Orca is, for now, the largest installation in the infant “direct air capture” industry, which aims to remove CO₂ from the atmosphere. When sealed underground such CO₂ counts as “negative emissions”—an essential but underdeveloped method for tackling global warming. To stop temperatures rising by 1.5°C or even 2°C above pre-industrial averages, as per the Paris climate agreement, hundreds or thousands of billions of tonnes of CO₂ will have to be removed from the atmosphere in the second half of the century. https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2021/09/18/the-worlds-biggest-carbon-removal-plant-switches-on

Report warns temperatures likely to rise by more than 1.5C bringing widespread extreme weather. By Fiona Harvey.  https://www.theguardian.com/science/2021/aug/09/humans-have-caused-unprecedented-and-irreversible-change-to-climate-scientists-warn

Argentina is advancing towards the construction of two new nuclear power plants – one with Chinese Hualong technology and another Candu reactor combining national knowhow and Canadian support. By Ariel Stemphelet. https://www.batimes.com.ar/news/economy/argentina-advances-with-plans-to-build-two-new-nuclear-power-plants.phtml

Researchers at Texas A&M and the US Department of Energy’s Idaho National Laboratory have partnered with Clean Core Thorium Energy to fabricate a proprietary thorium-based nuclear fuel called Advanced Nuclear Energy for Enriched Life (Aneel) for PHWRs https://www.neimagazine.com/features/featureaneel-and-its-appeal-8621195/

An open letter to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, business secretary Alok Sharma, and chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak from Zion Lights, director of Environmental Progress UK, and former editor of The Hourglass newspaper. https://www.cityam.com/an-open-letter-to-the-pm-britain-must-build-sizewell-c-nuclear-sits-at-the-heart-of-a-green-recovery/

New technologies could be ideal for emerging economies, says agency’s director-general. By David Dalton. https://www.nucnet.org/news/iaea-head-tells-ministers-nuclear-is-contributing-massively-7-5-2020

Activists say Democratic climate proposals won’t be able to pass until lawmakers put a stop to oil companies trying to rebrand themselves. By Emily Holden. https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/jan/08/oil-companies-climate-crisis-pr-spending

https://www.sealevel.info/1988_Hansen_Senate_Testimony.html