Opinion:
¶ “Why It Matters That The Earth Is On The Brink Of 1.5°C Of Warming ” • United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change uses 1.5°C as a limit to aim for. The exact figure of 1.5°C of warming is less important than keeping global warming as far below that figure as possible. But researchers say the likelihood of doing so is waning. [ABC News]
Terraced fields (Huy Nguyen, Unsplash)
Science and Technology:
¶ “Researchers Argue That Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions Is Not Enough To Combat Climate Change” • A paper in Oxford Open Climate Change says that strategies humanity must pursue to reduce climate change will have to include more than reducing greenhouse gases. This comes from an analysis of climate data led by researcher James Hansen. [Phys.org]
World:
¶ “EVs Take 60.6% Share In Sweden – Kia EV9 Debuts” • October saw plugin EVs take 60.6% share in Sweden, up fractionally from 59.4% year on year. EV volumes were up by some 14%, barely ahead of overall market growth. Overall auto volume was 25,016 units, up by 12% year on year. The Volkswagen ID.4 was the EV that sold best in October. [CleanTechnica]
Kia EV9 in Korea (Hyundai Motor Group, Unsplash)
¶ “US Electric Train Maker Sends Hot Pink Diesel-Killing Love Letter To Australia” • A new electric train is heading from the US to Australia with a futuristic twist. The locomotive will deploy regenerative breaking – energy captured from its brakes while on the move. The payoff is lower fuel costs, a smaller carbon footprint, and reduced down time. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “China’s Coal Boom Includes 775 GW Of Shelved, Canceled, Or Closed Plants” • China has permitted more coal plants in recent years than the rest of the world combined, reports say. But the narratives don’t mention the operating coal plants that were shut down and plants that were not built have a combined capacity of 775 GW. [CleanTechnica]
Coal mine (Herry Lawford, CC-BY-SA 2.0, cropped)
¶ “China’s Lithium Mining Boom In Tibet Sparks Debate In Renewable Energy Race” • A research report by Turquoise Roof, a network of Tibetan researchers, has revealed that the booming EV industry in China is fuelling a lithium rush in Tibet. It risks damaging the troubled region’s fragile ecology and deepening rights violations. [Phayul]
¶ “Singapore Seen As Hub For Renewable Energy” • Singapore can be a hub for renewable energy as the city-state can leverage its status as one of the world’s biggest commodity trading centers and bunkering ports, analysts said. Its Energy Market Authority has given tentative approval for plans to import 1.2 GW of wind power from Vietnam. [China Daily]
Singapore (Peter Nguyen, Unsplash)
¶ “Global Grid-Forming Inverter Market Expected To Reach $1,042 Million By 2028” • The global grid-forming inverter market is estimated to grow from $1,042 million by 2028 from an estimated of $680 million in 2023. Grid-forming inverters are vital for managing the rapid growth of renewable energy and ensuring grid stability. [Yahoo Finance]
¶ “Portugal Powered Solely By Renewables Last Weekend” • Portugal relied solely on renewable energy last weekend, largely wind and hydroelectric power, to meet electricity demand. It generated 172.5 GWh of renewable electricity and useed 131.1 GWh between Friday night and Monday morning, exporting excess power to Spain. [PV Magazine]
Trolley car in Portugal (Aayush Gupta, Unsplash)
¶ “Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant Starts Third Release Of Treated Radioactive Wastewater Into The Sea” • The tsunami-damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant began its third release of treated and diluted radioactive wastewater into the sea Thursday after Japanese officials said the two earlier releases ended smoothly. [TheHour]
US:
¶ “VinFast May Bring The Ultra Cheap VF 3 To America” • Last June, VinFast introduced the VF 3, a boxy two-door electric vehicle designed to appeal to customers in its home market of Vietnam. Now, there are suggestions that VinFast might produce cars in a North Carolina factory, and the VF 3 could be priced in the sub-$20,000 range. [CleanTechnica]
VinFast VF 3 (Courtesy of VinFast)
¶ “Well-Equipped Single Motor Chevy Equinox Will Start At $34,995 – Someday” • When Chevrolet announced the Equinox EV in January of 2022, it said the battery-electric version of its popular midsize SUV would start at around $30,000 and have a range of up to 300 miles. At a somewhat increased price and range, it is still coming. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “TotalEnergies Starts Up 380-MW Solar Power Plant with Battery Storage in Texas” • TotalEnergies has started commercial operations of Myrtle Solar, a solar farm south of Houston. Myrtle has a capacity of 380 MW and 225 MWh of co-located batteries. Myrtle produces enough green electricity each year to provide for about 70,000 homes. [PR Newswire]
Transmission towers (Pierre Jarry, Unsplash)
¶ “EPICS Global Research Centre For 100% Renewable Power Grids Launched In US” • The Electric Power Innovation for a Carbon-free Society center was launched at the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. It has partners from the UK, Australia, and the US researching potencial of 100% renewable power grids across the world. [Smart Energy International]
¶ “Despite Net-Zero Commitments, California Is Curtailing Renewable Power” • California, a state that’s all-in for net-zero energy policies, announced it’s curtailing solar and wind power due to increased congestion. Congestion occurs when power transmission lines lack the capacity to deliver the electricity generated. [Independent Women’s Forum]
Have an amusingly straightforward day.
geoharvey 