A lesson in why it’s hard for companies to adapt quickly

Here's a (not so well written) story about how India changed its laws so that beverage giants have to use recycled materials in their plastic bottles. 

They must be 30% recycled material this year, ramping up to 60% in three years. 

But there are only a few companies that can make recycled bottles at scale - and not enough to meet the demands of the likes of coke and Pepsi. 

One executive notes that:

"We are investing in capacity, but capacity increases are two-three years away."

And so in India, the beverage companies want to take legal action because they know they can't meet the need. 

Which leads us back home. T-rump has imposed tariffs to encourage growth of American made products. He's been in office for about 3 months and expects there to be some "pain" while this gets sorted out. 

If we use the situation in India as sort of a guide, we should realize that it will take *years* for companies to figure it out and be able to make products at scale. And that is if they can do it all. 

These tariffs, then, hurt everyone. The company, the consumer, shippers, the places from whence products come. For a very long time. 

It's insanity. 

https://www.thecooldown.com/green-business/recycled-plastic-mandate-india-beverage-giants/

Thanks obi wan. 

Another Japanese breakthrough.

Scientists in Japan have been discussing the possibility of using a material called perovskite for solar panels as opposed to the traditional silicon-based cells.

And now they have had their first trials and seen the results. The panels are cheaper, more lightweight, and bendable so they can go on more surfaces. 

Plus, they have a max output 1.5 times traditional silicone collar cells. 

https://www.ecoticias.com/en/japan-super-solar-panel/12474/

Retrieving lithium from used batteries

Taking the materials out of batteries is a tricky proposition and no one has yet mastered it. 

But here's a team that is using cooking oil and water to break down the materials and allow for the removal of lithium in a simple, environmentally friendly, quick, and easy way at room temperature.  

We could go further with electric if we didn't have to worry about the environmental impacts of disposed batteries. 

https://tech.yahoo.com/articles/scientists-revolutionary-breakthrough-cooking-oil-111535092.html

Transparent solar cells

A group of researchers in Japan have come up with a means to create small, lightweight, and clear(!) solar cells that can be adapted for most situations - including putting them on homes or cars, while not changing the aesthetic or the ability to see through a windshield. 

"Our approach improved the power conversion efficiency over 1,000 times compared to devices using standard ITO electrodes," 

Now that's something that could revolutionize the solar industry. 

https://www.thebrighterside.news/post/transparent-solar-cells-generate-power-1000x-more-efficiently-than-traditional-panels-2/

American culture and return to office

There have been many, many, many articles about forcing workers to return to offices, chiding them for not putting in "enough" time, of companies and ceos being bullies because they can. 

They say things like "We are more productive" or "we can collaborate" when what they mean is that they can control everyone who works for them. 

And now we're seeing articles about how it's impacting these companies. More pushback. More incivility. 

https://www.yahoo.com/news/workplace-incivility-spiraling-companies-rile-161658844.html

And meanwhile in Europe, they're taking a different approach. Here's one outcome in Germany that suggests treating employees well pays off. 

https://dailygalaxy.com/2025/04/73-of-german-companies-tried-four-day-workweek-now-theyre-not-going-back/

But we'll never get there. Instead we will all become a kind of indentured servant to the large corporations. 

Rocket radar?

DARPA's AtmoSense program seeks to use Earth's atmosphere as a global sensor by measuring acoustic and electromagnetic waves propagating through the atmosphere, and attempting to trace them back to a specific disturbance event that took place on Earth. In doing so, DARPA hopes to be able to trace underground explosions or other national security threats using the signals detected from the atmosphere.

https://gizmodo.com/darpa-unintentionally-invents-new-rocket-radar-thanks-to-spacex-2000584008

Watch "Propellantless Propulsion Device | Charles Buhler" on YouTube

Dr Buhler thinks he has found a new force that allows for a a drive system that has no propellant. 

 

"Essentially, what we've discovered is that systems that contain an asymmetry in either electrostatic pressure or some kind of electrostatic divergent field can give a system of a center of mass a non-zero force component.

 "So, what that basically means is that there's some underlying physics that can essentially place force on an object should those two constraints be met."

Which is somewhere between an interesting theory and just using jargon to obfuscate. 

Personally, I'm learning toward this being hokum. But I am willing to keep an open mind and see if there's any merit to what he's saying. 

https://youtu.be/WhsKMWOYuYo?si=Cot8r7DYD7tHk_HO