🌍 Step into the eco-sphere with IE for the 1st issue of Sustainability

Welcome to Sustainability, a weekly newsletter from Interesting Engineering. As a science and tech publisher, we recognize the potential for disruption and innovation in our environment. From mindful tech that addresses climate change concerns to ingenious green advancements, Sustainability intends to inform, empower, and inspire you to reduce your carbon footprint.

With the world having crossed the climate threshold in June last year with global temperatures surpassing 1.5 degrees Celsius, it has never been more important to find substantiated solutions proposed by experts to combat climate consequences.

One example is 247Solar, a Virginia-based Solar energy company’s initiative to innovate a high-temperature concentrated solar power system that would provide industrial-grade heat around the clock using renewable resources. In other news, Voodin Blade Technology (Voodin) has installed the world’s first wooden wind turbine blades in Breuna, Germany. The blades were devised using laminated veneer lumber (LVL) standing at 63 feet (19.3 meters) to eliminate the inherent issues of manufacturing and disposing of their blades, thereby proposing a more sustainable alternative.

Scientists are devising new ways to reduce carbon footprint, especially in the cement industry, which accounts for roughly eight percent of global carbon emissions. One such new material that could help develop carbon-negative cement is olivine. It’s one of the few minerals available at a gigatonne scale worldwide, and it could make cement even stronger, more durable, and also sequester gas.

With that, I, Shubhangi Dua, your author for Sustainability, welcome you to the inaugural edition.

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NEWS

• 🛰️ Methane emissions from gas flaring being hidden from satellite monitors Satellite examination reveals equipment devised to reduce methane emissions in oil and gas is actually impeding scientists’s ability to detect greenhouse gasses and pollutants accurately.

• 🪵 ‘World’s first’ wooden wind turbine blades installed in Germany 63-foot long blades created using laminated veneer lumber (LVL) a wood-based laminate material, offers a sustainable alternative to conventional fiberglass and other synthetic composites.

• 🔋 Lithium-free sodium batteries exit the lab and enter US production The breakthrough sodium batteries by Natron Energy entered production, could replace lithium-ion batteries. They are known for faster cycling, longer lifespan, and safer, non-flammable end-use for stationary uses like data centers and EV charger backup storage.

• 🪨 Carbon-negative cement can be made with a mineral that helps catch CO2 Experts suggest olivine as a promising mineral to replace some of the usual clinker in cement production.

MUST READ

🔃 New high-temp solar power system supplies energy to industrial applications 24/7

247Solar, a firm founded by Bruce Anderson CEO and Emeritus David Gordon Wilson, late MIT professor is constructing a high-temperature concentrated solar power system equipped with overnight thermal energy storage abilities. This would provide round-the-clock power and industrial-grade heat. 

This initiative addresses the limitations of solar and wind power, for instance, its irregularity and inability to deliver the high temperatures required for industrial applications sustainably. The enterprise hopes to achieve complete decarbonization via 24/7 renewable energy alternatives for customers. This includes off-grid communities, mining operators, and governments, reducing their reliance on fossil fuels and diesel generators, which still prevail in industrial sectors.

According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), direct and indirect industrial greenhouse gas emissions accounted for 30 percent of total US GHG emissions in 2022, making it the second largest contributor to GHG emissions of any sector.

The new system uses heliostats–a field of sun-tracking mirrors that redirect sunlight to the top of a central tower. This tower comprises a specialized solar receiver that heats air to roughly 1,000 degrees Celsius under standard atmospheric pressure. Hot air powers the firms’ turbines, producing 400 kilowatts of electricity and 600 kilowatts of heat. Part of the hot air is also headed through a long-lasting thermal energy storage system, warming solid materials that have the potential to retain heat. This stored heat is later used to drive the turbines during periods of low or no sunlight. The CEO noted that the enterprise offers round-the-clock electricity as well as a combined heat and power option, with the ability to take heat up to 970 Celsius for use in industrial processes, making it a flexible system.

A huge utility is set to be deployed for the first time in India , and if it succeeds, it hopes to expand globally at an accelerating speed.

OTHER IMPORTANT UPDATES

• 🥵 European summers will be hotter than predicted because of cleaner air

• 🪸 Great Barrier Reef is ‘on fire’, so are coral reefs around the world

• 🐝 Baby bumblebees are dying in nests and climate change is to blame

• 🌊 Worsening weather is igniting a $25 billion market

• ⛽️ Texas enters peak season for power output and emissions

Act to shrink carbon footprint

Though some may find it daunting to make sustainable changes in today’s socio-economic climate, it’s crucial to act now so the future can be safeguarded. Here are some resources to help you:

1. Transition to sustainable operations legally: Bird & Bird, an international law firm, has just introduced a new tool – ESG Navigator. This tool suggests simple ESG directives with legal ramifications aiming to help mitigate risks while planning strategically. The firm says the tool aims to provide a quick preliminary self-assessment of whether ESG legislation might apply to your organization and should be used only for general information purposes.

2. Beware of greenwashing traps: A report by Planet Tracker highlighted six shades of green that companies are employing to appear more eco-friendly–Greencrowding, Greenlighting, Greenshifting, Greenlabeling, Greenrinsing, and Greenhushing. It’s important to understand this to avoid wasted efforts over misleading practices and instead contribute to something that is verifiably sustainable. 

3. Invest in renewable energy: The United Nations, as part of its Sustainable Developmental Goals, is urging people to change their source of energy at home from coal/gas/oil to renewable sources such as as solar panels. This can reduce one’s carbon footprint by up to 1.5 tons of CO2e per year.