The coronavirus pandemic has been the biggest disruption to the global labor force in generations. It’s also exacerbated inequality. Global unemployment was equivalent to 127 million full-time jobs in the second quarter of 2021. The number of people who do have jobs but are living in poverty has increased – undoing five years of progress. While in some countries […]
Several clean energy technologies like solar panels have become consistently cheaper year after year as the industries have benefited from learning, experience and economies of scale. Falling solar costs are described by “Swanson’s Law,” much like Moore’s Law described the rapid and consistent progress in the semiconductor industry. Solar photovoltaic cells in 2019 cost about 85% less per watt […]
The Biden administration announced Wednesday an expansion of the nation’s offshore wind capacity, revealing plans for up to seven leases off the Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf coasts by 2025. By Andrea Germanos Common Dreams “Climate change is the challenge of our lifetime,” Interior Secretary Deb Haaland tweeted Wednesday. “Stakeholders and advocates like those in the offshore wind industry […]
Many rural counties in the United States face the dual challenges of lagging economic growth and increasingly severe effects of climate change. While urban areas are not uniformly prosperous and rural areas are not uniformly poor, rural communities on average lag behind their urban counterparts on most key economic indicators — from poverty rates to […]
Employment in renewable energy and battery-related sectors was far more resilient to the shock of the novel coronavirus pandemic, according to an annual DOE report released Monday. Overall, one in 10 U.S. energy workers lost their jobs in 2020, with oil and gas workers hit hardest despite billions in bailouts and substantial payouts to executives. […]
Despite the challenging economic conditions created by COVID-19, 2020 was a record year for clean energy development in the United States, with the country nearly doubling the capacity installed in 2019. By Katrina McLaughlin and Lori Bird World Resources Institute According to Bloomberg New Energy Finance, the U.S. installed 35 gigawatts (GW) of new renewable generating capacity in 2020, enough […]
Ditching fossil fuels in favor of renewable energy in order to keep warming below the 1.5ºC threshold is both “necessary and technically feasible.” That’s the conclusion of an analysis released Thursday entitled Fossil Fuel Exit Strategy. Produced by the University of Technology Sydney’s Institute for Sustainable Futures in cooperation with the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative, the report states clearly […]
This interview with Mark Jacobson, conducted by Adam Aron, took place on May 24, 2021. By Adam Aron, Mark Jacobson Resilience.org AA: I’m interested in what you have to say about demand reduction. There’s been a rapid rise of renewable energy and it’s going to accelerate even more, but total energy use for the world accelerates much faster. […]
The United States’ offshore wind industry is tiny, with just seven wind turbines operating off Rhode Island and Virginia. The few attempts to build large-scale wind farms like Europe’s have run into long delays, but that may be about to change. By Erin Baker, University of Massachusetts Amherst and Matthew Lackner, University of Massachusetts Amherst […]
Climate campaigners and experts welcomed new renewable power projections released Tuesday by the Paris-based International Energy Agency. Despite the coronavirus pandemic, the amount of renewable electricity capacity added last year soared by 45% to 280 gigawatts (GW), an increase that the IEA’s analysis expects to become the “new normal.” By Jessica Corbett Common Dreams Driven […]
Climate scientists were among those who applauded the Biden administration Tuesday as the Interior Department announced the approval of the United States’ first large-scale offshore wind farm off the coast of Massachusetts. By Julia Conley Common Dreams The farm will include up to 84 turbines near Martha’s Vineyard and will generate enough energy to power 400,000 homes with 800 […]
Renewable energy’s rapid growth is accelerating a national shift to a carbon-free electric power system. So far 17 states plus Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico have adopted laws or executive orders setting goals for reaching 100% clean electricity by 2050 or sooner. And 46 U.S. utilities have pledged to go carbon-free. Now the Biden administration and […]
As the world reels from the financial blow of COVID-19, local governments in the United States are under huge pressure as cities and counties face severe budget shortfalls. This is forcing cuts to crucial spending on education and infrastructure as well as layoffs, furloughs and hiring freezes. Losing critical funds could have seriously hindered U.S. local governments’ continued progress […]
Despite the difficulties associated with the Covid-19 pandemic, the world added a record amount of new renewable energy capacity in 2020, according to data released Monday by the International Renewable Energy Agency. By Kenny Stancil Common Dreams IRENA’s annual Renewable Capacity Statistics 2021 shows that global renewable energy capacity grew by more than 260 gigawatts (GW) last […]
The nation’s transition from dirty to renewable energy is “nearing exponential growth”—a shift set to usher in “transformative” impacts within a handful of years. So declares the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) in its “U.S. Power Sector Outlook 2021” report released Wednesday. By Andrea Germanos Common Dreams Among the key findings (pdf) are that […]