175 of 900,136
đ˘ Terrifying, tragic omen
Inbox
Axios Generate Unsubscribe
8:38 AM (23 hours ago)
to me
Axios
PRESENTED BY GLOBAL X ETFS
Axios Generate
By Ben Geman and Andrew Freedman ¡Dec 13, 2021
â Good morning! Today's Smart Brevity count is 1,351 words, 5 minutes.
đ§ Andrew discussed the deadly tornadoes on the Axios Today podcast.
đ¸ Happy birthday to guitar legend Jeff 'Skunk' Baxter, whose playing animates today's intro tune...
1 big thing: December tornado disaster is a warning
Change in favorable tornado days between 1979 and 2020.
Change in favorable tornado days between 1979 and 2020, in days per decade. (Victor Gensini)
Scientists are pointing to increasing signs that climate change is altering tornado outbreaks, like the deadly six-state rampage this weekend, in ways that appear to make them bigger and more damaging, Andrew writes.
Why it matters: The environment in which tornadoes form is changing in ways that raise the odds of sparking dangerous severe weather outbreaks across the South and Mid-South, particularly during the fall and winter when the jet stream dives toward the region.
The weekend outbreak illustrates a scenario of what can happen when all the ingredients that cause devastating tornadoes come together in spades.
These include a record warm, humid air mass and powerful winds that shift in speed/direction with height, which is known as wind shear.
Yes, but: The attribution of individual outbreaks, and to some extent, overall trends, is trickier with tornadoes, researchers say, because they are difficult phenomena to model when compared to other extreme events such as heat waves.
The big picture: The latest outbreak stands apart from anything previously seen during the month of December, or for that matter, in any month.
Tornado occurrence is increasing in the Mid-South and Southeast compared to the Plains states, and tornadoes are becoming more variable from year to year.
Victor Gensini, a meteorology professor at Northern Illinois University, said he woke up Friday morning to a weather map that looked more like spring than December.
A record warm air mass was in place across the Southeast and humidity was high. Both act as fuel for severe weather. A new study shows that as temperatures increase, so do key outbreak ingredients.
The warmth and humidity were boosted by strong winds blowing north from the unusually warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
In Memphis, Tennessee, the high on Friday was 80°F, a record and 25°F above average for the date. The heat helped fuel the disaster.
Climate studies show that shear may decrease some as the world warms, but that warm, moist and unstable environments will become more common. It's when these ingredients overlap that you get a record-shattering event.
Between the lines: Tornado trends, such as a shift in their geographic distribution and increased variability from year to year, are what scientists expect to see in a warming world, according to Gensini.
Harold Brooks, a tornado expert from NOAA who studies twisters and climate change, told Axios that the increase in days with favorable conditions for tornadoes in the South and Southeast already stands out as a climate-related signal.
What's next: The heartbreaking devastation that played out over the weekend may be a preview of what's to come as favorable conditions for strong southern tornadoes overlap more with sprawling communities that lack the strict building codes present in some historically tornado-prone states.
'What weâre going to see is more of these disasters,' Gensini said.
2. VP Harris to announce EV charging plan today
The White House is looking to show that it's breathing life into provisions in the new bipartisan infrastructure law that provide $7.5 billion for electric vehicle charging initiatives, Ben writes.
Driving the news: Later today Vice President Harris, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm and White House climate adviser Gina McCarthy will appear at a Maryland event to announce the administration's 'Electric Vehicle Charging Action Plan,' the White House said.
How it works: Per a White House summary, the efforts include...
- Announcing the creation of the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation that's required under the new law to guide its electrification efforts.
- The Energy and Transportation Departments are also creating an 'Advisory Committee on Electric Vehicles' to gather outside input on charging, with plans to appoint members in Q1 2022.
- Other aspects will include new guidance and standards for cities and states, and work with domestic manufacturers to enable U.S. sourcing.
- The big picture: Biden hopes to see the U.S. have 500,000 public chargers in place by 2030.
The White House summary, however, notes that the 100,000 already in place have different plug types, payment options and other differences.
One goal of the new plan is to 'establish a more uniform approach, provide greater convenience for customers, and offer increased confidence for industry,' it states.
* * *
ICYMI via Bloomberg on Friday: 'The Biden administration has ordered an immediate halt to new federal support for coal plants and other carbon-intensive projects overseas, a major policy shift designed to fight climate change and accelerate renewable energy worldwide.'
However, the story notes 'significant exemptions' to the policy.
3. Lucid CEO on affordability and Saudi backing
Lucid Motors CEO Peter Rawlinson
Lucid Motors CEO Peter Rawlinson speaks with Axios transportation correspondent Joann Muller on 'Axios on HBO.' Photo: 'Axios on HBO'
Lucid Motors CEO Peter Rawlinson doesn't 'want to be doing wealthy people's cars,' he told 'Axios on HBO' in an interview that aired Sunday, Axios' Joann Muller reports.
