Historic Climate Bill Passes U.S. House, Goes to Biden for Signature | The Energy Mix:

Friday’s historic vote “comes 34 years after a top scientist grabbed headlines warning Congress about the dangers of global warming,” The Associated Press reports.
“In the decades since, there have been 308 weather disasters that have
each cost the nation at least US$1 billion, the record for the hottest
year has been broken 10 times, and wildfires have burned an area larger
than Texas.”

After trying and repeatedly failing to regulate carbon emissions directly, Congressional supporters of the Inflation Reduction Act hope
“to make clean energy so cheap in all aspects of life that it’s nearly
irresistible,” AP adds. “The crux of the long-delayed bill, singularly
pushed by Democrats in a closely divided Congress, is to use incentives
to spur investors to accelerate the expansion of clean energy such as
wind and solar power, speeding the transition away from the oil, coal,
and gas that largely cause climate change.”

“This legislation is a
true game-changer. It will create jobs, lower costs, increase U.S.
competitiveness, reduce air pollution,” said Climate Reality Project
founder and former U.S. vice president Al Gore. “The momentum that will
come out of this legislation cannot be underestimated.”

Historic Climate Bill Passes U.S. House, Goes to Biden for Signature | The Energy Mix: Friday’s historic vote “comes 34 years after a top scientist grabbed headlines warning Congress about the dangers of global warming,” The Associated Press reports.
“In the decades since, there have been 308 weather disasters that have
each cost the nation at least US$1 billion, the record for the hottest
year has been broken 10 times, and wildfires have burned an area larger
than Texas.”After trying and repeatedly failing to regulate carbon emissions directly, Congressional supporters of the Inflation Reduction Act hope
“to make clean energy so cheap in all aspects of life that it’s nearly
irresistible,” AP adds. “The crux of the long-delayed bill, singularly
pushed by Democrats in a closely divided Congress, is to use incentives
to spur investors to accelerate the expansion of clean energy such as
wind and solar power, speeding the transition away from the oil, coal,
and gas that largely cause climate change.”“This legislation is a
true game-changer. It will create jobs, lower costs, increase U.S.
competitiveness, reduce air pollution,” said Climate Reality Project
founder and former U.S. vice president Al Gore. “The momentum that will
come out of this legislation cannot be underestimated.”Read More

Trudeau and German Chancellor to sign hydrogen deal in Newfoundland:

The German government on Friday issued a statement confirming the
agreement will be signed Aug. 23 in Stephenville, where a
Newfoundland-based company plans to build a zero-emission plant that
will use wind energy to produce hydrogen and ammonia for export.

If approved, the project would be the first of its kind in Canada.

Germany is keen to find new sources of energy because Russia’s
invasion of Ukraine has led to a surge in natural gas prices. As well,
Russia has reduced its flow of natural gas to its European customers,
prompting concerns about supply shortages.

Trudeau and German Chancellor to sign hydrogen deal in Newfoundland: The German government on Friday issued a statement confirming the
agreement will be signed Aug. 23 in Stephenville, where a
Newfoundland-based company plans to build a zero-emission plant that
will use wind energy to produce hydrogen and ammonia for export.If approved, the project would be the first of its kind in Canada.Germany is keen to find new sources of energy because Russia’s
invasion of Ukraine has led to a surge in natural gas prices. As well,
Russia has reduced its flow of natural gas to its European customers,
prompting concerns about supply shortages.Read More

Facebook Profits from White Supremacist Groups:

TTP found that more than 80 white supremacist groups have a presence
on Facebook, including some that Facebook itself has labelled as
“dangerous organizations.” What’s more, when our test user searched for
the names of white supremacist groups on Facebook, the search results
were often monetized with ads—meaning Facebook is profiting off them.

Even more disturbing: TTP discovered that Facebook searches for some
groups with “Ku Klux Klan” in their name generated ads for Black
churches, highlighting minority institutions to a user searching for
white supremacist content.

