Perseverance Rover Successfully Lands on Mars as Renewable Energy Surges in the US
The Perseverance Rover successfully lands on Mars. Americans installed record amounts of solar and wind Energy in 2020. Facebook blocks news in Australia. Huawei turns to other sectors as smartphone sales fall. The Texas winter storm was entirely caused by climate change. Here are this week’s top stories.
1. Perseverance Rover Successfully Lands on Mars
NASA’s Perseverance rover successfully landed on the red planet on Thursday. The rover’s descent was described as the “seven minutes of terror,” as it had to land on an ancient lakebed in Jezero Crater, avoiding dangerous cliffs, large boulders, and sand dunes in the process. After the landing, the rover tweeted “My first look at my forever home” and posted a picture of the landing site. Perseverance traveled 293 million miles in seven months. This is NASA’s fifth rover and it was specifically designed to look for signs of past life in the Jezero Crater. The Jezero Crater was once a 28-mile wide water body. NASA Engineers plan to spend the first 90 days testing all the instruments on the rover and exploring the area. The European Space Agency and NASA are planning to collect samples from the Jezero Crater later this decade.
2. Americans Installed Record Amounts of Solar and Wind Energy in 2020
Installations of wind and solar power soared in 2020 amid the pandemic and recession. Installations surged to 61% over the previous year, with 33.6 gigawatts added to the grid in 2020. This is 50% higher than the previous record in 2016. 2020 was also the first year where more energy was made from renewables than coal. The main factor driving this surge is the price. The cost of solar energy has fallen by 90% and the cost of wind energy has fallen by 70% just in the last decade. They have surpassed coal and even natural gas to become the cheapest forms of power generation. They have also become ultra-efficient making them cost-effective for almost everyone. Even though there was a huge surge, the renewable energy industry has experienced significant layoffs. More than 450,000 jobs were lost in this sector last year but many have re-hired their workers. Clean-energy groups are asking the Biden administration to prioritize the clean-energy sector in its economic recovery plans.
3. Facebook Bans News in Australia
Australia recently drafted a law that would force Google and Facebook to pay publishers for displaying their news on their platform. That plan has been cleared by the federal lower house and is expected to be passed by the Senate within the next week. Google initially threatened to remove its search engine in Australia, if the law passed. But now, Google has cooperated and created a three-year agreement with News Corp Australia, Australia’s largest media company. They have additionally planed deals with multiple other publishers. Facebook initially decided to block Australian users from sharing or viewing news but now they are ready to negotiate with Australia. These tech giants are getting bigger and they are only making deals with the largest media outlets. This will cause the media industry to consolidate and big publishers to take control. Australia has the right idea, but they don't have the right approach to this problem.
4. Huawei Turns to Other Sectors as Smartphone Sales Fall
Huawei, a Chinese technology company known for its smartphones, is turning to other sectors as their smartphone sales dropped 42%. Huawei is a threat to US national security due to its close relations with the Chinese Communist Party. This has caused them to lose access to vital smartphone components and made them fall behind. Huawei is also the world’s largest telecoms equipment maker but they have been locked out of the development of 5G in many countries like the UK and the US. According to multiple reports, the smartphone maker is planning to cut its smartphone production by 50%. They are turning to the giant pig farming industry in China. Huawei is developing AI that can detect diseases and track pigs. Facial recognition technology can identify individual pigs, while other technology monitors their weight, diet, and exercise. They have experience with facial recognition technology and last month they created a system that identifies people who appear to be of Uighur origin, who are recognized as a regional minority by the Chinese government. Additionally, they are working on developing coal mining technology that will make mining safer and more efficient.
5. Climate Change Caused the Texas Storm
Southern states in the US are suffering from a devastating arctic outbreak caused by climate change. Countless record cold temperatures were set and millions were without power for days. The extreme cold was actually caused by extreme heat in the Arctic. Back in early January, temperatures in the atmosphere high above the North Pole increased by 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The temperature jumped from -110 degrees to -10 degrees Fahrenheit. This is common and occurs every few winters. When this occurs, it disrupts the polar vortex, a spinning mass of cold air which is present every winter. The jet stream is weakened and the cold air plunges south. This year, the core of the polar vortex was a lot further south bringing exceptionally cold air to Texas. Extreme temperatures are going to get more common this decade and countries need to be prepared. We also need to work together and fight climate change.
Above were my top stories for the week of February 21, 2021. I hope you liked it. Thank you and see you next week!
