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April 21, 2024
The Fantasy of Reviving Nuclear Energy
Stephanie Cooke | New York Times | April 18, 2024
World leaders are not unaware of the nuclear industry’s long history of failing to deliver on its promises, or of its weakening vital signs. Yet many continue to act as if a “nuclear renaissance” could be around the corner even though nuclear energy’s share of global electricity generation has fallen by almost half from its high of roughly 17 percent in 1996.
In search of that revival, representatives from more than 30 countries gathered in Brussels in March at a nuclear summit hosted by the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Belgian government. Thirty-four nations, including the United States and China, agreed “to work to fully unlock the potential of nuclear energy,” including extending the lifetime of existing reactors, building new nuclear power plants and deploying advanced reactors.
Yet even as they did so, there was an acknowledgment of the difficulty of their undertaking. “Nuclear technology can play an important role in the clean energy transition,” Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, told summit attendees. But she added that “the reality today, in most markets, is a reality of a slow but steady decline in market share” for nuclear power.
The numbers underscore that downturn. Solar and wind power together began outperforming nuclear power globally in 2021, and that trend continues as nuclear staggers along. Solar alone added more than 400 gigawatts of capacity worldwide last year, two-thirds more than the previous year. That’s more than the roughly 375 gigawatts of combined capacity of the world’s 415 nuclear reactors, which remained relatively unchanged last year. At the same time, investment in energy storage technology is rapidly accelerating. In 2023, BloombergNEF reported that investors for the first time put more money into stationary energy storage than they did into nuclear...
...The Energy Department estimates the total cost of such an effort in the United States at roughly $700 billion. But David Schlissel, a director at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, has calculated that the two new reactors at the Vogtle plant in Georgia — the only new reactors built in the United States in a generation — on average, cost $21.2 million per megawatt in today’s dollars — which translates to $21.2 billion per gigawatt. Using that figure as a yardstick, the cost of building 200 gigawatts of new capacity would be far higher: at least $4 trillion, or $6 trillion if you count the additional cost of replacing existing reactors as they age out...more
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/18/opinion/nuclear-power-fantasy-climate.html
The Fantasy of Reviving Nuclear Energy - NYT
The Fantasy of Reviving Nuclear Energy
Stephanie Cooke | New York Times | April 18, 2024
World leaders are not unaware of the nuclear industry’s long history of failing to deliver on its promises, or of its weakening vital signs. Yet many continue to act as if a “nuclear renaissance” could be around the corner even though nuclear energy’s share of global electricity generation has fallen by almost half from its high of roughly 17 percent in 1996.
In search of that revival, representatives from more than 30 countries gathered in Brussels in March at a nuclear summit hosted by the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Belgian government. Thirty-four nations, including the United States and China, agreed “to work to fully unlock the potential of nuclear energy,” including extending the lifetime of existing reactors, building new nuclear power plants and deploying advanced reactors.
Yet even as they did so, there was an acknowledgment of the difficulty of their undertaking. “Nuclear technology can play an important role in the clean energy transition,” Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, told summit attendees. But she added that “the reality today, in most markets, is a reality of a slow but steady decline in market share” for nuclear power.
The numbers underscore that downturn. Solar and wind power together began outperforming nuclear power globally in 2021, and that trend continues as nuclear staggers along. Solar alone added more than 400 gigawatts of capacity worldwide last year, two-thirds more than the previous year. That’s more than the roughly 375 gigawatts of combined capacity of the world’s 415 nuclear reactors, which remained relatively unchanged last year. At the same time, investment in energy storage technology is rapidly accelerating. In 2023, BloombergNEF reported that investors for the first time put more money into stationary energy storage than they did into nuclear...
...The Energy Department estimates the total cost of such an effort in the United States at roughly $700 billion. But David Schlissel, a director at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, has calculated that the two new reactors at the Vogtle plant in Georgia — the only new reactors built in the United States in a generation — on average, cost $21.2 million per megawatt in today’s dollars — which translates to $21.2 billion per gigawatt. Using that figure as a yardstick, the cost of building 200 gigawatts of new capacity would be far higher: at least $4 trillion, or $6 trillion if you count the additional cost of replacing existing reactors as they age out...more
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/18/opinion/nuclear-power-fantasy-climate.html
April 18, 2024
How Cloud Seeding Boosts Rainfall — and Why That’s Controversial
A geoengineering technology that had fallen out of favor is making a comeback.
Bloomberg | Laura Millan | April 17, 2024
Humans started using chemicals to supercharge clouds’ capacity to release rain and snow decades ago, but the technology is gaining traction as climate change makes some regions hotter and drier. While popular in countries including the US and the United Arab Emirates, cloud seeding remains controversial because it can have unintended consequences such as too much rain or increased pollution.
The debate around modifying and controlling the weather, also referred to as geoengineering the planet, has intensified as clean technologies and cuts to greenhouse gas emissions prove insufficient to halt global warming. Those in favor argue that dealing with the climate crisis is so urgent that no option should be left out, while those opposed warn of a lack of regulation, unforeseen side effects and a delay to the energy transition...
What is the history of cloud seeding?
