With all of the evil stupidity in the world, sometimes somebody turns out be be doing the sane and right thing. (Lots of us, actually.) Imagine my surprise that it’s Australia this time, given some of their previous lunatic leaders’ Fossil Foolishness. (Yes, it’s a big enough country that both can be true at the same time.) It also turns out that any country that actually turns off denialism and goes all in on renewables and storage can also turn off the oil shock from the terminally stupid Iran “excursion” that the US has officially won about 40 times and counting.
#Australia is planing a landmark leap in #renewableenergy by constructing the world’s largest #waveenergy farm, enough to power 1 million homes. Wave energy is predictable and consistent, making it one of the most reliable forms of renewable power. climate-kic.org.au/2026/04/09/w… #ActOnClimate
— (@alexvonwitzleben.bsky.social) 2026-07-13T16:43:37.771Z
One of the most significant aspects of this isn’t just the 45% reduction. It’s that IEA explicitly attributed it to the combination of solar, wind and battery storage reducing reliance on expensive gas generation. That’s a major milestone, theory is now being reflected in real-world market outcomes.
— Chris Meder (@evcurvefuturist.com) 2026-07-26T02:46:58.163Z
Meetings
Our ongoing list of this year’s global environmental conferences, summits and more
Far too many to list here, but these are of critical importance.
2026 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31)
When: 9–20 November 2026
Where: Antalya, Turkey
The largest climate event of 2026 will be hosted by Turkey in the resort city of Antalya, with Australia leading the negotiations as part of an agreement between the two countries. There will also be a ‘pre-COP’ held in a Pacific island country, though the dates and host country have yet to be confirmed.
COP31 will build on the deal agreed at COP30 in 2025, which included a tripling of adaptation finance and a just transition mechanism, as well as “roadmaps” to transition away from fossil fuels and to halt and reverse deforestation by 2030.
2026 UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) COP17
When: 17–28 August 2026
Where: Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
The UNCCD COP17 will bring together the 197 Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) to accelerate action against desertification, land degradation and drought.
As one of the most affected countries by desertification, with nearly 77 percent of its land degraded, Mongolia will leverage COP17 to drive solutions for land restoration, sustainable land management and resilience-building across the world.
Stay tuned for our coverage of UNCCD COP17 here on ThinkLandscape.
14th International Conference on Sustainable Development
When: 9–10 September 2026
Where: Rome, Italy
The European Center of Sustainable Development (ECSDEV), in collaboration with CIT University, is organizing ICSD 2026 under the theme “Creating a Unified Foundation for Sustainable Development: Research, Practice and Education”
The conference will address environmental, economic and socio-cultural sustainability, fostering interdisciplinary dialogue and research-based solutions to global challenges and the efficient use of resources.
The Good News
Judges are examining, for the first time in the history of France, whether a multinational oil and gas company can be legally required to reduce its fossil fuel production in line with climate objectives.insideclimatenews.org/news/1902202…
— Wolfgang Blau (@wblau.bsky.social) 2026-02-22T10:10:38.895Z
Four Ugandan farmers are suing the UK-registered company building the East African Crude Oil Pipeline, set to be the longest heated oil pipeline in the world and a major carbon bombMore here, from Climate in the Courts 👇 #climatelitigation www.climateinthecourts.com/ugandan-farm…
— Dana Drugmand (@danad1012.bsky.social) 2026-07-09T01:10:32.617Z
Much of the corn grown in the US is used to make ethanol. It makes no sense; we could reach our water quality goals by converting that land from corn to solar; “one acre of solar panels produces more energy than 100 acres of corn grown for ethanol”riverraccoon.substack.com/p/how-much-c…
— Greg Dick (@greatlakesgreg.bsky.social) 2026-07-27T23:29:33.927Z
Cubans have figured out creative ways to work around Donald Trump’s blockade of oil to the island… Electric vehicles and solar panels? Did Trump by mistake start a green energy revolution in Cuba?open.substack.com/pub/crookedm…
— J Gerber (@sailorboyj.bsky.social) 2026-07-27T21:45:47.330Z
Ireland has one of Europe’s strongest offshore wind resources, but delivering on its potential requires investment, planning and collaboration.Wind Energy Ireland’s 2026 Action Plan outlines the roadmap to accelerate offshore wind development.#OffshoreWind #WindEnergy #RenewableEnergy #Ireland
— Celtic Dynamics (@celticdynamics.bsky.social) 2026-07-27T12:57:20.083Z
Iran
Dos this mean something? I mean, yes, oil prices came down a bit today, but so what?
Mike Luckovich
You see?
Iran has stated they are not in negotiations with the U.S. so Trump is lying, manipulatingthe stock market. Iran said the only talks occurring are with Oman on the control of the Strait. Plus 3 refineries in Saudi Arabia were bombed by Yemen. youtu.be/Qmc3uQi0iB8?…
— (@redstateprisoner.bsky.social) 2026-07-27T21:37:38.408Z
Global Warming Catastrophes
Antarctica’s ‘doomsday glacier’ collapse could trigger a wider collapse of the West Antarctic ice sheet, raising sea levels by up to 5 metresScientists believe we may be approaching a tipping point that could completely redraw the world’s coastlineswww.newscientist.com/video/252904…
— Go Green (@ecowarriorss.bsky.social) 2026-06-05T00:05:17.128Z
Data Centers
@realerinbrockovich.bsky.social Have you seen Jacob Soboroff’s report that the Trumpies now call the mildest of data center protestors “terrorists”? People complaining about stolen electricity and water, and rising costs or pollution for themselves? This means you, Erin, and all of your followers.
