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What you need to know

Astonishing: juiced batteries bigger than pumped hydro

Why this matters? Astounding milestone 🥇. Pumped hydro (pushing water up mountains to bring down later) was 100% power storage for 100 years. Batteries overtake by installed capacity next year - up 13x since 2020.
So encouraging. The energy transition is the biggest engineering project ever undertaken by man. This shows: we can do amazing things, fast.
Read more: Marek Kubic on LinkedIn

What do you do with a problem like flying?

This is a huge challenge We’re planning on 15bn gallons of Sustainable Aviation Fuel by 2050. At present we’re doing 15m gallons. Every target: missed.
No clear solution IPS reports this week: current tech cannot do what we need. Bad 👎. Must do better.
Read more: Greenwashing the Sky - IPS

Critical minerals: got lots, getting cheaper

Good news? You know it. Regular 10SC readers understand while we need minerals, we have them, plus substitutes and recycling. Effort needed, but it’s all good.
IEA caught up? Yes. Remember, capitalism: shortages lead to investment (boom), then excesses (bust). Has always been thus.
Read more: IEA analysis; commentary from @cleanpowerdave on X

One thing to worry about

If Potato News Today is freaking out, you should too. English potato prices up 81%. Dutch ‘tatties reaching all time highs 🤯🥔.

This is not a drill.

One thing to be optimistic about

Africa went straight to cell phones, jumping landlines. Will EVs be the same?

Ethiopia is banning combustion car imports (Electrek). With no fossils they spend $6bn shipping in oil. So: Cheap power (big hydro + low cost solar + free sun) x Budget Chinese EVs = Makes sense.

They x5 EV targets as adoption so fast (Cleantechnica).

If you’ve got more time, read this…

Lots of doom recently. The antidote? Doing.

Michael Mann, one of the most respected climate scientists, fought gloomsters. His article (USA Today) meanders, but it’s positive:

• Yes, the danger is real: we can see & feel it

• But we can make a difference, and are making meaningful progress

• Be careful: those who think “it’s hopeless” stop action - just like those who deny the problem

• We must keep moving

I say: We are on the brink. But we can act. We can avoid disaster. Time for my favourite cartoon from December’s end of year edition:

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