Cloud seeding was developed during the 1940s and became popular in the US during the 1950s and 1960s as farmers, hydropower companies and ski resorts benefitted from additional precipitation. But it fell out of favor over the next decades as government funding dried up following revelations the US deployed a secret military seeding program during the Vietnam War. In 1977, the US, Russia, India and some European nations signed the Environmental Modification Convention banning weather modification techniques for military purposes.
More countries are exploring cloud seeding as accelerating climate change worsens the struggle for water. It’s used in western US states and European countries including France and Spain. China uses it regularly for irrigation purposes and also to regulate rainfall in Beijing, including during the 2008 Olympics...more
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-04-17/how-cloud-seeding-boosts-rainfall-and-why-that-s-controversial
https://archive.is/c6C9r
World Meteorological Organization
WxMOD Peer Review Report on Global Precipitation Enhancement Activities
Tue 4 Jul 2023
https://filecloud.wmo.int/share/s/_ujeyRLhRxGYsN05nO6X_Q
Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
Dodging silver bullets: how cloud seeding could go wrong
Laura Kuhl | August 11, 2022
...The promise of creating rain is highly appealing in the face of increasing water shortages and disruptions to water cycles exacerbated by climate change. While cloud seeding is not a new technology—the first experiments took place in the 1940s—it fell out of favor in the 1980s for being an “unacceptable ethical and environmental hazard.” It is now back on the policy agenda as a climate adaptation strategy. Idaho, Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, and California have all expanded their cloud seeding operations in the past two years in response to the worsening drought. Despite its potential, the risks associated with cloud seeding are high, and there is significant danger that cloud seeding may do more harm than good...more
https://thebulletin.org/2022/08/dodging-silver-bullets-how-cloud-seeding-could-go-wrong/
But "it's not happening here" ! ROFL
It's helpful to remember that the US Government would never lie to its citizens, isn't it. And if anyone has the audacity to question the lying, cheating and thieving gang of crooks, just label them "conspiracy theorists" - that'll shut them the F up.
How Cloud Seeding Boosts Rainfall -- and Why That's Controversial --Bloomberg
How Cloud Seeding Boosts Rainfall — and Why That’s Controversial
A geoengineering technology that had fallen out of favor is making a comeback.
Bloomberg | Laura Millan | April 17, 2024
Humans started using chemicals to supercharge clouds’ capacity to release rain and snow decades ago, but the technology is gaining traction as climate change makes some regions hotter and drier. While popular in countries including the US and the United Arab Emirates, cloud seeding remains controversial because it can have unintended consequences such as too much rain or increased pollution.
The debate around modifying and controlling the weather, also referred to as geoengineering the planet, has intensified as clean technologies and cuts to greenhouse gas emissions prove insufficient to halt global warming. Those in favor argue that dealing with the climate crisis is so urgent that no option should be left out, while those opposed warn of a lack of regulation, unforeseen side effects and a delay to the energy transition...
What is the history of cloud seeding?
Cloud seeding was developed during the 1940s and became popular in the US during the 1950s and 1960s as farmers, hydropower companies and ski resorts benefitted from additional precipitation. But it fell out of favor over the next decades as government funding dried up following revelations the US deployed a secret military seeding program during the Vietnam War. In 1977, the US, Russia, India and some European nations signed the Environmental Modification Convention banning weather modification techniques for military purposes.
the US deployed a secret military seeding program during the Vietnam War
Does anyone care what is "SECRET" anymore? Doesn't look like it.
Does anyone care what is "SECRET" anymore? Doesn't look like it.
More countries are exploring cloud seeding as accelerating climate change worsens the struggle for water. It’s used in western US states and European countries including France and Spain. China uses it regularly for irrigation purposes and also to regulate rainfall in Beijing, including during the 2008 Olympics...more
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-04-17/how-cloud-seeding-boosts-rainfall-and-why-that-s-controversial
https://archive.is/c6C9r
World Meteorological Organization
WxMOD Peer Review Report on Global Precipitation Enhancement Activities
Tue 4 Jul 2023
https://filecloud.wmo.int/share/s/_ujeyRLhRxGYsN05nO6X_Q
Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
Dodging silver bullets: how cloud seeding could go wrong
Laura Kuhl | August 11, 2022
...The promise of creating rain is highly appealing in the face of increasing water shortages and disruptions to water cycles exacerbated by climate change. While cloud seeding is not a new technology—the first experiments took place in the 1940s—it fell out of favor in the 1980s for being an “unacceptable ethical and environmental hazard.” It is now back on the policy agenda as a climate adaptation strategy. Idaho, Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, and California have all expanded their cloud seeding operations in the past two years in response to the worsening drought. Despite its potential, the risks associated with cloud seeding are high, and there is significant danger that cloud seeding may do more harm than good...more
https://thebulletin.org/2022/08/dodging-silver-bullets-how-cloud-seeding-could-go-wrong/
But "it's not happening here" ! ROFL
It's helpful to remember that the US Government would never lie to its citizens, isn't it. And if anyone has the audacity to question the lying, cheating and thieving gang of crooks, just label them "conspiracy theorists" - that'll shut them the F up.
April 18, 2024
Hygroscopic flares are released during a cloud seeding flight operated by the National Center of Meteorology, between Al Ain and Al Hayer in UAE, on August 24, 2022. (Reuters)
UAE to carry out hundreds of cloud-seeding missions in 2024 to tackle water scarcity
From shooting hygroscopic salt flares into the clouds to deploying unmanned aerial vehicles, the country uses a variety of methods to force rainfall and thereby ensure water security
Jennifer Bell | Al Arabiya English | 18 January 2024
Meteorological experts are expected to carry out as many as 300 cloud-seeding missions across the United Arab Emirates in 2024 to encourage rainfall and tackle water scarcity.
The UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science – National Center of Meteorology (UAEREP-NCM) – the task force behind the country’s cloud-seeding program – told Al Arabiya English that the UAE, located in one of the hottest and most arid regions on earth, has been leading the effort to seed clouds and increase precipitation for more than 23 years.
In the UAE, the confluence of climate change impacts and a burgeoning population has intensified the pressure on water resources. This escalating demand has propelled the UAE, traditionally dependent on desalination plants utilizing seawater, into a critical juncture.
Rising global temperatures and shifting weather patterns have exacerbated water scarcity issues, placing additional strain on the UAE's already limited freshwater sources. As the population continues to grow, the urgency to address the mounting water demands has become more pronounced.
“The UAE carries out nearly 300 cloud-seeding missions each year, and the frequency can vary based on factors such as weather patterns, cloud availability, and climatic conditions,” an NCM official told Al Arabiya English, adding a “roughly” similar number of missions is likely to be carried out in 2024, depending on the availability of “amenable clouds.”...more
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/gulf/2024/01/18/UAE-to-carry-out-hundreds-of-cloud-seeding-missions-in-2024-to-tackle-water-scarcity
Related:
A man walks through floodwater in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Wednesday, April 17, 2024. The desert nation of the United Arab Emirates attempted to dry out Wednesday from the heaviest rain ever recorded there after a deluge flooded out Dubai International Airport, disrupting the world’s busiest airfield for international travel. (AP Photo/Jon Gambrell)
A storm dumps record rain across the desert nation of UAE and floods Dubai’s airport
JON GAMBRELL, Associated Press | Apr 17, 2024
https://www.snntv.com/top-stories/ap-top-headlines/ap-storm-dumps-heaviest-rain-ever-recorded-in-desert-nation-of-uae-flooding-roads-and-dubais-airport/
Related DU POST:
Curious to learn more about Cloud Seeding.
https://www.democraticunderground.com/1127173390
1. Rwnj conspiracy theory - not being used over usa
Thu Apr 11, 2024, 06:33 PM
Has been tested, but not in use. Lots of science.
Lots of bs
2. This
Thu Apr 11, 2024, 06:45 PM
Sorry but thats as nutty as chemtrails.
Not saying it isnt worth experimenting with to slow climate change. If it hurt folksʻ breathing it would not be happening and I have no evidence it is in use.
The right embracing the idea that the govt wants to kill our own people is a mystery to me.
Collect taxes to pay for your existence.
Step 1- kill your taxpayers
Step 2-
Step 3- profit!
Hoping the PT continues to go well. They make such a positive difference!
Looks like the DU Experts on Cloud Seeding were, once again, full of S(omething).
UAE to carry out hundreds of cloud-seeding missions in 2024 to tackle water scarcity
Hygroscopic flares are released during a cloud seeding flight operated by the National Center of Meteorology, between Al Ain and Al Hayer in UAE, on August 24, 2022. (Reuters)
UAE to carry out hundreds of cloud-seeding missions in 2024 to tackle water scarcity
From shooting hygroscopic salt flares into the clouds to deploying unmanned aerial vehicles, the country uses a variety of methods to force rainfall and thereby ensure water security
Jennifer Bell | Al Arabiya English | 18 January 2024
Meteorological experts are expected to carry out as many as 300 cloud-seeding missions across the United Arab Emirates in 2024 to encourage rainfall and tackle water scarcity.
The UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science – National Center of Meteorology (UAEREP-NCM) – the task force behind the country’s cloud-seeding program – told Al Arabiya English that the UAE, located in one of the hottest and most arid regions on earth, has been leading the effort to seed clouds and increase precipitation for more than 23 years.
In the UAE, the confluence of climate change impacts and a burgeoning population has intensified the pressure on water resources. This escalating demand has propelled the UAE, traditionally dependent on desalination plants utilizing seawater, into a critical juncture.
Rising global temperatures and shifting weather patterns have exacerbated water scarcity issues, placing additional strain on the UAE's already limited freshwater sources. As the population continues to grow, the urgency to address the mounting water demands has become more pronounced.
“The UAE carries out nearly 300 cloud-seeding missions each year, and the frequency can vary based on factors such as weather patterns, cloud availability, and climatic conditions,” an NCM official told Al Arabiya English, adding a “roughly” similar number of missions is likely to be carried out in 2024, depending on the availability of “amenable clouds.”...more
https://english.alarabiya.net/News/gulf/2024/01/18/UAE-to-carry-out-hundreds-of-cloud-seeding-missions-in-2024-to-tackle-water-scarcity
Related:
A man walks through floodwater in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Wednesday, April 17, 2024. The desert nation of the United Arab Emirates attempted to dry out Wednesday from the heaviest rain ever recorded there after a deluge flooded out Dubai International Airport, disrupting the world’s busiest airfield for international travel. (AP Photo/Jon Gambrell)
A storm dumps record rain across the desert nation of UAE and floods Dubai’s airport
JON GAMBRELL, Associated Press | Apr 17, 2024
https://www.snntv.com/top-stories/ap-top-headlines/ap-storm-dumps-heaviest-rain-ever-recorded-in-desert-nation-of-uae-flooding-roads-and-dubais-airport/
Related DU POST:
Curious to learn more about Cloud Seeding.
https://www.democraticunderground.com/1127173390
1. Rwnj conspiracy theory - not being used over usa
Thu Apr 11, 2024, 06:33 PM
Has been tested, but not in use. Lots of science.
