Opinion:
¶ “Dear Maryland: It’s Time To Drive Clean Trucks And Buses” • Every soul walking this earth deserves to breathe clean air. But there are counties across Maryland have air that hasn’t met the EPA’s standards for decades, causing public health problems ranging from asthma to premature death. Much of that pollution comes from diesel engines. [CleanTechnica]
Bus charging station in Maryland (Courtesy of Schneider Electric)
¶ “Why India Inc Needs Energy Storage Solutions And How It Can Do It” • Increasingly, buildings, transport, and industry are betting on electrification to reduce carbon emissions. India is expected to add more than 350 GW of renewable power capacity in this decade. This makes it necessary to add balancing sources like energy storage systems. [The Economic Times]
¶ “Pakistan’s Textile Industry: Barriers To Renewable Energy Transition” • With the growing unsustainable management of energy demand, Pakistan’s continuous reliance on imported fossil fuels has affected the country’s energy security. Pakistan’s textile industry is one major sector that can benefit massively from the renewable energy. [Business Recorder]
Textile machinery (s2 art, Unsplash)
¶ “Russian Nuclear Fuel: The Habit Europe Just Can’t Break” • Europe is on track to kick its addiction to Russian fossil fuels, but can’t seem to replicate that success with nuclear energy a year into the Ukraine war. Coal imports from Russia have dropped to zero. Russia’s share of the gas market has dropped to 10%. But the nuclear fuel addiction is tougher. [POLITICO]
Science and Technology:
¶ “How Feed Additives Could Cut Methane Emissions From Livestock By 90%” • Scientists appear to have solved one of the biggest environmental challenges facing the meat industry: how to reduce methane emissions from cow burps. Dutch company Royal DSM says it has a product that can reduce cows’ methane emissions by up to 92%. [ABC]
Royal DSM executive Mark van Nieuwland (Royal DSM image)
World:
¶ “Volvo OTA Updates Pass 1 Million Mark, XC90 Recharge Earns Highest IIHS Safety Rating” • Volvo has announced that it completed more than a million over-the-air software updates globally. This eleventh OTA update from Volvo covered 350,000 vehicles and was its largest update ever. Now owners can give the cars commands over a phone. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “KE To Add 1,182 MW Of Renewable Energy By 2030” • In Pakistan, K-Electric plans to add 1,182 MW of renewable energy under its Rs484 billion ($1.88 billion) investment plan by 2030. In the plan, the power utility said it would add 2,172 MW by 2030 and the major share would be contributed through the renewable energy sources. [The News International]
Solar panels in Pakistan (Ab PrinceGabol, CC-BY-SA 4.0, cropped)
¶ “Ukraine’s Energy Minister Says Russia Has Damaged Half Of Country’s Energy Infrastructure” • Ukraine’s Energy Minister German Galushchenko says about half of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure has been damaged by shelling and rocket attacks since Russia started targeting it in October. The Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant is one of the plants shelled. [CBC]
US:
¶ “US Electric Car Sales Increased 65% In 2022” • Tesla continues to dominate the US electric car sales market, which can make it seem like not much is changing. However, the biggest story is probably that the US electric car market as a whole continues to grow strongly. In 2022, our analysis shows that battery EV sales are up 65% compared to 2021. [CleanTechnica]
Teslas charging (Tesla image)
¶ “It’s Official: California Will Be Tesla’s Engineering And AI Headquarters” • They’ve bickered and disagreed in the past, but all that seemed to be forgotten as California Governor Gavin Newsom and Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced that the former Hewlett-Packard headquarters in Palo Alto would become Tesla’s engineering and AI base of operations. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “West Virginia Gov Justice Greenlights Funding For Renewable Energy Battery Plant” • West Virginia’s governor signed a bill that gives $105 million in state funding for a Form Energy battery plant in Weirton, a former steel town. The 55-acre plant will produce iron-air batteries and is anticipated to create at least 750 jobs in a $760 million investment. [Voonze]
Old Wierton steel mill in (Carol M Highsmith, Library of Congress)
¶ “Tesla’s Global Engineering HQ In Palo Alto – Opening Party Highlights” • Tesla has acquired and restored the HP Garage in Palo Alto, California, for the company’s new Global Engineering HQ space. This is actually the birthplace of Silicon Valley, with a historical significance in the rise of Palo Alto as the world-leading center for technology. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “The Christian Case For Fighting Climate Change Is Being Tested In Eastern Oregon” • Peter Fargo felt he had been called by God to an uncommon type of missionary work. He left his job to dedicate himself to fighting climate change. And from his home in Baker City, Fargo plans to spread his message across Eastern Oregon. [Oregon Public Broadcasting]
Have an invigoratingly relaxed day.
geoharvey 