# Optimistic Storm

> End of Fossil Fuel Era, Food to feed all, restore our environment


## Posts

- [VC Funding for Innovation or Angel or 3'Fs](https://optimisticstorm.com/vc-funding-for-innovation/): Venture capital success in growing innnovation has been transformational. Along with internet speeds, the amouint and scale of vc funding of innovative companies. 
- [EV Pickups are Coming](https://optimisticstorm.com/ev-pickups-are-coming/): Electric pickup trucks are coming. In China they are here already, but the love affair of the Pickup in USA or Australia, from big to small is coming over then next 4 years.
- [Green Hydrogen Opportunities](https://optimisticstorm.com/green-hydrogen-opportunities/): Green hydrogen has 3 challenges to be part of the energy mix. a) cheap manufacture. b) cheap transport and c) applicable uses.  That journey has started..
- [Coal Mine Replacement](https://optimisticstorm.com/coal-mine-replacement/): Coal mines continue to be constructed but face becoming stranded assets with the change to RW. But coal mines are half of the worlds mines and less than 17% of the revenue. Will other EV minerals replace them?
- [Global Car Sales](https://optimisticstorm.com/global-car-sales/): Who are the major car manufacturers globally, and what disruption will be coming with electric vehicles. Who will be the winners and loser?
- [Small Power - Why Nuclear Is Not an Option](https://optimisticstorm.com/small-power/): Small power from rooftop solar and batteries and not nuclear is the best. Nuclear was suggested would be too cheap to meter but is too costly to remember.
- [Simple Power by Freeing Energy](https://optimisticstorm.com/simple-power-by-freeing-energy/): Freeing energy explores the energy in the world and shows how local free energy using PV panels and batteries will provide energy to 3 billion in energy poverty and disrupt 135 years of Big Grid.
- [Fossil Fuel Company Lies](https://optimisticstorm.com/fossil-fuel-company-lies/): The Angry Clean Energy Guy talks about corporate evil: comapanies knowingly doing harm. Exxon, BP moved responsibility from their fossil fuel CO2 emissions and pushed "personal carbon footprint". He outlines Adarni as a worst case example.
- [European Battery Gigafactories](https://optimisticstorm.com/european-battery-gigafactories/): Over 37 companies have announced or are building European battery gigafactories. The largest is Tesla at Berlin due for production in early 2021, but others are focused on supplying the European manufacturers.
- [USA Battery Gigafactories](https://optimisticstorm.com/usa-battery-gigafactories/): Numerous battery gigafactories in the USA have been announced. With capacity over 1TWh they could build 15million electric vehicles per year.  
- [Lithium from Chile](https://optimisticstorm.com/lithium-from-chile/): Lithium from Chile, Argentina and Bolivia makes up 20% of the current supply, with China and Australia the majority of the rest. Intense exploration and extraction is in full swing. 
- [China Battery Gigafactories driven by EV Demand](https://optimisticstorm.com/china-battery-gigafactories/): EV production in China is booming with multiple "Gigafactories", and the battery market is racing to keep up with demand and supply. China will get to 20% of EV new car sales by the end of 2021 4 years ahead of 2025. Six battery companies provide 47% of the global demand for batteres. 
- [Lithium Shortfall for GigaFactories](https://optimisticstorm.com/lithium-shortfall-for-gigafactories/): It takes 2 years to build a battery gigafactory.  But it takes 7 or more years to develop a mine. While there is plenty of lithium on the planet, it isn’t being extracted and refined quickly enough to keep up with the rapidly growing demand for batteries. 
- [Nuclear SMR Reactors](https://optimisticstorm.com/nuclear-smr-reactors/): Nuclear SMR Reactors are small and modular and it is proposed they overcome 2 of the conventional nuclear issues, cost and refuelling. In reality, they are still a decade or more away from commericalisation and the value is yet to be confirmed.
- [Battery Gigafactories](https://optimisticstorm.com/battery-gigafactories/): Over 200 Gigafactories have been constructed or in construction or announced. There are in many countries around the world and are needed to produce the 80 million cars each year and the GW of energy Grid Storage.
- [Lithium Battery Improvements](https://optimisticstorm.com/lithium-battery-improvements/): While lithium ion batteries are the mostly widely used, other battery technologies are avalable that are competitive in some applications. Numerous other battery chemistries are in R&D phase
- [Rare Earth Elements](https://optimisticstorm.com/rare-earth-elements/): Rare earth elements are a critical part of the renewable energy industry as well as in the past for catalysts and industrial products. We explore what they are, and where they can be found.
- [Cobalt in Batteries](https://optimisticstorm.com/cobalt-in-batteries/): Cobalt is used in Lithium ion nickel batteries as the cathode.  Globally, 98% of cobalt is a byproduct of copper or nickel . In copper it’s 60% of that market. And in nickel’s case, it’s around 38%. Cobalt is essentially an accidental metal. New EV battery technologies do not use cobalt, but most mobile phones and consumer electronics still use cobal cathodes. Discovered in Germany in 1500 CE. In 2020, 82,000 tonnes of lithium and 140,000 tonnes of cobalt was produced – supporting a yearly production of 3.5 million Li-ion batteries for BEV. Most cobalt (65%) comes from the Democratic Republic […]
- [Nickel in Batteries](https://optimisticstorm.com/nickel-in-batteries/): Nickel is a widely mined mineral, often in conjunction with copper around that world. Primary use is in stainless steel, but EV batteries require substantial amounts of nickel over the next decades.
- [Graphite for Batteries](https://optimisticstorm.com/graphite-for-batteries/): Graphite is a key component in batteries and is the anode in most commercial batteries today. Sourced from fossil fuels, companies are seeking new carbon zero supply and looking to improve performance and reduce costs.
- [Lithium for Batteries](https://optimisticstorm.com/lithium-for-batteries/): Lithium for batteries is in short supply and getting worse as batteries demand will increase by 30 times over the next decade. Mining supply is costly and slow. What other elements are in short supply.
- [Nuclear Power Not An Option](https://optimisticstorm.com/nuclear-power-not-an-option/): The conclusion is clear: Nuclear power not a sensible option. It fails on multiple front - technology, economic and political, yet the industry continues to push for nuclear as a viable option for decarbonisation in the next 20 years. 
- [EV Replaces Petrol Imports](https://optimisticstorm.com/ev-replaces-petrol-imports/): The value to Australia for coal exports is less than the cost to import petrol and diesel. Australia should transition to EVs as fast as possible to improve the balance of payment and reduce carbon emissions and save consumers money. 
- [Tesla makes Robotaxis Economic](https://optimisticstorm.com/tesla-makes-robotaxis-economic/): Simple napkin maths says that Tesla makes robotaxis economic. In fact the numbers are so high they are just not believable?  So what is stopping this? Politics?  Technology. The only thing seems to be timing. Will it be this year? 2024? 
- [Hydrogen Myths and Opportunities](https://optimisticstorm.com/hydrogen-myths-and-opportunities/): Renewable green hydrogen is a myth when auto makers and fossil fuel companies say will transform the transportation network. Here are 5 simple reasons you need to dispel myths about hydrogen
- [Renewable Energy Transformation by 2025](https://optimisticstorm.com/renewable-energy-transformation-by-2025/): Australia can and should get to 400 % renewable energy by 2030 to be a leader in carbon planning globally.
- [5G Explained](https://optimisticstorm.com/5g-explained/): 5G is misunderstood and the conspiracy believers are out in full force. Here I try to make this simple so it can be understood. In undertanding some principles you can then decide which part you don't like or things that are exciting. 
- [Autonomous Cars by 2023](https://optimisticstorm.com/autonomous-cars-by-2023/): Ten issues say why autonomous cars will be here by 2023. Rapid rise of EV sales, the money invested in research and development and will lead to biggest consumer boom ever.
- [Goal Setting Questions](https://optimisticstorm.com/goal-setting-questions/): Setting goals is a valuable  exercise to allow focus and direction. These goal setting questions help not avoidance.  The right approach, 10 minutes, and tools, goals can be valuable to life.
- [Improve Productivity](https://optimisticstorm.com/improve-productivity/): How productive are you?  Hre are 10 simple things to make you more productive.  
- [Mobile Phones Are Global](https://optimisticstorm.com/mobile-phones/): The mobile internet has taken over from the desktop. The number of mobile devices is expected to reach 18.22 billion by 2025, an increase of 4.2 billion devices compared to 2020 levels.
- [8 Steps in Website Preparation](https://optimisticstorm.com/website-preparation/): How do you get the right website for your business? Start planning. Start with who is going to visit your site, and what you want or how do you want your visitors to respond. This simple 8 point process helps smooth the design, construction and deployment of your business.
- [10 things to make you more productive](https://optimisticstorm.com/10-things-to-make-you-more-productive/): 10 things to make your life more productive.   Avoid meetings without an agenda  Never take a call from someone you don't know.  Permanently turn off your voice mail  Sort your email with an app.  Disable email and texting when you need to focus  Give social butterflies short shift  Eat well  Take a walk.  Make your decisions more quickly.  Disconnect for 12 hours each day.  
- [Customer Acquisition and Life Time Value](https://optimisticstorm.com/customer-acquisition/): CAC (customer acquistion) and LTV (life time value) are key metrics in all businesses, and most importantly in startup businesses.  Learn more about CAC  and LTV
- [Goal Setting](https://optimisticstorm.com/goal-setting/): Goal planning is easy to do, but few every do it as it is too complicated, does not seem important enough. Yet having some plan helps most people in their day to day life.
- [Business Consulting](https://optimisticstorm.com/business-consulting/): Do you want some direction in your business; or do you have some pressing concerns. Contact me, for focused business coaching and mentoring.
- [Sodium-Ion Battery Launched in China](https://optimisticstorm.com/sodium-ion-batteries/): Sodium-ion battery chemistry has been keenly anticipated as alternative chemistry to lithium ion batteries in EV. Sehold have been first to market. 
- [Synthetic Biofuels Using Bacteria](https://optimisticstorm.com/synthetic-biofuels-using-bacteria/): Synthetic biofuels using bacteria to create the biofuel from sugar and CO2 holds promise of creation of fuel with equivalent energy to jet fu
- [Compressed Air Battery Technology](https://optimisticstorm.com/compressed-air-battery/): Compressed air battery using large underground vaults are being developed to provide long duration storage. 
- [Flow Batteries using Vanadium Iron Zinc-BR or HBr](https://optimisticstorm.com/flow-batteries/): Flow batteries are a valid option for community and grid based storage. The advantages of low life, simple expansion works. Vanadium, iron, or zinc bromine based flow batteries will not be used in vehicles but deliver great  grid and micro grid storage battery solutions.
- [Tesla Supercharger Network Billion Dollar Returns](https://optimisticstorm.com/tesla-supercharger-network-billion-dollar-returns/): Tesla could become the next "petrol" company with over $30 billion of revenue by opening up its supercharger network to all EV cars. The latest deal with Govt opens up billions in grants to provide 500,000 chargers across the USA
- [Fossil Fuel Excess Profits of $134b](https://optimisticstorm.com/fossil-fuel-excess-profits/): Fossil fuel excess profits of $134b in 2022 are on the back of war and human suffering from climate change. If a carbon price was levied on these oil and gas giants then these losses reflect the cost to citizens and consumers rather than being passed to shareholders
- [Tesla Masterplan Three 2023](https://optimisticstorm.com/tesla-masterplan/): Tesla vision part 3 is to be announced on March 1st, 2023 at Investor Day.  How will this differ from Part 1 or Part 2. What is the "Path to a Fully Sustainable World"
- [Ten Reasons Hydrogen for Transportation is Dead, Including Cars](https://optimisticstorm.com/hydrogen-for-transportation-is-dead/): Hydrogen fuel cell cars are still promoted but they will be dead within 2 years due to emissions as bad as petrol cars, poor infrastructure and rapid improving charging and range with battery electric cars.
- [Toyota No-EV Strategy Risks Japan's Economy](https://optimisticstorm.com/toyota-no-ev-strategy-risks-japans-economy/): Cars are a major contributor to Japans economy with 5.5m or 24% of employees, and contribute 14% of all exports. Toyota's no-ev strategy could mean Japan loses 14% of its GDP and $700 billion of exports as other EV makers overtake Toyota globally.
- [Batteries win the Transport Race](https://optimisticstorm.com/batteries-win-the-transport-race/): It is becoming clear that batteries will drive the electrification of transport. Batteries are demonstrating that hydrogen and synthetic fuels are losing ground to the 22% learning curve of batteries. Biofuels may be the only transition fuel for long range aircraft.
- [Grid-Scale Batteries from Tesla](https://optimisticstorm.com/grid-scale-batteries/): Grid-scale batteries are an integral requirement to firm renewable energy, stabililise the grid with battery, wind and solar now the cheapest electricity. 
- [EV Adoption Increased in 2022 Globally](https://optimisticstorm.com/ev-adoption-increased-in-2022/): EV adoption is increasing and Bloomberg NEF has data showing nearly 50% of buses sold in 2022 were electric. Motorcycles are even higher.
- [Tesla Semi Compelling Economics](https://optimisticstorm.com/tesla-semi-compelling-economics/): The Tesla Semi large truck will be at least 84% cheaper for fuel costs than equivalent large diesel trucks. Combined with more torque, regenerative braking increased purchase costs suggest less than a 2 year payback.
