Science and Technology:
¶ “Copper Is King, But It Is Time for a Metal Meritocracy” • As the world scrambles to slow climate change by electrifying everything (and decarbonizing everything), demand for copper is soaring. The US DOE’s Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office launched a new prize in 2021 to develop alternatives. Four are detailed here. [CleanTechnica]
Transmission lines (American Public Power Association, Unsplash)
¶ “Plagues In Roman Italy Linked To Climate Change, Scientists Say” • The Justinian Plague, a wave of bubonic plague, is thought to have begun in the year 541, and it raged until 590. It followed the Antonine Plague of 165 to 180 CE and the Plague of Cyprian from 251 to 266. Scientists have linked all three to climate change events. [Newsweek]
¶ “AI Is Increasingly Being Used To Deal With Climate Change, But It Has Its Own Emissions Problem” • As the climate changes, farmers are facing more challenges than ever before. Floods, droughts, disease, and shifts within the growing and harvesting seasons mean the agriculture business is rapidly changing. AI can help, but it has its own problems. [CBC]
AgriRobot at work (University of Prince Edward Island)
World:
¶ “Morocco Expects An Increase In Green Energy Investments In The Coming Years” • Morocco is consolidating its position as a key player in the field of renewable energy at regional and global level. The Moroccan Minister of Energy, Leila Benali, said the Kingdom is heading towards an era of “unprecedented” growth in renewable energy investments. [Atalayar]
¶ “Porsche Takes The Wraps Off The Battery Electric Macan” • The Macan is a highly important car for Porsche. After it was first introduced in 2013, it quickly became the best selling model in the Porsche lineup. Porsche certainly doesn’t want to mess with the success of its most popular car. But now, it has introduced a full battery EV version. [CleanTechnica]
Full battery Macan (Porsche image)
¶ “TotalEnergies And European Energy To Develop Three Nordic Offshore Wind Projects” • As part of its integrated development in electricity, TotalEnergies has signed a new agreement with European Energy to develop offshore wind projects in three Nordic countries: Denmark, Finland, and Sweden. [Energy Industry Review]
¶ “Innergex Sees 400-MW Quebec Solicitation Success” • Two Innergex Renewable Energy onshore wind projects have been selected in Hydro-Quebec’s request for proposals. One is the 300-MW Manicouagan wind farm, set to operate in 2029. The other is the 100-MW Lotbinieree project, which is to be in commercial operations in 2028. [ERR News]
Wind turbine (Innergex image)
¶ “Ukraine to start building four new nuclear reactors this year” • In an exclusive report, Reuters revealed that Ukraine expects to construct four nuclear power reactors in the upcoming summer or autumn, according to Energy Minister German Galushchenko. The country aims to offset the loss of energy capacity resulting from the war in Ukraine. [Al Mayadeen English]
¶ “Boralex Wins 365 MW Of Canadian Wind Contracts” • Two Boralex wind power projects totalling 365 MW were selected in Hydro-Quebec’s call for tenders. The first project is the 265-MW Arthabaska development, which will use between 37 and 44 wind turbines. The second is the Monnoir project, which will use 15-20 turbines for a capacity of 100MW. [reNews]
Wind farm (Boralex image)
¶ “Still No End In Sight For Decommissioning Work On The Fukushima Nuke Plant” • Nearly thirteen years since the triple-meltdown following the March 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami, it is still unclear when decommissioning of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station’s reactors will be completed. [The Mainichi]
US:
¶ “Insect Populations Flourish in the Restored Habitats of Solar Energy Facilities” • Bumblebees buzz from flower to flower, stopping for a moment under a clear blue Minnesota sky. Birds chirp, and tall grasses blow in the breeze. This isn’t a scene from a nature preserve or national park. It sits between PV solar arrays on rehabilitated farmland. [CleanTechnica]
Argonne scientist (Lee Walston, Argonne National Laboratory)
¶ “Redwood Materials Building Huge Cathode Factory” • The US has not been the home of much of the world’s EV battery or battery component production. One thing that needs to be built up is cathode production. Redwood Materials, a battery recycling startup created by Tesla cofounder and former CTO JB Straubel, is ready to change that. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Dearborn Commits To 100% Renewable Energy At City Buildings” • In Michigan, the city of Dearborn is opting into DTE Energy’s MIGreenPower program to get municipal buildings to 100% renewable energy by 2026. Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud says it’s one of the ways the city is taking a lead in becoming more green. [WDET 101.9 FM]
Solar array at Dearborn (Courtesy of City of Dearborn)
¶ “$18 Million Going Into Renewable Energy And Fertilizer Projects Across Iowa” • The USDA is making millions of dollars available for renewable energy and fertilizer projects with Iowa getting a big share. Former Iowa governor and current Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack said the money could help stem the loss of family farms and farmland. [KTIV]
¶ “Maps And Data Show How Climate Change Could Affect Some Major US Ports” • With experts predicting an average sea level rise of 2 feet by 2100, flooding is a reality that most seaports and beach communities will soon have to contend with. Now, a new climate study shows that some parts of the coast are likely to change even sooner. [Yahoo News]
Have a totally copacetic day.
geoharvey 
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