Opinion:
¶ “Celebrating 15 Years Of Tesla Production And The EV” • Tesla has officially been on the road for 15 years since the first Roadster rolled off the production line on February 1, 2008, and what a decade and a half it has been. Tesla used to be a niche startup auto maker. Now, it is an innovating force behind the automobile industry’s shift to electrification. [CleanTechnica]
Tesla Roadster in space (SpaceX, CC0 1.0, public domain)
Science and Technology:
¶ “How Pesticides Impair Our Senses” • Agriculture, as it is conventionally practiced in much of the world, depends heavily on pesticides. But our dependence on pesticides also comes at a significant cost to the environment. Recent research shows that pesticides may be responsible for the loss of smell in honeybees and salmon. [BBC]
¶ “Wireless Charging For Autonomous Electric Buses – World First” • WiTricity partnered with YuTong Bus, the largest bus producer in China, to charge up YuTong’s autonomous electric buses. The buses are in commercial use in Zhengzhou. They are autonomous minibuses, seat up to 10 people, and have a driving range of about 150 km (93 miles). [CleanTechnica]
Xiaoyu 2.0 bus (Courtesy of WiTricity)
¶ “Climate Change Portends Wider Malaria Risk As Mosquitos Spread South And To Higher Elevations In Africa” • Based on 120 years of data, scientists at Georgetown University Medical Center found that the mosquitoes responsible for transmitting malaria in Africa are spreading deeper into southern Africa and to higher elevations. [Georgetown University Medical Center]
World:
¶ “So-Called Doomsday Glacier Is ‘In Trouble,’ Scientists Say After Finding Surprising Formations Under Ice Shelf” • The “Doomsday Glacier” – nicknamed because its collapse could drive catastrophic sea level rise – is melting rapidly and in unexpected ways, new research shows. Antarctica’s Thwaites Glacier is roughly the size of Florida. [CNN]
Cracks in Thwaites Glacier in 2020 (Dr Britney Schmidt, ITGC)
¶ “World Bank President David Malpass To Step Down Early” • World Bank President David Malpass plans to step down a year before the end of his term. Malpass faced criticism from climate activists after he refused to confirm at a climate panel whether he accepted the scientific consensus that burning fossil fuels were dangerously warming the planet. [CNN]
¶ “The World’s Largest Outdoor Ice Rink Is Closed Due To Lack Of Ice” • First ski resorts were not able to operate due to climate change. Now, the world’s largest outdoor ice rink might witness a season fully closed, due to a lack of ice. The 4.8-mile skateway in Ottwawa is part of the Rideau Canal, which runs between Lake Ontario and the St Lawrence River. [CNN]
Rideau Canal Skateway (Nairg, CC-BY-SA 3.0)
¶ “BMW Ramping Up Electric Car Production, Including In Mexico” • Just about every automaker on the planet is increasing its EV production in 2023, and BMW Group is no exception. In fact, BMW seems to be on a serious push to try to take more of the EV market, as it invests €800 million in production facilities at a factory in Mexico. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Kuwait Invites Bids To Power Oil And Gas Facilities With Renewable Energy” • Two state-owned Kuwaiti oil companies, the Kuwait National Petroleum Co and the Kuwait Integrated Petroleum Industries Co, have invited consultancy bids from five Western firms to study the use of renewable energy to run their facilities, Zawya Projects reported. [Oil & Gas Middle East]
Oil & gas facility (Patrick Hendry, Unsplash)
¶ “Australia Warned It Could Lose Out To ‘Huge And Aggressive’ Green Hydrogen Support In US And Middle East” • Australia’s natural advantage in the race to create a green hydrogen industry is at risk of being overwhelmed by “huge and aggressive” policy support in the US and the Middle East, according to Guy Debelle of Fortescue Future Industries. [The Guardian]
¶ “EU Says ‘Renewable Hydrogen’ Valid Only For Electrolysers Linked To New Wind And Solar” • The European Commission proposed two detailed rules defining what constitutes renewable hydrogen in the EU. At the heart of the proposed rules is the requirement that all renewable fuels of non-biological origin are produced from renewable electricity. [Renew Economy]
Turbines and tank (Meridian Energy image)
¶ “Chernobyl Fears Return As Russia Makes Ominous Warning” • Russia has said Ukraine is planning a “provocation” linked to the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Moscow said Kyiv was looking to accuse Russia of violating the Convention on Nuclear Safety during what Moscow calls the “special military operation” in Ukraine. [MSN]
US:
¶ “New York City May Soon Set The Pace For Municipal Vehicle Electrification” • The New York City Council is considering a bill that would codify a path toward a 100% zero-emission municipal fleet. This proposal would require the city’s entire on-road fleet, including heavy-duty trucks and specialty vehicles, to transition to zero-emission vehicles by mid-2035. [CleanTechnica]
Electric truck (Mack Trucks image)
¶ “Tesla Supercharger Network Will Be (Partially) Open To US Drivers By Next Year” • The Biden administration announced completion of rules and regulations for its nationwide charging program. And it looks like Tesla will get to keep its owners happy while tapping into federal funds to help it expand its network of Superchargers. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Scott Renews Hope In Billion-Dollar Underwater Powerline” • Governor Phil Scott updated a renewed effort to bring a power line under Lake Champlain from Quebec to hook into the New England electric grid. The proposal was first raised over eight years ago, and now governors in New England show interest in the project again. [Vermont Business Magazine]
Have a copiously rewarding day.
geoharvey 
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