Report tallies EV Savings

Wednesday, April 30, 2025

Good morning! Today we have a new report about the savings possible by switching to an EV. For those who prefer to travel by kayak, we have an opportunity there, too. And while you’re out and about, Georgia officials request you be on the lookout for an invasive hornet. Finally, Georgia climate researchers are among those feeling the sting of a shutdown from the Trump administration.

Questions, tips or concerns? Send me a note at mary.landers@thecurrentga.org

Editor’s note: This newsletter was updated at 12:45 p.m. April 30 to include a quote from University of Georgia Agricultural Climatologist Pam Knox.

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ANALYSIS: ENVIRONMENT

Drive more, save more with EVs

According to a new report from the nonprofit Coltura, drivers in Georgia’s 1st Congressional District who drive more than 25,000 miles a year could save almost $4,000 a year by switching to an electric vehicle. The report calculates the savings using localized data, including gas prices and electricity prices. Coltura has urged U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter to support the EV credit for the good of his constituents and for the good of the new Hyundai EV manufacturing plant in Bryan County, as The Current’s Mary Landers reports.

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NEWS: ENVIRONMENT

Climate assessment stalled

Earlier this week the Trump administration dismissed all contributors to the U.S. National Climate Assessment, a comprehensive study seen as key to preparing for climate change impacts, as The Guardian reported. The Congressionally mandated report was last released in 2023 and the next iteration was due in 2028.

Georgia Southern University Biology Professor Georgianne W. Moore was among at least 10 Georgia-based contributors to the last National Climate Assessment. Reached by email Tuesday, Moore said she was saddened by the news of her colleagues at the NCA losing their jobs. While she had been willing to participate in the next assessment, the report had not yet reached that stage in the where academic coauthors like her are asked to participate, she said. “Authors are wide-ranging experts from (mostly) public-serving roles in/out of government,” she wrote. “Many of us simply volunteer our time and expertise to participate and receive no compensation for our efforts.”

Among the other Georgia authors who helped produce the last NCA were Pam Knox, agricultural climatologist at the University of Georgia; and Dionne Hoskins-Brown, research fishery biologist at NOAA Fisheries Southeast Fisheries Science Center located at Savannah State University.

“As the climate gets warmer and rainfall more variable, it will affect Georgians’ daily lives in many ways,” Knox told The Current in an email. By providing updates every four years, the National Climate Assessment allows society to respond by incorporating the latest scientific research to guide how we adapt to the future conditions.

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NEWS: ENVIRONMENT

Learn to paddle

Georgia Rivers and its partners are hosting low-cost kayaking and water safety instruction classes. “Kayaking 101” classes will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 17 in various locations across the state, including one on the coast at Rodney Hall Boat Ramp on Skidaway Island in Savannah. Cost is $15 per person, which includes a free kayak rental for those who signs up for it at registration. This type of training often retails for $75-$150. 

Click here to register and for more information, including other class locations.

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NEWS: ENVIRONMENT

Yellow-legged hornets still a threat

Invasive yellow-legged hornets first showed up in Georgia almost two years ago. Native to Asia, they’re a threat to native bees and commercially important honeybees. And they’re still here, mainly in the Savannah area. They have been found in Chatham, Bryan, Effingham, and Liberty counties. The Georgia Department of Agriculture reports that four yellow-legged hornet “embryo nests” have been identified and destroyed over the last month, all in Chatham County, with two on Wilmington Island and one on Dutch Island. Embryo nests, where the queen lays eggs that develop into worker hornets, range up to the size of a tennis ball.

“Every Yellow-legged hornet embryo nest that we are able to find and destroy this spring represents thousands of hornets that will never come into existence,” said Agriculture Commissioner Tyler J. Harper. “We are incredibly grateful for the assistance we have gotten from so many in the Savannah area, and we continue to urge Georgians to report any sightings via our online reporting form.” 

To report an embryo nest, email the Georgia Department of Agriculture here at yellow.legged.hornet@agr.georgia.gov. Find more information on yellow-legged hornets here.

Also noted

• The City of Savannah tonight will host the last in a series of community meetings to gather input from residents and share information about a proposed Stormwater Utility. The meeting will be 6-8 p.m. tonight, April 30, at Jenkins High School, 1800 E. Derenne Ave.

• A science networking event will take place May 16–17 at the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography campus, offering the opportunity to connect with marine science professionals and alumni from Georgia universities who work outside traditional academic environments. Events include a tour of the aquarium and shellfish hatchery. Hands-on workshops will provide insights on networking, resume building, and interview skills from seasoned professionals, including Chantal Audran of Tybee Island Marine Science Center. The free event is open to the public but requires advance registration. For more information, contact organizer Paul Okrah at paul.okrah@uga.edu or via LinkedIn.

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