Cement is one among our hardest challenges, as Brimstone CEO and 2024 innovator Cody Finke will let you know. I wrote about Brimstone and different efforts to reinvent cement earlier this yr.
One other factor
We want a complete lot of metals to handle local weather change, from the copper in transmission traces to the nickel in lithium-ion batteries that energy electrical autos. Some researchers suppose vegetation may be capable of assist.
Roughly 750 species of vegetation are so-called hyperaccumulators, which means they naturally absorb and tolerate comparatively excessive concentrations of steel. A brand new program is funding analysis into how we would use this trait to assist supply nickel, and probably different metals, sooner or later. Learn the total story right here.
Maintaining with local weather
A hurricane that just lately fashioned within the Gulf of Mexico is headed for Louisiana, ending an eerily quiet few weeks of the season. (Scientific American)
→ After forecasters predicted a very lively season, the lull in hurricane exercise was stunning. (New Scientist)
Rising sea ranges are one of many signs of a altering local weather, however nailing down precisely what “sea degree” means is extra difficult than you may suppose. We’ve gotten higher at measuring sea degree over the previous few centuries, although. (New Yorker)
The US Division of Power’s Mortgage Applications Workplace has practically $400 million in lending authority. This yr’s election may shift the main target of that workplace drastically, making it a bellwether of how the outcomes may have an effect on vitality priorities. (Bloomberg)
What if fusion energy finally ends up working, nevertheless it’s too costly to play a major position on the grid? Some modelers suppose the expertise will stay costly and will come too late to make a dent in emissions. (Heatmap)
Electrical-vehicle gross sales are up general, however some main automakers are backing away from objectives on zero-emissions autos. Regardless that gross sales are rising, uptake is slower than many thought it might be, contributing to the nervous vitality within the business. (Canary Media)
It’s a tricky time to be within the enterprise of next-generation batteries. The woes of three startups reveal that troublesome instances are right here, doubtless for some time. (The Info)