Opinion:
¶ “Lies, Damned Lies, And Greg Abbott” • While people were suffering and even dying in Texas, Governor Abbott was on Fox News talking to Sean Hannity about the situation. He said the Green New Deal would be a “deadly deal” for the US, and blamed renewables for the shortfall. But renewables aren’t to blame for what happened in Texas. [CleanTechnica]
Wind turbines (Alessandro Stigliani, Unsplash)
¶ “Is Renewable Energy A Threat To Grid Resilience?” • In the wake of the crippling cold, ice, and snow that hit Texas, media personalities, politicians, and influencers have tried to shift blame to overreliance on renewable energy in the state rather than address the real causes of the major electric power failure of the state’s grid. [Transmission & Distribution World]
Science and Technology:
¶ “Eco-Friendly Cruise Ships To Be Powered By Sails” • French shipyard Chantiers de l’Atlantique is planning to construct cruise ships topped by striking 80 meter “eco-friendly” paneled sails, made of fiberglass and carbon. The Solid Sail/AeolDrive concept would reduce cruise emissions by up to 50%, according to the shipyard. [CNN]
Cruise ship (Courtesy of Chantiers de l’Atlantique)
World:
¶ “A New UN Report Urges A Radical Shift In The Way We Think About Nature” • The UN released a report on the health of the planet that proposes a radical shift in the way we think about it. The report, “Making Peace with Nature,” argues that amid our pursuit of wealth and security, humans must now learn to value the Earth’s basic “natural capital.” [CNN]
¶ “The Search Widens For Hot Rocks That Provide Power” • The Earth’s core is almost as hot as the sun. That heat slowly comes up to its surface. There are about 600 geothermal plants around the world in operation or being built, with another 600 being planned, according to Alex Richter, former president of the International Geothermal Association. [BBC]
Steamboat geothermal plant (ThinkGeoEnergy, CC-BY-SA 2.0)
¶ “£6 Per Month Service For MG Electric Vehicles” • EVs are far less expensive to operate than their counterparts powered by fossil fuels. MG is making this clear by offering a full service plan for electric models in the UK at just £6 a month. So a driver can maintain a vehicle for a small fraction of the cost of drinking a daily cup of coffee. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “SolarEdge Technologies To Supply EV Powertrain And Battery For Fiat E-Ducato” • SolarEdge has an e-Mobility division that develops end-to-end power systems for EVs and hybrid. The company announced that it has been chosen to supply the full electric powertrain units and batteries for Fiat’s E-Ducato light commercial vehicle. [CleanTechnica]
Fiat E-Ducato (Image courtesy of Stellantis)
¶ “Facebook Expands Program To Fight Climate Lies” • Facebook is expanding the geographic reach of its recently launched online portal to counter misinformation about climate change, and will take steps to steer users of the platform toward those resources. The move is controversial, and many climate activists say that Facebook has not gone far enough. [Axios]
¶ “Japanese Oil Company Plans $10,000 Micro EV” • Japan has always embraced tiny kei cars for use in its crowded cities. Now Idemitsu Kosan, a petroleum refiner, plans to launch an extra-tiny EV next year at its 6,400 petrol stations via a joint venture with private automaker Tajima Motor Corporation, according to a report by Reuters. [CleanTechnica]
Idemitsu EV (Image courtesy of Tajima EV)
¶ “Government Ordered To Compensate Fukushima Evacuees” • The Tokyo High Court has ordered the Japanese government to compensate people who evacuated from Fukushima Prefecture after the 2011 nuclear disaster. The decision reverses the Chiba District Court’s ruling that ordered only the plant’s operator, TEPCO, to pay damages. [NHK World]
US:
¶ “Tesla Cuts Price Of Model Y SR By $2,000 In US” • Tesla seems not to tell people anything any more, but the prices of Tesla models may have been reduced. One person thinking about the possible purchase of a Tesla Model Y SR went online yesterday and discovered that the price for US customers had magically dropped by $2,000. [CleanTechnica]
Tesla Model Y price (Screenshot)
¶ “Harnessing The Power Of Battery RD&D To Battle Climate Change” • Two of the most powerful strategies for the US to tackle climate change are accelerating clean power generation and electrifying transportation. The success of these strategies depends on an element they share: it depends on advancements in battery technologies. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Ignoring Pandemic, Americans Installed Record Amounts Of Solar And Wind Energy” • The US added a record amount of wind and solar energy in 2020 despite Covid-19, figures from BloombergNEF and Business Council for Sustainable Energy show. Wind and solar power installations soared 61% over 2019, with 33.6 GW added to the grid. [CBS News]
Solar system (Chelsea, Unsplash)
¶ “As The US Rejoins The Paris Climate Accord, Fox News Ramps Up Its Climate Misinformation Campaign” • When President Joe Biden sent a letter to rejoin the Paris Climate Accord, Fox News, along with a coterie of right-wing politicians and fossil fuel industry shills, took to dominating the conversation with their denouncements. [Media Matters for America]
¶ “Texas Nuclear Unit Returns To Service After Outage Related To Cold Weather” • STP Nuclear Operating Co’s 1,312-MW South Texas Unit 1 is coming back online after a reactor trip. The trip was the result of a low water level in the steam generator. This happened because two feedwater pumps would not function in the recent extreme cold. [S&P Global]
Have an incomparably lovely day.
geoharvey 