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Category: sustainability – Page 249

World’s largest laser used to initiate groundbreaking fusion reaction

This is a historic milestone in the quest for a clean nuclear energy source.

Scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California have made a major breakthrough in the field of nuclear fusion, sparking hope for a new carbon-free power source.

How did they do it?

llnl.gov.

The team used the world’s largest laser to initiate a fusion reaction that produced more energy than it took to create, marking a historic milestone in the quest for a clean nuclear energy source. Nuclear fusion has long been seen as a potential solution to the world’s energy needs, as it could provide abundant electricity without emitting greenhouse gasses or producing long-lasting nuclear waste.

BMW will reveal its new Vision Car concept at the CES 2023

The new concept car will be “electric, circular, and digital.”

The future BMW plan calls for a large number of new electric vehicles. The company already has a strong portfolio of electric vehicles, but its new platform will only be focused on electrification.

BMW CFO Dr. Nicolas Peter previously announced at the end of the Q3 2022 quarterly report that BMW will unveil a new Vision Car at the upcoming CES 2023. “The next highlight on our way to the Neue Klasse will follow in January 2023. At the CES in Las Vegas, we will be presenting a visionary vehicle that will underpin our digital expertise. The future of the BMW Group is electric, circular, and digital,” Peter said.

US startup wants to inject sulfur into the atmosphere to cool down the Earth

In theory, it could mitigate the effects of global warming; but experts are wary.

Make Sunsets, a California-based startup, released weather balloons that carried sulfur particles into the stratosphere which possibly burst there, releasing the chemical, MIT Technology Review.

Da-kuk/iStock.

Founded by Luke Iseman, previous director of hardware at Y Combinator, the attempts by the startup fall into the controversial area of solar geoengineering where particles are released into the atmosphere with an aim to reflect sunlight back into space to ease global warming. The field has largely been a thought experiment with no real consensus if the technology can help us fight climate change.

Watch the latest water satellite unfold itself in space

The Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite launched into Earth orbit on Friday, Dec. 16, from Vandenberg Space Force Base in central California, and engineers are working to prepare the mission to begin measuring the height of water on over 90% of Earth’s surface, providing a high-definition survey of our planet’s water for the first time.

But before it can do that, the satellite would need to unfold its large mast and antenna panels (see above) after successfully deploying the solar panel arrays that power the spacecraft. The mission monitors and controls the satellite using telemetry data, but it also equipped spacecraft with four customized commercial cameras to record the action.

The fully deployed shortly after launch, taking about 10 minutes.

A Startup Has Begun Releasing Chemicals Into the Stratosphere

Recently, a start-up company called Make Sunsets has begun releasing chemicals into the stratosphere as a form of geoengineering that is intended to help climate change. However, many are very hesitant about the startup and the result of what they are doing.

For perspective, geoengineering is when chemical particles are released into the stratosphere to manipulate the weather or climate. The theory is that when sulfur is released into the atmosphere that it mimics a natural process that occurs after volcanoes and that by doing this intentionally, we could ease global warming.

While it isn’t difficult to do this, it is very controversial. The reason for this is that it could potentially have dangerous side effects. Additionally, because some regions could endure worse side effects, it could cause issues across international lines.

Newly proposed method harvests untapped sources of fresh water

While significant parts of the globe are already facing significant freshwater scarcity, the need for more freshwater is projected to increase in order to sustain the increasing global population and economic growth and adapt to climate change.

An almost limitless supply of fresh water exists in the form of water vapor above Earth’s oceans, yet remains untapped. Now, researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) have proposed a new infrastructure capable of harvesting oceanic water vapor as a solution to limited supplies of fresh water in various locations around the world.

The study evaluated 14 water-stressed locations across the globe for the feasibility of a hypothetical structure capable of capturing water vapor from above the ocean and condensing it into fresh water – and doing so in a manner that will remain feasible in the face of continued climate change.

Tesla 4680 production hits milestone of 868k cells in seven days

It appears that Tesla’s 4,680 battery cell production line is hitting its rhythm. As recently announced by the company, its 4,680 team has managed to build 868,000 cells in the last seven days. That’s roughly equal to the battery packs of over 1,000 electric vehicles.

Tesla announced the milestone on its official Twitter account. The EV maker highlighted its appreciation for its 4,680 team in its post, while also including a couple of photos of the teams behind the milestone. “Congrats to the 4,680 cell team on achieving 868k cells built in the last 7 days—equal to 1k+ cars!” Tesla wrote.

While producing enough cells for over 1,000 electric cars may seem like a minor achievement considering the scale of Tesla’s overall operations, the accomplishment was likely achieved with just the company’s initial 4,680 production lines. Tesla currently produces 4,680 cells in its pilot line at Kato Road, close to the Fremont Factory. Giga Texas also has a 4,680 line.

New Technology Could Tap Into a Virtually Limitless Supply of Fresh Water

There’s not enough fresh water to go around on planet Earth, and it’s a problem that’s expected to only worsen in the coming years.

To meet growing demand, recycling and restricting our water will only get us so far. Scientists will need to find new sources of this life-sustaining liquid to meet our needs.

One currently untapped source is the water vapor above the oceans, which is almost limitless as far as supplies go. A new study outlines how harvesting structures could be used to convert this vapor into drinkable water.

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