Every day is Earth Day, celebration 2025 is today

 

Solar power economics

Never give up

Lithium-free battery

Killer whales (for real)

For 45 minutes, the crew of the Grazie Mamma felt like they were under attack from below. A pod of orcas had zeroed in on the yacht's rudder as it made its way through the Strait of Gibraltar last week, and rammed it repeatedly, "causing major damage and leakage," according to the company that operated the boat.

Rescuers were able to save the crew and return them safely to port in Tanger-Med on the coast of Morocco. Their vessel, though, sank into the sea.

[...]

Last week's incident was the latest in a string of recent "attacks" by orcas in the waters separating southern Europe and northern Africa — encounters that have left researchers scratching their heads.

  NPR

Perhaps they understand the threat men pose to their habitat and the planet.

Buildings kill birds

At least 1,000 birds died from colliding into a single building in Chicago on Thursday, 5 October, as they migrated south to their wintering grounds. Volunteers are still recovering bird carcasses within 1.5 miles of McCormick Place, the largest convention center in North America, which is largely covered with glass.

  Guardian

Windmills and buildings. Will Trump have anything to say about this?

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.

We're bleeding her dry

Humans are essentially parasites.

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.

The quiet part out loud

A group of GOP Wyoming state lawmakers want to end electric vehicle sales there by 2035, saying the move will help safeguard the oil and gas industries.

  The Hill

Gee, I wonder who funds these lawmakers. At least they're being honest about it, I guess. JFC.

The bill states that citizens and industries would be encouraged not to purchase electric vehicles before the ban goes into effect.

[...]

The legislation said that adding new power charging stations would require “massive” amounts of new power to “sustain the misadventure of electric vehicles.”

MAGA.

GOP, always keeping step with the times.

Fifteen other states, meanwhile, including New York and California, have moved to ban gas-powered vehicle sales. The last clause of the bill instructs Wyoming’s secretary of state to send a copy of the bill to the California governor, who has backed his state’s ban on gas-powered vehicles throughout his governorship.

I'm sure he'll appreciate it. ...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.

As the world burns

Europe has joined the US and Australia in widespread forest fires.

UPDATE:

UPDATE 7/19:

Even Alaska.

Alaska has seen more than 500 forest fires since the beginning of April, which have forced the evacuation of mining camps, villages, and remote cabins.

By 15 June, more than 1m acres (405,000 hectares) in the state had already gone up in flames, about the amount of acres that would normally burn in an entire fire season. By mid July, more than 3m acres of land had been torched, putting the state at risk of breaking its 2004 record of 6.5m acres (2.6m hectares) burned.

Today 264 individual fires are burning across the state.

  Guardians

3D-printed community

The world’s first community of 3D-printed zero net energy homes is set to be built in the desert of California’s Coachella Valley.

Sustainable real estate development group Palari has joined forces with construction tech company Mighty Buildings on a $15 million development deal to build a community of 15 3D-printed, eco-friendly homes on a five-acre parcel of land in Rancho Mirage, Calif. — an upscale community near Palm Springs.

[...]

Mighty Buildings says it can manufacture homes twice as quickly with 95 percent less labor hours and ten times less waste than conventional construction with its process.

[...]

The 1,450-square foot, single-story homes will feature a mid-century modern style and have three bedrooms and two bathrooms, along with the option of a secondary residence on the 10,000-square foot property of two bedrooms and one bath.

Each property will have a swimming pool with options for amenities such as cabanas, hot tubs, fire pits and outdoor showers.

All energy needs will be supplied by solar power, and owners will have the option to install Tesla Powerwall batteries and electric vehicle chargers for a “fully integrated electric car-home experience.”

Prices start at $595,000 for a base model and go up to $950,000.

  The Hill

There's a video clip in the article of the homes being "printed".