In our second edition of ClimateRoots Newsletter, you'll learn from this weeks featured writer about how the pandemic has affected public transit. Next, we'll dive into the headlines of the week, including some good news from Solar companies and some even better news for Oil and Gas companies. Rounding out this issue, we'll touch on how we use the Sun to produce electricity in our first education piece on solar energy.

Empty Seat on Public Transportation / Image Courtesy of Wix

Featured Writer - Jack Fong

In our second edition of ClimateRoots, our featured writer is Jack Fong.  Jack is a 2020 graduate of Macalester College, where he received a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies with a concentration in Community and Global Health. After 4 years of experiencing real seasons in Minnesota, he returned home to San Francisco where he currently works for Swiftly, a start up that aims to reduce single occupancy vehicles by making public transit more efficient.

Jack’s perspective on public transit is largely influenced by his entrance into the field during the COVID-19 pandemic. Equity and federal funding are currently the largest topics of debate, conversation and business in the industry, and are often touched upon during his daily interactions with public transit personnel. While the pandemic has been tough on public transit, leading to reduced ridership and less service throughout the country, COVID-19 has also provided many transit systems the opportunity to address issues that have hindered the industry for years.

As Jack shows, the conversation around public transportation has shifted, focusing now on the equity of transit systems. Highlighted by the demographics who continued to rely on public transit the most during the pandemic, we find that essential workers are those who are dependent on public transit. With this realization that public transit is essential to our country’s economy and funding from COVID-19 government programs, this issue is finally being addressed by some of the largest metro transit systems in the country.

 Click below to read the full article and bibliography.

Weekly Headlines

Federal Judge Puts an End to Biden Pause on Oil & Gas Leasing (AP, Reuters)

• Judge Terry Doughty blocked the Biden administration’s pause on leasing of public lands for the drilling of oil and gas after thirteen states sued the administration

• The 13 states that sued argued that the administration bypassed bureaucratic steps, including public comments, when they placed the moratorium

• This decision will remain in place until there is a final resolution of the case or there are orders from a higher court

US Solar Industry has its Largest First Quarter Ever is 2021 Q1 (Axios, SPW, Reuters, Electrek)

• The US solar industry added 5 GW of new solar generating capacity in the first quarter of 2021, up 46% from the first quarter of 2020

• Solar accounted for 58% of all new electricity additions in the United States in Q1, while renewable energy accounted for nearly 100% of all new electric capacity

• The Q1 report, released by SEIA and Wood Mackenzie on 6/15, also detailed how supply chain stresses could lead to rising costs in Q2

G7 Summit leaders pledge to step up climate change action but activists call for more (BBC, NYT, DemocracyNow)

• Having failed to meet a 2009 goal to contribute $100bn in climate finance to poorer nations, G7 nations reaffirm their commitment through 2025

• G7 nations agree to stop funding international coal projects by 2022, but made no solid promises to end coal usage domestically

• Activists say these commitments do not meet the urgency required to properly address the climate crisis

To read more headlines from this week, click below.

Education Piece - Solar 101

In this second issue of ClimateRoots, we are diving into Solar Energy, focusing specifically on photovoltaic solar, the most common type of solar energy in the United States. Even if you don’t know it, most of us are familiar with solar PV, since these types of solar panels are the ones we often see on buildings, homes, or fields.

Solar PV works by capturing the light emitted from the sun- also known as electromagnetic radiation- and converting it into energy (“How Does Solar Work?”) The solar to energy conversion takes place in what is called a PV cell. PV cells are composed of two layers, a Boron doped P-type layer which has a positive charge, and a phosphorus doped N-type layer which has a negative charge. 

When sunlight hits the PV cells, the light provides extra energy to the N-type layer, allowing the electrons to flow from the N-type layer to the P-type layer. This movement of electrons in a specific direction creates an electric current. (“How Do Solar Panels Work?”). This electric current is sent through an inverter where it is converted from direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC). This allows the energy to be integrated into the electric grid (“PV Cells 101”). For more information on the electric grid, check out our first ClimateRoots issue here.

If molecular talk bores you, here is a general overview of the entire PV solar process: 

1. Sunlight hits the PV cells and energy is absorbed 
2. An electric current is formed within each PV cell
3. The current travels toward an inverter, which converts the current from direct current (DC) to an alternating current (AC)
4. The AC electricity is used on site or diverted into the electrical grid

According to the Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, “The amount of sunlight that strikes the earth's surface in an hour and a half is enough to handle the entire world's energy consumption for a full year.” Just think of how much energy could be produced if every home in the US utilized solar power, or every single building for that matter! 

In our next issue, we will be diving into community solar, and breaking down how you can tap into it in your neighborhood.

Read the full article and bibliography on our blog. 

How Solar Panels Work / Image Courtesy of Solect Energy

Missed our last issue? No worries! Click below to read it!