Science and Technology:
¶ “New Wind Radar Enables Ultra-Fast Measurements” • The Fraunhofer Institute for Wind Energy Systems put an innovative wind radar system into operation in Germany. Fraunhofer IWES said the so-called Dual Doppler Wind Radar enables ultra-fast three-dimensional wind field measurements. It started delivering data in the beginning of June. [reNews]
Dual Doppler Wind Radar (Jan Diettrich, Fraunhofer IWES)
World:
¶ “A5 Ruling Shows Impact Of Stormont Climate Change Legislation” • The High Court judgement blocking the upgrade of the A5 road shows the impact of climate change legislation at Stormont (Northern Ireland Parliament). It has implications not just for the A5 but for other road projects and possibly wider areas of Stormont policy, such as agriculture. [BBC]
¶ “Experts Issue Warning About Invasive Fish That Can Survive Out Of Water” • An invasive species of fish that can live out of water has been found in Nova Scotia, experts warn. The global economic cost of invasive species over the past sixty years has been about $35 billion annually, similar to the costs of extreme weather events due to climate change. [ABC News]
Pond loach (Manoel Jr, CC-BY-SA 2.0, cropped)
¶ “Toxic Waste Stored In Abandoned Mine In France Highlights A Global Problem” • The town of Wittlesheim in the Alsace region of France is confronted with a long term waste problem caused by short term thinking. In 1997, a plan was hatched to bury toxic waste in an abandoned mine. The town was assured the plan was safe. That was then. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Open Letter: E-SAF Tender Funded By National Governments To Unlock The First Projects In Europe” • With a potential to cut CO₂ emissions by over 90% compared to fossil jet fuel, e-SAF is the most sustainable aviation fuel, and it can be made at scale. However, despite favourable conditions, e-SAF projects continue to face major hurdles in Europe. [CleanTechnica]
Jet plane (Chris Leipelt, Unsplash)
¶ “South Africa’s Big Rooftops Could Power 6 Million Homes” • A team of researchers calculated that 111 million m² of rooftop space is available on the roofs of universities, schools, hospitals, and commercial buildings like shops, warehouses, office blocks, and factories in South Africa. They found that 80% of these roofs are highly suitable for solar panels. [Down To Earth]
¶ “Siemens Gamesa To Sign Offshore Wind Pact With Japan” • Siemens Gamesa is reportedly preparing to sign an agreement to work with Japan on offshore wind power. A Reuters report says the turbine maker is to team up with Japan’s industry ministry to launch a framework for public-private cooperation to build local supply chains for offshore wind. [reNews]
Offshore wind farm (Siemens Gamesa image)
¶ “BYD And Octopus Turbocharge EV Revolution At Energy Tech Summit” • EV manufacturer BYD UK, a subsidiary of BYD Group, joined forces with UK energy supplier Octopus Energy to announce the launch of the Power Pack Bundle, the UK’s first vehicle-to-grid bundle, enabling EV batteries to act in off-grid or grid support roles. [Renewable Energy Magazine]
¶ “RWE Bags Key Permit For 1-GW Theodore Project” • RWE has received state planning approval from the Queensland Government for its 1-GW Theodore wind farm project in Australia. The onshore wind project, near Theodore in central Queensland, would generate enough electricity to power about 500,000 Queensland homes. [reNews]
Wind turbines (RWE image)
US:
¶ “Ford Recalls Nearly 200,000 Mustang Mach Es Due To Faulty Door Latches” • Ford Motor Co. is recalling nearly 200,000 electric Mustangs because the door latches could falter, possibly trapping passengers in the back seat. Ford dealerships will fix the problem by updating the car’s software. The remedy is expected to be available by late September. [ABC News]
¶ “Trump Administration Plans To Rescind Rule That Blocks Logging On National Forest Lands” • The Trump administration plans to rescind a rule that blocked logging on national forest lands, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced. The roadless rule dates from the last days of Bill Clinton’s presidency. It has chafed Republican lawmakers. [ABC News]
National Forest (Jeremy Bishop, Unsplash)
¶ “UK-Based Hoku Energy Aims To Fill Green Hydrogen Gap In US” • US President Donald J Trump aims to tamp down investor enthusiasm for green hydrogen here in the US, in accord with his vendetta against renewable energy. But H₂-curious investors keep popping out of the woodwork, the most recent being the UK-based Hoku Energy Ltd. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “Reinventing Urban Logistics: Honda’s Fastport eQuad And Fleet-As-A-Service Platform” • Honda has introduced Fastport, a company designed to meet the growing demands of last-mile urban logistics. Fastport aims to provide a comprehensive fleet sevice centered around a new EV concept: the Fastport eQuad Prototype. [CleanTechnica]
Fastport eQuad (Image via Fastport Honda)
¶ “Tesla Robotaxi Launch In Austin – The Sound Of One Hand Clapping” • Tesla’s robotaxi service in Austin began on Sunday, June 22, but it is available only to certain Tesla employees and retail investors. A video of a trip of ten miles gives an indication of why Tesla might not want anyone to be exposed to the new technology just yet. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “New York Planning First Large US Nuclear Plant In Years” • New York Gov Kathy Hochul ordered the state’s public power utility to start working on an advanced nuclear energy site that would be the nation’s first major nuclear plant project in nearly two decades. Hochul said she is “committed to working with the White House to accelerate this project.” [The Hill]
Have an importantly worthwhile day.
geoharvey 