Climate change news from the ground, in a warming world Was this forwarded to you? Sign up here [[link removed]] Laurie Goering [[link removed]]
Climate editor
The benefits of switching to clean, renewable power are clear - not just cleaner air, a safer climate and more energy independence but protection from problems like globally high gas prices as a result of the war in Ukraine.
But moving from dirty fossil fuel energy systems to renewable ones presents a range of hurdles, from significant upfront costs to the challenges of getting the right-sized clean energy workforce in place.
India's Skill Council for Green Jobs, for instance, has trained 78,000 people to install solar panels, connect them to grids and maintain battery storage systems.
But less than a third have found jobs [[link removed]] in the solar industry. Pandemic-related slowdowns and a geographical mismatch between training sites and solar projects looking to hire are part of the problem, correspondent Anuradha Nagaraj found.
Workers carry a damaged photovoltaic panel inside a solar power plant in Gujarat, India. REUTERS/Amit Dave
In Zimbabwe, rooftop water heaters [[link removed]] that tap the sun's heat are now required on new homes, as the country tries to reduce reliance on its overburdened electric grid.
The heater on his new home means Bulawayo resident Cosmas Ndlovu's family is saving every month on power bills - and can enjoy hot water even during blackouts.
"Warm water never runs out. I can have a hot bath even in the middle of the night," said Ndlovu, who has installed three solar panels as well to power his lights, television, stove and refrigerator.
But while the $400 solar water heaters pay for themselves in just a couple of years, homeowners say, the upfront cost can be a burden for many families - one reason the government is now considering backing bank loans for their installation and subsidies for builders.
Cosmas Ndlovu points at a solar water heater and solar panels on-top of his new home in Pelandaba West Suburb in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, July 9, 2022. Thomson Reuters Foundation / Lungelo Ndhlovu
Bangladesh, meanwhile, is facing a choice confronting many countries around the world: If imported gas is unaffordable, is a push to renewables the better alternative, or a boost in domestic coal or gas production? [[link removed]]
The hugely climate-vulnerable country has cancelled coal plants in recent years - but with power cuts hitting the poorest hard, some Bangladeshi analysts are calling for new fossil fuel use, even with its huge risks for the climate.
Boosting wind and solar power are a smarter option, however, said Simon Nicholas, of the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis - not least because once installed "they have no fuel costs".
Ever bought an NFT (non-fungible token) from a company promising to use the money to protect the Amazon rainforest and its people?
It might be time to take a closer look at such projects, with Brazilian prosecutors now asking one provider to prove they actually own the land [[link removed]], after indigenous groups claimed it was theirs.
See you next week!
Laurie
Brazilian prosecutors probe company over Amazon forest NFT sale [[link removed]]
NFT company Nemus encourages eco-conscious customers to help preserve rainforest, but indigenous community says it has rights to the land
Fuel crisis cuts electricity in Bangladesh, sparking energy debate [[link removed]]
As gas prices rise on global markets, pushing up the cost of power production, will Bangladesh turn back to coal or boost renewable energy?
Zimbabwe eyes more solar water heaters as power grid struggles [[link removed]]
Rooftop water heaters provide free hot baths even during power blackouts - though installation costs remain a barrier
India's solar skills training falls flat, as jobs in short supply [[link removed]]
The flagship Suryamitra skills programme aims to develop a workforce to install, maintain and operate renewable power projects, but technicians struggle to find work after training
OPINION: We need a clearer roadmap to a resilient food system [[link removed]]
As climate change hits farmers and those who depend on them, creating a smarter food system is now critical
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