— Mokurai (@mokurai.bsky.social) 2026-07-27T18:59:02.154Z
Am constantly told we’re making cartoon villains out of big tech but this is the name of the guy planning a 1 gigawatt fossil fuel plant in Australia for a proposed data centre theenergy.co/article/ex-d…
— Ketan Joshi (@ketanjoshi.co) 2026-07-05T05:00:13.481Z
Australia’s data center lobby insists it is nothing like the US. But a new report shows data centres drove 50% of the past year of demand growth in Australia’s biggest grid: exactly the same proportion as the US. Quick new post digging into the data:ketanjoshi.co/2026/04/30/a…
— Ketan Joshi (@ketanjoshi.co) 2026-04-30T22:15:10.128Z
👇🏾👇🏻THIS👇🏽👇
Scoop: Clearway Asks Trump to Swap Solar Farm for Data Center and Gas Plant
The large renewables developer changes tack “in response to federal energy objectives.”
No New Nukes
This article is very timely because the White House is pushing hard for nuclear power and rolling back radiation safety standards to accelerate nuclear reactor licensing. Drs. Lundberg and Landrigan argue to the contrary that nuclear power is a dangerous and expensive.
— (@psrcolorado.bsky.social) 2026-07-27T23:47:11.383Z
#BO-O-O-O-OGUS!!!These are not EXPERIMENTAL ships. They are purely speculative design exercises. You can tell because there are no licensed, commercial SMRs.Nuclear Ships Just Cleared Three Design Reviews, But They’re Potentially Decades From Trading Port to Portgcaptain.com/nuclear-ship…
— Mokurai (@mokurai.bsky.social) 2026-07-28T00:17:58.878Z
As though we can’t copy and paste.
Stacie Smith (She/Her) 🇨🇦 🏒 🧠 ⚾️
Nuclear molten salt could power future cargo ships
No, it isn’t a molten salt reactor (MSR) nor a Korean small modular reactor (K-SMR).Popular Science
Popular Science
Nuclear molten salt could power future cargo ships
These experimental ship designs rely on smaller and potentially safer molten salt nuclear reactors.
ABS Grants AIP for Nuclear-Powered 15,000 TEU Containership Concept
ABS has awarded Approval in Principle (AIP) for a concept design for a nuclear-powered 15,000 TEU containership developed in collaboration with the Korea Research Institute of Ships and Ocean Engineering (KRISO) and the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI), marking another step in the maritime industry’s efforts to evaluate advanced nuclear propulsion for commercial shipping.
The concept vessel is powered by a small modular reactor (SMR) using a marine molten salt reactor (MSR) design. The approval is part of an ongoing joint development project between ABS, KRISO and KAERI to assess the technical feasibility of nuclear-powered merchant ships and establish the technical and safety framework needed to support future designs.
Denial and Obstruction vs. Resistance and $$Real Money$$™
Exxon Mobil sued California’s attorney general, the Sierra Club and other environmental groups on Monday. The lawsuit alleges that they conspired to defame the oil giant and kneecap its business prospects amid a debate over whether plastics can be recycled effectively.
— The New York Times (@nytimes.com) 2025-01-07T16:51:44.942Z
A district court in Jakarta has dismissed a lawsuit brought by palm oil company PT Kalimantan Lestari Mandiri against two scientists who provided expert testimony in a 2018 court case that found the palm oil firm liable for wildfires on hundreds of hectares of land in Central Kalimantan province.
— Mongabay (@mongabay.com) 2025-10-20T01:10:02.559Z
It was just round 1. It is not over. It’s time to resist.We will APPEAL this ruling in North Dakota. Energy Transfer’s intimidation lawsuit is a billionaire-backed attack on the right to protest. We won’t back down.Learn more: www.greenpeace.org/usa/what-tod…#TimeToResist
— Greenpeace USA (@greenpeaceusa.bsky.social) 2026-02-27T23:11:43.462Z
“Things shouldn’t be left out here like that. Not by an international oil company.” Out today: A “first of its kind” lawsuit contends that oil companies including Chevron failed to properly plug and decommission wells on private property, challenging common assumptions about plugged wells.
— Texas Observer (@texasobserver.org) 2024-08-07T14:19:22.310Z
A Different Level of Idiocy
Vance: “Which regime in the world has civil nuclear power and enrichment without having a nuclear weapon? The answer is – no one.”Germany, Netherlands, Brazil and Japan all have civil nuclear power and the ability to enrich uranium. None have nuclear weapons.
— Adam Schwarz (@adamjschwarz.bsky.social) 2025-05-07T14:00:45.869Z
Resources
🎩 GoodNewsRoundup
Want to focus on the ENVIRONMENT:
Southern Environmental Law Center
Earth Justice
Natural Resources Defense Council
League of Conservation Voters
Sierra Club
Center for Biological Diversity
Greenpeace
We’ll get straight to the point: The financial hardships that Daily Kos is facing this year are tough.
We continue to be paywall-free. We continue to be supported by our readers, not billionaires or corporations. But we need to bring in more revenue. We are leaning on our community more than ever to help make ends meet.
Power matters.
Was this story worth reading?
Recommending and sharing stories helps us decide which stories are most important to show our readers.