Our energy and climate transition: au revoir Paris

In an excellent article on The Conversation website, James Dyke, Associate Professor in Earth System Science, University of Exeter; Robert Watson, Emeritus Professor in Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia; Wolfgang Knorr, Senior Research Scientist, Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science, Lund University warn us that the time has come for us to leap. The … Continue reading Our energy and climate transition: au revoir Paris →

Energy in Demand News, August 18, 2024

Expanding oil production certainly gets a lot of attention these days. In an energy newsletter by the Financial Times (behind a paywall) this week, the lead article was on a technology breakthrough by Chevron that could extend the production lifespan of the US Gulf of Mexico oil basin and “and potentially bring billions of additional … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, August 18, 2024 →

‘Agrivoltaics’ is not new, but is growing in popularity

Using the same piece of land for both solar and agriculture is known as "agrivoltaics." But there are several options as seen in Alberta. Pigs are used to eat the weeds under the solar panels. So are sheep. The other option is to grow crops. In Alberta there are several experiments underway to find the … Continue reading ‘Agrivoltaics’ is not new, but is growing in popularity →

It will be no simple task for farmers and the food sector to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050

In an article on Canada’s National Newswatch website, Alex Binkley discusses the challenges that Canada’s agrifood sector has in achieving net zero. No doubt this will be a similar problem in most countries. Achieving net zero emissions no simple task for agrifood sector It will be no simple task for farmers and the food … Continue reading It will be no simple task for farmers and the food sector to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050 →

The impact of Africa’s growth on global carbon targets is likely to be low, especially in the short term

In an article on The Conversation website, Daniel M. Kammen, Professor of Energy, University of California, Berkeley and Oluwagbemisola Deborah Akinsipe, PhD Candidate in the Energy and Resources Group, University of California, Berkeley discuss their research into analysing how Africa’s growth could potentially affect efforts to reduce global warming or mitigate climate change. African … Continue reading The impact of Africa’s growth on global carbon targets is likely to be low, especially in the short term →

Nobel winners hit out at removal of fossil fuels from draft UN pact

Nearly 80 Nobel prizewinners and former world leaders have hit out at the removal of a specific mention of fossil fuels from the draft of a UN climate pact at the centre of a summit in New York next month. Nina Bo Wagner discusses the letter in an article on the Research Professional News website. … Continue reading Nobel winners hit out at removal of fossil fuels from draft UN pact →

Energy in Demand News, August 11, 2024

This week Lord Adair Turner, the former chairman of the UK’s Climate Change Committee and the current chair of the Energy Transitions Commission, was interviewed in the Financial Times (behind a paywall). There are two particularly important quotes from him. The first concerns what it will cost to get to net zero: “In 2020, the … Continue reading Energy in Demand News, August 11, 2024 →

UK caught in dilemma to build new houses and yet maintain environmental targets

Rosa Silverman and Ollie Corfe write on the Telegraph website about the new UK Labour government that is determined to build on its green belt to accelerate the number of new homes. The problem is that this may be incompatible with the government’s environmental targets – and could create a major problem. This is an … Continue reading UK caught in dilemma to build new houses and yet maintain environmental targets →

How communities are coming together to retrofit their homes and take important steps to address climate change

From weekly skills-sharing to rewilding streets, communities in Britain are working to improve the planet while bolstering the health of people. Hazel Sheffield discusses some of the initiatives underway in an article on the Guardian website. ‘Building something better’: the UK residents retrofitting their homes amid the climate crisis At first glance, Melrose Avenue … Continue reading How communities are coming together to retrofit their homes and take important steps to address climate change →

The crucial role of data in decarbonising our buildings

Lisa Cairns, from IRT Surveys, discusses how data and technology can help housing providers make smarter retrofit decisions in an article on the Housing Digital_ website. Decarbonisation: The value of using data and technology While the new Labour government’s commitment to improving energy efficiency in UK homes is warmly welcomed, retrofitting the existing property … Continue reading The crucial role of data in decarbonising our buildings →