- [Combination New Battery Innovation](https://optimisticstorm.com/combination-new-battery-innovation/): Using a long lasting LFP battery in combination with an anode free battery with shorter lifespan is the approach taken by Our Next Energy. Like a petrol battery hybrid, the combination provides 1000 km of range, and long life.
- [Tesla Grid and Home Batteries](https://optimisticstorm.com/tesla-grid-and-home-batteries/): Tesla has led innovation into grid, industrial and home storage with their range of batteries. The lines are blurred with home batteries now providing grid virtual power plant services.
- [CO2 Battery Technology](https://optimisticstorm.com/co2-battery-technology/): Batteries made from CO2 compression and expansion have moved from lab to deployment. Offering low cost, longer term storage utilising standard equipment. 
- [Fossil Fuel Subsidies Killing Our Earth](https://optimisticstorm.com/fossil-fuel-subsidies-killing-our-earth/): Governments try to pick winners and provide subsidies. The subsidies for fossil fuel industry is enormous  and is over $5.9 trillion or more than 6.8% globally. In Australia direct and indirect subsidies are over $44 billion and 3.2% of GDP
- [End of ICE Cars in California](https://optimisticstorm.com/end-of-ice-cars-in-california/): The passing Advanced Clean Cars II proposal in California spells the end of ICE cars in the USA with over 40% of all new cars subject to reduction of new light cars and pickups from 35% in 2026 phasing to 100% by 2035
- [Agromining Minerals from Plants](https://optimisticstorm.com/agromining-minerals-from-plants/): Agromining using hyperaccumulator plants would be a very profitable crop in the tropics.  Research from University of Queensland shows promise from nickel. 
- [Green Steel Technology and Costs](https://optimisticstorm.com/green-steel-technology/): Steel accounts for 6% of global emissions. With a small number of iron ore miners and steel producers - what are technologies to de carbonise the industry?
- [Green Aluminium is an Easy Technology](https://optimisticstorm.com/green-aluminium/): Making aluminum green is easy with renewable energy. While there are some more substantial technologies to make sure that aluminum is even lower emissions, an easy start is to contract for renewable energy and storage. 
- [100% Renewable Energy in 145 Countries in 6 Years](https://optimisticstorm.com/100-renewable-energy-in-145-countries-in-6-years/): 100% Renewable energy in 134 countries with a payback of less than 6 years by replacing the costs of existing fossil fuel, nuclear electricity and using wind water and solar along with storage. 
- [Nuclear Waste Problem Exaggerated say Nuclear Proponents](https://optimisticstorm.com/nuclear-waste-problem-exaggerated/): Waste from nuclear is trivialised by nuclear proponents. There currently is no cost effective method of removal of the next 45,000 radioactive life of spent nuclear fuel. Arguments include not much, not dangerous, not my problem.
- [Shipping Emissions Halve With Fossil Fuel Collapse](https://optimisticstorm.com/shipping-emissions-fall/): With the reduction in coal mines and gas fields, will shipping emissions fall? Explore how much shipping there is, and what the phase out of fossil fuels will do to shipping.
- [Mine Numbers Collapse by 2040 by 70%](https://optimisticstorm.com/mine-numbers-collapse-by-2040/): With the exit of coal mines, use of green hydrogen and renewable energy for steel making, and full deployment will the number of mines crash?
- [Uranium Mining for Nuclear Power](https://optimisticstorm.com/uranium-mining-for-nuclear-power/): Uranium mining for nuclear power and for nuclear weapons continues to have geopolitical implications along with the energy needed to refine the uranium to be used. there are 15 nuclear myths including SMR, waste, and subsidies. The availability of uranium drives the future of the nuclear energy industry; an upper limit on uranium prices will determine whether it is economically viable to continue utilising the present generation of light water reactors (LWRs). The alternative is a move towards fast reactors, which use less uranium than LWRs, however require substantial investment and development, and might never become economically viable unless uranium prices […]
- [Lithium From Seawater Demonstrated](https://optimisticstorm.com/lithium-from-seawater/): Direct lithium extraction is used in land based brines by a number of companies, but the vision is that the ocean has huge quantities, or could be extracted as part of desalination. 
- [Coal Plants Are Increasing Globally is False Information](https://optimisticstorm.com/coal-plants-increasing-globally/): Coal plants are decreasing globally but that does not stop the false information that coal plants are increasing. The number of retirements is greater than new plants. For a full detailed analysis check out Global Energy Monitor.
- [Life Cycle Analysis of Nuclear](https://optimisticstorm.com/life-cycle-analysis-of-nuclear/): Nuclear is often touted as clean  but published studies show that it is worse than wind and can be as high as gas. 
- [Life Cycle Analysis for Solar Panels and Inverters](https://optimisticstorm.com/life-cycle-analysis-for-solar-panels-and-inverters/): Life cycle analysis shows solar panels and inveerters recover the embedded carbon in less than 11 months, or even more for the latest panels.  Published by Fraunhofer and demonstrating solar systems are positive for up to 40 years. 
- [Batteries for Electrification is 300TWh According to Elon Musk](https://optimisticstorm.com/batteries-for-electrification-is-300twh/): The total battery capacity for grid home and transportation is about 300TWh of batteries. This will take 10 years of manufacturing and ongoing of about 30TWh per year. Tesla aims to provide 10% of that battery capacity.  
- [Top 2 EV Batteries Globally](https://optimisticstorm.com/top-2-ev-batteries-globally/): CATL announcement of their Qilin battery pack to be in production by 2023 exceeds Tesla's 4680 battery and both exceed all other global batteries
- [AI Economic Improvement In Knowledge Workers](https://optimisticstorm.com/ai-economic-improvement/): AI is expected to lift knowledge worker productivity by 140% by 2030. AI training has decreased by over 65% per year since 2015 and models which cost $5m now would cost $500 by 2030. 
- [Electric Boats Are Slowly Coming to Market](https://optimisticstorm.com/electric-boats/): Electri motors make sense for propulsion on the water - and Torqueedo is the global leader in electric boats. Battery weight and energy storage has limited the more widespread adoption, but with major personal sportscraft Bombideer bringing out models by 2026 expect to see more
- [Electrical Management Systems Key to Efficiency](https://optimisticstorm.com/electrical-management-systems/): Electrical management systems have evolved from their large diesel engine power plant buinsess. They have flexible energ
- [Low Cost Solar With Thin Film](https://optimisticstorm.com/low-cost-solar/): Thin film solar ought to be a third of the cost of conventional PV panels and as low as 5 to 7 cents per Watt. 20 years in development and recently invested in by FFI from Fortescue Minerals Group.
- [Hydrogen Battery Storage](https://optimisticstorm.com/hydrogen-battery-storage/): The cost of hydrogen is a key metric if hydrogen can be used as long term storage in the energy supply mix to overcome long durations of lack of sun or wind for renewable energy generation
- [Wind Turbines Kill Birds - Fact or Fiction](https://optimisticstorm.com/wind-turbines-kill-birds/): Wind turbines do kill birds but are not the bird shredders especailly of rare birds such as raptors (eagles, kites). Painting one of the blades black reduced raptor / eagle deaths by over 70%. Feral cats remain the most lethal risk to birds.
- [Mines To Reduce 80 Percent](https://optimisticstorm.com/mines-to-reduce-80-by-percent/): A major global disruption will be the exit of coal from thermal electricity generations. Much coal is consumed within the country, but the 6 major exporters of coal will be impacted the most. New mines will not replace the loss of existing coal mines. 
- [EU Bans ICE Vehicles by 2035](https://optimisticstorm.com/eu-bans-ice-vehicles-by-2035/): The EU commission has voted to ban sales of all internal Combustion engines in cars buses trucks motorcycles by 2035 to achieve the carbon emissions reduction by 55% by 2030 from 1990 levels. 
- [EV Startups going Broke](https://optimisticstorm.com/ev-startups-going-broke/): Tesla and Ford are the only 2 american car companies that have not gone bankrupt. A number of aspiring EV companies at high financial risk as they move from protoptype to production hell.  
- [China Renewable Energy Plan](https://optimisticstorm.com/china-renewable-energy-plan/): China has invested heavily in coal for electricity over the past 30 years but has made the switch to renewable energy and targets all new energy from renewable sources by 2025 and net zero by 2060.
- [Nuclear Power Subsidies are Huge](https://optimisticstorm.com/nuclear-power-subsidies/): Nuclear power is subsidized in most countries by billions of dollars, and ultimately consumers pay for this in small amounts in their power bills. All countries pay nuclear subsidies, often due to the use of nuclear power to create their own nuclear weapons. 
- [Food and Agriculture Disruption by Fermentation](https://optimisticstorm.com/food-and-agriculture-disruption/): Precision fermentation will see a collapse in the existing farming systems. With protein and fat made in fermentation vats, 90% of agriculture will cease. Regeneis of the vast areas of agriculture can regenerate.
- [Memes for Climate Deniers and Delayers](https://optimisticstorm.com/memes-for-climate-deniers/): An image can say a thousand words  - and facts and figures won't sway a climate denier or climate delayer. But humour may do. Lets see
- [Stop Burning Rocks for Energy](https://optimisticstorm.com/stop-burning-rocks/): We have burnt rocks for a million years and every year we burn 500 years of the products of the carbonaceas period as fossil fuel. Renewable energy is not fuel. It harnesses energy from the nuclear sun. Batteries can store it. RE stops energy poverty. 
- [Electric Vehicle Numbers Increasing](https://optimisticstorm.com/electric-vehicle-numbers-increasing/): Electric vehicles are displacing conventional ICE vehicles and by 2025 Bloomberg NEF predicts 1 in 4 new cars will be electric. EVs have already displaced 1.5 million barrels of oil per day. Peak oil for transport will be by 2027.
- [5 Signs of Climate Deniers](https://optimisticstorm.com/5-signs-of-climate-deniers/): The 5 signs of climate deniers or climagte delayers. The arguments may appear reasonable but they are generally anonymous, selective, persistent diversionary and irrational. Spot them easily.   
- [Changes to Society from Disruptions](https://optimisticstorm.com/changes-to-society-from-disruptions/): The development of multiple streams of technology leads to disruption of an industry or society. What can be done to ensure that disruption provides value to all, and not just a few. 
- [OffGrid Uninterruptible Electricity](https://optimisticstorm.com/offgrid-uninterruptible-electricity/): Backup generators have been used for conventional grid supplied electricity and are now moving to include batteries and solar to ensure households and businesses can keep operating even in extended blackout conditions.
- [Nuclear Waste Problem](https://optimisticstorm.com/nuclear-waste-problem/): Waste from nuclear power plants is about 2kg per person per year. Small nuclear reactors, often promoted as a solution have 2 to 10 times that of conventional. Only Iceland has managed to develop a solution and billions are spent each year by all nuclear powers.
- [Ownership of Australias Electricity and Grid](https://optimisticstorm.com/who-owns-australias-electricity-grid/): An improved electricity distributon network will be needed to transport energy from renewable energy generators (solar and wind) to cities and factories. Who owns the existing network?  What improvements are needed.
- [Electric Tractor Models](https://optimisticstorm.com/electric-tractor-models/): Tractors is a very large industry globally and mostly diesel based with JCB announcing Hydrogen based emissions free tractors. A few companies have announced electric tractors in the smaller segment.
- [New Hydrogen Technologies for Cheaper H2](https://optimisticstorm.com/new-hydrogen-technologies/): New hydrogen technologies are all about getting the cost of hydrogen to under $1 per kg to be cost competitive with other battery and energy storage.
- [Evidence of Increasing Renewable Energy](https://optimisticstorm.com/evidence-of-increasing-renewable-energy/): Evidence of increasing renewable energy comes from most countries. Australia is one of the fastest changing but the USA is also rapidly changing, as is China
- [Germany's Russian Gas Disaster](https://optimisticstorm.com/germanys-russian-gas-disaster/): Germany made a decision to build a new gasline from Russia - the Nordstream 2 for 11 billion. They could have invested the same in wind power and now save themselves $200 million per day of cost.
- [Pumped Hydro as a Battery](https://optimisticstorm.com/pumped-hydro-as-a-battery/): Hydro power is about 10% of the global energy production, but pumped hydro is being pursued as part of the solution for intermittent storage in renewable energy
- [Underwater Power Cable for Renewable Energy](https://optimisticstorm.com/underwater-power-cable-for-renewable-energy/): High Voltage DC transmission systems are driving underwater power cable for renewable energy transmitted over thousands of km from Africa to UK or Australia to Singapore. Cheap solar is driving the change.
- [Lithium amount in EV battery](https://optimisticstorm.com/lithium-amount-in-ev-battery/): What is the real figure of amount of lithium in a battery. The quantity of 6kg is elemental lithium. The quanty of Lithium carbonate equivalalent or LCE is used in mining circles and the quantity is about 60 kg. A large opportunity for efficiency improvement is clear.
- [Carbon Footprint of Wind Turbines](https://optimisticstorm.com/carbon-footprint-wind-turbines/): The Carbon Footprint to build a wind turbine is paid back on average in 7 months, and costs about 10gCO2-equivalent compared to gas at 600, and coal at 1,000 g-CO2/kWh. 
