[GWSG] Iron-air batteries; Goliath's Curse; Plots of Time; Zambian wetlands conference

[Tilley, Al]

1. An iron-air battery, which is essentially comprised of iron pellets or powder which store and release energy by oxidizing and deoxidizing, has been connected to the grid in the Netherlands. Cheap and fireproof, the battery is stored in shipping containers. Thanks to John Maraldo for the story.  https://www.newscientist.com/article/2490293-rust-based-battery-connects-to-an-electricity-grid-for-the-first-time/
Large iron-air projects are underway in Minnesota https://www.bing.com/videos/riverview/relatedvideo?q=iron-air+batteries+installed%3f&mid=20DEB0EBD40863AF5F2320DEB0EBD40863AF5F23&FORM=VIRE   and Maine https://www.bing.com/videos/riverview/relatedvideo?q=iron-air%20batteries%20installed?&mid=CFACD229CC971D67D1CFCFACD229CC971D67D1CF&ajaxhist=0 ; surely elsewhere.  Projects are underway in Australia. https://international.austrade.gov.au/en/news-and-analysis/success-stories/ess-partners-with-australian-company-esi-to-build-iron-flow-batteries-in-queensland  Form Energy, which is building the Maine battery, is a leading developer in the US.

2.  In his book Goliath’s Curse, Luke Kemp of the Centre for the Study of Existential Risk at the U of Cambridge concludes from a study of the history of civilizations that we are faced with either self-termination or a global movement toward democracy and equality. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/aug/02/self-termination-history-and-future-of-societal-collapse

3. In my book Plots of Time: An Enquiry into History, Myth, and Meaning (UP of FL, 1995) I argue that a global movement toward equality and democracy has been strong and cumulative over our recorded history as we have become more able to tolerate the real presence of the other—the other race, the other gender, the other culture, the other species. The strength of the current reactionary intolerance of the other is a measure of the pressure for change. Our survival now depends on whether we will be able to make the necessary changes in time to deal with the climate and our nuclear weapons.

4. Representatives of over 170 countries gathered in Zambia last week to discuss ways to preserve earth’s wetlands. “Geopolitics quickly took over. Disputes broke out between Russia, China, and other nations about a resolution to preserve Ukraine’s wetlands. The U.S. delegation was a no-show until the final days of the summit, when one American representative came to demand that conference documents include no mention of climate change, DEI, gender, the U.N.’s sustainable development goals, or ‘zero growth.’” An 18-minute video tells the story. Katie Surma observes that in spite of all the problems international discussion has led to the preservation of over 2,500 wetlands.  https://us2.campaign-archive.com/?e=ac4aa338ac&u=7c733794100bcc7e083a163f0&id=620c39ae93

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