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Menlo Spark

@menlospark.bsky.social
70 followers 53 following 426 posts

Menlo Spark works to help Menlo Park achieve its goal of climate neutrality by 2030, and to help spread innovative climate policies throughout the Bay Area and more broadly.

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Menlo Spark @menlospark.bsky.social · 6h
Least surprising thing in the world is getting older but it feels like it's the hardest one to believe is happening.
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Menlo Spark @menlospark.bsky.social · 6h
Looks like a great climate equity/job training program in Chicago that we should consider emulating here in California. We work with the nonprofit JobTrain focusing more on electrification, but this is an interesting approach focusing on solar. www.canarymedia.com/articles/sol...
canarymedia.com
How one Chicago program is diversifying the solar workforce
Founded by a former public-housing resident, the 548 Foundation provides training, stipends, and support to build Black generational wealth through clean…
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Reposted by Menlo Spark
Jean-Pierre Gattuso @jpgattuso.bsky.social · 12/10/2026
Link to the livestream on Vimeo: vimeo.com/event/620997... 🌊
vimeo.com
The 6th International Symposium on the Ocean in a High-CO₂ World
Tākina 13-15 October 2026 https://highco2-vi.org/programme/
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Menlo Spark @menlospark.bsky.social · 12/10/2026
Terrible decision by the Trump Administration to smash the Endangered Species Act. While California has its own ESA, the federal ESA is better. Hopefully litigation by environmental groups and states will stop Trump from exterminating many species in the US and Calfornia. phys.org/news/2026-09...
phys.org
Trump administration makes major cuts to endangered species protections
President Donald Trump's administration will no longer treat the unintentional killing of protected wildlife as unlawful, officials confirmed Thursday, in a shift conservationists say could gut the En...
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Menlo Spark @menlospark.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
A multi-decade problem happening right now: electrek.co/2026/10/06/u...
electrek.co
US gas plant plans jump 44% in just 8 months – here's why
US gas power plans have nearly tripled since 2023, with data centers driving a boom that could lock in decades of fossil fuel use.
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Menlo Spark @menlospark.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
The one contributed by the US is in Wyoming: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_A...
en.wikipedia.org
North Antelope Rochelle Mine - Wikipedia
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Menlo Spark @menlospark.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
This is huge. I don't think gas cars will ever go back above 50%. Maybe a massive drop in gas price might do it for one year, but even that is unlikely and also might not be enough. electrek.co/2026/10/05/g...
electrek.co
Gas cars fall below 50% of global new car sales for the first time
Gas cars made up 49% of global new car sales in the first half of 2026, down from 73% in 2021. But hybrids are taking as much share as EVs.
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Menlo Spark @menlospark.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Event next week (Pacific Time): actionnetwork.org/events/faith...
actionnetwork.org
Faith for Clean Air: What Bay Area Faith Leaders Need to Know
Faith for Clean Air: What Bay Area Faith Leaders Need to Know October 6 | 6:00–7:00 PM | Zoom Clean air is a matter of health, justice, and care for our neighbors. And right now, important decisions...
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Right To Zero @righttozero.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Even pizza tastes better when it's cooked in an all-electric oven.
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Menlo Spark @menlospark.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Some good points about the positives of teens on e-bikes: electrek.co/2026/09/30/e...
electrek.co
E-bikes are giving teenagers something we thought they’d lost
If you’ve spent any time reading local neighborhood social media groups lately – and for your mental health, I hope...
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Menlo Spark @menlospark.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
More EV fast-charging news. There's an argument that fast-charging eliminates the need for expensive, at-home EV-charging retrofits. I'm dubious for the short and medium term, but it might be right in the longer term. electrek.co/2026/09/25/g...
electrek.co
Geely's AI fast charging 'heals' EV batteries for 20% more cycle life
Geely's new AI fast charging uses micro-pulse currents to reverse lithium buildup from fast charging, claiming up to 20% more battery cycle life.
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Menlo Spark @menlospark.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
According to the article, the ejection just drops the pack, and then the secondary battery is used to roll the car a sufficient distance away.
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Menlo Spark @menlospark.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Mandating this would be dumb, agree with that. However, I don't have any problem with EV makers exploring non-mandatory options and safety features that you are unable to get in ICE vehicles. Whether this is truly practical, that's another matter.
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Menlo Spark @menlospark.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
The million kinds of licorice are good, although I'm not sure if they're from Iceland or imported.
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Menlo Spark @menlospark.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Today's reading: www.solaracks.com/balcony-sola...
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Inside Climate News @insideclimatenews.org · 24/09/2026
More than 450,000 people are projected to die in the next six months from the additional heat brought by a super El Niño, according to estimates from climate scientists released Wednesday. The estimated heat death toll is on top of impacts from droughts, wildfires and floods.
insideclimatenews.org
Super El Niño to Cause 451,000 Heat Deaths - Inside Climate News
Climate scientists are calling the hotter temperatures resulting from El Niño a “postcard from the future.”
