This week’s Current Climate, which every Saturday brings you the latest news about the business of sustainability. Sign up to get it in your inbox every week.
Over 100 million Americans are now under air quality warnings as wildfire smoke from Canada marches across the Midwest. Some of the worst air quality ratings are located in Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio and western Pennsylvania. Air quality warnings are also being seen in the Northeast, particularly in New York and New Jersey. The National Weather Service is urging people to limit outdoor activities and for those with respiratory issues to wear an N95 mask while outdoors.
One unintended consequence of the wildfires may be against those infected with Covid. As record high temperatures drive people indoors during the summer months, spikes in Covid cases might be seen. This, combined with poor air quality, could result in those who are hospitalized with the disease to have longer stays with higher risks of complications.
The Big Read
Forget Oil. New Wildcatters Are Drilling For Limitless ‘Geologic’ Hydrogen
The push to wean the planet off carbon-free fuels and transition to renewable energy has focused mainly on wind and solar power. But mounting scientific evidence suggests there’s an untapped clean energy source deep underground that could provide vastly more power than we need: hydrogen created by natural geologic processes. And like the oil industry’s early days in the 19th century, it’s spawning a wave of drilling startups vying to be first to find big deposits.
Discoveries And Innovations
Four people in Florida and one person in Texas are being treated for locally-acquired malaria, the CDC said Monday, thanks to record-breaking heat waves that the World Health Organization says could exacerbate mosquito-borne outbreaks.
A shortage of a Mexican chili pepper continues to hinder production of a major brand of sriracha hot sauce, driving prices through the roof. Researchers believe an ongoing drought exacerbated by human-caused climate change is to blame.
A damning annual report from the U.K. climate watchdog has slammed the government’s progress on reducing car use, criticizing new road-building and calling for budget cuts to transit programs be restored.
The Big Transportation Story
Exclusive: Troubled Robot Truckmaker TuSimple Says It May Sell Off U.S. Business
TuSimple, a leading developer of autonomous driving technology for heavy-duty trucks, is aiming to sell its U.S. business. The move to find a buyer is part of a year-long upheaval marked by management turmoil, the replacement of its board, the loss of a key partnership and accusations of improperly sharing sensitive technology with a Chinese startup.
Sustainability Deals Of The Week
Charging Standard: Swedish electric automaker Polestar became the latest in a growing list of automakers to adopt electric vehicle maker Tesla’s charging standard this week. EV Charging: Atom Power, which has developed a digital circuit breaker to manage energy more efficiently, will be deploying thousands of EV charging stations across the country.
Price Declines: A new report suggests that EV inventory growth is currently outpacing sales which, combined with deep discounting by Tesla, is starting to lower overall electric vehicle pricing.
What Else We’re Reading This Week
How Plastics Are Poisoning Us (The New Yorker)
The $75 Billion Climate Solution That’s a Bargain (Bloomberg)
Renewable Energy Is So Far Passing Its Texas Test (Heatmap)
