Opinion:
¶ “Earth Day 2025: The Intersection Of Renewable Energy And The Water Sector” • On April 22, 2025, Earth Day marks its 55th anniversary. Its global call to action is the theme Our Power, Our Planet. This year, the emphasis is on accelerating the transition to renewable energy sources with the goal of tripling global clean electricity by 2030. [Smart Water Magazine]
Floating solar in California (SolarWriter, CC-BY-SA 3.0, cropped)
¶ “Earth Day 2025: Weather And Renewable Energy” • This year, Earth Day’s theme is “Our Planet, Our Power,” inviting people across the globe to unite in support of renewable energy. In the UK, a large portion of our energy still comes from fossil fuels. But as alternative energy sources keep evolving, it’s worth asking: How can our weather contribute to our future? [BBC]
¶ “Climate Change And Secrets Of The Penguins” • Awareness of climate change started to change about twenty years ago, when National Geographic released March of the Penguins. Now National Geographic is releasing, Secrets of the Penguins, it’s a good time to take stock of how sentiment on climate change and sustainable technology is evolving. [CleanTechnica]
Penguins (Courtesy of National Geographic)
World:
¶ “Wildlife Trust Considers Beaver Rewilding Project” • A wildlife trust is seeking donations as it looks to use beavers to transform habitats in Surrey. The beavers were hunted to extinction in the county about 400 years ago. The trust said reintroducing beavers would help to create wetlands, which would alleviate flood risks and help native wildlife. [BBC]
¶ “Thermoresistant ‘Super Corals’ Offer Hope Amid Climate Change” • A possible “biological treasure chest” of coral, found in a lagoon off a remote island in the South Pacific, appear to be surviving extreme heat caused by climate change, scientists say. The coral live in a semi-enclosed lagoon, where the water is far warmer than in the ocean beyond. [ABC News]
Coral (Alexis Rosenfeld, 1ocean.org)
¶ “India Sells Over 2 Million EVs” • A friend returned from the sub-continent and declared “EVs are everywhere.” Of course, the vast majority have fewer than four wheels. Has a preoccupation with cars in the West has blinded us to the rEVolution going on in countries transitioning from petrol two- and three-wheelers to battery-powered alternatives. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “First Turbine Installed At Hai Long Offshore Wind Farm” • The first offshore wind turbine has been installed at Northland Power’s 1-GW Hai Long wind farm off the coast of Taiwan. The wind farm is using Siemens Gamesa’s SG 14-222 turbine, which has a rotor diameter of 222 meters. With Power Boost, each unit can generate up to 15 MW. [reNews]
Hai Long Turbine installation (Shimizu Corporation image)
¶ “CATL Next Gen Batteries Coming Soon To An EV Near You!” • After BYD made an announcement battery range and charging, CATL made one of its own. In both cases, the news means that the constant bleating of anti-EV folks about how they won’t buy an electric car until they can charge it in the same time as it takes to fill a gas tank is now just hot air. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “China Unveils The World’s First ‘Meltdown Proof’ Thorium Reactor” • Chinese scientists achieved a significant milestone in energy technology when they successfully added fresh fuel to an operating thorium molten salt reactor, Chinese media reported. According to Guangming Daily, the 2-MW experimental reactor is located in the Gobi Desert. [OilPrice.com]
Gobi Desert (Sasha Kaunas, Unsplash)
¶ “Security Fears Over Mini Nuclear Plant Network With ‘1,000s More Police Needed’” • Sir Keir Starmer pledged to “rip up the rules” governing the nuclear industry to fast-track Small Modular Reactors. But UK government plans to build a network of “mini” nuclear power stations across the country have failed to assess major security threats adequately. [MSN]
US:
¶ “Freight Electrification Report: A Strategic Blueprint For US Truck Charging” • Electrification of freight trucking has become a central strategic challenge for decarbonization. Transportation is now the leading source of greenhouse gas emissions in the US, more than electricity generation, and freight trucking is a large part of the problem. [CleanTechnica]
Freight truck (Jonathan Cooper, Unsplash)
¶ “US Sets Tariffs Of Up To 3,521% On Solar Panels From South East Asia” • The US Commerce Department announced plans to impose tariffs of up to 3,521% solar panels imported from four countries in South East Asia. An investigation began a year ago when several major solar equipment producers asked the Biden administration to protect their US operations. [BBC]
¶ “Ford Blows Off Trump On Clean Power, Strikes Biggest Ever PPA With DTE” • Along with the rest of the US auto industry, Ford Motor Company is facing federal policy problems. But the allure of clean power continues to attract US business leaders. An example is Ford’s clean power purchase agreement, signed with the Michigan utility DTE. [CleanTechnica]
Solar array (Courtesy of DTE via globalnewswire.com)
¶ “Solar & Storage Industry Launches New Grassroots Advocacy Platform” • The Solar Energy Industries Association has started Solar Powers America, an advocacy platform designed to enable Americans to stand up for policies that will keep electric bills down while they protect our abundant sources of American-made clean energy. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “BASF Powers Six Care Chemicals Sites With 100% Renewable Electricity” • BASF announced expansion of its EcoBalanced portfolio for Care Chemicals with the introduction of the first EcoBalanced products for personal care in North America. For EcoBalanced products, fossil resources are replaced with raw materials that are renewable. [Cosmetics Business]
Have a quietly ecstatic day.
geoharvey 