Eco Minute 13:30

BULLETIN 16 February 1:30 pm

Good afternoon, here is your Eco Minute:

# A mega hybrid power plant spanning more than 400 hectares between the towns of Ceres and Sutherland has reached financial close. The power plant is one of eleven selected by government in its emergency power procurement round of 2021 and consists of a mix of solar photovoltaic power, wind power and battery energy storage technologies. One of the project developers, G7 Renewable Energies, says, with a combined capacity of almost 335 megawatts, the Oya Energy Hybrid project is the first and largest renewable energy project of its kind in the world in terms of technology mix, size, and price.

# Namibian Breweries Limited is committed to achieving zero emissions across its operations by 2030 as part of its sustainable manufacturing plans. Corporate Affairs manager, Surihe Gaomas-Guchu, says the company’s strategy includes transitioning to 100-percent renewable electricity and reducing carbon emissions by 30-percent across its value chain within the next six years. She says the company also aims to eliminate waste sent to landfills from production facilities by next year:

# And finally: A new University of Michigan study finds that 14.8-percent of Americans deny the reality of climate change. Using social media data and artificial intelligence, researchers reveal that political affiliation, especially among Republican voters, is the most significant factor influencing climate change beliefs. The study also links climate denialism to low Covid-19 vaccination rates, indicating a broader skepticism of science. Other variables impacting climate change opinion include education level, income, and reliance on fossil fuels in regional economies.

Stay tuned for more news………….