Science and Technology:
¶ “New Idea For Sucking Up CO₂ From Air Shows Promise” • Scientists outlined a new way of sucking CO₂ from the air and storing it in the sea. The authors say the approach captures CO₂ from the atmosphere up to three times more efficiently than current methods. The gas can be used to make bicarbonate of soda and stored safely in seawater. [BBC]
Tree absorbing CO₂ slowly (Pedro Kümmel, Unsplash)
¶ “Chalmers University Reveals 500-KW Wireless Charging Technology” • Researchers at Chalmers University in Sweden say they developed a wireless technology that charges batteries at up to 500 kW without a cable connection to a charger. The system is not necessarily intended for charging passenger cars, but it could be used by larger vehicles. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Anthropogenic Climate Change Poses Systemic Risk To Coffee Cultivation” • Coffee is important to the economies of coffee producing regions. A study published in PLOS Climate by Doug Richardson at CSIRO Oceans & Atmosphere, Hobart, Tasmania, and colleagues suggests that climate change may significantly affect land where coffee is cultivated. [Phys.org]
Coffee plantation (Pixabay, Pexels)
World:
¶ “UK ‘Must Act Now On Renewable Energy Or Risk Being Left Behind’” • Ministers must take control of the UK’s energy system, removing the barriers to planning permission and problems with the national electricity grid, to build the windfarms and other renewable power needed to meet net-zero goals, government advisers have warned. [The Guardian]
¶ “Statkraft Powers Up UK Greener Grid Park” • Statkraft has announced that its Lister Drive Greener Grid Park in Liverpool is now supplying inertia to the national grid. Traditionally, coal or gas-powered turbines are called upon to provide stability to the grid. Greener Grid Park’s equipment, consist of synchronous compensators and flywheels. [reNews]
Lister Drive Greener Grid Park (Statkraft image)
¶ “Australia Invests $4.29 Billion In Renewable Energy In December Quarter, 10 Times The Previous Three Months” • Large-scale renewable energy and storage investment increased in the final three months of 2022, hitting the largest quarterly level for more than four years. The pace remains inadequate, the Clean Energy Council says. [The Guardian]
¶ “At Least Six Killed In ‘Barbaric’ Russian Missile And Drone Airstrikes” • Russia launched massive missile attacks on Ukraine, striking targets in Kyiv, Kharkiv, and the Black Sea port of Odesa and killing at least six people. The electric power supply to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant was cut, so diesel generators have to supply power for cooling reactors. [Sky News]
Control room (AEA Imagebank, CC-BY-SA 2.0, cropped)
India:
¶ “Adani And Reliance Commit 25 GW Of Renewable Power In India’s Andhra Pradesh” • Reportedly, two of India’s leading industrial conglomerates, Reliance Industries and the Adani Group, announced plans to set up a total of 25 GW in Andhra Pradesh over the next few years. Neither shared details about timeline or investment for the plan. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Adani Commissions World’s Largest Solar-Wind Hybrid Project” • India’s largest renewable power generation company, Adani Green Energy, announced that it has commissioned a 700-MW solar-wind hybrid project in the northern state of Rajasthan. The company claims that it is the world’s largest hybrid power project. [CleanTechnica]
Wind farm in Rajasthan (Daniel VILLAFRUELA, CC-BY-SA 3.0)
¶ “India Plans 18 Gigawatts Of Pumped Hydro Storage By 2032” • According to a document released by India’s Ministry of Power, the country envisages setting up 18 GW of pumped hydro storage capacity. The projects will be used to meet peak power demand using renewable power. The government estimates 108 MW of pumped storage potential in India. [CleanTechnica]
US:
¶ “Your Pollen Allergies Are Already Overwhelming? Here’s Why” • In Atlanta, the pollen count climbed to the “extremely high” range on Monday – the earliest it has done so in 30 years of record-keeping. By Tuesday, the tree pollen count had doubled. Pollen appeared much earlier than normal after an exceptionally warm February in the South and East. [CNN]
Pollen (Tamekia Andress, Pixy.org, CC0)
¶ “EPA Rolls Out ‘Strongest Limits Ever’ On Toxic Wastewater From Coal-Fired Power Plants” • The EPA proposed a new rule for regulating wastewater from coal-fired power plants that is stronger than previous rules. EPA Administrator Michael S Regan said the EPA estimates rule would reduce this toxic pollution by over 580 million pounds per year. [CNN]
¶ “First Ammonia-Powered Tugboat Coming To New York This Year” • This week, Amogy announced it is converting a tugboat built in 1957 to ammonia power and expects it to enter service by the end of this year. The tugboat will be outfitted with a 1-MW version of Amogy’s ammonia-powered fuel cell system. The boat is to operate in New York State. [CleanTechnica]
Amogy tugboat (Amogy image)
¶ “Sharp Cold Blasts Punctuate One Of The Warmest, Wettest US Winters On Record” • As the effects of human-induced climate change keep mounting, the nation is warming more dramatically during winter than in any other season. The South and East have been warmer than usual, but another atmospheric river is headed to Calfornia. [Yale Climate Connections]
¶ “Keene Community Power Program To Launch In June” • Keene has joined the towns of Swanzey, Marlborough, and Wilton in the first Community Power buying group in New Hampshire. Residents and other electric customers in Keene will have the opportunity to save 25% on their electric bills beginning in June. [City of Keene]
Have a really entertaining day.
geoharvey 