The hottest Environmental Impact Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Climate & Environment Topics

Teachable Moments Require... Teaching

The Crucial Years • 1175 implied HN points • 14 Aug 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Climate Crisis Renewable Energy Environmental Impact
  1. Teachable moments about climate change should be taught in schools to make the subject more immediate and engaging for students.
  2. It's concerning that misleading information and denial of climate change are being promoted in education, hindering students' understanding of the urgent issue.
  3. Educators and experts, like weatherman Jeff Berardelli, play a crucial role in providing accurate information and promoting climate education.

After a Record-Hot January: Finding Balance Between Beauty and Climate Concerns

The Planet • 255 implied HN points • 11 Feb 24
🌞 Climate & Environment Global Warming Nature Climate models Environmental Impact
  1. The global sea surface temperatures hit a new modern record high, which is a serious concern for climate change.
  2. Research suggests that the Atlantic overturning circulation (AMOC) is moving towards a tipping point, which could have catastrophic consequences for Europe's climate.
  3. It is crucial to appreciate and protect nature's beauty while also being mindful of the urgent climate concerns and potential tipping points.

Water as Lens

The Crucial Years • 1145 implied HN points • 28 Jul 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Climate change Environmental Impact Plastic Pollution Fossil fuels Conservation
  1. Water can be a powerful lens to explore issues of memory, resilience, and environmental impact.
  2. The film by dream hampton about Detroit highlights the flooding's impact on communities and memories.
  3. Specific histories of unfairness compound devastation in places like Detroit, emphasizing the importance of addressing systemic issues.

Factory Farming Is Not Just Bad: It’s the Worst Thing Ever

Bentham's Newsletter • 412 implied HN points • 16 Apr 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Animal Rights Suffering Atrocities Environmental Impact
  1. Factory farming is considered one of the worst atrocities in human history due to the immense suffering inflicted on billions of animals.
  2. Even with exaggerated assumptions, factory farming still emerges as a grave moral issue, surpassing many other historic atrocities.
  3. The scale of suffering caused by factory farming, even at conservative estimates, is far greater than most human tragedies, making it a significant ethical concern.
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Beyond the carbon buzz

Topsoil • 373 implied HN points • 22 Aug 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Sustainability Finance Environmental Impact
  1. Agriculture has a significant impact on the environment, beyond just carbon sequestration.
  2. Sustainability in agriculture requires real changes on farms, operational support for farmers, and financial incentives.
  3. Financing and risk-sharing across the agricultural value chain are crucial for accelerating adoption of sustainable practices.

Another Canary Died in the Climate Coal mine: No Skating on the World's Largest Ice Rink.

The Planet • 353 implied HN points • 14 Feb 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Climate change Global Crisis Environmental Impact Cultural heritage
  1. The Rideau Canal Skateway, the world's largest ice rink in Ottawa, is facing closure due to warming temperatures.
  2. Experts point to climate change as a likely cause for the abnormal closure of the skateway.
  3. This situation serves as a clear example of the urgent need for global action to address the climate crisis.

How high-speed rail won over the world

Urben Field Notes • 124 implied HN points • 09 Dec 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Transportation Infrastructure Public Policy Economic Growth Environmental Impact
  1. Many countries around the world are expanding their high-speed rail systems, while the US is falling behind. It's surprising that America doesn't have more fast trains since the technology has been around for a long time.
  2. High-speed rail is benefitting countries with increased passenger numbers and better environmental impact. Rail travel produces far less carbon pollution compared to cars and planes, making it a cleaner option.
  3. To develop high-speed rail in the US, there may be a need to collaborate with countries that have experience in building these systems. Learning from others could help the US catch up in this area.

Sarah Chekfa: Stop Believing: The Data Center as Religious Monument

Do Not Research • 279 implied HN points • 06 Nov 23
🕹 Technology Data Centers Big Data Digital Infrastructure Environmental Impact Space Technology
  1. Data centers are often like religious monuments, housing IT infrastructure and managing vast amounts of data that power modern life.
  2. Big data is considered almost mythical, with beliefs and values attributed to its insights and power, leading to comparisons with religion.
  3. Data centers have significant ecological impacts, consuming vast amounts of electricity and resources, leading to concerns over energy waste and pollution, with proposals for lunar data centers creating new environmental challenges.

