In this edition of The Hotpot: four recommended long-form articles and a video from journalists and experts in the field, to stay up to date on how to solve climate change. From a recent treaty aimed at protecting the high seas, Climeworks building the largest carbon removal plant on earth, to a new, innovative paint that could help cool down houses, and last but not least the reasoning behind the decrease in costs of offshore wind.
The 1st recommended read
High seas treaty: historic deal to protect international waters finally reached at UN
The Guardian | By Karen Mcveigh | March 5, 2023
After ten years of negotiations, the United Nations has finally agreed on a treaty aimed at protecting the high seas, which make up two-thirds of the world’s oceans. The treaty aims to establish guidelines for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity. Among its provisions are several measures to prevent overfishing, protect marine species and ecosystems, and manage the impacts of climate change and ocean acidification. The agreement has been hailed as a major step forward in efforts to protect the oceans for future generations.
The 2nd recommended read
Climeworks is building a bigger carbon removal plant — and getting some new competition
Grist | Emily Pontecorvo | June 29, 2022
Climeworks, a Swiss company that specializes in technology that’s able to permanently remove large amounts of carbon from the air, is constructing a larger carbon removal plant in Iceland. The plan is to have the technology right by 2050, to capture 1 billion metric tons of CO2 every year, which is around 1% of the total amount of carbon the world needs to see removed every year. Despite the increasing interest in carbon removal technologies, critics argue that these solutions are not sufficient on their own and must be accompanied by efforts to reduce emissions.
The 3rd recommended read
How Ultra-White Paint Could Help Fight Climate Change
World Economic Forum | By Victoria Masterson | January 6, 2023
This article discusses a relatively new ultra-white paint that has been developed by researchers at Purdue University. The world’s whitest paint, which is made of barium sulfate, holds the potential to reflect 98,1% of sunlight and repel infrared heat from a surface into space. The paint is not commercially available yet, but the potential benefits of using the paint to mitigate the effects of climate change are promising. Particularly in urban areas, where the paint could be a cost-effective and scalable solution to cool buildings — and even airplanes while making them less reliant on air conditioning.
The 4th recommended read
Why the rise of offshore wind costs is temporary
Climate Nexus | January 17, 2023
Offshore wind energy has seen significant cost reductions over the past decade, with the average cost falling by almost two-thirds since 2015. This decrease in cost is due to a combination of larger turbines, improved technology, and increased competition. Offshore wind has become one of the cheapest forms of new electricity generation in some parts of the world, with prices continuing to fall. In addition to being cost-competitive, offshore wind has the potential to play a significant role in decarbonizing the power sector and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Video
How to keep cool while the world gets hotter
The Economist | 13:21 min | Youtube
Made possible by our editorial team with our main editor Lisanne Swart.