Solar for Renters, Gold from Lead, and Flying Olympic Taxis?

Hey everyone, welcome to FutureProof - my Tech and Sustainability Digest.

It has been a busy few weeks since the last edition of this newsletter. We had a massive blackout in Spain (and Portugal), a new Pope was elected, and George Wendt (the actor who played beloved character Norm in Cheers!) died.

As always this newsletter is dedicated to surfacing and sharing good news stories across tech and sustainability. If good news sounds like something you need, read on. And please share this newsletter with anyone else you feel could do with a little cheering up!

In the News:

Holy Shift: The Pope Goes Green(er)

I may be an atheist, but credit where it’s due - Pope Leo XIV has hit the ground praying and preaching climate urgency. From electrifying the Vatican fleet to urging reciprocity with nature, it’s clear: this pontiff’s priorities are greener than the Papal Gardens.

Key Highlights:

• Pope Leo XIV (formerly Cardinal Prevost from Chicago) is echoing Pope Francis’s climate legacy

• He’s promoting solar panels, electric vehicles, and energy transition within the Vatican

• Advocates a moral shift from dominion over nature to respectful coexistence

• Warns of the ecological cost of unchecked technological progress

• Emphasises that faith demands action, not just words, on climate issues

Why This Matters: When the moral compass for 1.3 billion people pivots toward climate action, it’s no small sermon.

Kismet: In a delightful twist, Pope Leo XIV’s Chicago roots have sparked a wave of deep-dish pizza memes, blending Midwestern charm with papal gravitas. 
👉 Full story here

Science

Alchemy, Upgraded: Scientists Actually Turned Lead into Gold

No, you’re not hallucinating and yes, it’s 2025 - not medieval Prague. Scientists have successfully transformed lead into gold (yes, actual gold), using particle accelerators and nuclear wizardry straight out of a Bond villain’s wet dream.

Key Highlights:

• Researchers in Germany used a particle accelerator to strip protons and neutrons from lead atoms

• The result? Creation of real gold isotopes - transmutation, not metaphor

• Process is wildly inefficient and energy-intensive, so don’t go melting plumbing pipes just yet

• Echoes centuries of alchemical dreams… with a bit more science and a lot more electricity

• This is nuclear physics flexing hard, not a get-rich-quick scheme

Why This Matters: It proves, literally, that the boundaries of matter can be broken, offering bizarre but fascinating implications for elemental science (and perhaps recycling on nuclear steroids).

Kismet: The gold produced is radioactive. So technically, you could wear it… briefly.
👉 Full story here

Wood You Believe It? Stronger Than Steel, Greener Than Ever

Steel? So passé. A Maryland-based startup called InventWood is now mass-producing a material made from, yep, wood. The result is 50% stronger than steel and five times lighter. Trees just got swole.

Key Highlights:

• InventWood’s “MettleWood” is chemically treated and compressed natural wood

• It’s stronger than steel but drastically lighter, making it perfect for buildings, vehicles, even planes

• Manufacturing emits 70% less CO₂ than traditional materials like aluminium or steel

• The tech has backing from the U.S. Department of Energy and $20M in funding

• Mass production starts this year, opening a sustainable path to decarbonise heavy industries

Why This Matters: This isn’t your granddad’s timber, it’s a climate tech game-changer that could replace carbon-heavy materials across global infrastructure.

Kismet: This stuff is so tough it’s even bulletproof. Wood you dare call it weak now?👉 Full story here 

Artificial Intelligence

AI, Funded by a Billionaire, to Save the Planet, Maybe

Jeff Bezos is throwing another $100 million into the climate ring, this time to supercharge AI tools that could help model, monitor, and maybe even mitigate climate change faster than you can say “Alexa, fix the planet.”

Key Highlights:

• The Bezos Earth Fund is granting $100M to accelerate climate-focused AI applications

• Funding goes toward open-source AI models, climate data platforms, and responsible AI deployment

• The aim is to bridge gaps in climate science, adaptation planning, and emissions tracking

• This is part of a $10B total commitment by the Earth Fund through 2030

• Partners include top AI labs, academic institutions, and climate researchers

Why This Matters: Big Tech money meets big planetary problems - this could help democratise climate data and drive faster, smarter solutions at scale.

Kismet: The fund’s open-source angle means small NGOs and researchers might soon wield the same AI tools as trillion-dollar tech firms. Level up, planet-style.
👉 Full story here

Digging Smarter: AI Sniffs Out Rare Metals Without the Mess

In the dusty outback of Australia, AI has just helped locate a deposit of indium, a rare metal crucial for clean tech, without a single bulldozer or dynamite blast. Just algorithms and satellites. Mad stuff.

