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Legos

Lego plans to make half the plastic in bricks from renewable materials by 2026

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The toymaker hopes gradually to bring down the amount of oil-based plastic it uses by paying up to 70% more for certified renewable resin, the raw plastic used to manufacture the bricks, in an attempt to encourage manufacturers to increase production. In the long term, Lego plans to switch entirely to renewable and recycled plastic by 2032, in a green push that has resulted in the company testing more than 600 alternative materials.

Aerial view of large solar farm

World’s biggest battery storage project gets underway in Chile

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Financial close has been reached for the first two phases of the world’s largest battery storage project, the Oasis de Atacama in Chile, with 1.24GWh now financed and an eventual 4.1GWh once all five phases are completed. Grenergy expects the completed project will generate electricity equivalent for the needs of 145,000 homes and reduce CO2 emissions by over 146,000 tons.

Model lungs

World-first lung cancer vaccine trials launched across seven countries

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Lung cancer is the world’s leading cause of cancer death, accounting for about 1.8 million deaths every year. Now experts are testing a new jab that instructs the body to hunt down and kill cancer cells – then prevents them from ever coming back. Known as BNT116 and made by BioNTech, the vaccine is designed to treat non-small cell lung cancer, the most common form of the disease. The phase 1 clinical trial, the first human study of BNT116, has launched across 34 research sites in seven countries: the U.K., U.S., Germany, Hungary, Poland, Spain, and Turkey.

Solar farm

New Zealand’s biggest solar farm secures finance to go ahead at Christchurch Airport

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Leading global renewable energy developer Lightsource BP has secured $NZ267 million in financing for its 168MW Kōwhai Park solar project planned to be built at the Christchurch Airport, which will be – for a time – the largest in the country. The solar farm is expected to begin construction later this year and begin operations some time in 2026. Once operational, the Kōwhai Park solar farm will generate over 275GWh per year, equivalent to the annual demand of approximately 36,000 homes.

Mt. Everest

Chinese drones to transport trash from Nepal’s Mount Everest

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Nepal is set to deploy Chinese-made drones to transport garbage from the slopes of Everest, marking the first time unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) will be used commercially in the country’s high-altitude zones. This initiative announced by China’s leading drone manufacturer, Da Jiang Innovations aims to reduce the risks faced by Sherpas and improve waste management on the world’s tallest peak.

Mickey and Minnie Mouse at Disneyland

Disneyland unions agree to ‘historic’ 31% pay raise

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Master Services Council, which represents 14,000 Disneyland, Disney California Adventure, and Downtown Disney employees from four unions, announced its members had voted to accept a new contract that provides a 31% pay raise over the next three years.
The “biggest wage increases ever” for Disneyland resort employees will raise hourly pay more than $6 over three years from the current $19.90 to $24 in 2024 and $26 in 2026, according to the unions.

Vials of blood

U.S. Food and Drug Administration approves blood test to screen for colon cancer

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The test, known as Shield, isn’t meant to replace colonoscopies, but is generating enthusiasm among doctors who say it has the potential to boost the dismal rate of screenings for the second-highest cause of cancer death in the United States. Shield has previously been available to doctors as a screening tool, at an out-of-pocket cost of $895. With the FDA approval, Medicare and private insurance companies are much more likely to cover the cost of the blood test, making it more widely accessible for patients.

Ocean Energy grid-scale wave energy generator Hawaii

Revolutionary grid-scale wave energy generator deployed in Hawaii

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Ocean Energy has deployed its 826-tonne wave energy converter buoy OE-35 at the US Navy’s Wave Energy Test Site off the coast of the island of Oahu ahead of it being hooked up to Hawaii’s electricity grid. With a potential output of 1.25 MW, OE-35 harnesses energy from the waves using a remarkable double-flow air system.

Fervo Energy geothermal plant

World’s biggest geothermal power purchase agreement completed in western U.S.

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It’s only been one year since Fervo Energy unveiled a novel concept in geothermal energy harvesting at its Project Red pilot plant in Nevada. Now the company has signed a 15-year agreement with Southern California Edison to provide 320 MW of power to the utility, which will power about 350,000 homes. The power will be provided by Fervo’s Cape Station project that is currently being built in southwest Utah, with the first 70 MW coming online in 2026 and the balance clicking on in 2028.

Good news for public health

New twice-yearly shot to prevent HIV achieves 100% success rate in late-stage trial

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In this double-blind, randomized study of 5,300 cisgender women in South Africa and Uganda, 2,134 got the injection and the others took one of two types of daily PrEP pills. The trial from California-based company Gilead Sciences began on August 2021 and, so far, not a single woman who received the injections has contracted HIV. The participants who received either of the oral PrEP options, Truvada and Descovy, had infection rates of about 2% — consistent with the infection rates of oral PrEP in other clinical trials.

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