Opinion:
¶ “Director of NREL’s Alaska Campus Ice Breaker: Q&A With Director of NREL’s Alaska Campus” • Originally a mechanical engineer, Bruno Grunau is the regional director of Applied Research for Communities in Extreme Environments at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s Alaska Campus. Here, he is the subject of an interview. [CleanTechnica]
Bruno Grunau (Photo from Bruno Grunau, NREL)
¶ “Big Oil’s Climate Deception: A Tale Of Disinformation And Doublespeak” • The oil industry’s reputation has taken another hit with recent discoveries exposing decades of climate change misinformation. The discoveries reveal the industry’s persistent denial and disinformation campaign, even as scientific consensus on climate change has solidified. [MSN]
Science and Technology:
¶ “EVs Don’t Catch On Fire As Frequently As Gas-Powered Cars Do” • The media is full of stories about EVs that catch on fire, but research doesn’t support that claim. In fact, data shows that EVs are much less likely to burst into flames than vehicles powered by internal combustion. The IIHS says it never had an EV catch fire in crash testing. [CleanTechnica]
Burning car (Matt Hearne, Unsplash)
¶ “Driving On Electricity Is Now Much Cleaner Than Using A Gasoline Car” • Replacing gasoline with electricity reduces the carbon emissions from driving greatly. Driving the average EV in the US can produce global warming emissions equal to a 94-mpg gasoline car, or less than a third of the emissions of the average new gasoline car. [CleanTechnica]
World:
¶ “Paris Aims For Most Sustainable Olympics Yet; Organizers Say Plan Isn’t Perfect” • Of all the decisions that the Paris Olympics organizers made about where to hold each sport, sending surfing competitions to the other side of the world – in the Pacific waters of Tahiti – provoked the strongest reactions. But the decision was based on climate goals. [ABC News]
Surfing at Tahiti (Fabe collage, Unsplash)
¶ “At Least 19 Injured As Russia Hits Ukraine’s Power Grid With Fresh Barrage” • Russia pounded Ukraine’s energy infrastructure with a large-scale drone and missile attack, injuring at least 19 people, local officials said. The strikes were part of a series of sustained attacks by Russia against Ukraine’s power grid, which has been ongoing since March. [ABC News]
¶ “Panama Prepares To Evacuate First Island In Face Of Rising Sea Levels” • On a tiny island off Panama’s Caribbean coast, about 300 families are packing their belongings. The Gunas of Gardi Sugdub are the first of 63 communities along Panama’s coasts that officials and scientists expect to be forced to relocate by rising sea levels in the coming decades. [ABC News]
Gardi Sugdub (Cotopaxi5897, CC-BY-SA 4.0, cropped)
¶ “China Merchants-Backed Green Hydrogen Equipment Maker To Quadruple Capacity” • CM Xiageng Hydrogen Energy Tech, a green hydrogen equipment start-up, has plans to quadruple its output. It is rushing to feed a global market which is growing at a searing pace of 40.7% annually and is forecast to be worth $70 billion by 2034. [South China Morning Post]
¶ “Budweiser Adjusts Its ‘Misleading’ Renewable Energy Claim From Website Following Watchdog Complaint” • Following a complaint from Irish authorities, brewing giant Budweiser has been impelled to amend statements on its website claiming it uses 100% renewable electricity. A footnote leads to a statement that its electricity is offset by green energy. [MSN]
Budweiser (Maarten van den Heuvel, Unsplash)
¶ “Green Light For Aurora Offshore Wind Power Plant Off The Coast Of Sweden” • The Gotland County Administrative Board has decided to recommend that the Government grant a permit, in accordance with the Swedish Exclusive Economic Zone Act, for the Aurora offshore wind farm, developed by OX2 and Ingka Investments. [evwind.es]
¶ “IAEA: Restarting Europe’s Largest Nuclear Power Plant, Which Is Occupied By Russians, Impossible” • International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi said restarting the Zaporizhzhya NPP under the current conditions is not possible. It is the largest nuclear facility in Europe, but it is occupied by Russia and the target of attacks. [uatv.ua]
Director General Rafael Grossi (IAEA image)
US:
¶ “On the Road to Increased Transmission: Flexible Alternating Current Transmission Systems” • Just like busy roads, the US transmission system can experience congestion, leading to the electricity moving inefficiently. But even if larger transmission lines are added, the electricity will not automatically take the new, less-congested route. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “How a Battle Over Solar Power Tore A New York Community Apart” • “We are not climate deniers, nor are we NIMBYists,” one resident said. “We believe in the need for renewable energy, and we just want to have a say in how it’s done…” So a solar project, which is supposed to supply enough renewable power for 15,000 households, has stalled for years. [Mother Jones]
Solar power (American Public Power Association, Unsplash)
¶ “Clean Fuels Are Still A Long Way From Domestic Adoption” • New York and San Francisco have banned gas hook-ups to new buildings in the hope of phasing out gas-fuelled heating and cooking. However, some of the alternatives being promoted, such as green hydrogen, are far from ready for a commercial rollout. But how far? [OilPrice.com]
¶ “State Leaders, Regulators Push For Solar On Former Mine Lands At Greene Twp Event” • Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection published a report showing that nearly 169,000 acres of abandoned mine lands statewide could host solar facilities, including 27,000 reclaimed and 142,000 unreclaimed acres. [Ellwood City Ledger]
Have an honestly exuberant day.
geoharvey 