California and Texas lead US in green energy

land in Texas is regulated by the federal government.”

Texas has also constructed transmission lines directly linked to businesses and homes to more efficiently connect wind farms to the grid. According to The Guardian, this is a major obstacle that many states face in the implementation of renewable energy, as most wind and solar farms are in rural areas and thus require transmission lines to connect them to the central electrical grid. As of 2021, over 8,100 projects in the U.S. were seeking approval for grid connection, which is already at capacity. This “backlog” is one of the leading delays for the switch to clean energy, The Guardian stressed.

Alongside a digital recreation of the islet, complete with swaying trees and an endlessly circling flock of birds, visitors to the site can view information about the islet’s weather and tides. The site also contains a recording of a speech given by Kofe about the project.

In the recording, Kofe addresses the audience from a podium on one of Teafualike’s sandy beaches. Kofe begins by explaining that as global temperatures continue to rise, “we in the Pacific would not sit idly by and wait for the world to act.” He adds that the country has had to take its own action in the face of climate change. “As our land disappears, we have no choice but to become the world’s first digital nation,” he said.

A minute into the video, the camera begins to slowly zoom out, revealing Kofe’s surroundings. The background glitches and flickers as it comes to life, with gray rectangles turning into patches of sand and tree branches that haphazardly flash in and out of the background as they come into frame. As the video continues to zoom out and Kofe appears smaller and smaller, he continues his address. “Piece by piece we will preserve our country, bring solace to our people and remind our children and grandchildren what our home

Future Now does not symbolize Tuvalu’s resignation to the changing climate, Kofe told Long Now. Rather, it serves as a way of bringing local stories, places and culture to Tuvaluans wherever they are. As the project develops, it will include more elements such as cultural practices, songs, and historical records.

It can also act as a tool to monitor the impacts of climate change on the islands through the display of real-time data and help predict future impacts, Kofe said. He also expressed that he hoped it would signal Tuvaluans to prepare for the realities of climate change.

In addition to the Future Now project, Tuvalu partnered with the Marshall Islands to develop the Rising Nations Initiative, a project that aims to “protect their sovereignty, cultural integrity, human and economic capital” even after their physical territory is lost. According to the Global Center for Climate Mobility, the initiative consists of four pillars. These include a political declaration to affirm the sovereignty of Pacific island nations, climate adaptation efforts, the creation of a “living repository” to preserve their cultural heritage and the designation of these countries as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

BY SARAH GRINNELL ’26 STAFF WRITER

According to a new report by Climate Central, the amount of clean energy produced by the U.S. skyrocketed in 2022, with wind and solar producing enough energy to power “the equivalent of 64 million average American households.” Among the largest renewable energy producers of this dramatic increase are California, Florida, Iowa, Oklahoma and Texas.

Due to heightened renewable energy development in states such as these, The Guardian states that “national wind and solar capacity grew 16 percent compared to 2021.” This statistic will become increasingly important as the Biden administration moves forward with its billion-dollar renewable energy projects promised as part of the commitment to decarbonize the grid by 2030 and reach net zero emissions by 2050. The Climate Central report explained that California produced the most solar energy and Texas produced the most wind power in 2022. The report suggests that if current production trends stay on track, the U.S. could potentially produce enough electricity from sunlight and wind to reach that 2050 goal.

California’s sunny weather makes it well-suited to the transition to clean energy, The Los Angeles Times reported. During one weekend in 2021, the state was powered by 95 percent renewable energy. However, renewable power is largely dependent on shifting environmental conditions, so these peaks in renewable energy can be short-lived. On hot summer nights, California has repeatedly encountered blackouts, The Los Angeles Times reported. Furthermore, California still simultaneously burns natural gas and exports electricity to its border states, a factor that is not accounted for in state-level calculations of renewable energy use.

Texas’ leadership in wind production may come as a surprise given that it is a red — or Republican-voting — state, and as OilPrice. com points out, many conservative local and federal level Republicans are notorious for opposing climate spending. Despite this, the state has been a leader in renewable energy since last year, installing 7,352 megawatts of new wind and solar capacity. In comparison, California only installed 2,697 megawatts of energy storage projects.

