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Most new gas plants currently do not pay for emitting carbon, so the rules could make it harder for them to compete with solar and wind power. Second, the Inflation Reduction Act created tax credits making carbon capture and hydrogen more affordable and affirmed EPA's authority to regulate power plants. Existing technology can capture and store approximately 90% of carbon emissions, Lynch said. The EIA projected that this year, 54% of new generation (21GW) will be solar and 14% will be natural gas (7.5GW). Southern, which also runs the National Carbon Capture Center with the Department of Energy, said commercial deployment of carbon capture technology "is many years away" despite the cost-reduction potential of the Inflation Reduction Act.

☆ EPA Planning New Rules to Slash Emissions From Power Plants
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( Eric Niiler | Andrew Restuccia | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Emissions from both new and existing natural-gas plants would be regulated under the new rules. Photo: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg NewsThe Environmental Protection Agency is preparing to issue new rules that would slash the amount of planet-warming greenhouse gases produced by U.S. power plants in the coming decades, according to people familiar with the matter. For the first time, emissions from both new and existing natural-gas plants, as well as existing coal-fired plants, would be regulated, the people said. Electric utilities would have various options for meeting the tougher standards by installing new carbon-capture systems or switching to cleaner fuels such as hydrogen, according to the people.

☆ How the U.S. Clean Air Act lets closed coal plants keep polluting for years
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( Tim Mclaughlin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +10 min

Under the federal program, states distribute a certain number of allowances to power plants annually. Reuters found dozens of other examples of coal plants using credits from closed facilities to help comply with pollution rules over the past five years. During the 2021 ozone season, New Madrid’s pollution was five times higher than average among coal plants participating in the NOx-reduction program, EPA data show. RED-STATE PROTESTSUtilities and lawmakers in Republican-controlled states have pushed hard against curbs on coal pollution, including the EPA’s latest NOx-reduction regulations. But even at that price, NOx allowances will find buyers among coal plants, including those that operate at high pollution rates.

☆ The incredible, Earth-saving electric bike is having a moment
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( Tim Levin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

And while electric cars get all the hype, a game-changing solution to getting around without warming the planet has flourished right under our noses. Electric cars are important, too, but they're expensive and far off for a lot of drivers, MacArthur said. The most popular electric vehicles in the US don't have a Tesla logoWhile electric cars get all the attention, e-bikes have for years been the best-selling electric vehicles in the US. Last year, Americans bought just over 800,000 electric cars, according to Kelley Blue Book, a record. Since e-bikes are much cheaper than electric cars, "you can get them into the hands of consumers faster," she said.

☆ 7 Inspiring Reads for Earth Day
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( The New York Times | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Big buildings are a big source of emissions. To fix that, one company in New York City wants to capture carbon dioxide at the source, liquefy it and bury it in concrete blocks like the ones pictured above. If that seems like a circuitous way to reduce emissions, that’s because it is. But, it turns out, some of the more obvious ways to reduce emissions, like swapping gas and oil for cleaner electric heating, can be a costly and logistical challenge. This is all in response to a sweeping new climate law in New York City, which requires buildings to cut emissions or face fines.

☆ Why You Really Should Clean Your Trash Can
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Jancee Dunn | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

I, like many others, clean around this time each year. But when I told Dr. Kathleen May, president of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, that one of my favorite pastimes is thoroughly washing all of my bedding, she said something that will haunt me forever. “If your blanket has been sitting on a bed all winter, it may be loaded with dust mites,” Dr. May said. “If you shake it, the dust mites are going to be airborne for one to two hours.”She added that airborne dust mites, while gross, are a problem only for people who are allergic to them. Dr. May’s tidbit made me think beyond the usual spring-cleaning tasks.

☆ Battle Over Labor Secretary Nominee Reflects a Larger Fight for Biden
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Noam Scheiber | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

And once again, there are signs that the administration may fall short, with at least two Democrats and an independent wavering over whether to support Ms. Su. The administration may not be able to lose any of those votes if her nomination is to succeed. Ms. Su noted her role helping the department expand apprenticeships and other training programs under Mr. Walsh, and working at his side to avoid a potentially costly freight rail strike. She said she would seek employers’ advice on improving worker safety, and described the reverence she gained for small business owners after watching her immigrant parents operate a dry cleaner and a pizza franchise. Democrats argue that Ms. Su, who has strong backing from labor unions, would be a strong worker advocate and enforcer of provisions like the minimum wage, safety regulations and restrictions on child labor, as well as the right to join unions.