Key Highlights:

• AI startup Lithospheric used satellite data and machine learning to detect an indium deposit in Queensland

• Indium is essential for solar panels, semiconductors, and next-gen displays

• Traditional exploration is expensive, destructive, and slow - this method cuts all that

• The find could ease supply chain pressure for critical minerals

• This marks a breakthrough in cleaner, faster, and more targeted mineral discovery

Why This Matters: AI-driven exploration could revolutionise how we find the metals powering the energy transition, without wrecking the planet to do it.

Kismet: The AI that found this indium deposit was originally built for… mapping whale migration patterns. Talk about range. 👉 Full story here

Electromobility

EV-olution Accelerates: One in Four Cars Sold Is Now Electric

The petrol engine’s long goodbye just got louder, EVs are set to make up over 1 in 4 cars sold globally this year, with China racing ahead, Europe holding strong, and the US… trailing behind like it’s still 2012 🤦🏼‍♂️

Key Highlights:

• Over 17 million EVs are expected to be sold worldwide in 2025, up from 14 million in 2023

• China leads the charge, 60% of global EV sales are happening there

• Europe remains strong despite reduced subsidies; EVs are nearly 1 in 4 sales

• The US is growing but slower, charging infrastructure, politics, and policy gaps are holding it back

• EVs now represent 25% of all new cars sold globally

Why This Matters: This isn’t a trend, it’s a tectonic shift in global mobility, with massive implications for oil demand, battery supply chains, and the race to decarbonise transport.

Kismet: At current trends, China alone will sell more EVs this year than the entire world did in 2020. Let that one charge your brain. 👉 Full story here

Flying Taxis for the Olympics? LA Says ‘Hold My Avocado Toast’

And it isn’t just cars going electric. Forget sitting in traffic on the 405 - LA28 wants Olympic spectators flying over it in electric air taxis. If all goes to plan, Archer Aviation’s sleek, quiet eVTOLs will be shuttling fans between venues in 10–20 minutes of futuristic bliss (pending FAA approval, of course).

Key Highlights:

• LA28 partners with Archer Aviation to deploy electric air taxis for the 2028 Olympics

• eVTOLs (electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft) aim to offer 10–20 minute flights across LA

• Each aircraft holds 4 passengers and takes off like a helicopter, but with less noise and emissions

• Still pending FAA certification—no commercial use until that’s locked in

• Rides could cost about the same as a high-end Uber, ordered via app

• The 2028 Games will ban private cars, making alternative transit essential

Why This Matters: If successful, this could be the high-profile launchpad urban air mobility needs to finally take off, literally, shifting how cities move people sustainably.

Kismet: The original plan was for flying taxis to debut in Paris 2024, but air safety red tape grounded them, so LA might actually beat the French at something airborne.
👉 Full story here

Ferries Go Full Electric—And It’s Not Just a Scandinavian Thing Anymore

And it isn’t just cars, and air travel - turns out the sea is going green too. Over 70% of new ferry orders worldwide are now electric or hybrid. Even the humble car ferry is ditching diesel and embracing batteries like it’s 2050 already.

Key Highlights:

• 71% of all new ferries ordered globally in 2023 were electric or hybrid

• Electrification is gaining traction beyond Scandinavia, with Asia and Europe leading

• Zero-emission ferries cut maritime pollution, especially in coastal and port cities

• Battery tech improvements are enabling longer ranges and faster charging

• Major operators are scaling up electric fleets to meet stricter emission regulations

Why This Matters: Maritime transport is a massive, often-overlooked polluter - electrifying ferries is a crucial step toward decarbonising global shipping.

Kismet: Norway now has so many electric ferries, it’s running out of diesel-powered routes to replace - climate goals problems, eh? 👉 Full story here

Man, That’s Electric! Long-Haul Buses Just Got a Massive Upgrade

And buses - MAN Trucks has just dropped the specs on its first all-electric long-distance coach, and let’s just say, range anxiety might finally be taking a back seat.

Key Highlights:

• MAN’s new electric coach boasts a 650 km range (403 miles) and can fast-charge to 80% in under an hour

• Battery comes in at a hefty 536 kWh - yes, that’s half megawatt-hour territory

• Designed for intercity and tourist routes, cutting emissions where diesel still dominates

• Production begins in 2025, with deliveries starting 2026

• Focused on comfort, efficiency, and slashing transport-sector emissions

Why This Matters: Long-distance buses are a key piece of sustainable transport, electrifying them means fewer emissions, less noise, and cleaner air for millions.

