All posts tagged: Clean

How the Iran war set Beijing up for global clean energy dominance – POLITICO

How the Iran war set Beijing up for global clean energy dominance – POLITICO

Thailand imports solar panels from China but also Sweden and elsewhere, he said. Ultimately, Nitithanprapas said Thailand wants to create domestic production using foreign direct investment so it doesn’t have to rely on any particular country. That’s a common view in much of Southeast Asia, where the creation of local solar manufacturing and EV plants won’t happen overnight. “In the short term, most countries don’t have a viable alternative to Chinese clean-tech supply chains,” said Vicky Janita, an analyst at Rystad Energy.  Even if they were to buy more supplies from countries like India, which has grown its solar panel manufacturing capacity, those producers still rely heavily on China for wafers and other parts of the supply chain, she said. That doesn’t mean they aren’t also trying different strategies to reduce that dependence and build their economies. Many countries in Southeast Asia have welcomed Chinese investment in domestic production, through both carrots, such as tax breaks, or sticks, such as Indonesia’s export ban on raw nickel. Similarly, Brazil is imposing tariffs on EVs, forcing Chinese …

How to Clean Your Vinyl Records (2026): Vacuum, Ultrasonic, Solution, Brush

How to Clean Your Vinyl Records (2026): Vacuum, Ultrasonic, Solution, Brush

With the ultrasonic cleaning machine, you don’t need to vacuum out the grime for each record you clean, because the machine shakes all the gunk off for you. It collects at the bottom of the basin, so you just need to make sure it all gets dumped out when you empty the liquid from the machine between uses. Once your records have taken their bath in the diluted cleaning solution mixture, place them on the drying rack. If a record (or, more realistically, stack of records) is especially dirty, I clean them two times with either method in progressively cleaner fluid. In my ultrasonic machine, I do all my records once, then change the fluid and do them again. Be sure to have a clean microfiber towel ($5) handy so that the record is fully dry before returning it to its packaging. Some people prefer to also rinse the clean records in distilled water at the end of the cleaning cycle to remove any remaining solution. If you do that, just dry them the same …

The US’s largest clean energy project is generating power [update]

The US’s largest clean energy project is generating power [update]

Photo: Vestas Vestas finished installing its wind turbines at Pattern Energy’s SunZia, the largest clean energy project in the US, last month, and the wind farm has now come online. April 17, 2026: SunZia Wind has begun testing its turbines as it nears the start of commercial operations in Q2 2025, E&E reported yesterday. Grid Status first reported the news. Neither the project developer, Pattern Energy, nor the California grid operator has publicized the milestone, and it’s unclear exactly how much power is being transmitted at this time. On April 13, CAISO, California’s grid, sent a transmission control agreement letter to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission about Sun Zia. Advertisement – scroll for more content Once SunZia wind is fully online, it will be able to generate enough electricity to supply 3 million people, or roughly 1 million to 1.2 million households in California and Arizona. March 5, 2026: Wind turbine manufacturer Vestas installed 242 V163-4.5 MW wind turbines at the 3.5 GW wind farm, which, with 916 turbines in total, is the largest onshore wind farm in …

Current and past Commissioners to convene leading clean energy experts at European Sustainable Energy Week 2026

Current and past Commissioners to convene leading clean energy experts at European Sustainable Energy Week 2026

The European Commission has unveiled the programme and launched the registration for the European Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW) 2026. This year’s European Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW) event marks a special milestone: 20 years of bringing Europe’s energy community together to shape ‘A clean, secure and competitive Energy Union’ – as emphasized by this edition’s theme. Through a co-created programme resulting from an open call, EUSEW gathers leading clean energy voices along with high-level speakers, such as Commissioner for Energy and Housing Dan Jørgensen(pictured below). A major highlight this year will be a 9 June panel, bringing together former European Commissioners like Andris Piebalgs, Günther Oettinger and Kadri Simson, who shaped Europe’s energy policy, to discuss – together with the current Commissioner Dan Jørgensen – how the continent’s priorities have evolved and what must come next amid a changing geopolitical and economic landscape. The main pillars of the European Sustainable Energy Week 2026: The EUSEW Policy Conference is the central hub of the event, held in a hybrid format in Brussels – at the European Commission conference center …

Five warning signs that rivers are polluted – even when they look clean

Five warning signs that rivers are polluted – even when they look clean

After months of relentlessly miserable weather for most of the UK, spring brings renewed enthusiasm for spending time outdoors hiking, wild swimming, paddling or on walks. Millions of people visit lakes and riversides every year. Yet with constant, and sadly necessary, reminders about sewage and water pollution, it’s not surprising that people are increasingly worried about whether the water they see is safe. Cocktails of contaminants created by sewage systems, agricultural pollutants and urban runoff are currently at the forefront of public, scientific and regulatory focus. Not one UK river was free from chemical contamination, and only 14% were classified as having “good ecological status” at the last assessment. In 2024 alone, raw and partially treated sewage was discharged in to watercourses for more than 3.6 million hours. With around 15,000 sites regularly discharging effluent, in addition to ongoing inputs from agriculture, transport and other industries, the 2025 results due to be published this year are not expected to show significant improvement. Given this, many people who spend time around rivers want to know how …

