Kate Unger
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kateu.bsky.social
Kate Unger
@kateu.bsky.social
Climate, clean energy (DG and VPP centric), hope
Personal account
In Jan-Jun 2025, “14 separate weather-related disasters…hit the US…. In total, these events cost $101bn in damages.”

The cost of climate action isn’t as great as the cost of inaction. And the most vulnerable bear the brunt of inaction.

#Climate #ClimateChange #ClimateAction #ClimateJustice
Climate disasters in first half of 2025 costliest ever on record, research shows
LA wildfires and storms this year cost $101bn, new study by non-profit resurrecting work axed by Trump says
www.theguardian.com
October 22, 2025 at 3:20 PM
Reposted by Kate Unger
47. While moving to a circular economy with 100% recycling rates is essential in the long run, it’s not a challenge for PV in particular; few PV panels have been recycled to date only because the vast majority are still in use.

There are a lot of bigger recycling challenges...
October 20, 2025 at 7:59 AM
Reposted by Kate Unger
38. Ordinary people have no idea how much progress we’ve made. Tell people at parties that UK carbon emissions in 2023 were at their lowest level since 1879, for example. Most developed economies are now reducing carbon emissions without lowering quality of life.
October 20, 2025 at 7:56 AM
Reposted by Kate Unger
25. To put it another way: when you tell an energy future model to optimise a power portfolio for clean power adequacy, it will give you more wind and less solar than when you tell it to optimise a least-cost electricity sector development.
October 20, 2025 at 7:53 AM
Reposted by Kate Unger
19. In general this is a problem for solar: a distributed industry with low barriers to entry, and therefore few large firms, has little lobbying power. Industry associations work against this to advocate for the interests of renewables, against those of consolidated industries like fossil fuels.
October 20, 2025 at 7:51 AM
Reposted by Kate Unger
14. Low power prices may be great for consumers but they are very bad if you're trying to build more clean power plants. Without demand-side flexibility measures, the energy transition will fail before fully pushing fossil fuel out of the mix. Which is what we must do.
October 20, 2025 at 7:48 AM
Happy Sun Day, folks! The sun is rising in California right now—looking forward to a good day. I hope many of you can go to a Sun Day event. I love that my job helps bring solar online and make it work for us all. Every day is Sun Day!

#Solar #Solarpunk #SunDay #SunDay2025 #Sun

www.sunday.earth
Sun Day
Together, we will change the future of climate change. Join the largest movement for climate action.
www.sunday.earth
September 21, 2025 at 1:49 PM
Reposted by Kate Unger
🌞Solarpunk Book Club and Film Screening🎞️

During my #SueWalkstheEarth EV roadtrip across the US (and now Canada, wish me luck in the low-EV-charger-land of Western Ontario!), while I was in Portland, I attended Bridge City Media's screening of their first-ever Solarpunk Film Festival!
1/n
July 10, 2025 at 1:36 PM
Introducing Your Legal Planet Weekly Roundup legal-planet.org/2025/04/10/i...
Introducing Your Legal Planet Weekly Roundup - Legal Planet
The L.A. Times Boiling Point is ending its informative weekly news roundups. Here's your Legal Planet weekly.
legal-planet.org
April 11, 2025 at 3:58 AM
‘We need dramatic social and technological changes’: is societal collapse inevitable?

“A lower-impact society is the most impossible scenario for our future – except for all other conceivable scenarios.”

#ClimateChange #Solarpunk #Environment #Sustainability #ClimateCrisis
‘We need dramatic social and technological changes’: is societal collapse inevitable?
Academic Danilo Brozović says studies of failed civilisations all point in one direction – today’s society needs radical transformation to survive
www.theguardian.com
December 28, 2024 at 8:40 PM
“The Pit River Tribe is part of a coalition of tribes and environmental groups that is asking Joe Biden to altogether designate three national monuments in California… . These designations would protect about 1m acres in California from development, mining, and oil and gas extraction.”
‘A place to heal’: Native tribes urge Biden to protect sacred lands before leaving White House
Environmental groups are also petitioning Biden to protect Sáttítla, Kw’tsán and Chuckwalla in California
www.theguardian.com
December 26, 2024 at 6:15 PM
Nice holiday story about houses of worship adopting rooftop solar to build sustainability for future generations. Solar boosts resilience and saves money that can be used to serve other community needs.
laist.com/news/climate...

