Climate

Renewables overtake fossil fuels in Europe, Baby Beavers in London, and Drivers Ditching Cars

Renewables are overtaking fossil fuels in EU and aren't slowing down, super cute baby beavers are born in London for the first time in 400 years, and car free is becoming more of a reality as cities make improvements.

A baby beaver born in Somerset but how cute are they. Little hands! Photo credit National Trust.

The wartime rollout of renewables all over the Europe Union to fight the climate crisis and get off of Russian gas means that they've finally got to more renewables that fossil fuels. Some countries wanted to get away from Russian gas, some wanted to get away from expensive fossil fuels, maybe a mixture of both, but whatever the reason this is a huge milestone.

Pakistan Installs 13GW of Solar Panels

Solar is gaining traction in the South Asian nation following hikes in power prices over the past few years, with the latest increase in July triggering widespread protests. Photographer: Asim Hafeez/Bloomberg

In the first 6 months of 2024, Pakistan has imported an incredible 13GW of solar modules. Whilst sources don't make clear how much of that has been installed yet, it's a massive amount of panels, and with the price difficulties they've been having I'm sure they wont hang around. For context 13GW is 26% of Pakistans total electricity capacity, and 13 times more solar than the UK installed in 2023.

First Baby Beavers Born in London in 400 Years

Beavers are amazing engineers, working tirelessly to restore rivers, wetlands, and reservoirs, storing huge amounts of water and reducing the liklihood, frequency, and impact of flooding. Now we've got some new little floofers in London, with at least 2 new babies in a family of beavers now thriving in urban London.

This is being celebrated as both a historic achievement and a huge advancement in urban rewilding. The successful reintroduction, and now birth of baby beavers, is the work of The Ealing Beaver Project, a collaboration between Ealing Wildlife Group, Citizen Zoo, Friends of Horsenden and Ealing Council, with support from Beaver Trust and Mayor of London with funding from the Rewild London Fund. – Source: Beavers Trust

Paris Continues to Rebuild for People not Cars

Paris is spending €2 billion on improving cycling and active transport, and far more on generally making the place not be a car-centric hell hole. It's coming along incredibly well and every time I pass through the difference is shocking, but this photo from @EmmanuelSPV was particularly impressive.

Avant / Après Rue Abel in the 12ème arrondissement of Paris. And the circulation route, the traffic jam at the station, and the chargers, on a route to the place for the sidewalks and the planters.

Let's do this everywhere. Few need fewer cars, more nature, and safer slower streets so more people can choose to cycle.

Drivers Actively Ditching Cars

The amazing folks at We are Possible ran a Going Car Free Challenge, which inspired 957 UK drivers to ditch their cars for 30 days, and the results were amazing.

Many people who took part said they would use their cars a lot less or not at all since finishing the challenge.

Excellent stuff!

If we can get fewer people driving shorter routes with more people walking/wheeling down safer streets, and replace longer trips with more and better public transport powered by increasingly clean grids, we can absolutely get ourselves out of this mess.

Callback to the latest two articles in the Unf**king the Climate series.