2022 Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards, Project Mushroom’s Eric Holthaus, MACK Makes EV Trash Trucks!

2022 COMEDY WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS

It’s the most wonderful time of the year!…it’s time to announce the 2022 comedy wildlife photography awards. What? You say you know not of the comedy wildlife photography awards?  Well, they were born from a passion for wildlife. Paul Joynson-Hicks and Tom Sultam began the Comedy Wildlife photography contest modestly in 2015. Joynson-Hicks had decades of previous experience living & working in East Africa, The competition all began when he was looking through his photographs when he came across several that made him laugh out loud: an eagle looking at him through its back legs and a warthog’s bottom. 

Why do adorably hilarious photos of wildlife matter to us in the era of climate change? As Joynson-Hicks put it, “Through the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards, we aim to widen understanding and engagement of a sustainable world – and wildlife conservation specifically – for the preservation of biodiversity and the health and enrichment of everyone on Earth.” Check out the winning photos at comedywildlifephoto.com, or click on the link in the Deeper Dive section of this story at thecliate.org/episodes. BTW, think you have a funny, winning wildlife photo? Well, submissions for the 2023 competition are open now, through August 27, 2023. The competition is free to enter, whether to wildlife photography novices, amateurs or professionals. Comedy Wildlife’s photographs transcend cultures and ages to bring a smile to everyone’s face.

DEEPER DIVE: CWPA

CLIMATE CHAMPION, ERIC HOLTHAUS–PROJECT MUSHROOM & “THE FUTURE OF EARTH”

So who is this guy who dreamed up Project Mushroom? His name is Eric Holthaus? He’s a St. Paul, MN-based “rebel nerd of meteorology” (according to Rolling Stone magazine), climate change subject matter expert and author. And he’s a little bit solar punk, too. Prior to Project Mushroom, Holthaus wrote, The Future Earth. It’s been called, “The first hopeful book about climate change.”  The Future Earth shows readers how to reverse the short- and long-term effects of climate change over the next three decades.

As Holthaus writes, the basics of climate science are easy. We know it is entirely human-caused. Which means its solutions will be similarly human-led. In his book,Holthaus offers a radical vision of our future, specifically how to reverse the short- and long-term effects of climate change over the next three decades. According to his publishers, the book is anchored by world-class reporting, interviews with futurists, climatologists, biologists, economists, and climate change activists, it shows what the world could look like if we implemented radical solutions on the scale of the crises we face. Solutions to questions like:

•       What could happen if we reduced carbon emissions by 50 percent in the next decade?
•       What could living in a city look like in 2030?
•       How could the world operate in 2040, if the proposed Green New Deal created a 100 percent net carbon-free economy in the United States? This is the book for anyone who feels overwhelmed by the current state of our environment. And that’s why The Future Earth matters to all of us. It’s hopeful and prophetic, The Future Earth invites us to imagine how we can reverse the effects of climate change in our own lifetime and encourages us to enter a deeper relationship with the earth as conscientious stewards and to re-affirm our commitment to one another in our shared humanity.

MACK TRUCKS MAKES EV TRASH TRUCKS!

If you live in America, or have spent more than a month here, you’ve seen a Mack truck. Big, menacing, snout-nosed beast, emboldened with a bulldog  Founded in 1900, Mack trucks are sold and serviced in nearly 30 countries worldwide. The company is one of North America’s largest manufacturers of medium-duty trucks, heavy-duty trucks, proprietary engines and transmissions. While Mack Trucks manufacture its vehicles in Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia, the company is owned by the Volvo Group. That may be why Mack Truck’s sustainability goals are what they are: Reduce CO2 emissions by 40% per vehicle kilometer by 2030; increase sales of Zero Emissions Vehicles by 2030 to 35% of total sales; achieve natural supply chains by 2040; while also reducing CO2 emissions in Mack Truck operations and freight transportation by 50% by 2030; and reduce energy consumption in Mack-owned buildings and plant facilities by 2.5% each year.

Why do Mack Truck’s goals and new products matter to us?

According to Statista, medium and heavy trucks contribute about 22% of CO2 emissions annually. And according to Project Drawdown, the transportation sector needs to reduce global emissions by 61-88 gigatons per year. So what are Mack’s offerings? Two, the LR and LR3. According to the website, both EV trash trucks deliver the same comfort, visibility and reliability as the diesel-powered LR. And they also come with 42 percent more energy and a standard 376 kWh total battery capacity for increased range to meet operational demands. These trucks are monsters! A gross weight of 66K lbs, with a 25,000 lbs payload. Charging time is about 2 hours, too, @ 150KW. It has up to 100 “on-the-job” miles. So far, Mack LR and LR3 EV trucks have been road-tested in NYC, Alexandria, VA and Greensboro, NC.

DEEPER DIVE: Mack Trucks, Project Drawdown, Statista, YouTube\\