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Ignoring the science that could save Planet Earth is rampant today. People can have empathy, function in society, and survive — even thrive — yet still reject basic premises of scientific climate reasoning. People want to be totally sure, for example, that the changes they make in removing themselves from reliance on fossil fuels, centralized electricity generation, and legacy autos are certain and solid decisions.

But ignoring the science disregards the facts about the climate crisis and the power of renewable technologies.

Cars, trucks, and other forms of transportation are a major producer of air pollution in the world. Climate scientists say vehicle electrification is one of the best ways to reduce planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions. A research team from MIT released data in an interactive online tool to help people quantify the true costs of their car-buying decisions — both for the planet and their budget. EVs are arriving much faster than anyone might have forecast.

The source of solar energy — the sun — is nearly limitless and can be accessed anywhere on earth at one time or another. Yes, it would take around 10 million acres of land, but that’s only about 0.4% of the area of the US to allow enough space for solar photovoltaics (PV) to supply all of the nation’s electricity.

Energy storage has been evolving and creating long-term benefits and reliability for consumers. It is critical for the entire grid as it augments energy resources and can act as a generation, transmission, or distribution asset – sometimes in a single asset. As an enabling technology, it can save consumers money, improve reliability and resilience, integrate generation sources, and help reduce environmental impacts.

If renewable energy technology is so great, then why do so many people deny its potential in our lives?

Ignoring the Science: Denial in Crisis

Public health expert Sara Gorman and psychiatrist/scientist Jack Gorman argue in a recent book that failure to adhere to scientific evidence can have dire outcomes. Their exposition can help us to unpack why well-meaning people hold to notions that sustainable energy methods like EVs, solar, and energy storage are bad.

Denying to the Grave: Why We Ignore the Science that Will Save Us updates a 2016 first edition book. The revision investigates the psychological factors that lead to self-defeating denial of facts; the authors conclude that normal, evolutionary, and adaptive tendencies act against us. If we extend their argument, the costs of wavering on renewable energy technologies are so enormous that we must make transparent theirs benefits — over and over — if we are to overcome denialism and create a citizenry who can sort out scientific climate facts from hype.

Here are some inroads to do just that offered by the authors of Denying to the Grave.

We want to think that charismatic leaders of anti-science movements are just people who hold incorrect ideas about health and well-being. The Gormans discount that notion and say, instead, that such individuals actually masquerade as selfless but gain considerable personal benefits from promulgating false ideas. Activist voices like Greta Thunberg and António Guterres have counterparts like Peter Duesberg, Andrew Wakefield, Jenny McCarthy, Gilles- Éric Séralini, and Wayne LaPierre. Such leaders have such an influence that audiences make decisions or hold beliefs that do not resemble decisions or beliefs they might otherwise hold on their own.

Confirmation bias refers to our tendency to attend only to information that agrees with what we already think is true. Just look at the world’s energy system, which definitely needs to be greened for sustainable development. However, green energy development is fundamentally established upon people’s knowledge about its comparative advantages over other types of energy development. Whether an energy candidate is truly ‘green’ depends on many factors that encompass costs and benefits in various dimensions and range from inputs to outputs along multiple lifecycles. Cognitive biases can lead to misleading language use and further result in entrenched decision-making that only leads to more ignoring the science of renewable technologies.

Ignoring the science of sustainable energy technology can often involve examining causality and filling in ignorance gaps, according to Gorman and Gorman. They say that it is highly adaptive to know how to attribute causality but that people are often too quick to do so. People have a difficult time sitting with uncertainty and accepting coincidence. Revealing ways to better comprehend true causality can be done by examining criteria for causal inference — strength, consistency, specificity, temporality, biological gradient, plausibility, coherence, experiment, and analogy. We might apply those criteria to early studies of demand response or smart grids demonstrated the effective matching of supply and demand in a region.Today, to fill in the knowledge gaps, such analyses can be expanded into linkages among carbon dioxide emissions, energy consumption, and economic growth.