- [Cruise Ships are bad polluters](https://optimisticstorm.com/cruise-ships-are-bad-polluters/): 47 of Luxury cruise liners owned by Carnival emitt more sulfur dioxide than all of Europes 260 million cars. Globally, the 70,000 ships emit  2.5% of CO2 emissions 
- [Top 8 Lithium Miners by 2024](https://optimisticstorm.com/top-8-lithium-miners-by-2024/): With established miners extracting lithium, who will be some of the up and coming miners. Here are 8 of them. There are another 150 miners globally. 
- [10 Electric Vehicle Myths Debunked](https://optimisticstorm.com/10-electric-vehicle-myths/): Every new techology and disruption will have myths and falsehoods about how it will never happen. Here are 10 myths about electric cars - and many more to come.
- [Robotaxi Manufacturers in 2022](https://optimisticstorm.com/robotaxi-manufacturers-in-2022/): Over 30 robotaxi companies in 2022 developing either vehicles, autonomous systems, its clear this technology is now in the deployment phase.,
- [Misinformation about Nuclear in France](https://optimisticstorm.com/misinformation-about-nuclear-in-france/): France is the poster child of nuclear, but that is a myth. Dig the numbers out and it is a huge financial burden on Frence taxpayers with hundreds of billions of liability. 
- [Copper Demand with Renewable Energy Increasing](https://optimisticstorm.com/copper-demand-with-renewable-energy/): Copper is widely used whereever electricity needs transportation. From  electronics to motors. The change from ICE cars to EVs increases the demand in that sector by 4 times.
- [15 Myths of Nuclear Power](https://optimisticstorm.com/15-myths-of-nuclear-power/): There are over 15 myths of nuclear power touted by deniers as fossil fuels are displaced by the renewable energy techologies of wind solar and battery
- [GeoEngineering for Climate Warming](https://optimisticstorm.com/geoengineering-for-climate-warming/): Geoengineering for climate change proposes a number of strategies to remediate the emissions in the atmosphere. Mitigation is the cheapest and fastest, but remediation can provide a fire extinguisher if we do not make enough progress. 
- [10 Climate Change Denier Arguments](https://optimisticstorm.com/10-climate-change-denier-arguments/): Climate change myths are everywhere, given that $200 million a year is spent on climate denial by fossil fuel companies. Recognise the arguments and understand the tactics of fossil fuel companies to protect their stranded assets.
- [Will Robots take our Jobs?](https://optimisticstorm.com/will-robots-take-our-jobs/): Will robots take our jobs?  With AI and increase in functionality the robotic revolution is already taking our jobs and over the next decade most blue collar jobs will go. 
- [5 Disruptions by Cathie Wood](https://optimisticstorm.com/5-disruptions-by-cathie-wood/): The investment fund ARK Invest CEO Cathie Wood explains the 5 disruptions happeing now and the 14 underlying technologies which form the basis of their investment strategy.
- [Autonomous Vehicles Saves lives](https://optimisticstorm.com/autonomous-vehicles-saves-lives/): Autonomous vehicles saves lives is without question with current data showing 6 times less accidents per million miles driven. Widespread adoption will save Australia alone $30 billion per year with 1400 less deaths and 46,000 less hospitalization.
- [Platinum Group Metals PGM or PGE](https://optimisticstorm.com/platinum-group-metals/): Platium, palladium and other PGM are used in catalytic converters and others are in renewable energy systems.  With most of the supply from South Africa and Russian, Australian miners are keen to supply.
- [Electric Buses Save Money](https://optimisticstorm.com/electric-buses-save-money/): Electric buses have been widely adopted in China but the rest of the world has been slower in uptake. Over the past 12 months cities and governments have increased their support for wider adoptions. 
- [Electric Motorcycles Coming Soon](https://optimisticstorm.com/electric-motorcycles-coming/): Electric motorcycles are coming of age and matured to a point whre they have moved from the scooter replacement to higher end motorcycles. Missing is the noise, but not power, torque and enjoyment.
- [Hydrogen Storage and Transport Problems](https://optimisticstorm.com/hydrogen-storage-and-transport-problems/): Hydrogen is touted as a good storage mechanism and can be added to existing gas heating systems, for aircraft and for transportation. But there are serious issues and unreal optimism.
- [Electric Airplanes Flying Soon](https://optimisticstorm.com/electric-airplanes-flying-soon/): Airlines generally lose money. So electric, low carbon airplanes are being developed to reduce fuel costs - the largest cost after capital costs. What's the latest development?
- [Recycling Solar Panels and Wind Turbines](https://optimisticstorm.com/recycling-solar-panels-and-wind-turbines/): Recycling solar panels and wind turbines is a common arguement against renewable energy yet the industry has been steadily getting to 100% renewable components at end of life.
- [Food Disruption is Happening](https://optimisticstorm.com/food-disruption-is-happening/): Food disruption is happening now, and some fail to see that by 2025 that the dairy industry will shrink by 1/3 and the beef and dairy industry facing 90% reduction by 2030. 
- [Offshore Wind Technology Opportunity](https://optimisticstorm.com/offshore-wind-technology/): Wind powered electricity has been developed onshore, but the drive to offshore wind has picked up for 3 reasons. Decreased costs, no land impact and better wind profile
- [Cut 2 percent GDP Fossil Fuel Subsidies](https://optimisticstorm.com/cut-2-percent-gdp-fossil-fuel-subsidies/): Over $1.8 trillion is spent each year on environmental harmful subsidies or about 2% of GDP. Changing that 2% to protecting the environment and achiving net zero is a political imperative. 
- [3 Disruptions 8 Technologies by Tony Seba](https://optimisticstorm.com/3-disruptions-8-technologies/): Disruption areas of energy, transportation, and food are driven by 8 technolologies that combine to change the planet. Solar, wind, batteries, automonous driving, precision fermentation and cellular agriculture.
- [Sea Level Rises are Inevitable](https://optimisticstorm.com/sea-level-rises-are-inevitable/): The IPPC paint a gloomy forecast and say sea level rises are inevitable and global warming will have sea levels rise extend for the next 2000 years.  
- [Geothermal Energy Opportunities](https://optimisticstorm.com/geothermal-energy/): Geothermal energy is used in many countries. Quaise is intending to use gyrotron powered drilling to drill deeper to harness higher temperatures and pressure and convert fossil fuel stations to geothermal.
- [Is Tesla Market Cap Too High](https://optimisticstorm.com/is-tesla-market-cap-too-high/): Is Tesla market capitalization too high.  Here are just relevant data to suggest that the vale is based on future earnings, 50% YOY growth plans and free cash. Tesla has margins higher than the industry. 
- [Home and Community Battery Storage](https://optimisticstorm.com/home-and-community-battery/): Home and community battery is a smart way to reduce transmission costs and to improve reliablity of renewable energy. Losses in transmission are about 10% and batteries cost much the same whether close to consumers or at a solar farm.
- [Green Energy Saves $5400 per year](https://optimisticstorm.com/green-energy-saves-5400/): Green energy saves $5000 per year and Australia can do the Big Switch from fossil fuels to renewable energy with rooftop solar and batteries.  Change is an increase wealth to households, not a cost. 
- [2 Percent GDP for Net Zero](https://optimisticstorm.com/2-percent-gdp-for-net-zero/): It looks like we need to spend 2 percent GDP for net zero or (1.5 degrees) of climate change. Climate Change challenge is a chronic worsening of the climate and 187 countries through Cop26 and the Paris Accord have targeted to hold climate change to net zero or 1.5 degrees of warming. We focus on the result, but the real storey is how much will this cost us to prevent catastrophic climate change and while Nicolas Stern in 2006 , the author of The Econcomics of Climate Change aid that 2% of GDP would need to be spent, the actually amount […]
- [Recycling Effectiveness is Poor](https://optimisticstorm.com/recycling-effectiveness-is-poor/): Recycling effectiveness is poor because companies have passed the responsibility and cost of recycle / reuse onto consumers. Less than 7% of all plastic is recycled. Almost as much is dumped at sea. Time to change.
- [V2G Will Disrupt Electricity As We Know It](https://optimisticstorm.com/v2g-will-disrupt-electricity/): The advent of vehicle to grid technologies will disrupt the electric car and the electricity supply in Australia. This will be within 5 years is best prediction for the disruption occurring under our eyes.
- [Top 15 GreenWashing Claims](https://optimisticstorm.com/top-15-greenwashing-claims/): Greenwashing is rife. Here are 15 different ways fossil fuel industry enables greenwashing rather than reducing their own emissions. The Angry Clean Energy Guy has a great podcast and I summarise the podcast. 
- [More Charging Stations than Gas Stations](https://optimisticstorm.com/more-charging-stations-than-gas-stations/): There are more charging stations than gas stations in some countries. What is increasing though is the number of high power / fast charging power facilities.  Every country is deploying hundreds or thousands.
- [Enough Lithium Supply to meet Demand](https://optimisticstorm.com/enough-lithium/): When you dig into the supposed shortfall of lithium for EV and grid energy industry, it is clear that there is enough lithium to meet the demand although it will take time to come on stream.
- [5 Orders of Innovation](https://optimisticstorm.com/5-orders-of-innovation/): There are 5 orders of innovation from individual components at order 1, to systems at 2, services at 3 to disruption of industry at order 5. Knowing this provides expectation of capital and time to market with new innovations.
- [Green Steel From Fortescue Minerals](https://optimisticstorm.com/green-steel-from-fortescue-minerals/): What is FMG ulitimate goal? To change his low cost iron ore exports to China and turn it into green steel manufactured in Australia and exported globally? The company has been busy setting up deals and purchasing technology.
- [Fossil Fuel Subsidies are $11m per minute](https://optimisticstorm.com/fossil-fuel-subsidies-are-11m-per-minute/): We pay over $11 billion a year for fossi fuel subsidies for direct support. That does not include the indirect subsidies. As well there are billions of dollars needed to remediate fossil fuel coal and gas mines. Who pays?  Consumers 
- [Electric Trucks Are Here](https://optimisticstorm.com/electric-trucks-are-here/): Electric trucks have been slowly entering the market from all the major manufacturers, and businesses are catching onto the savings and applications.  Transition will be steady as the capital to change from conventional to electric will be intensive.  
- [Is renewable energy cheaper than nuclear](https://optimisticstorm.com/is-renewable-energy-cheaper-than-nuclear/): Some argue for nuclear as the basis of the Australian electricity energy but the data says nuclear would be more than 2.2 times the cost of renewable energy with sufficient battery storage of 20GW. 
- [Tesla Insurance Opportunity](https://optimisticstorm.com/tesla-insurance-opportunity/): Tesla has established an insurance business, and the value of insurance could be 5 times more than just selling the car by itself. The margin from the insurance business could be bigger than the revenue from full self driving software, face lower barriers to adoption and reduce costs to customers.
- [Direct Lithium Extraction](https://optimisticstorm.com/direct-lithium-extraction/): Direct Lithium extraction (DLE) provides faster extraction of lithium from brines, reduction of costs, increased recovery and opportunity for reduction in energy and carbon inputs.
- [Breakthrough AI Geometry](https://optimisticstorm.com/breakthrough-ai-geometry/): Google has delivered a geometry AI model that now out-performs the best school mathematical olympiads by providing 0.5b examples. The software is available through GitHub and mark a breakthrough into the capacity of AI to solve real world problems. 
- [Custom Design AI Compute Chips](https://optimisticstorm.com/custom-design-ai-compute-chips/): Custom design AI computer chips need faster and more available compute resources. Along with established NVidia, Intel are new entrants including Tesla Dojo and Cerebras Systems as they focus on hardware and software to increase speed and decrease power consumption 
- [Precision Fermentation Food Cost-Competitive](https://optimisticstorm.com/precision-fermentation-food-cost-competitive/): The production of food using precision fermentation is set to revolutionise food production. Using 3% of the resources of dairy protein, PF will disrupt agriculture. An Israeli company claims cheaper protein, FDA has approved, and production is underway.
- [Batteries Mounted on Power Poles for Community Batteries](https://optimisticstorm.com/batteries-mounted-on-power-poles-for-community-batteries/): In 2019, United Energy in Melbourne trialled power pole mounted batteries for local community storage and electricity services. A Brisbane Company is extending that with commercial products. 
- [Ten Solid State Battery Announcements](https://optimisticstorm.com/ten-solid-state-battery/): Solid state battery announcements are from mutliple battery vendors. Promising faster charging, longer lifetime with greater energy density is the promise, but the challenge has been to match PR releases with reality.  Schaeffler is the latest to enter the space.  
- [Bloomberg Vehicle Outlook: Out by 20 years](https://optimisticstorm.com/bloomberg-vehicle-outlook-out-by-20-years/): Bloomberg EV outlook forecasts for more than 1 year out should be ignored. Reviewing Vehicle Outlook Reports from 2016 to 2023 demonstrate straight line predictions, and not the exponential rise due to lower battery costs and EV giants BYD and Tesla on their 50% year on year growth projections.
