Statiq Electricity

Hi there! Welcome back to our weekly newsletter, Pique Behind the Curtain. Are you ready for your mid-week dose of climate content, new film features, and all-around positive vibes?

Let’s do it.

Written by Shayna Berglas

Statiq

The Indian EV market is expected to reach $47 billion by 2026, but today there is only one charger for every 1,000 cars in the country. Unlike the US and Europe, where EV owners frequently charge at home, 80% of charging in India happens in public spaces.

But cars are just a small part of the market in India. Electric two- and three-wheelers are rapidly replacing their gas competitors. In total over 4.2 million electric vehicles were sold over the last year in India - 95% of which were two- or three-wheelers which are popular in commercial delivery.

Statiq is aiming to solve the growing challenge of charging all these vehicles and rapidly building public infrastructure to support this transportation revolution. 

Watch the full film here.

France Bans Fossil Fuel Ads

Remember when cigarette ads used to look like this?

Well, maybe you don’t remember - but your parents might. 

In the 1940s, tobacco companies hired doctors and dentists to endorse their products in an effort to reduce public concern about the health risks associated with smoking. They slapped on slogans like “Just What the Doctor Ordered” and “More Doctors Smoke Camels”. 

We all know how the rest of this story goes. Cancer was definitively linked to smoking cigarettes and pro-puff advertisements were replaced with hazardous health warnings. Policymakers and companies accepted their responsibility to consumers to provide the public with facts that would inform them to make healthier choices (or not, but …as long as they know it’s not).

The misrepresentation of public health concerns is a problem that’s plagued the energy industry for decades. As early as 1958, big oil was hiring scientists to look into the relationship between burning fossil fuels and global climate change. And they successfully determined that relationship, much to the dismay of their bottom lines. Fossil fuels were and are inherently bad for the environment - and for people. But that didn’t stop the oil industry from running one of the most impressive PR wars of all time.

According to a 2017 study from Harvard University, ExxonMobil’s 40-year history of climate-change communications showed outright differences between what big-oil execs were saying behind closed doors and what they were saying to the general public. The analysis determined that Exxon misled the public about basic climate science by “quietly contributing to climate science, and loudly promoting doubt about that science.”

More and more, the public is becoming aware of the way they’ve been, well, played. I mean, seriously - one of the most successful marketing ploys of the 20th century was when BP framed you for climate change and coined the term “carbon footprint”. 

Now, countries are fighting back. On August 22nd, France became the first European nation to prohibit advertising for all energy products related to fossil fuels including petrol products, energy from coal mining, and hydrogen-containing carbons. What’s more, companies who breach the ban could face up to 100,000 euros in fines.

The decision came after a mass movement in the French capital to put a stop to climate disruption as they continue working towards the standards set by the Paris Agreement. 

The French ad ban is important in the literal effects that it will have on both emissions reduction and public perception of energy. But it also goes one step further. The movement of anti-green-washing litigation is an event that moves a giant industry towards an inevitable tipping point in phasing out fossil fuels for good.

Good Climate News!

Americans are convinced climate action is unpopular. They’re very, very wrong.

Welcome back to another story for our eco-anxious readers. I have fantastic news to share. Have you ever struggled to understand how so few Americans want action regarding the climate crisis? Turns out, the vast majority of them actually want to do something about it.

According to a study recently published in the journal of Nature Communications, participants across all demographics showed double the expected support for green policies like a carbon tax or those similar to the Green New Deal. Researchers expected some 37%-43% of respondents to vote in favor of green policy, but what they found was that 66%-80% of individuals showed support.

Some experts think that the research, published in tandem with the signing of the Inflation Reduction Act, could be a turning point in obtaining popular climate policies capable of affecting real change. But this research points out something else important as well - we’re not as alone in our beliefs as we may think.

A survey was given to more than 6,000 Americans by Indiana University Bloomington last spring in which participants were asked to estimate the percentage of people that would support policies such as carbon taxes, mandating 100% renewable energy by 2035, and putting renewable projects on public lands. The estimates didn’t reach much higher than 30%. According to the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication, however, at least two-thirds of Americans are in favor of these policies. Some, like renewables on public lands, have garnered the support of four-fifths of American citizens.

So, what does this mean? If people aren’t aware of the support that exists, it creates a silent society in which others are likely to conform to their perceived social norms. It’s a scenario that inhibits our ability to act as activists and policymakers. It’s critical to make support for climate action more visible in the media, in our conference rooms, and in our homes. The legislation will follow.

Lean into your beliefs, and lean on each other. We’re in the climate fight together.

What We’re Watching, Reading, and Listening to

Searching for more positive and informative climate content? Look no further!

• Why Companies Need to Greenwash - Our Changing Climate

• How to Cope With Anxiety | Olivia Remes - TEDx Talks

• Adaptation vs. Mitigation Climate Soltuions - NowThis Earth

Climate Week NYC 2022

Climate Week NYC 2022, marks its fourteenth year as the biggest global climate event of its kind. Bringing together the most influential leaders in climate action from business, government, and the climate community, in conjunction with the United Nations General Assembly and the City of New York. Climate Week NYC creates an ambitious platform for our mission to drive climate action. Fast. Learn more here.