Jeans are a fashion staple but also an environmental headache. To resolve this dilemma, the industry has become a melting pot of solutions. Thomas Gordon-Martin discusses latest developments in an article on the Deutsche Welle website. Cleaning denim's reputation, one pair of jeans at a time Every time you buy a new pair of jeans, it's like turning … Continue reading The environmental impact of jeans and what can be done to improve sustainability
Author: Rod Janssen
An antiquated energy grid and outdated planning rules are undermining efforts to tackle the climate crisis in Britain
Renewable energy providers call for reform of system that reserves capacity for gas power stations, even when they’re laying idle, writes Ben Chapman on the Independent website. UK’s net zero push undermined by energy grid that holds back renewables Efforts to tackle the climate crisis are being undermined by an antiquated energy grid and … Continue reading An antiquated energy grid and outdated planning rules are undermining efforts to tackle the climate crisis in Britain
New study shows that LEED certification of US federal buildings not leading to lower energy consumption
The findings from the Carnegie Mellon study reflects the fact that energy use is just one of a number of attributes examined by the LEED programme, and some of those attributes may consume energy, the authors said. Robert Walton discusses in an article on the Utility Dive website. LEED-certified federal buildings aren't using less … Continue reading New study shows that LEED certification of US federal buildings not leading to lower energy consumption
Blog from Jane Marsh: How Much Does Climate Change Cost the Economy?
Over the past century, planet Earth has experienced various changes to its atmosphere's composition and weather patterns. The growing endangered species list and frequency of natural disasters signify the global ecosystem's price for our actions. Our environmental education and media exposure focus on ecological destruction. Though this is a major cause of rising global temperatures, … Continue reading Blog from Jane Marsh: How Much Does Climate Change Cost the Economy?
The forest protection carbon offsetting market used by major airlines for claims of carbon-neutral flying faces a significant credibility problem
As we lift the restrictions from the Covid pandemic, many more will be flying for work or holidays. If you plan to fly, first read this article by Patrick Greenfield in The Guardian about growing concerns about carbon offsets. Carbon offsets used by major airlines based on flawed system, warn experts The forest protection … Continue reading The forest protection carbon offsetting market used by major airlines for claims of carbon-neutral flying faces a significant credibility problem
China is erecting factories for electric cars almost as fast as the rest of the world combined
Fueled with money from Wall Street and local officials, automakers plan to build eight million electric cars a year in China, more than Europe and North America combined. Keith Bradsher discusses latest developments in an article on the New York Times website. As Cars Go Electric, China Builds a Big Lead in Factories Xpeng … Continue reading China is erecting factories for electric cars almost as fast as the rest of the world combined
European Commission updates its EU industrial strategy
This week the European Commission updated the EU Industrial Strategy to ensure that its industrial ambition takes full account of the new circumstances following the COVID-19 crisis and helps to drive the transformation to a more sustainable, digital, resilient and globally competitive economy. It shows support for industrial sectors that are strategic to the European … Continue reading European Commission updates its EU industrial strategy
Net zero targets are a powerful way to signal common cause between nations but a sense of solidarity requires these targets be consistent with demands for climate justice
The Paris Agreement broke a long-standing political deadlock by allowing each country to develop its own nationally determined contribution to cutting global emissions. Net zero can be an important focus for climate action. Three academics argue that it must not become a set of blinkers that seeks to compel all countries down a single path. … Continue reading Net zero targets are a powerful way to signal common cause between nations but a sense of solidarity requires these targets be consistent with demands for climate justice
Keeping temperature rises below 1.5℃ cannot be guaranteed, given the history of action to date, but the goal is certainly not impossible
From now until COP26 we are going to read more and more about the challenges to keep temperatures below 1.5℃. Some are arguing it is already impossible. But four eminent academics argue that with the right political action, we can achieve such an objective. Bill Hare, Director, Climate Analytics, Adjunct Professor, Murdoch University (Perth), Visiting … Continue reading Keeping temperature rises below 1.5℃ cannot be guaranteed, given the history of action to date, but the goal is certainly not impossible
Accelerating America’s shift to a carbon-free electric power system
In the last 15 years, the US has seen a dramatic change in its shift to a carbon-free electric power system. Ryan Wiser, Bentham Paulos, Dev Millstein and Joseph Rand from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory write on The Conversation website about this shift. Pay particular attention to what has happened to projected energy demand. … Continue reading Accelerating America’s shift to a carbon-free electric power system
Energy in Demand - Sustainable Energy - Rod Janssen 