There is no perfect solution to climate change

Hello and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. His Friday 7 July. I’m Sammy Roth, energy and environment reporter for The Times. I also write our bi-weekly newsletter on the boiling point.

Addressing the climate crisis that is already fueling deadlier heatwaves, more destructive wildfires, and worsening droughts in the American West will require building massive amounts of renewable energy to replace fossil fuels. It’s certainly not a secret.

But what happens when climate-friendly energy infrastructure itself creates environmental damage?

I tried to answer this question in Part 3 of Repowering the West, my ongoing series exploring how the transition to cleaner energy is affecting landscapes, ecosystems and communities across the region. Part 3 took me to Nevada, where energy companies have proposed dozens of sprawling solar farms on public lands in the Mojave Desert around Las Vegas, even though there’s plenty of room to put solar panels on rooftops and rooftops. parking lots within Sin City and its suburbs.

[Read Solar sprawl is tearing up the Mojave Desert. Is there a better way? in The Times.]

So what does it give? Why are we tearing up the desert instead of investing in clean energy inside cities where it’s needed?

The short answer: no technology or strategy is enough to address the enormity of the climate crisis.

We burn so much coal, oil and gas to fuel society that a wide range of substitutes are needed, the researchers have found. If we are to safeguard human civilization without prolonged disruption or economic disruption, we will need wind turbines, solar panels, batteries, geothermal energy, and almost certainly some nuclear power plants and hydroelectric dams as well.

We also need to drive less, use less energy overall and switch to electric heating and cooking in our homes, scientists say.

With the notable exception of energy efficiency, none of these solutions are painless.

Electrical appliances are cleaner but more expensive to purchase. Nuclear reactors can generate pollution-free power around the clock, but are a source of public concern due to radioactive waste and the risk of a meltdown. Wind turbines kill birds, though not as many as global warming threatens to lead to extinction. Batteries can help keep the lights on after dark, but they depend on lithium mining which can be harmful to the environment. Electric vehicle batteries have the same problem.

Even large solar parks in the desert are far from perfect.

In Nevada, I have seen firsthand the ecosystem destruction that can be caused by renewable energy projects and also the efforts by some companies to build solar farms that preserve habitat for desert tortoises and other wildlife. .

I spoke to some conservation activists who want to abruptly halt renewable energy development on public lands, and others who simply hope to curb solar projects in less sensitive lands. I went off-roading with a motorcycle enthusiast who saw some of his favorite routes blocked by huge solar fields. I also tried (and failed) to get an interview with billionaire investor Warren Buffett, whose Berkshire Hathaway empire is at the center of this debate, in Nevada and across the West.

And what about rooftop solar, you might ask?

The more that is built, the fewer huge solar installations will be needed in the desert. But we only have so many rooftops and parking lots. As I explained in one of Boiling Point’s newsletters last week, experts say its unlikely urban solar systems could supply more than a quarter or perhaps a third of the United States’ energy even if installed in every suitable location.

And so we find ourselves in an increasingly dangerous situation, debating the merits of different clean energy solutions as the world gets hotter and more chaotic. These arguments aren’t necessarily a bad thing. We should definitely try to solve climate change by causing as little damage as possible and keeping energy costs as low as possible.

But time is running out to phase out fossil fuels. Scientists say we need to halve planet-warming carbon emissions by 2030, in just seven years. No matter how many times I write that line, it still scares the shit out of me.

There is no perfect solution to climate change. But we can’t let the perfect be the enemy of saving life as we know it.

[Read Solar sprawl is tearing up the Mojave Desert. Is there a better way? in The Times.]

To keep up with my reports and environmental news across the West, sign up for our Boiling Point Newsletter. And follow Repowering the West here, including captivating mini-documentaries produced by The Times video team.

Part 4 of the series, dealing with the pros and cons of hydroelectric dams, is in the works. Stay tuned.

And now, Here’s what’s happening all over California:

Note: Some of the sites we link to may limit the number of stories you can access without signing up.

