🌡 CLIMATE CHANGE

New Research: 2021 Pacific Northwest heatwave had multiple causes, including climate change (long read)

A paper summarizes the potential causes of heatwave including global temperature increase; drying of soils (also caused by climate change); and a buckling of the jet stream. Prior to the Industrial Revolution, such an event was virtually impossible; in modern times, it was a once-in-200-years event; by 2050, it will likely be an every-10-years event.

Climate change is causing tonnes of frozen bacteria to enter water, study says (quick read)

Ice sheets from glaciers in the Canadian Arctic, European Alps, Greenland, and Svalbard harbor tens of thousands of bacteria per milliliter of water; the melting of these and other ice sheets around the world could release more than 100,000 tons of bacteria over the next 80 years with potentially devastating effects.

US wants to target environmental criminals behind deforestation in Brazil (long read)

The US may implement sanctions by utilizing the Magnitsky Act sanctions to target environmental criminals in Brazil on the basis of human rights offenses.

🔋 CLEAN ENERGY

BYD to build 20 kWh battery factory in Wenzhou, China (quick read)

Rumors abound that the batteries could be sodium-ion batteries or possibly lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) batteries. Alternatively, it’s possible BYD may be preparing to unveil the first mass-produced solid state batteries in the world. Either way, the factory should be online by the end of 2024.

France’s first offshore wind farm is now fully online (quick read)

France’s 480 MW Saint-Nazaire Offshore Wind Farm is fully operational and will provide up to 20% of the annual electricity consumption of the Loire-Atlantique region; enough for 700,000 people.

Tesla Megapack project becomes Europe’s biggest battery (quick read)

It can provide enough backup power for 300,000 UK homes for two hours.

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🚗 AUTONOMOUS & ELECTRIC VEHICLES

Tesla Full Self-Driving Beta is now available to all owners in North America (quick read)

Tesla FSD Beta first launched in October 2020; since April 2022 there have been over 100,00 early testers of Tesla’s controversial system. It is now available to anybody who optioned their vehicles with Tesla’s Full Self Driving feature, currently a $15,000 option or $199/month subscription. It will also deploy with the FSD Beta v11. (Video review of an earlier build of Tesla FSD Beta.)

Seoul rolls out commercial self-driving buses in busy downtown area (long read)

A startup acquired by Hyundai, 42dot (Crunchbase), has deployed its first pair of Level 4 autonomous buses around a 2.1 mi (3.38 km) loop around downtown Seoul’s Cheonggye Stream. Initial rides will be free during the launch period. A backup driver will remain on board to take over when needed.

Caterpillar (CAT) advances sustainable mining with first battery electric 793 large truck (quick read)

During a demo run, the battery-electric mining truck drove a 7 km (4.3 mi) course fully loaded at speeds up to 60 km/h (37.3 mi/h). It also drove up a 1 km (0.6 mi) 10% incline at 7.5 mi/h (12 km/h), and back down again, successfully utilizing regenerative braking to recapture heat energy back to the battery.

🎉 THAT’S ALL FOR TODAY!

Thank you so much for reading, see you tomorrow!

-Marc