Opinion:
¶ “Nearly 62,000 People Died From Record-Breaking Heat In Europe Last Summer. It’s A Lesson For The US, Too” • Nearly 62,000 people died heat-related deaths last year during Europe’s hottest summer on record, a study published in Nature Medicine found. It is heartbreaking evidence that heat is a silent killer, and its victims are greatly under-counted. [CNN]
Ambulance (Jonas Augustin, Unsplash)
¶ “Terrible Truths About Nuclear Energy Exposed” • A new documentary titled The Fukushima Disaster: The Hidden Side of the Story is a powerful, moving, informative film that is superbly made. Directed and edited by Philippe Carillo, it is among the strongest films ever made on the deadly dangers of nuclear technology. [Independent Australia]
Science and Technology:
¶ “How Harvesting Electricity From Humid Air Could One Day Power Our Devices” • It’s an idea that has been around for many years. Nikola Tesla and others have investigated it in the past but never achieved promising results. However, that could be about to change. Research groups around the world are finding ways to glean electricity from humid air. [BBC]
Lightning (Leon Contreras, Unsplash)
¶ “Bosch Pumps Up New Green Hydrogen Water Treatment Technology” • Hydrogen is abundant, but it is not easy to extract. Renewable energy has flipped the script by driving down the cost of electrolysis, in which an electrical current extracts hydrogen from water. The German legacy firm Bosch has a new water treatment system for electrolysis. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Better Batteries From Lawrence Berkeley Lab Research” • A research team led by Gao Liu, a senior scientist in the Energy Technologies Area at Lawrence Berkeley Lab, published a paper in the journal Nature Energy recently in which they report on new technology that could lower the cost of lithium-ion batteries and extend their service life. [CleanTechnica]
Scientists at work (Courtesy of Lawrence Berkeley Lab)
World:
¶ “Stellantis Showcases The Citroen AMI As An Efficient Last Mile Solution For Postal Entities In Africa” • Stellantis is ramping up its activities in Africa. It already has a manufacturing presence there, as the Citroen AMI, an all-electric small city car, is made in Morocco and exported to Europe. But now Stellantis looks like it wants to enlarge on that. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Tesla And Chinese EV Producers Have Reportedly Signed A Price War Truce” • EV price cuts in recent months have been superb for customers. But they’ve apparently been a bit brutal for automakers. Reports are that this should all get easier to manage since fifteen Chinese automakers and Tesla have signed a truce ending the price war. [CleanTechnica]
XPeng EVs (Image courtesy of XPeng)
¶ “Solar Tracker Market Size For 2030 Projected To Be Worth $19.61 Billion, With CAGR Of 13.9%” • The global solar tracker market size was valued at $6.94 billion in 2022. The market size is projected to grow from $7.88 billion in 2023 to $19.61 billion by 2030, exhibiting a compound annual growth rate of 13.9% during the forecast period. [Yahoo Finance]
¶ “Skyborn Enters Race For 2.8-GW Swedish Offshore Wind Site” • Skyborn, a portfolio company of Global Infrastructure Partners has submitted a permit application to the Swedish government to build the 2,800 MW offshore wind farm. The Fyrskeppet project is to be north of Örskar in Uppsala County, about 50 km off the coast. [Splash 247]
Offshore windpower (WPD image)
¶ “Queensland Identifies ‘Renewable Energy Zones’ As Part Of $62 Billion ‘Super Grid’ Plan” • The Queensland government has identified 12 “renewable energy zones” in the state, forming the backbone of its $62 billion plan to decarbonise its electricity supply. The government says it wants wind, solar, and pumped-hydro projects in the zones by 2035. [The Guardian]
US:
¶ “The Two Most Fuel Efficient Cars In The USA (2023 Edition)” • For the model year 2023, the highest-rated EPA combined fuel economy for gasoline vehicles was about 60 miles per gallon. By contrast, two EV models, the Hyundai Ioniq 6 and the Lucid Air, achieved 140 mpg-equivalent. Maximum EV fuel economy has grown 37% since MY 2011. [CleanTechnica]
Hyundai Ioniq 6 (Courtesy of Hyundai)
¶ “US Storms: ‘All Hands On Deck’ As Floods Deluge US North-East” • More than 13 million people in the north-east are under flood alerts as a deadly storm deluges the region. Flash flooding from excessive rainfall was expected across New England at times through Tuesday morning, with Vermont facing the highest risk, forecasters said. [BBC]
¶ “GM Is Disappointing With More Anti-EV Lobbying!” • GM doesn’t exactly have the best history when it comes to advocacy and innovation for EVs. One example is its work with the Donald Trump administration to try to cripple California fuel economy standards. Now it’s pushing back against the EPA’s already rather weak 2030 regulations! [CleanTechnica]
2022 GMC Hummer EV (Image courtesy of GM)
¶ “Ameresco Inks 80-MW Colorado Storage Deal” • Ameresco has signed an 80-MW grid battery contract that will consist of several arrays installed in strategically located sites in Colorado. The agreement for the 78.3-MW, 313.34-MWh of energy storage systems is with United Power, an electric cooperative serving Colorado’s northern Front Range. [reNews]
¶ “Columbia Water & Light Has Proposed A Community Solar Program” • Columbia Water & Light has proposed a Community Solar Program, giving access to solar power to those who live in the Missouri city but cannot install solar on their own property. The program would save money on the electricity bill and would be open to 600 subscribers. [ABC17NEWS]
Have a mystifyingly gorgeous day.
geoharvey 