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"It's not just me and my children, future generations from our community in Jammu and Kashmir will vote for the BJP." A BJP victory in the disputed region could consolidate India's claim over the territory on the global stage. "We have taken a pledge to cross 50-plus seats to form the next government with a thumping majority," the BJP's president for Jammu and Kashmir, Ravinder Raina, told Reuters. Jammu has about 5.3 million inhabitants, 62% of whom are Hindu while Kashmir Valley has 6.7 million, 97% of them Muslim, according to a 2011 census. Previously unreported official records show just over 5.3 million certificates had been issued as of September.

☆ I make fake snow for films like 'Fantastic Beasts.' It's fun to make but painstaking to clean up — now I never look at winter movies the same.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Jem Bartholomew | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Jon Llewellyn works at Snow Business International, a company that produces fake snow. I work at Snow Business International, where we make fake snow for all kinds of movie sets and more. There's a lot of secrecy around Christmas TV ads in the UKPeople talk, so we use code names to muddy the water. Jon LlewellynRecently, we cleaned up this entire area of fake snow on a shoot in Ireland. But it's funny because I thought it looked a bit unrealistic on the cars, even though it was real snow.

NEW DELHI, Jan 11 (Reuters) - Suzuki Motor Corp's (7269.T) Indian unit showcased a concept electric sport utility vehicle (SUV) at India's biennial car show on Wednesday, with the Japanese car maker's president saying the car would be launched in 2025. "I'm delighted to unveil the eVX, a concept SUV of our first global strategic EV (electric vehicle). We plan to bring it to market by 2025," said Suzuki Motor President Toshihiro Suzuki, speaking at an auto show event on the outskirts of the capital city of New Delhi. India is pushing carmakers to build more electric cars by offering companies billions of dollars in incentives with a lofty target of a market share of 30% for electric cars by 2030. Currently, electric cars make up less than 1% of total car sales in India.

☆ U.S. sets up office to oversee abandoned oil well cleanup
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Jan 10 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland on Tuesday issued an order to establish an office to ensure efficient use of the Biden administration's $4.7 billion investment in the cleanup of abandoned oil and gas wells. The Orphaned Wells Program Office will be led by Kimbra Davis, who has worked at the Interior Department since 2009. Orphaned oil and gas wells are those that generally have been abandoned and are no longer producing. "The Department is standing up a new office to support states, tribes and federal land managers as they close and remediate orphaned oil and gas wells that pose environmental hazards to communities across the country," Haaland said in a statement. The number of abandoned U.S. wells has grown over the last decade, and many experts believe it will keep growing as fossil fuels are replaced with cleaner energy.

☆ Analysis: With banks' results on tap, options traders prepare for volatility
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Saqib Iqbal Ahmed | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Brian SnyderNEW YORK, Jan 10 (Reuters) - Options traders are bracing for volatility in U.S. bank shares days ahead of an earnings season many believe will bring lower profits and reflect worries over an expected recession. The trade would be profitable if the ETF’s shares slipped below $33 by mid-February, a 6% decline from current levels. The S&P 500 bank index (.SPXBK) fell 21.6% last year, compared to a compared to a 19.4% decline for the S&P 500 as a whole. Options on big bank stocks, on average, are pricing the largest post-earnings moves in the last two years, an analysis by Susquehanna International Group showed. "The trading bias in the options heading into big bank earnings has been buying volatility and protecting positions," said Chris Murphy, co-head of derivatives strategy at Susquehanna International Group.

☆ GM, Ford, Google partner to promote 'virtual' power plants
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Valerie Volcovici | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] The GM logo is seen on the China Headquarters in Shanghai, China, August 29, 2022. REUTERS/Aly SongWASHINGTON, Jan 10 (Reuters) - Companies including GM, Ford, Google and solar energy producers said on Tuesday they would work together to establish standards for scaling up the use of virtual power plants (VPPs), systems for easing loads on electricity grids when supply is short. Energy transition nonprofit RMI will host the initiative, the Virtual Power Plant Partnership (VP3), which will also aim to shape policy for promoting the use of the systems, the companies said. Virtual power plants pool together thousands of decentralized energy resources like electric vehicles or electric heaters controlled by smart thermostats. VPPs have already improved grid reliability in such countries as Germany and Australia and in some U.S. states.

