September 2024: Waves of Solar Panels

Climate change, renewable energy, and mosquitoes

Sep 05, 2024

Beirut’s solar panels as captured by Reuters

In their August newsletter, Massaya writes about “two unexpected races” that have have started in the eastern Mediterranean.

“We recycle, reprocess, produce solar energy etc. yet despite our efforts, I can‘t help but feel we are losing the fight for our planet. Lebanon is not the only country impacted by this, the phenomenon is global and there is nothing original or new in what I write.”

Those two races are the grape harvest that gets earlier each summer and the harvest’s race with increasing Israeli escalation. The newsletter continues to list how Massaya has (minimally) planned around these races with the closing line: Until a new balance emerges, let’s cling to our love of life and party!

According to this article, 90% of traditional wine regions in coastal and lowland regions across the Mediterranean and southern California could be “at risk of disappearing by the end of the century because of excessive drought and frequent heatwaves.” Even going to higher altitudes has its limits. Less than 20% of this loss could “theoretically be compensated for” by shifting vineyards to elevations of up to 1,000m. Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley floor is already around 900-1000m ASL and many wineries operate further above that —will that be enough?

In “Why one of Lebanon’s biggest wineries has switched to solar power,” Louis Thomas writes about the Bekaa’s Domaine des Tourelles and their full transition to solar in time for the 2024 harvest. In a country where hardly any power is provided by the state and many residents have done the same, this shift isn’t a surprise. It makes economic sense too given the generator bills that come with subsidizing our failed grid. The increased preference for renewable energy is one of those weird silver linings of our collapse.

I’m relieved this change is not being painted as just an environmental move and I appreciate Faouzi Issa, Tourelles’ winemaker, giving it straight to Thomas. Issa explains that increased shipping costs (because of international carriers tacking on high insurance) is a new side effect of operating in war time. His closing line is the below:

“All we want is for war to stop in the region, stability and safety to return, and new, young blood should take over the government – then we can talk about change or action.”

Meanwhile, I’m working on multiple fronts (another exciting letter exchange slated to kick off next week, a freelance piece, and some other amorphous projects) while still showing up *here* each week. I’m doing my best not to fall into my burnout pattern but being an independent creator means you have to ride the waves when they come. Stagnant water (and the mosquitoes that it spawns who only take, take, take) is the default while being grateful yet skeptical of everything is my default. For now, I’m going to make like every rooftop in Beirut and let the sun power me through this swell.

BITS OF BEIRUT

A true Beirut August: The nephew, cats, treats, and a couple brief moments outside. If 2024 is anything like last year, temperatures won't be down till at least late October. ALMOST THERE.

AT LEAST 10 LITTLE LINKS

As predicted, Israel has now expanded its land grab destruction into what remains of the West Bank by launching an aggressive offensive on Jenin, Tulkarem, and Tubas. This AP article has more background info but please be wary of the language used to normalize aspects of Palestinian suffering.
“What is happening in Jenin portends an environmental and food catastrophe and complete paralysis of life,” says Nidal al-Obaidi, mayor of Jenin, to MEE
Danny Hajjar from Saalouni el Nas is co-hosting a new afikra podcast with Deana Soni called, Shik Shak Shook Ones. They’re two episodes in with the latest one unpacking Hajjar the controversial Top 50 Arabic Pop Songs list that he built for Rolling Stone.
It may be the only time of year (pre-Halloween) when I miss the American flavor of holiday consumerism or as Tiffany Ferg calls it, “the pumpkin spice industrial complex 🎃 & the commodification of fall.”
Some stacks:
Haley Nahman
’s latest advice for new moms and those who care about them in #188: Lessons from babyworld.
Ted Gioia
’s essay on Fela Kuti in prison, we have forgotten how to be kind from
postcards by elle
, and Catherine Price’s pajama friends.
“The majority of people I know have a pre- and a post-lockdown sense of self, but we don’t have language for this transformation.” from ”Some friendships last only a season, while others bloom with a lifetime of possibilities” by
Yassmin Abdel-Magied
.