SpaceX has work to do, Tesla sells Cyberquad, Elon Musk gets a haircut.
SpaceX is granted three additional NASA missions, Tesla sells out a Cyberquad for kids, Cybertruck pending, and Elon Musk gets a heavily-memed haircut.
Category: sustainability – Page 384
Researchers Show a 100% Renewable US Grid with No Blackouts Is Possible
And it would create 4.7 million long-term jobs.
The United States’ energy system that’s running completely on wind, water, and solar, combined with storage, would not only avoid blackouts but also lower energy requirements and consumer costs, a Stanford University study has shown. In addition, this would create millions of jobs, improve health, and free up land for various other purposes.
This is incredibly important because, for some people, a future powered by renewable energy isn’t feasible due to concerns about blackouts driven by inconsistent electricity sources. Take, for example, the grid blackouts caused by extreme weather events in California in August 2020 and Texas in February 2021.
However, the study, which examined grid stability under various scenarios in which wind, water, and solar energy supplied 100 percent of all energy needs in the U.S., has now demonstrated that those concerns are misplaced.
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A ‘World First’ Solar RV Awning Enables More Affordable Off-Grid Living
The auto-retracting system can be deployed when solar energy is needed.
California-based energy firm Xponent Power developed an auto-retracting Xpanse Solar Awning that can be deployed if and when solar energy is needed, a report from New Atlas reveals.
The retractable solar panels move out to the side of the RV, creating a nice bit of shade for travelers, at the same time as providing on-demand solar energy. Depending on the model, owners will get 800, 1,000, or 1,200 watts of charging power.
The off-grid solution was designed to allow RV owners to camp away from electrical sockets for days at a time, and it can be easily mounted to either side of the vehicle. The Xpanse awning is made up of a 16 × 7-foot (4.9 × 2.1-m) “fabric” of high-efficiency glass-based solar panels. The awning features “bi-facial” solar panels, meaning it captures the energy of the sun from above as well as from below — the underside can capture a surprising amount of energy from reflection off the ground and the RV itself.
The Xpanse awning is deployed at the push of a button, and it has an auto-retraction feature that will automatically pull it back in during stormy and windy conditions to avoid damage. On top of this, Xponent says that the panels feature small air gaps that make them more stable in moderate wind conditions.
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A New Bird-Shaped Air Taxi Can Take Off With a Nearly Vertical Trajectory
Like a cybernetic pelican.
In all our coverage of air taxis that include wing designs, propulsion technologies, flight endurance, top speeds, we have surely not come across something so radical as this intriguing piece called PHRACTYL. If this appears to you like a bird that has mistakenly grown a pair of propellers at first glance, you are right on spot.
While birds have been the source of inspiration for human flight, after the success of the Wright Brothers, the flat wide wings have become a standard in aviation and technological advancements have happened on getting more lift from these wings. However, the engineers at PHRACTYL have dumped this conventional wisdom for a radically unique design that resembles a bird’s wing. But that’s not where they have stopped. The tail and the landing gear are no different, giving the aircraft the appearance of a bird.
Copying concepts from nature might be straightforward, but the team at the PHRontier for Agile Complex Technology sYstem evoLution (PHRACTYL) is geared up to manufacture working prototypes of this as well. Their aim is to build a mean, green, and clean flying machine using electric propulsion. However, they recognize that battery technology still has a long way to go before it can power these flights in their current format and therefore went about tinkering with the aerodynamic design of the craft till they came up with a radically new one; they call the Macrobat.
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Giant Tesla Megapack project is turned on after fire setback
A giant Tesla Megapack project operated by Neoen in Australia has finally been turned on after a fire set back the battery system this summer.
Tesla’s energy storage products have been particularly popular in Australia, where the electric grid is in great need of stabilization.
Its famous “Tesla Big Battery” in partnership with Neoen in South Australia has had a tremendous success that other states are trying to replicate.
Elon Musk Just DESTROYED Apple
Elon Musk Just DESTROYED Apple: In a recent tweet, billionaire Elon Musk publicly destroyed Apple by mocking them for launching a $19 fiber cloth. He further went on to suggest that his followers should instead buy his newly launched Tesla Cyberwhistle instead!
Many times, to set them apart from the competition, luxury brands like Apple sell products at outlandish prices. Take the thousand dollar pro display stand launched in 2019 for example. What made Elon go against one of the world’s topmost tech giants?
Join us today as we tell you all about how Elon Musk attempted to take another bite from Apple by calling its product silly.
3D Printed Architecture that prove the endless possibilities of this innovative technique!
Nowadays almost everything is being 3D printed, so why should architecture be an exception? Many architectural firms are adopting 3D printing as their preferred technique to build structures. And 3D printed architecture is slowly but surely gaining a lot of popularity and momentum. This emerging trend is paving a path for itself in modern architecture. And I mean, no wonder, it has a ton of benefits! It’s a simple, efficient, and innovative technique that lowers the risks of errors, and also manages to save on time. 3D printing eradicates a lot of tedious steps during the construction process and simplifies it. It is being used to build homes, habitats on Mars, and even floating islands! The potential and possibilities of 3D printing in architecture are endless and mind-blowing. We’ve curated a collection of 3D-printed architectural structures that are our absolute favorites – from a 3D printed sustainable office pod to a 3D printed housing community for the homeless, every single one of these designs unleashes the magic and potential of 3D printing!
Moving CO 2 from Air to Oceans May Be Necessary to Slow Warming
Moving CO2 from Air to Oceans May Be Necessary to Slow Warming.
Climbing concentrations of carbon dioxide make it likely that humans will have to move some gases from the atmosphere into the oceans to prevent crippling effects of climate change, the National Academies said in a major report released yesterday.
It came after months of deliberation among top U.S. scientists who concluded that global efforts to reduce emissions, even if successful, “may not be enough to stabilize the climate.” The report identified six ways to capture and store carbon dioxide in the oceans, a controversial idea that the report said “will likely be needed.”
Potential methods include stimulating more plant growth in and around the oceans and manipulating ocean currents to draw CO2 deep underwater.
This New Super-White Paint Can Cool Down Buildings and Cars
A novel super-white paint may be the creative solution needed to fight global warming. Read the article to learn how that might be.
Rare earth elements: Global battle under way for precious minerals • FRANCE 24 English
Rare earth elements are essential for many of our modern day technologies. It’s used in rechargeable batteries, phones, fiber optics, wind turbines, televisions, dvd players and many others.
Some countries control majority of supply and use this as a means to pressure other countries.
It’s expected to become one of the issues at stake in the ongoing trade war between the #US and #China. Rare earth elements are crucial to manufacturing phones, computers and wind turbines. China currently controls 90 percent of their production, but the US is also determined to extract these precious #minerals and has just reopened a rare earth elements mine in California. Our France 2 colleagues report, with FRANCE 24’s James Vasina.
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