Interesting Ideas

The insatiable horseshoe whip snake has become an existential threat to the Ibiza wall lizard

Irrefutable proof of what Spanish researchers and wildlife experts had long suspected, and long feared, finally presented itself in the form of a grainy video that was shot on a minuscule island in the Balearics in April 2024.

Ribboning its way through the turquoise waters that separate the east coast of Ibiza from the islet of Santa Eulària 450 metres away, came a pale and solitary horseshoe whip snake in search of new territory and fresh sustenance.

Solar power has grown to enormous levels in California, and that solar power is keeping wholesale prices low. Wind power, water power, and solar power all mean free fuel, and free fuel means low wholesale electricity prices. This is not news, but given how much people love to exclaim “California ... [continued]

The post California — Lowest Wholesale Electricity Prices in USA appeared first on CleanTechnica.

In this week’s newsletter: We began writing Down to Earth in 2021, but the global political, economic and environmental landscape has changed drastically in the past five years

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The Cop26 UN climate summit in Glasgow in 2021 represented a high-water mark in climate diplomacy, and in hope for global unity. Two weeks in Scotland that year resulted in all countries affirming they would strive to limit global heating to 1.5C, with most setting net zero goals and national plans to cut greenhouse gas emissions, halt deforestation, protect nature and boost renewable energy.

It wasn’t perfect: the plans would still result in about 2.8C of heating, though they agreed to work on strengthening them, and a commitment to phase out coal was weakened at the last minute to a phase down instead. But the direction of travel was clear: the whole world agreed on how to fight the climate crisis. The Paris agreement of 2015 bound countries to keep temperatures “well below” 2C above preindustrial levels, with 1.5C as an aspiration, but at Glasgow the 1.5C limit – in line with scientific advice, which warns of dire consequences beyond that threshold – was adopted as the clear goal.

‘It’s getting hotter and it’s not stopping’: dealing with the heat in five of Europe’s capitals

‘My head spins with the heat’: India’s gig workers battle exhaustion amid soaring temperatures

Climate crisis is accelerating antibiotic resistance across world, study says

Ian Hughes is boosting one of the continent’s most at-risk species with science, his sons and some homemade T-shirts

Ian Hughes and his son, Ben, are driving through the hills of north Wales with an array of homemade animal artefacts rattling around their car: diagrams, plaster casts, hand-printed T-shirts. They finally reach Llyn Tegid – Bala Lake in English – where, knee-deep in the water, Ian brandishes two glutinous snails.

It is a mollusc the size of a fingertip. It is also one of Europe’s most endangered species, which Ian has dedicated himself to protecting. “It’s beyond passion,” he says. “It’s an obsession.”

With many gigawatts' worth of wind power surging along the West Coast, California is forging new ties with the global floating wind industry.

The post The Global Floating Wind Industry Flexes Its Muscles (Including California, Too) appeared first on CleanTechnica.

People in southeast New Mexico are concerned about a data center that will add 10 million tons of carbon emissions to the air.

The post Giant Data Center In New Mexico Will Be Powered By Fuel Cells appeared first on CleanTechnica.

Exclusive: Local authority asked what steps it is taking after hordes of splashing revellers seen disturbing nesting birds

Ministers have written to the City of London demanding it stop people from swimming in a protected pond on Hampstead Heath, after disturbing scenes of cygnets and eggs being disrupted went viral on social media.

Swans and their 12-day-old cygnets were disturbed by hordes of splashing revellers in the north London park on Monday as temperatures reached a record 35C in the capital. In one video, a swan was seen poking an unhatched egg with its beak after it fell into the water during the chaos.

The births, fledgling flights and even first dates on Robert Fuller’s site are about to hit a million global subscribers

Having enjoyed setting up bird boxes with his father as a child, the wildlife artist Robert Fuller wanted to go one step further. While he happily spent hours making the boxes and dotting them around the Yorkshire Wolds, he found it tantalising that he was unable to see exactly what the nesting owls, kestrels and kingfishers were up to.

It transpires Fuller was not alone in his curiosity. His YouTube channel, which livestreams footage from his artificial habitats and documents his love of British nature, is about to hit a million global subscribers. His channel now generates on average 2.8m monthly views.

I read through hundreds if not thousands of comments every week, and sometimes our highly intelligent, tremendously informed readers share information that really makes my eyes pop. Once in a while, something is shared that I really can’t believe I didn’t see or realize earlier. I just had one of ... [continued]

The post China Sold More Plugin Vehicles in 2025 Than the USA Bought Vehicles of All Types! appeared first on CleanTechnica.

American car company Buick, huge with grandparents back when I was a kid, has released a very cool looking new sedan, the Buick Electra L7 BEV. Unfortunately, it won’t be available in the US. It’s a model developed solely for China. Of course, as things have evolved over time, Buick ... [continued]

The post The Buick Electra L7 BEV Looks Awesome — But Only For China appeared first on CleanTechnica.

