Science and Technology:
¶ “Geothermal Heat Pumps Key Opportunity In Switch To Clean Energy” • Analysis from Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory found that, coupled with building envelope improvements, installing geothermal heat pumps in around 70% of US buildings could save as much as 593 TWh of electricity annually. [CleanTechnica]
Please click on the image to enlarge it (US DOE
Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy)
¶ “Perovskite Solar Cells: A Turning Point In Renewable Energy Or Just Hype?” • The world of solar energy is on the brink of a potential revolution, thanks to a new contender in the market: perovskite solar cells. These cells have impressive efficiency and promise to address many of the limitations of traditional silicon solar cells. [The Business Standard]
¶ “Coastal Chemistry Improves Methane Modeling” • Scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory are using a new modeling framework in conjunction with data collected from marshes in the Mississippi Delta to improve predictions of climate-warming methane and nitrous oxide emissions from soils in coastal ecosystems. [CleanTechnica]
Mississippi Delta marsh (Matthew Berens, ORNL, US DOE)
World:
¶ “Alberta Tar Sands Pollution 64 Times Worse Than Reported” • The Canadian tar sands, a huge site of oil extraction in Alberta, cover an area larger than England. Researchers used airplanes to measure the total emissions from the Alberta tar sands. Their research showed that those emissions are 20 to 64 times worse than previously reported. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Hundreds Of Hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric Vans To Flood The Streets” • The debate over hydrogen fuel cell EVs rages on, and Renault Group just added some fuel to the fire. The auto maker’s Hyvia electric vehicle venture is kicking into high gear with an initial delivery of 50 hydrogen fuel cell vans to the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. [CleanTechnica]
Renault Master Van H2 Tech (Renault Group via YouTube)
¶ “Chinese Foreign Ministry Calls For Greater Cooperation Worldwide To Address Climate Challenges” • China has made remarkable progress in clean energy in recent years, providing practical solutions for tackling climate change globally. This will accelerate the international transition towards renewable power, said the Chinese Foreign Ministry. [MSN]
¶ “Booming Renewable Energy Generation Halves Wholesale Power Prices Across National Grid” • Rapid growth in renewable generation reduced the wholesale cost of power in Australia’s energy grid late last year, and it greatly reduced reliance on coal. Prices were down more than half in the final three months of 2023 compared to the same period in 2022. [MSN]
Solar farm (Merallisolar image)
¶ “Major Power Companies Break Ground On First-Of-Its-Kind Power Plant” • Reuters reported that Uzbekistan broke ground on the region’s first plant making green hydrogen from wind power, a major milestone in the fight to reverse the effects of climate change. The plant will ultimately produce 3,000 metric tons of green hydrogen per year. [The Cool Down]
¶ “Korea’s Imports Of Japanese Seafood Post Biggest On-Year Drop Last Year Since 2012” • Korea’s imports of Japanese seafood posted the biggest on-year decrease last year since 2012, a year after the Fukushima nuclear accident, data show. In 2023, Korea imports of Japanese fish and shellfish were down 12.8% from a year earlier. [The Korea Times]
Grilled fish (CA Creative, Unsplash)
US:
¶ “First-Ever Regional Offshore Wind And Wildlife Science Plan Released” • Tapping offshore wind is critical to address climate change. A landmark research plan to guide that effort was released by the Regional Wildlife Science Collaborative for Offshore Wind, a unique entity of academics, government, industry, and nonprofits. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Icon Of The Seas: World’s Largest Cruise Ship Sets Sail From Miami” • The world’s largest cruise ship has set sail from Miami on its maiden voyage, but there are concerns about the vessel’s methane emissions, as it is powered by LNG. The 365m-long (1,197 ft) Icon of the Seas has 20 decks and can house a maximum of 7,600 passengers. [BBC]
Icon of the Seas (Courtesy of Royal Caribbean Group)
¶ “School Solar Tax Credit Advances, Renewable Energy Tax Fails” • A New Mexico bill to make it easier for schools to access solar energy passed the House Energy, Environment, and Natural Resources Committee on a 7-4 vote. The bill provides a tax credit to those who install solar arrays on school property. A bill to tax renewable energy producers failed. [NM Political Report]
¶ “This Issue Could Cost Donald Trump The 2024 Election, New US Study Shows” • Could former US President Donald Trump’s attempt to minimize the threat of climate change have cost him the 2020 election? Research shows that opinions on climate change are important enough to settle the 2020 election in favor of President Joe Biden. [The Jerusalem Post]
Have a notably droll day.
geoharvey 