Lots of bs
2. This
Thu Apr 11, 2024, 06:45 PM
Sorry but thats as nutty as chemtrails.
Not saying it isnt worth experimenting with to slow climate change. If it hurt folksʻ breathing it would not be happening and I have no evidence it is in use.
The right embracing the idea that the govt wants to kill our own people is a mystery to me.
Collect taxes to pay for your existence.
Step 1- kill your taxpayers
Step 2-
Step 3- profit!
Hoping the PT continues to go well. They make such a positive difference!
Looks like the DU Experts on Cloud Seeding were, once again, full of S(omething).
April 16, 2024
CSX debuts its first hydrogen-fuel cell locomotive
Trains.com | Bill Stephens | April 16, 2024
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – CSX today debuted its first hydrogen fuel-cell locomotive, which was converted from a conventional four-axle unit using a conversion kit supplied by Canadian Pacific Kansas City.
The locomotive, No. 2100, was built at CSX’s Huntington Locomotive Shop in West Virginia, which will handle hydrogen fuel cell conversions under a partnership with CPKC.
“The successful debut of our first hydrogen-powered locomotive stands as a testament to the exceptional skill and dedication of our employees at the CSX Huntington locomotive shop,” CEO Joe Hinrichs said in a statement. “CSX’s commitment to sustainability in our operations is exemplified by the outstanding efforts of these employees, who, through their craftsmanship, are helping advance our collaboration with CPKC. We are proud to work with CPKC to scale this hydrogen technology and help pave the way for meaningful sustainable solutions for the future.”
The 2100 conversion reused several components, including the frame, cab, traction, motors, and trucks from the original EMD diesel-electric locomotive.
The locomotive made its debut less than 12 months after CSX and CPKC announced their collaboration last summer [see “CPKC and CSX team up …,” Trains News Wire, June 22, 2023]. CPKC has two low-horsepower hydrogen fuel cell locomotives in service, and has plans to test a high-horsepower, six-axle unit in revenue coal service this year in British Columbia. The road locomotive is currently undergoing testing, CPKC spokesman Patrick Waldron says...more
https://www.trains.com/trn/news-reviews/news-wire/csx-debuts-its-first-hydrogen-fuel-cell-locomotive/
RELATED:
H.E. Jeannette Baljeu, Regional Minister, Province of Zuid Holland Invites you to WorldHydrogen2024!
Apr 15, 2024
The landmark event in the industry’s calendar, World Hydrogen 2024 Summit & Exhibition, is the largest and most senior global hydrogen event and it returns to Rotterdam with its biggest edition yet!
Join us on 13-15 May 2024, at the Rotterdam Ahoy.
More here: https://www.world-hydrogen-summit.com/
CSX debuts its first hydrogen-fuel cell locomotive. Switcher converted to hydrogen power at the railroad's shop in W. VA
CSX debuts its first hydrogen-fuel cell locomotive
Trains.com | Bill Stephens | April 16, 2024
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – CSX today debuted its first hydrogen fuel-cell locomotive, which was converted from a conventional four-axle unit using a conversion kit supplied by Canadian Pacific Kansas City.
The locomotive, No. 2100, was built at CSX’s Huntington Locomotive Shop in West Virginia, which will handle hydrogen fuel cell conversions under a partnership with CPKC.
“The successful debut of our first hydrogen-powered locomotive stands as a testament to the exceptional skill and dedication of our employees at the CSX Huntington locomotive shop,” CEO Joe Hinrichs said in a statement. “CSX’s commitment to sustainability in our operations is exemplified by the outstanding efforts of these employees, who, through their craftsmanship, are helping advance our collaboration with CPKC. We are proud to work with CPKC to scale this hydrogen technology and help pave the way for meaningful sustainable solutions for the future.”
The 2100 conversion reused several components, including the frame, cab, traction, motors, and trucks from the original EMD diesel-electric locomotive.
The locomotive made its debut less than 12 months after CSX and CPKC announced their collaboration last summer [see “CPKC and CSX team up …,” Trains News Wire, June 22, 2023]. CPKC has two low-horsepower hydrogen fuel cell locomotives in service, and has plans to test a high-horsepower, six-axle unit in revenue coal service this year in British Columbia. The road locomotive is currently undergoing testing, CPKC spokesman Patrick Waldron says...more
https://www.trains.com/trn/news-reviews/news-wire/csx-debuts-its-first-hydrogen-fuel-cell-locomotive/
RELATED:
H.E. Jeannette Baljeu, Regional Minister, Province of Zuid Holland Invites you to WorldHydrogen2024!
Apr 15, 2024
The landmark event in the industry’s calendar, World Hydrogen 2024 Summit & Exhibition, is the largest and most senior global hydrogen event and it returns to Rotterdam with its biggest edition yet!
Join us on 13-15 May 2024, at the Rotterdam Ahoy.
