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Solid-state batteries for cars

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Battery-powered electric vehicles have historically faced the challenges of limited driving range and long charging time.  In recent years, both of these limitations have been largely overcome for many if not most drivers.  Popular EVs on the market can go 300 miles and more on a charge and today’s fastest charging networks can add 200 miles of range in 20 minutes.  But many people want even more range and even faster charging.  Both of these things will happen in the not-too-distant future.

Multiple companies are working on solid-state batteries, which hold more energy in a given volume than current batteries.  The lithium-ion batteries that power today’s EVs (as well as our phones and computers) have a liquid or gel electrolyte.  Solid-state batteries use a solid ceramic or polymer electrolyte that provides higher energy density, faster charging times, and reduced fire risk as well.

Samsung announced that it will produce solid-state batteries for vehicles by 2027.  Toyota says it is on track to develop a solid-state battery by 2027 or 2028.  California-based QuantumScape has an agreement to supply solid-state batteries to Volkswagen for mass production.  Tesla has not said what it is doing with regard to solid-state batteries, but it is likely that it’s also pursuing the technology.

The upshot of all of this is that EV ranges are likely to increase dramatically over the next several years leading to the availability of vehicles that can go 600 miles or more on a charge.  Given that the cost of EVs is already rapidly becoming at least competitive with if not lower than that of gasoline-powered cars, the days of internal combustion are becoming numbered.

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Want an EV With 600 Miles of Range? It’s Coming

Photo, posted August 17, 2024, courtesy of Bill Abbott via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Plastic food packaging

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Reducing the use of plastic is an important environmental goal.  Plastic is made from fossil fuels and plastic pollutes the land and the oceans.  It is estimated that 40% of plastic waste comes from packaging.  Plastic packaging is extremely common in the supermarket and there is a growing desire to reduce its use.  But it isn’t that easy.

Plastic packaging works well to slow the decay of vegetables and fruit.  Its use results in less produce being tossed into the garbage, where it creates almost 60% of landfill methane emissions.  In fact, food is the most common material in landfills.  The average American family of four spends $1,500 a year on food that ends up uneaten and nearly half of all household food waste is fruits and vegetables.

Products like bagged salads, berries in plastic clamshells, and plastic sealed potatoes and cucumbers are popular with shoppers because they stay fresh longer.  They are popular with grocers because the items don’t have to be weighed.  But all these things result in plastic waste.  It is a tradeoff that is difficult to make between food quality and safety vs. the environmental harm caused by plastic.

There are a variety of alternatives to plastic packaging of food that are being explored.  They range from biodegradable, organic coatings that can take the place of plastic films, to cardboard and paper produce packaging. 

But practically, there is yet no affordable and biodegradable plastic alternative that keeps fruits and vegetables safe and fresh.  Solving the food packaging problem is not easy.

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So Much Produce Comes in Plastic. Is There a Better Way?

Photo, posted July 1, 2007, courtesy of Brian via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio

Compost And Landfills | Earth Wise

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Composting is popular as a way to keep solid waste out of landfills and many people turn much of their kitchen waste into rich soil amendments.   Cities and towns across the country have composting programs that collect waste from residents to produce large quantities of compost rather than adding the waste to landfills.  A new study from North Carolina State University looked into the environmental benefits of actually using compost at landfills.

Most municipal composting programs require that the compost they produce gets used “beneficially”.  The new research shows that using compost as an alternative daily cover at landfills is competitive and often superior to the use of compost as a soil amendment in terms of its environmental benefits.

Landfills apply a layer of daily cover to reduce odors, reduce windblown debris, and keep vermin out of landfill waste.  Federal regulations require six inches of soil as a daily cover.

Compost from food waste in particular is not always suitable for soil amendment in gardens and agricultural fields because it often contains broken glass and other contaminants.

The North Carolina State study looked at the environmental impact of using compost as daily cover in landfills compared with its use as a soil amendment.  They looked at global warming potential, acidification potential, eutrophication (which is the amount of nutrients released to ground and surface water), cumulative energy demand, and the depletion of resources.

The study concluded that using compost as landfill daily cover is environmentally superior with regard to eutrophication, acidification, and global warming potential.  On the other hand, soil amendment was better in terms of resource depletion and cumulative energy demand.

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Applying Compost to Landfills Could Have Environmental Benefits

Photo, posted April 22, 2008, courtesy of Alachua County via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Sustainable Flip-Flops | Earth Wise

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Flip-flops are the world’s most popular shoe.  They are lightweight, comfortable, affordable, and durable.  In fact, the global market for flip-flops is expected to reach a whopping $23.8 billion by the year 2025. 

But the popularity comes with a price.  Flip-flops account for a troubling percentage of plastic waste that ends up in our landfills and oceans.  As a result, demand for alternatives is compelling researchers to develop more sustainable versions of the popular footwear.

