Germany hits record 61% renewables for month of February
Throughout the month, Germany’s renewable energy sector regularly provided around 60% or above of the country’s electricity production – including over a dozen days around or above 70%.
2020 C.E.
Malawi legalizes cannabis amid hopes of fresh economic growth
The country follows in the footsteps of Zimbabwe, Zambia and Lesotho, neighboring south-east African states that have legalized medicinal cannabis, as well as South Africa, where medicinal and recreational use was decriminalized in 2018.
Ameren to invest $7.6 billion in smart grid technology and renewables
One of the largest utility companies in the U.S. Midwest will spend $7.6 billion on a five-year plan to install smart meters, add solar energy and battery storage, purchase 700 MW of wind power, and more.
USC will offer free tuition to students from families making $80K or less
The plan will be phased in with first-year students entering the university in fall 2020. Additionally, the university’s financial need calculations will no longer consider home ownership.
MIT uses machine learning to develop powerful antibiotic
The drug works in a different way to existing antibacterials and is the first of its kind to be found by setting AI loose on vast digital libraries of pharmaceutical compounds.
In a world-first, India’s dozen major ports now run fully on renewable energy
The dozen state-owned major ports in the country have switched to renewable energy to meet their entire power requirements, making India the first nation to have all government-owned ports running on solar and wind energy.
Singapore to phase out all petrol and diesel vehicles by 2040
The wealthy city-state of 5.7 million, which is hiking investment in flood defences, joins Norway, Britain and others in setting a target to cut the use of vehicles with combustion engines.
Scientists invent device that generates electricity ‘out of thin air’
Scientists at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have designed a device that uses a natural protein to create electricity from moisture in the air.
Researchers invent an “EpiPen” for spinal cord injuries that can prevent paralysis
The approach was demonstrated in mice at the University of Michigan, with the nanoparticles enhancing healing by reprogramming the aggressive immune cells—call it an “EpiPen” for trauma to the central nervous system.
Jeff Bezos commits $10 billion to address climate change
The effort will fund scientists, activists and nongovernmental organizations, he said in a post on Instagram. Mr. Bezos, who has been pushed by Amazon employees on climate issues, said he expected to start issuing grants this summer.