Science and Technology:
¶ “Seaweed Blooms Suggest The Ocean Is Geoengineering Itself” • Just as a tree is on land, seaweed is a living organism that soaks up carbon dioxide when it grows. Clearly, more seaweed can sequester more carbon. A study by researchers at the University of South Florida, published on January 19, finds the ocean may be geoengineeering itself. [CleanTechnica]
Seaweed (Philippe WEICKMANN, Pexels)
World:
¶ “Europe’s Largest Rare Earths Mine: How EU Funding Clashes With Environmental Laws” • The EU is pouring its financial resources into Europe’s largest known rare-earth project, the Per Geijer mine in Sweden, to reduce its dependence on China for critical raw materials. However, the same EU legal framework threatens to halt this strategic push. [Euronews]
¶ “Solar And Wind Overtake Fossil Fuels In The EU For The First Time” • A report from Ember found that renewable energy was the source of almost half of EU power last year, despite a drop in hydro power and increased use of gas. Wind and solar led the boom, generating a record 30% of EU electricity and overtaking fossil fuels by 1%. [Euronews]
Wind turbine (Adam Roguljic, Unsplash, cropped)
¶ “Nuclear Reactor Owned by TEPCO Suspends Hours-Old Restart” • The restart of the world’s largest nuclear power plant was suspended only hours after it resumed for the first time since the 2011 Fukushima Disaster. The suspension was due a glitch related to control rods, said TEPCO. The company said there is no safety issue. [ABC News]
¶ “What Mark Carney Told The World In Davos This Week” • Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is in Davos, where he and other world leaders are being harangued by President Trump. While Trump put his own pettiness, megalomania, and lack of impulse control on display, Carney spoke as a leader, reasonable, rational, and responsible. [CleanTechnica]
Mark Carney (Office of the Prime Minister)
¶ “Greek Wind Capacity Gits 5,695 MW” • Wind capacity on the Greek grid reached 5,695 MW at the end of 2025, according to annual statistics from the Hellenic Wind Energy Association. The figures show that 76 new turbines totaling 340 MW were attached during the year, a 6.4% increase from 2024, after investments of over €420 million. [reNews]
¶ “Windar Renovables To Build Polish Tower Plant” • Windar Renovables is investing €50 million in a new onshore wind tower manufacturing plant in Legnica, Lower Silesia, Poland. The company said the facility will be its second tower factory in Poland. Construction is scheduled to finish this year with production due to start in late 2026. [reNews]
Wind tower plant (Windar Renovables image)
¶ “Fossil Fuels Are A ‘crutch’: How AI’s Unlikely Winner Could Be Renewable Energy” • Stalled demand for energy in Europe pushed investors away from renewables, but artificial intelligence could see cash flow back into the sector, while also uplifting fossil fuels. Global electricity generation from renewables is expected by the IEA to jump by 60% in 2030. [CNBC]
¶ “SAEL Commissions 1 GW Solar Project At Khavda Renewable Energy Park” • SAEL Industries Ltd, a vertically integrated renewable power producer headed for its initial public offering, commissioned a 1-GW (800-MW AC) solar power plant at the Khavda Renewable Energy Park in Gujarat, the world’s largest renewable energy park. [pv magazine India]
Khavda site (SAEL image, cropped)
¶ “Chernobyl Loses External Power Amid Attacks, Nuclear Safety Under Scrutiny” • A coordinated wave of Russian airstrikes hit critical infrastructure across Ukraine, cutting off power to the Chernobyl nuclear plant and disrupting supply lines to other nuclear sites. The IAEA said that substations “vital for nuclear safety” were affected. [Indian Defence Review]
US:
¶ “Trump Rules Out Using Military Force To Acquire Greenland In Davos Speech” • President Donald Trump, speaking at the World Economic Forum, ruled out taking Greenland by military force. He said, “We probably won’t get anything unless I decide to use excessive strength and force where we would be, frankly, unstoppable. But I won’t do that.” [ABC News]
Donald Trump (The White House, public domain)
¶ “Dow Closes Up 580 Points After Trump Backs Off Tariffs Over Greenland” • Stocks closed appreciably higher after President Trump backed off of tariff threats over Greenland. The major indexes recovered most of the losses they suffered the day before amid trade tensions centered on the Danish territory. The DJIA climbed 588 points, or 1.2%. [ABC News]
¶ “Vertical Aerospace Brings Valo To New York, Outlining Plans For Electric Air Taxi Routes” • Vertical Aerospace launches its US tour in New York City this week, bringing its new commercial electric aircraft, Valo, to the US for the first time alongside plans for electric air travel routes in New York with Bristow Group and Skyports Infrastructure. [CleanTechnica]
Valo (Vertical Aerospace image)
¶ “US Startup Brings Diesel-Killing Energy Storage Down To Earth, From Mars” • The California startup Noon Energy has just successfully demonstrated a compact system that discharges stored-up solar power for more than 100 hours at a time, far surpassing the 2 to 10 hour window occupied by conventional lithium-ion batteries. [CleanTechnica]
¶ “New Coal-Killing Geothermal Energy Anomalies Discovered In The US” • New drilling technology is beginning to open up new territories for geothermal exploitation, and the US startup Zanskar has come up with another way to tease more renewable energy from deep within the Earth. The company developed its own AI system to find new fields. [CleanTechnica]
Have an enjoyably dreamy day.
geoharvey 
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