Atmospheric pressures forecast for Michigan and Wisconsin equivalent to a Cat 1 Hurricane.
Can Dyson Make a Vertical Farm that Doesn’t Suck?
Famous for its hi-tech Vacuum cleaners (I’m an owner), Dyson has taken on vertical indoor farming in a strawberry operation in the UK.
Meteorologist Pushes Back on Trump Weather Tweets
PBS Horizons: Fact Checking on Data Centers
Michael Webber of University of Texas is the featured expert.
Money quote: “It can be that they’re part of the solution.”
Yes, Wisconsin, That Was a Derecho
More Examples: Tornado Alley Moving East
Tornado Alley is moving.
Continue reading “More Examples: Tornado Alley Moving East”If it seems like you’re preparing for tornado threats a little more than usual lately, there’s some truth to that, at least if you live in Illinois.
According to the National Weather Service, Illinois is leading the nation in tornadoes this year. Eighty-six tornadoes have already rolled through the Prairie State in 2023, nearly double the state’s average of 50 twisters per year.
The National Weather Service reports, as of Saturday, Illinois has braced through more than double the number of tornadoes in any other state this year aside from Alabama (80) and Georgia (45).
Per NWS, Illinois also leads every state in severe weather reports (466) this year aside from Texas. That number represents the total of confirmed tornadoes, plus hail and wind damage reports.
Among this year’s tornadoes, some have posed threats east of St. Louis. On March 31, an EF-1 tornado ripped through Salem, Illinois, damaging dozens of homes and peaking up to 105 mph gusts. On April 14, a series of tornadoes slammed the Metro East, with winds reaching up to 100 mph again and damaging parts of Belleville, Swansea, Hecker and Valmeyer.
One tornado up north caught national attention. In Belvidere, a tornado ripped off the roof of a local theater on March 31, leading to one person’s death and dozens of injuries.
The Weekend Wonk: Are We in Denial About AI?
Very worthwhile half hour video from Dutch historian and author Rutger Bregman.
AI is on a par with nuclear weapons in its potential to change the world, some people say it’s even more so. Bregman agrees, and comes to some better conclusions than just “stop the world, I want to get off.”
Video Tracks Tornado Path Through Solar Farm
Interesting video from this week’s storm outbreak in the midwest.
Tracking a small tornado as it forms and moves through an array of panels.
GM Navigating Electrification Transition
American Auto manufacturers are on thin ice – having invested heavily in EV infrastructure only to have the Trump administration pull the rug.
The trick now is to maintain and expand EV offerings despite the head wind from DC. One way is to switch course on some existing facilities to serve the growing market for stationary electric storage.
It’s promising that one GM initiative will move into the cutting edge of Battery tech – Sodium ion systems.
General Motors plans to begin making components for large storage batteries, the company said Tuesday, joining Tesla, Ford Motor and other carmakers in pushing into a growing market and compensating for slower sales of electric vehicles in the United States.
The batteries, which can be the size of shipping containers, store excess energy from solar panels, wind turbines and other power sources. Utilities, data centers and other big energy consumers use them for backup power or to manage fluctuations in electricity supply or demand.
Tesla has been selling storage batteries since 2015. Ford said last year that it would convert a factory in Kentucky to make large batteries, after shutting down production of electric vehicle batteries at the plant because car sales fell short of expectations.
G.M. plans to develop battery cells for large-scale storage using a relatively new technology. Peak Energy, a company based in California and Colorado that is teaming up with the automaker, will integrate the cells into industrial-scale systems.
Continue reading “GM Navigating Electrification Transition”