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Archive for the ‘sustainability’ category: Page 142

Mar 1, 2022

A solar charging station for electric aircraft

Posted by in categories: sustainability, transportation

At the secluded British airfield of Old Buckenham, an electric light aircraft is now being charged with solar power. After all, electric aircraft are a robust, low-maintenance alternative to fossil fuel-powered ones.

Mar 1, 2022

Illinois farmers push for right to repair their own equipment

Posted by in categories: computing, food, sustainability

These days, new tractors and combines are more like big computers, and require special tools to repair them. Farmers say they’re having to travel farther and pay more to fix them to make sure their harvest schedules stay on track. Jim Birge grew up farming in central Illinois and is now the Manager of the Sangamon County Farm Bureau in Springfield. He describes how new tractors and combines have gone high-tech, and farmers no longer have access to the tools to fix them.

Mar 1, 2022

Tesla shares rally on expectations that German factory will open in March

Posted by in categories: sustainability, transportation

Tesla reportedly aims to produce at least half a million cars annually at its “Gigafactory Berlin,” along with batteries for them.

Feb 28, 2022

Panasonic to begin mass producing new Tesla battery

Posted by in categories: sustainability, transportation

TOKYO, Feb 28 (Reuters) — Panasonic Corp (6752.T) said on Monday it will begin mass production of a new lithium-ion battery for Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) before the end of March 2024 at a plant in Japan.

Unveiled by the Japanese company in October, the 4,680 format (46 millimetres wide and 80 millimetres tall) battery is around five times bigger than those currently supplied to Tesla, meaning the U.S. electric vehicle (EV) maker will be able to lower production costs.

The new powerpack is also expected to improve vehicle range, which could help Tesla lure more drivers to EVs.

Feb 28, 2022

“Mankind must put an end to war — or war will put an end to mankind.” John F. Kennedy

Posted by in categories: military, sustainability

And-at a time of growing global warming, the excessive carbon footprint of modern military weaponry is wholly unacceptable.


Mar 27, 2019 — “Mankind must put an end to war — or war will put an end to mankind.” John F. Kennedy (2202836)

Feb 28, 2022

Elon Musk and Tesla Set Their Sights on a New Industry

Posted by in categories: Elon Musk, space, sustainability

The whimsical CEO who once disrupted the auto industry is no longer hiding his ambitions for a lucrative new industry.

Feb 28, 2022

Tesla Gigafactory Berlin is expected to finally receive approval for production this week

Posted by in categories: sustainability, transportation

Tesla is reportedly finally going to receive final approval to start production at Gigafactory Berlin this week after months of delays.

Gigafactory Berlin, a critical new factory for Tesla’s plans to expand in Europe and improve its manufacturing and distribution efficiency, has been in limbo for months.

The automaker has yet to secure the needed environmental permit to start producing vehicles for customer deliveries.

Feb 28, 2022

Autonomous Mower Hits Snag

Posted by in categories: robotics/AI, space, sustainability

Interfacing technology and electronics with the real world is often fairly tricky. Complexity and edge cases work their way in to every corner of a project like this; just ask anyone who has ever tried to operate a rover on Mars, make a hydroponics garden, or build almost any robotics project. Even those of us who simply own a consumer-grade printer are flummoxed by the ways in which they can fail when manipulating single sheets of paper. This robotic lawnmower is no exception, driving its creator [TK] to extremes to get it to mow his lawn.

[TK] actually had a platform for his autonomous mower ready to go thanks to a previous build using this solar-powered robot to explore the Australian outback. Adding another motor to handle the grass trimming seemed simple at first and he set about wiring it all up and interfacing it to the robot. After the first iteration he found the robot was moving too fast to effectively cut the grass, so he added a more powerful cutting motor and a gearbox to help the mower crawl more slowly over the lawn. Disaster struck when his 3D printed mount for the steel cutting blades shattered, but with [TK] uninjured he pushed on with more improvements.

Continue reading “Autonomous Mower Hits Snag” »

Feb 28, 2022

Future Day talk

Posted by in categories: biotech/medical, climatology, economics, education, employment, robotics/AI, sustainability

Topic: James Hughes — The Future of Work (Future Day Talk) Time: Mar 1, 2022 08:00 AM Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81306102463?pwd=eDBldno3cUdZZGcxVHoxNEJ1RkgrUT09 Meeting ID: 813 0610 2,463 Passcode: Q6VzpF

As part of the annual Future Day celebration, James Hughes will join us that may concern you — ‘The Future of Work’. Zoom details coming soon!

Abstract: The pandemic has launched a debate about the future of work around the world. Those who can work remotely have often found they prefer remote or flexible, hybrid options. The Great Resignation has put upward pressure on wages and benefits in the service sector, encouraging the implementation of automation. Climate change mitigation is encouraging a shift towards “green jobs.” Rapid changes in the labor market have made the payoffs of higher education uncertain for young people, while many societies are entering an old-age dependency crisis with too few workers paying taxes for growing numbers of pensioners. Before the pandemic proposals for universal basic income (UBI) were seen as necessary adaptations to imminent technological unemployment, and the during the pandemic many countries provided temporary UBI to keep people safe. We are now poised for a global discussion about whether we need to work at all, and what kinds of jobs are desirable.

Feb 28, 2022

Elon Musk pushes to build 6.2-mile underground tunnel for Tesla vehicles to ferry passengers in traffic-clogged North Miami Beach

Posted by in categories: Elon Musk, sustainability, transportation

Elon Musk is pushing to build a massive 6.2-mile underground tunnel to ferry Tesla vehicles and their passengers in the traffic-clogged area of North Miami Beach.

Musk’s Boring Company are currently considering the Hard Rock Stadium and Florida International University’s Biscayne campus as hosts for the proposed transit tunnel, which will run underneath Miami-Dade, according to the Miami Herald.

The tunnel, which would initially see Tesla vehicles carrying as many as 7,500 passengers per hour with an eventualy goal of as many as 15,000 per hour, would have drivers passing underneath State Road 826 East from Northwest 2nd Avenue to Northeast 35th Avenue.