As people around the world escape poverty, you might expect their energy use to increase. But my research in Nepal, Vietnam, and Zambia found the opposite: lower levels of deprivation were linked to lower levels of energy demand. What is behind this counter-intuitive finding? By Marta Baltruszewicz, University of Leeds The Conversation After all, the […]
New York City legislators are seeking to further the city’s climate goals by essentially ending gas use in new buildings and major renovations, S&P Global reports. The legislation, introduced Thursday, would prohibit new and renovated buildings from burning fossil fuels through updates to the city’s building code. By Nexus Media News If adopted, the legislation […]
To achieve net-zero emissions by mid-century, global energy systems must undergo a wholesale switch to low-carbon and energy-efficient technologies. However, many models used to chart this transition imply that there are benefits in delaying investment in these technologies, waiting instead for R&D to drive down costs over time. By Alexandra Poncia, Paul Drummond, and Prof Michael […]
Under the Biden administration’s infrastructure plan, tax credits for clean energy and technologies are expected to play an important role in achieving a 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.The Clean Energy for America Act, introduced by Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) in April 2021, takes vital steps toward streamlining the tax code and making clean energy tax […]
Tehran, 1943: Joseph Stalin, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill – hosted by the young Shah Reza Pahlavi – agree on plans for the two-front attack on Hitler while sketching out the east-west division of Europe. Holding the meeting in Iran, with separate consultations with the shah, was no mistake. Gulf oil was a critical […]
New research has found that China’s pledge to achieve “carbon neutrality” before 2060 is “largely consistent” with the Paris Agreement’s aim of limiting global warming to 1.5C. But, to stay below this level of warming, the country will need to aim higher than its current net-zero goal and accomplish “deep” emission reductions in the near term, the […]
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 […]
Thanks in part to the pandemic-induced economic slowdown and the collapse of coal and triumph of wind power over the last decade, a new analysis suggests the UK is halfway to meeting its net zero greenhouse gas emissions target. The ultimate goal of a fully renewable grid will depend on technology that can store clean […]
Less than two decades ago, South Australia generated all its electricity from fossil fuels. Last year, renewables provided a whopping 60% of the state’s electricity supply. The remarkable progress came as national climate policy was gripped by paralysis – so how did it happen? Michael McGreevy, Flinders University and Fran Baum, Flinders University The Conversation […]
In February, extreme weather events highlighted the fragility of the Texas electrical grid. A deep freeze left millions without power, and dozens of people died. President Joe Biden declared a state of emergency and ordered that federal assistance be made available. By Michael D. Mehta, Thompson Rivers University The Conversation As Texans’ demand for […]
Even as people are suffering through the harshest winter storm Texas has seen in decades, the reasons for the state’s devastating power grid failure have become a political battleground. While vulnerable people freeze in their homes, pundits snipe about whether wind turbines are to blame. By Jennifer Layke, Karl Hausker and Lori Bird World Resources […]
The world’s most forbidding deserts could be the best places on Earth for harvesting solar power – the most abundant and clean source of energy we have. Deserts are spacious, relatively flat, rich in silicon – the raw material for the semiconductors from which solar cells are made — and never short of sunlight. In […]
Countries around the world are taking steps to tackle climate change and become net-zero emitters of carbon dioxide (CO₂) by 2050. Most recently, Joe Biden’s presidential election win means the US is the latest nation to adopt the goal. By Jessica Allen, University of Newcastle The Conversation So what does net-zero mean? Completely eliminating all […]
Investment in green technologies, clean energy and climate adaptation continues to grow, and financial institutions are taking an increasing interest in this field. But many of these investments never reach communities of color and low and moderate income communities that are most in need of both the environmental and economic benefits of such investments, a […]
Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker is reviewing sweeping legislation to reduce the commonwealth’s greenhouse gas pollution, spur clean energy jobs, electrify buildings, and protect communities disproportionately harmed by pollution. By Nexus Media News The bill passed by 38-2 vote in the State Senate and in the House 145-9, but Baker has not committed to signing the bill […]