Opinion:
¶ “South Florida’s Dirty Secret Is Oil” • “Paradise Coast” is how the tourism industry often refers to parts of south Florida. As many city dwellers flee states with cold winters and expensive costs of living looking to quarantine in this paradise, there is a dirty little secret lurking in the Florida swamp. It is impending oil development. [CleanTechnica]
Naples, Florida (Bailey Rapp, Unsplash)
¶ “Electric Vehicles: The Imperfect Solution We Need Right Now” • Electric vehicles are not a perfect answer, but they’re one of the answers we have in response to the climate crisis. I worry that if we only choose to support perfect solutions, we could fail to improve our situation at all, and our situation is far too dire for hesitation. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “How Much Does Volkswagen’s Bi-Directional Charging Innovation Matter?” • One feature Volkswagen presented at its recent Power Day event that people got most excited about was bi-directional charging. Many EV enthusiasts have been into this for years, but it is almost non-existent on the consumer market. Here are some thoughts about that. [CleanTechnica]
Volkswagen’s Bi-Directional Charging
Science and Technology:
¶ “Tesla Cofounder JB Straubel Aims To Solve A Key Problem Of E-Bike Batteries” • JB Straubel, a co-founder of Tesla as well as its former CTO, is the founder of Redwood Materials, which focuses on recycling electric car batteries. A report in The Verge says that Redwood Materials is teaming up with Specialized to recycle the e-bike industry’s batteries also. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Semi-Transparent Solar Cells Can Power Greenhouses Without Stunting Plant Growth” • Greenhouses fitted with semi-transparent solar cells can generate electricity without affecting the growth and health of the plants inside, according to a new study. This suggests we could build energy-neutral greenhouses without harming crops. [ScienceAlert]
Greenhouse (Harits Mustya Pratama, Unsplash)
World:
¶ “South Africa To Get Three Power Ships, Invest In Renewable Energy To Tackle Electricity Crisis” • South Africa has fresh plans to address its severe electricity crisis with three offshore power ships and greater use of solar and wind energy. For years, Eskom has had frequent power outages because of outdated equipment and reliance on coal and diesel. [Yahoo India News]
¶ “Cyprus’s Petrolina Partners With Lion Alternative Energy In Renewable Energy Projects” • Plans are underway to establish a major producer of renewable energy in Cyprus. Larnaca-based Petrolina Solar is partnering with Lion Alternative Energy, based in London, and will invest in an LAE private placement currently offered to qualified investors. [The National Herald]
Larnaca, Cyprus (Hert Niks, Unsplash)
¶ “Sambalpur University Makes Hay While The Sun Shines” • In the Indian state of Odisha, Sambalpur University’s endeavor to harness solar energy has not only helped it cut down on its energy bills but also get much better quality of power supply. The institution is powered by a 245 KW solar project made functional last year. [The New Indian Express]
¶ “Thunberg Joins Climate Protest In Stockholm” • Climate activist Greta Thunberg took part in a protest under the banner of “No More Empty Promises” in Stockholm. Fridays for Future, a youth movement that urges global leaders to listen to climate scientists and stop global warming, had called for a global online school strike on Friday. [Yahoo News]
Fridays for Future (Markus Spiske, Unsplash)
US:
¶ “Connecticut’s SB 127 And The Fight For EV Freedom” • EV brands and legislators will hold a live press conference with local media in Connecticut on March 22 at the Westport Train Station, on the New Haven Bound Side. The issue is the outdated dealer franchise laws in Connecticut, which have plagued direct EV sales for almost a decade. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “ARK Invest’s New Tesla Bull Case – $4 Trillion Market Cap, 10 Million Cars Sold In 2025” • ARK Invest was one of the early Tesla Bulls. It turned out they were right, and everyone else dramatically adjusted their expectations. Now, ARK Invest has a new Tesla price target. It is forecasting that Tesla will achieve a $4 trillion market cap. [CleanTechnica]
Tesla Model 3 (Vlad Tchompalov, Unsplash)
¶ “Grant Program Proposal That Would Fund EV Charging Stations But Tax Electric Vehicles Advances In FL Senate” • WFSU Public Media reports that a proposal to support construction of more EV charging stations passed its first committee stop. This proposal would create funding for charging stations, paid for by increased EV license fees. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Acid Rain Is Leaving The Adirondacks, But Scientists Say Restoration Is Still A Long Way Off” • Scientists say data on acid rain collected at an observatory on the summit of Whiteface Mountain tell a success story stretching over the past fifty years, as acid rain has been reduced. But recovery from the problem will take time. [The Adirondack Daily Enterprise]
Crane Mountain, Adirondacks (Eva Darron, Unsplash)
¶ “With Offshore Wind, New Jersey Could Be Launching Its Biggest Job Creator ‘Since The Casinos’” • New Jersey is betting big on offshore wind, and not just to reduce carbon emissions. It has high hopes of becoming a dominant player in renewable energy on the East Coast and leading in manufacturing now dominated by Europe. [The Philadelphia Inquirer]
¶ “City Of Milwaukee Unveils Solar Energy Project” • Mayor Tom Barrett of Milwaukee, along with other community leaders, unveiled the city’s new solar energy project, which is the largest solar energy system in Milwaukee’s history. The project spans nine acres and is located on a landfill close to General Mitchell Airport. [Milwaukee Courier Weekly Newspaper]
Have a wonderfully rewarding day.
geoharvey 