Opinion:
¶ “Green Jet Fuel Is Here – So Why Are Airlines Not Using It?” • The ingredients of Sustainable Aviation Fuel include used cooking oils or agricultural waste. The first commercial flights using SAF took off in 2011. And yet in 2019, SAF accounted for just 0.1% of all jet fuel used worldwide. There are reasons why the industry is not using much of it. [CNN]
Electric aircraft, another approach (Eviation image)
¶ “Lessons From Sweden’s Anti-Putin, Pro-Climate Energy Model” • Buyers of Russian gas created the conditions for the war and could not take economic steps to deter it. But there is a model not dependent on gas or so much oil. What it delivers is prosperity, an end to fossil fuel politics, and climate justice to future generations. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “A $6 Billion Bailout For US Nuclear Power Plants?” • The massive bipartisan infrastructure bill that was signed into law in mid-November included $6 billion for the DOE to establish a program to keep unprofitable nuclear reactors going. It might do that (which might not be safe), but it might even fail to save any reactors or jobs. [Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists]
Palisades nuclear plant (NRC image, public domain)
Science and Technology:
¶ “Capturing Carbon With Inspiration From Battery Chemistry” • Using seed money provided through the Laboratory Directed Research and Development Program, an initiative of the US DOE, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory is working with an array of emerging technologies to draw down carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. [CleanTechnica]
World:
¶ “Ukraine War: Poland Says It Will Manage Without Russian Gas” • Last month, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered “unfriendly” countries to pay for gas in rubles. Poland’s deputy foreign minister says Warsaw can cope without Gazprom’s gas. It has “options to get the gas from other partners,” according to a deputy foreign minister. [BBC]
Polish wind turbines (Przykuta, CC-BY-SA 3.0)
¶ “Ukraine War To Cause Biggest Price Shock In 50 Years – World Bank” • The war in Ukraine is set to cause the “largest commodity shock” since the 1970s, the World Bank warned. In a new forecast, it said disruption caused by the conflict would contribute to huge price rises for goods ranging from natural gas to wheat and cotton. [BBC]
¶ “‘Vampire devices’ cost UK households £147 a year” • UK households could save an average of £147 per year by switching off so-called vampire devices, electronics that drain a surprising amount of power even when they are on standby. British Gas research shows that UK households spend £3.16 billion annually just to leave vampire devices on standby. [BBC]
Infrared led inside remote (Peter Hebels, public domain)
¶ “Turkey’s Karsan Is Building The Electric Buses Customers Want, Today” • Turkey has established itself as a key builder of commercial vehicles, with the majority of those flowing through export channels to Europe, thanks to the favorable customs agreements established in 1995. Karsan, a Turkish company, is now making electric buses. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Japan’s Main Railway Is Now Powered Solely By Renewable Energy” • Tokyu Railways trains switched to power generated solely by renewable sources. This means that carbon dioxide emissions from Tokyu’s sprawling network of seven train lines and a tram service are now zero, and green energy is being used at all its stations. [The Bharat Express News]
Tokyu Corporation railroad (MaedaAkihiko, CC-BY-SA 4.0)
¶ “Carbon Removal Pioneer Climeworks Raises $650 Million To Grow Faster” • With new customers, Climeworks, a leading player in the field of carbon removal technology, announced an equity round of $650 million. This marks a milestone in the carbon removal industry and the future trajectory of Climeworks as a company. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Russian Capture Of Chernobyl Put World On “Brink Of Disaster”: Ukraine’s Zelensky” • Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Russia’s capture of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant soon after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine had pushed the world towards the “brink of disaster” because Russia treated the area like a normal battle ground. [NDTV.com]
Red Forest, beyond buildings (Jorge Franganillo, CC-BY-SA 2.0)
US:
¶ “Biden Flips The Switch On Trump’s Incandescent Light Bulb Plan” • In yet another rollback of a Trump-era policy, President Joe Biden’s Department of Energy finalized a new efficiency rule to phase out older, high-energy incandescent light bulbs. The move is the culmination of a decades-long, bipartisan effort to phase out inefficient light bulbs. [CNN]
¶ “New Law Could Boost Labor Union Presence In Maine Renewable Energy Projects” • As Maine expands its investments in renewable energy, organized labor is winning policy victories aimed to boost union workers’ presence in the green economy. A new law will require developers to pay prevailing wages on many renewable energy projects. [Maine Public]
Mars Hill wind farm (Michael Surran, CC-BY-SA 2.0)
¶ “Duke Energy Renewable Energy Growth Soars By 20% In 2021” • Duke Energy had its best year ever for adding renewable energy as the company posted a 20% jump in wind and solar power in 2021. This information was detailed in Duke Energy’s 16th annual disclosure on environment, social, and governance topics. [Renewable Energy Magazine]
¶ “Nuclear Energy Generation Surpassed By Renewable Energy In 2021” • Electric power sector generation from renewable sources totaled 795 million MWh in the US during 2021. This surpassed nuclear generation, which totaled 778 million MWh, but it did not surpass coal, according the US Energy Information Administration. [Solar Industry]
Have a totally peachy day.
geoharvey 
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