Is it better to buy a new electric car or keep my old petrol car?

Isn't range a big problem?

It's difficult to find charge points, right?

Will my battery just blow up?

These are some of the questions we answer today while unpacking the truths about electric vehicles...

Shownote sources:

“Flying accounts for around 2.5% of global CO₂ emissions, or around 4% of global warming when contrails are included.”
-- Our World in Data

“Around 2% of the world’s population take roughly 41% of flights.”
-- International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT)

“Travelling the same distance by train produces around 8× lower emissions than flying, and Eurostar journeys can reduce emissions by up to 90–95% (around 15–20× lower on London–Paris).”

-- Our World in Data

“Aircraft have become around 80–90% more fuel efficient per passenger over the past 60 years, yet total aviation emissions have more than quadrupled.”

-- Our World In Data

"Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) are often claimed to be 80% better than the baseline, but this 'study' is drastically overstated: excluding emissions from burning the fuel and the warming impacts of contrails"

-- British Petroleum (BP), look out for what's not included ;-)

In "The Playbook", we give the down low on many of the most common tactics used by fossil fuel companies - the ones used to gaslight you and keep themselves relevant. This one might make you angry.

Resources:

·       Renewable energy discourses of fossil fuel companies: obstruction and delay of climate action | Energy, Sustainability and Society | Springer Nature Link

·       Banking on Climate Chaos 2025 - Banking on Climate Chaos

·       BankTrack – European banks bonding with oil and gas expansion: an analysis of 2025 and beyond

·       Overview and key findings – World Energy Investment 2024 – Analysis - IEA

·       InfluenceMap reveals climate lobbying & greenwashing - Greenhouse Communications

·       Shell, BP, Exxon: Seized emails reveal 'deceptive' climate tactics and greenwashing | Euronews

·       Record number of fossil fuel lobbyists at COP undermines critical climate talks

·       New Joint Bicameral Staff Report Reveals Big Oil’s Campaign of Climate Denial, Disinformation, and Doublespeak | The U.S. House Committee on Oversight

“After leaded petrol was phased out, blood lead levels fell by around 90%.”

-- Our World In Data

Ressources:

1.      The world’s largest survey on climate change is out – here's what the results show | UNDP Climate Promise

2.      Climate change falls over 20% behind top global concern in 2025 new Ipsos survey reveals | fsc.org

3.      Pakistan: Flood Damages and Economic Losses Over USD 30 billion and Reconstruction Needs Over USD 16 billion - New Assessment

4.      Spain hit hard by rising price of olive oil as climate change takes its toll on production

5.      Off-grid Solar Could Provide First-time Electricity Access to Almost 400 Million People Globally by 2030

6.      Are Companies Actually Scaling Back Their Climate Commitments?

7.      pnas.org/doi/pdf/10.1073/pnas.2415324122

8.      Peoples' Climate Vote 2024 - World | ReliefWeb

9.      Low-cost flights up to 26 times cheaper than trains - Greenpeace European Unit

10. IMF Fossil Fuel Subsidies Data: 2023 Update

11. American Petroleum Institute | API | API Kicks off Summer Driving Season with Ad Series on America's Energy Advantages

Shownote sources:

“The UK intelligence-backed report warned of national security threats including ecosystem collapse, food insecurity, mass migration, NATO conflict and nuclear war.”

-- Business Green, Gov.uk

“The global economy is already committed to around a 17% income reduction by mid-century because of climate change.”

-- Forbes

“At current emissions, humanity has roughly 2–4 years of the remaining carbon budget for a 50% chance of limiting warming to 1.5°C.”

-- Earth System Science Data

“Crossing 1.5°C doesn’t mean falling off a cliff; each additional fraction of a degree increases the risk of triggering climate tipping points.”

-- Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)

“Estimates suggest up to 1.2 billion people could be displaced by climate change by 2050.”

-- Institute for Economics & Peace (IEP)

“Current extinction rates are estimated to be around 100–1,000 times the natural background rate.”

-- Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES)

“Global investment in clean energy is now roughly double investment in fossil fuel supply.”

-- International Energy Agency (IEA)

Find us on instagram @tippingpoints.podcast

Link to carbon footprint calculators:

1. United Nations online platform for voluntary cancellation of certified emission reductions (CERs)
2. WWF Footprint Calculator

Resources:

• What is the greenhouse effect? - NASA Science
• 2003 BP Carbon Footprint add
• NPR | How Big Oil helped push the idea of “carbon footprint”
• There are huge inequalities in global CO2 emissions - Our World in Data
• Consumption-based CO₂ emissions per capita vs. GDP per capita, 2023
• Analysis: Stark Inequalities in CO2 Emissions of Rich & Poor Nations
• Climate Change 2022: Mitigation of Climate Change     

Find us on instagram @tippingpoints.podcast

Shownote sources:

“The Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum happened around 56 million years ago and saw global temperatures rise by around 5–8°C.” [IPCC]

“During the PETM, some deep-sea species experienced extinction rates of around 30–50%, while mammals became significantly smaller.” [palaeontologyonline]

“Current rates of warming are estimated to be around 6–20 times faster than during the PETM.” [climate.gov]

“Species are currently going extinct at roughly 100–1,000 times the natural background rate.” [IPBES]

“Yields of major staple crops such as maize and cereals are projected to decline by around 10–24% under future warming scenarios.” [IPCC]

“Around 85–90% of global cropland is projected to experience at least one climate-related stress by the end of the century.” [IPCC]

“Mark Carney described climate change as ‘the tragedy of the horizon’.” [Bank of England]

Find us on instagram @tippingpoints.podcast

Shownote sources:

“In late 2022, Shell spent nearly twice as much on marketing and advertising as it did on its renewable and low-carbon business.”

[Globalwitness]