Category: Technology_MN TRANSPORTATION_BATTERIES_MN Water_OW_MN

As if the world wasn’t in enough trouble from the warmest week ever measured and record-low sea ice around Antarctica, big business is already gearing up to ransack yet another unspoiled corner of the globe: the deep ocean.

The world is on track to manufacture enough electric vehicle batteries to meet expected demand requirements in 2030 under a net-zero emissions by mid-century scenario, according to new tracking from the International Energy Agency.

Consultants and analysts have warned of looming shortages due to surging demand for key minerals like lithium and cobalt used in electric vehicles, wind turbines and other clean energy technologies.

Consider it ironic, or at least a little poetic: Electric vehicles, great for combating climate change, don’t do well in extreme heat. It’s a paradox being thrown into relief as multiple US states bake under heat waves that are becoming more frequent and more intense.

In ocean areas beyond national jurisdiction, various legal regimes and governance structures result in diffused responsibility and create challenges for management. Here we show those challenges are set to expand with climate change driving increasing overlap between eastern Pacific tuna fisheries and the emerging industry of deep-sea mining. Climate models suggest that tuna distributions will shift in the coming decades. Within the Clarion-Clipperton Zone of the Pacific Ocean, a region containing 1.1 million km2 of deep-sea mining exploration contracts, the total biomass for bigeye, skipjack, and yellowfin tuna species are forecasted to increase relative to today under two tested climate-change scenarios. Percentage increases are 10–11% for bigeye, 30–31% for skipjack, and 23% for yellowfin. The interactions between mining, fish populations, and climate change are complex and unknown. However, these projected increases in overlap indicate that the potential for conflict and resultant environmental and economic repercussions will be exacerbated in a climate-altered ocean. This has implications for the holistic and sustainable management of this area, with pathways suggested for closing these critical gaps.

As negotations get underway to establish the rules for mining minerals from the ocean floor, a coalition of seafood industry organisations has called for a moratorium on seabed extraction.

This summer, like last summer, Texas has battled a brutal heat wave that regularly reaches triple-digit temperatures. This summer, like last summer, the heat wave triggered record levels of energy demand. This summer, like last summer, there have miraculously been no rolling blackouts; in fact, this year, the state’s grid operator has so far asked for just one day of voluntary energy conservation.

A new dimension in energy storage is emerging, and it has the potential to revolutionize the industry. Flexible and stretchable batteries are a groundbreaking innovation that could transform the way we power our devices and store energy. These batteries are not only more versatile than their rigid counterparts, but they also offer numerous advantages in terms of performance, safety, and environmental impact. As researchers continue to explore the potential of this cutting-edge technology, it is becoming increasingly clear that flexible and stretchable batteries could play a crucial role in shaping the future of energy storage.

Next to a solar array in Lancaster, a pilot project is under way that could hold a key to solving one of the state’s most vexing energy problems.

The global transition to renewable energy sources has been gathering momentum in recent years, driven by the urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate the impacts of climate change. However, one of the key challenges in the widespread adoption of renewable energy is the intermittent nature of sources such as solar and wind power. To overcome this issue, efficient and cost-effective energy storage solutions are required to store excess energy ge