That’s a chilling result, given reports that the gunman who killed 10
people in the recent, racially motivated mass shooting in Buffalo, New
York, did research to pick a target neighborhood with a high ratio of Black residents.

Facebook Profits from White Supremacist Groups: TTP found that more than 80 white supremacist groups have a presence
on Facebook, including some that Facebook itself has labelled as
“dangerous organizations.” What’s more, when our test user searched for
the names of white supremacist groups on Facebook, the search results
were often monetized with ads—meaning Facebook is profiting off them.Even more disturbing: TTP discovered that Facebook searches for some
groups with “Ku Klux Klan” in their name generated ads for Black
churches, highlighting minority institutions to a user searching for
white supremacist content.That’s a chilling result, given reports that the gunman who killed 10
people in the recent, racially motivated mass shooting in Buffalo, New
York, did research to pick a target neighborhood with a high ratio of Black residents.Read More

Global heating has caused ‘shocking’ changes in forests across the Americas, studies find:

Forests from the Arctic to the Amazon are
transforming at a “shocking” rate due to the climate crisis, with trees
advancing into previously barren tundra in the north while dying off
from escalating heat farther south, scientists have found.

Global
heating, along with changes in soils, wind and available nutrients, is
rapidly changing the composition of forests, making them far less
resilient and prone to diseases, according to a series of studies that
have analyzed the health of trees in north and South America.

Many
areas of forest are now becoming more susceptible to ferocious
wildfires, causing the release of further greenhouse gases from these
vast carbon stores that heat the planet even more. “It’s like humans
have lit a match and we are now seeing the result of that,” said Roman
Dial, a biologist at Alaska Pacific University.

Global heating has caused ‘shocking’ changes in forests across the Americas, studies find: Forests from the Arctic to the Amazon are
transforming at a “shocking” rate due to the climate crisis, with trees
advancing into previously barren tundra in the north while dying off
from escalating heat farther south, scientists have found.Global
heating, along with changes in soils, wind and available nutrients, is
rapidly changing the composition of forests, making them far less
resilient and prone to diseases, according to a series of studies that
have analyzed the health of trees in north and South America.Many
areas of forest are now becoming more susceptible to ferocious
wildfires, causing the release of further greenhouse gases from these
vast carbon stores that heat the planet even more. “It’s like humans
have lit a match and we are now seeing the result of that,” said Roman
Dial, a biologist at Alaska Pacific University.Read More

Cape Breton’s Donkin Mine Pays No Penalty for Exceeding Provincial Emissions Cap | The Energy Mix:

According to a spokesperson for the province’s Department of Environment and Climate Change, Donkin managed to dodge the program after regulations were amended in 2018 to exclude underground coal mines.

The regulatory change meant Donkin paid precisely zero dollars for exceeding the cap by 26,337 tonnes in its first year of operation, 373,000 tonnes in 2019, and 101,000 tonnes while it was closed last year.

“It’s outrageous, really, and to me it feels like one of those moments where you say, ‘OK, everybody out of the pool. What’s going on here?‘” said Tynette Deveaux, communications coordinator for the Sierra Club of Canada Foundation’s Beyond Coal Atlantic campaign.

Cape Breton’s Donkin Mine Pays No Penalty for Exceeding Provincial Emissions Cap | The Energy Mix: According to a spokesperson for the province’s Department of Environment and Climate Change, Donkin managed to dodge the program after regulations were amended in 2018 to exclude underground coal mines.The regulatory change meant Donkin paid precisely zero dollars for exceeding the cap by 26,337 tonnes in its first year of operation, 373,000 tonnes in 2019, and 101,000 tonnes while it was closed last year.“It’s outrageous, really, and to me it feels like one of those moments where you say, ‘OK, everybody out of the pool. What’s going on here?‘” said Tynette Deveaux, communications coordinator for the Sierra Club of Canada Foundation’s Beyond Coal Atlantic campaign.Read More