Honey, I Shrunk The Battery (And Made It More Efficient)!

Our transition to electric vehicles will only be as strong as the batteries that power them, and it looks like we might’ve just unlocked the potential to go 1,000+ miles on a single charge. So keep reading to learn more about that, plus how gold samples are helping reduce deforestation, why Washington State changed their energy code, what a new NASA satellite will monitor, and more!

Researchers Invent A New Battery The Size of A Dime

😊 The Good News - Researchers at the Argonne National Laboratory and the Illinois Institute of Technology have invented a solid-state battery roughly the size of a dime. The breakthrough is a version of a lithium-air battery, and although it is not ready to be scaled up yet, the researchers believe it has the potential to expand EV ranges to 1,000+ miles.

🥾 Follow This Path - I’ve been reading about the potential of solid-state batteries for half a decade now, and I never thought a battery as powerful as this one, in theory, would be possible. Breakthroughs like this prove that we will absolutely l solve the climate crisis if we continue to put time, money, and effort into developing more efficient and sustainable technologies.

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NASA Launches Satellite That Will Monitor Air Pollution

😊 The Good News - Last weekend NASA launched the TEMPO satellite in Florida with the help of SpaceX. The satellite will monitor air pollution levels across North America. TEMPO will look at a variety of pollutants in real-time, and it will help officials write more accurate air quality forecasts and track wildfires.

🥾 Follow This Path - The forecasts this satellite will help produce will absolutely save lives because knowing the exact moment when air quality becomes unsafe can help limit exposure. I am also curious to see the impact this satellite has this summer during the wildfire season because wildfires can change direction and speed in an instant.

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Collection of Gold Samples Helping Stop Deforestation In Brazil

😊 The Good News - Illegal gold mining has skyrocketed in Brazil over the past few years, and it is hurting indigenous communities as well as contributing to deforestation. In order to deal with this, a database of gold samples from across the country was compiled in 2019. The Federal Police use this database to pinpoint the exact location where gold was mined and based on this information, they are able to shut down illegal mining operations.

🥾 Follow This Path - I am always impressed with the unique ways countries around the world are fighting deforestation–like how Colombia uses serial numbers on heavy equipment found at illegal deforestation sites to find the companies responsible. This shows just how serious these countries are about fighting deforestation, and these efforts can be scaled up to end illegal deforestation once and for all.

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Washington State Will Require Heat Pumps In New Residential Buildings

😊 The Good News - Washington State recently made revisions to their energy code in order to reduce emissions associated with buildings, and it requires all residential buildings to have heat pumps installed. Washington is the first state to require heat pumps, and the change takes effect this July.

🥾 Follow This Path - Buildings contribute to 13% of emissions in the United States. Although tax credits in the Inflation Reduction Act can help to build owners voluntarily reduce their impact, not enough reduction will happen without enforceable changes to regulation. Federal legislation is often modeled after states that have successfully implemented it, and I believe we will see legislation modeled after both Washington State and California in the next few years.

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$450 Million Available For Clean Energy At Old Coal Mines In United States

😊 The Good News - The Biden Administration has made $450 million in funding available for clean energy projects installed at old coal mines. Up to five projects will be chosen to receive funding, and the administration hopes Appalachia will take advantage of it since the region has been devastated by the decline in coal.

🥾 Follow This Path - An equitable transition to clean energy means not leaving communities once reliant on the fossil fuel industry behind, and limiting the environmental impact of clean energy projects. I believe this funding will help provide long-term jobs for former coal communities as well as reduce the overall number of acres impacted by clean energy projects.

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