HOUSTON — Democratic 2020 hopeful John Hickenlooper, the former Colorado governor, told energy executives at CERAWeek that "urgency" is needed to tackle climate change, but steered clear of offering policy specifics.
The big picture: Hickenlooper casts himself as a problem-solving "doer" as he seeks the moderate lane in the progressive field. He often touts the methane regulation deal he forged as governor of an oil-and-gas state.
Thousands of youth students and protestors joined global protests on Friday in a massive demonstration against climate change, sparked by 16-year-old Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg.
Our thought bubble, per Axios' Andrew Freedman: The protests on Friday are the largest and most widespread demonstrations on this issue since the run-up to the Paris Climate Summit in 2014 and 2015, and illustrate that young people feel a sense of urgency on this issue that those in power have lacked.
Youth demonstrations and school walkouts against climate change are expected in at least 112 countries, including the U.S., on Friday in a global movement sparked by 16-year-old Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg. Thunberg rose to prominence through weekly climate protests and prominent speaking roles at the UN Climate Change Summit in Poland and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
The big picture: These walkouts were inspired by the Fridays for Future movement, which calls for students to skip classes once a week to make a statement about the existential threat posed by climate change for the young and future generations. The protests reached America by way of Europe on Friday morning, and even spread to Antartica.
HOUSTON — Power from offshore wind is finally poised for liftoff in the U.S.
Why it matters: The U.S. has long been a laggard, but that's poised to change thanks to a convergence of forces that analysts see bringing enough coastal wind online over the next decade to power millions of homes.
HOUSTON — The CEO of Norwegian oil company Equinor, Eldar Sætre, spends more than half his time on climate change and is optimistic the industry will unite on the issue despite the existential threat it presents, the executive told Axios on the sidelines of a major conference.
Why it matters: Equinor, partially owned by the Norwegian government, is the most progressive global oil and gas company in the world when climate change. It even changed its name last year from Statoil to reflect its transition away from oil and toward cleaner sources like offshore wind. Here are excerpts of our interview Monday at CERAWeek by IHS Markit.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk unveiled the company's latest electric car, a small SUV dubbed Model Y, at a jam-packed event Thursday night broadcast from Tesla's studio in Hawthorne, Calif., that deflected attention from some of the company's current troubles.
Why it matters: The Model Y is a logical next step for Tesla, but by the time it goes on sale in fall 2020, it'll face more competition. Ford trolled Tesla just ahead of the event with a tweet saying "hold your horses" — a clear reference to its Mustang-inspired electric performance SUV coming in 2020.
HOUSTON — Here's one sign General Motors believes electric vehicles will be a big deal: They recently moved a longtime senior executive, Mike Ableson, into the newly created role of vice president for EV charging and infrastructure.
Why it matters: The company has vowed to bring 20 all-electric vehicles to market by 2023. But making EVs a successful long-term bet will require deployment of lots of convenient charging infrastructure. That's not a business GM is in, so they need an exec dedicated to working with partners.
“Perhaps most importantly of all, because our very existence depends on it, we can unleash the ingenuity and creativity of millions of Americans who want to ensure that we squarely confront the challenge of climate change before it’s too late.”
Why it matters: If that "perhaps most importantly" part translates into heavy emphasis on the stump, it will be another sign that global warming is no longer a second-tier topic in national politics. But we'll see.
Top House Republicans are urging Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to hold hearings on the Green New Deal as they seek to cast the progressive policy as bad for poor Americans.
Why it matters: This effort, which includes a letter and press conference on Thursday, represents congressional Republicans' most detailed response yet to Democrats' push on climate change since last year's election. While largely symbolic, this back-and-forth shows just how quickly the issue has gone from Washington's back burner to front burner.
Disney Orlando flipped the switch on Feb. 27 on a brand new 50-megawatt solar farm, which produces enough electricity to power 10,000 homes.
Why it matters: Amusement parks and resorts consume a great amount of energy during the day during peak hours. Installing renewable energy systems using renewables in a visible way not only reduces carbon emissions, but also displays a commitment to sustainability to park-goers.
A powerful storm the National Weather Service says is "of historic proportions" stranded hundreds of people and left thousands without power Wednesday night after it intensified into a raging blizzard across the Plains. It brought with it hurricane-force wind gusts, widespread flooding and white-out conditions to multiple states from Colorado to the Dakotas.
Why it matters: This storm's strength and rate of intensification is unusual for the Plains states, with low pressure records likely to be challenged or broken in multiple locations. In general, the lower the air pressure, the stronger the storm.