Because it’s impossible to keep up with the enormous amount of scientific articles that are published, we rely on a variety of sources (like CleanTechnica 😀 ) to sift through them. Gorman and Gorman argue that the public needs to overcome an avoidance of complexity of science to judge independently what publications are important. In the world of EVs, solar energy, and energy storage, this means drawing upon a complexity science perspective in which an appreciation of the complex, dynamic, and interconnected relationships occurring within a complex system or problem. Renewable energy fundamental understanding and scientific breakthroughs in new materials and chemical processes make possible new energy technologies and performance levels — staying current with these innovations is essential to gaining renewable energy scientific literacy.

It’s common today to hear people problem-solve through a risk-cost-reward equation. Sometimes, we work through those equations based on skewed risk perception and probability. Risk perception is prone to change based on type of risk, and many people still consider renewables a risky venture. Yet over the last decade a surge in lithium-ion battery production has led to an 85% decline in prices, making electric vehicles and energy storage commercially viable for the first time in history. Comparing energy storage needs and priorities in 2010 vs 2021, important applications continue to emerge including decarbonization of heavy-duty vehicles, rail, maritime shipping, and aviation and the growth of renewable electricity and storage on the grid.

Ignoring the Crisis OR Zeroing in on Clean Technologies

The scientific process is slow and methodical. Analyzing claims can lead to peer-reviewed consensus so that, eventually, the scientific community converges on a shared reality that becomes scientific fact. Spread of misinformation is common in any time of social change and has produced much science denial in crisis over the last decade. Especially during times of political polarization, audiences tend to reject an entire body of beliefs, rather than examining each belief separately.

Surveys show that people in the US have a very high regard for science and its potential to accomplish much that will benefit individuals. When agencies like the EPA have their necessary funding, scientific expertise can be restored to full strength. Gorman and Gorman argue that “the science that is used to help guide policy must be unencumbered by political intrusion and represent solid, data-driven research. We need an end to censorship, banished words, and firing of scientists whose findings are inconvenient for politicians.”

ignoring the science

 

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YMX Logistics deploys 20 new Orange EV electric yard trucks

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YMX Logistics deploys 20 new Orange EV electric yard trucks

Leading yard operation 3PL YMX Logistics has announced plans to deploy fully twenty (20) of Orange EV’s fully electric Class 8 terminal trucks at a number of distribution and manufacturing sites across North America.

As the shipping and logistics industries increasingly move to embrace electrification, yard operations have proven to be an almost ideal use case for EVs, enabling companies like Orange EV, which specialize in yard hostlers or terminal tractors, to drive real, impactful change. To that end, companies like YMX are partnering with Orange EV.

“This relationship between YMX and Orange EV is a significant step forward in transforming yard operations across North America,” said Matt Yearling, CEO of YMX Logistics. “Besides the initial benefits of reduction in emissions and carbon footprint, our customers are also seeing improvements in the overall operational efficiency and seeking to expand. Our team members have also been sharing positive feedback about their new equipment and highlighting the positive impact on their health and day-to-day activities.”

This Orange looks good in blue

YMX Logistics electric yard trucks; by Orange EV.

One of the most interesting aspects of this story – beyond the Orange EV HUSK-e XP’s almost unbelievable 180,000 lb. GCWR spec. – is that this isn’t a story about California’s ports, which mandate EVs. Instead, YMX is truly deploying these trucks throughout the country, with at least four currently in Chicago (and more on the way).

“Our collaboration with YMX Logistics represents a powerful stride in delivering sustainable yard solutions at scale for enterprise customers,” explains Wayne Mathisen, CEO of Orange EV. “With rising demand for electric yard trucks, our joint efforts ensure that more companies can access the environmental, financial, and operational benefits of electrification … this is a win for the planet, the workforce, and the bottom line of these organizations.”