#Solar #RooftopSolar #Climate #CleanEnergy #Community #HappyHolidays
This season of light, more houses of worship are powered by solar
With the help of federal incentives and grants, more churches and temples are slowly adding solar.
laist.com
December 25, 2024 at 5:10 PM
Reposted by Kate Unger
My weekly list of must-read articles and my top five books of 2024.
Must-Reads and My Favorite Books of 2024
Here are the most important articles I've read this week and the most important books I've read this year.
organizingmythoughts.org
December 13, 2024 at 2:43 PM
Reposted by Kate Unger
This holiday season, we need the South Coast AQMD to put people ahead of polluters. We can’t afford delay! Move forward with critical regulations:

🏡 Rule 1111/1121 to clean up appliances
🚢Port ISR to address toxic pollution
🏭1146.1 and 1146 for zero-emission industrial boilers
December 10, 2024 at 4:44 AM
Reposted by Kate Unger
“Enough” means being on a path to net zero emissions by 2040. Anything less than that is not enough.
December 8, 2024 at 4:32 PM
Reposted by Kate Unger
ICYMI, the state of Maine and a small Kansas county separately sued oil and petrochemical giants and trade associations for deception last week.

Seems like Trump's election hasn't deterred local govts from seeking accountability from Big Oil, at least in court www.exxonknews.org/p/maine-and-...
Maine and a Kansas county take Big Oil to court
State and local governments continue to turn to the courts for accountability as Big Oil’s federal takeover looms.
www.exxonknews.org
December 3, 2024 at 7:46 PM
Carrboro, NC v Duke Energy
Climate damage and deception lawsuit against an electric utility that still builds methane-burning power plants.
Town leaders urge other towns to also hold their utilities accountable.
#Climate #Utilities #ClimateLitigation #ClimateLawsuit #ClimateChange #ClimateJustice
Lawsuit Targets Duke Energy’s Decades of Climate Deception, Harm to North Carolina Town
Center for Biological Diversity: CARRBORO, N.C.— The town of Carrboro sued Duke Energy Corp. today for the company’s decades-long role in a nationwide climate deception scheme that has worsened the cl...
biologicaldiversity.org
December 4, 2024 at 4:08 PM
Reposted by Kate Unger
Bringing groundwater use into balance under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act will require over a half million acres of irrigated agriculture be fallowed in the San Joaquin Valley over the next two decades. That’s enough land for 75 to 100 GW of solar.☀️💧
November 30, 2024 at 5:22 PM
39th Annual CSUN Powwow – CSUN News & Events
news.csun.edu
November 30, 2024 at 5:39 PM
Reposted by Kate Unger
Currently at $3,938 out of a $5,000 goal!
I am raising funds to create survival stipends for Native activists and organizers who are struggling to make ends meet. Indigenous organizers often neglect their own needs for the sake of their communities. You can support them by donating here.
Native activists and organizers often neglect their own needs for the sake of community.
Your donations will support Indigenous organizers, educators and healers. I am working to provide survival stipends to Indigenous activists who are struggling during these times. These committed activ...
liftedvoices.networkforgood.com
November 30, 2024 at 2:51 AM
This is a great set of resources to keep in mind when someone offers a land acknowledgment (or when they don’t). Actions matter much more than words.
Around this time every year, I share a list of ways to support Native people. From supporting Indigenous people seeking abortion care to defending Native voting rights and keeping Native families together, here are some causes worth supporting. 🧵
November 28, 2024 at 8:17 PM
Reposted by Kate Unger
The French government requires all parking lots with over 80 parking spots to have half of the lot covered by solar canopies.

Covering half of parking lots in solar canopies in the USA would generate ~1.4 terawatts. ☀️🇺🇸
rooseveltinstitute.org/publications...
November 28, 2024 at 3:02 AM