Politico: 5 Ways Brexit Will Transform Energy and Climate
Britain’s departure from the EU will force broad changes to the bloc’s energy and climate policies, and remove a crucial ally for Central Europeans -- but it will also give London far more freedom to pursue nuclear projects.
The U.K. has often been an energy outlier in the EU, advocating nuclear power and shale gas sources shunned by others. Its alliances tend to shift, always with the aim of keeping interference from Brussels to a minimum and taking an ambitious yet financially minded approach to tackling climate change.
A post-Brexit U.K. will still be tied to the rest of Europe through gas and electricity links and an emissions trading market it is unlikely to ditch, but it will have less influence on the bloc’s decisions. The EU, instead, will lose a strong pro-free-market voice, which has historically helped tone down some more statist schemes coming from continental capitals.
Leaving the EU will relegate the U.K. to a sort of lobby group in Brussels, Swedish Liberal MEP Fredrick Federley told a Politico conference a few days before the referendum.
Mother Jones: Why Brexit Is Bad News for the Environment
Despite being an issue that knows no borders, affects all, and is of vital interest to future generations, the environment was low on the agenda ahead of the United Kingdom's historic vote to leave the European Union.
The short answer to what happens next with pollution, wildlife, farming, green energy, climate change and more is we don't know -- we are in uncharted territory. But all the indications -- from the "red-tape" slashing desires of the Brexiters to the judgment of environmental professionals -- are that the protections for our environment will get weaker.
Dot Earth: From Brexit to Climate, Little Engagement From Young People
It’s hard not to pay outsize attention to the parts of big pictures that resonate most with one’s sensibilities. I’ve frequently pointed out the great work of what I once called “Generation E” -- young people working energetically to foster social and environmental progress. The most rewarding aspect of teaching is enabling this kind of engagement (a process that, at its best, is mainly stepping out of the way). Bernie Sanders rode a youth wave. Hillary Clinton’s presidential prospects could well depend on whether she can harvest that energy.
Britons’ “Brexit” vote to leave the European Union provides the intellectual equivalent of a cold shower, offering a sobering reminder that, far more often, most young people are deeply disengaged -- even when an issue could affect their demographic slice most.
Bloomberg: Tesla Eyes Shanghai as Front-Runner for China Production
Shanghai has emerged as the front-runner to become the production base for Tesla Motors Inc. in China in an investment that may be valued at about $9 billion, according to a person with knowledge of the matter.
Jinqiao Group, a Shanghai government-owned company, has signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding with Tesla on building its production facilities in the municipality, said the person, who asked not to be identified because the negotiations are private. Shanghai Jinqiao Export Processing Zone Development Co., a publicly traded unit of Jinqiao Group, said its controlling shareholder hasn’t signed any documents related to a joint venture for a Tesla Motors Inc. factory.
San Jose Mercury News: Electric Motorcycles Creep Into California's Legendary Biker Culture
Imagine sitting in Interstate 880 gridlock when you spot a motorcycle approaching in the rearview mirror. Instead of the thump reverberating off car doors, all you hear is the faint, high-pitched whir of an electric motor as the big machine passes.
Though electric motorcycles don't make much noise, their adoring fans are growing louder each year. Once regarded as a novelty, e-bikes are creeping into California's famed motorcycle culture. And for some motorcyclists, the latest fleet of electric bikes has nearly bridged the performance gap with their combustion-engine counterparts.
"It feels like you're flying," said Curtis Schwebke, 58, of Los Gatos, who has ridden motorcycles for 15 years. "I used to fly a hang glider, so I know the feeling, and it's pretty close to that."