Climate is the overwhelming story of our generation. Each week, this email reports the science, often frightening, and the tech, mostly encouraging. Please share to help others appreciate the problem, and that we have solutions. Free sign up at www.maxaitken.com 

What you need to know

Plastic recycling is a massive fraud: 94% plastic can’t be recycled

I’m sorting my rubbish for nothing? Seems so, says the Centre for Climate Integrity. 94% plastics can’t be/won’t be recycled. Big Oil fibbed for generations.
Getting better? No, worse. US’s recycling rate is now 5%, a drop since 2020. Reason? Technically difficult, mostly just not worth it.
Read more: Read Inverse on why it’s so hard

UK: stopping emissions might not work, let’s look at reflecting the sun back into into space instead

Come again? If carbon isn’t going down, we might have to intervene directly. Pump sulphur into the stratosphere, or spray seawater to form clouds. “Geoengineering”. UK government putting £10m into a study.
WTF? Well, climate change is geoengineering. So fight fire with fire. Respected climate scientists say we going to need it.
Read more: UK Research & Innovation 

The ducks are gone

What’s happening? Lough Neath is British Isle’s largest lake. In 2023 the flies disappeared. No flies, no ducks. Like, really, no ducks 🦆. Swans & eels gone too. Disaster.
Why this matters? Rising temperatures mean ecosystems change. Let’s be careful?
Read more: Guardian; Water Issues

One thing to worry about

So last month 220 countries broke temperature records in the warmest February on record.

If your kids want a bedtime story, don’t read them this: “Scientists Are Freaking Out About Ocean Temperatures” (New York Times)

One thing to be optimistic about

Expanding the grid is critical. But building power lines in developed countries is really hard. 10,000 US projects are waiting to connect.

What if there was an easier way? Berkeley published on ‘reconductoring’ - replacing existing wires with new materials that carry more power. 2-4x more expensive, but quicker & no new lines.

Seems obvious when you think about it 🙄.

We can invent the tech we need.

If you’ve got more time, read this…

IEA’s 2023 report on clean energy growth: Carbon up, but direction of travel encouraging. The coupling of carbon and growth is weakening. GDP up 3% while emissions only 1.1%.

• The good: renewables now growing twice as fast as fossils.

  • + 85% solar generation

  • + 60% wind generation

  • + 35% EV production

  • + 360% electrolyser installation (for hydrogen)

  • Rich country coal is the lowest since 1900, and emissions are like 1973 🕺.

• The bad: carbon still growing, up 1.1%

  • - 30% nuclear. Boo. Hard, expensive & governments don’t have balls.

  • - 3% heat pumps. Jan Rosenow explains why.f

Want a summary? Read Simon Evans on X.

If you like this newsletter, please forward to friends or colleagues who might appreciate it. Sign up at maxaitken.com - it’s free.

My new business is Beaverbrook Energy - supporting commercial & industrial companies in the energy transition. Follow us on LinkedIn ahead of our 2024 launch.

• 3rd March