- [Impact of AI on Job Creation and Disruption](https://optimisticstorm.com/impact-of-ai-on-job-creation-and-disruption/): IMF report says the impact of Artificial Intelligence on job creation and disruption will be much more in the developed country with over 40% of jobs impacted. In contrast, only 26% of jobs in low-income countries will be affected
- [Food from Coal](https://optimisticstorm.com/food-from-coal/): Protein from coal - something in science fixtion, yet scientists have grown protein using preceision fermentation using a designer bacteria. With coal as the feedstock, whats next
- [Comparison of Synthetic Ethanol and Methanol](https://optimisticstorm.com/comparison-of-synthetic-ethanol-and-methanol/): Synthetic ethanol and methanol are to reduce emissions in production to provide a near zero fuel. However, when burnt they still produce CO2 emissions. 
- [Paraplegics Walking Again](https://optimisticstorm.com/paraplegics-walking-again/): Paraplegics are walking again  - not 5 to 10 years away. Research in multiple research and companies are looking to have better brain interfaces which then can interface to voice, vision and mobility.
- [Green Methanol: A Potential Clean Fuel Solution](https://optimisticstorm.com/green-methanol-a-potential-clean-fuel-solution/): Methanol is a candidate for replacement of black methanol, but weth the right technology and pricing, green methanol could compete with  black methanol. 
- [Humanoid Robots To Watch in 2024](https://optimisticstorm.com/humanoid-robots-to-watch-in-2024/): Over 7 robots are in development in the west along with many in China who has stated that AI robots are a major iniative.
- [Australia's Hydrogen Superpower Vision: Potential or Fantasy](https://optimisticstorm.com/australias-hydrogen-superpower-vision/): Will Australia be a hydrogen superpowre and is the vision fantasy or reality.  The absolute physics suggest that Australia can use its vast area and high sunlight for adding value to exisiting exports of iron, aluminium and minerals.  
- [Non-CO2 Emissions Easier To Abate Than CO2](https://optimisticstorm.com/non-co2-emissions/): Non-CO2 emissions are 25% of total emissions with some over 3,600 more intensity. This sector can be abated within the next decade and have impact within 2 decades. 
- [Tesla 2024 Predictions by Analysts](https://optimisticstorm.com/tesla-2024-predictions/): What do analysts and investors predict for Tesla in 2024. Some anlysts such as Larry Goldbert and Gary Black see Tesla executing to their masterplan 3. 
- [Increased Solar Efficiency with Perovskite and Other Technology](https://optimisticstorm.com/increased-solar-efficiency-with-perovskite-and-other-technology/): Perovskite has been studied for over a decade but showing promist to be on silicon panels, with efficiences over 33% or higher.
- [Hydrogen Thoughts Distilled by Dr Paul Martin](https://optimisticstorm.com/hydrogen-distilled-paul-martin/): Dr Paul Martin, a 30 veteran in the hydrogen engineering business distills his hydrogen thoughts into a Linkedlin Article. This post attempts to summarise his 30 plus articles to the key essence. Hydrogen is not a fuel. 
- [The Changing Face of Rainfall: A Look at Climate Models and High-Intensity Rain Storms](https://optimisticstorm.com/high-intensity-rain-storms/): A clear consequence of climate change and rising temperature is increasing short duration (1-4hours) causing flash flooding, and longer duration floods caausing record rainfall. 
- [Unrealistic 2030 Hydrogen Goals](https://optimisticstorm.com/unrealistic-2030-hydrogen-goals/): A credibility gap exists between stated Hydrogen suse and progress to date. Michael Liebreich terms this missig trillions of investment needed to achieve the goals. 
- [UAE Nuclear Plant is not a Poster Example](https://optimisticstorm.com/uae-nuclear-plant/): The UAE Barakah nuclear plant is considered by some a poster child of the nuclear renaissance. The costs to build with western labour would be 7 times more expense due to wages paid to migrant wages.  
- [Exponential Battery Growth is Underway](https://optimisticstorm.com/exponential-battery-growth-is-underway/): Exponential battery growth is underway and hideen from most climate change commentaries yet will enable full renewable energy within a decade.
- [Sweeteners from Precision Fermentation](https://optimisticstorm.com/sweeteners-from-precision-fermentation/): Precision fermentation in protein or fat production is relavent to sweetener industry to reduce consumption of sugar yet have food products sweet.
- [EV Mining Equipment](https://optimisticstorm.com/ev-mining-equipment/): Miners are changin their fleets of heavy equipement to EV truck - electric or some still trialling Hydrogen. Electric trucks will come - as miners go electric and autonomous
- [Tesla Optimus Robot is Closer to Reality](https://optimisticstorm.com/tesla-optimus-robot-is-closer-to-reality/): The announcment of improved Tesla Optimus humanoid robot in Dec 2023 sho improve mobility and dexterity, enhanced autonomy and intelligence and closer to a manufacturable product.
- [Carbon Capture for Ethanol from Corn](https://optimisticstorm.com/carbon-capture-for-ethanol/): Carbon capture for the CO2 produced by fermenting corn into ethanol for E10 or E85 fuel for ICE cars is demonstrated to be 12-20 times less economic, and has 4 times more emissions. 
- [OPEC Countries Anti-Climate Change Actions](https://optimisticstorm.com/opec-countries-anti-climate-change/): OPEC nations are like tobacco companies who say the end of tobacco and fought tooth and nail to slow down the rates of smoking. OPEC realises there industry relies on slowing the rate of reductions or other strategies to continue making money. And killing the planet.
- [Tesla 4680 Battery Details Updated](https://optimisticstorm.com/tesla-4680-battery-details/): At the Cybertruck launch event, keen observers are looking at the specifications and comparing the 4680 battery with 2170 batteries used in various Tesla models. Will Tesla use the 4680 batteries in all of their vehicles? 
- [Toyota's Failure With Solid State Batteries: A Timeline from 2009 to 2023](https://optimisticstorm.com/toyotas-failure-with-solid-state-batteries/): Solid-state batteries are the next big thing in battery technology but unfortunately, Toyota’s failure with solid state batteries is clear to see since 2009. Even in 2023, Toyota continues to release announcements now with a prospective launch day of 2027/2028. Three questions remain unanswered Whole Mars Blog was the inspiration to put this down for those not on X and for my own reference.. He has a thread at X at https://x.com/WholeMarsBlog/status/1690272549652008960?s=20 Why Solid State Batteries? Solid state batteries offer significant improvements over traditional lithium-ion batteries: Solid State Batteries from Other Manufacturers Toyota has been beaten to market already by a […]
- [Ten Cybertruck Features Disrupting the Vehicle Market](https://optimisticstorm.com/ten-cybertruck-features-disrupting-the-vehicle-market/): The official launch of the Cybertruck shows more than ten improvements that will flow into new and existing models of teslas.  From use of stainless steel, to 48V wiring, steer-by-wire steering, a gigabit speed wiring system based on POE not CAN.
- [Solar Panels Waste Myth Dispelled](https://optimisticstorm.com/solar-panels-waste-myth-dispelled/): Solar panels waste myth is pushed by the fossil fuel lobby to delay the uptake of renewable energy. The rising waste mountain of solar panels is the favourite headline.  Rubbish. 
- [Baseload to Dispatchable - Transforming Electricity](https://optimisticstorm.com/baseload-to-dispatchable/): Advent of big batteries changes electricity from synchronus (ie, generate and use) to asynchronous, i.e. store and use to match demand and supply. The grid will change from baseload and peaking to dispatchable renewables and variable renewables.  
- [Elements in Batteries](https://optimisticstorm.com/elements-in-batteries/): The quantity of elements in a battery is shown in Visual Capitalist images. The quantity of graphite is up to 50% of the battery, but cheap, whereas other elements may be small but expensive. 
- [Smartphone Maker Making Cars](https://optimisticstorm.com/smartphone-maker-making-cars/): Smartphone companies have moved into making Electric vehicles, teaming up with traditional car manufacturers. Xiaomi joins Huwaei, Foxconn, and Oppo in releasing an EV. 
- [15 Minute Charging Batteries from CATL](https://optimisticstorm.com/15-minute-charging-batteries-from-catl/): Faster charging batteries, better battery packs. The enhancements keep coming, not just from CATL, but other manufacturers of batteries, leading to a 20% plus increase in battery capacity per year. 
- [Zero Emission Shipping by 2050](https://optimisticstorm.com/zero-emission-shipping-by-2050/): Shipping emissions were excluded from the Paris Accord, but the LMO has committed to zero emissions for shipping by 2050.  The challenge is how to change an industry of over 100,000 vessels.
- [Electrifying Shipping Ports](https://optimisticstorm.com/electrifying-shipping-ports/): Sho
- [Hydrogen Buses Fail Economics](https://optimisticstorm.com/hydrogen-buses-fail-economics/): Real world examples where hydrogen fuel cell buses and transport systems have been deployed as "trials" and abandoned due to high costs and reliability.
- [Becoming Uninsurable Due To Climate Change](https://optimisticstorm.com/becoming-uninsurable-due-to-climate-change/): Have you had extreme weather as a result of climate change? Those extreme weather will mean you will be unable to insure your property from the effects of climate change.  
- [Cheaper Hydrogen Electrolyzers Needed](https://optimisticstorm.com/cheaper-hydrogen-electrolyzers/): Will the decrease in the cost of hydrogen electrolyzers be sufficiently fast to compete with other energy solutions? Will China drive the cost down fast enough?
- [France Solar Carparks vs Nuclear](https://optimisticstorm.com/france-solar-carparks-vs-nuclear/): France has passed a law to have all carparks, old and new, over 80 spaces covered with solar panels. The electricity is greater than 10 nuclear power plants, cost 1/10th and built in 1/3rd of the time. 
- [Is $7B For Hydrogen Sheer Folly?](https://optimisticstorm.com/7b-for-hydrogen-sheer-folly/): The passage of the IRA bill was enabled by politics and putting in expenditure to placate fossil fuel states and representatives. The $7 billion for hydrogen trucks is an example of sheer folly, but political necessity
- [Nickel Hydrogen Battery](https://optimisticstorm.com/nickel-hydrogen-battery/): The Grid Battery of nickel and hydrogen from Enervenue commercialising a NASA technology major advantage is extremely high cycle time and extramely low degradation over 2 decades. 
- [Tesla 4680 Battery Ramp](https://optimisticstorm.com/tesla-4680-battery-ramp/): The Tesla 4680 production has been growting at 21% per month since product launch. By the end of 2023, the 4680 battery will start deliverying the increase in cell density and cycle time as promised in 2019.
- [Concentrated Solar CSP Improvements](https://optimisticstorm.com/concentrated-solar-csp-improvements/): Concentrated solar CSP improvements are welcome, as many CSP plants were built 10 years ago but cheap solar panels have displaced CSP plants. Improvements are welcome.
- [Rapid EV Increase Prediction by Prof Ray Wills](https://optimisticstorm.com/rapid-ev-increase-prediction/): Disruption to the car market is now inevitable with the rise of electric vehicles globally. An exponential increase in EV manufacture means few internal combustion engine cars after 2026
- [New Chemistry Battery Comparison](https://optimisticstorm.com/new-chemistry-battery-comparison/): Improvements in battery chemistry and form factors is leading to a learning curve of 15% annually for energy density and price. Compare these new battery chemistries
- [Top 20 Lithium Ion Battery Manufacturers](https://optimisticstorm.com/top-20-lithium-ion-battery-manufacturers/): The top 20 lithium ion battery manufacturers manufacture over 1TW of batteries annually and on a ramp up to produce over 3 TW per year - on the way to 250TW needed for total electrification of grid and transportation,
- [Electric Planes from Wright Progressing](https://optimisticstorm.com/electric-planes-from-wright-progressing/): Electric Planes from Wright are progressing with their developement of a 150 person commercial jet flying routes of 450 km. With powerful 1MW electric motors, they now need 1,000 Wh/kg density batteries.
- [Graphene Aluminium-Ion Batteries by GMG](https://optimisticstorm.com/graphene-aluminium-ion-batteries/): The graphene aluminium-ion batteries developed by GMG promises a radical improvement compared with the lihium batteries currently the workhorse for transportation and grid energy with 4 times more energy, long life, fast charging, non flamable and cheaper. 
- [Iron Air Batteries](https://optimisticstorm.com/iron-air-batteries/): Ion air batteries for grid scale batteries target cost is $20KWh by 2030. Well funded, Form Energy is building a 12GW factory in Iowa, and has pilot and first plants under construction to be 
- [USA Inflation Reduction Act](https://optimisticstorm.com/usa-inflation-reduction-act/): The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 has driven a huge investment in battery factories, hydrogen, wind and solar farms, battery storage and  other emission reduction technologies.
- [Liquid Metals Battery](https://optimisticstorm.com/liquid-metals-battery/): Liquid Metals battery from Ambri are designed for grid operation. Modular in container sized units with 20 years or  5,000 cycles and no fall off in capacity
- [UK Nuclear vs Wind Electricity Cost](https://optimisticstorm.com/uk-nuclear-vs-wind-electricity-cost/): Wind is much cheaper than nuclear electricity in the UK and yet UK is considering small nuclear as well. Economic stupidity and unwillingness to face up to reality.
- [Robots for Airplanes With ChatGPT](https://optimisticstorm.com/robots-for-airplanes-with-chatgpt/): Robotics and large languge models (eg ChatGPT) from Korean researchers are good enough to fly airplanes. Still only in simulators - when will they really fly planes.
- [PV Panels Supply Booming](https://optimisticstorm.com/pv-panels-supply-booming/): The IRA USA within 12 months has driven over 100GW of production capacity with announcments and operating factories. Along with China and India production pv panels are booming.
