From Nahel Belgherze
Bordeaux, France, has now recorded more days above 40°C in 2026 alone than during the entire 105-year period from 1920 (when observations began) to 2025. This is deeply shocking.
We face a climate catastrophe, and politicians, CEOs and the "elite" do nothing to slash emissions, and in many cases actually attempt to reverse climate-saving initiatives.
From Nahel Belgherze
France could record its hottest day ever in the coming days, exceeding the 30°C mark nationwide for the first time on record. A truly historic heatwave is on the way.
[Previous highs:]
The Top 5 : 1) 29.40°C 25 July 2019 2) 29.35°C 5 August 2003 3) 28.88°C 9 August2003 4) 28.72°C 24 July 2019 5) 28.69°C 10 August 2003
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| Note that these are daily averages, not peaks. |
Temperatures are rising by at the minimum 0.2 degrees C per decade, though over the last 15 years that has accelerated to 0.3 degrees C. Even if we cut emissions by 70%, temperatures will still be rising by 0.1 degrees C per decade. Better than nothing, but still not good enough. We need to do better.
From Brent Toderian
Air pollution has dropped significantly in #Paris in the last 15 years. Mayor @annehidalgo.bsky.social’s leadership has traded car space for green space, safe bike space, kid space.. and traded pollution for people.
Good trade.
From a Tweet by Assaad Razzouk
France just legislated that every parking lot for 80 cars or more must be covered by solar panels
That’s 11GW of new solar (same as 10 new nuclear reactors) powering millions of home - zero new land needed
Climate action is happening, just not at #COP27
This river, normally wide and full, is virtually empty because of the extreme drought in France.
From ClimateCrocks
In France, much vaunted nuclear capacity has been hit by the discovery of widespread corrosion problems in critical systems, and many plants have been shut for repairs. Now as summer arrives, the rivers relied on for cooling the massive, inefficient systems have warmed rapidly, further derating reactors.
Across the planet, climate impacts are putting more pressure on energy generators.
New York Times:Inspections unearthed alarming safety issues — especially corrosion and faulty welding seals on crucial systems used to cool a reactor’s radioactive core. That was the situation at the Chinon atomic plant, one of France’s oldest, which produces 6 percent of EDF’s nuclear power.EDF is now scouring all its nuclear facilities for such problems. A dozen reactors will stay disconnected for corrosion inspections or repairs that could take months or years. Another 16 remain offline for reviews and upgrades.Others are having to cut power production because of climate change concerns: Rivers in the south of France, including the Rhône and the Gironde, are warming earlier each year, often reaching temperatures in the spring and summer too warm to cool reactors.Today, French nuclear production is at its lowest level since 1993, generating less than half the 61.4 gigawatts that the fleet is capable of producing. (EDF also generates electricity with renewable technologies, gas and coal.) Even if some reactors resume in the summer, French nuclear output will be 25 percent lower than usual this winter — with alarming consequences.
You cannot have dialogue with a warmongering criminal dictator. What's more, Putin has already broken previous agreements not to attack Ukraine. Why should his word be trusted now?
Germany and France pay billions a year to Russia for oil and gas, and then give their widow's mite to Ukraine to support her. Embargo Russian fossil fuel exports now.
From CleanTechnica
France, Europe’s second largest auto market, saw plugin electric vehicle share of 24.4% in December, a new record high, with pure electrics taking 14.6%. Diesel meanwhile dropped to a new record low of 17.4%. The overall auto market, at just under 160,000 units, was down some 15% from pre-pandemic seasonal averages.
December’s record 24.4% result for combined plugins comprised 14.6% full electrics (BEVs) and 9.8% for plugin hybrids (PHEVs), continuing a shift towards BEVs over recent months, while PHEVs’ share has almost plateaued over the past 6 months.
The 2021 Q4 share for combined plugins was 23.7%, up from 15.4% in Q4 2020. BEVs have grown share more steeply, from 8.4% in Q4 2020 to 13.8% in Q4 2021.
Diesels meanwhile hit a record low share of 17.4% in December, and 18.3% in Q4 overall, down from 26.5% and 29.4%, respectively, in 2020.
In terms of absolute sales volumes, BEVs’ Q4 performance has also remained relatively strong, increasing 37% year-on-year (to 55,175 units), in the context of overall auto market volume falling 17.5% year-on-year. For example, diesels’ Q4 2021 volume (73,029 units) was just 51% of what it was in Q4 2020 (see the foot of the article for a sales-by-powertrain graphic).
From CleanTechnica
France has just announced in [its new] climate bill that 30% of the surface of new commercial and industrial buildings will have to be solarized starting on January 1, 2023 — a year and a half from now. Those solar panels will power a lot of electric vehicles, but they won’t be the only ones in a wave of new solar power capacity. Parking areas that surpass 500m² will have to solarize at least 50% of their surface area starting on January 1, 2024. That’s not the end, though. If there are carports, then the requirement is that 100% of the surface area be solarized.
These buildings and parking areas will begin more seriously moving the country into the cleantech era of not-burning-stuff. Meanwhile, in June, 16% of new automobile sales in France were smart plugin vehicle sales. Electric vehicle adoption will keep growing. Eventually, perhaps millions of French drivers will be happily driving electric cars powered by sunshine generated from the roofs of these buildings.
Solar permits are supposed to be streamlined as well, according to the new law, allowing solar power projects to more quickly be put on top of landfills and in coastal areas.
From Energy Live News
Eoliennes en Mer de Dunkerque (EMD) and RTE have announced their decision to start development on an offshore wind project in Dunkirk.
They claim the offshore wind farm will have up to 600MW of capacity and contribute towards French aims of generating 40% of electricity from renewable sources by 2030.
It is predicted that by 2027, it will generate enough carbon-free electricity to cover the consumption of one million French people.
The Dunkirk offshore wind farm will host a maximum of 46 wind turbines and generate electricity at a rate of €44 (£38) per MWh. [That compares with Lazard's average estimate for offshore wind of US$86, equivalent to €72. Costs in offshore wind are falling very rapidly!]
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| Source: CleanTechnica |
The UK, Europe’s third largest auto market, saw plug-in electric vehicle market share hit 9.5% in June 2020, up from 2.1% in June 2019. Accumulated EV market share for H1 2020 now stands at 7.7%. The ever popular Tesla Model 3 was the 9th best selling passenger vehicle in June. [Sales of cars with an electric motor—simple hybrids (HEVs), plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) and fully electric vehicles—made up 23.7% of total car sales in June.]In Germany, cars with an electric engine made up 17.4% of total car sales, and in France they made up 17.9%.
Plug-in EVs as a whole took over 7.7% UK market share in the first half of the year, up from 2.1% in the same period last year.
