Whatever happened to the Tesla Semi? And does its slow rollout mean electric trucks aren’t viable? According to the International Energy Agency’s Global EV Outlook 2025, the answer may be very different from
what you might think. Because while much of the Western conversation is focused on delays and limited deployments, China is already electrifying heavy freight at scale, with electric trucks reaching 50% of
new sales and beginning to challenge assumptions about diesel dominance. So, what could it all mean for the future of oil demand and the energy transition?
listen to Bill McKibben talk about a farmer telling him how he could power his F150 for 25,000 miles on 1 acre/year of corn ethanol (half our corn production goes to
ethanol) but 700,000 miles on 1 acre/year of solar panels for his F150 Lightning electric vehicle and still have half the space to interplant more diverse crops
(shade is a highly valuable thing in agriculture and solar panels provide it) YouTube
its around the 34 minute mark into the podcast. Audio Only: YouTube Music
The authors argue that while it seems like the climate change catastrophe is rolling on unchecked, governmental and international action are insufficient, and corporate power continues to hold back progress, the incredible advances that have been made since 2010 have already taken the direst scenarios of 4-8 degrees centigrade of warming off the table. They argue that if this is what could be accomplished in 10ish years with market, individual, NGO, and community forces and technological advances, now that governments (and some businesses) are gettng more serious (and technology continues to drop prices and raise efficiencies), far more progress is in the near future. Hence "We WILL fix climate change!". Not to say that there won't continue to be damages, but we are well on the way to taming their expansion and repairing some of them. There is an extended discussion of doomism and despair and how that really only helps the biggest emitters and fossil companies who benefit if people are too disengaged or depressed to do anything about it (they may even promote it...).
GeoGirl has a lot of interesting stuff which include slides and infographics, not just a talking head. She has posted several in recent months on oceans and climate change, and other climate change aspects. I am only including one here for simplicity, but definitely check out the others, if that's your kind of thing. She also has a website at geogirlscience.com and is on Instagram and LinkedIn.
GeoGirl says:
Hi! My name is Rachel, I post educational geoscience videos. Whether you studying for an exam, or just someone interested in geoscience and related fields, there is something for you on this channel!
About me: I earned my PhD in geoscience at UTEP and now work as an NSF postdoctoral fellow at the University of South Carolina!
The books and references I use for my videos are always linked in the individual video descriptions :)
A film on the role of the planet's soils in the environment and climate. Disusses the immense carbon
fixation potential of soils,
the vast carbon release triggered by conventional agriculture every year, living soils, dead soils,
regenerative agriculture and more.
Some may appreciate the segment on how cattle ranching, done in a way that imitates natural herding
behavior, can perform as a
major carbon sink instead of a carbon source. One farmer notes how when weather forced him to
reassess his conventional farming, he was
able to get off all subsidies with regenerative agriculture and make much more money to boot.
"Winner of 42 awards - and counting"
Available on Vimeo for $1, to Netflix subscribers, for watch parties, as a 45 minute
version free to
students, schools and educators,
on DVD, and on Blu-Ray.
Film: The Oceans
Sylvia Earle Alliance/Mission Blue: Mission Blue Released 2014
Follows renowned oceanographer Sylvia Earle in her campaigns to protect the oceans by reducing
pollution, overfishing, climate change and more. The film won a 2015 News & Documentary Emmy
Award for Outstanding Editing.
Using custom built equipment for undersea time-lapse photography, the filmmakers document what is
really
going on in mass coral bleachings and death and tie it more conclusively to oceanic warming.
-- Availble on Netflix, including to host screenings.
Explores innovations and organizational strategies in supplying drinking water, sanitation,
reducing the environmental impact of such, and reuse of byproducts.
-- Available on Netflix including to host screenings.
Follows the experience of 6 young students at some of Swarovski Waterschool's 7 locations around
the world
learning about natural water cycles, water supply and conservation, and threats to safe water
for people
and nature.
-- Available on Netflix.
-- Note: the schools and film are funded as a community
investment
program by the Swarovski Group crystal company.
Audio / Radio
Radio Ecoshock Broadcast by 105 radio stations in 5 countries Alex Smith, 2006-2020
A roughly weekly show that does deeper dives into diverse environmental topics than I've
encountered
in various new sources. I get it on my local low-power FM station,
FORward radio 106.5 FM (WFMP).
The show does reruns in July and August, it appears.
Latest science, authors, issues – from climate change, oceans, forests, pollution, solar
storms, the economy, and peace. Ready for re-broadcast, computer, iPod, or mp3 player. As
heard on over 104 non-profit radio stations in 5 countries.
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