Well That Was a Very Distressing Presidential Debate

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THE TOP FIVE

1. Biden squanders his climate moment at presidential debate

Well, last night’s first 2024 debate between President Biden and Donald Trump was “altogether distressing,” writes Heatmap’s Katie Brigham. And while climate was far from the main focus, the two candidates did have one notable exchange. Trump initially dodged a question about whether he would take action to slow the climate crisis, then briefly noted “I want absolutely immaculate clean water and I want absolutely clean air. And we had it. We had H2O.” Biden responded by criticizing Trump’s decision to pull out of the Paris Agreement. “I immediately [re]joined, because if we reach 1.5 degrees Celsius, at any one point, there’s no way back,” Biden said. “The only existential threat to humanity is climate change. And he didn’t do a damn thing about it.”

Making Paris the focus of the debate’s one exchange around climate was an odd choice, Brigham says. According to a poll conducted last November by Heatmap, only 35% of Americans say they are at least “somewhat familiar” with the Paris Agreement. The Inflation Reduction Act, Biden’s signature piece of climate legislation, didn’t come up once. (Not that they’re that familiar with the IRA, either.) “Solar, wind, carbon emissions — all terms that resonate with Americans, none of which were mentioned,” Brigham adds.

HEATED’s Emily Atkin summed up reaction from climate-conscious viewers nicely, too:

X/emorwee

2. SCOTUS blocks EPA’s ‘good neighbor’ pollution rule

The Supreme Court yesterday agreed to pause an EPA environmental rule while it is challenged in a lower court. The so-called good neighor plan would impose strict emissions limits on power plants and other industrial sources in 23 states, and was intended to prevent dangerous pollution that can cause breathing problems from drifting across state lines. The rule has been challenged by a number of Republican states, as well as companies. Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote that those challenges were “likely to succeed on a claim that the Good Neighbor Plan is ‘arbitrary” or “capricious.’” The ruling blocks the EPA from ramping up pollution limits while the challenges are being heard. According to the EPA, the plan would prevent 1,300 premature deaths and cut down on ER visits.

3. U.S. EV sales tick up

U.S. sales of electric vehicles were up 12% in April (the most recent month for which data is available) compared to the same month in 2023, “countering the widespread notion that American consumers have lost interest in the technology,” according to E&E News. The data, from S&P Global, also finds this increase was led by “traditional” automakers – Ford, Toyota, etc. – not Tesla. Those manufacturers have been encroaching on Tesla’s position as the dominant U.S. EV seller for a while, and may soon close the gap entirely. We’ll know more next week, when manufacturers are expected to report their second-quarter sales.

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4. Biden administration blocks road proposed for mining in Alaska

The Biden administration today finalized a decision to block construction of a 211-mile mining road on federal land in north central Alaska. The move protects areas of pristine wilderness that are important to the traditions and livelihoods of Native communities from being carved up for copper and zinc mining. The venture behind the project, Ambler Metals, insists the materials it wants access to are essential for clean energy technologies like wind turbines and transmission lines, and says it will explore legal challenges. Below is a map of the proposed road:

DOI/BLM

In a separate decision, the Interior Department also said it would protect 28 million acres of land in Alaska that former President Donald Trump had tried to make available for drilling and mining. President Biden has a goal of conserving 30% of U.S. lands and waters.

5. Vatican to build solar farm in Rome to power operations

Pope Francis has chosen a site for its solar farm, which will power Vatican City. Francis picked Santa Maria di Galeria, a patch of land on the outskirts of Rome that has long been used as the base for Vatican Radio transmitters. It’s not clear how big the solar farm will be or when construction will be completed. In a letter outlining the plan, Francis called for “a transition to a sustainable development model that reduces greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere, setting the goal of climate neutrality.”

THE KICKER

Global offshore wind capacity increased 24% last year, which makes 2023 “the second-highest year in offshore wind history,” according to the Global Wind Energy Council.