Member nations of the International Energy Agency (IEA) have agreed to a new release of 60 million barrels of oil from their emergency reserves, making for a total release of 120 million barrels from the IEA, Fatih Birol, executive director of the IEA, confirmed in a tweet Wednesday.
Why it matters: The release of oil reserves is a response to the "market turmoil" caused by Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.
Just as the spring tornado season kicks into high gear, the National Weather Service is facing shortages in key gases it uses to fill weather balloons.
Why it matters: Weather balloons are usually launched twice daily at about 100 locations nationwide and provide vital information for weather forecasting, from the temperature profile of the atmosphere to the winds aloft. They can help anticipate severe thunderstorms, for example.
White House deputy climate adviser Ali Zaidi said the administration is working to advance new climate technologies at the same time it is working to reduce emissions, from direct air capture to sustainable aviation fuels.
Why it matters: Speaking at Axios’ inaugural What’s Next Summit on Tuesday, Zaidi said that President Biden is trying to meet people where they are, which includes the historic tapping of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to try to lower gas prices.
The enthusiasm for electric vehicles is high in parts of Latin America, but sales are lagging due to expensive options and a lack of charging stations.
Driving the news: Brazil leads the world in residents interested in purchasing EVs, according to a recent survey by Morning Consult on consumer trends in the automotive and shared mobility sectors.
The CEO of General Motors, Mary Barra, said at the Axios What's Next summit on Tuesday that hybrid work sped up the company's electric vehicle program thanks to the creativity of her employees.
Driving the news: Earlier on Tuesday, GM announced a partnership with Honda to help scale production of electric vehicles, partially in hopes to bring a more affordable version of an EV to the mass market, Barra explained.
