Solar power is the fastest growing part of the global energy industry. Inderpreet Wadhwa, CEO of Azure Power, one of the largest solar power producers in India, sat down with us to discuss why India is well positioned to capitalize on the trend.
Wadhwa emphasizes that over 200 million people in India do not have electricity. He says there is a lot of potential because solar radiation is available in most parts of the country, and India has over 300 days of sun. The fact that India is an emerging economy and has to build new infrastructure is another advantage, he says, because the country can "leapfrog" coal industry infrastructure.
For Azure Power, it is important to work closely with the government. Wadhwa says energy in India is highly regulated so they need favorable government policy. 90% of the company's contracts are with the government. With the price of solar much cheaper than energy consumed in many industries, Wadhwa says they are now doing more commercial contracts with industries such as the hotels.
Hank the Tank strikes again. The 500-pound black bear that has damaged more than 30 properties around Lake Tahoe last week broke into yet another home in its endless quest for a quick meal.
Researchers report harmful levels of toxic lead were found in the bones of 46% of bald eagles sampled in 38 states. Similar rates of lead exposure were found in golden eagles, according to their study Thursday in the journal Science.
As more and more states end mask mandates and ease other COVID restrictions, discussions about the endemic phase of the pandemic have been growing. For weeks, scientists have warned about how contagious the omicron variant is, but now it seems the tone has shifted and governors are rolling back policies they've had in place for months. Dr. Eric Feigl-Ding, epidemiologist and senior fellow at the Federation of American Scientists, joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss what the next phase of the pandemic might look like, how to act now that mask mandates are ending, and if we should be worried about another variant emerging.
Swedish electric motorcycle maker Cake says its mission is to inspire society to adopt a zero-emission lifestyle. The company admits this is a lofty goal that covers a lot of ground - so it's starting with the world of urban mobility and last-mile deliveries. The company also has an agreement in place with NorthVolt to continually improve the environmental impact of batteries for electric vehicles. Stefan Ytterborn, Founder & CEO of Cake, joins Cheddar Climate to discuss.
One retailer and publicly-traded company says it is on a mission to inspire a new generation of consumers to think secondhand - first. thredUP is one of the world's largest resale platforms for women's and kids' apparel, shoes, and accessories. The company says it is changing the way consumers shop and ushering in a more sustainable future for the fashion industry. Anthony Marino, President of thredUP, joins Cheddar Climate to discuss.
German vaccine maker BioNTech unveiled plans Wednesday to establish manufacturing facilities in Africa that would boost the availability of much-needed medicines on the continent.
