[GWSG] Geothermal sunrise?; evacuating Miami?; octopus tracing; CH4 leak finders; EVs for health; what a battery

[Tilley, Al]

1. The oil and gas industry, with its experience in drilling and fracking, is turning its attention to geothermal energy, which they could render much cheaper and more available. https://climatecrocks.com/2023/02/03/geothermal-coming-to-hot-rocks-near-you-sooner-than-you-think/

2. The Nation is running pro and con articles on whether we should be preparing for the evacuation of Miami. The affirmation is by Daniel Cohen, who teaches sociology at Berkeley and directs the Socio-Spatial Climate Collaborative. It is full of careful ideas. The second essay is properly alarmed but clings to the prospect of adaptation in place. https://www.thenation.com/article/environment/miami-climate-change-evacuation/
Neither essay imagines that evacuation will be forced upon South Florida in this decade, as seems quite possible, given the news from Greenland and the Antarctic.

3. A clever analysis of the DNA of an ancient species of octopus supports the thesis that the West Antarctic melted during the last interglacial period 125,000 years ago when the planet was only a little above today’s temperature. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/feb/05/clue-to-rising-sea-levels-lies-in-dna-of-4m-year-old-octopus-scientists-say

4. We know generally that a lot more methane is being leaked than corporations admit, and we have escalating fines in place beginning next year, but we do not have leakage detectors adequate to the problem. Satellites and drones are being set on the job by private and public sources. The consequences of effective methane control for the climate are considerable. https://apnews.com/article/drones-business-climate-and-environment-0a1ab9be3427818cfe5f33521b9b05c2

5. A CA study links the growth in zero-emission vehicles to declining asthma; EVs have also been credited with reducing premature deaths. The CA study by zip codes brought out local variations. Less well-educated neighborhoods had fewer new EVs and less decline in asthma. Such areas may need special attention to their transportation. https://cleantechnica.com/2023/02/06/new-study-links-evs-with-real-world-reductions-in-air-pollution-respiratory-problems/

6. A new solid-state Li-air battery achieves four times the energy density of current Li-ion liquid batteries. It is as energy efficient as gasoline. If it develops well it would mean much cheaper, safer, lighter and more energy-efficient vehicles. The new battery should also have a role in general energy storage. Typically, it takes new technology about 5 years to move from the lab to production.  https://cleantechnica.com/2023/02/06/researchers-report-progress-on-a-solid-state-lithium-air-battery-with-high-energy-density/

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