New solar reactor creates clean hydrogen from plastic waste and car battery acid

New solar reactor creates clean hydrogen from plastic waste and car battery acid

Developed by researchers at the University of Cambridge, a new solar-powered reactor could revolutionise plastic waste recycling, in a process that uses old car battery acid to convert discarded materials into clean hydrogen Two waste streams could be used to create clean hydrogen and industrial chemicals, helping resolve the question of the millions of tons of plastic produced globally each year. Researchers at the University of Cambridge have developed a method of solar-powered acid photoreforming, utilising battery acid taken from old car batteries to break down plastic waste that has traditionally been harder to recycle, such as nylon textiles, polyurethane foams and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic bottles. As reported in Joule, the team first applied the car battery acid to the plastic waste, breaking down the long polymer chains. This created ethylene glycol, which is then converted by the photocatalyst into acetic acid and hydrogen when exposed to sunlight. The acid-stable photocatalyst was key “The discovery was almost accidental,” said Professor Erwin Reisner from Cambridge’s Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry, who led the research. “We …

Your AirPods are gross. This  tool will keep them sparkling clean

Your AirPods are gross. This $6 tool will keep them sparkling clean

Kayla Solino/ZDNET Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. It turns out you do need to clean your earbuds regularly to prevent bacterial growth — and I’ve found just the gadget to help you do so. This earbud cleaning tool costs just $6, and will help keep your AirPods working like new. Also: These pocket-sized tech gadgets are packed with purpose (and they’re inexpensive) Besides being optimistic that it would work better than Q-tips, I’m not sure what possessed me to purchase this little gizmo last year, but I’m glad I did. And now my knowledge is your knowledge. This AirPods cleaner tool has a 4.5/5 star rating and over 11,000 reviews, so others agree with me.  Also: The weirdest tool I own is also one of the most useful It’s dual-ended, with a soft bristle tool on one side, and a sharp scraper and small brush combo on the other. It does its job and is handy.  While ZDNET’s audio expert Jada Jones says you don’t need dedicated tools to clean your headphones or earbuds, …

Orange EV electric terminal tractors clean up in Canada

Orange EV electric terminal tractors clean up in Canada

GLS Canada has become one of the first major parcel and freight carriers in the country to deploy heavy-duty electric yard hostlers at its logistics terminals – and they’re helping the company clean up in a big way. The Canadian logistics firm has deployed several Orange EV HUSK-e Class 8 terminal tractors at its Montreal, Toronto, and Winnipeg locations in a move that takes a big step toward decarbonizing logistics operations across its national network. The move reflects a shared vision between GLS Canada and Orange EV to accelerate decarbonization in logistics. “We are proud to integrate four Orange EV electric shunters into our fleet in Montreal, Toronto, and Winnipeg,” said Mélanie Camara, Director of Sustainability at GLS. “This investment is part of our decarbonization journey in line with the Science Based Targets initiative and reflects our continuous commitment to reducing emissions, improving energy efficiency, and building a decarbonized operation for our employees, customers, and communities.” GLS claims that each of its new HUSK-e trucks will eliminate an estimated 80 to 90 tons of CO₂ compared …

How a Clean, Tidy Home Can Help You Survive the Atomic Bomb: A Cold War Film from 1954

How a Clean, Tidy Home Can Help You Survive the Atomic Bomb: A Cold War Film from 1954

Not too far back, we revis­it­ed some Cold War pro­pa­gan­da that taught upstand­ing Amer­i­can cit­i­zens How to Spot a Com­mu­nist Using Lit­er­ary Crit­i­cism. It’s a gem, but it has noth­ing on the 1954 film, The House in the Mid­dle. Select­ed for preser­va­tion in the Nation­al Film Reg­istry by the Library of Con­gress, the short doc­u­men­tary makes the ulti­mate case for clean­li­ness. Bring­ing view­ers to the Neva­da Prov­ing Grounds, the 12-minute film shows what hap­pens when clean, white hous­es are sub­ject­ed to heat waves from an atom­ic blast, ver­sus what hap­pens when a dingy, ill-kept house goes through the same drill. It turns out that neat peo­ple can not only claim moral vic­to­ry (as they always do). They also get to live anoth­er day. Con­sid­er it proof of the sur­vival of the tidi­est. The film was pro­duced by the Nation­al Clean Up-Paint Up-Fix Up Bureau with sup­port from the Fed­er­al Civ­il Defense Admin­is­tra­tion. The Nation­al Paint, Var­nish and Lac­quer Asso­ci­a­tion also appar­ent­ly played a role, sug­gest­ing that cor­po­rate inter­ests were cap­i­tal­iz­ing on wartime fear. Not the first time that’s hap­pened in Amer­i­ca. Or …

How to spring clean your life: From mindset to digital declutter

How to spring clean your life: From mindset to digital declutter

Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more Stay ahead of the curve with our weekly guide to the latest trends, fashion, relationships and more A deep clean? Some decluttering? Spring cleaning can be so much more. You can use it for inspiration to do that one thing you’ve been putting off. Whether it’s your skincare or your inbox, you can use the changes in the seasons to make some life changes. Here, The Independent’s writers share what they’ll be spring cleaning: The clocks have changed. The winter fug is lifting. And it’s time for a sleep reset. Begone, cosy hibernation; see you later, comforting red wine and sleep patterns that are all over the shop (sometimes, over the endless gloom of winter, I’ve found myself wondering as early as 7.30pm if it might be bedtime). Based on the advice I’ve heard from sleep experts over the years, but …