Opinion:
¶ “What Twisters Gets Right – And Wrong – About Tornado Science” • Science has an even bigger role in the plot of the new film Twisters than it had in the original of 1996, say researchers who worked as consultants for Twisters. Not only does it show advanced radar data, but it highlights links between climate change and tornadoes. [Nature]
Twister (Greg Johnson, Unsplash)
Science and Technology:
¶ “Ørsted Pilots New Technology Optimizing Offshore Wind Monopile Installation” • Building on marine life protections, Ørsted developed a lower-noise method that could potentially revolutionize the way offshore wind foundations are installed. The groundbreaking technology has been successfully tested in Germany. [Renewable Energy Magazine]
¶ “New QuantumScape Solid-State EV Battery Exposes EV Sales Flop Fakery, Again” • Fears of a global downslide in EV sales had the headlines just a few months ago, only to wilt in the light of actual facts. The latest example is a deal made by solid-state EV battery innovator QuantumScape and the electrification division of Volkswagen, PowerCo. [CleanTechnica]
QuantumScape is ready (Courtesy of QuantumScape)
World:
¶ “Are Electric Car Sales Slowing Or Accelerating? Audi And BMW Have Different Answers” • Audi says its electric car sales for the Q8 have cratered while BMW is crowing about its recent electric car sales success. Such divergence is perplexing, since both companies cater to basically the same clientele. But the truth is rather nuanced. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Gotland Sweden Backs “Noemi” Electric Seaplane for Zero-Emission Flights” • Elfly Group, developers of the all-electric seaplane program ‘Noemi’ (No Emissions), is partnering with the government of Gotland, Sweden, on zero-emission commercial flights to the island by 2027. The parties recently signed a Letter of Intent for collaboration. [CleanTechnica]
Noemi electric airplane (Courtesy of Elfly Group)
¶ “EV Sales H1 2024: Europe Slowest Growing Region” • Europe is the slowest region of growth for EV sales so far this year, Rho Motion, the leading research house focused on the EV market, revealed in their half yearly update. China’s sales grew 30% to 4.1 million. Compare that to sales of 1.5 million in Europe and the UK, which grew by 1%. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Japan Aligning With US, Europe Over Offshore Wind Amid China Fears” • Japan is enhancing cooperation with the US and Europe in developing floating offshore wind power, concerned over possible overreliance on China for renewable energy supply chains. It has set up an industry platform for commercializing the nascent technology. [毎日新聞 – Mainichi]
Offshore windpower (Jesse De Meulenaere, Unsplash)
¶ “As Climate Change Threatens Hydropower, Zambia And Zimbabwe Hurry Toward Solar Power” • Zambia and Zimbabwe, both heavily reliant on Lake Kariba for power, face daily power cuts of 12 to 18 hours due to dropping water levels caused by climate change. This prompted the two neighbors to speed up a move toward solar power. [Al Mayadeen English]
¶ “Rajasthan Government Aims To Produce 30 GW Of Solar Power By The End Of FY25” • The Rajasthan government aims to produce 30 GW of solar power by the end of FY25 to become self-reliant in the power and energy sector. One objective is to enhance the state’s energy security by reducing dependency on imported fuels. [Business Standard]
Solar power (Harisankar, Unsplash)
US:
¶ “When Will The Extreme Heat End? What Current Forecasts Are Saying” • Keep the air conditioners running – the extreme heat is not going anywhere soon. Portions of the country have been experiencing scorching temperatures over the past week, but significant relief from the stifling conditions will not come in the near future, forecasts show. [ABC News]
¶ “Biden-Harris Administration Invests $120 Million To Help Tribes Build Climate Resilience” • Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland announced the availability of $120 million in funding supported by President Biden’s Investing in America agenda for Tribal dwellers to prepare for climate-related environmental threats to their homelands. [CleanTechnica]
Deb Haaland speaking (Department of Interior image)
¶ “Trump Intends To Assemble “An Army” To Deconstruct the Administrative State And The Environment” • The editorial board of the New York Times stated this week the failures that Trump would bring to the executive office. Here’s another list which continues to chronicle the treacherous shifts in climate policy that Trump would implement. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Success Story – Working with Co-ops to Increase Community Solar Access” • Community solar projects give people who might not otherwise be able to install solar panels a chance to benefit from solar energy. Funded through the US DOE’s Solar Energy Technologies Office, ACCESS engaged in research, field tests, and conversations with seven cooperatives. [CleanTechnica]
Solar array (Courtesy of Anza Electric Cooperative, Inc)
¶ “Construction Begins On Largest US Transit Depot Microgrid Powered By Renewable Energy” • Work is underway on the landmark David F Bone Equipment Maintenance and Transit Operation Center. The center will feature electric bus charging and on-site green hydrogen production powered by solar and battery energy storage. [WSP]
¶ “NRC Taking The Next Step Toward A Possible Restart Of Palisades Nuclear Plant” • The effort to restart the Palisades nuclear plant in southwest Michigan took another step forward on Thursday night when the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission spent three hours listening to impassioned pleas from both sides of the issue. [Toledo Blade]
Have a significantly profitable day.
geoharvey 
Leave a comment