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The world is still running on fossil fuels. But, if moving away from dirty energy is like rerouting a giant ship, then this could be the year when world leaders started to turn the tanker around.
Here’s a baker’s dozen of climate wins from 2022! THREAD!
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/25/opinion/gas-prices-crisis-climate-change.html
#1 - After more than 3 decades of failed efforts, Democrats passed a federal climate law — really a series of them.
The biggest one is the Inflation Reduction Act, but there's also CHIPS + last years' bipartisan infrastructure law.
https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2022/08/chips-act-climate-bill-biden/671095/
Much of the funding flows through unlimited tax credits for solar panels to heat pumps to EVs.
Metaphorically speaking, it’s like we’ve all been given a gift certificate for a discounted heat pump. How much $$$ can you get? Check out @rewiringamerica@twitter.com.
https://www.rewiringamerica.org/app/ira-calculator
It's now up to the American people to decide how much money the federal government invests in our clean future. If we all get a heat pump, EV + solar panels this decade, we will spend far more than the $370 billion quoted in news articles.
It could easily top $1 TRILLION!
#2 - Huge investments into clean technologies are already flowing. Private companies have invested north of $100 billion in EVs, charging infrastructure and solar.
Hardly a week goes by without another multi-billion-dollar announcement. https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/09/14/fact-sheet-president-bidens-economic-plan-drives-americas-electric-vehicle-manufacturing-boom/
#3 - Heat pumps outsold fossil fuel furnaces this year in the United States.
I think we can officially declare 2022 the breakout year for the humble heat pump!
#4 - California passed a law with $54 billion for climate, including support for electric school buses, heat pumps, public transit, and clean electricity.
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/01/climate/california-lawmakers-climate-legislation.html
#5 - Governor Newsom also began phasing out fossil fuels, codifying dates when the last oil-powered car or fossil-gas appliance can be sold.
2030 can't come soon enough when it comes to stopping new fossil fuel infrastructure in the Golden State!
https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2022-09-23/california-moves-to-ban-natural-gas-furnaces-and-heaters-by-2030#:~:text=The%20Golden%20State%20will%20ban,Air%20Resources%20Board%20on%20Thursday.
#6 - After years of effort, EJ activists had a HUGE victory when California made the common-sense decision to stop allowing oil drilling next to homes, hospitals + daycares.
The oil industry is attacking this win, so follow @VoicesCA@twitter.com to stay up to date.
https://www.bakersfield.com/news/industry-submits-signatures-to-overturn-oil-drilling-ban/article_416f99e2-7b3b-11ed-b5ac-73ad0673ac4a.html
#7 - This month, Los Angeles went even further, banning all new oil wells, effective immediately.
It’s now possible to imagine the end of oil drilling in a state that led the boom beginning in 1903.
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-12-02/in-historic-move-l-a-bans-new-oil-wells-phases-out-existing-ones
#8 - Washington state, long a national climate leader, invested $17 billion towards cleaning up transportation pollution, including by electrifying ferries.
Hello electric boats!
️
https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/wa-gov-inslee-signs-17-billion-transportation-package/
#9 - We got more state climate leadership with Maryland, Massachusetts, and Connecticut all passing big climate laws this year.
https://www.wbur.org/news/2022/07/22/massachusetts-climate-bill-baker-desk
https://portal.ct.gov/Office-of-the-Governor/News/Press-Releases/2022/05-2022/Governor-Lamont-Signs-Key-Climate-Change-Energy-Legislation
https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/policy-regulation/maryland-just-passed-one-of-the-most-aggressive-climate-laws-in-the-us
#10 - The midterm elections set up new Democratic trifectas, including in Michigan and Minnesota.
Newly elected climate champions, like @Jamiemlong@twitter.com, are already hard at work figuring out their plans for 2023.
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/23440596/2022-midterms-results-climate-states
And that’s just a small slice of the good climate news this year in the United States!
Meanwhile elsewhere around the world... 
#11 - The Brazilian people chose President-elect Lula, rejecting the Bolsonaro regime. You could almost hear the Amazon, our so-called planetary lungs, breathing a sigh of relief.
“Climate change will have the highest priority” in Lula's government. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/nov/16/lula-vows-to-undo-brazils-environmental-degradation-and-halt-deforestation
#12 - Earlier this year, Australians booted climate deniers from office. I am hopeful we will see a bold climate package proposed in Australia early in the new year!
Follow @GriffithSaul@twitter.com to stay up to date!
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/22/world/australia/election-albanese-climate.html
#13 - Europe is turning rapidly away from fossil gas.
In the first half of 2022, Poland, the Netherlands, Italy and Austria saw exponential growth in heat pumps—year-over-year, sales doubled.
https://www.iea.org/reports/the-future-of-heat-pumps?utm_content=buffere525d&utm_medium=social&utm_source=linkedin-Birol&utm_campaign=buffer
#14 - The EU is speeding up clean energy! Last month, it decided to speed up permitting and installation for renewable energy + heat pumps.
E.U. negotiators also recently completed a deal to cut carbon pollution faster this decade.
https://www.cnbc.com/2022/12/18/european-union-reaches-agreement-on-pivotal-carbon-market-deal.html
Hope is a verb — it’s a call to action.
So join the river of people ditching their dirty gas furnace for a clean heat pump. Put yourself on a waiting list for a new electric vehicle. And join a climate group in your community, to push your government to do more.
The fight is far from over. But climate activists have momentum on their side.
After three decades pushing on a wall, it finally feels like there is an open door.
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/25/opinion/gas-prices-crisis-climate-change.html
@leahstokes an amazing list. Thank you for pulling it together. One step at a time
@leahstokes thanks Leah, good to have such a hopeful thread to end the year!
@leahstokes You think the oil companies have given up looking for more oil? Nah, they are hell-bent on maximising their wealth with no concern for future generations.
@leahstokes very interesting - link to source?
@carl_lenox @leahstokes I'm also curious about source. 
@leahstokes @garykrysztopik My local town has recently had a significant roll out of publicly funded fast chargers. I'm not persuaded this is a good investment.
The world cannot afford to replace all the existing two ton private internal combustion engine vehicles with two ton electric vehicles. Never mind the lithium, we're not going to be able to produce enough steel and aluminium.
@leahstokes
A great point, these things are not cheap when the default infrastructure is setup for gas.
However - the net financial saving per household is likely to stimulate an enormous boost to the economy that would see it repaid in a couple of decades - in addition to the huge benefits to the environment.
The only losers will be the fossil fuel companies who've been ripping everyone off for decades.