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What you need to know

Actual farmer says farmers like solar farms; warns politicians talk nonsense

What? UK’s National Farmers Union boss comes out for solar as good for struggling farmers; rubbishes sensationalist claims about food security
Doesn’t it use valuable farmland? Use little farmland, and can you can still farm it. Indiana’s largest installation grazes sheep among the panels.
Read more: Politico report on NFU (X); CarbonBrief on UK farmland solar

Staggering excess of oil coming

Why this matters? Oil demand growth slowing, production increasing. Maybe 8m barrels/day too much by 2030 🤯
Good for renewables? Not necessarily: excess means lower prices, spurring consumption. And destabilising petrostates. Hmm.
Read more: Fortune

BrewDog dumps carbon credits, rolls up sleeves

Why this matters? Sustainability leader BrewDog is stopped buying carbon credits, in favour of direct action schemes such as peatland restoration.
Credits that bad? They see a “flood of low-quality schemes that are dirt cheap but where the carbon benefit is highly questionable, and maybe even non-existent”.
Read more: Edie; BrewDog

One thing to worry about

Climate may change… your accent 😳.

One thing to be optimistic about

Beavers 🦫. Good for the planet in many ways.

Huge positive impact since beavers were re-introduced (‘mysteriously’) in Devon ten years ago.

Dams reduce the impact of both flooding and drought, and create oases where biodiversity can flourish. (The Cool Down)

If you’ve got more time, read this…

New energy means energy in different places. And it’s going to change the world’s balance of power.

Exponential View wrote this great primer on the implications:

• ‘Energy rich nations’ will mean something different. Regions with abundant wind or sun will become new industrial hubs

• New power doesn’t mean big government projects. Already 50% new power in Africa is off grid

• Tech will matter. Future systems aren’t just generation, but managing and optimising batteries inside smart systems

Bottom line: Every country and industry will need to rethink its relationship with energy. This is going to be a wild ride.

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