cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/53104367

Sept. 23, 2026

But there is one solitary (and very literal) ray of sunshine amidst this gloom: the steady rise of solar, wind and batteries. That clean energy trinity has broken out of its Chinese base and over the last few years expanded quickly across the planet – from Karachi to California to Cuba, solar panels are going up faster than any energy source has ever grown. It’s even begun to demonstrate that it can drive emissions down: China seems to have started on its downward slope years before most thought it could, and California has cut the use of gas to produce electricity in half in the world’s fourth-largest economy.

None of it is happening fast enough to catch up with the physics of global warming, though – which is precisely why civil society will now try to double down on this one bright spot, and push for a rapid acceleration of clean energy; this transition is going fast, but it needs to go much faster.

Link here... https://www.weather.gov/tsa/wbgt

• https://piped.video/watch?v=EBN9JeX3iDs
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBN9JeX3iDs

Video Description:

Direct Air Capture (DAC) has been getting more and more attention over the last few years. Could we avert climate change by pulling carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere? Could we not just stop, but actually reverse the damage done? Unfortunately, most don't fully appreciate just quite how much CO2 we've emitted and the outrageous scale of the problem facing us. Today, we apply the fundamental principles of thermodynamics to question whether this is even feasible.

Written & presented by Prof. David Kipping. Edited by Jorge Casas. Fact checking by Alexandra Masegian.

Channel Description:

Space, astronomy, exoplanets, astroengineering and the search for extraterrestrial life & intelligence.

The Cool Worlds Lab, based at the Department of Astronomy, Columbia University, is a team of astronomers seeking to discover and understand alien worlds, particularly those where temperatures are cool enough for life, led by Professor David Kipping.

CHAPTERS (and key bits)

• 0:00 Climate Change: Some CC is needed just to maintain a level.
• 2:44 Removal Requirements: We released 37 Gt of CO2 in 2022.
• 3:38 Possible Solutions: Trees are good for 4 years, then no space.
• 5:03 Introducing DAC: IPCC estimates 20 Gt/yr @ 2050 required.
• 5:43 Climate Anxiety: This video is sponsored by betterhelp.
• 7:12 DAC Principles: Currently 19 DAC plants remove 10'000 tCO2/yr, or 0.000003% of global emissions.
• 8:14 Scalability: Why this video focuses on physics, not economics
• 9:29 Thermodynamics: Why DAC is a fight against entropy, introducing Gibbs. Lower limit: 120 kWh/tCO2
• 12:08 Progressive DAC: Starting in 2025, remove how much and how fast?
• 13:32 RCPs: Why 2.6 is discarded, why 4.5 is chosen (with an outlook on 8.5)
• 15:09 Simulations: For 450 ppm, we need to scrub 20 GtCO2 in 2050. For 350, almost 80 Gt.
• 17:03 Energy Requirements: 450 ppm requires 5% of global electricity. 350: 15%.
• 19:34 Efficiency: Above numbers assumed 100% efficiency. Current estimate 5%, measured 8%.
• 21:21 Conclusions: It's tough to do, but just possible. Easiest way: Stop emitting.
• 24:35 Outro and credits

"Already this month, 14 days have recorded surface air temperatures greater than 17°C (62.6°F) — spikes that have not been seen for roughly 125,000 years.

"In fact, Wednesday marked the 17th straight day with global temperatures hotter than any prior days on record."

Credits to wabooti

From The Guardian

https://wandering.shop/@rosemarymosco

• "If we are able to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, U.S. sea level in 2100 is projected to be around 0.6 meters (2 feet) higher on average than it was in 2000.
• On a pathway with high greenhouse gas emissions and rapid ice sheet collapse, models project that average sea level rise for the contiguous United States could be 2.2 meters (7.2 feet) by 2100 and 3.9 meters (13 feet) by 2150." Source: climate.gov

This is a pretty polished app. I've started using it.

Just trying to lighten the mood just a little.

My sincere hope is that someday we will not need this community and I can delete it. But for now this is what we all face.

Source: IPCC AR6 WGI, Figure SPM.1b, p. SPM-7