More here: https://www.world-hydrogen-summit.com/
April 14, 2024
The Toxic Culture at Tesla
The factory floors at America’s top seller of electric vehicles are rife with racial harassment, sexual abuse, and injuries on the job.
The Nation | BRYCE COVERT | April 9, 2024
The end of 2020 was drawing near, and Andrea Turley, a 36-year-old self-employed hairdresser, had to figure out how to afford gifts not only for her two daughters’ birthdays but also for Christmas. She came up with a solution: a job working on the floor of Tesla’s auto manufacturing facility in Fremont, California. It paid about $20 an hour.
Turley’s grandparents had worked at the same plant when it made cars for General Motors. She knew what working on an assembly line would entail and hoped to stay; her grandparents had worked there for decades. “I don’t have a problem with doing hard labor,” she told me.
“The problem was the sexual harassment. It was the racism,” she said. “It’s the constant disrespect.”
On her second day of training, Turley noticed the phrase “Black bitches need to go home” written on the bathroom walls. Once she started working on the line, she heard her white male lead—the person who supervised her on the floor—use the N-word and other racial slurs like “coon,” according to a legal complaint she filed later. He also frequently used the words “bitch” and “cunt.” He “used just about every awful and offensive word I can think of,” Turley said in the filing. It wasn’t just him; other white coworkers also often used the N-word around her and her fellow Black coworkers. She frequently saw the word “bitch” written on the bathroom walls alongside the N-word and “KKK.”
Turley likes to wear layers, dressing like a “tomboy,” she said. Her lead and another coworker started making comments about her being gay, harassing her for her appearance.
Turley had never experienced anything like it at a workplace before. “Never,” she said. In her filing, she wrote: “Every day that I had to show up to work was difficult for me; it was hard to walk into the factory knowing the treatment that I was going to face.” In late December 2020, she sent Tesla’s human resources department a complaint laying out her lead’s racial and sexual harassment. The company didn’t address the issue, she said...more
https://www.thenation.com/article/society/tesla-racism-sexual-harassment/
ALT: https://archive.is/uWOuC
Exposed to the elements: In Fremont, California, Tesla has erected production tents outside of its main plant; workers say Black employees are disproportionately assigned to work there. (Bloomberg / Getty Images)
Elon, demonstrating his usual deference to Authorities, this time to the Securities and Exchange Commission in 2020
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1278764736876773383
A Clown Show! Helps to remember that this repulsive persons grandchildren's grandchildren's kids won't ever have to lift a middle finger their entire lives. 200+ BILLION $ extracted from an economy spiraling into the gutter. Yet he's somehow allowed to release something he calls "Full Self Driving" (that doesn't exist anywhere on the planet yet) into the public, while government agencies look the other way.
The Toxic Culture at Tesla -"rife with racial harassment, sexual abuse, and injuries on the job." - The Nation
The Toxic Culture at Tesla
The factory floors at America’s top seller of electric vehicles are rife with racial harassment, sexual abuse, and injuries on the job.
The Nation | BRYCE COVERT | April 9, 2024
The end of 2020 was drawing near, and Andrea Turley, a 36-year-old self-employed hairdresser, had to figure out how to afford gifts not only for her two daughters’ birthdays but also for Christmas. She came up with a solution: a job working on the floor of Tesla’s auto manufacturing facility in Fremont, California. It paid about $20 an hour.
Turley’s grandparents had worked at the same plant when it made cars for General Motors. She knew what working on an assembly line would entail and hoped to stay; her grandparents had worked there for decades. “I don’t have a problem with doing hard labor,” she told me.
“The problem was the sexual harassment. It was the racism,” she said. “It’s the constant disrespect.”
On her second day of training, Turley noticed the phrase “Black bitches need to go home” written on the bathroom walls. Once she started working on the line, she heard her white male lead—the person who supervised her on the floor—use the N-word and other racial slurs like “coon,” according to a legal complaint she filed later. He also frequently used the words “bitch” and “cunt.” He “used just about every awful and offensive word I can think of,” Turley said in the filing. It wasn’t just him; other white coworkers also often used the N-word around her and her fellow Black coworkers. She frequently saw the word “bitch” written on the bathroom walls alongside the N-word and “KKK.”
Turley likes to wear layers, dressing like a “tomboy,” she said. Her lead and another coworker started making comments about her being gay, harassing her for her appearance.
Turley had never experienced anything like it at a workplace before. “Never,” she said. In her filing, she wrote: “Every day that I had to show up to work was difficult for me; it was hard to walk into the factory knowing the treatment that I was going to face.” In late December 2020, she sent Tesla’s human resources department a complaint laying out her lead’s racial and sexual harassment. The company didn’t address the issue, she said...more
https://www.thenation.com/article/society/tesla-racism-sexual-harassment/
ALT: https://archive.is/uWOuC
Exposed to the elements: In Fremont, California, Tesla has erected production tents outside of its main plant; workers say Black employees are disproportionately assigned to work there. (Bloomberg / Getty Images)
Elon, demonstrating his usual deference to Authorities, this time to the Securities and Exchange Commission in 2020
https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1278764736876773383
A Clown Show!