Scientists at the University of California San Diego have spent years working on this issue, and recently announced a breakthrough.  According to a study recently published in Bioresource Technology Reports, the research team has formulated polyurethane foams – made from algae oil – to meet commercial specifications for mid-sole shoes and the foot-bed of flip-flops.   In other words, the scientists have created sustainable, biodegradable, and consumer-ready materials that could replace plastics in some footwear. 

The UC San Diego scientists collaborated with Algenesis Materials – a technology startup – on the research.  Together, they worked to not only create the shoes, but to degrade them as well.  The team tested their customized foams by immersing them in traditional compost and soil.  The algae-based materials degraded after just 16 weeks.  

The life of any material should be proportionate to the life of the product.  The researchers point out that it doesn’t make sense to create a product that will last 500 years if it’ll only be used for a year or two. 

The research team is currently working on production details with its manufacturing partners.  The creation of biodegradable flip-flops that meet commercial footwear standards could eliminate tons of plastic waste from the environment.   

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New science behind algae-based flip-flops

Flip Flops Market Size Worth $23.8 Billion by 2025

Photo, posted December 12, 2019, courtesy of Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Wildlife Bridges

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Highway accidents involving animals are a big problem for both people and animals.  About 200 people die every year in the U.S. as a result of collisions with animals.  In total, one to two million large animals are killed by motorists every year.  And these crashes are expensive:  deer-car collisions cost an average of more than $8,000 each; elk-vehicle collisions about $25,000; and moose-vehicle collisions over $44,000. 

In the United States, there are 21 threatened and endangered species whose very survival is threatened by road mortalities.   These include Key deer in Florida, bighorn sheep in California, and red-bellied turtles in Alabama.

One solution that has been quite effective around the world in reducing car-animal collisions is wildlife overpasses and underpasses.  Crossings and fencing that guide animals over or under highways reduce collisions by 85-95%.

These traffic-spanning bridges and tunnels have been popular in Europe since the 1950s.  The overpasses usually look much like regular overpasses for cars but are decked out with native flora.  The underpasses, which assist shyer and smaller animals, are typically invisible to drivers.

Washington State has recently started building wildlife bridges and underpasses on Interstate 90.  These passes will allow elk, black bears, mountain lions, pika, and even trout to traverse what was once a near-impenetrable barrier of road.

Some animals that are accustomed to human structures start using the crossings almost immediately.  For others, there is learning curve.  As in many things, the early adapters are important as they provide paths and model behavior that more reticent animals learn to follow.

Wildlife bridges are a very good thing for wildlife and for people.

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How wildlife bridges over highways make animals—and people—safer

Photo, posted July 22, 2017, courtesy of David Fulmer via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

Solar Equity for Low-Income Communities

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A couple of years ago, the number of American roofs covered with solar panels passed the one million mark and the numbers keep growing.  But nearly half of U.S. households – accounting for more than 154 million people – aren’t able to host their own solar arrays because they lack suitable rooftop space, or they rent their homes.  But millions more simply can’t afford to spend tens of thousands of dollars to buy or lease solar panels.

In recent years, community solar has become popular.  These are projects where multiple participants own or lease shares in a mid-sized solar facility and receive credits that lower their monthly utility bills.  Community solar in the U.S. has more than quadrupled just since 2016.

However, the majority of community solar subscribers to date have been businesses, universities, government agencies, and higher-earning households.  These users can generally pay steep project enrollment fees or meet various financial requirements.  Meanwhile, those who could benefit most from access to renewable energy and lower utility bills – low-income residents – have largely been left out.

Low-income households on average spend over 8% of their income on utility bills, about three times more than moderate- to high-income households.  So, reducing electricity bills with community solar power is a big deal for them.

Given this situation, there are now a growing number of programs that make use of community solar to reduce living expenses for low-income households.  In a dozen states, new programs include a variety of mandates, financial incentives, and pilot programs targeting benefits for people with low incomes.  These programs will allow them to participate in both the environmental and economic benefits of renewable energy.

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Energy Equity: Bringing Solar Power to Low-Income Communities

Photo, posted November 27, 2012, courtesy of Oregon State University via Flickr.

Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.

California vs. Fossil Fuels

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California has led the way in deploying and committing to clean energy for a long time.  In August its legislature strengthened that commitment by passing a bill to stop using fossil fuels entirely by 2045.   It is the second state to do so, following Hawaii.  The bill still needs to be passed by the Senate and signed by the governor.  Both actions are expected to occur.

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National Parks Are Too Popular

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National Parks are often thought of as America’s natural cathedrals – serene places we visit to commune with nature and soak up its grandeur.   Millions of Americans and other people from around the world are drawn to these amazing places.  Unfortunately, it is now too many millions.

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Breeding Dory

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The regal blue tang is one of the most common and most popular marine aquarium fish in the world.  In the U.S., they have been ranked as high as the 10th most imported fish species out of over 2,000 that enter the country.  Apart from aquarium hobbyists, millions of people now associate blue tangs with the character Dory in a couple of popular animated films.

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