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Menlo Spark @menlospark.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Good news on EVs in Europe: www.semafor.com/article/09/2... EV sales projected to at least quadruple to 32% of US new car sales by 2030: news.harvard.edu/gazette/stor...
semafor.com
European EV sales jump 50% amid soaring fuel prices
EVs now make up almost a third of sales on the continent, with even mega luxury brands joining the shift.
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Christina Scaringe @natureishome.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
'51% of Americans overall now say they are likely to purchase or lease an EV within the next five years' www.zeta.org/news/ahead-o...
zeta.org
Ahead of Climate Week, New Poll Finds EV Divide Is More Generational Than Political - ZETA
75% of Americans under 35 say they are likely to purchase or lease an EV within five years; 52-point age gap dwarfs 12-point partisan divide
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Right To Zero @righttozero.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Read @missionvespa.bsky.social's op-ed about a no-brainer bill awaiting @governor.ca.gov's signature! The Home Energy Choice Act is a practical way to avoid costly and unnecessary gas infrastructure investments. Plus, it will save customers money. calmatters.org/commentary/2...
calmatters.org
Opinion | California could save millions by paying homeowners to switch to electric appliances
Gov. Gavin Newsom considers paying homes to switch from gas to heat pumps and induction stoves — instead of funding gas line repairs.
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Menlo Spark @menlospark.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Sammy, got an opinion on the gas utility death spiral? I know some are worried about the disruption it could cause. Personally I think it's likely over a decade-plus in the future, further away than I'd like but also likely to be much easier to electrify then and manage the transition.
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Sammy Roth @sammyroth.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Natural gas demand on the California grid peaked in 2014 and has been falling ever since. Gas-fired electricity fell 15% last year, then another 26% in the first half of this year as solar and batteries continued to boom. insideclimatenews.org/news/1009202... via @dangearino.bsky.social
insideclimatenews.org
How California Is Kicking Its Natural Gas Habit - Inside Climate News
Solar and batteries matter, but they’re not the only reasons for the steep decline in gas-fired electricity.
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Menlo Spark @menlospark.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Maybe I'm overoptimistic about industry responding to incentives, but if they can save money from electrification, I assume it's big money that's worth the administrative effort to carry out. So shouldn't that transition happen quickly then?
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Menlo Spark @menlospark.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Very much not helpful. We have to emphasize this is an old plant with old standards no longer in use, but still not helpful. www.canarymedia.com/articles/bat...
canarymedia.com
Vistra’s Moss Landing grid battery is on fire yet again
The California facility, with its outdated building and battery design, had a catastrophic fire in 2025. Now, a new fire ignited during the…
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Menlo Spark @menlospark.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Many coal mines in the US, too.
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Menlo Spark @menlospark.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Climate change a likely cause of the massive deaths in Nepal, with Nepal's total and per-person emissions playing a trivial role. www.bbc.com/news/article...
bbc.com
Nepal to use new flood study to claim millions from UN climate disaster fund
A new study says climate change was a likely factor in the massive flood on the Nepal-Tibet border last month.
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Right To Zero @righttozero.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
AB 2313 is waiting on @governor.ca.gov's signature! 🖊 The bill will give Californians the freedom and funds for non-polluting appliances with money that would otherwise be spent replacing gas service lines. www.sacbee.com/news/politic...
sacbee.com
What are some of the California environmental bills the Legislature sent to Gavin Newsom?
The governor has until Sept. 30 to act on these and other measures.
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Menlo Spark @menlospark.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Bad news: Southern oceans could become a carbon source one atmospheric concentrations stabilize or decline. Somewhat good news: the switch to source is around 2150, giving us some time to deal with this. phys.org/news/2026-09...
phys.org
Southern Ocean may flip from carbon sink to carbon source under mitigation scenarios
Plans to limit the global temperature rise to 1.5°C above preindustrial levels depend on reaching net-zero emissions and, in many cases, actively removing carbon dioxide (CO2) from the air. While this...
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Menlo Spark @menlospark.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Another variant on climate doomerism. I don't think this one has legs, fortunately.
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Menlo Spark @menlospark.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
The story notes the importance of residential solar and batteries while acknowledging they're hard to quantify. Hopefully we'll get more progress with balcony solar added. And Virtual Power Plants are just a footnote now, but they have enormous potential (and will help quantify residential power).
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Menlo Spark @menlospark.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Utility-scale solar has no significant impact on nearby home values: electrek.co/2026/09/08/d...
electrek.co
Do wind and solar farms tank home values? A 20-year study has an answer
Ball State researchers analyzed two decades of Indiana home sales to see whether nearby wind and solar farms hurt property values.
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Menlo Spark @menlospark.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Learn better recycling! www.eventbrite.com/e/free-progr...
eventbrite.com
Free Program Takes the Guesswork Out of Recycling
Two Recology experts will explain proper sorting and answer all your questions about recycling.