The Last Crusade or the Temple of Doom?

Logging the World • 398 implied HN points • 14 Jan 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Climate change Environmental Impact Renewable Energy
  1. The COVID-19 pandemic led to extreme groupings on each side of the argument, mimicking past experiences in climate change discussions
  2. Centrist views, acknowledging real problems but also the progress being made, are important in addressing climate change
  3. Promoting centrist voices and avoiding extreme rhetoric can be effective in fostering positive action and moving away from a sense of hopelessness

Major Questions

The Crucial Years • 747 implied HN points • 02 Jul 23
🌍 World Politics Legislation Climate Renewable Energy Environmental Impact Global relations
  1. The Supreme Court decisions are attempting to prevent the politics of an earlier era from interfering with the current bought-and-paid-for nihilism.
  2. The Supreme Court's decisions on student debt and Clean Air Act show a trend of erasing history and dismantling earlier legislation put in place by effective Congresses.
  3. The Supreme Court's recent rulings on anti-gay bigotry and affirmative action indicate an effort to erase progress and surrender ground previously gained in social issues.

Numlock Sunday: James Temple on the mine with 2.4 million vehicles in it

Numlock News • 137 implied HN points • 28 Jan 24
🌞 Climate & Environment Mining Renewable Energy Environmental Impact Energy transition
  1. A single nickel mine in Minnesota could unlock billions in EV subsidies, impacting electrification and consumers.
  2. Understanding the specific impacts of mining projects and legislation like the Inflation Reduction Act can shed light on climate goals and community conflicts.
  3. Navigating the politics of climate change on the ground involves balancing trade-offs, ensuring open dialogue, and making informed decisions about environmental impacts.

Ditch cars and reduce mining

The Land Desk • 255 implied HN points • 21 Feb 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Transportation Mining Electric Vehicles Environmental Impact
  1. Transportation sector with internal combustion engines is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S.
  2. Electric vehicles require more minerals like copper, rare earth elements, cobalt, nickel, and lithium for batteries.
  3. Transitioning from internal combustion cars to electric vehicles may result in a significant increase in mining, which can harm the environment and communities.

Congestion pricing reduces driving. That doesn't make it a good idea.

Economic Forces • 8 implied HN points • 09 Jan 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Public Policy Economic Policy Transportation Urban planning Environmental Impact
  1. Congestion pricing reduces the number of cars on the road, but this doesn’t automatically make it a good policy. We need to think about its overall impact on society.
  2. Different drivers react differently to congestion charges. Some can easily switch to other transport options, while others can't, so we see varying effects on traffic.
  3. How the money from congestion pricing is used is really important. If it is spent wisely on things like infrastructure, it can benefit everyone. But if not, it might just be wasted.

The cost of wind, the price of wind, the value of wind

Jérôme à Paris • 510 implied HN points • 08 Aug 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Renewable Energy Carbon Emissions Energy Market Environmental Impact Sustainability
  1. Cost, price, and value of wind power are different concepts in the energy market, with costs being related to production, prices driven by market forces, and value including externalities like pollution and carbon emissions.
  2. Wind power has fixed costs, zero marginal cost, and can lower electricity prices for consumers, making it an attractive option compared to fossil fuel-based generation.
  3. Externalities like intermittency, carbon emissions, and security of supply contribute to the overall value proposition of wind power, impacting its role in the system and the pricing mechanisms in place.

Market price and solar: a simple model

GEM Energy Analytics • 219 implied HN points • 12 Sep 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Renewable Energy Solar Power Energy Policy Market Dynamics Environmental Impact
  1. As solar energy grows, market prices for electricity tend to drop. This happens because more solar energy can lead to overproduction, causing prices to fall.
  2. There's a limit to how much solar energy can be valuable. If too many solar panels are added, the overall market value can actually go down, which means the captured value for producers diminishes.
  3. The way consumers use electricity will change, but it's not easy. They might shift their usage to match solar energy production, but many obstacles could prevent this from happening.

