Opinion:
¶ “Electric Vehicle Misconceptions: Managed!” • Most consumers and fleet managers aren’t familiar with EVs, and thus have some concerns about thems that are not based in reality. We’re going to address some common EV myths here and bust them open. Some myths are just black and white issues, and some are more nuanced. We’ll look at both types. [CleanTechnica]
EV charging (Michael Fousert, Unsplash)
¶ “Should The US Mandate Food Waste Composting?” • Should the US mandate food excess composting? What other solutions might work to reduce methane emissions in landfills? How does the use of digital technology, which has been accessed more and more since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, offer hopes to further reduce food waste? [CleanTechnica]
¶ “No ‘Winter Of Discontent’ For West, But Energy Realities Still Hit Home” • After Russia invaded Ukraine, oil prices soared and Moscow choked off almost all the natural gas it fed to Europe. But the resulting energy crisis did not go the way Vladimir Putin planned. It united the world around the idea that energy security is paramount. [Christian Science Monitor]
Gas works (Ratul Ghosh, Unsplash, cropped)
¶ “Green Surge Is Circuit Breaker On Nuclear Revival” • Nuclear power received what seem like two plum gifts for 2023. High energy prices and the desire to decarbonize spurred renewed interest in nuclear technology, which provides about 10% of the world’s electricity supply. But a surging supply of green power is likely to limit any renaissance. [Nasdaq]
¶ “How France’s Prized Nuclear Sector Stalled In Europe’s Hour Of Need” • France should be in a strong position as Europe reels from an energy crisis, drawing on its notable nuclear industry. But the French nuclear sector has been going through a rough patch. Analysts blame a mixture of bad luck and a political deal from a decade ago. [MSN]
Cooling towers (Johannes Plenio, Unsplash)
World:
¶ “BYD Hits Nearly 1 Million BEV Sales In 2022” • Overall, BYD sold 1,863,494 plugin vehicles in 2022. The company sold 911,140 battery EVs. Tesla was the first automaker to surpass 1 million BEV sales in a year, scoring 1.31 million sales in 2022, but BYD is not that far behind on that milestone. It will surely be the second automaker to reach it. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Zambia Increases Load-Shedding To 12 Hours A Day!” • Water levels in Kariba Dam are dangerously low, mainly due to climate change-induced irregular rainfall patterns. The dam’s hydro plants provide power to Zambia and Zimbabwe. The Zambezi River Authority directed power companies in both countries to reduce generation at Kariba. [CleanTechnica]
Kariba Dam (Manfidza, CC-BY-SA 4.0)
¶ “Norway’s EV Sales Explode Ahead Of Policy Changes” • The Norwegian auto market saw plugin EV volume explode to take 87.6% share in December, with huge numbers of BEVs registered, and overall auto volumes double those of seasonal norms. The freak volume in December 2022 resulted from one-off effects ahead of new policies and taxes. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Duo Plan Greenland’s ‘First’ Commercial Wind Project” • H2Carrier and Greenland-based company Anori have signed a Letter of Intent to develop the first commercial wind farm in Greenland. The 1.5-GW wind farm is intended to supply power to H2Carrier’s vessel, P2XFloater, for on-board production of hydrogen and green ammonia. [reNews]
P2XFloater (H2Carrier image)
¶ “UK Urged To Introduce Onshore Wind Targets” • Targets for onshore wind as well as for tidal energy will help the UK to speed up the transition away from fossil fuels, an Environmental Audit Committee report says. It details a string of measures the UK needs to take to reduce its fossil fuel dependency, which accounts for 78% of the UK’s energy needs. [reNews]
¶ “How Chile Is Becoming A Leader In Renewable Energy” • As the effects of climate change become more apparent, countries around the world are facing a similar dilemma – how to reduce carbon emissions without causing economic damage. Chile could offer policymakers around the world a playbook for transitioning to renewable energy. [The World Economic Forum]
Wind farm in Chile (Rosario Nieto Chadwick, CC-BY-SA 3.0)
¶ “Battery Energy Storage System Global Market Report 2022: Ukraine-Russia War Impact” • The global battery energy storage system market is expected to grow from $3.36 billion in 2021 to $4.34 billion in 2022 at a compound annual growth rate of 29.1%. The growth comes after Russia invaded Ukraine, disrupting the recovery from the pandemic. [Yahoo Finance]
US:
¶ “Powerful Bomb Cyclone Slams Into California With Hurricane-Force Winds And Heavy Rain” • A powerful bomb cyclone slammed into the California coast Wednesday night, lashing the state with heavy downpours and hurricane-force winds as the storm advanced onshore. Peak wind gusts at 85 mph were recorded in Nicasio Hills. [CNN]
Storm (Dan Meyers, Unsplash)
¶ “LLNL’s Energy Flow Diagrams Show The US Isn’t Moving The Needle On Climate Action” • Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory has published energy flow diagrams for the US since 2010. Looking at this chart and others like it, we can see that in seven years of electrification and deployment of wind and solar, the US barely budged the needle. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Texas Ag Agency Says Climate Change Threatens State’s Food Supply” • On the heels of a historic drought that has devastated crops from the High Plains to South Texas, a report from the Texas Department of Agriculture has linked climate change with food insecurity and identified it as a potential threat to the state’s food supply. [KVUE]
Have a steadfastly edifying day.
geoharvey 