News from a Changing Planet -- This Week on Earth #11

The Inflation Reduction Act's birthday, the government makes a deal on carbon dioxide removal, seaweed for the people, and more news from this past week.

Joe Biden at the announcement of the new national monument near the Grand Canyon, where he spoked about the IRA and the administration’s other climate achievements. Credit Jonathan Ernst/Reuters via The Guardian

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, IRA!: One year in, here’s what we can say about the Inflation Reduction Act (The Guardian, FT$):

Unfortunately, only about 30 percent of Americans say they’ve heard much about the Inflation Reduction Act, which is too bad, because it’s the largest investment in clean energy in American history, and the only real attempt our government has made to address the climate crisis. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t working, although it would be great if things sped up a bit…

This piece in The Guardian is a good summary of what we can say about the first year of the bill’s life, and this one from Financial Times examines a dynamic we’re familiar with here — the obstacles presented by electricity transmission and permitting — and how Biden is trying to sell the bill better (Build Back Bill Better?) on the campaign trail.

Most of the new renewable energy projects have gone to Congressional districts represented by Republicans (no Republican members of Congress voted for the bill, however) which just goes to show that addressing climate change shouldn’t be a partisan issue and can have benefits for everyone!

This is a rendering of a large-scale carbon dioxide removal plant from a company called Carbon Engineering Ltd., which will use “direct air capture” (what it sounds like) to get carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. Credit Carbon Engineering Ltd., via Columbia Climate School State of the Planet

SOMETHING IN THE AIR (AND ALSO IN THE IRA): The U.S. government is starting to pay companies to remove