Happy Tuesday! Today we'll cover the tragic plight of American fossil fuel executives, Germany's pivot towards green energy, and provide a brief guide to our (very exciting) new referral scheme. Let’s dive right in 👇:

Matcha's Gulp

The real victims of climate change? Fossil fuel executives

According to American energy executives, EU climate targets are discouraging European buyers from signing up to long-term gas supply deals. They complain that this is making it harder to cover the “monstrous costs” of building new natural gas plants. Well… isn’t that kind of the point? The 'monstrous costs' of climate change are what really matter here – and the phase-out of fossil fuels is crucial to combating global warming. Sorry guys, but we won’t be losing much sleep over this one.

Olaf Scholz ushers in the winds of change

For years, Germany has relied on coal – as well as a steady stream of Russian gas – to keep the lights on. But chancellor Olaf Scholz has just announced plans to go big on a green alternative: wind. According to Scholz, by 2030 the country will be building “an average of four to five onshore wind turbines” each day. This is a fairly bold target – but then again, Germany does have form for failing to meet its own climate pledges. Let’s hope that Scholz’s plan proves to be a breath of fresh air.

Share the Matcha Straw, and we'll plant you a tree

Psst: we’ve just launched a referral program to help you share the Matcha Straw with your friends (and your enemies, if you like). After all, who doesn’t want a quick breakdown of the latest climate news, accompanied by a side of memes?

And, for every ten people you refer, we’ll plant a tree. So what are you waiting for? If you're a subscriber, you'll find your own personalized referral tool at the end 👇 of this newsletter. Your friends will thank you – and so will we!

News Sip

• Fact check: No, Greta Thunberg did not say climate change is a hoax: Phew, we’re glad they cleared that one up.

• Shrinking Colorado River hands Biden his first climate brawl: And it’s already getting ugly.

• Extreme cold snaps: Why temperatures still plummet to dangerous levels even as the planet warms: No, global warming doesn’t mean you can throw away that winter jacket.

Today's Climate Meme