Opinion:
¶ “Battery Rush Is 21st Century’s New Gold Rush – And Tesla’s Big Future Revenue Source?” • I believe we are about to enter into another gold rush of a sorts. Batteries. In a recent article by Yahoo! Finance, the author pointed out that the real money may not lie in Tesla’s cars, but in its battery business. Tesla has a lead of serveral years in that market. [CleanTechnica]
Tesla Megapack (Tesla image)
¶ “Biden Wants 50 By 30. We Can Do It!” • The simple math shows that if our emissions were to stay constant from 2018, the carbon budget associated with the 1.5° C goal would be entirely used up by 2030. On the other hand, if we can cut our global emissions in half by 2030 and completely by 2050, we will come close to staying within 1.5° C. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Fukushima Dumping Radioactive Wastewater In The Pacific Is An Easy, But Wrong, Solution” • The author understands difficult position Japan is in and why dumping wastewater may seem like its only option. But that doesn’t mean support for their decision. There are too many unknowns about the effects of tritium on the marine ecosystems. [The Johns Hopkins News-Letter]
Pre-disaster Fukushima Daiichi (IAEA Imagebank, CC BY-SA 2.0)
¶ “A Scientist’s Perspective On The Value Of Renewable Natural Gas” • Michigan has largely ignored one innovative opportunity to significantly reduce carbon: renewable natural gas. However, new legislation is set to change that. The new bill calls for a study of statewide feedstock to measure Michigan’s overall potential for renewable natural gas. [Lansing State Journal]
Science and Technology:
¶ “Climate-Friendly Microbes Chomp Dead Plants Without Releasing Heat-Trapping Methane” • Scientists from the US and China have identified an entirely new group of microbes that live in hot springs, geothermal systems, and hydrothermal sediments around the world. The microbes can break down decaying plants without producing methane. [ScienceDaily]
Hot spring at Yellowstone (Ashley Knedler, Unsplash)
World:
¶ “France Not Doing Enough To Tackle Climate Change, Court Rules” • A Paris court has found France legally responsible for its failure to meet targets intended to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The lawsuit was launched by four NGOs, including Greenpeace France and Oxfam France, after an online petition gathered 2.3 million signatures. [CNN]
¶ “Inside Alberta’s Wind And Solar Boom” • A renewable energy boom is building in the heart of oil country, as vast new projects harness Alberta’s wind and sun. They draw an increasingly eager and adaptable workforce. The oil industry has always operated in boom or bust cycle, and some people feel disillusioned with jobs in the oil and gas industry. [Global News]
Wind turbines in Alberta (Chuck Szmurlo, CC-BY-SA 3.0)
¶ “The Renewable Energy Plan That Netanyahu Announced Doesn’t Really Exist, Experts Say” • Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged that Israel will strive to generate all of its electricity from renewable sources by 2050, but environmental activists and experts lambasted him for failing to present a proposal to address the climate crisis. [Haaretz]
¶ “Renewable Electricity Can Sharply Reduce Cascadia Pollution And Ward Off Climate Change” • Research shows that renewable electricity can move Washington, Oregon, and British Columbia off of fossil fuels affordably, and create jobs as it does. Building a cleaner and more equitable economy is backed by a growing body of regional and international studies. [OPB]
British Columbia (Lucas Mitchell, Unsplash)
US:
¶ “NREL Research Illuminates Optimistic Future For Vehicle Electrification” • With falling prices, improved charging, cleaner electricity, and broad support, the future of EVs has never been brighter. National Renewable Energy Laboratory research and recent commitments from governments and industry point to increased EV adoption. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Rethinking Hydropower For Energy And Environmental Sustainability” • A California company, Natel Energy, is working on a low-head, low-impact hydropower approach that addresses one of the leading concerns of new deployment – impacts to natural stream flows. To address this challenge, NREL helped Natel rethink hydropower. [CleanTechnica]
Low-impact hydropower (Illustration courtesy of Natel Energy Inc)
¶ “More than 60 Groups Urge Biden Administration To Suspend Mountain Valley Pipeline Permits” • More than 60 conservation and environmental groups are calling on top Biden officials to suspend permits and approvals by the Trump administration for the controversial Mountain Valley Pipeline, contending it poses a grave environmental threats. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Samsung Unit Considers Developing $673 Million Solar Plants In Texas” • A Samsung C&T Corp unit is considering solar power plant development worth $673 million in Texas, documents that Reuters has reviewed show. The proposed site is near a Samsung Electronics Co Ltd chip factory, and that division is considering putting $17 billion into another. [Reuters]
Have a spellbindingly gorgeous day.
geoharvey 