Tag: Climate

Clean Mail

Nearly a year after the USPS announced it would shift a sizable portion of its delivery fleet to electric vehicles, the first signs of this are coming to fruition. A few weeks ago in Atlanta there was a press event that showed chargers in the ground and showed off the new Ford E-Transit EV delivery van. Jennifer Mossalgue at Electrek has more. The US Postal Service showed off its first EV charging stations, and some spiffy new Ford E-Transit BEVs, at an event in Atlanta yesterday, with hundreds of new sorting and delivery centers set to open around the country…

Sustainable Ancient Roman Design

In an effort to ensure sustainability and reduce costs, invisible solar panels have been installed on ancient Roman ruins in Pompeii. Created by Dyaqua, the traditional PV tiles mimic materials like terracotta, stone, wood, concrete, and brick. This upgrade not only provides sustainable energy but also blends seamlessly into the historic site’s aesthetic, preserving its authenticity for millions of annual visitors.

Stamping Out Emissions

Slowly but surely, electric vehicles (EVs) are breaking through into the mainstream. As much as I hate to give credit to Lord Manchild, his company has been a difference-maker in this area. Now we’re seeing the government get involved here in the US. The United States Postal Service (USPS) is making strides toward electrifying its fleet of delivery vehicles, and it’s turning to Oshkosh and Ford to help make it happen. It announced plans to purchase over 100,000 electric delivery vehicles over the next decade. Mitchell Clark at The Verge has more. In an announcement post on Tuesday, the agency said it…

Patagonia Now Belongs to Planet Earth

When you have more money than you ever need in your lifetime, what do you do? Well, instead of trying to buy / not-buy / be forced to buy Twitter, or go to space, Yvon Chouinard has taken his company Patagonia and given it away. Valued at three billion dollars, the clothing company that has been a mainstay for decades will be transferred to a non-profit. Meera Navlakha at Mashable has more about how this was done. The Chouinards donated 2 percent of their voting stock to the specially created Patagonia Purpose Trust, which the Times reports will be overseen by family…

I’m Sorry Dave, You Cannot Turn Your Air Conditioning On

Smart home devices are great until they’re not. The earliest device to get smart and go mainstream is the thermostat, thanks to Nest. The device is sleek and easy to use. Over time many others have come to the market. But now we see the downside: a power company in Colorado locked out their customers from adjusting their thermostats during a heat wave. Justine Calma at The Verge has more. When the utility adjusts a customer’s thermostat, the customer typically has the option to opt-out. But, “On rare occasions, system emergencies may cause a control event that cannot be overridden,”…

Drought Reveals Ships

While we’re running head-first into a global climate crisis, we might as well unearth some interesting pieces of history. In Europe’s Danube River, the water level is so low, that WWII Nazi warships are resurfacing along with their thousands of onboard explosives. Dipo Faloyin at Vice has more. Twenty explosive-filled German warships have resurfaced after a historic drought pushed the waters of Europe’s second-longest river to its lowest levels in a century.  The sunken World War II warships, part of Nazi Germany’s Black Sea Fleet, were discovered along the Serbian stretch of the Danube River. The ships are believed to…

Cooking Gasless

Little by little, cities and towns across the US are enacting stricter regulations to help the environment. Sometimes they offer incentives to builders to construct better spaces. Rebates and tax credits are a big part as well for getting alternative energy into real use. On the opposite side is eliminating the use of machines and devices that pollute. New York City has come close to making that reality this past week. Emily Pontecorvo over at Grist has the details. The New York City Council voted to pass a bill on Wednesday that will address the Big Apple’s biggest source of…

Climate Crisis Forcing Businesses to Take Days Off

Massive and sustained heat waves across the US are some more of the signs that the Climate Crisis is officially upon us. It’s been so hot that businesses have been forced to close for a day or two so their employees don’t quit or die because of the heat. One restaurant in Portland, Oregon, told social media followers it closed Thursday “to keep you and our crew safe during this incredible heat wave.” A coffee shop in Tewksbury, Massachusetts, said it will be closed for a second day Friday because of the heat. A pizza place in Junction, Vermont, said it will remain closed Friday because…