The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) sailed a robotic surfboard with a sturdy, vertical "hurricane wing" into the heart of Hurricane Sam, currently the strongest storm on Earth with sustained winds of 145 mph.
Why it matters: The unprecedented footage from the uncrewed vessel inside a major Atlantic hurricane, as well as the data from the drone are helping forecasters hone their understanding of these fearsome storms.
Oil executives surveyed by the Dallas Fed predict levels of electric car sales that would be far short of President Biden's goal of having cars with a plug make up half of U.S. sales by 2030.
Driving the news: The chart above shows responses to one of the bank's questions to oil-and-gas companies in their latest quarterly survey.
The extended timeline for a reconciliation package on Capitol Hill is widening the spigot for business and advocacy group dollars to flow into the fight.
Why it matters: The longer the skirmishes on Capitol Hill last, the more time they provide for the energy industry, associated trade groups and environmental groups to pour money into TV, radio and online advertising campaigns to influence Americans' views of the wide-ranging proposals.
U.S. Geological Survey scientists confirmed that Hawaii's Kīlauea volcano began erupting Wednesday within Halema'uma'u crater, the summit of the volcano.
Why it matters: Kīlauea's major eruption in 2018 destroyed more than 700 homes, displacing thousands of people and devastating residential areas in the Puna District on the Big Island, according to the National Park Services.
U.S. cities are seeing a dramatic surge of e-bike usage — driven in part by high-minded concerns (like the environment and pandemic safety) and in part by the coolness and fun factor.
Why it matters: The proliferation of e-bikes and push for more bike lanes are reshaping city geographies, social dynamics and even politics, as communities grapple with safety concerns and road-use jockeying.
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) is rebuffing pleas from Western Democratic senators, who are citing extreme weather in their home states, to try to gain his support for core climate provisions in President Biden’s $3.5 trillion reconciliation package.
Why it matters: Manchin’s entrenched opposition puts him on a collision course with another key holdout on the spending bill, Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.). She's indicated that addressing climate change is one of her top priorities in any compromise.
The Biden administration on Wednesday announced that it will write rules to govern the killing of wild birds, revoking a Trump administration policy that eased penalties for companies that caused birds' deaths that could have been avoided, AP reports.
Why it matters: The announcement comes on the same day that the Fish and Wildlife Service announced that 22 animals, including 11 birds, are now extinct.
The digital tech-focusedVC and asset finance firm Energize Ventures just announced the closing of its second fund at $330 million.
State of play: It's focused on "scaling and commercializing cutting-edge technologies and software across renewable energy, mobility, cybersecurity, battery storage, critical infrastructure and climate resiliency," the firm said.
The Fish and Wildlife Service announced Wednesday that 22 animals and one plant native to the United States are now extinct and should be removed from the endangered species list after exhausting efforts to find evidence that they are still alive.
Why it matters: After existing for an untold number of years, the species will likely never appear on the planet again, largely because of human-caused habitat destruction and climate change.
The Federal Aviation Administration will implement a software program at 27 domestic airports that is designed to minimize airport taxi delays and all but eliminate the long lines of aircraft that can build up ahead of takeoff, the agency announced jointly with NASA on Tuesday.
Driving the news: The software calculates gate pushback times at busy airports ranging from Washington National Airport to Phoenix, and is designed to make airports more efficient while also minimizing delays. Rollout will begin in early 2022 and take several years, the FAA said.
Lucid Group says production of its new electric luxury sedans has begun and it will start delivering cars to customers by the end of October.
Why it matters: The Lucid Air, starting at $77,400, is among a slew of plug-in models like the Mercedes Benz EQS, Porsche Taycan and Audi e-tron all hoping to challenge Tesla's control of the EV market.
/2021/09/30/1633028121555.gif?w=3840)
/2021/09/29/1632951165597.gif?w=3840)
