Decarbonization Program for SW PA Would Eliminate Most Emissions There By 2050, Potential Energy Lab’s “That’s Interesting”, Climate Champions–Helping Us Help You Reforest the Planet!

DECARBONIZATION PROGRAM WOULD ELIMINATE MOST EMISSIONS IN SOUTHWESTERN PENNSYLVANIA BY 2050

Carbon emissions from the power sector in a 10-county region of southwestern Pennsylvania would be nearly eliminated by 2050 under a program that increases renewable energy generation, increases storage, improves energy efficiency and uses existing nuclear capacity to meet the growing demand for electricity. These are the findings from a study published last week.

A “decarbonization path” proposed by the study’s authors, Strategen, a clean energy consultant, and the Ohio River Valley Institute, a research group, would shut down all of the region’s coal-fired power plants by 2035 and most of those that burn natural gas by 2050.

Further emission reductions would be achieved through the “deep electrification” of transport and buildings, leading to a 95 percent reduction in these sectors by 2050 and a reduction in their natural gas consumption by more than 90 percent each. In the power sector, emissions would fall by 97 percent by 2050, resulting in environmental benefits of $2.7 billion a year, the study found.

A Clean Energy Pathway for Southwestern Pennsylvania focuses on the region for its rich coal and natural gas resources, which have fueled a long history of energy production resulting in disproportionate impacts on human health and the natural environment. In the 10 counties, 72 percent of the energy generated comes from fossil fuels, while 26 percent comes from nuclear and just 2 percent from renewable energy.

The study argues that implementing a clean energy strategy in the heavily mined and fracked region could become a model for other areas.  I smell a template, listeners….!!

Why does this study matter to us?

“A clean energy transition is both possible and imperative for southwest Pennsylvania and broader Appalachia,” the 37-page paper said. “As part of a larger coordinated effort, the region can embark on a path to advance renewable resource development, accelerated electrification, and heavy investment in energy efficiency, while shedding its continued reliance on fossil fuels.”

 DEEPER DIVE: STRATEGEN, ORVI, YOUTUBE

POTENTIAL ENERGY LAB’S “THAT’S INTERESTING” KNOWLEDGE NEWSLETTER

We at The Climate Daily love John Marshall. He’s founder of Potential Energy Lab, a company whose goal is to massively grow the size of the climate movement by engaging new and broader audiences with new narratives.

Potential Energy’s whole premise is that Climate Change has a marketing problem. People don’t get it, they don’t care about it as much as they should, so they don’t make it a priority. Potential Energy Lab believes great creative can change the world. Remember that hilarious and potent “Save Florida Man from Climate Change” viral video? Potential Energy Lab funded that. Now they’re producing a knowledge newsletter called, “That’s Interesting.”  This week, POL published its ninth issue titled, “Talk of Banning Gas Stoves is Fueling the Flames.”

Why does “That’s Interesting” matter to us? Because since we began this work in 2019, we’ve amassed an immense amount of valuable data that helps identify who, how, and what to message to get more people to care more and act more on climate change — at scale. For example, in issue #9 we learn, based on data discovered while testing support for gas stove bans with an experiment in ten states: AZ, GA, CA, MI, NV, NC, NM, PA, UT, and WI, POL found it cost $20.48 to get someone to support a gas stove ban, but only $3.03 to get someone to oppose it. That’s seven times less productive of an argument. 

Incidentally, the best message didn’t appear to be the health risk (people don’t seem to believe it). Perhaps surprisingly, climate as the reason to replace household gas stoves is 25% more productive than making it about health. To find out better ways to communicate to change the narrative on climate change and to dramatically expand the number of citizens demanding action, check out Potentialenergycoalition.org/thats-interesting, or click on the link in the deeper dive section of this show at theclimate.org/episodes.

DEEPER DIVE: Florida Man, Potential Energy Lab, That’s Interesting

THE CLIMATE’S CLIMATE CHAMPIONS–HELPING US HELP YOU REFOREST THE PLANET!

Hey, everybody! Jeffrey and I are super excited about this—in honor of our second anniversary of podcasting The Climate Daily, and from input from some of our faithful listeners who kept asking us, “What else can we do to take positive action to combat climate change, aside from listening to The Climate Daily?”, we are launching The Climate Champions project! What’s a climate champion, you ask? A climate champion proves that a small group of people can make a massive impact on the planet in a short amount of time. 

How? Our company, The Climate, is partnering with over 30 international tree-planting organizations–ALONG WITH our climate champions– to re-plant, and regrow forests all over the world, by planting ten thousand trees at a time.  Why? Because science says the best way to combat climate change is to restore nature. And the fastest way to restore nature is to plant and grow a trillion trees, and the fastest way to plant and grow a trillion trees is to replant and regrow forests. The fastest way to do that is to plant ten thousand trees at a time, And the fastest and most fun way to plant ten thousand trees at a time is to fundraise with friends, climate champions. When just 33 people commit to just $3/ day for four months, we can plant and grow 10K trees…a 20-acre forest! (Which our tree planting partners will do. They’re the tree-planting professionals.)

Surf on over to theclimate.org/change hyphen  champions. Click on the donate button and join our team of climate champions today. $3/day? That’s less than the price of coffee, or a slice of pizza or to pay for parking to grab that coffee or that pizza. And when you do it, you’ll get a social media shout out, a receipt for your taxes, and your whole family will be proud of you.

Again, Surf on over to theclimate.org/change-champions. Click on the donate button and join our team of climate champions today. And if you want to start your own team of climate champions, reach out to us at info@34.203.12.8. Well help you put together your own small group of change champions to make a massive impact on the planet in a short amount of time, planting 10 thousand trees–a 20-acre forest! Wouldn’t it be great to be the change you want to see in the world? Go to theclimate.org/change-champions and become part of something special. Become a climate champion.  Thank you!!

DEEPER DIVE: THECLIMATE.ORG/CHANGE-CHAMPIONS