- [India PV Manufacturing Targets](https://optimisticstorm.com/india-pv-manufacturing-targets/): India is making investment to be the second largest solar panel PV manufacturer with a target of 110GW by 2026. Making progress with 38GW in March 2023.
- [Value of Humanoid Robots](https://optimisticstorm.com/value-of-humanoid-robots/): Humanoid robots have a huge economic change. With costs of $15,00 and replacing humans at $50,000 per year, how will governents and society adapt to this trasformation.
- [Hydropower Reductions](https://optimisticstorm.com/hydropower-reductions/): Hydro has been the mainstay of renewable energy but droughts from climate change has reduced the energy produced by 250TWh - Spains electric demand.
- [Hydrogen Bus Trials](https://optimisticstorm.com/hydrogen-bus-trials/): Buses powered by Hydrogen are in the headlines - as the hydrogen industry try to muscle into the electric bus industry, With less than 0.1% of the global bus market - are they destined by by the BETA of tapes in 5 years?
- [Electric Bus Rapid Growth](https://optimisticstorm.com/electric-bus-rapid-growth/): Electric buses costs have fallen in price. Charging is easier and cities globally are replacing dirty stinking diesel buses with clean zero emissions battery EV buses at 30% CAGR
- [Hydrogen Trains Uneconomic](https://optimisticstorm.com/hydrogen-trains-uneconomic/): Germany introduced hydrogen FCEV trains from 2018 in Frankfurt and Saxony areas. LNVG as now gone to tender for over 100 all battery electric as hydrogen too expensive and H2 trains termed "misery trains".
- [Heat Pumps For Energy Savings](https://optimisticstorm.com/heat-pumps-for-energy/): Heat pumps or air conditioners were invented in the early 1900's and now are the most cost effective for heating and cooling. Replace gas heat systems with heat pumps reduces energy demand by 3 times. 
- [Moos Law for Food Disruption](https://optimisticstorm.com/moos-law-for-food/): Food disruption using precision fermentation is moving at Moos Law. Costs are coming down exponentialy and no end in sight for the biggest revolution since humans started farming animals.
- [Electric Ships](https://optimisticstorm.com/electric-ships/): Coastal shipping with swap out electric container batteris have always been proposed to decarbonise shipping. Now the first 2 by Cosco are in production. 36 batteris, 24 Tonne CO2 per day less emissions
- [Robotic Surgery Revolution](https://optimisticstorm.com/robotic-surgery-revolution/): Robotic surgery is saving lives but is a the beginning of the robotic revolution. Vicarious Surgical is planning to use their robot to do surgery from the inside for hernia repair. Surgery is currently 97% manual 
- [Queensland Pumped Hydro Proposals](https://optimisticstorm.com/queensland-pumped-hydro/): Queensland has announced 2 large pumped hydro schemes costing over $30 billion and not due to come onliine on 2029 to 2035. Large projects have major financial risks, but QLD is determned to have large capacity long term storage.
- [Green Steel with Carbon Capture Unlikely](https://optimisticstorm.com/green-steel-with-carbon-capture/): Green steel produced by direct reduction is likely to have metallurgical coal become a stranded asset, as cost reductions and increasing technology improvements to make green steel viable.
- [Active Transport Challenges](https://optimisticstorm.com/active-transport-challenges/): Transport planners globally talk about active transport challenges to get people out of cars and into active transport (Walking, mobility devices, public transport. Cities have been designed for transport by cars, not for people.
- [Terraform's Innovative Methane E-fuel](https://optimisticstorm.com/terraforms-innovative-methane-e-fuel/): Terraform has announced a pilot solar powered synthetic methane gas process that could provide gas created from CO2 from air and not extraction from the earth.
- [Fusion or Fiction](https://optimisticstorm.com/fusion-or-fiction/): Fusion or fiction - can fusion actually provide essentially high quantities of low emission electricity. Or is another 30 years of research needed 
- [Hydrogen for Home Heating](https://optimisticstorm.com/hydrogen-for-home-heating/): Sophisticated modelling shows hydrogen for home heating is a non starter except in a few use cases and heatpumps and batteries provide a more effective solution to home energy use. 
- [IEA Forecasts Wrong by 7 Times](https://optimisticstorm.com/iea-forecasts-wrong-again/): IEA have consistently under forecast the increase in solar panels (PV) globally by 7,000 times. in 2009, they forecast just 30GW of solar. In 2023 there will be over 440 GW installed. How do they get is so wrong?
- [Arctic Ice Cover Gone in 20 Years](https://optimisticstorm.com/arctic-ice-cover-gone-in-20-years/): A June 2023 article concludes sea ice will be sbsent in September as early as a decade, contradicting IPPC 6 conclusion it would not be until mid century. Lack of sea ice has major implications for climate change and weather
- [Food Disruption Impacts](https://optimisticstorm.com/food-disruption-impacts/): The food revolution by precision fermentation will be the most profound of the 4 disruptions occuring. By 2030 the dairy industry will be bankrupt. By 2035 land used for beef and dairy farming will be not used. 
- [Low Investment in Renewables By Oil Companies](https://optimisticstorm.com/low-investment-in-renewables-by-oil-companies/): Oil companies talk about changing to renewable energy but their investment in new energy is low to zero. Their claims should be dismissed as greenwashing.
- [EV Surges 2023 Q1](https://optimisticstorm.com/ev-surges-2023/): Electric battery vehicles (BEV) continue their exponentional growth in Q1 2023 with some countries (Norway) over 90% and China, the largest car market globally over 30% new sales BEV
- [Fully Electric or Hybrid](https://optimisticstorm.com/fully-electric-or-hybrid/): Toyota argues that for emissions reduction hybrids are more effective than battery electric vehicle as more can be manufactured as batteries are constrained. Greenwashing.
- [Top 20 China EV Manufacturers](https://optimisticstorm.com/top-20-china-ev-manufacturers/): The top 20 Chinese EV manufactures incresased sales by 82% from 2021 to 2022 and most of these sales were domestic. As the domestic market increases, more of these will be exported to other countries
- [Pipistrel Electric Plane](https://optimisticstorm.com/pipistrel-electric-plane/): The Pipistrel electric plane is the first certified electric plane for pilot training with 80km range and 50 minutes flying time. 
- [Nuclear Renaissance v4.0](https://optimisticstorm.com/nuclear-renaissance/): Nuclear Renaissance v4.0 is sweeping the USA and UK. Even in Australia, some are pushing the barrow. Yet the data is unambiguous. Nuclear is 6-8 times more costly than renewables. Uninsurable. Old technology.
- [Chinese Cars are Coming to UK](https://optimisticstorm.com/chinese-cars-are-coming-to-uk/): At the Fully Charged show in UK, the Chinese cars are coming. BYD, Geely, Great Wall, and SAIC all demonstrated new models addressing different market segments. Korean cars are already annouced. 
- [Hydrogen Motorcycle Engines](https://optimisticstorm.com/hydrogen-motorcycle-engines/): Hydrogen for transportation won't die, and the big 4 Japanese motorcycle manufacturers have joined together to develop hydrogen engines for motorcycles. But Why? 
- [Hydrogen Cult Madness](https://optimisticstorm.com/hydrogen-cult-madness/): Is Hydrogen like a cult? Hydrogen cult madness?  Proponents claim that H2 will solve the renewable energy transition challenges but the science evidence it wont.
- [Direct Air Capture - Unproven](https://optimisticstorm.com/direct-air-capture-unproven/): DAC is at best unproven and more likely a strategy by major oil companies to delay meaningful reduction in green house gas emissions
- [Bard AI Model from Google](https://optimisticstorm.com/bard-ai-model-from-google/): The race with AI is continuing to run with Google releasing Bard in May 2023 competing with Microsoft Bing and Open AI ChatGPT4.  Bard provides integration with Gmail and Google Docs and enhances programming support
- [Innovative Toroid Propeller Design](https://optimisticstorm.com/innovative-toroid-propeller-design/): The innovative toroid propeller design for drones from MIT and for boats by Sharrow Marine show R&D continues to improve efficiency and will have a major impact on drones and shipping. 
- [Ethanol Worse than Gasoline for Global Warming](https://optimisticstorm.com/ethanol-worse-than-gasoline/): Is ethanol worse than gasoline for global warming? Turns out it is worse! A recent publication showed that corn ethanol compared with petroleum products increased: So while it is clear ethanol mixtures for gasoline is bad policy, ethanol continues to be used in transportation due to the large influence of agriculture in energy policy. In the publication Environmental Outcomes of the US Renewable Fuel Standard by Lark et al 2023 in (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8892349/) Bioenergy is an essential component of most proposed pathways to reduce anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and limit global warming to 1.5 or 2 °C by middle to late century. […]
- [Gravity Batteries With Heavy Blocks](https://optimisticstorm.com/gravity-batteries/): Gravity batteries using heavy blocks has moved from pilot phase to the first 2 demonstration plans in China (100MWh) and in USA.  Watch their progress. 
- [Grid Batteries Rapid Increase](https://optimisticstorm.com/grid-batteries-rapid-increase/): The latest figures from Tesla show a rapid increase in the amount of grid storage deployed globally in the first quarter of 2023. Over 160GWh backlog in Tesla orders and over 300GWh projects announced for all batteries
- [Sustainable Aviation Fuels Unrealistic](https://optimisticstorm.com/sustainable-aviation-fuels/): SAF or Sustainable Aircraft fuels are unrealistic. Used cooking oils are as expensive. Agriculture is challenges. Synthetic fuel is expensive. What are some of the options
- [Best-Selling Vehicles in USA in 2022](https://optimisticstorm.com/best-selling-vehicles-in-usa-in-2022/): The top 10 vehicles sales in the USA are driven by pick-up trucks - large vehicles that are perculiar to the USA markets. SUV are the more common vehicle in the rest of the world.
- [Uptake of Electric Motor Scooters is Rapid](https://optimisticstorm.com/uptake-of-electric-motor-scooters/): Electric motor scooter uptake is rapid in China and India and expected t be as rapid in other countries with high numbers of scooters such as Indonesia and Vietnam. Cheaper. Easy to charge and zero emissions are reasons Govt are keen to see the change. 
- [Nano Silicon Anode for Batteries](https://optimisticstorm.com/nano-silicon-anode-for-batteries/): Nano silicon for the battery anode is a recent development leading to a 15% increase in energy density and avoiding the use of graphite in the batteries. Sila Technologies is ramping up production to 150GWh per year over then next 5 years.
- [Carbon Capture and Storage Fail](https://optimisticstorm.com/carbon-capture-and-storage-fail/): Carbon Capture and storage is a strategy for reducing carbon emissions but the evidence is that it is a scam for fossil fuel companies to use government subsidies while at the same time increasing carbon emissions.  Even worse, taxpayers will be responsible for end of life projects. 
- [Disruption with ChatGPT Large Learning Models](https://optimisticstorm.com/disruption-with-chatgpt-large-learning-models/): ChatGPT has burst on the scene in late 2022 from OpenAI.  It was not unexpected by those in the AI field. Suddenly many are now realising how many areas that LLMs will be valuable in.  And how cheap they have become.
- [Earth's Population is Too High](https://optimisticstorm.com/earths-population-is-too-high/): Are there too many people on the planet and who will volunteer for euthanasia. Or is this over stated and we can live sustainably with the 8 billion people
- [Estimates of Renewable Energy Overstated](https://optimisticstorm.com/estimates-of-renewable-energy-overstated/): Most analysts state that the amount of renewable energy will need to be at least the same as energy used today with fossil fuels. Wrong by 45%! Less renewable energy as 45% of current energy is wasted. 
- [Nuclear Proponents Lack Economics](https://optimisticstorm.com/nuclear-proponents-lack-economics/): Many proponents of nuclear energy ignore the economics and try to dismiss them. Uranium is limited - estimated that if the world was all nuclearl, only 4 years of current supply. The cost to extract lower % uranium becomes prohibitive.
- [Butterfly Not a Caterpillar with Wings](https://optimisticstorm.com/butterfly-not-a-caterpillar-with-wings/): Taking an ICE car nad swapping out a motor is the same as saying a butterfly is a caterpillar with wings. It is a computer on wheels.
- [Faster Horse Fallacy - Experts Get it Wrong](https://optimisticstorm.com/faster-horse-fallacy-experts-get-it-wrong/): Faster horse fallacy or why experts get it wrong with disruptive technologies was coined by Tony Seba why smart people in smart organisations fail to recognise disruption
- [Climate Change Costing NSW](https://optimisticstorm.com/climate-change-costing-nsw/): New UNSW research included in the NSW Net Zero Commission report estimates that current global warming levels of approximately 1.35°C have already caused median economic losses of around 18% for NSW residents, equating to roughly $21,300 less per person annually.  The research indicates that disruptions to global trade and supply chains, rather than local weather events such as bushfires or floods, are the primary driver of these economic losses.
- [Rebutting the Anti-Electrification Playbook](https://optimisticstorm.com/rebutting-the-anti-electrification-playbook/): The evidence is in: new solar and wind now undercut every fossil fuel option on cost, EVs catch fire 10–20 times less often than petrol cars, and the UK Treasury's own numbers show that not transitioning costs twice as much as doing it.
