Important Innovations Collection

BMW & Tesla Expanding Production of Electric Vehicles in China Source:  BMW MINI Cooper Tesla's Cybertruck About to Set a Record BMW is significantly expanding its global electric vehicle operations.  BMW and its Chinese partner Great Wall announced today that they plan to build a $716 million plant in China big enough to manufacture 160,000 electric cars a year.  The plant will produce electric MINI's for BMW and also Great Wall electric vehicles.  Great Wall is China's #1 SUV and pickup truck manufacturer. Meanwhile, US-based Tesla is close to setting a new record with its electric pick-up Cybertruck. Big China Electric Vehicle Market Expansions The BMW-Great Wall plant is due to open in 2022 near Shanghai.  For e-car makers, the opportunity in China is huge.  China has new quotas starting in 2025 requiring that 20% of total vehicle sales are electric and rechargeable hybrids.  Automakers and suppliers are diligently working to meet t...

Fighting Global Warming With Plants Source:  Cornfield stock image $35 Million Project at the Salk Institute The Salk Institute in San Diego is on an "audacious" mission to greatly reduce global warming.  They're engineering genetically altered plants to store, at much higher levels, carbon dioxide from the air. The goal is to create plants that fight and reduce global warming.  Their groundbreaking research program is being funded by a $35 million grant from the TED Audacious Project. Food Crops Plants already store carbon dioxide from the air.  The Salk scientists' goal is to increase the storage particularly in the roots to keep it underground.  They believe that food crops can be engineered to store more carbon dioxide.  They're starting with large crops like corn. Once they perfect the re-engineered plants, their goal is widespread, global farming use.  They forecast that this innovative solution could remove 25% of the made-made carbo...

Climate Change Cutting Rainfall in Israel Source: Israeli Desalination Plant Desalination Solution from Sea Water Israel is building the biggest desalination plant in the world.  It is already ahead of the world with five desalination plants along the Mediterranean Sea that convert sea water into usable, drinkable water. Israel has received three bids from global companies to build and operate the world's largest desalination plant.  The plant will battle Israel's growing water shortage from Climate Change with water systems stressed as rainfall is down for five years.  The plant would supply water to 20% of Israeli households. World's Biggest Desalination Plant The world's biggest desalination plant is said by Israeli authorities to be designed to reverse osmosis technology. A seventh plant is also planned. Construction will start in 2020 and take three years to complete.   When done, the big plant will produce 200 million cubic meters of water a year in...