The Guardian shows that Texas’ performance makes sense given the regional context of the state. Irfan Khan, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at Texas A&M, said to The Guardian, “Texas is rich in wind speed and rich in sun.” This means that while the initial investment in renewable energy is costly, the weather conditions in Texas make wind a cheap energy source once the infrastructure is implemented.

Texas’ deregulation of its energy market has also advanced the amount of land able to be leased for wind turbines, The Guardian explained, as “only two percent of the

Another obstacle that keeps states from following the examples of Texas and California is the vast amount of misinformation regarding renewables, NPR explained. According to NPR, common misconceptions about wind turbines’ noise levels, their supposed lack of effect on reducing carbon emissions and stories of the low-frequency infrasound of turbine noise supposedly causing health problems or wind turbines breaking, burning and falling have deterred a number of states and legislators from hopping on the trend, despite professionals debunking these concerns. Nonetheless, NPR says that researchers cite misinformation as a leading source of doubts about clean energy which have slowed or derailed a number of renewable projects.

While the Climate Central report shows a promising trend towards more renewable energy, NPR emphasizes that it is important to remember that 60 percent of U.S. electricity still comes from carbon-based sources. Texas, for example, still ranks 10th in the country for fossil fuel consumption, despite its use of renewables.

Therefore, while experts like Climate Central’s senior data analyst, Jennifer Brady, cite the report’s findings as evidence of how “we are moving closer to the goals we need to reach in order to hit net zero,” these statistics, as well as The Guardian and NPR’s emphasis on the structural issues involved in the implementation of renewables, caution that steps still remain to be taken before the U.S. can become completely carbon neutral.

Graphic by Sunny Wei ’23

All about endometriosis

BY YUYANG WANG ’24 STAFF WRITER

According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, the endometrium is the layer of tissue inside the uterus. The endometrium grows during each menstrual cycle to prepare for a fertilized egg. If no eggs are fertilized during the menstrual cycle, the endometrium is shed during what is commonly known as a period, according to Cleveland Clinic.

Endometriosis refers to a condition where the endometrium grows on the outside of the uterus. When endometrial tissue grows in areas that do not shed during a period cycle, it can build up and cause “inflammation, scarring and painful cysts,” Johns Hopkins Medicine explains.

Statistics from Johns Hopkins Medicine show that one in 10 women between the ages of 15 and 44 have endometriosis. While the exact cause of endometriosis is unknown, several theories exist, according to John Hopkins Medicine. Endometrial tissue has been found to leave the uterus through the veins or lymphatic system, similar to the spread of cancer cells through the body. Endometrial cells can also be indeliberately attached to some areas outside the uterus after surgeries such as a C-section or hysterectomy.

Another possible cause is “reverse menstruation,” when instead of being shed from the body during a period, endometrial tissue goes into the fallopian tubes and the abdomen, according to John Hopkins Medicine. Certain hormones can also “transform” cells in other parts of the body into endometrial cells, the Mayo Clinic reported.

The most typical symptoms of endometriosis are pain and infertility. However, the symptoms may vary between different persons.

People who have endometriosis may not feel any pain, and severe pain during the period cycle is not directly correlated with endometriosis, said Johns Hopkins Medicine.

Johns Hopkins Medicine points out that there are some factors that can cause a higher risk of developing endometriosis. These include other family members having endometriosis, an “abnormal uterus, which is diagnosed by a doctor,” starting menstruation before the age of 11, short menstrual periods and “heavy menstrual periods lasting more than seven days.”

On the other hand, there are some factors that can lower the risk of endometriosis including experiencing a pregnancy, breastfeeding and eating citrus fruits.

There are three treatment methods for endometriosis, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. The most common non-surgical treatments include hormone therapy and pain management. If the disease is already in the late period or is more severe, a laparoscopy or laparotomy is required. Hysterectomy, or removing the uterus, is another treatment method that results in decreased estrogen levels and an inability to become pregnant.

Grapic by Sofía Savid ’24

BY SOPHIE FRANK ’26 STAFF WRITER

Content warning: This article discusses racism, misogyny, homophobia and sexual assault.

As the James Bond books prepare to be rereleased after racially offensive language was removed, questions about sensitivity and censorship rage on in the publishing world. The James Bond books, written by British author Ian Fleming, were published from 1953 to 1966. The series is made up of spy thrillers that follow James Bond, a British Secret Service agent.