- [Sale of EVs Exceeded ICE cars in Europe](https://optimisticstorm.com/evs-outsell-ice-cars-in-europe/): For the first time, EVs officially out sold ICE (petrol) in the EU in December 2025. Battery EV registrations surged 51% - 17.4% increase while as petrol demand plummeted. Hybrids remain the largest segment. This historic shift highlights a rapidly evolving market, even as the EU adjusts its long-term emissions targets for the automotive sector.
- [Electric Trucking In Australia](https://optimisticstorm.com/electric-trucking-in-australia/): Electric trucking in Australia offers significant cost and environmental advantages over diesel, which accounts for 20% of the nation's transport emissions. Electric B-Double prime movers cost about 30 cents per kilometer for electricity, a third of diesel's cost. New Energy Transport is pioneering a fully outsourced, low-carbon transport solution to reduce freight costs by 20% on routes like Sydney-to-Canberra and, eventually, Sydney-to-Melbourne.
- [Million Kilometre Battery](https://optimisticstorm.com/million-kilometre-battery/): BYD’s Blade Battery 2.0 is a game-changer, offering a million-kilometer lifespan and 1,000 km range. With "Flash Charging" adding 400 km in just five minutes, the traditional advantages of petrol engines have vanished. As BYD supplies this tech to Tesla and Toyota, the shift from internal combustion to ultra-durable, rapid-charging EVs has become inevitable.
- [Everything Electric UK 2025](https://optimisticstorm.com/everything-electric-uk-2025/): At Everything Electric UK 2025, pushed as both car and house, the house energy was very subdued. Most of the show where new EVs into UK. From Hyundai, to BYD, Geely, GWM, and Zeckr there are Chinese cars gallore. Octipus had a range of dozens of cars to suit lease with free charging. 
- [Deep-sea Mining](https://optimisticstorm.com/deep-sea-mining/): Deep-sea mineral mining is a proposed industry that aims to extract valuable minerals from the ocean floor. While it offers potential benefits for meeting the growing global demand for metals, it also poses significant environmental risk. The pros and cons are shown to provie little benefit to the supply of minerals but the money speaks. More destruction likelu
- [Actor Network Theory and Hydrogen ](https://optimisticstorm.com/actor-network-theory-and-hydrogen/): Actor network theory or ANT described by Bruno Latour can be used to understand why the world thought hydrogen was a critical part of carbon emissions reduction to mitigate climate change. Turns out that the black box of Hydrogen is a myth. Based on faulty science, supported by subsidies to support existing fossil fuel companies. Thankfully is dying as the box is exposed.
- [Recycling Solar Panels Detailed Assessment](https://optimisticstorm.com/recycling-solar-panels-detailed-assessment/): A detailed look at solar panel recycling. The egulators are aware and have pilot programs in place and ready to scale for up to ensure the tsunami of panels from 2030 can be recycled. A challenge is cost and over 80% are currently landfilled. By 2030 with right policies that can be brought up to over 60% or higher.
- [Recycling Solar Panels](https://optimisticstorm.com/recycling-solar-panels/): Solar panels can be recycled. To date, there has been no legal requirement to do so, but governments are now mandating and the purchase price will includee recycling costs. The latest innovation is to recycle 98% profitably with recovery of all components and even recycling of silicon and glass, rather than repurpose.
- [Carbon Intensity of Hydrogen](https://optimisticstorm.com/carbon-intensity-of-hydrogen/): Green hydrogen may not be green. Blue hydrogen may be worse than other hydrogen colours if the methane gas has leaks. Depending on the source of methane, electricity the climate change emissions of hydrogen varies by source, electrolyser efficiency, carbon capture and storage efficiency. The life cycle analysis needs to be done on all hydrogen projects to see how they can reduce carbon emissions.
- [Project Innerspace Geothermal](https://optimisticstorm.com/project-innerspace-geothermal/): Geothermal energy, although currently contributing less than 1% to global energy production, has the potential to supply 140 times the world's energy demand. Next-generation geothermal, including engineered, advanced, and hybrid systems, can be used for heating, cooling, and power generation . Scaling geothermal requires leveraging the oil and gas industry's expertise and infrastructure.
- [Fuel and Labour Truck Costs in Australia](https://optimisticstorm.com/fuel-and-labour-truck-costs-in-australia/): Fuel costs of large trucks suggest electric class 8 trucks would be economic. Turns out labour costs is the major item. Will humanoid robots or autonomous vehicles reduce operating cost so much that autonomous trucks take over trucking.
- [EV Truck Uptake is Surging](https://optimisticstorm.com/ev-truck-uptake-is-surging/): Global electric truck sales are growing with sales in 2024 over 90,000 units and a year-on-year growth rate of almost 80%. Surge is largely driven by China, where sales more than doubled between 2023 and 2024, accounting for over 80% of global sales. China leads the way, but other markets increase  electric truck adoption. With Tesla Semi soon to be produced, trucks will surge. 
- [Reclaiming Sovereignty When Fossil Fuel is Gone](https://optimisticstorm.com/reclaiming-sovereignty-when-fossil-fuel-is-gone/):  Renewable energy produced locally regains sovereignty when fossil fuel is gone. Countries regain sovereignty when they no longer have to buy their energy from fossil fuel rich countries. Fossil fuel exports provide luxury for about 24 countries - the rest of the 160 countries are dependent on importing oil gas and coal.  
- [Inertia In Electricity Grids](https://optimisticstorm.com/inertia-in-electricity-grids/): Inertia in electricity grids is a term used in electricity grids describing the behaviour of voltage. Many think solar and wind won’t be able to keep the grid stable because they lack “inertia”. Solar, wind and batteries will probably do a BETTER job and you can explain it in various ways. The world is moving to renewable grids. In the Australian grid or the NEM Outside of those ranges, the grid can have a blackout or brownout and there are severe penalties for failure to operate in that range.  Imagine that during the State of Origin football match with 10 million households […]
- [Hydrogen is a Greenhouse Gas](https://optimisticstorm.com/hydrogen-is-a-greenhouse-gas/): Hydrogen itself is not a direct greenhouse gas, as it does not absorb infrared radiation. However, evidence suggests it acts as an indirect greenhouse gas. When released, it extends methane's atmospheric lifetime, increases tropospheric ozone, and adds stratospheric water vapor, all of which contribute to warming. Studies estimate its 100-year Global Warming Potential at 11.6 ± 2.8.
- [Lethal Humidity](https://optimisticstorm.com/lethal-humidity/): Lethal humidity is a dangerous combination of high heat and high humidity, measured by wet-bulb temperature. When humidity is too high, sweat cannot evaporate from the skin, preventing the body from cooling itself. This causes core body temperature to rise rapidly, leading to heatstroke, organ failure, and potentially death within hours. Climate change increases frequency and intensity of these life-threatening conditions especially in Middle East, India and South East Asia
- [Green Hydrogen Progress from Fortescue](https://optimisticstorm.com/green-hydrogen-progress-from-fortescue/): Hydrogen will be an essential fuel for the zero emissions economy says Dr Andrew Forrest in an interview on Cleaning Up Eps 210. With a 80% reduction in size, and an increase in efficiency to 96%, green hydrogen ammonia will move ships and enable green steel. 
- [Genealogy Software](https://optimisticstorm.com/genealogy-software/): Genealogy is in vogue. Multiple TV series. But which software to use? The options are relatively limited. If you don't have IT skills, then use an online system such as Ancestry or My Heritage. If you are more proficient, use one of the many desktop systems including Family Tree Maker, Roots Magic, Family Hittorian to make more complete trees. 
- [97% or 100% for Net Zero](https://optimisticstorm.com/97-or-100-for-net-zero/): Wartsilar, better known for shipping engines in their modelling says 98% net zero by 2050 is cheaper than 100% WWS by Prof Jacobson. Meanwhile 100% is possible says Prof Mark Jacobson. RethinkiX says Stellar enegy - 500% is most cost effective for superabundant energy.  Wartsilar fails the fossil fuel argument and keeps about 12,000 TWh of generation in the mix - albeit for just 3% of the electricity generation. The world demands 100% zero emissions, not net zero.
- [Queensland Gas Companies Pay Zero Tax](https://optimisticstorm.com/queensland-gas-companies-pay-zero-tax/): Fossil fuel companies like to promote they pay tax and contribute to teh economcy. In 2022 the gas companies contributed zero. Over 15 years of gas production of $36 billion. A casual food service worker pays more tax than these companies, combined. 
- [Renters Balcony Solar Battery](https://optimisticstorm.com/renters-balcony-solar-battery/): Australia needs to lift its ban on balcony solar and battery systems. A balcony system in 25 European countries is up to 2kW of PV sol;ar and 800W battery. An apartment could save up to 30% of its electricity bill and pay back the system in less than 6 years. Landlords cannot prevent approved systems.
- [20 companies create 40 percent of emissions](https://optimisticstorm.com/20-companies-create-40-percent-of-emissions/): Twenty companies are responsible for 40% of emissions globally in 2023. Over 2/3rds of them are state owned. Since 1750, just 25 entities have created the climate crisis we are currently facing. Carbon Majors have released their 2023 report and shows emissions continue to rise with over 180 companies contributing to emissions globally.
- [Building a Battery Future](https://optimisticstorm.com/building-a-battery-future/): How to provide cost of living help, electrify the grid, and reduce 40% of Australia's emissions? In 12 months? The govt could step in and provide buy 2 million household batteries for 40GWh. Customers would repay $60 per month interest free through their electricity retailer. Cost is less than existing programs and subsidies.
- [Tarong Nuclear and Accident Impacts](https://optimisticstorm.com/tarong-nuclear-and-accident-impacts/): Nuclear accidents happen Summer thunderstorm patterns from Tarong to the Sunshine Coast means the Coast will be in the firing line of any accident at Tarong.  Low level radioactivity causes thyroid cancer for up to 60 years. People and lives are affected for generations and nuclear is not worth the risks 
- [Why USA Leaving Climate Talks is Good](https://optimisticstorm.com/why-usa-leaving-climate-talks-is-good/): Many argue the US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement is good news. Wind solar and batteries are so cheap that little fossil fuel electricity is being built even in fossil fuel states. The US risks falling behind China in green technologies, and with substantial reductions in oil consumption from EVs by 2030, fossil fuel exports will plummet,
- [Low Dose Radiation From Nuclear Accidents](https://optimisticstorm.com/low-dose-radiation-from-nuclear-accidents/): The evidence is clear that nuclear accidents risk polluting large areas with I-131 and Cesium and populations of tens of thousand have increased risk of thyroid cancer. There is no minimum safe exposure, inspite of nuclear advocate misinformation. Nuclear accidents cost billions, and kill thousands indirectly. The risk is simply not worth it. 
- [BYD Autonomous Vehicles](https://optimisticstorm.com/byd-autonomous-vehicles/): BYD autonomous vehicle software and hardware were announced on Feb 10 2025 and demonstrate that autonomous driving is rapidly advancing and the majority of vehicles during the next 3 years will be capable of becoming robotaxis, enabling personal public transport to extend not just from 60 cities to globally.  
- [AI Accelerates Autonomous Driving Solutions](https://optimisticstorm.com/ai-accelerates-autonomous-driving-solutions/): AI is driving a rapid advances in robotaxis and autonomous driving. Like many new technologies this has taken 70 years, and in less than 5 years will see all cars with full autonomy with the advances in AI and with electric vehicles now cheaper than internal combustion engines 
- [AI Helps Us Live Longer](https://optimisticstorm.com/ai-helps-us-live-longer/): AI will help us live longer than we every expected. Not just to 120. We may be able to live to hundreds. We are in the midst of a healthspan revolution that will enable us to live vitally. Advanced diagnostics to catch any disease at inception. Tailored advanced therapies to reverse disease. Slowing, stopping, and potentially even reversing aging. 
- [Human 3D Organoids](https://optimisticstorm.com/human-3d-organoids/): Human 3D organoids are in vitro 3D cultures that mimic the structure and function of human organs. They are derived from stem cells, which can self-renew and differentiate into various cell types. Organoids are a powerful in disease modelling, drug development, personalised treatment, and regenerative medicine. 
- [EVs Save Emissions Using Gas](https://optimisticstorm.com/evs-save-emissions-using-gas/): If California's 340 billion light-duty vehicle miles went electric, consuming 200 watt-hours per mile, it would require an additional 68 TWh/year, 24% of 2023's 281 TWh generation. There is 4 times unused natural gas capacity, currently not used. Charging during low-use night hours would utilize this excess, reducing pollution and improving efficiency, enhancing air quality and boost ROI on existing infrastructure.
- [Tesla Earnings Call Q4-2024 Summary](https://optimisticstorm.com/tesla-earnings-call-q4-2024-summary/): The tone of Tesla's earnings call for Q4-2024 and full year 2024 today was cautiously optimistic, with Elon Musk emphasizing a significant focus on autonomy and future growth. Despite some disappointing financial results, there was a bullish outlook on AI, FSD, and new vehicle launches, coupled with Musk's characteristic confidence in Tesla's future value. 
- [Industrial-Scale Bioplastic Production](https://optimisticstorm.com/industrial-scale-bioplastic-production/): Industrial-scale bioplastic production is being implemented in select regions globally, primarily for applications like packaging, as documented by case studies such as a Malaysian palm biomass biorefinery (20,000 tons/year) and Thailand's cassava-based PLA and bioplastic bag production demonstrating localized cost and environmental advantages, but broader adoption is limited by high costs, scalability challenges, and performance trade-offs to the 480 million tonne market.
