Interesting stats on EVs and energy use in the US, developments in wind and tidal power, a plastic recycling microfactory, and an "unprecedented collapse" in EU fossil fuel generation.
It was a long weekend here in Canada, which means I'm a day late with your Links of the Week as yesterday was all about the cooking and the feasting and the suuuuuper creepy movie watching. (Why yes, the teenager chose it, why do you ask?) My apologies for the day! 🙏
Now here are 10 interesting stories about recent developments in the fields of renewable energy, sustainability, and ecosystem recovery – featuring crab armies and high-fashion seaweed!
Here’s an interesting interview with New York Times climate reporter Brad Plumer on NPR’s “Fresh Air.” Plumer specializes in policy and technological efforts to cut CO2 emissions and says the U.S. transition to a green energy economy is happening at “an astonishing pace.” There’s a transcript at the link that you can read if you don’t have time to listen to the full podcast.
Speaking of the transition to a renewables-powered future, here’s a Bloomberg article comparing the growth of EVs and renewables to that of other disruptive technologies, such as the Model T Ford and gas turbine generators. (Love how they choose metrics for comparison, LOL. “Let’s compare the growth of several new energy industries to the Model T!”) Obviously, there is SO much more that needs to be done but it’s good to know that change is happening.
Interesting RMI article on “virtual power plants” and the role they can play in helping us optimize our energy use and decarbonize the grid. A "VPP" is basically an app-connected network of small-scale energy resources (buildings with rooftop solar, EVs, smart thermostats, etc.) that coordinate with the grid to maximize energy efficiency and reduce emissions. These networked systems could play a key role in helping us stabilize the growing grid and get to net zero.
There have been a bunch of stories about green hydrogen in the news lately. Sounds like hydrogen is being explored as one of the more promising fuel replacements for aviation and heavy machinery, as well as industrial processes such as steel production. (Though apparently one drawback with hydrogen is that it’s hard to contain and losses during transport can substantial. Yet another challenge to solve!)
Anyhoo, here’s a story about a team of Korean scientists who say they’ve developed a way to significantly reduce the cost of producing green hydrogen via electrolysis by replacing valuable iridium, which is typically used in electrolyzers, with much cheaper and more readily available materials that do not need to be replaced as often.
That’s what the tech company’s senior vice president Luca Rossi stated at a recent industry event, at least. “Batteries, SSD, many things will not any longer be sealed into the product but will be available for the customer to be to repaired on site and then save a lot of waste,” he said, according to this article on The Verge. Computers, phones, and other tech devices of the future will need to be as repairable as possible so here’s hoping the company delivers on its claims and persuades other companies to follow suit.
The European Commission has adopted new measures to restrict intentionally added microplastics such as those found in cosmetics, detergents, glitter, fertilisers, and toys, just to name a few products. The new rules are expected to prevent the release to the environment of about half a million tonnes of microplastics.(And if you’re wondering how much work the words “intentionally added” will be doing in relation to these measures in the months to come, me too. 🤔)
This article on The Conversation talks about how some companies are turning to recycled textiles in an effort to become more sustainable and circular. It mentions Zara's recent fashion line featuring clothing made with a poly-cotton blend that was created from upcycled mixed textiles and can apparently be recycled and remade into new fibers multiple times. Seems like it could be a way to get more life out of the insane amount of textiles that already exist in the world.
(Though the most sustainable fashion choices are obviously not buying anything you don’t need in the first place and buying thrifted or vintage items as much as possible when you absolutely must add something new to your wardrobe.)
Scientists in Florida are breeding Caribbean king crabs, a local and apparently delicious species, to eat the algae that has been spreading and killing coral reefs since an unknown pathogen wiped out algae-eating sea urchins in the area. Apparently reefs where the crabs have been introduced now have 85% less algae. Here's hoping they thrive & the experiment works!
Here's a cool story from close to home: a couple of logging industry workers from Merritt, British Columbia have launched their own truck manufacturing company making North America's first hybrid electric heavy-duty trucks for use in the logging, gravel and cement industries.
This seems like a good example of the kind of incremental technologies we're going to need to get us all the way to net zero.
And finally, let's wrap it up with one of my favourite topics: seaweed! Here’s a Guardian article about Stella McCartney’s recent fashion show for her Spring 2024 ready-to-wear collection, and how some of the pieces were made with Keel Labs’ Kelsun yarn, which is created from kelp. The relentless consumerism of high fashion is so excessive but I do appreciate that McCartney at least strives to make her clothing from eco-friendly materials. Apparently this particular collection was made from 95% sustainable materials.
That's it for this week! Thanks for reading – and if you know anyone else who might be interested in reading more stories like these, please feel free to share. The more people who are learning, thinking, and talking about solutions, the better. ✊
Interesting stats on EVs and energy use in the US, developments in wind and tidal power, a plastic recycling microfactory, and an "unprecedented collapse" in EU fossil fuel generation.
