Ripple is a new energy start-up that is inviting customers to buy shares in a wind farm, making it the first to be owned by its customers. There are community energy groups that might argue that’s only true as a technicality, but it’s still a good idea that supports energy democracy.
Canada has set out proposals for a net zero by 2050 climate target. Yes. Do it Canada.
“As anti-racists, we cannot be against ‘racial’ inequality at home, while at the same time perpetuate ‘racial’ inequality abroad through exploitative consumption habits” argues Samir Sweida-Metwally in this Bristol University Press article on ethical consumerism and racism.
Solar Oysters is a company that plans to use solar power to automate floating oyster farms in the Chesapeake Bay, producing food while cleaning the water – a potentially regenerative form of ocean farming.
Onshore wind and solar are back in the picture in Britain, as the government allows them to be included in next year’s Contracts for Difference auction (a form of subsidy). They have been excluded since 2015 for no good reason, so this is good to see.
This week’s posts:
Book review: Street, Palace, Square, by Jan-Werner Müller
Human lives, both individually and collectively, unfold in a built environment. Generally speaking we don’t get to shape that environment all that much. Most of us don’t get to design our own homes, let alone streets and public spaces. Unless you have a particular interest in architecture or urban design, you might never really think…
What we learned this week
I came across the Missing Lynx Project this week, which is campaigning for the reintroduction of the Lynx to Northumberland and the Scottish borders and is worth commending for the name alone. Carbon in Context is a new comparison tool from Project Drawdown. Tonnes of gas is an unintuitive way of measuring anything, so stick…
Polestar’s progress on a zero carbon car
In 2022 I wrote about how Swedish EV brand Polestar had committed to creating a zero carbon car. Note that this isn’t a ‘net zero’ car, but a truly zero carbon process from start to finish. It was industry-leading in its ambition, and also the kind of thing that some companies make a big noise…
The emerging story of citizenship
If you’re not familiar with Enter Shikari, they’re a band from my hometown and the most badass thing to happen in St Albans since Boudicca sacked the Roman city of Verulamium in 61AD. Not the kind of thing I generally write about on the blog, but there’s a song on their new album that caught…
The Earthbound Report 
Do the Canadians plan to shut down the tar sands mines? It’s my understanding that their laws are so restrictive that they cannot refine that gunk in Canada, so the pipelines send it to the US.