I am getting ready to make the seasonal move from my Florida home to my northern getaway in Connecticut. The simple, older modular home sits on land that is bordered by a soothing meandering brook and pristine state forest. Unlike my fully electric southern condo, the Connecticut digs are in ... [continued]

The post Connecticut Approves Plug-In Solar — It’s So Exciting! appeared first on CleanTechnica.

Proposal would leave investors with less information about climate risks while advancing legal theory that could weaken corporate disclosure more broadly. Proposal would leave investors with less information about climate risks while advancing legal theory that could weaken corporate disclosure more broadly WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Securities and Exchange Commission today formally ... [continued]

The post SEC Formally Proposes Rescinding Climate Disclosure Rule, Deepening Retreat From Investor Protection appeared first on CleanTechnica.

Australia is pioneering a revolution in home renewables and battery use, proving what is possible with the right policies

The timing was rich with symbolism. As intense heatwaves pummelled Europe and Asia, and oil markets around the world leapt and sputtered, the two big chimneys of one of Australia’s largest power stations were being demolished. Meanwhile, the Australian energy minister was holding a media conference to hail a fall of up to 10% in the benchmark electricity price in parts of the country.

Quietly, and with surprisingly little fanfare from the rest of the world, Australia is pioneering a revolution in home renewables and battery use, proving what is possible with the right policies. The country was already one of the global leaders in domestic solar power, with panels on one in three homes. It also remains, however, a major contributor to the climate crisis through its vast fossil fuel exports.But it is batteries that are giving Australia a new burst of speed.

The new law should have a laser sharp focus on what needs to be onshored and localised. By Julia Poliscanova and Diane Strauss Another one bites the dust. Morrow Batteries is the latest in the sad saga of EU battery start-ups that have gone bankrupt. The company was burning through ... [continued]

The post How the Industrial Accelerator Act Can Help Avoid More Battery Factories Going Bust appeared first on CleanTechnica.

Rather than dreaming of restoring past glory, some are advocating for a future with a lighter footprint. And there are signs of renewal

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Kerry Outerbridge motored his powerboat through coral reef ringing the lush, tropical island and alighted upon white sand.

Catamarans and jetskis lay strewn about the beach. Nothing but quiet emerged to greet him from the bungalows scattered among a grove of coconut trees. A plate of food sat on a kitchen table, mouldering.

Despite government pledges, more than 20 authorities will not allow gullies, citing safety, legal and parking concerns

The energy secretary, Ed Miliband, has said charger gullies to connect electric cars parked on streets will help cut costs for drivers, yet millions of UK households may be unable to use the simple technology because their local councils will still not allow charging cables to cross the pavement.

Despite government promises to “slash red tape” and make it easier to put in gullies, more than 20 local authorities appear to be holding out against them.

Many of those who love spending time in Britain’s green places say it is awe-inspiring, calming and therapeutic

As a recent study revealed almost half of UK adults now spend less than three hours a week in natural settings such as gardens, parks, fields or woods, we asked readers to tell us about what being outside means to them.

The replies – heartfelt and passionate – came flooding in, with some admitting they just did not have the words to say how important it is.

Elon Musk says that he wants SpaceX and Tesla teams to work together to build 100 gigawatts of solar power manufacturing capacity in the US — cells and modules. And he wants to do that within three years. There’s a lot to consider here. Before we get into some of ... [continued]

The post Is SpaceX & Tesla 100-Gigawatt/Year US Solar System Production Plan Realistic? appeared first on CleanTechnica.

Jacksonville Community Shared Testimony on Coal Ash Pollution and Demanded Stronger Protections JACKSONVILLE, Florida — Yesterday, Jacksonville residents joined advocates and environmental leaders from across the country to participate in a public hearing regarding EPA’s attempt to roll back its Coal Combustion Residuals (CCR) rule, a move which experts warn would ... [continued]

The post Local Residents, Environmental Advocates Spoke Out at EPA Coal Ash Public Hearing appeared first on CleanTechnica.

Hour by hour, Shahida and her baby are exposed to the full force of the deadly temperatures affecting India’s capital – without reliable access to food, water or healthcare. Here is a day in their lives

Delhi is sweltering through another summer of extreme heat, with top daytime readings consistently reaching 43C and even minimum temperatures hovering around 32.4C (90.3F).

Last week the city endured its warmest May night in 14 years. As government heat alerts follow one after another and people retreat indoors, more than 300,000 individuals living on the city’s streets remain out in the punishing heat.

Shahida dreads the arrival of summer, and this year, she has the additional worry of keeping nine-month-old Jannat safe from the heat