Kismet: That 536 kWh battery? It’s the same energy your home uses in a whole month (average US home uses 850 kWh per month, average EU home uses 300 kWh per month), and this coach gulps it in a single ride. 👉 Full story here

EVs as Grid Batteries? We’re Closer Than You Think

The dream of using electric vehicles as roaming energy banks just got a jolt - California has approved the first national standard for bidirectional charging, paving the way for EVs to power your home or even the grid. Sidenote - I used my EV to power the devices in our home during the massive blackout of the Iberian peninsula of April 28th.

Key Highlights:

• California approved SAE J3072, a standard allowing EVs to send power back to homes and the grid

• This unlocks bidirectional charging at a national level - essential for vehicle-to-grid (V2G) tech

• Automakers like Kia, Ford, and GM are already offering vehicles with bidirectional capability

• The new standard clears major regulatory hurdles that previously blocked V2G rollout

• Potential for EVs to store and supply renewable energy during peak demand or outages

Why This Matters: This could turn millions of parked EVs into a flexible, distributed energy army, key for a resilient, renewables-powered grid.

Kismet: Your car may soon be powering your fridge during a blackout as mine did, and selling spare electrons back to the grid for profit. Vroom meets ka-ching. 👉 Full story here

Clean Energy

Plot Twist: China’s Emissions Just Fell—Thanks to Clean Energy

China, the world’s biggest emitter, just did the unthinkable, its carbon emissions dropped in Q1 of 2024. Not because of lockdowns or economic slumps, but because clean energy finally started outpacing coal. Let that sink in.

Key Highlights:

• China’s CO₂ emissions fell 3% year-on-year in Q1 2024 -the first real decline not tied to crisis

• Solar, wind, hydro, and nuclear met all the country’s new electricity demand (and then some)

• Coal generation dropped by 6%, the largest quarterly fall since early 2020

• EV sales, energy efficiency gains, and a construction slowdown helped too

• Experts suggest this could be the start of a long-term emissions plateau, or even decline

Why This Matters: When the world’s top emitter starts bending the curve with clean energy, it’s not just symbolic - it’s seismic.

Kismet: China installed more solar power in just three months than the US has in all of 2023. Mic dropped by a solar panel. 👉 Full story here

Desert Power, Day and Night: UAE Switches On 24/7 Solar

The UAE just flipped the switch on something huge - a solar PV + battery mega-project delivering clean electricity around the clock. Yes, the oil-rich Gulf is now exporting sunshine… even after sunset.

Key Highlights:

• UAE’s new project combines solar PV with battery storage to deliver 24/7 renewable power

• First such export deal: clean electricity shipped to Oman via a dedicated grid link

• Project part of a broader push to diversify away from oil while hitting decarbonisation targets

• Uses lithium-ion battery storage to balance solar supply with night-time demand

• Marks a milestone for baseload-capable renewables in the Middle East

Why This Matters: Dispatchable solar power means clean energy can now compete directly with fossil fuels on reliability, not just cost.

Kismet: This project sits in one of the hottest places on Earth… and now it’s cooling down neighbouring countries with clean electrons. 👉 Full story here

Solar for Apartments and for Renters? EcoFlow Just Made It Plug-and-Play

EcoFlow’s new solar kit is flipping the script - no roof ownership, no landlord begging, no permits. Just plug it in, stick it on your balcony or patio, and start generating your own clean power, even if you rent.

Key Highlights:

• EcoFlow’s PowerStream system starts at $599 and is entirely DIY, no permits, no pros required

• Perfect for renters, apartment dwellers, and small-space living - just plug into a standard socket

• Includes solar panels and battery storage, with modular expandability

• Can power garden offices, appliances, tools, or emergency backup needs

• Makes decentralised energy more accessible and portable than ever

Why This Matters: Solar is no longer just for homeowners - this democratises energy access for millions who’ve been locked out.

Kismet: Some German renters are generating so much juice from their “balcony solar” setups, they’re now selling excess back to the grid. No roof? No problem.

👉 Full story here

Latest Publications

Blog

Spain’s Solar Wake-Up Call: When the Sun Goes Down, So Does the Grid

In this blog post, I unpack Spain’s unexpected April blackout - and what it tells us about the limits of relying solely on solar. Spoiler: a sunny forecast doesn’t guarantee energy security if storage, grids, and flexibility aren’t along for the ride. Oh, and the photo above is me powering the devices in our house by drawing power from my EV’s battery!

Key Highlights:

• Spain suffered a major blackout on April 28th, right in the middle of the day—solar generation was high, but grid flexibility was not

• The event exposed the urgent need for energy storage, grid interconnection, and demand-side management

• It wasn’t a supply problem—it was a coordination problem

• As we scale up renewables, so must our ability to balance, shift, and share that energy

• The blog calls for serious investment in storage, smart grids, and a more resilient system architecture

Why This Matters: It’s a cautionary tale—solar is essential, but without grid modernisation and storage, clean energy can still leave us in the dark.

