Each week, BIV staff will share with you some of the interesting stories we have found from around the web.
Timothy Renshaw, managing editor:
Some good news on the energy storage front, which is fundamental to the long-term viability of renewable energy as a replacement for its non-renewable counterpart. The PhysOrg article summarizes the Nature Chemistry abstract, which is pretty heavy-sledding for anyone without a physics or chemistry degree. Anyway, somewhere in the complex swamp of deep science discussion is the potential for on-demand solar hydrogen production.
https://phys.org/news/2022-02-energy-sun-solution-eventual-conversion.html
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41557-021-00850-8
And while we are on the subject of good news, Elon Musk and a lot of other people have had more than a bellyful of what the Tesla bossman sees as the media's relentless pursuit of bad news and its cultivation of a culture of negativity. Little wonder that divisiveness, depression and despair now reign supreme pretty much anywhere you care to look. – Bloomberg
Mark Falkenberg, deputy managing editor
Over the years I have had to scratch my head from time to time at mentions in old books of people having a “first sleep” and a “second sleep.” This story explains how biphasic sleep – the practice of sleeping for a couple of hours, then getting up for a while and doing stuff before drifting back to dreamland, was near-universal until the 19th century. The habit seems to have disappeared in the glare the Industrial Revolution’s introduction of gas and electric light and its insistence on clock time. – BBC
The disgrace of the #FluTruxKlan a.k.a. “freedom convoy” has summoned a lot of embarrassing media attention from Canada’s southern neighbours. At least some of them, like Stephen Colbert, have been able to get some decent jokes out of it. – Georgia Straight
Glen Korstrom, reporter:
With inflation in the U.S. at a 7.5% annual pace – the highest since August, 1982 – commodities are poised to continue a bull run. Energy in particular was a standout sector last year, and that has continued this year. Analyst Eric Nuttall has been a huge oil bull for a long time, and his thoughts are worth reading for how we could be in for a five- or six-year bull run. – Financial Post
Nelson Bennett, report
France going all-in on nuclear power. France, which compared to Germany has lower electricity prices, thanks to nuclear power, is sticking with fission as part of its strategy to reduce emissions. French President Emmanuel Macron announced today that France will build up to six more nuclear power plants.
Oil and gas companies are making bank on high oil prices, but not spending it on cleaner energy. As this Forbes article points out, analysts and ESG investors thought high oil and electricity prices might prompt big energy giants to plow some of their profits into clean energy. But that doesn’t appear to be happening. But nor are they suddenly rushing to drill more oil and gas wells. They are paying down debt and returning dividends to shareholders.
Emma Crawford, online editor:
Have $2.3 million lying around? You can buy a tear-down in Vancouver…or an entire Swiss village in Golden. The buildings in this little community were built more than a century to house employees of the CP Railway. No rush to make an offer though; the village has been on the market for more than a year. – Vancouver Is Awesome
https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/real-estate/entire-swiss-themed-village-for-sale-in-bc-5044273
