New app developed in Romania helps users lower the cost of their energy bills and manage energy consumption

It is encouraging to see a new startup in Romania not only developing the app but planning to market it internationally. An English language version of the app should be available later this year. Simona Fodor discusses the startup and its new app in an article on the Romania Insider website.   Romanian startup develops … Continue reading New app developed in Romania helps users lower the cost of their energy bills and manage energy consumption

Research is still in its early stages on how, precisely, both climate change and environmental degradation relate to violence against children

Simone Datzberger, Jenny Parkes, Lottie Howard-Merrill from UCL and Steven Kator Iorfa from the University of Portsmouth write on The Conversation website about the impact of climate change on violence against children. The explored both direct violence – physical, sexual and emotional – and structural violence; that is, rooted in inequitable and unjust systems and … Continue reading Research is still in its early stages on how, precisely, both climate change and environmental degradation relate to violence against children

Do phrases like “global boiling” actually help drive us towards faster and more effective climate action? Or do they risk making us prone to climate doomism, and risk prompting a backlash?

It has been widely reported that UN Secretary General António Guterres declared last week that the era of “global boiling” has arrived. Is this a help or a hindrance? Noel Castree, Professor of Society & Environment at the University of Technology Sydney discusses the impact of such phrases in an article on The Conversation website. … Continue reading Do phrases like “global boiling” actually help drive us towards faster and more effective climate action? Or do they risk making us prone to climate doomism, and risk prompting a backlash?

The sooner the oil industry starts facing up to the realities of climate change, the more chance it has to survive

Adi Imsirovic, Fellow at the University of Surrey writes on The Conversation website that we are in trouble since the oil and gas industry remains largely in climate denial. What are your views?   The oil industry has succumbed to a dangerous new climate denialism If we have not been warned of the dangers of … Continue reading The sooner the oil industry starts facing up to the realities of climate change, the more chance it has to survive

US weatherman receives death threats for conveying messages about the climate crisis

Oliver Milman writes on the Guardian website about a US weatherman, Chris Gloninger , who wove the reality of global heating into his forecasts in the conservative heartland of Iowa. Gloninger said he experienced “a holy shit moment” with climate change as he was drenched while covering 2017’s Hurricane Harvey. Obviously, not all his viewers … Continue reading US weatherman receives death threats for conveying messages about the climate crisis

European Green Deal facing pushback threatening to slow EU efforts to cut GHG emissions

As the center right changes tack on climate, the bloc’s climate coalition is crumbling. It is hard to imagine, given current climate disasters, that there is so much resistance to ramping up ambition to cut GHG emissions even faster.  Zia Weise discusses latest developments in an article on the Politico website.   Political backing for … Continue reading European Green Deal facing pushback threatening to slow EU efforts to cut GHG emissions

Amid the worst heat waves ever recorded in the United States, China, Mexico, Siberia and beyond, climate denial continues to flourish

An extreme global heat wave has been blamed on climate change, yet online misinformation has evolved to counter the facts — despite platforms like TikTok banning climate denial. Stuart Braun discusses this growth in climate denial in an article on the Deutsche Welle website.   Why is climate denial still thriving online? Record global temperatures … Continue reading Amid the worst heat waves ever recorded in the United States, China, Mexico, Siberia and beyond, climate denial continues to flourish

New UK research exploring the effect of energy labels on consumer shopping decisions

In autumn 2021 the Behavioural Insight Team (BIT), unofficially known as the “Nudge Unit”, conducted research through experiment, survey and interview to see whether the information on appliances’ energy labels influenced the consumer’s choice of product. The research was undertaken for the UK Department for Energy Security & Net Zero. The experiment examined the difference … Continue reading New UK research exploring the effect of energy labels on consumer shopping decisions

New EEA briefing on the human element for investing in energy renovations

A better understanding is needed of how owners, construction contractors and installers interact and perceive possible advantages of renovating their houses, apartments and other buildings to improve energy efficiency. This would help bolster European policies to shift the building sector to a carbon-neutral future. A European Environment Agency (EEA) briefing published this week explores the … Continue reading New EEA briefing on the human element for investing in energy renovations

The cooling conundrum

Rising temperatures are leading to a surge in demand for cooling. But, ironically, the more we rely on energy-intensive air conditioners, the more the planet warms. What are the other options? Natalie Muller and Neil King discuss in an article on the Deutsche Welle website.   Keeping homes cool on a warming planet In many … Continue reading The cooling conundrum