Headline News:

• “Europe’s Drought The Worst In 500 Years” • Two-thirds of Europe is under some sort of drought warning. It is likely the worst such event in 500 years. The latest report from the Global Drought Observatory says 47% of the continent is in “warning” conditions, meaning soil has dried up. Another 17% is on alert – meaning vegetation is stressed. [BBC]

Huveaune River in southwestern France, July 2022 (Ianaré Sévi, CC-BY-SA 4.0, cropped)

• “IAEA May Visit Russian-Occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant In Ukraine” • If access negotiations are successful, the UN nuclear watchdog will travel to the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power facility in Ukraine within days, it was announced in a statement. The demilitarisation of the area has been demanded by the UN. [WION]
• “Turmoil In The Natural Gas Market Spells Trouble Ahead” • The outlook for inflation and the global economy hinges in large part on where energy prices head next – which makes recent turbulence in natural gas markets a worrying development. Natural gas prices in Europe are almost 10 times where they stood this time last year. [CNN]
• “Hawaii Cancels Coal Culture” • Environmental groups are celebrating this week because the last coal-fired generating facility in Hawaii will be shut down by September 1. The AES facility on Oahu serves about 300,000 customers and has been in operation for 30 years. Annually, it spews about 1.5 billion tons of CO₂ into the atmosphere. [CleanTechnica]
• “Policies Matter: Volkswagen, Mercedes, And Hyundai React To Inflation Reduction Act” • You can bet that Major corporations like Volkswagen, Mercedes, and Hyundai have read the Inflation Reduction Act. And they know that if they jump through the right hoops, their customers will be able to qualify for a $7,500 tax credit on their EVs. [CleanTechnica]

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