Science and Technology:
¶ “Satellite Will Measure Most Water On The Planet” • The first mission to survey nearly all of the water on Earth has launched. It is a joint effort of NASA and the French space agency Centre National d’Études Spatiales. It will survey water on more than 90% of the world’s surface, measuring the height of water in fresh and ocean water. [CNN]
Surface Water and Ocean Topography satellite (CNES)
¶ “Winter Storms Are Back, And Scientists Say Climate Change Is Making Them A Lot Worse” • One big question for policymakers and the public is how much of our horrid winter weather can be definitively attributed to global warming. Climatologists say that it’s not merely a coincidence that storms seem so bad this year. Climate change is making them worse. [Salon]
World:
¶ “The Amazon Reef That May Be Threatened By Oil Drilling” • Scientists say a unique reef habitat near the mouth of the Amazon river is under threat from plans to drill for oil. The Amazon reef is not well known because it lies in deep water, and is sometimes hidden by the muddy waters flowing into the sea from the world’s largest river. [BBC]
Research ship RV Atlantis (Nsandel, public domain)
¶ “Russia Whiffs On Baltic Green Hydrogen Opportunity” • The EU has been scrambling to untangle itself from Russian gas, and the latest development is big. Six Baltic states are collaborating on a project called the Nordic-Baltic Hydrogen Corridor. If all goes according to plan, they will tap the Baltic sea for wind power to generate green hydrogen. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “China EV Exports Surge” • China has had ambitious plans to dominate the world auto industry through EV manufacturing. A recent Bloomberg report says it looks like China’s ambitions are being realised. And a top EV exporter from China is none other than American firm Tesla. It will export more than 200,000 EVs from China this year. [CleanTechnica]
Tesla showroom (Courtesy of Tesla China)
¶ “Power To The People: The Neighbours Turning Their London Street Into A Solar Power Station” • Lynmouth Road appears to be an unremarkable part of London largely made up of redbrick Victorian terraces. There are similar streets all through London. But Dan Edelstyn and Hilary Powell are working to make the road into a power station. [The Guardian]
¶ “Russia Starts Building ‘Protective Dome’ At Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant” • Russia is installing a “protective dome” over the nuclear waste storage at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, an official said. The plant has been under Russian control since March, and there have been fears of a nuclear catastrophe amid reports of shelling in the area. [Anadolu Agency]
Chernobyl sarcophagus in 2005 (IAEA Imagebank, CC-BY-SA 2.0)
Australia:
¶ “Forward Power Pricing Drops In Australia In Response To Government Action” • Legislation for a gas price cap passed in the Australian parliament. The action had immediate effect on forward power pricing. The average Australian household was expecting a 36% increase in power bills in 2023–2024, but now it should hold to 13%. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Solar Citizens Electric Ute Roadshow” • An LDV et60, one of Australia’s first electric utes (pickups) will embark on a road trip in rural and regional Victoria and New South Wales in February and March 2023, and through Queensland, after Easter. It is on a campaign to take the EV transition beyond the capital cities of the Australian states. [CleanTechnica]
The eT60 (Courtesy of LDV Automotive)
¶ “Australia’s Largest Electric Bus Depot Is Fully Commissioned And Operational” • Zenobe, a specialist in EV fleet and battery storage, working with Transgrid and Transit Systems, finished construction of Australia’s largest electrified bus depot. Now, it is fully commissioned and operational, providing a blueprint for the future of clean transport. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Australia Vulnerable To Power Bill Shocks Until We Break Gas Habit” • Power bill shocks will remain a threat unless Australia quickly ramps up renewables to decouple from global coal and gas markets, said Daniel Westerman, CEO of the Australian Energy Market Operator. He said wind and solar power can protect against future shocks. [The Age]
Wind turbines (Anna Jiménez Calaf, Unsplash)
US:
¶ “Recent Rain And Snow Brought Some Relief To California’s Historic Drought. It’s Still Not Enough” • In the past three years California residents have gone through back-to-back historically dry years that triggered unprecedented water shortages and landscape-altering wildfires. Now, a barrage of rain and snow have brought a tiny glimpse of hope [CNN]
¶ “Amazon Investing In Climate Innovation And Equity” • Amazon is teaming up with the US Agency for International Development to work on addressing gender inequity in the arean of climate finance as it relates to women. The partnership will work on supporting and funding female entrepreneurs focused on climate change innovation. [CleanTechnica]
Woman to innovate (Amazon image)
¶ “Third Largest Tesla Shareholder Suggests Elon Musk Should Step Aside As CEO” • Shares of Tesla are down 55% year to date and the stock has erased about $225 billion in market value since Musk closed his deal to buy Twitter in late October, according to Markets Insider. That has Tesla’s third largest shareholder, KoGuan Leo, disgusted with Elon Musk. [CleanTechnica]
***** Call for Help (Courtesy of Tesla Hunger Strike)
¶ “USDA Accepts Applications For Rural Energy For America Program” • The US Department of Agriculture is making $300 million available under the Rural Energy for America Program to support energy-efficiency projects for people who live in rural America. This funding includes $250 million provided by the Inflation Reduction Act. [DRGNews]
Have a certifiably charming day.
geoharvey 
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