Helps to remember that this repulsive persons grandchildren's grandchildren's kids won't ever have to lift a middle finger their entire lives. 200+ BILLION $ extracted from an economy spiraling into the gutter. Yet he's somehow allowed to release something he calls "Full Self Driving" (that doesn't exist anywhere on the planet yet) into the public, while government agencies look the other way.
April 10, 2024
Yellen Junks 200 Years of Economics to Block China Clean Tech
The Treasury secretary’s plan is a protectionist disaster that will impede the path to net zero.
David Fickling | Bloomberg | April 8, 2024
Imagine if a Chinese company announced plans to build the biggest electric-vehicle battery factory the world had ever seen.
Up to $5 billion would be spent on a single plant to manufacture more power packs every 12 months than the world produced last year. The sprawling facility might cover 1.5 square miles (4 square kilometers), employ an army of 6,500 people, and drive costs down 30%, devastating any competitors that failed to keep pace. The company in question, furthermore, had racked up more than $1 billion of losses over the past seven years, and would post another $5 billion over the coming seven.
Does that sound like the definition of predatory overcapacity, hollowing out the world’s manufacturing sector in the service of aggressive Chinese mercantilism? If so, it’s worth considering that the facility we’re talking about is how Elon Musk pitched Tesla Inc.’s Gigafactory One, a half-hour drive east of Reno, Nevada, when he first announced it 10 years ago.
That should be a consideration for Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, who is visiting China in an attempt to persuade the government and companies that their investments in clean technology are excessive and damaging.
“Government support is currently leading to production capacity that significantly exceeds China’s domestic demand, as well as what the global market can bear,” Yellen said in a speech to the American Chamber of Commerce in Guangzhou. That excess is building in “solar, EVs, and lithium-ion batteries,” she said last month at a US solar plant...more
https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2024-04-08/yellen-junks-200-years-of-economics-to-block-china-clean-tech
alt: https://archive.ph/rNjfZ
"Free Trade" For ME but NONE for THEE!
Yellen:
But we were all told that we MUST give our jobs to China!
RELATED:
Janet Yellen has told Sky News the United States can "certainly" afford to support wars on two fronts
Yellen Junks 200 Years of Economics to Block China Clean Tech - "a protectionist disaster" - Bloomberg
Yellen Junks 200 Years of Economics to Block China Clean Tech
The Treasury secretary’s plan is a protectionist disaster that will impede the path to net zero.
David Fickling | Bloomberg | April 8, 2024
Imagine if a Chinese company announced plans to build the biggest electric-vehicle battery factory the world had ever seen.
Up to $5 billion would be spent on a single plant to manufacture more power packs every 12 months than the world produced last year. The sprawling facility might cover 1.5 square miles (4 square kilometers), employ an army of 6,500 people, and drive costs down 30%, devastating any competitors that failed to keep pace. The company in question, furthermore, had racked up more than $1 billion of losses over the past seven years, and would post another $5 billion over the coming seven.
Does that sound like the definition of predatory overcapacity, hollowing out the world’s manufacturing sector in the service of aggressive Chinese mercantilism? If so, it’s worth considering that the facility we’re talking about is how Elon Musk pitched Tesla Inc.’s Gigafactory One, a half-hour drive east of Reno, Nevada, when he first announced it 10 years ago.
That should be a consideration for Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, who is visiting China in an attempt to persuade the government and companies that their investments in clean technology are excessive and damaging.
“Government support is currently leading to production capacity that significantly exceeds China’s domestic demand, as well as what the global market can bear,” Yellen said in a speech to the American Chamber of Commerce in Guangzhou. That excess is building in “solar, EVs, and lithium-ion batteries,” she said last month at a US solar plant...more
https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2024-04-08/yellen-junks-200-years-of-economics-to-block-china-clean-tech
alt: https://archive.ph/rNjfZ
"Free Trade" For ME but NONE for THEE!
Yellen:
But we were all told that we MUST give our jobs to China!
RELATED:
Janet Yellen has told Sky News the United States can "certainly" afford to support wars on two fronts
April 10, 2024
Stadler’s Flirt H2 hydrogen fuel cell train achieves Guinness World Record
The train traveled 1,741.7 miles for over 46 hours on one tank filling.
Christian Hinton | April 9, 2024
Stadler revealed that its Flirt H2 has been entered into the Guinness World Records database for the longest distance of 1,741.7 miles achieved by a pilot hydrogen fuel cell electric multiple unit passenger train without refueling or recharging. Stadler introduced the Flirt H2 to the public for the first time at InnoTrans 2022 in Berlin. The company said a significant number of detailed solutions were developed to integrate fuel cells and hydrogen storage systems into the modern Flirt commuter train product line. These solutions were tested first in Switzerland and more recently on a dedicated test ring in Colorado in the US.
“This world record establishes the ideal performance range of our hydrogen version of the Flirt Electric Multiple Unit, the Flirt H2,” Dr. Ansgar Brockmeyer, EVP of marketing and sales at Stadler, said. “This is a monumental achievement from our entire team and we are very proud to hold another record title.”
On March 20, the train set out for its first laps around the test track. The team of engineers from Stadler and ENSCO continued driving the vehicle in shifts throughout the night and the following day and concluded the successful attempt at 5.23 p.m. (MST) on March 22. The train traveled 1,741.7 miles for over 46 hours on one tank filling. The record attempt was made at the ENSCO test center in Pueblo, Colorado, where the vehicle had undergone its type test procedure. Detailed records before, during and after the world record attempt were kept to ensure precise and transparent evidence was established, Stadler said.
