Greener Industrial Chemicals, EV Fleet Challenges And Tesla’s Record Deliveries

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In the 1970s, decreased production of oil led to a stagnating economy and surging inflation due to higher gas prices. These effects were amplified in the early part of that decade when the OPEC nations agreed to cut production both to raise prices and in response to the Nixon Administration’s support for Israel and its decision to weaken the dollar by coming off the gold standard. The impact of this made the 1970s a tumultuous time both economically and socially. Today history threatens to repeat itself as OPEC+ nations earlier this week pledged to cut their production targets, leaving the Biden Administration scrambling. (Though, as my colleague Chris Helman points out–OPEC hasn’t been hitting its production targets anyway, so it’s not clear whether this announcement actually means anything for the availability of oil. But then, oil price increases in the late 1970s were driven more by panic spurred by the Iranian Revolution than actual production shortfalls. Perception matters…)

While it’s true that the United States is still energy independent – it exports more energy than it imports – that’s in part due to its export of liquid natural gas. Plus the fungible nature of the world oil markets combined with America’s love affair with internal combustion engines means that our politics can be held hostage to the interest of authoritarian nations. In this case, OPEC’s move seems to be tied to the U.S. and Europe’s support of Ukraine in its fight for freedom against Russia. Maybe it’s time to take a lesson from one of our neighbors to the south, the Dominican Republic, which is responding to higher prices in fossil fuels by taking steps to reduce its reliance on them. They see this as a benefit not only geopolitically, by taking themselves out of relying on other countries, but also as a boost for its tourism industry by clearing the skies of pollution.

The Big Read

This Fossil-Fueled Powered Chemical Manufacturer Is Moving To A Greener Path

With a Louisiana megaproject complete, Sasol CEO Fleetwood Grobler is cutting risk and emissions at South Africa’s energy leader. It won’t be easy, but green hydrogen might help.

Read more here.

Discoveries And Innovations

Researchers have developed an artificial enzyme that can help split hydrogen from water molecules, potentially enabling a more sustainable way to produce it for energy production.

Retrofitting existing, often aging, turbines can produce double-digit increases in hydropower generation without building any new dams.

Battery manufacturers are moving towards phosphates as a cheaper alternative to cobalt conventionally used in lithium-ion batteries.

Droughts in California and other parts of the Southwest are exacerbating the spread of Valley fever, an infectious fungal disease.