EDITOR'S PICK

"Gates of Hell" Must Be Closed With Ambitious Action on Fossil Fuels, Says UN Chief

21 Sep 2023 | Synopsis

"We must make up time lost to foot-dragging, arm-twisting, and the naked greed of entrenched interests raking in billions from fossil fuels."

"Guterres urged governments to push the global financial system toward supporting climate action, including by overhauling the business models of multilateral development banks to better help developing countries...Climate action is dwarfed by the scale of the challenge.."

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What Happens If Transition To EVs Doesn't Curb Global Warming?

21 Sep 2023 | Synopsis

"Most Britons oppose the rapid transition from petrol to electricity. A poll taken this past May of readers of the Daily Express newspaper found a whopping 88% would not switch to an electric vehicle.

"Britain's infrastructure is far from ready for this abrupt transition...Bloomberg calculates lowering global temperatures will cost $200 trillion. Morgan Stanley says the cost will be $50 trillion."

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UAW, Detroit, & The Politics Of Electric Cars

20 Sep 2023 | Synopsis

"The negotiations will determine the balance of power between workers and management, possibly for years to come...The UAW strike is also perilous for Joe Biden, who has made building an EV and battery manufacturing industry a pillar of his economic agenda.

"...the Inflation Reduction Act is pouring billions of dollars into building new factories in red states where unions struggle...The future of work in America is being written as you read this."

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Rethinking The Market Through Conscious Capitalism

20 Sep 2023 | Synopsis

"Conscious capitalism is concerned with creating a more equitable, long-lasting and socially accountable economy. This framework encourages businesses to advocate for ethical principles such as diversity and inclusivity, as well as those that encourage positive contributions to the community and the environment

"Empathy, education, compassion and respect have all emerged as essential virtues...traditional business models are no longer viable."

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Earth's Annual Average Temperatures Set to Breach 1.5°C for the First Time

20 Sep 2023 | Synopsis

"According to Berkeley Earth, the planet is currently 1.3°C (or about 2.3°F) hotter on average annually than it was before the Industrial Revolution, a temperature increase that squarely tracks with the expanding use of fossil fuels...Already in a 1.3;deg;C world, the impacts of warming have been global, costly, and in many cases, deadly.

"..business as usual reality of using fossil fuels for energy is the background to a growing consensus that the planet will breach the 1.5°C threshold soon."

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New Consortium To Make Batteries For Electric Vehicles More Sustainable

20 Sep 2023 | Synopsis

"A new battery material called disordered rock salt (DRX) could pave the way for replacing gasoline vehicles with electric vehicles at a faster rate...

"DRX cathodes could provide batteries with higher energy density than conventional lithium-ion battery cathodes made of nickel and cobalt...DRX offers more sustainable, more abundant, and cheaper mineral sources for battery cathodes...DRX cathodes can be made with almost any transition metal instead of nickel and cobalt. That versatility is key if we want to replace gasoline vehicles with electric vehicles."

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Rules On Washington Roads Regarding Electric Bikes

20 Sep 2023 | Synopsis

"Washington law classifies electric bikes in three categories. Class 3 (the fastest category) is limited to a top speed of 28 mph. Any two-wheeled vehicle that is capable of speeds greater than 28 mph is not an e-bike (by law).

"For the folks shopping for an e-bike, if it's not labeled with the classification number, top-assisted speed and motor wattage, it's not street legal...if you encounter an electric bike that's faster than 28 mph but appears to have a classification sticker, it's probably fraudulent."

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The Siren Song Of Climate Authoritarianism

19 Sep 2023 | Synopsis

"...the notion that any version of an authoritarian system would be free of 'special interests,' and run by neutral, rational technocrats, is implausible.

"Concerns about democracies' capacity to act swiftly and efficiently are nothing new...If, for the sake of climate action, power is concentrated in the hands of a state that does not answer to the people, what would prevent abuses of that power?

"The fossil-fuel industry's disproportionate influence on the political process...is not only damaging to the environment; it is also fundamentally undemocratic."

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California's Big Oil & Gas Industry Lawsuit Is A 'Huge Deal"

19 Sep 2023 | Synopsis

"California is suing to make polluters pay. Big oil knew they were causing climate change. They lied to cover it up - this after the state filed suit against several of the world's biggest oil companies.

[California is] the first oil-producing state to file suit against the companies for knowing and then lying about how the fact that their products cause climate change...Accountability is the first step towards solving climate change."

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Researchers Make Surprising Discovery About Lifespan Of EV Batteries: "That Was A Shock'

19 Sep 2023 | Synopsis

"...a study done in March by Recurrent Motors Inc...showed that overall, EV batteries are actually very reliable and long-lasting...The study took real-world data from 15,000 EVs of various makes and models in the U.S. The data showed that most EVs driven close to 100,000 miles still have at least 90 percent of their original range left.

"...most EVs aren't that old, with nearly 30 percent currently on the road in the U.S. being sold just last year. The majority of the rest are less than six years old."

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From Manufacture To Lifetime Emissions, Just How Green Are EVs Compared To Petrol Or Diesel Cars?

19 Sep 2023 | Synopsis

"Life cycle emissions are those created by the production, use, and disposal of a product...manufacture of lithium-ion batteries is a very energy-intensive process which means that emissions are higher in the production phase of battery electric cars compared to an ICE car...The carbon gap between BEV and ICE cars may be significant when a car is first sold but during the lifetime on the road, ICE cars continue to emit CO2 while electric cars emit no emissions except particles from tyres and brakes."

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PepsiCo's Tesla Semi Covers 1,600 Miles In Under 48 Hours In California

19 Sep 2023 | Synopsis

"The independent tests are being monitored by NACFE, as a part of its Run On Less program."

"...one of PepsiCo's three Tesla Semis participating in the program covered 1600 miles in under 48 hours with three full charges and two brief range-extending charging stops...Due to the heft of the battery, they lose some payload capacity compared to diesel trucks, but the figure isn't significant...it took 55 minutes for the truck to charge from 18-80 percent."

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