Opinion:
¶ “Rising Ocean Temperatures Are A Threat To Human Survival” • The ocean is like the cooling system in a conventional car. It is amazing at absorbing waste heat, but once it reaches its limit, watch out. There is a full-fledged disaster ahead that most are unaware of it because accurate information about what is going on in the ocean is so hard to get. [CleanTechnica]
Ocean Waves (Pixy.org, CC0)
¶ “Coalition Clown Show On Nuclear On Full Display In Senate Inquiry” • When an Australian Senate nuclear power inquiry held its only public hearing, Coalition Senators took the opportunity to express their furious agreement with misinformation fed to them by pro-nuclear witnesses. Then Murdoch media parroted the pro-nuclear nonsense. [Renew Economy]
Science and Technology:
¶ “The World Can Cut Plastic Pollution By 80% By 2040, The UN Says. Here’s How” • Plastic pollution could be reduced by 80% in less than two decades, a UN Environment Programme says. The report aims to offer a roadmap to minimize the levels of plastic pollution. It focuses on three main strategies: reuse, recycling, and alternative materials. [CNN]
Plastic pollution (Dustan Woodhouse, Unsplash, cropped)
¶ “New Water Treatment Technology Could Help Recycle Even Super Salty Waters” • In a new study published in Desalination, members of the National Alliance for Water Innovation research consortium analyzed a form of reverse osmosis, called low-salt-rejection reverse osmosis. Theoretically, these systems could treat even highly salty water. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “How About These Tiltable, Portable Solar PV Panels?” • A German solar company that mostly focuses on floating solar power plant solutions has come up with something novel. Sinn Power introduced tiltable, portable solar panels. The solar panels are ideal for things like camping or mobile work sites where you move location frequently. [CleanTechnica]
Portable solar panel mounts (Courtesy of Sinn Power)
World:
¶ “First Solar Bike Path In Germany Is Now Live” • Here is a great idea: bike paths covered by simple solar PV roofs. Bikers, using the cleanest mode of transportation on Earth, get a little relief from the sun or protection from the rain while also being separated from the roadway and protected from drivers. Now Germany has its first one. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Wuling Hongguang Mini EV Now Available For Just $2,838 Plus $28 Per Month For The Battery Plan” • The SAIC-GM-Wuling joint venture launched a monthly battery payment plan for the Wuling Hongguang Mini EV. The plan allows customers to buy the EV starting at just $2,838, and then pay $28 per month for the battery for 5 years. [CleanTechnica]
Wuling Hongguang Mini EV (Courtesy of Wuling Hongguang)
¶ “Vietnam Approves Its Energy Plan For The Next Decade, Promoting Renewables” • Vietnam’s government has green-lit a national plan for its power industry. The plan will see the country move away from coal while opening wind and gas avenues. Vietnam aims to get at least 30.9% of its energy from renewable sources by 2030. [Power Technology]
¶ “Renewable Energy Projects Worth Billions Stuck On Hold” • The BBC reported that their research found billions of pounds’ worth of green energy projects are on hold because they cannot plug into the UK’s electricity system. Some new solar and wind sites are waiting up to 10 to 15 years to be connected because of a lack of grid capacity. [Rural Services Network]
Wind turbine (Pixy.org, CC0)
¶ “TotalEnergies Launches In Belgium Its Largest Battery Energy Storage Project In Europe” • TotalEnergies has launched at its Antwerp refinery, a battery farm project for energy storage with a power rating of 25 MW and capacity of 75 MWh. Its capacity is the equivalent of the daily electricity consumption of close to 10,000 households. [PV Magazine]
US:
¶ “Biden Officially Vetoes Resolution Blocking Temporary Suspension Of Tariffs On Solar Panel Imports” • President Joe Biden vetoed a resolution to halt a Commerce Department rule temporarily suspending tariffs on solar panels imported from Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam. He wrote that the resolution “bets against American innovation.” [CNN]
President Joe Biden (Maryland GovPics, CC-BY-SA 2.0)
¶ “‘SuperLab’ Will Test US Power Grid Against Climate Disasters” • The DOE is creating a “SuperLab” to test the electric grid by using simulated climate disasters. The initiative, to be launched next year, will include seven DOE laboratories. It will mimic such catastrophes as a cyberattacks, blackouts caused by a hurricane, and large Western wildfires. [Scientific American]
¶ “Tesla Leads Auto World In Operating Margin, Model Y Is The Best Selling Car In World – Tesla Meeting Highlights” • Tesla had its 2023 annual shareholder meeting. Some things were already in the company’s Master Plan Part 3, Investor Day presentation, and previous quarterly shareholder conference calls. Here’s a look at some highlights. [CleanTechnica]
Image from Tesla shareholders meeting video (Tesla, screenshot)
¶ “Biden Administration Announces Nearly $11 Billion For Renewable Energy In Rural Communities” • The Department of Agriculture announced a nearly $11 billion investment to help bring affordable clean energy to rural communities. Electric cooperatives, renewable energy companies, and utilities can apply for funding. [San Mateo Daily Journal]
¶ “Maine Far From Its Goal For Renewable Energy Battery Storage” • Maine is in the early stages of developing battery storage, but it will need more storage capacity as the state transitions to clean energy to meet statutory climate goals, energy policy experts said. So far it has reached only 21% of its goal for 2025. [Bangor Daily News]
Have an amusingly auspicious day.
geoharvey 