What is the Cost when Creatures churn Plastics into Microplastics? Nanoplastics and Lots More

Adetokunbo Sees • 312 implied HN points • 18 Nov 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Plastic Pollution Renewable Energy Environmental Impact
  1. Animals like zooplanktons and amphipods can break down microplastics into even smaller particles, spreading them across oceans and affecting the environment.
  2. New technologies like diodes, thyristors, transistors, and capacitors are emerging to reduce the impact of fossil fuels and combat climate change.
  3. The widespread presence of microplastics poses a danger to both marine creatures and humans, impacting the carbon storage capacity of oceans and accelerating climate change.

The solar cannibalization effect

GEM Energy Analytics • 359 implied HN points • 24 Mar 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Solar energy Energy Policy Market Dynamics Environmental Impact
  1. Solar energy is growing quickly in Europe, with expectations to reach significant capacity by 2030. This could lead to solar generation being a large part of the electricity supply.
  2. As more solar energy is produced, captured prices for electricity are decreasing because solar generates more when prices are lower. This is called the cannibalization effect.
  3. To deal with the challenges of lower prices and a high concentration of solar power, solutions like energy storage and flexible systems are needed, but the necessary regulations are still catching up.

When Climate Change-induced Floods Strike, you get Refugees, Resettlement, and Rohingya

Adetokunbo Sees • 312 implied HN points • 11 Nov 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Displacement Natural Disasters Climate change Refugees Environmental Impact
  1. Millions of people are displaced by climate change-induced disasters like floods and hurricanes, leading to refugees, resettlement, and stateless populations.
  2. New technologies are emerging to combat climate change, such as voltage inverters, comparators, and XOR gates in the renewable energy sector.
  3. Climate change disasters exacerbate conflicts, food insecurity, and competition for resources, necessitating a global effort to mitigate the impacts through climate action.

China is building more coal plants but might burn less coal

Sustainability by numbers • 201 implied HN points • 14 Feb 24
🌞 Climate & Environment Emissions Renewable Energy Environmental Impact
  1. China is constructing more coal plants, but they might end up burning less coal by running those plants less frequently.
  2. Despite the increase in coal plant construction, China's coal plants are operating at lower capacity factors, indicating a trend towards burning less coal in the future.
  3. Many of China's coal plants are operating at a financial loss due to high coal prices, and the country is shifting towards using coal as 'peaker plants' as renewable energy sources grow.

The Slow Death of AC Transit

The Discourse Lounge • 531 implied HN points • 07 Aug 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Public Transportation Economic Policy Local Governance Environmental Impact
  1. AC Transit has faced a decline in ridership over the years due to funding cuts and neglect.
  2. Efforts are needed to increase funding for AC Transit and prioritize bus services over suburban rail projects.
  3. Long-term solutions include reforming funding priorities, restoring lost bus lines, and promoting public transportation over private shuttles.

The Ethics of GitHub Copilot [Storytime Saturdays]

Technology Made Simple • 259 implied HN points • 25 Dec 22
🕹 Technology AI Ethics Environmental Impact Model development Security risks
  1. GitHub Copilot raises ethical questions in the tech industry, especially regarding its impact on the environment and privacy of developers.
  2. The use of AI models like Copilot can have substantial implications on society, requiring a thorough evaluation of their ethical considerations and potential flaws.
  3. While GitHub Copilot can aid developers in writing routine functions and offer insights into coding habits, it also poses challenges such as high energy costs, potential violations of licensing rights, and the risk of generating incorrect or insecure code.

Putting Southeast Asia on the Climate Tech Map

This Week in MCJ (My Climate Journey) • 157 implied HN points • 01 Mar 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Renewable Energy Decarbonization Emissions Reduction Environmental Impact
  1. Southeast Asia is a region with significant potential for climate tech innovation and investment.
  2. There is a need for highly scalable, decentralized solutions in Southeast Asia's climate tech landscape.
  3. Opportunities in Southeast Asia include addressing emissions from land use change and agriculture, and focusing on growth tailwinds for high-growth climate tech companies.

Is Mars Colonization an Inevitable Step Encoded in Our DNA?

Space Ambition • 219 implied HN points • 19 May 23
🔬 Science Space Exploration Human Evolution Technological Innovation Environmental Impact
  1. Human migration is a fundamental part of our history, and colonizing Mars is seen as the next step in this ongoing process. Just like our ancestors traveled for better opportunities, we may look to Mars for our future.
  2. Innovations often arise when humans move into new environments. Establishing a colony on Mars could lead to new technologies and advancements that benefit life on Earth.
  3. Creating a self-sufficient colony on Mars could serve as a backup plan for humanity. It would ensure that civilization can continue even if disasters happen on Earth.