In December 2021, the Flirt Akku, the battery-powered Flirt model, set the world record for the longest journey with a battery multiple unit in pure battery mode, covering 224 kilometers (139 miles) in Germany...more
https://www.thebuzzevnews.com/flirt-h2-hydrogen-world-record/
https://www.stadlerrail.com/en/media/article/stadler%E2%80%99s-hydrogen-powered-train-flirt-h2-achieves-a-new-guinness-world-records-title/1656/
Stadler's Flirt H2 hydrogen FC train achieves Guinness World Record. Train traveled 1,741 m for over 46 hours on 1 tank
Stadler’s Flirt H2 hydrogen fuel cell train achieves Guinness World Record
The train traveled 1,741.7 miles for over 46 hours on one tank filling.
Christian Hinton | April 9, 2024
Stadler revealed that its Flirt H2 has been entered into the Guinness World Records database for the longest distance of 1,741.7 miles achieved by a pilot hydrogen fuel cell electric multiple unit passenger train without refueling or recharging. Stadler introduced the Flirt H2 to the public for the first time at InnoTrans 2022 in Berlin. The company said a significant number of detailed solutions were developed to integrate fuel cells and hydrogen storage systems into the modern Flirt commuter train product line. These solutions were tested first in Switzerland and more recently on a dedicated test ring in Colorado in the US.
“This world record establishes the ideal performance range of our hydrogen version of the Flirt Electric Multiple Unit, the Flirt H2,” Dr. Ansgar Brockmeyer, EVP of marketing and sales at Stadler, said. “This is a monumental achievement from our entire team and we are very proud to hold another record title.”
On March 20, the train set out for its first laps around the test track. The team of engineers from Stadler and ENSCO continued driving the vehicle in shifts throughout the night and the following day and concluded the successful attempt at 5.23 p.m. (MST) on March 22. The train traveled 1,741.7 miles for over 46 hours on one tank filling. The record attempt was made at the ENSCO test center in Pueblo, Colorado, where the vehicle had undergone its type test procedure. Detailed records before, during and after the world record attempt were kept to ensure precise and transparent evidence was established, Stadler said.
In December 2021, the Flirt Akku, the battery-powered Flirt model, set the world record for the longest journey with a battery multiple unit in pure battery mode, covering 224 kilometers (139 miles) in Germany...more
https://www.thebuzzevnews.com/flirt-h2-hydrogen-world-record/
https://www.stadlerrail.com/en/media/article/stadler%E2%80%99s-hydrogen-powered-train-flirt-h2-achieves-a-new-guinness-world-records-title/1656/
April 8, 2024
r/CyberStuck
Tesla's Cybertrucks were 'rushed out,' are malfunctioning at astounding rate
Source: NY Post
Tesla’s long-delayed — and pricey — Cybertrucks are getting panned by furious owners for malfunctioning at an alarming rate just months after Elon Musk’s futuristic vehicle hit the road.
Tales of the stainless steel Cybertrucks dying after traveling just 1 mile, randomly hard-braking on a wide-open road and already showing rust spots, among other gripes, were shared in the Tesla Owners’ Club forum.
In a thread titled “Worst delivery in my life (truck died in 5 minutes),” a Southern California-based owner wrote that after taking his truck for a spin the same day it was delivered last month, the vehicle “made it 1 mile down road, started getting steering error, flashing red screen, pulled off side of highway now the truck is dead and I’m waiting for a tow truck.”
“Dealer couldn’t do anything for me. It was great for 5 minutes. Tried everything, restarting, screen is stuck black and keeps beeping,” the user added in the thread, first reported on by automotive news site Jalopnik...more
Read more: https://nypost.com/2024/04/08/business/teslas-cybertrucks-were-rushed-out-are-malfunctioning-at-astounding-rate/
r/CyberStuck
April 8, 2024
Total cost of driving (TCD) parity and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions savings potential by MHDV class and market segment. (EV labels refer to EV range in miles. Mileage labels indicate the primary traveling distance of a given market segment.) Figure by Fred Zietz, NREL
Study Examines Cost Competitiveness of Zero-Emission Trucks
Tech Progress, Supportive Policies, and Infrastructure Investments Drive Down Costs and Spur Technology Adoption
April 3, 2024 | By Julia Thomas | NREL.gov
Medium- and heavy-duty vehicles (MHDVs) account for just 5% of vehicles on the road in the United States, yet they are responsible for 21% of transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions. Reducing MHDV emissions is vital to mitigating the effects of climate change and improving air quality. Zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs)—such as battery electric vehicles (EVs) and hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs)—offer a solution.
While projecting future technology adoption is complex and many factors influence consumer decisions, economics play a key role in choosing technologies for commercial vehicle applications. A recent study by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) explored how the total cost of driving for zero-emission and diesel MHDVs could evolve over time under different scenarios, from the present day to 2050.
"With continued improvements in vehicles and fuels, ZEVs are rapidly becoming commercially viable, potentially reaching total cost of driving parity or better compared to diesel vehicles by 2035 in all market segments," said NREL's Catherine Ledna, a decision support analyst who led the study.