☆ U.S. greenhouse emissions show signs of slowing — but not quickly enough
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Evan Bush | Evan Bush Is A Science Reporter For Nbc News. He Can Be Reached At Evan.Bush Nbcuni.Com. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

U.S. greenhouse gas emissions increased by about 1.3% in 2022, rebounding for a second straight year after pandemic disruptions to high-emitting industries like shipping and travel. Before the pandemic, emissions were on a slightly downward track. “Greenhouse gas emissions are still not back up to 2019 levels. “Additional policy action will absolutely be necessary to achieving those targets.”The U.S. is aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50% from 2005 levels by 2030. The Environmental Protection Agency publishes official, detailed greenhouse gas inventories about 15 months after year’s end.

☆ 9 of the fastest-growing industries to start a business, according to the founders of Ritual, Feed, and Kaiyo
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Jennifer Ortakales Dawkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Health food and wellness productsDrinks at a Whole Foods in Miami Beach, Florida. Founders expect this trend to reach far and wide, from fashion and technology to food and wellness. Chelsea Neman Nassib, the founder and CEO of the art marketplace Tappan Collective, believes customers are also becoming more socially conscious. Luis Gramajo, a cofounder of the cookie brand Wunderkeks, said customers were demanding more from the food industry, both in product quality and in branding. We're seeing that trend in the food industry, and that's why it keeps growing."

☆ UN says ozone layer slowly healing, hole to mend by 2066
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Earth’s protective ozone layer is slowly but noticeably healing at a pace that would fully mend the hole over Antarctica in about 43 years, a new United Nations report says. “In the upper stratosphere and in the ozone hole we see things getting better,” said Paul Newman, co-chair of the scientific assessment. Natural weather patterns in the Antarctic also affect ozone hole levels, which peak in the fall. A third generation of those chemicals, called HFC, was banned a few years ago not because it would eat at the ozone layer but because it is a heat-trapping greenhouse gas. The report also warned that efforts to artificially cool the planet by putting aerosols into the atmosphere to reflect the sunlight would thin the ozone layer by as much as 20% in Antarctica.

☆ Carmaker Stellantis seals batteries material deal with Element 25
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MILAN, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Carmaker Stellantis (STLA.MI) has signed a deal with Australian miner Element 25 (E25.AX) for the supply of manganese sulphite for batteries for its electric vehicles (EVs), the two companies said on Monday. Based on the five-year binding agreement announced on Monday, Element 25 will supply Stellantis with high-purity manganese sulphate monohydrate to be used in battery packs. Element 25 will source the material from its Butcherbird project in Western Australia and plans to construct a processing facility in the United States. Stellantis, meanwhile, will make an equity investment in Element 25, the two companies added in a statement. "Our commitment to a carbon net-zero future includes creation of a smart supply chain to ensure we meet our customers' desire for EVs," Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares said.

☆ Seattle startup looks to be 'cleaner' alternative for rockets
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailSeattle startup looks to be 'cleaner' alternative for rocketsCNBC's Diana Olick joins 'Power Lunch' to report on a company that uses sustainable 'clean' fuels and strives to make space launches as common as airplane flights.

☆ UK outlines electricity capacity market reforms, incentivising clean suppliers
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Britain announced new proposals on Monday aimed at avoiding electricity blackouts and incentivising greater investment in low carbon technologies. The so-called capacity market ensures there is reliable electricity supply to meet peaks in demand, safeguarding against the possibility of blackouts if intermittent sources such as those dependent on weather, are not generating enough. Security of energy supply has become a more urgent political issue in light of threats to long-term gas supplies across Europe following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. "The plans set out today will deliver this reliable energy and ensure the scheme that sits at the heart of Britain’s energy security is fit for the future." Addressing industry concerns, the government is proposing multi-year contracts for low carbon flexible capacity.

