Category: carbon emissions

New York City set to improve energy performance of its larger buildings

Up to 23,000 buildings could be required to significantly improve their energy performance, according to an announcement by Mayor de Blasio this week. William Neuman writes in the New York Times that of the 23,000 buildings, “14,500 are “the worst performing” in terms of energy efficiency”. This is an important development that should be replicated … Continue reading New York City set to improve energy performance of its larger buildings →

Canadians active in a global competition to create technology that converts CO2 into valuable products

Many argue that innovation is key to us addressing the global climate challenge. Laura Kane from the Canadian Press writes on the Globe and Mail website about the activities of Canadian scientists to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in their participation in a global competition.   Canadian scientists turn carbon-dioxide emissions into useful products What if … Continue reading Canadians active in a global competition to create technology that converts CO2 into valuable products →

Progress in energy efficiency improvements expected to continue even with Supreme Court challenge

The Obama Administration is certainly keeping up the momentum even though there are often legislative and judicial roadblocks. Steven Mufson and Chris Mooney write in the Washington Post about recent developments.   Despite the Supreme Court, here’s why the White House says we’ll cut carbon anyway The Supreme Court stay on the Obama administration’s Clean … Continue reading Progress in energy efficiency improvements expected to continue even with Supreme Court challenge →

EU less ambitious than US to regulate emissions from airplanes

Europeans are normally proud that their climate change policies are amongst the most ambitious globally. There was concern recently that the Volkswagen emissions test scandal was first identified by US regulators. Now, Arthur Neslen writes in the Guardian that the EU wants less stringent emissions standards than the US for new planes built after 2020. … Continue reading EU less ambitious than US to regulate emissions from airplanes →

Shipping starting to use liquefied natural gas to reduce carbon emissions

In our global world, shipping is more important than ever. Henry Fountain writes in the New York Times about some shippers starting to use LNG in an effort to reduce overall emissions.   Taming Carbon Emissions From the ‘Invisible’ Shipping Industry With its cavernous cargo holds and gleaming white superstructure, the 730-foot Perla del Caribe, … Continue reading Shipping starting to use liquefied natural gas to reduce carbon emissions →

Canada’s GHG emissions moving in wrong direction

All countries are trying to show their best efforts ahead of the Paris climate summit. Unfortunately, as Shawn McCarthy writes in the Globe and Mail, recent data show that Canada has little hope of meeting the commitments it made at the 2009 Copenhagen summit.   Canada’s GHG emissions rose in 2013, leaving little room to … Continue reading Canada’s GHG emissions moving in wrong direction →

New report showing renewables are successfully driving down carbon emissions in Europe

The European Environment Agency (EEA) has recently published an important report showing that wind, solar, biomass and other renewable energy technologies continued to grow in 2013. New data shows they have been an important driving force in reducing greenhouse gas emissions in Europe. Without the deployment of renewable energy since 2005, greenhouse gas emissions in … Continue reading New report showing renewables are successfully driving down carbon emissions in Europe →

Energy-efficient lighting has been a boon for economic development but . . .

Michael Shellenberger and Ted Nordhaus, co-founders of the Breakthrough Institute, an energy and environmental research center, provided an editorial in the New York Times about the value of energy-efficient products but to make a serious dent in carbon emissions there needs to be a shift to cleaner forms of energy. Do you agree?   The … Continue reading Energy-efficient lighting has been a boon for economic development but . . . →