We interviewed Orange EV founder Kurt Neutgens on The Heavy Equipment Podcast a few months back, but if you’re not familiar with these purpose-built trucks, it’s worth a listen.

HEP-isode 26

SOURCE | IMAGES: YMX Logistics.

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Hyundai IONIQ 9 debut, new NACS Kia, solid state batteries from Honda

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Hyundai IONIQ 9 debut, new NACS Kia, solid state batteries from Honda

On today’s thrilling episode of Quick Charge, we’ve got the all-new Hyundai IONIQ 9 and its “a “rolling living room” pivoting captain’s chairs, Kia gets a go-fast 7 passenger SUV and an updated EV6, while Honda announces plans to start producing solid-state batteries at its new facility in just a few weeks.

We’ve also got big news for American workers – a Minnesota power company is ditching coal for solar while ExxonMobil and LG Chem get to work extracting thousands of tons of lithium out of Tennessee’s soil.

Today’s episode is sponsored by BLUETTI, a leading provider of portable power stations, solar generators, and energy storage systems. For a limited time, save up to 52% during BLUETTI’s exclusive Black Friday sale, now through November 28, and be sure to use promo code BLUETTI5OFF for 5% off all power stations sitewide. Learn more by clicking here.

You can watch the episode, below.

Prefer listening to your podcasts? Audio-only versions of Quick Charge are now available on Apple PodcastsSpotifyTuneIn, and our RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.

New episodes of Quick Charge are recorded, usually, Monday through Thursday (and sometimes Sunday). We’ll be posting bonus audio content from time to time as well, so be sure to follow and subscribe so you don’t miss a minute of Electrek’s high-voltage daily news!

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Drop us a line at tips@electrek.co. You can also rate us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or recommend us in Overcast to help more people discover the show!

Read more: Farm-fegnugen? Volkswagen rolls out an electric tractor.

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One of the US’s first solar peaker plants – with Tesla Megapacks – just came online

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One of the US’s first solar peaker plants – with Tesla Megapacks – just came online

Arevon Energy has kicked off operations at Vikings Solar-plus-Storage – one of the US’s first utility-scale solar peaker plants.

The $529 million project in Imperial County, California, near Holtville, features 157 megawatts of solar power paired with 150 megawatts/600 megawatt hours of battery storage.

Vikings Solar-plus-Storage is designed to take cheap daytime solar power and store it for use during more expensive peak demand times, like late afternoons and evenings. The battery storage system can quickly respond to changes in demand, helping tackle critical grid needs.

Vikings leverages provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act that support affordable clean energy, strengthen grid resilience, boost US manufacturing, and create good jobs.

The Vikings project has already brought significant benefits to the local area. It employed over 170 people during construction, many local workers, and boosted nearby businesses like restaurants, hotels, and stores. On top of that, Vikings will pay out more than $17 million to local governments over its lifespan.

“Vikings’ advanced design sets the standard for safe and reliable solar-plus-storage configurations,” said Arevon CEO Kevin Smith. “The project incorporates solar panels, trackers, and batteries that showcase the growing strength of US renewable energy manufacturing.”

The project includes Tesla Megapack battery systems made in California, First Solar’s thin-film solar panels, and smart solar trackers from Nextracker. San Diego-based SOLV Energy handled the engineering, procurement, and construction work.

San Diego Community Power (SDCP) will buy the energy from the Vikings project under a long-term deal, helping power nearly 1 million customer accounts. SDCP and Arevon have also signed an agreement for the 200 MW Avocet Energy Storage Project in Carson, California, which will start construction in early 2025.

Vikings is named after the Holtville High School mascot, and Arevon is giving back to the local community by funding scholarships for deserving Holtville High students.

Arevon is a major renewable energy developer across the US and a key player in California, with nearly 2,500 MW in operation and more than 1,250 MW under construction.

Read more: Minnesota’s largest coal plant goes solar: Sherco Solar comes online


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