☆ Exclusive: Canada seeks progress in dispute over Mexican energy policies at summit
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Steve Scherer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

OTTAWA, Jan 6 (Reuters) - Canada and the United States are going to argue at a North American leaders' summit next week that resolving a dispute over measures that favor Mexican energy companies would help draw more foreign investment to Mexico, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Friday. Asked if he hoped to make progress at the summit in Mexico City, Trudeau said: "Absolutely". The United States and Canada entered into dispute settlement talks last year with Mexico under a North American trade deal, known as the USMCA, charging that Mexican energy policies were discriminatory and undermine international firms. Trudeau will arrive in Mexico City on Monday for a three-day visit, which will include bilateral meetings with both Biden and Lopez Obrador. The United States and Canada are challenging amendments to Mexican legislation that prioritize distribution of CFE-generated power over cleaner sources of energy provided by private-sector suppliers, such as wind and solar.

☆ Retailers brace for tougher times and more frugal customers in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-02 | by ( Melissa Repko | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Sales from Nov. 1 to Dec. 24 rose 7.6%, according to data from MasterCard SpendingPulse, which measures in-store and online retail sales across all forms of payment. The next few weeks, which close out many retailers' fiscal year, could help determine whether the holiday quarter is a win or a bust. Retailers enter 2023 reckoning with the fact that store traffic already lagged during peak weeks of the holiday season. It is also retailers' last chance to sell through excess inventory and start the new fiscal year in a cleaner position. Like many other retailers, Walmart's holiday quarter includes January.

☆ Roborock Is Building a Customer-First Brand of Robot Vacuums
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-02 | by ( Sponsor Post | Created Insider Studios With Roborock | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

"I never intended to create a robot of my own," Richard Chang, Roborock founder and CEO, said. Kickstarting an entrepreneurial journeyRoborockToday, Beijing-based Roborock is among the biggest robot vacuum manufacturers in the world. RoborockThe result was the launch in 2016 of the first Roborock robot vacuum cleaner the Mi Home Robot Vacuum Cleaner. Since then, Roborock has produced a steady stream of models that have continued to set the standard in robot vacuum technology, culminating in the Roborock S7 MaxV Ultra, which was featured on Time magazine's Best Inventions of 2022. It also allows users to operate their robot vacuum overnight, in complete darkness.

☆ New threats will corrode infrastructure M&A
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( Lisa Jucca | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Private equity infrastructure funds attracted $121 billion globally in 2021, nearly 60% more than in 2017, according to data from PitchBook. The rising cost of insuring against cyberattacks will also dull the appeal of telecoms networks and power grids. The urge to make the world a cleaner place means building and upgrading power infrastructure in both developed and developing countries. Pressure to establish energy security at home also means governments will want to own key infrastructure assets, regardless of the financial incentives. If private investors conclude some infrastructure assets have lost their appeal, states will step in.

The downside is that will increase carbon emissions and for the longer term, the firm is considering a switch to hydrogen, which is a much cleaner energy source provided it is produced using renewable power. "We want to be one of the first large companies in Bavaria to switch to hydrogen," Craig Barker, managing director of the 87-year-old firm, told Reuters. It also announced an action plan to support small and medium-sized companies as they switch to climate-neutral production, including expanding hydrogen infrastructure. More is required to accelerate investments in hydrogen, including a Hydrogen Act to cut bureaucracy and regulate the hydrogen ramp-up quickly, utility industry association BDEW said earlier this month. "2023 must provide new impetus for investments in renewable energies, hydrogen, hydrogen-capable gas-fired power plants and energy networks," BDEW president Kerstin Andreae said.

China has said it only counts deaths of COVID patients caused by pneumonia and respiratory failure as COVID-related. The holiday travel rush is expected to last for 40 days, from Jan. 7 to Feb. 15, the Ministry of Transport said this week. China's official death toll of 5,246 since the pandemic began compares with more than 1 million deaths in the United States. The United States, India, Italy, Japan and Taiwan said they would require COVID tests for travellers from China. Omicron was still the dominant strain in China, Chinese health officials said this week.