☆ 15 of the most successful companies that started in homes, basements, sheds, and bedrooms
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Caroline Fox | Erin Mcdowell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Amazon began as an online book store in Jeff Bezos' home garage. Jeff Bezos' garage in Bellevue, Washington. Nikki Kahn/The Washington Post via Getty ImagesIn 1994, Jeff Bezos decided to take advantage of the internet's potential. He quit his New York hedge fund job and drove to Bellevue, Washington, where he rented a house. On February 2, 2021, Amazon announced Bezos would be stepping down as CEO and transition to the role of executive chairman.

☆ I traveled to Mexico for bariatric surgery, and my husband was not happy about it — but I have no regrets
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Jenny Powers | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Kasey Spicer traveled to Tijuana for bariatric surgery in 2021 and had a successful experience. Her husband didn't want her to go, but it went so well, he got the same surgery in Mexico in 2022. This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Kasey Spicer, a 44-year-old school teacher from Lexington, South Carolina, about traveling to Mexico for bariatric surgery. Editor's note: Mayo Clinic research found that bariatric surgery can be a safe option for obese patients with coronary-artery disease. Rob and Kasey before and after their bariatric surgery.

☆ New propellers with looped blades could help make the oceans quiet again, sparing both marine life and the climate
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Sharrow Marine sells them for small boats but would need to scale up to reach the shipping industry. A traditional ship propeller that has blades in a screw-like form. That's what Sebastian realized when he put loop propellers on a drone. Sharrow began selling propellers to recreational boaters in 2020 through a company he founded called Sharrow Marine. Testing led by the company BoatTEST found that the Sharrow Propeller was up to 30% more efficient than a standard blade propeller.

[1/5] A full-sized humanoid robot named ARTEMIS is shown at UCLA Samueli School of Engineering, where mechanical engineering students developed a first of its kind robot in Los Angeles, California, U.S., April 13, 2023. Standing at 4 feet, 8 inches tall (142 centimeters) and weighing 85 pounds (38 kg), ARTEMIS is a first-of-its-kind robot that University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) mechanical engineers developed, and it is ready for the pitch. ARTEMIS’ actuators are also unique in that they are electrically driven, rather than controlled by hydraulics. RoMeLa student Justin Quan said his personal goal is engineering robots that improve people's lives. "Seeing these robots helping push the robot technology to that next level is really rewarding because you're like, oh, the dream, it gets closer," he said.

Mr. Carter had asked the authorities to leave, and they did, according to the police report obtained by the A.P. The following day, a housekeeper who heard Mr. Carter’s dogs barking and did not receive a response from him let herself into his home, according to the police report. She found Mr. Carter, wearing a T-shirt and necklace, submerged in the Jacuzzi-style bathtub with the jets running, and called 911, according to the report. The operator told the housekeeper to pull Mr. Carter out of the tub and perform CPR. Paramedics immediately declared him dead when they arrived, the police said.

☆ SEC's Gensler in congressional hot seat today over climate change and crypto
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Bob Pisani | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

The House Financial Services Committee will hold a hearing on oversight of the Securities and Exchange Commission this morning. That's because SEC Chair Gary Gensler has aroused the ire of many in corporate America over his 50+ list of new regulatory proposals the SEC is scheduled to vote on this year. "Chair Gensler has identified a range of 50-55 regulatory priorities since the start of his tenure, and has already proposed twice as many rules as his predecessor in just half the time." "The vast majority of crypto tokens are securities," Gensler declared in his written testimony to the House Financial Services Committee. "SEC Chair Gensler is long overdue to testify before the House Financial Services Committee," Rep. French Hill (R.-Ark), Vice Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, said in a statement released to CNBC.

