greece is also expanding its solar capacity, aiming for 15.9 GW by 2026. It is better connected to neighboring countries than Spain, but rising solar energy shares are affecting local prices.
  3. The 'cannibalization factor' shows how much solar energy prices are pressured down by increased solar generation. In both Spain and Greece, this factor has been decreasing over time.

How the ideological fantasy of a climate change-induced permadrought caused German dam operators to overfill their reservoirs before winter and exacerbated the massive December floods

eugyppius: a plague chronicle • 183 implied HN points • 10 Jan 24
🌞 Climate & Environment Climate change Natural Disasters Water resources
  1. The belief in a permanent drought due to climate change led German dam operators to overfill reservoirs before winter, worsening December floods.
  2. Climate change predictions can influence human behavior like dam management, impacting flood risk.
  3. Balancing water management practices with changing climate patterns is crucial to prevent exacerbating natural disasters.

A Look at Line 5

An Interpersonal Journal • 79 implied HN points • 10 Feb 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Environmental Policy Michigan
  1. Understanding local environmental issues is crucial to being an informed community member.
  2. Diverse perspectives on current environmental debates help in forming a well-rounded understanding of the situation.
  3. Careful consideration is needed when evaluating the risks and benefits of maintaining infrastructure that impacts critical ecosystems.

Can solar and wind power Britain? An update of David MacKay’s numbers

Sustainability by numbers • 211 implied HN points • 30 Oct 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Renewable Energy
  1. Renewable energy costs have significantly decreased since 2008, making solar and wind power more feasible for Britain.
  2. There is a growing potential for solar and wind energy to meet Britain's energy demand with more efficient technology and public support.
  3. An update of David MacKay's 2008 numbers shows that solar and wind resources could surpass energy demand in Britain, even considering land requirements.

Anger, sadness, guilt, hope: on the complex emotions of climate change

Sustainability by numbers • 238 implied HN points • 28 Aug 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Emotions Climate change Hope Activism Research
  1. Researchers are uncertain about which emotion is most effective in driving climate action.
  2. Emotions in response to climate change vary and are likely a combination of concern, anger, sadness, and hope.
  3. Pairing emotions like concern, anger, and sadness with hope can be vital for motivating action towards addressing climate change.

Global energy demand could be lower in 2050, despite the world getting richer

Sustainability by numbers • 168 implied HN points • 05 Feb 24
🌞 Climate & Environment Energy Decarbonisation Efficiency Electrification Inequality
  1. Global energy demand in 2050 could be lower due to decarbonisation leading to efficiency gains
  2. Final energy use per person is projected to decrease with increased decarbonisation
  3. Electricity demand will rise significantly with the electrification of transport and heating

Desperate Oil Companies trick Desperate Cities: the Desperate Underbelly of Oil Spills

Adetokunbo Sees • 208 implied HN points • 28 Oct 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Oil Spills Climate Impact Environmental Crisis
  1. Communities often resort to desperate methods to clean up oil spills, like using hair or bare hands.
  2. Oil spills lead to lasting environmental damage, affecting wildlife and worsen climate change.
  3. Investing in solar panel products offers a promising future for clean and sustainable energy solutions.

Net-zero: it’s not just where you end up, but how you get there that matters

Sustainability by numbers • 218 implied HN points • 03 Oct 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Climate targets Emissions Reduction
  1. The path countries take to reach net-zero emissions is crucial, not just the end goal.
  2. Delaying emissions cuts can lead to steeper reductions later, making it technically difficult and politically unpopular.
  3. Early investment in low-carbon technologies is crucial for reducing costs and driving global emission reductions.

Perchers, Pokers, and Pests

Street Smart Naturalist: Explorations of the Urban Kind • 199 implied HN points • 07 Apr 22
🌞 Climate & Environment Urban Ecology Natural History Wildlife Conservation Environmental Impact
  1. Utility poles have a long history, starting as telegraph poles in the mid-1800s, and now there are about 150 million in the U.S. today. They're an essential part of our modern infrastructure, holding up power and communication lines.
  2. Many animals, like birds and squirrels, use utility poles for perching and nesting. However, this can be dangerous, as birds often get electrocuted or collide with wires.
  3. Utility poles can impact the environment negatively due to toxic treatments for protection against decay. Clean-up of these toxins is ongoing and often goes unnoticed, just like the poles themselves.

The low-carbon energy transition will need less mining than fossil fuels, even when adjusted for waste rock

Sustainability by numbers • 201 implied HN points • 06 Nov 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Energy transition Mining Recycling
  1. Low-carbon energy transition requires less mining than fossil fuels, even when accounting for waste rock.
  2. Material requirements for low-carbon technologies are still lower than current mining requirements for fossil fuels.
  3. Electrification for vehicles will increase material requirements, but overall material needs will decrease with an energy transition.

