Exclusive: Environmental impact assessments are ‘incomplete’, say leaders, and private beach club could harm fragile ecosystems Indigenous community leaders in Vanuatu have raised concerns over plans by the cruise operator Royal Caribbean to build a private beach club on the island of Lelepa, arguing environmental impact assessments by the company are “incomplete” and “misleading”. The community l...
Exclusive: Environmental impact assessments are ‘incomplete’, say leaders, and private beach club could harm fragile ecosystems Indigenous community leaders in Vanuatu have raised concerns over plans by the cruise operator Royal Caribbean to build a private beach club on the island of Lelepa, arguing environmental impact assessments by the company are “incomplete” and “misleading”. The community leaders outlined the issues in a letter sent to Royal Caribbean on 26 February, which has been seen by the Guardian. The leaders also said the development could harm fragile ecosystems and a nearby Unesco world heritage site. Continue reading...
China's Breakthrough Lithium Battery Could Double EV Range To 600+ Miles, Survive -94°F Temp Authored by Bojan Stojkovski via Interesting Engineering , A team of researchers in China has unveiled an all-weather electrolyte designed to boost the performance of lithium batteries across a wide range of conditions. Scientists based in Shanghai and Tianjin report that batteries built with the new hydro...
China's Breakthrough Lithium Battery Could Double EV Range To 600+ Miles, Survive -94°F Temp Authored by Bojan Stojkovski via Interesting Engineering , A team of researchers in China has unveiled an all-weather electrolyte designed to boost the performance of lithium batteries across a wide range of conditions. Scientists based in Shanghai and Tianjin report that batteries built with the new hydrofluorocarbon-based electrolyte delivered more than twice the energy density of conventional designs when tested at room temperature. Fluorine-based electrolyte could improve EV and drone battery efficiency. Beyond efficiency gains, the team says the chemistry remains stable in extreme environments, with batteries continuing to operate effectively at temperatures as low as minus 94 degrees Fahrenheit. The development points to a potential path for longer-lasting, more resilient batteries suited for EVs and other demanding applications, where both energy density and reliability under stress are critical. Batteries can store up to three times more energy In a study published last month in the journal Nature , researchers outlined how hydrofluorocarbon-based electrolytes could help overcome long-standing limits in battery power and energy density. The team found that, for the same battery mass, energy storage capacity at room temperature could increase by two to three times compared to conventional designs . In turn, this suggests a viable route toward significantly more efficient lithium batteries, with implications for EVs, grid storage , and other high-demand applications, the South China Morning Post reported . The advance could significantly extend electric vehicle range, potentially increasing it from roughly 310–370 miles to about 620 miles on a single charge, the scientists noted. Beyond EVs, the technology may also enhance the performance of devices such as smartphones, drones, robots, and even spacecraft , particularly in extremely cold environments where conventional...