A full transition to ZEV sales by 2035 would result in a 65% reduction in emissions by 2050 compared to 2019. Incentives such as the zero-emission MHDV purchase tax credits made possible via the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) further accelerate total cost of driving competitiveness and spur emissions reductions up to 70%...more
https://www.nrel.gov/news/program/2024/study-examines-cost-competitiveness-of-zero-emission-trucks.html
Perhaps this is why companies like Daimler and Volvo are continuing on with hydrogen trucks. Fact: It will take more than just Li-Ion batteries to green up transportation.
Study Examines Cost Competitiveness of Zero-Emission Trucks - NREL.gov
Total cost of driving (TCD) parity and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions savings potential by MHDV class and market segment. (EV labels refer to EV range in miles. Mileage labels indicate the primary traveling distance of a given market segment.) Figure by Fred Zietz, NREL
Study Examines Cost Competitiveness of Zero-Emission Trucks
Tech Progress, Supportive Policies, and Infrastructure Investments Drive Down Costs and Spur Technology Adoption
April 3, 2024 | By Julia Thomas | NREL.gov
Medium- and heavy-duty vehicles (MHDVs) account for just 5% of vehicles on the road in the United States, yet they are responsible for 21% of transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions. Reducing MHDV emissions is vital to mitigating the effects of climate change and improving air quality. Zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs)—such as battery electric vehicles (EVs) and hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs)—offer a solution.
While projecting future technology adoption is complex and many factors influence consumer decisions, economics play a key role in choosing technologies for commercial vehicle applications. A recent study by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) explored how the total cost of driving for zero-emission and diesel MHDVs could evolve over time under different scenarios, from the present day to 2050.
"With continued improvements in vehicles and fuels, ZEVs are rapidly becoming commercially viable, potentially reaching total cost of driving parity or better compared to diesel vehicles by 2035 in all market segments," said NREL's Catherine Ledna, a decision support analyst who led the study.
A full transition to ZEV sales by 2035 would result in a 65% reduction in emissions by 2050 compared to 2019. Incentives such as the zero-emission MHDV purchase tax credits made possible via the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) further accelerate total cost of driving competitiveness and spur emissions reductions up to 70%...more
https://www.nrel.gov/news/program/2024/study-examines-cost-competitiveness-of-zero-emission-trucks.html
Perhaps this is why companies like Daimler and Volvo are continuing on with hydrogen trucks. Fact: It will take more than just Li-Ion batteries to green up transportation.
April 7, 2024
Scientific American | CORBIN HIAR & E&E NEWS | APRIL 4, 2024
CLIMATEWIRE | The nation's first outdoor test to limit global warming by increasing cloud cover launched Tuesday from the deck of a decommissioned aircraft carrier in the San Francisco Bay.
The experiment, which organizers didn't widely announce to avoid public backlash, marks the acceleration of a contentious field of research known as solar radiation modification. The concept involves shooting substances such as aerosols into the sky to reflect sunlight away from the Earth.
The move led by researchers at the University of Washington has renewed questions about how to effectively and ethically study promising climate technologies that could also harm communities and ecosystems in unexpected ways. The experiment is spraying microscopic salt particles into the air, and the secrecy surrounding its timing caught even some experts off guard.
"Since this experiment was kept under wraps until the test started, we are eager to see how public engagement is being planned and who will be involved," said Shuchi Talati, the executive director of the Alliance for Just Deliberation on Solar Geoengineering, a nonprofit that seeks to include developing countries in decisions about solar modification, also known as geoengineering.
"While it complies with all current regulatory requirements, there is a clear need to reexamine what a strong regulatory framework must look like in a world where [solar radiation modification] experimentation is happening," she added...more
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/geoengineering-test-quietly-launches-salt-crystals-into-atmosphere/
https://twitter.com/disclosetv/status/1776677294565630048
What else is "under wraps" to "avoid public backlash" ??
Geoengineering Test Quietly Launches Salt Crystals into Atmosphere - Scientific American
Scientific American | CORBIN HIAR & E&E NEWS | APRIL 4, 2024
CLIMATEWIRE | The nation's first outdoor test to limit global warming by increasing cloud cover launched Tuesday from the deck of a decommissioned aircraft carrier in the San Francisco Bay.
The experiment, which organizers didn't widely announce to avoid public backlash, marks the acceleration of a contentious field of research known as solar radiation modification. The concept involves shooting substances such as aerosols into the sky to reflect sunlight away from the Earth.
The move led by researchers at the University of Washington has renewed questions about how to effectively and ethically study promising climate technologies that could also harm communities and ecosystems in unexpected ways. The experiment is spraying microscopic salt particles into the air, and the secrecy surrounding its timing caught even some experts off guard.
"Since this experiment was kept under wraps until the test started, we are eager to see how public engagement is being planned and who will be involved," said Shuchi Talati, the executive director of the Alliance for Just Deliberation on Solar Geoengineering, a nonprofit that seeks to include developing countries in decisions about solar modification, also known as geoengineering.
"While it complies with all current regulatory requirements, there is a clear need to reexamine what a strong regulatory framework must look like in a world where [solar radiation modification] experimentation is happening," she added...more
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/geoengineering-test-quietly-launches-salt-crystals-into-atmosphere/
https://twitter.com/disclosetv/status/1776677294565630048
What else is "under wraps" to "avoid public backlash" ??
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