This week Current climatewhich brings you the latest sustainability business news every Saturday. Sign up to get it in your inbox every week.
Over 100 million Americans are now under an air quality alert smoke from forest fires from Canada marches across Midwest. Some of the worst air quality ratings are found in Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio and western Pennsylvania. Air quality warnings are also seen in Northeastespecially in New York and New Jersey. The National Weather Service is urging people to limit outdoor activities and for those with breathing problems to wear an N95 mask when outside.
One unintended consequence of wildfires can be against the infected Covid. As record high temperatures drive people indoors during the summer months, spikes in Covid cases may be seen. This combined with poor air qualitycan result in those who are hospitalized with the disease to have longer stays with a higher risk of complications.
A great read
Forget the oil. New wildcats are drilling for unlimited “geological” hydrogen
The push to wean the planet off carbon-free fuels and transition to renewable energy sources has focused mainly on wind and solar power. But mounting scientific evidence suggests there is an untapped clean energy source deep underground that could provide far more energy than we need: hydrogen created by natural geological processes. And like the early days of the oil industry in the 1800s, this one is spawning a wave of drilling startups racing to find the big deposits first.
Discoveries and innovations
Four people in Florida and one person in Texas are receiving treatment locally acquired malaria, The CDC said Mondayand that’s thanks to record heat waves that the World Health Organization says could worsen mosquito-borne outbreaks.
A shortage of Mexican chili peppers continues to hamper the production of the main brand of Sriracha hot sauce, driving prices through the roof. Scientists believe that the ongoing drought worsened by human activity climate change he is to blame.
AND damn annual report Britain’s climate watchdog criticized the government’s progress reducing car usecriticizing the construction of new roads and calling for renewed budget cuts to public transportation programs.
A great traffic story
Exclusive: Troubled robot truck maker TuSimple says it may sell US business
TuSimple, a leading developer of autonomous driving technology for heavy trucks, is looking to sell its US business. The move to find a buyer is part of a year-long shake-up marked by management turmoil, a replacement of its board, the loss of a key partnership and allegations that it improperly shared sensitive technology with a Chinese startup.
Sustainability Week Events
Standard charging: Swedish electric car manufacturer Polestar became the latest in a growing list of automakers to adopt electric car maker Tesla’s charging standard this week. EV charging: Atom Power, which has developed a digital circuit breaker for more efficient power management, will be deployed thousands of charging stations for electric cars throughout the country.
Price drop: A new report suggests that EV stocks are rising currently outpacing sales which, combined with significant discounts from Tesla, is starting to reduce the overall prices of electric cars.
What else are we reading this week?
How Plastics Are Poisoning Us (The New Yorker)
A $75 billion climate solution that’s a bargain (Bloomberg)
So far, renewable energy has passed the test in Texas (heat map)