Science and Technology:
¶ “Six Solutions To Battery Mineral Challenges” • A flood of recent articles, whether spontaneous or coordinated, seeks to discredit renewable energy, EVs, and other elements energy transition to save the climate. One claim is that it’s immensely destructive if not impossible to find enough minerals to make all the batteries. There are solutions. [CleanTechnica]
Aptera (ApteraMotorsMedia, CC-BY-SA 4.0)
¶ “Tesla Will Support Full Self Driving Licensing For Other Manufacturers” • Tesla will support FSD licensing by other car manufacturers, Elon Musk said on Twitter. From a financial standpoint, it makes good sense for Tesla to license it to other manufacturers. Licensing FSD would become another stream of income for the company. [CleanTechnica]
World:
¶ “Lamborghini Announces Plans For First EV” • Lamborghini CEO Winkelman recently confirmed in an interview with Autocar Magazine, that Lamborghini’s first all-electric model will arrive in 2028. He added that it will be a four-seat crossover. Following the crossover’s appearance, Lamborghini will release its all-electric second-generation Urus SUV. [CleanTechnica]
Lamborghini EV (Lamborghini image)
¶ “Oil Executives Barred From Leaving Peru After Massive Spill Causes ‘Ecological Disaster'” • Four oil executives in Peru were barred from leaving the country as authorities investigate an oil spill that forced Lima to declare an environmental emergency earlier this month. The travel ban applies to four employees of the Spanish energy and oil company Repsol. [CNN]
¶ “Australian Open Leads The Way – Game, Set, Match On Fossil Fuel Sponsorship” • Amidst the furor of the Novak Djokovic visa debacle and between the distractions of the Kyrgios–Kokkinakis doubles team-up, something far more significant happened at the 2022 Australian Open. Tennis Australia dumped fossil fuel sponsorship. [CleanTechnica]
Rod Laver Arena (Jono52795, CC BY-SA 3.0)
¶ “Hitachi Energy Achieves 100% Renewable Energy Across Its Operations” • Hitachi Energy has reached a major milestone for its sustainability goals, it announced. Hitachi Energy is using 100% fossil-fuel-free electricity to power its own operations. The development moves the company closer to its Sustainability 2030 plan. [Power Engineering International]
US:
¶ “Dangerous Heavy Snow And Winds Approaching Hurricane Intensity Could Knock Out Power, Flood Coastal Areas As Weekend Nor’easter Revs Up” • A weekend nor’easter that’s forming off the coast of the Carolinas Friday night will likely quickly strengthen as it begins making its way up the East Coast overnight into Saturday. [CNN]
Forming storm, Jan 29, 2021 (NOAA image)
¶ “Natural Gas Futures Surge As Powerful Winter Storm Looms” • Natural gas futures are climbing sharply ahead of a blizzard that will force millions of Americans to crank up the heat. For the week, the March natural gas contract is up more than 25%. This could point to higher home heating costs in the weeks to come, adding to the inflation. [CNN]
¶ “AccuWeather Shares How An Electric School Bus Fares In Alaska” • AccuWeather shared a story of how the “hottest school bus on the market” is doing in Alaska, addressing the topic of batteries and cold weather. The article said Tok Transportation, which operates buses for the Alaska Gateway School District, is testing the limits of the tech. [CleanTechnica]
Electric school bus (Tok Transportation image)
¶ “New Indiana Poll Reveals Strong Bipartisan Support For Renewable Energy” • Audubon Great Lakes released findings from an Indiana state-wide poll that shows great support from Indiana voters – across party lines – for more renewable energy. Of the voters polled, 74% favor expanding Indiana’s renewable energy resources. [National Audubon Society]
¶ “Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe Plug-In Hybrid Arrives This Spring” • It’s good news, bad news time at the Jeep division of Stellantis, formerly Daimler Chrysler, formerly Chrysler Corporation. The 4xe plug-in hybrid version of the popular Grand Cherokee will go on sale this spring. According to Autoblog, buyers will have 5 trim levels to choose from. [CleanTechnica]
Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe Plug-In Hybrid (Jeep image)
¶ “Duke Energy’s Solar Portfolio Grows In North Carolina With The Addition Of Two New Plants” • Continuing its efforts to grow renewable energy in North Carolina, Duke Energy Sustainable Solutions, a nonregulated brand of Duke Energy, recently began commercial operation of two major solar facilities, totaling 71.6 MW, in the state. [Renewable Energy Magazine]
¶ “NYC’s First Electric School Buses Are Diesel-To-Electric Repowers, And That’s A Big Deal” • New York City has committed to having only electric school buses by 2035. The first of them are hitting the city’s streets now. In a pioneering move, instead of buying buses, Logan Bus Company is having 5 older diesel buses converted to electric. [CleanTechnica]
School bus (Photo courtesy of UES)
¶ “Leaders Say Nuclear Will Save Kemmerer. Residents Aren’t Convinced” • Coal’s demise hurt Kemmerer, Wyoming. When TerraPower announced in November that it would build a sodium-cooled nuclear reactor at the town’s Naughton Power Plant, local and state leaders were extatic. But ordinary people were more apathetic. [Casper Star-Tribune]
¶ “‘Storm-Prone State’: DeSantis Pledges $80 Million For Climate Adaptation In South Florida” • Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced the state would award $80 million in grants to South Florida cities and counties to deal with storm-water and flood-control problems. Nearly $40 million of that amount is going to two Miami projects. [Miami Herald]
Have superbly superior day.
geoharvey 