‘Editor’s Picks’ Podcast (August 14, 2023) – Three essential articles read aloud from the latest issue of The Economist. This week, why Biden’s China strategy isn’t working, Saudi Arabia’s plan to dominate global sport (10:20) and how green is your electric vehicle, really? (17:55).
Tag Archives: Green Technology
World Economic Forum: ‘Top Stories Of The Week’
Top stories of the week of September 23, 2022 from the World Economic Forum:
Video timeline: 0:15 Could These Solar Panel Windows Be The Future Of Green Energy? – If deployed on a large scale, Ubiquitous Energy says the windows could transform solar capacity worldwide. 01:33 What Would A Post-Economic Growth World Look Like? – ‘What is the type of growth that the world needs? And what is the type of de-growth we need?’ asks Tariq Al-Olaimy, Social Entrepreneur and Global Shapers Alumni. 04:41 Clean energy jobs boom – Green energy jobs in wind and solar are more available than fossil fuel jobs for the first time 05:57 Is your smartphone making you less smart? – Not according to scientists
Green Tech: New Ocean Wave Energy Companies
The ocean’s waves are immensely powerful. Harnessing that energy for grid-scale electricity production would be a major boon to the clean energy industry, but building durable, powerful, and cost-effective wave energy converters has proven difficult.
Chapters: 1:46 The challenges 4:05 Wave energy in the U.S. 4:49 (Subchapter) CalWave 6:05 (Subchapter) Oscilla Power 7:34 (Subchapter) C-Power 9:00 Wave energy in Europe 11:51 The future
Now though, an influx of federal funding is helping many U.S. companies gear up to test their latest wave energy technologies, giving many in the industry hope that wave power will see massive growth over the next few decades.
Electric Transportation: GM Is Going All In (CNBC)
CNBC Marathon revisits General Motors’ shift into the electric vehicle market. GM is one of the largest automakers in the world with a range of models falling under its four brands, Chevy, Buick, Cadillac, and GMC.
Chapters: 00:00 Why GM’s all-electric future is a big gamble (Published September 2021) 15:17 The rise of electric boats (Published April 2022) 27:13 Why GM says its Ultium platform will drive EV dominance (Published May 2022)
The automaker made its name selling gas burning cars but in January 2021, it made a stunning announcement. The company said it “aspires to eliminate tailpipe emissions from new light-duty vehicles by 2035.” This means that GM intends to stop selling gas-burning cars. General Motors says it wants to lead electric vehicle sales in North America by 2025, and vows that its new Ultium battery platform will drive that dominance.
Not only are cars going electric but so are boats. General Motors recently invested $150 million in one start-up, Pure Watercraft, to build an electric pontoon boat. And several others are working to bring their own battery-powered offerings to market. CNBC Marathon brings together the best of CNBC on YouTube.
Preview: New Scientist Magazine – June 4, 2022
Analysis: Is Space-Based Solar Power The Future?
Space launch costs are dropping rapidly. Solar panels are cheaper than ever. Could space-based solar power soon be price-competitive with nuclear? Promoted as a zero-carbon solution, classified military space planes have also been conducting experiments into wireless power transmission. The FT’s Peggy Hollinger looks at whether space-based solar power can move beyond science fiction.
Environment: Investing In Carbon Capture Systems
The system could be one answer to slashing Earth’s carbon emissions. A Swiss startup has created a giant vacuum cleaner to capture carbon dioxide from the air, helping companies offset their emissions. WSJ visits the facility to see how it traps the gas for sale to clients like Coca-Cola, which uses it in fizzy drinks. Composite: Clément Bürge.
Climate: The Empire State Building’s Green Upgrade
Energy usage by large, old buildings like the Empire State Building represents a huge obstacle to cities’ dreams of carbon neutrality. New York City’s buildings account for 70% of its carbon emissions, for example, and half of those emissions are produced by the largest 5% of its structures. But retrofitting old buildings to make them more energy efficient represents a formidable challenge, both from an engineering perspective and in terms of convincing owners that doing so is in their financial interest.
Electric Cars: ‘Can Tesla Succeed In India’ (Video)
As Tesla looks to expand to new markets, rumors are circulating that India could be next. While the 5th largest auto market could be big for the ev manufacturer, it’s filled with challenges and increasing competition.
There is an electric vehicle revolution sweeping the world, but India is lagging behind. Elon Musk has said that Tesla will enter India this year, but it’s not clear if that will actually happen. On January 8th, Tesla took its first step towards launching in the country, registering Tesla Motors India and Energy Private Limited in Bengaluru.
But when Tesla does eventually come to India, it won’t be easy. The electric vehicle industry is in its infant stages there, lacking much of the infrastructure needed for widespread adoption. And the most popular vehicles are motorcycles, rickshaws and budget passenger cars. Watch the video to find out what Tesla will be up against in India.
Analysis: ‘Can Air Flights Go Green?’ (Video)
Covid-19 has caused the worst crisis in aviation’s history. Is this the industry’s moment for a green reset—and which technologies offer the best hope?
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