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How we built a less-explodey lithium battery and kickstarted the EV revolution
For the final installment of Hitting the Books for 2023, we're bringing you an excerpt from the fantastic Material World: The Six Raw Materials That Shape Modern Civilization by Ed Conway.
Fixing inefficient oil field flaring could drastically reduce methane emissions
Scientists have discovered that flaring during oil extraction lets more methane into the atmosphere than thought.
DOJ recovers 63.7 Bitcoins paid out in Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack
The US Justice Department has recovered part of the ransom Colonial Pipeline paid last month to regain access to its computer systems after it was locked out of them by “apolitical” ransomware gang Darkside.
Colonial pipeline hackers say they're 'apolitical' and only out to make money
The Darkside hacking group believed to be behind the rasomware on the Colonial pipeline has said it is "apolitical" in a statement.
Pipeline cyberattack was likely the work of a ransomware gang
A ransomware gang may be the culprit behind the Colonial Pipeline cyberattack that hobbled oil and gas.
US pipeline giant shuts down major fuel line following cyberattack
Colonial Pipeline has shut down a major fuel line and parts of its network after a cyberattack.
California plans to end oil extraction by 2045
California will be the first state to end oil extraction, phasing it out by 2045.
Methane emissions declined slightly in 2020 amid lower oil and gas production
The IEA says the sector's emissions need to drop by over 70 percent by 2030.
Denmark plans to end all offshore oil and gas pumping by 2050
Denmark will end offshore oil and gas pumping by 2050 to make a clearer stand on climate change.
Shell aims to be a net zero emissions business by 2050
Shell is the latest oil giant to commit to carbon neutrality.
Oil giant BP plans to be carbon neutral by 2050
BP is probably the last company you'd expect to go carbon neutral given the nature of its main business, but it's trying regardless. The oil and gas producer has unveiled plans for the company to reach "net zero" CO2 levels (both in emissions and in the products themselves) across its operations no later than 2050. It hoped to reach that target in part by reducing the carbon levels in its fossil fuel business, such as by cutting carbon and methane "intensity" levels in half and advocating for net zero policies like carbon pricing and encouraging the world to "decarbonize." However, it also acknowledged that it would have to increase its investment into "non-oil and gas businesses" -- effectively, to back away from its primary source of income.
Researchers discover climate-friendly way of extracting hydrogen from oil
Scientists have discovered a way to extract hydrogen from oil without releasing greenhouse gases -- a move they've hailed as a "silver bullet" for climate issues. Hydrogen is already used by some car manufacturers to power vehicles and is also burned to generate electricity. However, most of this hydrogen comes from natural gas, which involves producing planet-warming methane during the extraction process. The large-scale roll-out of hydrogen tech has also been restricted because of the high costs involved in separating it from hydrocarbons.
Hanu Labs' Stone vaporizer hits like a ton of bricks
It's not hard for us to guess what the oil vape in your pocket looks like. If it's a 510, chances are it looks pretty much like every other 510 in existence. Even the new generation of vapes with specialized pods all tend to look reasonably the same. But the Stone from Hanu Labs doesn't look like any that's come before it.
Renewable energy is on the rise, but so is demand for fossil fuels
Recent reports from major climate organizations are painting a very mixed picture for the future of global energy use. The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) says that renewable energy now forms one-third of the world's total energy capacity -- its highest level ever -- but at the same time, the International Energy Agency (IEA) reports that energy demand is growing at the fastest pace this decade, and fossil fuels are leading the charge.
Investment in renewable energy drops as fossil fuel use rises
Global investment in renewable energy is on the decline, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). The energy watchdog says there's a significant contradiction between the statements governments make regarding their attitudes to renewables, and the tangible action being taken. Investment fell by seven percent to $318bn last year.
Concentrates are the future of cannabis
The cannabis industry is in the midst of an unprecedented renaissance. Strains are stronger, consumption methods more numerous and availability greater than ever before. Medical-grade marijuana now averages around 20 percent THC -- a threefold increase from the "hippie weed" your parents toked back in the '60s. Smoking has been usurped by vaping and edibles as the preferred dosing methods, making the concentrates and oils more valuable commodities than the flowers they're derived from. The good times certainly are rolling, but how long can we keep up this relentless march toward pure THC distillate?
Picobrew's next goal: A safe and affordable DIY distillery
Picobrew has a new, cheaper countertop beer brewing system. That you already knew. But the company is now dipping its toes into distilling. The Picostill is an add on for the Pico Model C that turns that weird custom designed keg into a countertop distillery. Specifically it's a reflux still that uses vacuum distillation, which doesn't look as cool as a pot or column still, but makes far more efficient use of the space.
'Oleo Sponge' may be the key to cleaning up after oil spills
Cleaning up after an oil spill isn't an easy job. Just ask Exxon Mobil, or, for a more recent example, BP. Current clean-up methods include skimming it of a body off water's surface or burning it. Neither are ideal for a few reasons, but beyond impacting the environment even further, they don't account for the sludge that's trapped below the waves. That's where the Department of Energy's Oleo Sponge comes in.
Emails show new EPA chief is cozy with the fossil fuel industry
There's no question that new Environmental Protection Agency leader Scott Pruitt has a conflict of interest when he previously declared himself the agency's number one enemy. However, it's now clearer just why he so fervently opposes eco-friendly regulation. The Center for Media and Democracy has used a court order to obtain emails from Pruitt's time as Oklahoma's attorney general, and they reveal an uncomfortably close relationship with the fossil fuel industry he's now supposed to regulate.
Ireland votes to stop investing public money in fossil fuels
Ireland just took a big step toward cutting coal and oil out of the picture. Its Parliament has passed a bill that stops the country from investing in fossil fuels as part of an €8 billion ($8.6 billion) government fund. The measure still has to clear a review before it becomes law, but it would make Ireland the first nation to completely eliminate public funding for fossil fuel sources. Even countries that have committed to ditching non-renewable energy, like Iceland, can't quite make that claim. The closest is Norway, which ditched some of its investments back in 2015.
