Opinion:
¶ “GM Drops Funny, Fearless Electric Vehicle Ad On Superbowl Sunday” • It may seem like half the country got sucked into some crazy fear-based cult, but GM envisions another America. It’s funny, has fun friends, loves a challenge, loves the country to be the greatest. CleanTechnica got a sneak peak at GM’s 60-second EV ad for the Superbowl. [CleanTechnica]
Will Ferrell in GM ad (Photo courtesy of GM)
¶ “Green Investment By Individuals Is Expanding” • With the plummeting cost of renewable energy and an increasingly widespread awareness of the climate crisis, a new force has emerged in the stock market. Small investors are redirecting low paying savings account funds into green finance, often with some very positive results. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Bloomberg Has Some Really Cool US Energy Infographics” • A diagram from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory shows where our energy comes from and what it is used for. A diagram by Bloomberg clarifies that. One thing it shows is that if we use electricity to power our cars, we will use far less energy. EVs are more efficient than other cars. [CleanTechnica]
Diagram from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Please click on the image to enlarge it.
Science and Technology:
¶ “Study Shows Walking, Cycling, And e-Biking Make Significant Impact On Carbon Emissions” • Cycling, e-biking, or walking can help reduce emissions, even if such active transport is done just one day a week, according to a study led by researchers from the University of Oxford’s Transport Studies Unit. Active transport could save 25% of emissions. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “IdentiFlight AI System Hugely Reduces Bird Fatalities At Wind Farms” • Bird fatalities associated with wind farms has long been a focus area of “concern trolls” who don’t want to see the industry grow. IdentiFlight developed a system that was shown in a study to reduce bird (eagle) fatalities by 82%. The study appeared in the Journal of Applied Ecology. [CleanTechnica]
IdentiFlight sensing system (IdentiFlight image)
World:
¶ “Global Electric Vehicle Top 20 – EV Sales Report” • After a rough start of the year, the second half of 2020 became a record-fest. Three of the last four months saw records broken, and in December there were over half a million registrations. In fact, in each of the last three months, sales of plug-in cars were at least doubled from the year before. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Siemens Gamesa Wins Vietnamese Nearshore Project Deal” • Siemens Gamesa has secured its largest nearshore project to date in Vietnam, the 100-MW Tra Vinh Dong Hai 1 wind farm in Tra Vinh province. The project will feature 25 SG 5.0-145 turbines with a flexible power rating. Siemens Gamesa has been working to expand in Vietnam. [reNEWS]
Near shore wind farm (Siemens Gamesa image)
¶ “Germany Hits 21.7% Plugin Share In January – Up Over 3× Year-on-Year” • Germany, Europe’s largest auto market, hit a 21.7% plugin electric vehicle share in January, up over 3× from January 2021. Overall auto sales volumes were down 31% in January 2021, with petrol combustion vehicles dropping more than 50% in volume year-on-year. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Ladakh To Host 10 GW Of Hybrid Renewable Power Projects” • The Indian government is working towards making the union territory of Ladakh carbon-neutral. Ladakh’s lieutenant governor said last year, “In the various assessments done, Ladakh has a potential of 30 GW of solar, 5 GW of wind, 2 GW of hydro, and 300 MW of geothermal.” [pv magazine India]
Sunny Ladakh (The Union Territory of Ladakh, govt of India)
¶ “Amazon Starts Up First Irish Wind Farm” • Amazon’s first operational wind farm in the Republic of Ireland is delivering electricity to the country’s electricity grid. The 23-MW wind farm in County Cork, southern Ireland, is the first in the country to be built without public subsidies. Amazon has two more projects coming in Ireland. [reNEWS]
US:
¶ “Empire State Building Powers Up With 100% Wind After Deal With US Developer” • New York’s Empire State Building is now 100% powered by wind energy, as a contract was signed between the iconic property’s manager, Empire State Realty Trust, and US developer Green Mountain Energy. The building also just had an extensive efficiency retrofit. [Recharge]
Empire State Building (Aleksandr Rogozin, Unsplash)
¶ “BOEM Resumes Vineyard Wind Review” • The US Bureau of Ocean Energy Management said that it intends to resume an environmental review of Vineyard Wind’s proposed 800-MW offshore wind project, which is twelve nautical miles off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard at its nearest point. BOEM will develop a final environmental impact statement. [reNews]
¶ “Renewables Expected To Replace Coal By 2033, Says Morgan Stanley” • Global wealth management company Morgan Stanley projects coal-fired power generation is likely to disappear from the US power grid by 2033. It said renewable energy such as solar and wind power will provide about 39% of US electricity by 2030, and as much as 55% in 2035. [The Hill]
Mining machine (Albert Hyseni, Unsplash)
¶ “CALPIRG Seeks to Accelerate California’s Renewable Energy Goals” • The California Public Interest Research Group is seeking to accelerate California’s Senate Bill 100 and commit the state to a goal of using 100% renewable energy sources by 2030 instead of the current goal of 2045. The campaign’s goal is to modify the existing law. [New University]
¶ “TVA Asks For Public Comments About Proposed Nuclear Reactor Site” • The Tennessee Valley Authority is asking for public comment about a proposal to build one or more small or advanced nuclear reactors in west Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The reactors would be on the Clinch River Nuclear Site, in Roane County. [Oak Ridge Today]
Have a perfectly flowing day.
geoharvey 