No, the world is not going to pass its 1.5°C warming target in the next few years

Sustainability by numbers • 276 implied HN points • 22 May 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Climate targets
  1. The world is not expected to exceed the 1.5°C warming target in the next few years, but it serves as a warning of future warming trends.
  2. A temporary temperature rise above 1.5°C could occur due to factors like ongoing global warming and El Niño phases.
  3. Exceeding 1.5°C temporarily does not mean the Paris Agreement target has been crossed; long-term warming trends are crucial in climate change impacts.

The Renewable Revolution

Renewable Revolution • 59 implied HN points • 07 Jun 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Renewable Energy Sustainability Global Warming Market Trends Policy Impact
  1. The energy transition is happening fast thanks to new technology that boosts renewable energy. It's all about using the sun, wind, and other natural energy sources more efficiently.
  2. China is taking a lead in renewable energy and pushing everyone to improve and innovate quickly in this area.
  3. Market prices will reflect the energy transition in this decade, meaning investments will start focusing more on renewable sources, which is good for the environment.

How a Love of Forests Sparked One of Europe’s Fast-Growth Climate Startups

The Green Techpreneur • 16 implied HN points • 08 Aug 25
🌞 Climate & Environment Climate Policy Carbon Markets Sustainability Environmental Tech
  1. Arbonics helps landowners turn their forests into carbon sinks, which means they can earn money by planting and protecting trees. This is good for the environment and helps combat climate change.
  2. The company uses advanced data technology to figure out how much carbon each piece of land can store. This helps ensure the projects are reliable and trustworthy.
  3. Lisett and her team believe that Europe's forests play a crucial role in fighting climate change and shouldn't be overlooked. They aim to cover half of Europe's forests with their projects soon.

The Future Is Plastics, Benjamin

God's Spies by Thomas Neuburger • 65 implied HN points • 06 Dec 24
🌞 Climate & Environment Pollution Health Science Society Economics
  1. Microplastics are everywhere in our bodies. They are found in blood, organs, and even in breast milk, but we still don't know how much damage they can cause.
  2. Big oil companies are pushing to make even more plastics. They see profit in plastic production despite the environmental harm it causes.
  3. Bottled water may contain a lot of small plastic pieces. Some scientists are now drinking less bottled water because of the high levels of micro and nanoplastics found in it.

How much does aviation contribute to climate change? How will this change in the future?

Sustainability by numbers • 208 implied HN points • 26 Sep 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Aviation Global Emissions Energy Efficiency Future Trends
  1. Aviation contributes around 3% of global emissions and is a challenging sector to decarbonize.
  2. Global passenger demand for flying has quadrupled since 1990.
  3. Future aviation emissions will depend on changes in demand, energy efficiency improvements, and adoption of low-carbon technologies.

Why Climate Activists want Cruise Ships Banned? The Cursed Condition called Climate Change

Adetokunbo Sees • 208 implied HN points • 23 Sep 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Activism Renewable Energy Pollution Climate change
  1. Climate activists are advocating for the banning of cruise ships due to their significant contribution to air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
  2. The global cruise ship market is projected to grow substantially, potentially exacerbating the climate change crisis.
  3. Exploring solar energy products like solar panels, inverters, batteries, water heaters, and charge controllers can offer sustainable alternatives to conventional energy sources.

Climate Alert: January 2024 the Hottest January in Recorded History

The Climate Historian • 19 implied HN points • 10 Feb 24
🌞 Climate & Environment Global Warming Climate change Weather Patterns Environmental Policy Sustainability
  1. January 2024 was the hottest January on record, marking a worrying trend in global warming. The average temperature was 13.14°C, which is significantly higher than temperatures from past years.
  2. Over the last year, the planet experienced its highest average temperatures yet, highlighting an urgent climate crisis. This is concerning for global efforts to keep temperatures below the critical limits set by the Paris Agreement.
  3. Despite clear evidence of climate change, leaders are not taking strong enough action. It's important for everyone to get involved and push for changes that protect the environment for future generations.

Summers used to be hotter

The Leftovers • 99 implied HN points • 18 Jul 22
🌞 Climate & Environment Climate change Extreme Weather
  1. The author reminisces about how summers used to be hotter in Rosario, Argentina, based on personal experience.
  2. The post reflects on the use of catchy, sensational headlines in the current age to attract readers.
  3. The content hints at the impact of changing times on communication styles and the need for attention-grabbing methods.

Street Notes 5: Hot for District Cooling in Austin, Texas

Parachute • 39 implied HN points • 16 Feb 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Sustainability Urban Development Renewable Energy
  1. Infrastructure and climate solutions often go unnoticed when they work well, but stand out when they fail.
  2. District cooling is like neighborhood-wide air conditioning and can lead to lower utility bills and help prevent power outages.
  3. District cooling plants offer benefits like space-saving, resilience to power outages, and should be celebrated as an efficient climate solution.