National Audubon Society

Audubon Florida Climate and Energy News Roundup

Today we share news about how clean energy technology is curbing emissions, new electric postal trucks, the value of sea oats, and more.

Great Egret. Photo: Donald Sawin

How 2022 Has Substantially, and Favorably, Changed Global Climate Outlook

From Yale Climate Connections

“A new analysis by the Global Carbon Budget, published in the journal Earth System Science Data, shows global carbon emissions from burning fossil fuels have fully recovered from the temporary dip driven by the COVID-19 pandemic, setting new records in 2021 and 2022. But it’s not all bad news: With most of that rebound occurring in 2021, global fossil pollution is projected to rise by just 1% in 2022, and the rate of global deforestation has slowed over the past two decades.”

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US Postal Service Fulfills Top Biden Climate Goal with Deployment of 66,000 Electric Delivery Trucks

From CNN

“The US Postal Service on Tuesday announced its intention to deploy at least 66,000 electric delivery trucks by 2028, satisfying a key goal for the Biden administration’s climate agenda. The shift toward electric vehicles, which follows pressure from environmental groups and a funding boost from the Inflation Reduction Act, will see the agency purchase at least 60,000 ‘Next Generation Delivery Vehicles,’ of which at least 45,000 will be electric. By 2026, the US Postal Service plans to purchase zero-emissions delivery trucks almost exclusively.”

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Sea Oats Are Proving to be Rigorous Defenders of Coastal Sand Dunes Under Siege by Hurricanes

From Islander News

“After Hurricane Nicole swarmed in against Florida's east coast in November, several communities were battered and flooded. But, on Florida’s Space Coast, where millions of dollars were lost to beachfront property damage and erosion, one area was unfazed. The City of Cape Canaveral recently praised the efforts of the Cocoa Beach (now Space Coast) Surfrider Club for its efforts going back two decades in planting and preserving sea oats along the Cocoa Beach-Cape Canaveral beaches… Sea oats (Uniola paniculata) have become an extremely valuable plant to protect coastlines and barrier islands. According to the US National Park Service, the plant's massive root system is capable of holding soil and sand in place during extreme weather events, such as hurricanes and tropical storms.”

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Demand for Pumps Jumps with Rising Seas and Flood risks. Florida’s Bill Will Be Massive

From Miami Herald

“Inside one of the biggest stormwater pump factories in Florida, 90 workers are busy molding metal: cutting, shaping, welding, painting and assembling it into the massive machines responsible for keeping South Florida’s streets dry. The pumps they’re building can stand up to 20 feet tall, weigh as much as 22 tons and include pipes so big the workers can stand up inside of them. When they’re installed in low-lying neighborhoods and alongside sluggish canals, they can stop water from flooding into homes and businesses during storms and king tides. They’re part of the growing and staggeringly expensive infrastructure that will be needed to keep South Florida habitable even as the seas rise and climate changes produce more extreme rainfall from hurricanes like Ian, which drenched a large swath of the state just months ago.”

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