Pronunciation ChallengeCNN10: Hurricane Ida Strikes Louisiana／SkyCool: Radiative Cooling Technology to Replace Your A/C

Tens of thousands of electrical workers from across the US have been organized to go to the region and work on restoring the power there.

Tens of thousands of electrical workers from across the US have been organized to go to the region and work on restoring the power there.

[Transcript]

Hurricane Ida Strikes Louisiana

Ida, a Category 4 Hurricane, made landfall in southern Louisiana on Sunday, August 29. It then moved further inland, ripping off roofs from homes and buildings and flooding houses and roads along the way. Countless trees and powerlines were also knocked down. The total casualty of the storm is yet to be confirmed, but the damage in some places was, without question, catastrophic. About 40 miles northwest of Port Fourchon, every road in a nearby parish was blocked. And about 50 miles north of where Hurricane Ida made landfall, the entire city of New Orleans lost electricity, as did hundreds of thousands of other people throughout Louisiana and parts of the neighboring Mississippi.

Rescuers are receiving reports of people who climbed into their attics and onto their roofs as floodwaters rose around their homes. In addition, hospitals were damaged and had to run on backup power generators. In response, tens of thousands of electrical workers from across the US have been organized and dispatched to the region for the restoration of power supply. Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards requested that the federal government approve a major disaster declaration for the state, to which President Joe Biden agreed. What this means is that federal assistance and money will be made more readily available to help with recovery efforts.

SkyCool: Radiative Cooling Technology to Replace Your A/C

Now, here's something kind of cool. A new type of cooling system that aims to copy the way the earth naturally cools itself. Too philosophical? Well, it’s basically an eco-friendly and power-saving cooling system that aims to one day replace the air conditioning in your homes.

SkyCool designed a new material with radiative cooling properties that work 24 hours a day. And because the panels don't need any electricity to get cold, SkyCool says they can help a building's cooling system operate on less power. The new tech is currently having an impact in California, where ample sunlight and sufficient capital meet. SkyCool has installed panels at a retail store in southern California and a data center in Sacramento, helping to cool computer servers.

And in case you’re wondering, here’s how it works. First, the panels cool down water running through pipes embedded behind them. Then, that cold water flows into an air conditioning system to help chill down the refrigerant liquid, which reduces the workload of the condenser. The less the condenser runs, the smaller the energy bill. Smart and simple. Eventually, the company hopes to bring its energy-saving panels to other commercial buildings and, someday, to the roofs of our homes.

And now, here’s our sentence of the day:

Tens of thousands of electrical workers from across the US have been organized to go to the region and work on restoring the power there.

[Vocabulary words]

1. electrical
relating to electricity

E.g. Never use water to put out fires in electrical equipment.

2. region
an area of a country, especially one that is known for something

E.g. I prefer to live in a cold region.

3. restore
to return something to an earlier good condition

E.g. The ancient monument is being carefully restored.



Alright, that’s all we have time for today.
Leave a comment down below to share your ideas.
This is Ken Miao and I’ll see you guys again next week.

Tens of thousands of electrical workers from across the US have been organized to go to the region and work on restoring the power there.