THE STORIES

Monday was the hottest day on record on Earth. Then Tuesday was hotter. That’s according to University of Maine scientists, who reported that average global temperatures on July 3 and 4 were the highest on record, based on data going back to 1979. Worsening heatwaves are the biggest consequence. death of the climate crisis and many people likely died from heat-related illnesses, some of them in Los Angeles County, where temperatures reached 105 degrees. Los Angeles Times

CLIMATE AND ENVIRONMENT

Residents of California’s San Joaquin Valley are struggling to get by as farmlands and towns remain flooded by resurgent Lake Tulare. Times photographer Robert Gauthier and reporter Melissa Gomez have compiled captivating stories and portraits of some of those affected, including a Native American farmer, a black shepherd, two levee repairers who work for the California Conservation Corps, and a woman who manages an emergency aid thrift store. Los Angeles Times

The Chemehuevi Indian Tribe Reservation sits across approximately 30 miles of the Colorado River along the California-Arizona state line. But the tribe cannot access much of the long-promised Colorado River water, with most of its allotment flowing downstream to Southern California cities, including Los Angeles. That’s the point of the latest collaboration between High Country News and ProPublica, which explores how many Western tribes have been denied the water they are entitled to. High Country News

IN THE COURTS

The California Public Utilities Commission rejected a request to review its December decision cutting financial incentives for rooftop solar panels. Supporters of rooftop solar may have better hope of success with a lawsuit against the commission, which I wrote about in May. State agency leaders are appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom. Court News Service

The opening statements had the makings of an exciting detective story. The lawyers promised the jury a dramatic trial that would expose the work of spies, secret inventories, deceptive letters and the mysterious theft of a key document from a locked office. A former UC San Diego oncologist accused of committing fraud and getting rich off a $10 million donation is on trial after a series of investigations by reporters Jill Castellano and Brad Racino. newsource

SUMMER IS FOR BASEBALL

The Dodgers are desperate to trade to start pitching if they are to compete for a championship this year. That’s what The Times Bill Plaschke argues in his latest column, which has two exclamation marks in the title, in case you lacked the urgent tone. Plaschke is right. I was at Dodger Stadium for Bobby Miller’s win over the Pirates the other night, and as much as I cheer for the team’s talented rookies, they won’t be enough to get us through October. Los Angeles Times

I guess nothing kills trust in your government better than paying attention to it. Times sportswriter Bill Shaikin spoke to a 24-year-old Nevada kindergarten teacher who was outraged to see her state’s lawmakers commit $380 million to a baseball stadium when teachers’ salaries don’t increase. Her experience helps explain why a Nevada teachers union is working to block recently approved public funding to entice the Oakland Athletics to move to Las Vegas. Los Angeles Times

HURRY FOR HOLLYWOOD

I haven’t seen Game of Thrones yet, but it’s a pleasure to see Emilia Clarke doing her thing in Secret Invasion. I enjoyed my colleague Tracy Brown’s interview with the actor, in which Clarke explains why she signed up for a TV show in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and dismisses the idea that acting in front of a green screen is not real acting. Los Angeles Times

There’s a new Marvel musical at the Disneyland Resort. Times critic Todd Martens writes that Rogers, who debuted last week, has a level of confidence because he knows exactly what a little joke is, with a little big band dancing and a little heart. Not bad for something that could have existed forever as just a clever joke. I am thrilled to see it. Los Angeles Times

AND FINALLY

Of today California landmark and from Eric Sonnenschein of New York: The Getty Center, overlooks Sepulveda Pass in the Santa Monica Mountains.

Eric writes:

What are California’s essential landmarks? Fill out this form to send us your photos of a special place in California natural or man-made. Tell us why it’s interesting and what makes it a symbol of life in the Golden State. Make sure you only include photos taken directly by you. Your presentation may be included in a future edition of the newsletter.

Please let us know what we can do to make this newsletter more useful for you. Send comments to essentialcalifornia@latimes.com.