- [Lignin Replacing Plastic](https://optimisticstorm.com/lignin-replacing-plastic/): Plastic pollution is a growing environmental issue, but innovation in alternative materials offers a solution. Lignin, a natural polymer, can replace many fossil-based plastic products. Other plant-based materials, mycelium, and algae are also being explored as potential plastic alternatives, offering hope for a more sustainable future.
- [Group14 Silicon Anodes](https://optimisticstorm.com/group14-silicon-anodes/): Nano-silicon anodes are a promising new technology for lithium-ion batteries. They offer 30% superior capacity, faster charging and longer life than traditional graphite anodes. Group 14 is a leading company in this field, and their technology is already being used in smartphones. They are now expanding their production to meet the growing demand for batteries in electric vehicles and other applications.
- [Geologic or Gold Hydrogen](https://optimisticstorm.com/geologic-or-gold-hydrogen/): Geologic or gold hydrogen has potential to be part  of the clean energy transition. Potential LCA and cost is low ($1kg), but there are technological and economic hurdles Co-production of helium with geologic hydrogen could be a key factor in making this technology commercially viable. Research and development may determine the true potential of geologic hydrogen.
- [Nvidia AI Announcements at CES 2025](https://optimisticstorm.com/nvidia-ai-announcements-at-ces-2025/): AI continues to rapidly expand. At CES, 2025 Nvidia announcements include a new AI supercomputer, a powerful video card, next-generation processor for cars and robots. NVidia announced partnerships with Toyota for next model robotasis as well as Aurora, Continental for driverless trucks at scale by 2027.
- [AI Improves Clinical Trials](https://optimisticstorm.com/ai-improves-clinical-trials/): AI is transforming clinical trials by predicting success with 90% accuracy. This could lead to fewer trials, better outcomes, and reduced trial times. Companies like OPYL, OpenAI, and Moderna are at the forefront of this AI-driven healthcare revolution. Using 20 years of past clinical trial data, OPYL can improve trial outcomes by 4 to 5 times, reducing costs and improving success.
- [AI Accelerates Drug Discovery](https://optimisticstorm.com/ai-accelerates-drug-discovery/): Within a decade we will cure disease, not just treat it. AI accelerates drug discovery and will reduce cost of new drugs by 4 from $2.4 billion to $600 million, and time from 14 years to 6 years. ROI improves 12 times. AI in medicine will not just improve medicines but will improve diagnosis and treatment.
- [Mistrust in Science Increasing](https://optimisticstorm.com/mistrust-in-science-increasing/): Most research shows Mistrust in science increasing over the past decades and primarily driven by political polarization, amplified by partisan media and social media algorithms that spread misinformation, with variation observed across age, rural vs. urban populations, and political affiliations. Was it the nuclear bomb, or Rachael Carson, but mistrust is increasing rapidly.
- [Electrify Everything](https://optimisticstorm.com/electrify-everything/): Electrification promises up to 80% of all global energy requirements and can rapidly stop emissions. In this podcast, Lord Adair Turner points out efficient technologies such as heat pumps, electricity for heating water, air, and materials can rapidly change emissions. The focus shifts from energy consumption to energy services for better human welfare. Solar PV costs at 9 cents/watt and batteries under $100/kWh enable transition.
- [Covid Reduces IQ](https://optimisticstorm.com/covid-reduces-iq/): New research from Prof Ali Max reveals the COVID-19 spike protein can persist in the body for years, causing brain damage. The protein accumulates in the skull and meninges, leading to inflammation, neuronal damage, and neurodegenerative changes. Long COVID patients exhibit elevated levels of neurodegenerative markers. Vaccination can significantly reduce spike protein accumulation and long-term neurological effects.
- [Statin Effectiveness in Older People ](https://optimisticstorm.com/statin-effectiveness-in-older-people/): Stroke is a major health issue, especially for those over 60. Statins lower cholesterol, stabilize plaques, and reduce inflammation, effectively preventing repeat strokes. However, evidence for statins preventing first strokes in the elderly, particularly those over 75, is weaker, leading to inconsistent guidelines.
- [Long Covid Impacts Updated](https://optimisticstorm.com/long-covid-impacts/): About one in eight people who get covid-19, also get long covid which is post-infection symptoms persisting for at least a month. Long covid impacts young and is cumulative. Loss of IQ. Loss of fitness, and for some months or years of pain. Long covid is real. Prevention is needed. Masks. Vaccines. Ventilation
- [Human Cell Atlas](https://optimisticstorm.com/human-cell-atlas/): The Human Cell Atlas project is revolutionizing our understanding of human biology with its 37 trillion cells and will transform medicine and healthcare. The Atlas provides not only the DNA, but where and how the RNA and control mechanisms operate   It is a testament to the power of collaborative research and the potential of big data to drive scientific discovery.   
- [Stranded Gas Assets in Australia](https://optimisticstorm.com/stranded-gas-assets-in-australia/): Rapid electrification is forcing gas network companies to seek higher fees by over $200m as they try to protect over $10 billion of stranded assets. As more households switch to electricity, the future of renewable gas remains uncertain. The energy transition challenges policymakers to protect both consumers and gas companies.
- [Q&A Renewable Energy](https://optimisticstorm.com/qa-renewable-energy/): Renewables can supply 100% power, with several countries already achieving high percentages. They are cheaper than fossil fuels, despite rising energy bills due to external factors. While land use is less for renewables, the environmental impact of fossil fuels is significant. Job transitions from fossil fuels to renewables are underway, with potential growth in sectors like battery technology. Renewables offer economic, environmental, and job benefits over fossil fuels.
- [Obesity GLP-1 Drug Use](https://optimisticstorm.com/obesity-glp-1-drugs-for-wider-use/): We have all heard or know of someone who is taking the obesity drug but the exciting news is research going to take the obesity GLP-1 drugs for wider use. A science paper summary of the GLP-1 advances shows how researchers are focusing on other uses.
- [Ozempic and GLP-1 Drugs](https://optimisticstorm.com/ozempic-and-glp-1-drugs/): Ozempic and other GLP-1 receptor agonists have swept the world for obesity and type 2 diabetes. Their extended value is reducing inflammation and improving clinical outcomes in heart disease by 20% or more. Kidney diseases along with promising but less consistent evidence in liver diseases, while research in autoimmune diseases and dementia remains preliminary. 
- [Wind Prices Falling](https://optimisticstorm.com/wind-prices-falling/): Wind turbine prices have increased recently due to factors like supply chain issues and inflation. However, technological advancements and economies of scale have led to more efficient and larger turbines, reducing the cost of energy production per MWh. While costs vary by country, China has seen significant reductions in wind turbine installation costs. Overall, the trend is towards more affordable wind energy, despite recent price fluctuations.
- [Ontario Nuclear: Debunking Costly Myths](https://optimisticstorm.com/ontario-nuclear-debunking-costly-myths/): Learn how Ontario nuclear power, despite claims of cost-effectiveness, is heavily subsidized and carries significant risks. Explore the truth behind the promises and the reality of nuclear energy.
- [Tesla FSD Improvement 2024](https://optimisticstorm.com/tesla-fsd-improvement/): Tesla is rapidly improving its Full Self-Driving (FSD) technology, with a 1,000x improvement expected by 2Q25. This will make it safer than human drivers. Tesla is also planning a robotaxi fleet with the Cybercab. Existing full self driving is already 10 times better than humans. Track the data, not the naysayers.
- [Announcements From Tesla Q3 2024](https://optimisticstorm.com/announcements-from-tesla-q324/): Elon Musk, Tesla's CEO, detailed high expectations at Tesla's quarterly Q3 2024. Investors goto over 28 updates on production, competition, and future plans. Musk discusses autonomous driving, new models like the Cybertruck, and Tesla's battery tech. He addresses challenges like supply chain issues and regulatory hurdles, maintaining optimism about Tesla's market dominance and innovation.
- [2024 State of the Climate](https://optimisticstorm.com/2024-state-of-the-climate/): The scientific consensus is clear: human activity is causing dangerous climate change with potentially catastrophic consequences. We have passed the point of avoiding some impacts, but immediate action can still limit the damage. Climate change is a social justice issue, as wealthier nations contribute more to the problem but are less vulnerable to its effects.
- [Japan Has a Gas Problem](https://optimisticstorm.com/japan-has-a-gas-problem/): Japan has over contracted gas from countries such as Australia. With 20% of surplus gas, they are reselling globally. While they have clean energy plans, their greenwashing shows up as still wanting to have their gas. 
- [3°C Climate Change Costs 36% of GDP](https://optimisticstorm.com/3-degrees-climate-change-costs-36-percent-of-gdp/): Recent publications show a 3°C climate change costs 36% of GDP or $56 trillion. That is like the depression of 1929, but forever. The article outlines a three-pronged approach of Mitigation Resilience and Renewal for Climate Change. There are scary changes underway that have a potential to decrease global GDP by 12% for every degree of global warming Previously it was thought 1° rise would reduce GDP by 2 trillion. New data shows that to be six times that. Global GDP is about $100 trillion. So this means a $36 trillion decrease. There will still be some economic growth happening but […]
- [Batteries End Fossil Fuel Era](https://optimisticstorm.com/batteries-end-fossil-fuel-era/): Batteries are essential for the renewable energy transition. They enable storage of excess solar power, reducing reliance on fossil fuels. Tesla's recent announcement of producing 100 million 4680 batteries highlights the rapid advancements in battery technology. This progress is crucial for a sustainable energy future, for electric transport and grid storage to enable full production by solar and wind for the end of the fossil fuel era
- [Hydrogen Dead End in China](https://optimisticstorm.com/hydrogen-dead-end-in-china/): China is a good comparison of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. In Foshan city an H2 tram has been mothball and when you look at all cars and public transport, it is hard to see where the use case for hydrogen is.
- [Climate Refugees Increasing Fact vs Fiction](https://optimisticstorm.com/climate-refugees-increasing-fact-vs-fiction/): Climate change is a pressing global issue with far-reaching consequences. Climate change refugees have increased 41% since 2008 with over 32 million refugees today. UNHCR debunks 5 myths with facts highlighting the urgent need for action. Key points include the growing number of people displaced by climate-related disasters, the challenges of predicting future displacement, and the importance of both mitigation and adaptation efforts. We must stope emissions, and build more resilient and sustainable future for all.
- [Vaccines Saved 154 million Lives](https://optimisticstorm.com/vaccines-saved-154-million-lives/): The Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) has been a cornerstone of global health, saving over 150 million lives and improving health outcomes worldwide. Through its comprehensive approach and the impact of vaccines like measles, EPI has demonstrated the power of vaccination in reducing mortality, promoting equity, and protecting individuals throughout their lifespan.
- [Coal to Build Wind Turbines](https://optimisticstorm.com/coal-to-build-wind-turbines/): While over 260t steel, 300t iron ore, 170t coking coal are used to build a 4MW wind turbine, the energy from a wind turbine is 660 times more. The wind turbine produces 420GWh electricity over its 30-year life, while the equivalent amount of coal electricity would require 290,988t of coal. Therefore, wind energy is a much cleaner and more sustainable option.
- [25 Factors in Battery Systems](https://optimisticstorm.com/25-factors-in-battery-systems/): Batteries are essential components in modern technology. From smartphones to electric vehicles, they store and deliver energy efficiently. Understanding battery systems involves factors like chemistry, capacity, and management. Proper maintenance and disposal are crucial for ensuring their longevity and environmental sustainability.
- [Batteries Last 40 Years with Latest Research](https://optimisticstorm.com/batteries-last-40-years-with-latest-research/): A new study challenges conventional wisdom in EV battery manufacturing. Researchers found that fast charging, despite initial lithium loss, can significantly extend battery lifespan. This could lead to more efficient and sustainable electric vehicles and extend grid storage batteries to decades
- [Enough Solar Panels for 100% Electricity in 4 Years](https://optimisticstorm.com/enough-solar-panels-for-100-electricity-in-4-years/): With solar panel production capacity of China over 1TW PV in 2024 is enough to replace 4.5% fossil fuel electricity generation,  with 100% by 2028. China faces an industry collapse of companies making solar panels. Either panels must be deployed globally or there will be a sector collapse.
- [Nuclear is Not Safe](https://optimisticstorm.com/nuclear-is-not-safe/): Nuclear power is riskier than previously thought with failure rate of 1 per 3704 reactor years. That's about 1 per decade. Despite safety improvements, severe accidents remain a concern. Limited data from the IAEA hinders thorough analysis.
- [Earth Energy Imbalance Visualization](https://optimisticstorm.com/earth-energy-imbalance-visualization/): Earth's energy imbalance EEI is caused by greenhouse gases. Leon Simons uses analogies (bombs, sunlight) to show the immense amount of heat trapped (20 ZJ/year). This trapped heat is 33x humanity's annual energy use and could raise sea levels by 15cm. The goal is to visualize the vast amount of heat our actions cause.
- [George Monbiot Precision Fermentation](https://optimisticstorm.com/george-monbiot-precision-fermentation/): Environmentalist George Monbiot believes precision fermentation can revolutionize food production. He dismisses concerns about factory processing and genetically modified organisms, arguing that these technologies offer a more sustainable and ethical alternative to traditional livestock farming. While corporate control is a risk, Monbiot emphasizes the technology's potential to reduce environmental harm.
