The US is on a local weather tech spending spree. Over the previous 12 months, federal motion has put aside a whole lot of billions of {dollars} for vitality and local weather. Now, we’re beginning to see a few of that cash truly get handed out.
The Department of Energy introduced about $2.8 billion in grants to corporations working to make battery supplies and parts within the US final week, becoming a member of what looks like an countless stream of bulletins from corporations constructing EV and battery manufacturing within the US over the previous a number of months.
But whereas that is an thrilling first step to getting extra batteries constructed within the US, these deliberate services are in a deceptively small a part of the battery provide chain—and threat stealing focus from different essential, early levels of the provision chain too. Read the complete story.
—Casey Crownhart
Casey’s story is from The Spark, her new weekly publication protecting all issues vitality and local weather. Sign up to obtain it in your inbox each Wednesday.
Delve again into a few of Casey’s most up-to-date points:
- Why scientists need to assist crops seize extra carbon dioxide. Casey sat down with Pamela Ronald, a plant geneticist on the University of California, to listen to extra about her new plan to make use of superior genetics for carbon elimination on farmland. Read the complete story.
- How hydrogen and electrical energy can clear up heavy trade. “Hard-to-Solve Sectors” is a time period that’s more and more bandied round in the case of applied sciences designed to deal with the local weather disaster. But what does the time period imply, precisely? Read the complete story.
- Inside a battery recycling facility. Casey took a visit to Reno, Nevada, to go to an enormous new battery recycling facility from Redwood Materials earlier than it opens its doorways. Read the complete story.
The must-reads
I’ve combed the web to seek out you in the present day’s most enjoyable/vital/scary/fascinating tales about know-how.
1 Elon Musk is edging nearer in direction of shopping for Twitter
If the deal closes on Friday, he’ll change into extra highly effective than ever. (NYT $)
+ In his idiosyncratic style, Musk arrived at Twitter HQ with a sink. (WP $)
+ He seems to have modified his thoughts about slicing jobs. (Bloomberg $)
+ Here’s how the deal has unfolded over the previous 10 months. (Insider $)
2 Meta is a large number proper now
Facebook’s not trying wholesome, and it’s nonetheless ready for the metaverse to catch on. (NY Mag $)
+ Mark Zuckerberg’s metaverse gamble will hold shedding cash. (Bloomberg $)
+ He doesn’t appear to thoughts that an excessive amount of, nevertheless. (Insider $)
+ Meta’s market worth has plunged by greater than $65 billion. (The Guardian)
3 Our urge for food for fossil fuels is predicted to peak by 2035
The conflict in Ukraine has accelerated the swap to cleaner vitality. (New Scientist $)
+ The US company answerable for creating fossil fuels has a radical new job. (MIT Technology Review)
4 Recycling EV batteries is undoubtedly difficult
Dedicated gigafactories could possibly be our greatest guess. (Economist $)
5 China’s entrepreneurs are going through powerful decisions
They can keep in an more and more hostile China, or threat it abroad. (WSJ $)
+ A professional-China group is clumsily attempting to unfold US election disinfo. (Wired $)
+ How the false rumor of a Chinese coup went viral. (MIT Technology Review)
6 Puerto Rico’s energy grid by no means totally recovered from Hurricane Maria
Residents are nonetheless stricken by energy outages 5 years later. (The Verge)
+ How Google alerted individuals to an earthquake earlier than it occurred. (Wired $)
+ Predicting—and making ready for—the worst. (MIT Technology Review)
7 A mysterious particle appeared following an area explosion
Experts hope it may show the existence of darkish matter. (Quanta Magazine)