The US bans Russian energy

Plus: Apple's new privacy policy is finally coming to 5G with a new iPhone SE Mar 09, 2022 [View in browser]( The war in Ukraine is reshaping the global energy landscape. In a new move to isolate Moscow from the global economy, President Joe Biden has imposed an immediate ban on Russian oil in his latest response to the country’s invasion of Ukraine. The decision was matched by a U.K. phase-out of Russian oil imports, and the latest sanctions will likely drive up oil prices, resulting in even higher prices at the pump. Before we explore the U.S. ban and rising oil prices, today’s video will tackle the question of whether fully sustainable fuels can power our planet, and whether they can also be the answer to our climate woes. Good morning. I’m Derya, an editor at IE. This is The Blueprint. Let’s pick up where we left off. [Video]VIDEO OF THE DAY [Fully sustainable fuels can power our planet with less carbon footprint]( Can they really replace fossil fuels? [Fully sustainable fuels can power our planet with less carbon footprint]( CULTURE [The US bans Russian energy imports. Could crude oil reach $300?]( [Oil field in Western Siberia.]( In a bid to pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin into backing down from the invasion of Ukraine, the U.S. government [has announced a complete ban on Russian oil]( liquified natural gas, and coal. Sticky situation. The U.S. imported 700,000 barrels of oil per day from Russia last year. While this might seem a lot, it’s less than 10 percent of U.S. oil imports. The U.S. was actually the largest producer of oil in 2020, while Russia's production (which was third place) was roughly half of that of the United States’. - All this means that the U.S. doesn’t rely as much on Russian oil, and most of its imports are rather opportunistic and meant to keep its refineries running smoothly. On the other hand, it’s much harder for European countries, which heavily rely on Russian oil, to impose such sanctions. The U.S. move on energy comes after it imposed economic sanctions on Russian banks. Russia hit back by saying that the crude oil prices [could reach $300 a barrel]( in light of these sanctions, and even threatened to cut gas supply to Europe. [Read More]( INNOVATION [Apple's new privacy policy is finally coming to 5G with a new iPhone SE]( [Apple's new iPhone SE.]( Apple [debuted a suite of new devices on Tuesday]( including an iPhone SE, which comes with 5G capability. You heard that right. The new iPhone SE marks Apple's second phone debut since the company introduced new privacy policies in early 2021. It was a decision that cut $278 billion from four big tech firms (they didn’t like it). Privacy proponents welcomed the change. - Apple's latest iPhone SE will sell for $429, a jump from $399 on the current iPhone SE model. You can preorder the new one on Friday, with shipments starting on March 18. Reshaping digital reality. And now, [with 5G capability included]( in Apple's full suite of new smartphone offerings, it looks like the next generation of civil communications technology will have a fresh start that puts consumer concerns in a more central position. [Read More]( SCIENCE [NASA opens a 50-year-old lunar sample to prepare for the Artemis moon landings]( [The ESA's "Apollo can opener.”]( NASA scientists [are about to open a lunar sample]( that has remained sealed since it was collected on the Moon 50 years ago. The agency kept several of the samples collected by the Apollo missions unopened, knowing that technology would evolve, allowing future teams to gain greater insight when they opened the containers. - Now, the organization said it was opening the sample, one of the last remaining unopened lunar samples from its Apollo missions, to prepare for its upcoming Artemis Moon landings. Genie in a bottle. Artemis also aims to bring back cold and sealed samples from near the lunar South Pole, which will serve as a chance to understand the tools needed for collecting and transporting these samples, for analyzing them, and for storing them on Earth. Sample analysis from these Apollo containers will help to guide these future missions, which will collect even more samples [for future generations of scientists to unseal](. [Read More]( MAIL & MUSINGS Americans haven’t visited the Moon since 1972. But that’ll change in a few years. Are you excited? Be sure you check back tomorrow for the results! [Yes! There is so much to learn.]( [(sigh) Borrring. Why put so much effort into something you’ve already done?]( [Maybe. Only if we’re going to stay, this time.]( [Stanley Kubrick is dead. Who will film it?]( Yesterday’s Results Elon Musk says Europe should return to nuclear energy amid the Ukraine crisis, so we asked whether you agree with him. Turns out, most of you love nuclear power. Who would have guessed? Yes. Nuclear all the way. 58% Let’s just speed up renewables. 19% Maybe, until the storm passes. 15% No. Was the scare we had a few days ago not enough? 8% QUOTE OF THE DAY “ Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark. In our obscurity, in all this vastness, there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves. ” Carl Sagan in “Pale Blue Dot” (1995) AND ANOTHER THING... - To support nuclear power, Elon Musk says he [will eat food grown in high radiation zones](. Bon appétit! - Our behavior during COVID-19 [echoes that of individuals, societies, and governments]( during previous plagues. We can do better. (Knowable Magazine) - Millions of palm-sized, flying spiders may begin invading the East Coast. [No, really](. - The notion that Coca-Cola contains cocaine is a popular middle-school rumor. [But does the popular soft drink]( actually contain cocaine? (Inverse) - The Amazon rainforest [is approaching a tipping point]( where it may turn into a savanna. - A curious legal crusade to redefine personhood [is raising profound questions about]( the interdependence of the animal and human kingdoms. (The New Yorker) - [Could we live in the asteroid belt]( With the right technology and spirit of adventure, it could become the industrial hub of the Solar System. [Share to Win]SHARE TO WIN [All products]( Share The Blueprint! Give your friends deeper insights into engineering and tech, and win exclusive IE swag for free. [Read Details]( Share your link Copy & share your referral link with others. [ [Referral Program Terms and Conditions]( Prepared by Derya Ozdemir and Brad Bergan Enjoy reading? Don't forget to forward to a friend! Was this email forwarded to you? 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