Volume 7, Issue 1
February 17, 2018 – February 23, 2019
Neha Chauhan '21 | Joseph Kawalec '21 | Amy Amatya '21 | Patrick Huang ‘21
Fighting Climate Change May be Easier Than We Think
February 12, 2019 | CNN | Geoffrey Heal
Green New Deal Must Grow Up Fast To Influence Bills Congress is Already Writing
February 12, 2019 | Forbes | Paul Bledsoe
Last week, Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) introduced the officialGreen New Deal, which proposes to address both environmental issues and economic inequality through long-term investment in a number of areas. The proposal includes hefty increases in U.S. research and development funding and an ambitious zero-emissions electricity standard. It comes amid increasingly bleak findings on climate change, such as a recent report that the oceans are warming 40% faster than previously thought. The Green New Deal aims for a complete withdrawal from fossil fuel use in just a decade. The current version would require an investment of about $1.1 trillion dollars and is unlikely to pass muster in Congress. Nonetheless, the proposal has caused a stir and could have lasting implications for future energy policy in the U.S. -AA, JK
BP's vision of the near future sees renewable power and natural gas dominating energy
February 14, 2019 | CNBC | Tom DiChristopher
In a report from last Thursday, the oil and gas giant BP laid out a not-so-far away future where renewable energy is the world’s dominant energy source, most cars are electric, and OPEC reaches its peak. The company predicts that the world’s energy demand will surge until the 2040s with continuing population growth. According to the report, most of this demand will be met by a combination of natural gas and renewable energy, the latter of which will penetrate the grid at a “faster pace than any fuel throughout the course of human history.” BP also says that, despite an anticipated plateau, industry will need to keep investing in oil as consumption peaks. The report is as much an acknowledgement of the growing force of renewable energy as BP's latest effort to ease into a future where fossil fuels inevitably become obsolete. -AA
Salt Is A Pillar Of Our Nuclear Future
February 14, 2019 | Forbes | James Conca
In the next ten years, a Canadian energy company by the name of Terrestrial Energy Inc. (TEI) is planning to deploy a new and innovative approach to designing nuclear reactors. Their new Integral Molten Salt Reactor (IMSR) design would use molten salt to both carry fuel and cool the system, operating with relative simplicity. Also, by dissolving the uranium in molten salt, the reactor can work at low pressure and avoid dealing with many potentially problematic technical and chemical considerations. TEI is working with a variety of CEOs from the nuclear energy industry to work through the research and development of this project. Some of these professionals include Michael Rencheck of Bruce Power and David Harris of Kinectrics. The appeal of the new reactor is in its being cheaper than coal and small enough to allow for relatively quick construction, among other advantages over different forms of energy. Overall, the economic feasibility of this advanced nuclear reactor makes it a viable option and adds credibility to the growth of the nuclear energy field in the future. -JK
One-Pedal Driving in Electric Cars
February 16, 2019 | The Economist
The use of motors that are able to operate in reverse has risen. These motors are distinct from those found in cars that have a traditional braking system because they recover the kinetic energy of the vehicle and produce a braking effect. These regenerative brakes can significantly increase the range of an electric or hybrid car: 30% of Audi’s e-tron SUV’s range is attributed to this technology. With the Nissan Leaf, a single ePedal allows drivers to either accelerate and/or apply regenerative braking depending on the force they apply. Regenerative braking can not only increase the efficiency of each charge for electric and hybrid cars, but also open up possibilities for sensors to be implemented that determine how the vehicle should be braked. When applied, these brakes can be both an energy and life saver. -PH