Charging An Electric Vehicle In 10 Minutes, Making Construction Greener And Becoming Nature-Positive

This week’s Current Climate , which every Saturday brings you the latest news about the business of sustainability. Sign up to get it in your inbox every week. T he World Wildlife Fund released its annual Living Planet report this week, and things aren’t looking good.

The bottom line? Since the 1970s, most wildlife species are down to a third of their numbers half a century ago. Freshwater species have been particularly hit hard, with their numbers having declined 83% on average across species. The common culprits include climate change, pollution, non-native invasive species and overfishing, but the report also highlights changes to land and air management that are also impacting wildlife.

Reversing the trend, the organization argues, begins with reversing trends in development. “We need nature positive by 2030 – which, in simple terms, means more nature by the end of this decade than at its start,” said WWF International Director General Marco Lambertini in a statement. “More natural forests, more fish in the ocean and river systems, more pollinators in our farmlands, more biodiversity worldwide.

” Brandon Ng, head of Hong Kong-based battery energy storage system maker Ampd Energy, has powered up for growth despite global headwinds. Read more here. Cleantech startup Clarity Movement has developed a series of tiny sensors for air quality monitoring to replace traditional units, some of which are the size of an automobile.

Chicago-based software startup Rheaply has acquired an online marketplace for surplus construction materials like salvaged steel, recycled rebar and cast-off concrete. In 2023, the Department of Energy will begin transforming the toxic waste stored in tanks at the Hanford, Wash. nuclear waste site into a more storable glass form .

Investment Boom: Since the passage of the Inflation reduction act, $28 billion in new manufacturing investment has been announced in the United States, primarily in the electric vehicle, battery, and solar manufacturing sectors. Cycling Grants: A new program from Bloomberg Philanthropies and the Global Designing Cities Initiative will select ten global cities to each receive $1 million in grants for projects that increase bicycle use. Equitable Electrification: The City of Denver and Energy Outreach Colorado have agreed to a three-year partnership with green energy company BlocPower to electrify 200 low-to-middle income homes.

A new study from the Minderoo Foundation suggests that the petrochemical industry could face billions in legal claims over damages caused by plastic pollution. It goes further to warn that in the U. S.

alone, the plastics industry could be forced to pay out over $20 billion in damages by the end of this decade. More on that here. A wind turbine just smashed a global energy record—and it’s recyclable (Popular Science) Recycled Battery Materials Can Work as Well as New Ones (Wired) World’s Big Polluters Talk Up Net-Zero With Little to Show (Bloomberg) T he big question for consumers thinking about electric cars is: how long will the battery last? Forbes contributor Jim Gorzelany says this tends to dominate concerns in consumer surveys and offers a few pointers on EV batteries: 1.

Unlike a gas-powered car, you’ll save energy on stop-and-go trips around town compared to the highway. 2. Just like gas-powered cars, accelerating quickly uses up more energy.

Keep a light touch on the pedal. 3. Also like gas-powered cars, you should check your tire pressure frequently to preserve energy efficiency.

4. Use the car’s maximum regenerative braking setting to send extra power back to the vehicle’s batteries while decelerating. Read more about EV batteries here .

Pennsylvania State University researchers discovered a way to slash electric vehicle charging times by more than half, as the EV industry and its advocates desperately try to address concerns about the convenience of the vehicles slowing their wider adoption. Read more here. Polestar 3 Launch: The Premium Electric SUV To Rule Them All? Motorists Switching To Bicycle Or Train For One Car Trip Make Big Reduction In Emissions, Say Studies European Electric Car Sales Will Ride Out The Economic Storm Before Accelerating Again Porsche Delays Electric Macan SUV Until 2024 China EV Leader BYD Enters India’s Passenger Car Market As Part Of Global Push For More Sustainability Coverage, Click Here.

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