☆ Lululemon used tiny organisms instead of fossil fuels to make the nylon for its new shirt
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Catherine Clifford | In Catclifford | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Conventionally, nylon is mostly made from ingredients sourced from fossil fuels like coal, natural gas or crude oil. "It's been estimated that 8 to 10 percent of all human-associated nitrous oxide emissions come from this single industrial process" to make adipic acid, Wallace told CNBC. To make the nylon precursor used in the Lululemon shirts, Geno uses biological organisms instead of chemicals from fossil fuels. "Because nylon, like it or not, has a lot of good value," Reddy told CNBC. "Look at those first-generation replacement straws — they didn't work, and everybody's annoyed," Reddy told CNBC.

SYDNEY, April 19 (Reuters) - Australia said on Wednesday it would introduce new standards targeting vehicle emissions to boost the uptake of electric cars, as it looks to catch up with other developed economies. "Fuel-efficient and electric vehicles are cleaner and cheaper to run - today's announcement is a win-win for motorists," Bowen said in a statement. "Fuel efficiency standards would require more affordable electric vehicles to be sent to Australia," he said. Transport is the third largest source of carbon emissions in Australia - one of the world's biggest emitters on a per capita basis. Australia's centre-left Labor government last year flagged it had plans to introduce new regulations targeting vehicle carbon emissions to increase sales of electric cars.

☆ Australia unveils roadmap to boost uptake of electric vehicles
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SYDNEY, April 19 (Reuters) - Australia on Wednesday released its first national electric vehicle strategy, aimed at ensuring the country has a better choice of electric vehicles and improved affordability in a bid to boost the uptake of cleaner vehicles. Apart from Russia, Australia was the only developed country to either not have or be developing fuel efficiency standards, which encourage manufacturers to supply more electric and no-emission vehicles. Transport is the third largest source of carbon emissions in Australia - one of the world's biggest emitters on a per capita basis. Australia's centre-left Labor government last year flagged it had plans to introduce new regulations targeting vehicle carbon emissions to increase sales of electric cars, as it looks to catch up with other developed economies. "Fuel-efficient and electric vehicles are cleaner and cheaper to run - today's announcement is a win-win for motorists," Bowen said in a statement.

☆ G7 vows to step up moves to renewable energy, zero carbon
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Japan won endorsements from fellow G-7 countries for its own national strategy emphasizing so-called clean coal, hydrogen and nuclear energy to help ensure its energy security. The stipulation that countries rely on "predominantly" clean energy by 2035 leaves room for the continuation of fossil-fuel-fired power. The G-7 nations account for 40% of the world's economic activity and a quarter of global carbon emissions. The document crafted in Sapporo included significant amounts of nuance to allow for differences between the G-7 energy strategies, climate advocates said. "I think energy security is being exaggerated in some cases," Kerry said, pointing to Germany's progress in embracing renewable energy.

☆ Africa needs more help with climate change, debt and food crises
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( Joe Bavier | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, April 15 (Reuters) - Africa is struggling with the triple shock of rising debt burdens, an ongoing food crisis and climate change fallout and needs more help from international institutions and wealthy nations to cope, African finance ministers said on Saturday. "African countries are really victims. The trio were speaking on behalf of the continent's finance ministers. The African finance ministers, meanwhile, called for a G20-backed framework aimed at helping countries restructure burdensome debt to go further. Two African countries - Zambia and Ghana - have already defaulted on their sovereign debt since the start of the pandemic.

☆ OPEC+ cuts partly due to reshaping of global oil flows, IEA says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Ahmad Ghaddar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, April 14 (Reuters) - European Union and G7 restrictions on Russian oil exports led to a global shift in oil flows, with Asian refiners soaking up discounted Russian crude, in part explaining the recent OPEC+ decision to curtail output further, the West's energy watchdog said on Friday. "The rapid upheaval in global crude trade flows, may in part explain the recent decision by OPEC+ to cut production," the IEA said. Unlike Asian refiners, which benefited from heavy discounts on Russian crude, European refiners have not been given any price incentive to process Middle East crudes, the IEA said. Bottlenecks and logistical constraints which prevent some European refiners from handling very large crude carriers (VLCCs) and a rise in Middle East crude differentials to the region partly explain why Europeans shunned Middle Eastern medium sour. Higher energy costs for reducing sulphur content in crude to produce cleaner fuels, a process known as hydrotreating, was another reason, the IEA said.

