Science and Technology:
¶ “NREL Researchers Plot Energy Storage Under Our Feet” • US National Renewable Energy Laboratory scientists have been researching the use of depleted oil and gas wells as reservoirs for storing compressed natural gas. The wells can subsequently be used to hold other gases, such as carbon dioxide, nitrogen, or hydrogen, to store energy. [CleanTechnica]
Energy storage system using old wells (Al Hicks, NREL)
¶ “Berkeley Scientists Develop Prototype For Measuring Carbon In Soil” • Current methods for measuring carbon in the ground require digging holes to collect and burn soil samples. They are destructive, costly, and inefficient. But scientists are testing a unit that scans the ground and offers a 3D measurement of the soil’s distribution of elements. [The Daily Californian]
World:
¶ “Banks Say They’re Getting Tough On Coal, But They Keep Lending Trillions To Polluters” • Banks can’t seem to ditch coal. Over the last three years commercial banks have funneled $1.5 trillion into the industry, according to a recent report by green campaign groups Urgewald and Reclaim Finance, along with more than two dozen other NGOs. [CNN]
Coal-burning power plant (Pixabay, Pexels)
¶ “Stakeholders Rally For Renewable Energy, Efficiency” • In Nigeria, renewable energy and energy efficiency are vital ingredients for the new phase of power as the global focus is shifting from fossil fuel to cleaner energy use, stakeholders have said. They were speaking at “Energise,” the country’s first career fair for clean energy. [The Tide News Online]
¶ “Germany Unveils A New Renewable Energy Plan For Ukraine” • Robert Habeck, who serves as Germany’s vice-chancellor as well as minister in charge of the economic affairs and climate change, unveiled the Berlin coalition government’s “Easter Package” for renewable energy. The plan includes an ambitious plan for renewable energy. [Cody News Company]
Renewable energy (Jem Sanchez, Pexels)
¶ “The Linden Suites Switches To 100% Renewable Energy” • In Manilla, the Linden Suites shifted to geothermal energy for its power requirements, joining the government’s green energy option program. First Gen is delivering 480 kW of geothermal power to the hotel, eliminating 1,203 tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year. [Rappler]
¶ “Green Ice Cream: Mars Wrigley Unveils Plans For First Factory Powered Entirely By Renewable Energy” • Mars Wrigley unveiled plans to convert an ice cream plant in France to be the first 100% electrically powered industrial site in the Mars Group. The plant is already using 100% renewable power, but now it is switching to full electrification also. [Business Green]
Mars Wrigley plant (Mars Wrigley image)
¶ “IAEA Says Ukraine Carried Out First Staff Rotations At Chernobyl” • Ukraine informed the International Atomic Energy Agency that it carried out the first staff rotation at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in three weeks, the IAEA Director General said, adding the agency would send a mission there soon to assist in returning in to normality. [The Star]
¶ “Boskalis Is To Turn Bokalift Twins Into Hybrid Vessels” • Boskalis is to convert numerous vessels in its offshore energy division into hybrid vessels with retrofits of energy storage systems. The conversions entail a sizeable investment. They will reduce fuel consumption and associated emissions of CO₂ and NOₓ by an average of up to 20%. [reNews]
Windpower installation ship (Huisman image)
¶ “Russia’s Invasion Of Ukraine Has Upset Uzbekistan’s Nuclear Plans” • Four years ago, Uzbekistan turned to nuclear energy to address its chronic energy shortages, relying on Russia to drive the projects forward. Today, with Russia facing sanctions due to its invasion of Ukraine, Uzbekistan’s nuclear future is suddenly looking very uncertain. [Oil Price]
¶ “Ukraine Says Russian Soldiers Stole Potentially Deadly Radioactive Substances From Chernobyl” • Russian occupiers at the Chernobyl nuclear plant stole potentially deadly radioactive substances from research laboratories, Ukraine’s State Agency for Managing the Exclusion Zone says. They stole 133 substances that were highly radioactive. [ABC]
Exclusion Zone (Oleksandra Bardash, Unsplash)
US:
¶ “US Auto Sales Down 18% In First Quarter Of 2022 Versus 2019, Tesla Sales Up 256%” • Compared to the first quarter of 2019, US sales in the first quarter of 2022 were down over 684,000. There are theories about why this happened. But compared to 2019’s first quarter sales, Tesla sales were up 256% in the first quarter of this year, 2022. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Power Has Been Restored To Much Of Puerto Rico Following An Island-Wide Outage” • Power has been restored to 99.7% of LUMA Energy customers in Puerto Rico, the utility said Sunday, after hundreds of thousands had been in the dark since a fire at a power plant Wednesday evening. The utility said the exact cause wasn’t immediately known. [CNN]
San Juan (Sonder Quest, Unsplash)
¶ “Climate Resilience Academy Ushers In New Era Of Research, Solutions” • The University of Miami’s Climate Resilience Academy will be launched on Earth Day, April 22. It is to be a novel functional academic program highlighting the University as a center to address issues of the climate crisis, sustainability, and resilience. [News@TheU]
¶ “Fruit Farmers Adopt New Strategies To Deal With Changing Climate” • The changing climate is affecting fruit farmers and forcing them to adapt. Science shows winters are getting warmer. This can cause buds to swell to open early. Fruit farmers feel the burn, especially when late season freezes, cold enough to kill the buds, are in the forecast. [WGAL]
Have an adequately gratifying day.
geoharvey 
Leave a Reply