☆ I'm a health & wellness reporter. Here are 3 healthy habits I learned this year
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-26 | by ( Renée Onque | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

"I'm a health and wellness reporter," I responded "So, you're a vegetarian, aren't you?" Just how many life changes have I made as a result of my health reporting? But I learned from Dr. Kelman that if you're not letting your toothbrush air-dry, you're actually increasing the likelihood of bacteria building up. I read on and learned that the warning was for the holiday lights that were built in to the tree. While researching, I discovered that most holiday lights have lead and phthalates on their wiring, which can be very harmful for young children and pregnant women.

☆ Wanted: Two lighthouse keepers for tiny island in San Francisco Bay. Must have 'high-quality culinary experience' and a captain's license.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-25 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Two custodians for a historic lighthouse and hotel in San Francisco Bay are being recruited. The East Brother Light Station is looking for two people to become lighthouse keepers for two years on the tiny island just off Point San Pablo in Richmond. Former innkeepers Tiffany Danse (left) and Tyler Waterson (right). Run boat service to the mainland. Run boat service to the mainland again," the Chronicle wrote.

☆ Baltimore Wants to Ban the Solicitors Who Offer to Squeegee Windshields
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( Scott Calvert | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The city will prohibit squeegee work in six zones beginning Jan. 10 and push incentives such as job training. BALTIMORE—Ty Walker strode up to a Toyota 4Runner idling at a red light on a busy downtown street. Within seconds, he spritzed some window cleaner on the windshield, glided a squeegee tool over the glass and pocketed a $5 tip from the driver. The 23-year-old high school dropout, wearing a hoodie and a puffy coat in the December cold, said he had amassed about $60 in two hours on a recent day. That is fairly typical for a gig he said can yield $400 on good days—and far more than the $13.50 an hour he earns as a cashier at a carryout restaurant.

☆ Indonesia, BP sign 20-yr contract extension for LNG operations in Papua
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The extension would allow BP and its partners to operate on the fields until 2055, BP said in a statement. The working areas supply to Tangguh liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant. Indonesia usually extends a PSC two to 10 years before it expires, but BP needed to secure a longer contract to guarantee its long-term investment plan, according to Dwi Soetjipto, chairman of Indonesia's upstream regulator SKK Migas. Output from LNG Tangguh plant is estimated to drop before 2030 if there is no new exploration. Energy minister Arifin Tasrif said Tangguh gas production is needed to supply Indonesia's increasing energy demand as the country will rely on gas while transitioning to cleaner energy.

☆ East-West battleground will shift from fossil fuels to metals
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( Lisa Jucca | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

MILAN, Dec 23 (Reuters Breakingviews) - The global trade war will shift from fossil fuels to metals and raw materials. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine highlighted the risk of relying on autocratic states for energy. Europe needs to cumulatively spend $5.3 trillion on clean energy projects by 2050. That requires a sixfold increase in the global production of copper, lithium, graphite, nickel and some rare earths by 2040, International Energy Agency estimates show. It refines 58% of lithium produced globally, 65% of cobalt and over one-third of nickel and copper.

☆ East-West battleground will shift to metals
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( Lisa Jucca | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

MILAN, Dec 23 (Reuters Breakingviews) - The global trade war will shift from fossil fuels to metals and raw materials. Europe needs to cumulatively spend $5.3 trillion on clean energy projects by 2050. That requires a sixfold increase in the global production of copper, lithium, graphite, nickel and some rare earths by 2040, International Energy Agency estimates show. It refines 58% of lithium produced globally, 65% of cobalt and over one-third of nickel and copper. That’s why Western nations’ best option is ultimately to recycle metals from used appliances.

Fashion rental apps offer users a way to make passive income from the clothes in their closets. Londoner Camille B. has earned over £18,000, or about $22,000, by renting out her designer items on the apps. It was a pleasure to wear, cost $349.25 AUD, or $233, and I've rented it multiple times already, including to someone who wanted the dress for her wedding. Fashion rental apps have changed the way I buy clothesIt's definitely changed the way that I buy. I have a yellow Jacquemus dress which was rented 30 times, for a total of £1,651.71, or about $2,000.

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