Great new explainer video about why cement is important for climate from @lebult and @voxdotcom!

How bad? About 8% of emissions, about the same as all 🚗 on 🌍. However much you care about tailpipes, you should care about that much about cement.🧵

We use cement for everything! Buildings, roads, dams, airports, aquaducts, power plants. If you’re in it, on it, or getting utility service from it, chances are a lot of cement was involved. That’s how we use about 500kg (1200lb) of cement for every single person on earth.

The Inflation Reduction Act continues to give gifts! I just discovered it reinstated the Superfund excise tax, which funds toxic environmental cleanups. Since it lapsed in 1995, EPA's Superfund budget fell by HALF, leaving (usually poor) communities to live with toxic waste. 🥳🧵 Superfund is supposed to clean up things like lead from leaded gasoline, paint, and pipes; heavy metals from coal boilers and mine tailings; and toxic organic chemicals. Millions of Americans (often poor, often black or brown) are sickened by this waste every year. It's not okay.

2022 methane data is out from @IEA, and it's not great. Total energy sector CH4 emissions are flat from last year, with steam coal and onshore oil up 8% and 12% respectively and coking coal down 16%.

Still a good reminder that steel is a quarter of the coal problem, though. The main national culprits haven't changed: 🇨🇳🇺🇸🇷🇺, with dishonorable mentions for 🇦🇺🇨🇦🇮🇩🇸🇦.

Source: iea.org/data-and-stati…

You may have noticed that some genuinely insane things are happening at the bottom of the world:
-Temp 70F (40C) above normal in Antarctica
-Temp 50F (30C) above normal in the Arctic
-Collapsing ice shelves in East Antarctica
This is unprecedented!

Let’s discuss. 🧵 I’ve been following this more closely than a general interest in the climate apocalypse would warrant, as (fun fact) I used to be a cryosphere scientist. If you’re really bored, you can find my thoughts on how to model icebergs in @AMSJPO and other fine publications.