- As always, our favorite part of the newsletter is this list of nerdy technological advances, so let’s get going!
Low-cost battery uses widely available elements to store energy.
These bacteria can break down plastics in water.
Low-cost solar-powered system for converting sea water into drinking water.
These sticky bacteria can help cleanup the environment.
New materials produce energy from vibrations.
New biofuel has nearly zero carbon emissions.
This system harvests water from the air using gravity only.
This battery uses food acids to improve efficiency and sustainability.
Blue-green algae could help us fight climate change.
Self-healing battery uses cheap, abundant minerals too.
This reactor captures carbon dioxide from the air using electricity.
In October 2024, North America recorded its warmest October and warmest January-October on record. Hurricane Milton arrived on the west coast of Florida less than two weeks after Hurricane Helene hit the same area. It became the strongest tropical cyclone worldwide in 2024 so far. The global sea ice extent for October ranked the lowest on record. Tropical Storm Trami prompted mass evacuations and caused more than 125 deaths in the Philippines, due to heavy rain, flooding and landslides. Australia had its second warmest October since records were kept dating back to 1910. (Image Credit: NOAA Global Climate Report)- The NOAA Global Climate Change Report for October 2024 has been released by the National Centers for Environmental Information and reveals further proof that global warming remains a very serious concern. October 2024 was the second warmest October on record for the globe in NOAA’s 175-year record. The October global surface temperature was 2.38° Fahrenheit (F) above the 20th Century average of 57.2°F, 0.09°F less than the record warm October of 2023. October 2024 marked the 48th consecutive October with global temperatures, at least nominally, above the 20th Century average. The global land-only October temperature was the warmest on record at 3.92°F above average, 0.05°F warmer than the previous record set in 2023. The ocean-only temperature was second-warmest at 1.69°F above average.
- The holidays are looming and with that comes tracking Santa’s path with NORAD, which started back in 1955 when a Sears department store misprinted the number children could call to get updates on Santa’s whereabouts. The number instead went through to the Colorado Springs’ Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) Center. The director of operations at the time, Colonel Harry Shoup, instructed his staff to provide radar-based updates to all of the children calling in wanting to know Santa’s location. The NORAD application uses GIS technology to track Santa starting on Christmas Eve. Using NORAD’s radar system called the North Warning System, visitors can log on to the website to track Santa’s movements as he leaves the North Pole. Santa tracking can be done in English, Spanish, French, Italian, German and Japanese. Google also has its own Santa tracker that uses Google Earth and Google Maps. If you’re wondering if you’ll have a white Christmas for Santa’s arrival, check out NOAA’s White Christmas maps that reflect the probability of a white Christmas.
Brock Adam McCarty
Map Wizard
(720) 470-7988
brock@apollomapping.com
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