Kismet: Despite the blackout, Spain exported power to France that same hour—proof that energy abundance without coordination is just chaos in disguise. 👉 Read the full post here

Climate Confident Podcast

In the latest episode of my Climate Confident podcast I chat with Bryan Parkes, Head of Innovation Acceleration for Zespri, the New Zealand kiwifruit giant. We dig into something very juicy - how Zespri is funding climate tech startups with no strings attached. No equity, no IP grabs, no shackles - just pure, purpose-driven capital to accelerate sustainability. Imagine if more companies rewrote the innovation rulebook like this?

Key Highlights:

Zespri is backing climate tech startups without taking equity or IP - rare and radical

Focus is on decarbonisation, regenerative agriculture, and future-proofing food systems

Startups keep control while getting the cash and real-world testing they need

It’s innovation as a climate service, not just a profit engine

A potential model for corporate R&D that’s fast, flexible, and mission-aligned

Why This Matters: If more corporations adopted this approach, we’d see faster breakthroughs—and fewer brilliant ideas buried in VC purgatory.

Kismet: Zespri’s approach was inspired by Māori values of stewardship and reciprocity - showing how Indigenous principles can quietly shape world-leading climate innovation. 🎧 Listen to the full episode

Sustainable Supply Chain Podcast

Fragmented Supply Chains Are Bleeding You Dry—Here’s the Fix

In the latest episode of the Sustainable Supply Chain podcast, I spoke with Danny He, CEO of Soapbox, who’s building a unified platform to tackle the supply chain’s dirtiest secret: data fragmentation. His big idea? Visibility doesn’t start with dashboards, it starts with data fidelity.

Key Highlights:

• Fragmentation stems from each supply chain function becoming its own billion-dollar silo

• Soapbox offers an end-to-end platform to connect order, inventory, warehouse, parcel, and freight management

• Their system standardises data across internal and third-party systems, enabling real-time, unit-level traceability

• Sustainability impact: better data slashes inventory waste and reduces overproduction by enabling near-just-in-time replenishment

• AI only works when fed good data - Soapbox claims their approach ensures the foundation is solid before layering on intelligence

Why This Matters: No amount of AI magic can fix broken supply chains if your data’s still a mess—this episode is a masterclass in how to get it right.

Kismet: One Soapbox client was writing off 15% of their inventory every month, until better data let them run sell-through promotions just in time to save it. Waste avoided, money recovered. 🎧 Listen to the full episode

Coming Soon to the podcasts

In upcoming episodes of the podcasts I will be talking to Prof Angel Hsu from UNC-Chapel Hill about Gen AI Net Zero tools, author Sangeeta Waldron about her book What Will Your Legacy Be?, Jim McCullen CTO of Century, and Gary Loh, CEO of DiMuto.

Don’t forget to follow the podcasts in your podcast app of choice to ensure you don’t miss any episodes.

Featured Charts

The duck curve shows the gap between peak solar generation (midday) and peak electricity demand (evening), creating a steep drop and rise in grid needs—like a duck’s silhouette. In California, batteries are flattening that curve by soaking up excess solar during the day and releasing it after sunset, smoothing demand spikes and easing grid strain.

The uptake of clean energy technologies (wind, solar, battery storage) is happening at an exponential pace. I know that’s a term that gets thrown around a lot these days, but in this case, it is accurate.

And that leads to this graph of fossil fuel use in electricity generation falling below 50% for the first time ever on the US grid.

Misc stuff

I came across this chart of road accident fatalities in Europe, and wow, the difference between Spain and Portugal is enormous. I had no idea. Are the Portuguese really that bad, or is it more to do with different methodologies of measuring and reporting (or something else)?

This one speaks for itself!

And I loved this cartoon tribute to recently deceased actor George Wendt, the actor who played Norm in Cheers!

Engage

If you made it this far, very well done! If you liked this newsletter, or learned something new, feel free to share this newsletter with family and friends. Encourage folks to sign up for it.

Finally, since being impacted by the tech layoffs, I'm currently in the market for a new role. If you know someone who could benefit from my tech savvy, sustainability, and strong social media expertise, I'd be really grateful for a referral.

If you have any comments or suggestions for how I can improve this newsletter, don’t hesitate to let me know. Thanks.

*** Be aware that any typos you find in this newsletter are tests to see who is paying attention! ***

And Finally

Check out the real reason why the Vatican elected Pope Leo XIV

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