EDITOR'S CHOICE

Dutch Farmer Develops Revolutionary, Solar-Powered 'E-Horse' Tractor

18 Sep 2024 | Synopsis

"Bastian van der Veen, a farmer in the Netherlands, decided that solar power was the way...the E-Horse can put in a respectable six to eight hours of crop care tasks including hoeing, harrowing, and seeding...maximum driving speed of eight miles per hour and a working speed of five...

"...a 20-kilowatt-hour battery onboard the thin-framed tractor...with eight solar panels on top to gather the sun's energy, although it can accommodate up to 12"

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Kristof: The Climate Peril That America Keeps On Overlooking

18 Sep 2024 | Synopsis

"We all focus on the apocalyptic scenarios, but hotter temperatures dangerously impact our daily lives as well

"...over the last couple of decades, we've accumulated evidence that the more mundane effects of heat are already upon us...hotter temperatures may reduce student learning in the United States by about 10% over the course of a year...Researchers estimate that in the United States, wildfire smoke claims 5,000 to 15,000 lives"

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How Kamala Harris Is Making Climate Action Patriotic

17 Sep 2024 | Synopsis

"...'fundamental freedoms' are at stake in the November election, including 'the freedom to breathe clean air and drink clean water and live free from the pollution that fuels the climate crisis'

"A new study suggests Harris might be onto something...Researchers at New York University found that framing climate action as patriotic and as necessary to preserve the American 'way of life' can increase support for climate action among people across the political spectrum in the United States."

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BYD Buys Mercedes-Benz Stake In Denza Joint Venture

17 Sep 2024 | Synopsis

"...Denza...was co-founded by the Chinese and German companies in 2010...was originally a 50:50 joint venture between BYD and Mercedes, but the former upped its stake to 90% two years ago.

"Its acquisition of the [remaining] 10% share (for an undisclosed amount) means it has taken full control of the premium electric car brand..."

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How To Change People's Minds About Climate Change: What The Science Says

17 Sep 2024 | Synopsis

"Telling people about the consensus among scientists can help, study finds, but researchers think that personal conversations are needed, too.

"An emerging area of research that shows promise...is how personal conversations help. Start with things your audience cares about, such as food prices, national security or fishing...listen carefully and 'connect the dots' between a person's experience and local climate information."

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Norway Now Sees Electric Cars Outnumber Petrol Models

17 Sep 2024 | Synopsis

"Of the 2.8 million private cars registered there, 754,303 are now all-electric, compared with 753,905 that run on petrol...Despite this milestone, there is still work to be done. Diesel models remain most numerous at just under one million, but their sales are falling rapidly...At present, nine out of 10 new cars sold in Norway are electric vehicle...there are numerous free chargers in every Norwegian town and city, with 2,000 of them in Oslo alone."

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Nuro Switches From Delivery Business To "Driver" Software Provider

16 Sep 2024 | Synopsis

It's easier to carry cargo than people. You don't have to worry about the safety of the cargo... While they don't have to meet the safety standards of passenger vehicles, creating a new vehicle at scale from scratch is a very daunting problem

"Only a few automakers have competitive self-driving projects inside, namely GM, Hyundai and possibly Tesla...There's been a consolidation, and some of those companies are gone, and that could put Nuro in a good position to find customers, or an acquirer."

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A Polluting, Coal-Fired Power Plant Found The Key To Solving America's Biggest Clean Energy Challenge

16 Sep 2024 | Synopsis

"Instead of letting it go to waste as the fossil fuel plant closes, Xcel Energy is going to leave it plugged in to connect the largest solar project in the Upper Midwest, and one of the largest in the entire country, directly to the grid.

"The US could essentially double the capacity of its electrical grid overnight by plugging renewables projects into old fossil fuel power plants...Berkeley study...found that by 2032, utilities could install a whopping 1,000 gigawatts of new clean energy near power plants."

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America's Cup Charts a Course to Net Zero for Shipping Industry

16 Sep 2024 | Synopsis

Merchant shipowners with an eye on a sustainable future will have the Port of Barcelona...it isn't the Spanish commercial sea hub they will be focusing on rather than the America's Cup yacht regatta...

"...it is the work taking place in the boat sheds and sail lofts on shore that could prove more interesting for the shipping industry as it seeks to meet its net-zero goals...A surprising amount of the tech that is developed for the America's Cup finds its way into the commercial fleet."

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As the Electric Vehicle Industry Grows Globally, Beijing Wants Chinese EV Tech to Stay at Home

16 Sep 2024 | Synopsis

"Beijing is encouraging Chinese automakers to export so-called knock-down kits to their foreign plants...meaning key parts of a vehicle would be produced domestically..China’s directive comes at a time most major Chinese carmakers are looking to localize manufacturing so as to avoid tariffs

"It could also come as a blow to those European nations wooing Chinese carmakers in the hopes their presence will bring jobs and a local economic boost."

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