Specialized thinking leads to ineffectual actions

Technology, Environment, and Art • 59 implied HN points • 01 Mar 24
🌞 Climate & Environment Sustainability Renewable Energy Environmental Impact
  1. Specialized thinking can lead to actions that may not be effective or truly sustainable.
  2. Efforts focused on finding the most environmentally friendly solutions may just be a minimization exercise within the existing industrial system.
  3. To truly move towards sustainability, we should focus on reducing industrial production, global trade, energy and material usage, and emphasize local dependence.

Grid Upgrade - Part 2: what lies ahead

GEM Energy Analytics • 139 implied HN points • 19 Sep 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Energy Policy Renewable Energy Infrastructure Environmental Impact
  1. The electricity grid is growing slowly and facing congestion. This means it may get overcrowded and not work as well as it should.
  2. Local opposition can delay grid projects, making them take longer and cost more. People sometimes do not want new lines near their homes, which leads to complications.
  3. Grid fees are likely to increase as upgrades are needed. As more money is spent on improving the grid, utility bills may go up for everyone.

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.

The energy transition in five charts

Renewable Revolution • 219 implied HN points • 05 May 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Renewable Energy Sustainability Climate change Energy Policy Environmental Impact
  1. The switch to renewable energy is all about using better technology. Renewables like solar and wind are cleaner, cheaper, and more efficient than fossil fuels.
  2. Renewable energy growth isn’t slow and steady; it’s growing quickly in an exponential way. This means countries and companies need to move fast to keep up.
  3. China is leading the way in renewable energy technology. Their advancements are setting the pace for other countries like the U.S. and those in Europe.

Think Water And Waves, Not Just Fish

Surfing the Future • 59 implied HN points • 14 Feb 24
💼 Business Sustainability Market Dynamics Corporate Responsibility Environmental Impact
  1. Focus on the broader market landscapes rather than just individual businesses ("fish") in terms of sustainability and corporate responsibility.
  2. Anita Roddick's legacy through The Body Shop highlights the importance of corporate responsibility agendas in the business realm.
  3. The collapse of The Body Shop's UK arm underlines the need for market evolution to promote sustainable practices among businesses.

Google Goes To Bat For Right To Repair In Oregon

Fight to Repair • 59 implied HN points • 12 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Repairability Privacy Environmental Impact Right-to-repair
  1. Google endorses the right to repair, changing its corporate position and supporting a legal right for users to repair their devices.
  2. Google is backing comprehensive right to repair legislation in Oregon and actively lobbying for its passage.
  3. Although Google's endorsement is a significant shift, their focus on parts assemblies over individual components has been critiqued by right to repair advocates.

Cultivate your palate for a new type of food

WeBeGreen • 99 implied HN points • 09 Aug 23
🍲 Food & Drink Sustainability Alternative Proteins Environmental Impact
  1. Cultivated meats offer a sustainable solution to the environmental impacts and challenges of traditional animal agriculture, providing a way to meet the growing global demand for meat without the same resource-intensive practices.
  2. Lab-grown or cultivated meats use cellular agriculture technology to produce meat from cells rather than raising and slaughtering animals, offering a more efficient and ethical approach to meat production.
  3. By transitioning to alternative proteins like cultivated meats, we can significantly reduce land use, greenhouse gas emissions, and reliance on animal agriculture, leading to a more sustainable and compassionate food system for the future.

Agents of Erosion

Street Smart Naturalist: Explorations of the Urban Kind • 219 implied HN points • 26 Jan 23
🌞 Climate & Environment Urban Ecology Geology Environmental Impact
  1. Everyone contributes to erosion in our environment, even just by walking on steps. Our shoes cause tiny bits of stone to wear away over time.
  2. Winter weather leads to more potholes because water expands when it freezes, damaging roads. It's a reminder that even annoying things can have a positive side for nature.
  3. Roots from trees can push up sidewalks and create obstacles in urban areas. This shows how nature constantly interacts with our built environment and can cause challenges.