☆ How Electrifying Everything Became a Key Climate Solution
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Nadja Popovich | Brad Plumer | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +19 min

Water heating Air conditioning Space heating Refrigeration Washing and dry. Refrigeration Air conditioning 16% electric Water heating 99% Refrigeration Air conditioning Residential Cooking Space heating Refrigeration Other 96% Lighting and electronics Lighting and elec. Cooking 2021 Current Electricity Use Electricity as percent of total energy consumed in 2021 36% Water heating Space heating Washing and dry. Cooking 2050 Net Zero Pathway Electricity as percent of total energy consumed in a high-electrification scenario Water heating Space heating 63% Washing and dry. Air conditioning Refrigeration Other Air conditioning Water heating 99% Refrigeration Space heating 96% Other Lighting and electronics Lighting and elec.

☆ First photo of a black hole resembles 'skinny' doughnut
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —The first photo ever taken of a black hole looks a little sharper now. The central region is darker and larger, surrounded by a bright ring as hot gas falls into the black hole in the new image. The Event Horizon Telescope Collaboration, called EHT, is a global network of telescopes that captured the first photograph of a black hole. Computers using PRIMO analyzed more than 30,000 high-resolution simulated images of black holes to pick out common structural details. But if heated materials in the form of plasma surround the black hole and emit light, the event horizon could be visible.

☆ Column: Europe's stunted hydro & nuclear output may hobble recovery drive
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Gavin Maguire | Thomson Reuters | Gavin Maguire Is The Global Energy Transition Columnist. He Was Previously Asia Commodities | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

PHASED OUT & DRIED UPNuclear and hydro power accounted for an average of 40% of total electricity generation in Europe from 2000 to 2020, Ember data shows. But that proportion of electricity generation dropped to less than 35% in 2022 as a combination of drought in key hydro areas alongside planned shutdowns of outdated nuclear capacity dealt a double-whammy to hydro and nuclear generation assets. Record low snowfall and precipitation over the past winter looks set to drive hydro generation potential even lower in 2023. France, Europe's top nuclear power producer, is also struggling with sharply lower nuclear power generation. If conditions stay dry and nuclear output remains curtailed, Europe's electricity producers will struggle to increase overall electricity generation without resorting to increased use of fossil fuels.

Increasing global demand for liquefied natural gas over the next few years will help shares of New Fortress Energy more than double, according to Deutsche Bank. The firm initiated coverage of the natural gas company with a buy rating, and analyst Chris Robertson set his price target at $60 per share, implying 110% upside from last Thursday's close. "As such, we believe natural gas will be an important bridge fuel in the coming years as combustion of natural gas results in ~50% less carbon emissions [than] traditional coal combustion." Deutsche anticipates New Fortress Energy earnings will grow by more than 235% from 2022 to 2025. To be sure, Robertson's estimates assume that New Fortress Energy secures more of its volumes on period contracts rather than selling on the spot market.

☆ Kyrgyz eco-activist's 'trashion' tackles a burning problem
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Kyrgyz artist and environmental activist Cholpon Alamanova poses for a picture in her workshop in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan March 30, 2023. Alamanova and her team of more than 80 women use the Kyrgyz traditional patchwork sewing technique, kurak, in order to recycle the textile waste, usually burned in landfills, into colourful blankets, clothes and accessories. In doing so, her workshop has become part of a global "trashion" trend promoting the use of recycled, used, thrown-out and repurposed elements to create garments, jewellery and art. The task engenders a warming feeling that motivates her to keep doing it, says Alamanova, while helping to keep alive the tradition. Reporting by Olzhas Auyezov; Editing by Clarence FernandezOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ A worker's leg had to be amputated after he fell into an industrial blender, the labor department says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A worker in Ohio fell into an industrial blender and had to have his leg amputated, the DOL said. Following an investigation, the OSHA proposed penalties of $1.9 million for Zwanenberg Food Group. OSHA said cleaning staff weren't trained on how to ensure equipment was isolated during maintenance. The DOL said staff weren't trained to lock the equipment prior to cleaning so it didn't move during maintenance. Cleaning staff weren't given information about wearing appropriate eye protection and weren't trained on how to ensure equipment was isolated, OSHA found.

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