Opinion:
¶ “The ‘Cheap Food’ Era Could Soon Be Over. Here’s What Comes Next” • Farmers across Ukraine will try to bring in their wheat harvests in the coming weeks. They may have landmines in their fields. Their crops be stolen by Russia. And their one Ukrainian port is being blockaded. It could be make-or-break for global food supplies. [CNN]
Harvest (James Baltz, Unsplash)
¶ “Supreme Court’s EPA Decision Is A Wake-Up Call. Congress Must Act Now” • The US Supreme Court’s ruling limiting the EPA’s authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions is a wake-up call for Congress to pass urgent and meaningful legislation on climate and clean energy. We cannot allow climate action to remain a deeply entrenched political issue. [CNN]
World:
¶ “Heat Wave Threatens Power Shortages And Higher Pork Prices In China” • A scorching heat wave in China has forced a major manufacturing region to appeal to businesses and households to use less power, while fear of crop failure is sending pork prices soaring. Dozens of the country’s cities have been experiencing record-high temperatures. [CNN]
Beijing (zhang kaiyv, Unsplash)
¶ “VinFast Is On A Roll, Intends To Use Solid-State Batteries To Roll Faster” • VinFast/Vingroup has invested tens of millions of dollars into solid-state battery manufacturer ProLogium. They may set up a factory in Vietnam. They have not given a clear arrival date, so any hope for EVs powered by solid-state batteries has to be tempered. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “You Can Now Order A Volkswagen ID Buzz – UK Prices Out” • You can now order a Volkswagen ID Buzz in the UK. And, to put it simply, this 21st century “hippie bus” is not cheap. There are three trim levels. The low-end “Life,” starts at £57,115. The middle trim “Style” starts at £61,915. And the high-end “1st Edition” has a price starting at £62,995. [CleanTechnica]
Volkswagen ID Buzz (Courtesy of Volkswagen)
¶ “EU Lawmakers Stop Controversial Biofuels From Fueling Planes” • The European Parliament has barred some biofuel feedstocks from the EU’s aviation green fuel mandate, including intermediate crops and palm oil by-products. Transport & Environment called on the three main European institutions to ban animal fats also. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “RES Launches 58.8-MW Northern Ireland Bid” • RES has filed a planning application for the almost 59-MW Unshinagh wind farm in Northern Ireland. The 14-turbine proposal is expected to involve a £61 million investment. The wind farm would generate enough electricity to power 70,000 households while creating “skilled, sustainable jobs.” [reNews]
RES windfarm (RES image)
¶ “India Has Achieved Clean Energy Targets Before Deadline, Says RK Singh” • India has achieved clean energy targets nine years ahead of schedule Power Minister RK Singh said at the Sydney Energy Forum in Sydney, Australia. India has installed 162 GW of renewable energy capacity which is 41% of the 402 GW of electricity installed. [The Hindu]
¶ “Renewables Remain Cost-Competitive Amid Global Energy Crisis, Says IRENA” • Renewables are maintaining an extremely cost-competitive position with prices in the industry dropping last year, even as the energy market tackles a global fossil fuel crisis, according to a report by the International Renewable Energy Agency. [The National]
Renewable energy (Kervin Edward Lara, Pexels)
¶ “Tokyo Court Orders Ex-TEPCO Execs To Pay $95 Billion Damages Over Fukushima Disaster” • The Tokyo district court ordered four former executives of TEPCO to pay ¥13 trillion ($95 billion) in damages to the operator of the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant, the plaintiff’s lawyers said. The suit was brought by shareholders. [CNN]
US:
¶ “NREL OpenPATH Tool Enables Expanded E-Bike Pilot Program To Demonstrate Energy-Efficiency Benefits” • The transportation sector is one of the largest contributors to the nation’s carbon emissions. The fastest-growing form of EV made to help combat climate change, however, is not the electric car. It is the electric bike. [CleanTechnica]
E-bike on the road (David Marcu, Unsplash)
¶ “Mississippi Adopts New Solar Net Metering Rules” • The Mississippi Public Service Commission voted to adopt updated Net Metering and Interconnection Rules. The new rules expand the state’s net metering program by raising the participation cap for rooftop solar and prioritizing solar PVs for low-to-moderate income customers, among other things. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Walmart Orders 4500 Electric Delivery Vehicles From Canoo” • Walmart is locked in a titanic struggle with Amazon to survive in the fiercely competitive world of online retailing. To do that, it needs to find ways to reduce delivery costs. So it signed a deal with Canoo, the southern California EV startup, to buy 4500 of its battery-EV delivery vehicles. [CleanTechnica]
Canoo EV (Canoo image)
¶ “BLM Approves Start Of Construction Of Oberon Solar Project” • The Bureau of Land Management issued final approval for construction of the Oberon solar project on BLM-managed land in Riverside County, California. The Biden administration is seeking to permit at least 25 GW of renewable energy on public lands by 2025. [Bureau of Land Management]
¶ “Governor Lujan Grisham Statement On Nuclear Regulatory Commission Decision To Approve Holtec Project” • Gov Lujan Grisham issued a statement of strong objection after the NRC said it intends to issue a license to Holtec International to build and operate an interim nuclear waste storage facility in New Mexico. [Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham]
Have an admirably successful day.
geoharvey 