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Menlo Spark @menlospark.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
I have similar if less pronounced concerns about enhanced geothermal. Can it really compete with solar+batteries given their cost reductions likely over the next decade? Maybe geothermal will be limited to high latitudes.
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Menlo Spark @menlospark.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
We have solved this problem in the US by limiting corporate liability from nuclear accidents and imposing the risks on society instead. It's the Price-Anderson Act.
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Menlo Spark @menlospark.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
They've been talking about wave power for decades. We'll see how it goes. www.msn.com/en-us/money/...
msn.com
MSN
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Menlo Spark @menlospark.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
I've thought that decreasing gas consumption would eliminate gas stations and make ICE vehicles increasingly inconvenient. So far that hasn't been an important factor in switching to EVs, but maybe it will be, especially to speed up change in slower moving countries like the US.
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Jan Rosenow @janrosenow.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
In country after country we start to see EV sales up and ICE down. The lines cross in an X typical for transitions. Norway in 2019. Sweden and Nepal in 2023. Denmark and Singapore in 2024. Belgium and the Netherlands in 2025. Finland is crossing now. janrosenow.substack.com/p/the-car-in...
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Menlo Spark @menlospark.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
Glaciers are highly localized, while permafrost is widespread under the right conditions. The effects of losing permafrost from climate change are both dramatic and subtle.
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Justin Gerdes @justingerdes.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
The California Legislature sent @asmmarcberman.bsky.social's Home Energy Choice Act (AB 2313) to @governor.ca.gov's desk. "Rather than being forced to have their gas hookups replaced, homeowners will get the choice to receive funds to electrify their homes." earthjustice.org/press/2026/c... 🔌💡
earthjustice.org
California Legislature Passes the Home Energy Choice Act
AB 2313 will give Californians the freedom and funds for non-polluting appliances with money that would otherwise be spent replacing gas service lines
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Sammy Roth @sammyroth.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Big win for community solar in the California Legislature today: www.latimes.com/environment/... via @blancabegert.bsky.social
latimes.com
Solar power for renters would get easier with two bills now on the governor's desk
Renters could get access to solar panels if the governor signs two bills just passed by the Legislature.
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Menlo Spark @menlospark.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Interesting change of pace: an ebike rider describing the experience of riding gas bikes, instead of the usual reverse. electrek.co/2026/08/31/i...
electrek.co
I traded my electric motorcycle for a gasoline bike on vacation. It was pretty shocking
For the last few weeks, my wife and I have been hopping between islands in the Philippines, and like so...
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Menlo Spark @menlospark.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
An incredible refutation to the "energy poverty" arguments for fossil fuels that were so popular until recently. Not hearing those arguments as much, they've moved on to other bad claims.
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Menlo Spark @menlospark.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
I'm guessing that TX uses less methane gas in homes than CA, but I'm not sure. If so then it might be helpful to adjust cost estimates. I'd guess that CA would still come out ahead. (Looking forward to balcony solar!)
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Menlo Spark @menlospark.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Just one study but it casts doubt on enhanced rock weathering, one of the more promising solutions in the difficult field of carbon dioxide removal. news.cornell.edu/stories/2026... Might still work in the "silver buckshot" frame of climate solutions, but with unclear buckshot size.
news.cornell.edu
Study casts doubt on carbon-removal method | Cornell Chronicle
A study led by Cornell researchers suggests the real-world potential of “enhanced weathering” — spreading crushed basalt on farmland as a way to removed CO2 — may be far smaller than widely cited esti...
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Menlo Spark @menlospark.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
New to me: an EV charger that will dial down when the load is high in the house. Looks like a way to make Level 2 charging accessible without panel upgrades. electrek.co/2026/08/25/4...
electrek.co
Need a panel upgrade for an EV charger? Schneider may have a workaround
Schneider's new smart 48-amp home EV charger manages household power to help some drivers avoid a costly electrical panel upgrade.
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Menlo Spark @menlospark.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Great news! Menlo Spark is very happy to have supported this. California is one of 50 states, but it's also about 10% of Americans that will soon have access to balcony solar.
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Menlo Spark @menlospark.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
The Platypus Curve in Australia: www.youtube.com/watch?v=jltR...
youtube.com
Australia Killed the Duck Curve (With Batteries)
YouTube video by Engineering with Rosie
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Menlo Spark @menlospark.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
BRT beats the hell out of light rail.
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Right To Zero @righttozero.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
The Home Energy Choice Act #AB2313 by @asmmarcberman.bsky.social will let families choose the energy that powers their homes.
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Menlo Spark @menlospark.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
Yes - if they're smart-evil, they'll set a federal standard at or even below the current one and say we're done changing things forever. That would likely keep the EPCA preemption. Although any regulation they establish can be overturned by the next administration.
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Menlo Spark @menlospark.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
Thanks - the article's link to a letter from PG&E didn't work, btw.
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