In Between Times 1-12-2023
NFL team buys carbon credits, US vs China in hydrogen, EVs increasingly appeal to everyone, No one wants a corrupt Congress
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This is the HOUSTON NFL team, in the heart of American fossil fuels country. It's a statement.
"The credits will allow the Texans to offset their estimated carbon emissions for all regular season away games over the next three years..." (From Carbon Herald)
Let's congratulate the Texans for leading the league in this area. Please sign the petition to show your support.
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Dominos pizza is partnering with GM to build a fleet of EV pizza delivery vehicles
It’s a significant purchase of 800 vehicles. That Dominos sees this not only as a good PR move and something that is good for the environment, but also as something that helps the bottom line is significant. Profitable sustainability is sustainable sustainability and as tech continues to develop sustainability and profitability will come more and more in line for many companies.
(From CNBC)
“Domino’s was founded in 1960 as a delivery company, and we go to bed every night and wake up every morning saying ‘how can we get better?’” Weiner told CNBC’s Jim Cramer on “Mad Money” last week. “This is a way we can get better; better service for our customers and better for the environment.”
The Chevy Bolt EV will provide the company with zero tailpipe emissions and lower average maintenance costs than nonelectric vehicles, as well as a reduction in fueling costs, according to Domino’s. The new vehicles, which have a 259-mile range, will be custom-branded with Domino’s logos.
“I’d like a supreme pizza but hold the carbon please…”
“No problem. It’ll be there in 30 minutes.”
Click here for the article.
Greenwashing claims: it’s not easy, being green
This is a great challenge for many companies. “Greenwashing” implies an intent to deceive, to convince consumers that you are doing something sustainable when you know that it is not. There is plenty of that in the marketplace. As consumers increasingly care about the environmental impact of their purchases the pressure to appear environmentally friendly may push some companies to make false claims.
But some of what is called “greenwashing” is not intentional. It may just be ignorance, or even more often a company might do something good only to be told by activists that its not good ENOUGH.
Regular readers of In Between Times know that we start every edition with an action item. Often this is a petition of support for a company that has done something we deem positive, usually environmentally speaking. Often the companies that are highlighted have environmental failings elsewhere, but we believe it’s important to encourage positive actions in the marketplace, not just scold companies when they fail or do not do enough despite good intentions.
It’s a fine line but legitimate progress is rarely a simple equation.
(From Circular)
King added: “It’s absolutely acceptable to highlight any green credentials a product or business might have, but businesses need to ensure they’re not misleading consumers. Whenever an ad is making a green claim, there needs to be robust evidence behind it.”
Businesses need to take into account all relevant factors before making claims, including the full life-cycle of products and having quantifiable data proving any assertions. Ultimately, green claims in ads need to be accurate, informative and supported by evidence.
Marketers should be wary of making absolute claims and should use qualified claims or comparative claims such as “cleaner” and “greener.”
Click here for the article.
China has set its sights on cornering another green energy market: Hydrogen
American and European policy makers don’t want to lose to China on hydrogen tech, specifically the development of components called electrolyzers, like they did with solar panels a decade ago. Currently US electrolyzers are higher quality than Chinese electrolyzers but the later are 1/4 the price of the former.
(From Bloomberg)
Companies around the world are already revving up electrolyzer production, green hydrogen plants are under construction, and the industry is finally making the leap from pilot projects to industrial scale. BloombergNEF, a clean energy research group, estimates worldwide electrolyzer production will need to grow 91 times by 2030 to meet demand. But many Western clean tech veterans eye the emerging competition with a queasy feeling of déjà vu. More than 40% of all electrolyzers made today come from China, according to BNEF…
…President Joe Biden served as vice president during the crucial years when China seized the lead in solar manufacturing. Now he views China as a competitor more than a supplier, and he has made bringing clean tech manufacturing back to the US a pillar of his climate policies. The US is determined not to let China control this new energy boom, and Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act showers money on domestic hydrogen production.
Click here for the article.
Insider: I've driven 19 electric cars. Here are 4 reasons you should consider buying one (that have nothing to do with the environment).
Your editor loves cars. I always have. At their best they are pieces of art where engineering and innovation dance together. At their worst they are British Leyland in the 1970s. Or maybe the Yugo. Regardless, one thing about cars is they always change. (And usually get better.)
Many people initially bought electric vehicles because they thought they were good for the environment and wanted to make a statement to their neighbors and other drivers. Whether the first electrics were actually better for the environment is an open question, but as EVs have scaled they are certainly looking better and better environmentally speaking. If they are fueled by renewable or nuclear (power plants) they look pretty darn good in terms of environmental impact. But this isn’t what is going to bring about an EV revolution.
Performance and convenience will. Along with reasonable price points.
For many people, many car people, how fast a car can go from 0-60 mph is important. EVs generally are faster than combustion engines. They are quieter. (This has pros and cons). If the purchase price is low enough, they can be cheaper to run over the long term. (This is just starting to happen under very specific circumstances.) Increasingly non-enviro car shoppers are considering EVs because they just make sense.
For most people a car doesn’t have to “save the world”. And that is very OK.
(From The Business Insider)
Almost all EVs, from budget Chevys to sporty Audis, have more pep in their step than comparable gas cars. They deliver instant, brisk acceleration that helps immensely with quick merges and the like. And besides the practical benefits, being able to shoot forward at a moment's notice is just plain fun.
They're also super quiet and smooth on the road, since you don't hear the grumble of an engine or feel its vibrations. Particularly in high-end models like the Mercedes-Benz EQS, the experience is serene.
Some EVs are already competitive on price point. The Rivian truck comes to mind. Once EVs move from high end to mid-market we will know that an inflection point has been reached.
Click here for the article.
No one ever asked asked for a pro-corruption Congress
Actually, we’d say that ALMOST no one ever asked for a corrupt Congress. Let’s be straight, there is a tiny minority of folks who very much want to see a corrupt Congress. But most of these people live in The District. And even these people would never say it out loud.
Generally yes, both Republican and Democratic voters don’t want their politicians to be crooks.
(From The Fulcrum)
Apart from reversing course and strengthening the OCE, there are other obvious steps Congress can take to tackle corruption. Overwhelming majorities of Americans also oppose members of Congress trading stocks while in office. This issue was brought to the forefront when multiple elected officials sold stocks following an internal COVID-19 briefing. Senators and House members proposed several bipartisan bills last Congress to strengthen the STOCK Act and ban congressional stock trading. There’s no excuse for failing to act.
At the end of the day, this is about restoring trust in our elected officials and our government. Congress simply cannot function when the American people don’t think it has their best interests at heart. If the new majority and all of Congress finally gets serious about tackling corruption, the American people will reward them for it. Enough is enough.