Science and Technology:
¶ “Graphene-Based Battery Set To Make Domestic Renewable Energy Even Cleaner” • Zero Emissions Developments, based in Brisbane, has developed an emissions-free technology to create batteries from graphene, and is set to transform the solar energy industry by offering a sustainable, cleaner, and more reliable energy storage solution. [Architecture & Design]
Rooftop solar system (Vivint Solar, Pexels)
World:
¶ “In Germany, 16% Of New Car Sales Are Fully Electric, 28% Have A Plug” • The German automotive market seems to have bottomed out, as it grew 3% in August, and plugins are recovering also. Sales of full battery EVs (BEVs) were up in August by 13% year over year. There were 31,734 BEV registrations last month, which were 16% of the overall market. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “In France, 14% Of New Cars Are Fully Electric!” • Overall, the French car market had its first positive month in a long time, up 4% year over year, but still down a significant 29% compared to August 2019. The year’s market share for plugin vehicles is at at 20%, and at 12% for full battery EVs. Last month’s best seller was once again the Renault Megane EV. [CleanTechnica]
Renault Megane EV (Vitali Adutskevich, Unsplash, cropped)
¶ “24% Of New Car Sales Now Electric In The Netherlands!” • The Dutch auto market may see the light at the end of the tunnel, growing 9% year over year in August. The Dutch plugin vehicle market did better, growing by 20% year over year. That’s mostly thanks to pure electrics, which took 24% of all new vehicle sales, growing 30% year over year. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Guterres: ‘Global Addiction To Fossil Fuels’ Must End And A ‘Renewables Revolution’ Jumpstarted” • Climate disasters and rising fuel prices make the need to “end our global addiction to fossil fuels” crystal clear, UN Secretary-General António Guterres told the Global Compact Board. He stressed the importance of investment in renewables and resilience. [UN News]
Solar array in Madagascar (© UNICEF, Safidy Andriananten)
¶ “Origin Announces Exit From Gas Exploration, Starting With Beetaloo Basin” • Origin Energy has announced plans to exit the gas exploration business, starting with its share in the massive and controversial Beetaloo Basin fracking project in Australia’s Northern Territory. It is shifting its focus and “ambition” to the renewable energy transition. [Renew Economy]
¶ “Global Offshore Wind Alliance Launches” • A new multi-stakeholder alliance has been set up with the aim of driving installed global offshore wind capacity up 670%, from 57 GW in 2021 to 380 GW in 2030. The Danish and US governments were joined by the International Renewable Energy Agency, the Global Wind Energy Council, and others. [reNews]
Offshore wind farm (GWEC image)
¶ “Russia-Ukraine Updates: Russia Strikes Land Near Nuclear Power Plant” • Russian missiles struck the Pivdennoukrainsk nuclear power plant in Ukraine’s southern Mykolaiv province overnight, Ukraine’s state energy company Energoatom said. The blast was 300 meters from the plant’s reactors. All three of the reactors are running normally. [DW]
US:
¶ “The Upstream Water Used To Keep Lake Powell In Action Is Running Out” • Upstream reservoirs in the Colorado River Basin might not have enough water to keep Lake Powell above a critical threshold indefinitely, federal officials have warned in recent weeks, as the West’s ongoing megadrought saps water from across the regiion. [CNN]
Shrinking Lake Powell (Nwbeeson, CC-BY-SA 4.0)
¶ “Hurricane Fiona Causing ‘Catastrophic’ Flooding In Puerto Rico As The Territory Remains Without Power” • Hurricane Fiona made landfall along the extreme southwestern coast of Puerto Rico with winds of 85 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. The hurricane is causing catastrophic flooding with 12 to 18 inches of rain. [CNN]
¶ “New Storms Turn Death Valley National Park Into A Soggy Mess Of Closed Roads Again” • Last week, another round of storms devastated roads in the Death Valley region, the National Park Service said. Multiple storms have torn through the park since late July. Many of the roads that reopened after record rainfall in August have been closed again. [CNN]
Wrecked road in Death Valley (National Park Service image)
¶ “Solar And Wind Power Provided 71% Of New US Power In 2022 (January–July)” • Solar and wind continue to dominate new power capacity in the US. In July, renewables were only 56% of the total, due to a notable natural gas capacity addition, but for the first 7 months of the year, solar and windpower accounted for 71% of new US power capacity. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Cities Are Tapping Residents To Study Impacts Of Climate Change” • As the planet continues to heat up, advocacy groups and government agencies are increasingly turning toward citizen science to guide climate resilience efforts – and keep residents safe during extreme weather events. This is especially important for mapping urban heat islands. [CleanTechnica]
Harlem neighborhood (Rachel Martin, Unsplash)
¶ “ABB Is Building A New US EV Charger Factory” • ABB, a Swedish manufacturer of electrical equipment, announced a multi-million dollar investment in a factory in South Carolina. It will focus on building EV chargers with between 20 kW and 180 kW of power for school buses, municipal and commercial fleets, and public charging facilities. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Floating Wind ‘Could Help Oregon Achieve Green Goals’” • Floating offshore wind farms could help Oregon achieve its clean energy goals but will face challenges ahead of deployment off the state’s coast, according to a report by the Oregon Department of Energy. The study examines integrating up to 3 GW of floating offshore wind into Oregon’s grid by 2030. [reNews]
Have a studiously untroubled day.
geoharvey 
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