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Audubon Florida Climate and Energy News Roundup Today we share news about the cost benefits of driving an EV, enhancing resilience at Tyndall Air Force Base, a plea for climate action from Amazon nations, and more.

Southeastern sunflower. Photo: Donald Sawin

Is it Cheaper to Refuel Your EV Battery or Gas Tank? We Did the Math in All 50 States From the Washington Post “The basic argument is that electricity prices are so high it has erased the advantage of recharging over refilling. This cuts to the heart of why many people buy EVs, according to the Pew Research Center: 70 percent of potential EV buyers report ‘saving money on gas’ as among their top reasons. So how much does it really cost to refuel an EV? The answer is less straightforward than it seems. Just calculating the cost of gasoline vs. electricity is misleading. Prices vary by charger (and state). Everyone charges differently. Road taxes, rebates and battery efficiency all affect the final calculation… The bottom line? In all 50 states, it’s cheaper for the everyday American to fill up with electrons — and much cheaper in some regions such as the Pacific Northwest, with low electricity rates and high gas prices.” Read the entire article.

Solar Canopy Charges Electric Buses in Montgomery County, Maryland From Yale Climate Connections “At the Brookville bus depot in Montgomery County, Maryland, buses park under a large solar canopy. The solar is part of a microgrid that’s charging electric buses. ‘The depot serves about a third of our transit operation,’ says Chris Conklin, director of the county’s department of transportation. ‘It hosts about 150 buses that provide service in the more densely settled portion of the county.’ Only 14 of those buses are now electric, but the county has ordered 100 more and plans to transition the rest of the fleet served by the Brookville depot within a few years. That will help reduce carbon pollution. And it benefits the neighborhoods near the depot, too.” Read the entire article.

As Climate Change Worsens, Military Eyes Base of the Future on Gulf Coast From the Washington Post “Five years later, the scars of Hurricane Michael are still visible across Tyndall Air Force Base. The snapped and jagged trunks of once-towering pines protrude across its 29,000 acres, leaving expansive views toward the Gulf of Mexico where thick forests once stood. Dusty, empty lots remain on the site of some of the hundreds of buildings that succumbed to the Category 5 storm in 2018. But these days, what is most striking about life at Tyndall — home to roughly 3,500 employees and their families, including the 325th Fighter Wing, a key combat training force — is not what is gone, but rather what is emerging.“ Read the entire article.

Biden-Harris Administration Announces $454 Million in Army Corps of Engineers’ Civil Works investments for Emergency Repairs, Flood and Storm Damage Reduction, Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration, and Navigation Projects From the Army Corps of Engineers “The Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works announced today additional U.S. Army Corps of Engineers studies and projects funded through President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), the Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (DRSAA) of 2022, and the DRSAA of 2023. These actions invest over $454 million to help communities reduce their flood risks from coastal storms and to restore delicate aquatic ecosystems… The updated spend plan also provides an additional $1 million in Investigations funding to complete reevaluation of the needs of Tampa Harbor in Florida.” Read the entire article.

Scientists Look Beyond Climate Change and El Nino for Other Factors That Heat Up Earth From the Associated Press “Scientists are wondering if global warming and El Nino have an accomplice in fueling this summer’s record-shattering heat. The European climate agency Copernicus reported that July was one-third of a degree Celsius (six-tenths of a degree Fahrenheit) hotter than the old record. That’s a bump in heat that is so recent and so big, especially in the oceans and even more so in the North Atlantic, that scientists are split on whether something else could be at work.” Read the entire article.

Amazon Nations Seek Common Voice on Climate Change, Urge Action From Industrialized World From the Miami Herald “Eight Amazon nations called on industrialized countries to do more to help preserve the world's largest rainforest as they met at a major summit in Brazil to chart a common course on how to combat climate change. The leaders of South American nations that are home to the Amazon, meeting at a two-day summit in the city of Belem that ends Wednesday, said the task of stopping the destruction of the rainforest can’t fall to just a few when the crisis has been caused by so many.” Read the entire article.

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