Why it matters: Americans are warming up to the idea of electric cars, but the purchase price is still too high for many people.
The $169,000 Lucid Air Dream has an unprecedented 520-mile driving range â efficiency that can be carried over to lower-priced models.
'Efficiency's the key, and our technology will drive down the (battery) pack size in this car. And driving the pack size will drive down the cost. And that's where we get to a $25,000 car. And I think that could come three to four years from now.'
Yes, but: It likely won't be a $25,000 Lucid, Rawlinson said. Instead, it will be other brands, selling high-volume models with smaller, cheaper battery packs based on Lucid's efficiency breakthroughs.
The intrigue: He also defended Lucid's ownership structure, which is 60% controlled by Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, chaired by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who was implicated by the CIA in the murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
'We've got to look at the big picture here,' Rawlinson told 'Axios on HBO.'
'The entire world is facing an environmental crisis. And here we have a country which has really grown to its position through its fossil fuel wealth having the foresight to invest in this new green, environmental-friendly endeavor.'
Read the whole story.
Share on Facebook Tweet this Story Post to LinkedIn Email this Story
A MESSAGE FROM GLOBAL X ETFS
The case for hydrogen as the next green opportunity
Although a shift to clean power is underway, renewables still make up a small share of energy consumption.
We recently explored why hydrogen could be poised to fill the gap, representing a green energy opportunity with considerable growth potential.
Explore HYDR
4. Democrats may punt Biden bill into 2022
Illustration of a traffic cone about to be kicked by a leg in a business suit and dress shoe.
Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
Some Senate Democrats are bracing for President Biden's Build Back Better package to get punted into 2022, despite Democratic leaders insisting the massive climate and social spending bill will pass before the end of this year, Axios' Alayna Treene reports.
Why it matters: Beyond pushing major spending legislation into a midterm year, a delay in the $1.75 trillion bill creates several technical and financial obstacles for Democrats. They include lapses in key provisions like the child tax and clean energy credits.
Making technical fixes to the bill will be irritating for Democrats but not fatal to the legislation.
The bigger concern is any delay will result in a smaller package.
Driving the news: President Biden said Friday he plans to speak early this week with Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), a key holdout over the legislation.
But Manchin isn't giving any indication he's in a hurry, especially after Friday's report showing inflation running at 6.8%.
Read the whole story.
Share on Facebook Tweet this Story Post to LinkedIn Email this Story
5. Catch up fast: European edition
Policy: 'The European Commission will propose a system for EU countries to jointly procure gas to form strategic reserves of the fuel, a measure drawn up in response to soaring energy prices, according to a document shared with countries ahead of a summit this week.' (Reuters)
Markets: 'The price of EU carbon allowances hit a record high of more than âŹ90 last week, with escalating prices transforming the economics of clean fuels such as green hydrogen and decarbonisation technology.' (Financial Times)
Geopolitics: 'German Chancellor Olaf Scholz promised that his government will âdo everythingâ to ensure that natural gas continues to flow through Ukraine and prevent Russia from using its Nord Stream 2 pipeline to cripple the former Soviet republicâs economy.' (Bloomberg)
Share on Facebook Tweet this Story Post to LinkedIn Email this Story
Bonus: Climate movie suggestions
Illustration of a video camera surrounded by a film frame.
Illustration: AĂŻda Amer/Axios
We asked for some of your favorite climate-related films that didn't make our list last week, when Andrew reviewed the new Adam McKay climate change comedy, 'Don't Look Up.'
Here are some of your suggestions. When you read this list, keep in mind the movie themes and how they might apply to climate change, as not all are obvious.
- Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)
- Wall-E (2008)
- FernGully: The Last Rainforest (1992)
- Take Shelter (2011)
- On the Beach (1959)
- Interstellar (2014)
- The Midnight Sky (2020)
Thanks to everyone who wrote in!
Share on Facebook Tweet this Story Post to LinkedIn Email this Story
A MESSAGE FROM GLOBAL X ETFS
The case for hydrogen as the next green opportunity
Although a shift to clean power is underway, renewables still make up a small share of energy consumption.
We recently explored why hydrogen could be poised to fill the gap, representing a green energy opportunity with considerable growth potential.
Explore HYDR
HQ
Bring the strength of Smart BrevityÂŽ to your team â more effective communications, powered by Axios HQ.
Axios thanks our partners for supporting our newsletters. If youâre interested in advertising, learn more here.
Sponsorship has no influence on editorial content.
Axios, 3100 Clarendon Bâlvd, Suite 1300, Arlington VA 22201
You received this email because you signed up for newsletters from Axios.
Change your preferences or unsubscribe here.
Was this email forwarded to you?
|
|
