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.
Electric vehicles are enjoyable and fast to drive, with the added benefit of no tailpipe exhaust or carbon pollution. However, driving them in cross-country or rural and remote areas can still be challenging. Forbes senior contributor Brad Templeton shares his experience driving and charging his Tesla Model 3 through the “loneliest road in America” – a rural route in Utah. Even on a route like this, he writes, he was able to keep his car charged up, although it required planning and sticking to the plan with a few compromises. Templeton believes that it won’t take long to make such travel much easier, possibly by the time you take a similar trip in an electric vehicle.
You can read about his whole experience here.
The Big Read
How To Build A Climate-Friendly Skyscraper: Start Small. Petri-Dish Small.
Prometheus Materials has come up with a solution for replacing one of the biggest contributors of greenhouse gases. The company has received financial backing from Microsoft and has an aggressive plan to scale up quickly.
Read more here.
Discoveries And Innovations
Researchers at Rice University have discovered a way to produce hydrogen and graphene from plastic waste. This process could potentially pay for itself.
According to a report from NOAA, this year has seen the highest number of billion-dollar climate disasters in the U.S. Experts warn that extreme events are likely to become more frequent and intense due to human-driven climate change.
Scientists have found an ancient plant protein that could be reintroduced into modern crops to help them better endure high temperatures.
A study released on Tuesday warns that the increasing frequency of droughts, heatwaves, storms, and floods is threatening both the availability and quality of water worldwide. This heightens concerns about climate change’s severe impact on human health.
Nespresso has launched a new line of coffee pods that are compostable and biodegradable.
Sesame Solar and Watergen have joined forces to develop mobile microgrids capable of providing power and drinking water to areas in need.
The Big Transportation Story
Musk’s Cybertruck Is Almost Here. But Will Anyone Buy The ‘Ludicrous’ Vehicle?
Elon Musk’s vision for Tesla in a 2006 manifesto thrilled environmentalists. His plan involved fighting carbon pollution with electric vehicles, starting with a pricey open-top sports car and then shifting to affordable family models – ideally powered by the sun. However, seventeen years later, his pitch for the big, blocky Cybertruck, which is expected to go on sale soon, has nothing to do with the climate crisis. The electric reinterpretation of the pickup truck excites his fans, puzzles auto experts, and frustrates environmentalists.
Read more here.
Sustainability Deals Of The Week
Climate Investing: Galvanize Climate Solutions, a climate-focused investment firm, has closed its first venture and growth equity fund, raising a total of over $1 billion.
Broken Chargers: The Department of Transportation has announced a new $100 million fund aimed at fixing broken public EV chargers. However, it’s unclear if this will address the problem that has led to a high number of non-working chargers in the first place.
Solar Manufacturing: Solar power manufacturer Heliene has secured $170 million in debt and equity financing to expand its manufacturing capacity in the United States.
Graphene: Lyten, a company developing a superconducting form of graphene for use in batteries, materials, and other sensors, has raised a $200 million series B funding round led by Prime Movers Lab.
ESG Reporting: Optera, a developer of ESG and carbon management platforms, has raised $12 million in a series A funding round led by Next Frontier Capital.
Energy Management: FranklinWH Energy Storage, which specializes in battery storage solutions for homes, has raised $25 million in series B funding led by Particle Future.
EV Batteries: Gotion, a battery manufacturer for electric vehicles, has selected Illinois as the location for its new $2 billion lithium battery plant.
What Else We’re Reading This Week
Tesla reinvents carmaking with quiet breakthrough (Reuters)
Elon Musk’s Tesla Diner Is Closer To Becoming A Reality In Los Angeles (Secret Los Angeles)
U.S. EV share being driven by Tesla price cuts, registration data shows (Automotive News)
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