Forrest Crellin and America Hernandez write on the Reuter’s website about the shift in energy policy in France. Renewable energy targets (wind and solar) have been cut or loosened compared with previous ambitions while nuclear power is now central to the government’s decarbonisation strategy. France aims to boost decarbonised power production by 20% over … Continue reading New energy law adopted in France — major shift in strategy
Electric motors in Europe: a no brainer for accelerating replacement
When one hears that one technology uses about 70% of a factory’s electricity consumption and that about half of those deployed are over 10 years old with a quarter over 20 years, one wonders why the market to replace them is sluggish at best. Yes, it is time for a shake-up. The technology under discussion … Continue reading Electric motors in Europe: a no brainer for accelerating replacement
Accountability from below: how Ghanaian communities are holding extractive companies to account
In an article on The Conversation website, Cynthia Kwakyewah, Course Director in Social Science, York University, Canada discusses the strategies that activists in Ghana are using to push the state to act against violating their rights. Activists in Ghana are forcing extractive firms to account for the harm they cause – corporate abuse study … Continue reading Accountability from below: how Ghanaian communities are holding extractive companies to account
From ecofatigue to action: how art and science together can cut plastic waste
Ian Williams, Professor of Applied Environmental Science, University of Southampton writes on The Conversation website in novel ways to deal with plastic waste. How scientists and artists can collaborate to cut through ‘ecofatigue’ and inspire positive action Pairing scientists with an artist-in-residence can cut through “ecofatigue” (feelings of overwhelm or exhaustion about environment issues … Continue reading From ecofatigue to action: how art and science together can cut plastic waste
Taking stock of energy efficiency measures under Trump
Alexa St. John from Associated Press writes on the Globe and Mail website, taking stock of what the Trump administration has done to energy efficiency measures in the US. The consumer-friendly Energy Star program survived Trump. What about other efficiency efforts? Energy Star, the program that helps guide consumers to more energy-efficient appliances and … Continue reading Taking stock of energy efficiency measures under Trump
Rewriting the rules of climate science: AI, indigenous knowledge and the future of the IPCC
In an article on The Conversation website, Hannah Cloke, Professor of Hydrology, University of Reading discusses how dozens of experts have been meeting to rewrite the rules for compiling the world’s most important climate reports. How diverse voices are transforming the UN’s climate science An environmental expert from Nigeria, a climate policy consultant from … Continue reading Rewriting the rules of climate science: AI, indigenous knowledge and the future of the IPCC
Kicked down the road: Britain’s £12bn energy efficiency delay
Despite promises to the contrary, the government continues to delay raising EPC standards for non-residential buildings. In a column in the February issue of Energy in Buildings & Industry, Andrew Warren, chair of the British Energy Efficiency Federation, shares his frustrations about the cost of inaction and highlights some of the other potential health and … Continue reading Kicked down the road: Britain’s £12bn energy efficiency delay
Designed for a different climate: why our cities are now at risk
In an article on The Conversation website, Mohamed Shaheen, Lecturer in Structural Engineering, Loughborough University discusses that design rulebooks were based on decades of historical weather data and that these rulebooks are now becoming obsolete since they were written in an era of cooler climates. City skylines need an upgrade in the face of … Continue reading Designed for a different climate: why our cities are now at risk
Denying the danger: why climate change is a public health emergency
The Trump administration has revoked the bedrock scientific determination that gives the government the ability to regulate climate-heating pollution. President Trump on Thursday announced he was erasing the scientific finding that climate change endangers human health and the environment, ending the federal government’s legal authority to control the pollution that is dangerously heating the planet. … Continue reading Denying the danger: why climate change is a public health emergency
New EEA report on value of rail as a low-emission alternative for moving people and goods in Europe
Transport remains Europe’s most persistent climate challenge. While rail offers a low-emission alternative for moving people and goods, Europe’s continued reliance on road transport is keeping greenhouse gas and pollutant emissions high, according to a report published this week by the European Environment Agency. Rail offers a major opportunity for Europe to cut transport … Continue reading New EEA report on value of rail as a low-emission alternative for moving people and goods in Europe
