May 18 Green Energy News

Headline News:

“Six Years In A Row, A Named Storm Forms Early In The Atlantic” • For the sixth year in a row, a tropical cyclone was named before the official start of the Atlantic hurricane season. Reportedly, there is even a debate going on at the National Hurricane Center in Miami over moving the hurricane season opening to some date in May. [WTSP.com]

Flooding in Hurricane Harvey (Jill Carlson, Wikimedia Commons)

“US Auto Sales Down 496,000 In First Quarter” • After falling in 2019 as a whole, the US auto industry has been slammed by the coronavirus in the first quarter of 2020. With few exceptions, sales of car brands are off badly from last year. One noteable exception to the trend is Tesla, whose sales have increased by 17% from Q1 of 2019. [CleanTechnica]
“US Oil And Gas Rig Count Plunges To Record Low For 2nd Week – Baker Hughes” • The US rig count, an early indicator of future output, fell by 35 to a record low of 339 in the week to May 15, data from energy services firm Baker Hughes Co shows. The data goes back to 1940, and the previous record low of 374 was set last week. [Hellenic Shipping News Worldwide]
“Electric Vehicles Are Cleaner Than Gasoline Vehicles (New Fact Sheet)” • EVs get their energy from grids that produce emissions. The Union of Concerned Scientists calculated the total emissions for electric vehicles and found that the average EV produces global warming pollution equal to a gasoline vehicle that gets 88 mpg. And that will improve. [CleanTechnica]
“After The Covid-19 Crisis, Will We Get A Greener World?” • The current Covid-19 crisis has revealed a sobering truth: the global economic shutdown has barely dented our carbon emissions. They may be down by 6% to 8%. They have to fall by 7.6% of what they now are every year to 2050 in order to keep global warming below 1.5°C. [The Guardian]

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