Opinion:
¶ “E15 Is Not The Answer To High Gas Prices” • When drivers buy E15 fuel, they won’t save much, and they will sometimes get fooled into paying the same or even a little more. That doesn’t mean that it’s a breakeven proposition, however. A deep look at E15 shows there are enough good reasons to stay away from it that we can call it a non-fix. [CleanTechnica]
Gas pump (Cameron McPhee, Unsplash)
Science and Technology:
¶ “Growing Perennial Grasses Could Help Curb Climate Change” • Climate change is driving up temperatures and causing more frequent heatwaves in the American Midwest. But according to a study led by the University of Maryland, growing the perennial giant miscanthus could cut Midwest warming by one degree Celsius. [Earth.com]
¶ “Key UN Finding Widely Misinterpreted” • In the IPCC report, researchers wrote that greenhouse gases are projected to peak “at the latest before 2025.” This is seen to imply that carbon could increase for another three years and the world could still avoid dangerous warming, but scientists say that’s incorrect and we need to reduce emissions immediately. [BBC]
Melting glacier in Argentina (NOAA, Unsplash)
World:
¶ “Save Energy And Annoy Putin, Germans Told” • German Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck has called on the public to cut energy use and stop using cars to help wean their country off Russian oil and gas. The EU is pressuring Germany to ban Russian oil, and Chancellor Olaf Scholz has indicated that Germany could do so by the end of this year. [BBC]
¶ “Were Durban Floods A Consequence Of Climate Change?” • A weather system that triggered floods in South Africa caused over 300 mm (11.8 in) of rainfall to be dumped in a 24-hour period on 11 April. That amount of rain is equal to about 75% of South Africa’s average annual precipitation. Such events are believed to be more likely because of climate change. [BBC]
Tropical storm Issa hits South Africa (NASA, public domain)
¶ “Solar, Wind Energy Demand Leads To Shortage, PPA Price Increases” • Renewable energy developers are having a difficult time keeping up with demand in North America, and that is increasing prices, according to a report from LevelTen Energy. Power purchase agreement prices increased nearly 10% in the first quarter of 2022. [Environment + Energy Leader]
¶ “Volkswagen MEB Upgrades Coming: 435 Mile Range, 200 KW Charging, Online Leasing” • Volkswagen says it wants to increase the range of its cars based on the MEB platform to 435 miles and boost charging capacity from 125 kW to 200 kW. It also said customers in Germany can now lease ID.4 and ID.5 vehicles built to their personal specifications online. [CleanTechnica]
Volkswagen drive system (Image courtesy of Volkswagen)
¶ “Mercedes-Benz To Supply 70% Of Its Energy Needs With Renewables And Halve Vehicle Emissions” • Mercedes-Benz plans to halve the CO₂ emissions per passenger car by the end of this decade. It will do this by electrifying its fleet, installing green charging infrastructure, improving battery technology, and other means. [Environment + Energy Leader]
US:
¶ “Biden Administration Announces It Will Resume Onshore Oil And Gas Lease Sales With Higher Royalty Rate” • The Interior Department announced it plans to resume onshore oil and gas lease sales on federal land. The royalty rate for companies to pay to the federal government will be higher. The Bureau of Land Management will issue sale notices on Monday. [CNN]
Pump jack (Pixabay, Pexels)
¶ “California Wants To Speed Up The EV Revolution” • California announced an initiative to move the EV revolution forward. Its Air Resources Board has a proposal to eliminate the sale of cars and light-duty trucks powered by gasoline and diesel oil by 2035. This is in line with policies similarly enacted by some of the most progressive nations. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Air Quality Concerns Arise As New Mexico Wildfires Spread” • Residents in New Mexico are being urged to be mindful of air quality safety because of the spread of wildfires throughout the state. There are five large wildfires burning in New Mexico. and they caused evacuations throughout the impacted areas. Most of the state was under a red flag warning. [CNN]
Red sunset (Chris Barbalis, Unsplash)
¶ “New York Green Lights Massive Renewable Energy Projects To Cut Fossil Fuel Reliance” • Governor Kathy Hochul announced that the State Public Service Commission approved contracts for the Clean Path New York project and the Champlain Hudson Power Express project. They are expected to reduce the city’s reliance on fossil fuels by over 50% in 2030. [The Hill]
¶ “New York Is To Have 10 GW Of Distributed Solar Energy By 2030” • New York Governor Kathy Hochul, in advance of Earth Week, announced that the State Public Service Commission has approved a framework for New York to achieve at least 10 GW of distributed solar by 2030. That would supply annual needs of nearly 700,000 average homes. [CleanTechnica]
Solar array in Brooklyn (US DOE, public domain, cropped)
¶ “Wind Power Surpasses Coal, Nuclear As Power Generation Source In US” • For the first time in recorded history, wind power was the second-largest source of electricity in the country for an entire day. The Energy Information Administration released data that shows wind energy surpassed both coal and nuclear power on March 29, 2022. [VICE]
¶ “Pentagon To Build Nuclear Microreactors To Power Far-Flung Bases” • Pentagon officials recently announced that the Defense Department will build a nuclear microreactor that can be flown to an austere site by a C-17 cargo plane and set up to power a military base. A number of nuclear scientists and watchdogs question the need for such a device. [Yahoo News]
Have a phenomenally delightful day.
geoharvey 
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