Audubon Florida Climate and Energy News Roundup This week we share news about a new solar roof, the costliest “sleeper" hurricane of 2020, how heat can affect our infrastructure, a new study about the value of tree canopy, and more!

Cypress tree canopy.

Utilities Must Do More to Support Solar Energy | Commentary From Orlando Sentinel “It’s not hard to understand why solar energy has become an increasingly larger part of Florida’s energy mix. It’s abundant, it’s clean, and the cost of solar technology has dropped 64 to 82 percent in a decade. Plus, tapping this resource means new jobs, lots of them. The most recent Solar Jobs Census found that Florida has over 11,000 solar jobs and that figure could quadruple if Congress enacts a 100% clean electricity standard (CES) by 2035. By powering more of our electrical grid with solar energy, we can also reduce dangerous greenhouse gases and other air pollution from fossil energy, reducing the impacts from climate change.” Read the entire article.

Tesla's First Solar Roof for Northeast Florida is Ready to Soak up Sun From First Coast News Jacksonville “You’ve heard about solar panels for your home’s roof, but what about a solar roof?  The roof, not conventional solar panels, actually collects the sun's energy and can power the whole home. Gillian and Bill Tait are changing what it means to soak up the Florida sun with their new roof in the St. Augustine Shores neighborhood… It’s the first Tesla Solar roof in Northeast Florida, according to Tommy Cusick, owner of Parrot Solar in Jacksonville.” Read the entire article.

Climate Change And Heat Waves Have Brutal Effect On U.S. Cities’ Infrastructure From American University Radio “After a brutal heatwave in the Pacific Northwest, NPR’s Lulu Garcia-Navarro talks with Vivek Shandas of Portland State University about the impact climate change is having on cities.” Read the entire article.

First of its Kind Study Quantifies How Tree Shade Can Cancel Urban Heat Island Effect From Anthropocene Magazine “On a 93.33 °F day in a certain part of Columbus, Ohio, trees currently planted in the neighborhood could lower the temperature by 3.48 °F if they were all fully grown, according to a new study. The presence of 20 additional mature trees in the neighborhood would make the temperature 1.39 °F lower still. The research suggests that shade from trees and carefully sited buildings could go a long way to mitigate the urban heat island effect, the tendency for cities to be several degrees hotter than surrounding areas due to the heat-absorbing effects of pavement and building materials.”   Read the entire article.

Redefine Infrastructure for a Resilient Future From The Hill “In February of this year, Texans faced a triple threat. There was the ongoing pandemic... Then came the winter storms that crippled the state’s poorly prepared electrical grid. ... Millions of American families lack the underlying physical and economic support systems that could help them contend with the economic, environmental, health and social strains presented by these increasingly common challenges. That is why we must invest in infrastructure to enhance our resilience to the threats of today, and the uncertainty of tomorrow.” Read the entire article.

At $1.5 Billion in Damage, This Was the Sleeper Hurricane of Record-breaking 2020 From the New Orleans Advocate “Hurricane Zeta might have been dismissed as a ‘minor’ Category 1 storm when it raked New Orleans and Slidell in late October. Turns out it was Louisiana's economic damage surprise of the record-breaking 2020 Atlantic Basin hurricane season, costing the state’s government, insurers and property owners $1.5 billion, according to a new analysis by the National Centers for Environmental Information.”   Read the entire article.

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