- [Energy Breakthroughs Drives Transportation: History Repeats](https://optimisticstorm.com/energy-breakthroughs-drives-transportation-history-repeats/): As Professor Vaclav Smil highlights in "Grand Transitions," coal, oil, and now solar power have dramatically reshaped transportation and society. Harnessing the sun's energy promises to end fossil fuel dependency, disrupt industries, and lift billions out of energy poverty.
- [Dementia Diagnosis and Treatment Advances](https://optimisticstorm.com/dementia-diagnosis-and-treatment-advances/): Recent advancements in AI, particularly in early diagnosis and treatment of dementia, provide a glimmer of hope. Dementia, a major global health challenge, is expected to affect 153 million by 2050. AI detection and lifestyle changes like exercise can delay onset, while new drugs like Donanemab offer promising, albeit expensive, therapies.
- [Great Gas Giveaway](https://optimisticstorm.com/great-gas-giveaway/): Australia’s government subsidizes the fossil fuel industry, emphasizing gas fields in its strategy despite environmental concerns. Critics argue this undermines emissions targets and misses potential royalty revenues. The policy supports export-focused gas development, risking public funds for decommissioning costs while contradicting net-zero ambitions and favoring fossil fuel interests.
- [Australian Gas Exports Will Crash](https://optimisticstorm.com/australian-gas-exports-will-crash/): Australia gas strategy emphasizes new gas fields, causing concerns about climate goals due to rising emissions. Australia’s gas exports face a declining future, with major markets reducing demand and increased competition from the USA and Qatar. Thermal batteries may assist in industrial decarbonisation but the biggest threat is all countries are moving rapidly to reduce gas demand. Decommissioning liabilities heighten taxpayer risks.
- [Gas Transition to Electric In Australia](https://optimisticstorm.com/gas-transition-to-electric/): As Australia transitions from fossil fuels to electricity by 2030, rapid shifts will mainly impact domestic gas consumption. New gas fields, key to government policy, are controversial due to their potential to hinder emissions reductions. The shift includes household electrification, increased renewable energy storage, and industrial process heat alternatives. Export markets face competition risks.
- [Tesla Achievements 2018 to 2024](https://optimisticstorm.com/tesla-achievements-from-2018/): From 2018 to mid-2024, Tesla achieved significant milestones, including delivering millions of vehicles globally, advancing energy storage deployments, and expanding its Supercharger network. Notable accomplishments are the unveiling of new models, expanding autonomous driving features, and achieving profitability. Production has become more efficient, and several new technologies, including FSD and Optimus robots, were developed.
- [153 Countries 100% Renewable Energy](https://optimisticstorm.com/153-countries-100-renewable-energy/): A decade after Prof. Mark Jacobson's 2015 proposal for 100% renewable energy in 153 countries, significant debates continue. Despite initial challenges and legal disputes, Jacobson defended his model, though some technological predictions, like concentrated solar power, fell short. Notably, California's renewable energy achievements in 2024 affirm the feasibility and importance of his vision.
- [Advances in Thorium Nuclear Reactors](https://optimisticstorm.com/advances-in-thorium-nuclear-reactors/): India and China have made considerable progress in developing thorium-based nuclear reactors, recognizing their potential as safer, more sustainable alternatives to uranium reactors. India’s program focuses on the Advanced Heavy Water Reactor using thorium and a small amount of uranium-233, while China’s involves pioneering molten salt technology in the Chinese Thorium Molten Salt Reactor project. Alongside, companies like Copenhagen Atomic are also advancing thorium technology, facing challenges like isotope production and corrosion-resistant materials.
- [Electricity for AI Exceeds Transportation](https://optimisticstorm.com/electricity-for-ai-exceeds-transportation/): AI computing's surge outpaces electricity demand for transportation, potentially exceeding it due to expansive training and inference needs. Massive datacenters from tech giants necessitate immense power, raising speculation about electricity shortages. Tesla leads with significant investments in low-power and high-performance chips, aiming for exascale AI capabilities. This growth in AI computation could increase datacenter electricity use fourfold within a decade, challenging current power grids and possibly requiring dedicated power plants to meet escalating energy demands.
- [Stellantis Flawed Hydrogen Strategy](https://optimisticstorm.com/stellantis-flawed-hydrogen-strategy/): Previously we outlined ten reasons hydrogen was dead for transportation, yet we see Stellantis flawed hydrogen strategy proposed by the CEO. Despite Carolos Tavares says in an online event that the cost of hydrogen mobility is ‘sky high’, just two months after introducing eight new H2 van models. He says fuel-cell road transport is ‘far from being affordable’, with cost being an ‘enormous challenge’. Carlos was speaking at Stellantis Freedom of Mobility Forum as reported by Hydrogen Insight. Twice as expensive may be something of an underestimate, depending on the market, with Hydrogen Insight writing in September last year that it was almost 14 […]
- [Chinese Coal Drops from 70 to 45 Percent by 2030](https://optimisticstorm.com/chinese-coal-drops-from-70-to-45-percent-by-2030/): Lauri Myllyvirta forecasts China's coal dependency to drop from 70% to 45% by 2030, influenced by renewable expansions and energy policy shifts reported in April 2024. Despite local-global energy strategy conflicts and bureaucratic hurdles, China's renewable energy sector is flourishing with vast solar and wind installations, and plummeting solar, battery prices. China's energy security challenge is compounded by coal quality issues and reliance on imports.
- [Fitness Wearables For Disease Prevention](https://optimisticstorm.com/fitness-wearables-for-disease-prevention/): Cancer, heart and lifestyle diseases are rising. Dr Synder from Harvard shows better measuring of health function using AI and wearable monitors assist in changing lifestyle diseases. Prevention is better than cure, and early detection saves lives.
- [Tesla Robotaxi Finance Model](https://optimisticstorm.com/tesla-robotaxi-finance-model/): Tesla has been promising a robotaxi for some years. This is a new robotaxi finance model and confirms what Tony Seba of RethinkX, or Ark Invest all predict. The robotaxi is a trillion dollar industry and Tesla valuation will depend on delivering robotaxi services.
- [Scary Climate Change News 2° not 1.5° by 2040's](https://optimisticstorm.com/scary-climate-change-news/): Four indicators tell us a scary climate Change is more likely. Most are unaware, as they have taken the 1.5 degrees Net Zero. Research says tht the pipeline of CO2 and Methane will blow that out to 2 to 3 degrees by 2050. Aerosols, CO2 emission, and Methane are the major contributors
- [Robotaxis not Rail for Sunshine Coast](https://optimisticstorm.com/robotaxis-not-rail-for-sunshine-coast/): Robotaxis not Rail for Sunshine Coast is a novel view of the 25 years of planning transport from Brisbane to the Sunshine Coast. The project has reached another milestone. Is it the wrong one.
- [eVTol the End of Helicopters](https://optimisticstorm.com/are-evtol-the-end-of-helicopters/): Electric vertical takeoff and landing craft - a combination of helicopter and airplane are coming in 2025 as production and regulations are met. Piloted, 4 seater aand first focus is cross city Uber style from downtown New York, Chicago, Los Angeles to the airport.  Joby and Archer are well funded to be sucessful
- [China's Energy Megabase Plan ](https://optimisticstorm.com/chinas-energy-megabase-plan/): China's plan to have 445GW of renewabe energy in megabases to shore up the 1,200 GW planned by 2030 to be 25% low emission electricity supply.
- [Nitrogen Fertilizer Replaced by AI and Bacteria](https://optimisticstorm.com/nitrogen-fertilizer-replaced-by-ai-and-bacteria/): What if AI Genetics can create an organism producing nitrogen nutrient inside the plant itself. Conventional greening of nitrogen fertilizer is using green hydrogen instead of fossil fuel. Will the trillion dollar market for nitrogen fertilizer be disrupted?
- [Zero Population Growth & Carrying Capacity](https://optimisticstorm.com/zero-population-growth-carrying-capacity/): What is zero population growth? It is associated with carrying capacity or what is sustainable and equitable.  Can the earth support 2 billion or 40 billion people?  Population, food, energy house and labour workforce are discussed
- [100 Companies Reducing 71% of Emissions](https://optimisticstorm.com/100-companies-reducing-71-emissions/): 100 Companies Reducing 71% of Emissions are the key to challenging the 100 companies who generated 70% of emissions. Solar, battery, wind and EV manufactures are driving changes in emissions. 
- [100 Companies Responsible for 71% of Emissions](https://optimisticstorm.com/100-companies-responsible-71-emissions/): 100 companies are responsible for 71% of emissions - and just 25 fossil fuel companies are linked to 51% of emissions. Many have little investment in reduction of emissions. even 8 years on from a 2016 report identifying them.
- [New Vehicle Efficiency Standard for Australia](https://optimisticstorm.com/new-vehicle-efficiency/): The Australian Government released the background briefing paper – Cleaner, Cheaper Cars to Run – New Vehicle Efficiency Standard for Australia in January 2024 and plan to enact legislation in 2024. Download the full paper here. The Govt Infrastructure Dept came up with 3 scenarios and ask interested parties to provide submissions by early March 2024. Supposedly the preferred legislation will be completed in 2024. These 3 scenarios are business as usual, moderate introduction of international standards and fast adoption. Option 2 and 3 is to raise vehicle emissions to that of the USA. Only Australia and Russia have low or […]
- [Molten Oxide Electrolysis for Green Steel](https://optimisticstorm.com/molten-oxide-electrolysis-for-green-steel/): The molten oxide electrolysis process by Boston Metals has the opportunity to revolutionise steel refining. During the past decade, they have progressed from lab scale to millions of tonnes industrial process and would enable rapid decarbonisation of the steel industry.
- [AMOC Tipping Point - Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation](https://optimisticstorm.com/amoc-tipping-point/): The Atlantic meridional overturning cirulating current coiuld be a major risk from climate change. No one can predict, but 7m sea rises and 5 degree termperature for Northern Europe.
- [Tidal & Wave Power Untapped Energy](https://optimisticstorm.com/tidal-wave-power-untapped-energy/): Tidal and wave power are untapped energy resources yet despite 2 decades have scarely moved beyond demonstration and pilot systems. The marine environment is harse, bespoke and has severe enironmental and social barriers.
- [1000-Mile Battery Innovations](https://optimisticstorm.com/1000-mile-battery-innovations/): Multiple manufacturers announce progress in lithium batteries. Increasing density, decreasing cost, increasing range, faster charging, more cycle life. Will the 1000-mile battery make it into vehicles by 2030?
- [USA Electricity Is Going Renewable - Rapidly](https://optimisticstorm.com/usa-electricity-going-renewable/): Globally, renewable energy is the dominant new electricity generation. The USA is followng other countries, particularly China with with over 99.8% electricity generation to come from solar wind and solar in 2024.
- [Tesla Optimus Robot Worth trillions by 2030](https://optimisticstorm.com/tesla-optimus-robot-worth-trillions/): Developed for human environments, Optimus shows significant advancements in dexterity and autonomy. Despite mixed valuation models, experts believe humanoid robots could revolutionize the workforce, potentially outpacing Tesla's automotive segment in value. Chris Camillo predicts Tesla's Optimus robot will be worth trillions by 2030, addressing labor shortages in sectors like warehousing. Cern Basher likewise suggests revenues of over $6,000 per bot. One million bots is worth $6bn in revenue
- [Steel from Aluminium Waste](https://optimisticstorm.com/steel-from-aluminium-waste/): Red mud is a hazardous waste from aluminium production and research is underway to extract the steel from aluminium waste. Using waste product from the aluminium industry to produce valuable green steel is promising. Can it scale from lab scale to production in a timely manner – technically and economically? The world’s most-produced metals, iron and aluminium, have high environmental costs. The production of steel (1,600mt from 2,500mt of ore) requires fossil fuel (coal) and generates approximately 2 tonnes of carbon dioxide per tonne of steel. Green steel production is underway, albeit slowly. Aluminium production of about 60 million tonnes production […]
- [Green Steel Easy to Abate?](https://optimisticstorm.com/green-steel-easy-to-abate/): Green steel shouild be viewed as fast-to-abate not hard-to-abort as is generally viewed. Using renewable energy reduces emissions in all parts of the steel refinery emissions.
- [Can Legacy Automakers Ever Catch Tesla?](https://optimisticstorm.com/can-legacy-automakers-ever-catch-tesla/): Tesla is leading the automotive industry in innovative manufacturing. EVs key focus is weight reduction.  Will others catch up. The conclusion is Chinese will, but legacy will have too many barriers with management.

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- [List of Articles](https://optimisticstorm.com/list-of-articles/): For a full list of articles they are all listed below. From renewable energy, to climate change, hydrogen, minerals used in the renewable energy transformation. Category Electric Vehicles Everything about electric vehicles. Category Batteries & Gigafactories All details about batteries, battery Gigafactories Category Minerals Do we have enough minerals for batteries and vehicle production Category Renewable Energy Renewable energy is cheaper than fossil fuel energy. There are many questions about the technology and the economics. Category Robotaxis Robotaxis are coming. Over 40 companies. But what are the technologies and economics. Batteries and Gigafactories Batteries are key to the use of renewable […]
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