US has monumental task to update energy efficiency standards

Nearly three dozen efficiency standards are overdue for an update, and further delays could undercut Biden’s climate goals. Anna Phillips discusses latest developments in an article on The Washington Post website.   Biden faces delays in undoing Trump’s war on efficient dishwashers, dryers and lightbulbs that made him ‘look orange’ Before Donald Trump launched his … Continue reading US has monumental task to update energy efficiency standards

“If we want to use renewable energy to keep the atmosphere cool, then mining processes and our current relationship with metals must change”

Scott Dunbar, Davide Elmo and John Steen of the University of British Columbia argue that a sustainable approach to mining metals needed for our renewable energy expansion is definitely possible in an article on The Conversation website.   It’s not necessary to trash the environment to extract metals needed for renewable energy The use of renewable … Continue reading “If we want to use renewable energy to keep the atmosphere cool, then mining processes and our current relationship with metals must change”

New EEA report on EU ETS emissions continuing to decrease

Under current and planned measures, EU Member States project that ETS emissions will continue to decrease in the coming decades albeit at a slower pace than historically, according to the latest annual European Environment Agency (EEA) briefing 'Trends and projections in the EU ETS' published this week. On recent trends, greenhouse gas emissions from stationary … Continue reading New EEA report on EU ETS emissions continuing to decrease

The future of cooling our buildings must become a present-day priority

At the moment, reducing cooling energy demand is not explicitly part of energy policies for buildings in the UK. Of concern is that it’s projected that 75% to 85% of UK households will install air conditioning in response to rising temperatures by the end of the century. Radhika Khosla Associate Professor of Sustainable Development at … Continue reading The future of cooling our buildings must become a present-day priority

Blog from Jane Marsh: Why We Need a Greener Power Grid More Than a Resilient One

Major weather events and aging grid infrastructure have led many to call for a resilient grid that can stand up to the elements. However, prioritizing resilience may be the wrong approach — instead, grid officials should consider how sustainability could future-proof the grid and protect it from future crises. Climate change and extreme weather are … Continue reading Blog from Jane Marsh: Why We Need a Greener Power Grid More Than a Resilient One

EU taxonomy proposed change is a “recipe for a greenwashing disaster”

The leaked EU Sustainable Finance Taxonomy proposal for a complementary Delegated Act sets out the role of fossil gas, two devastating scenarios emerge – both a far cry from net-zero by 2050.  The leaked proposal is discussed in a briefing by Lina Strandvåg Nagell on the Bellona Europe website. Note that the EC began expert … Continue reading EU taxonomy proposed change is a “recipe for a greenwashing disaster”

Adding the human dimension to engineering schools to address problems such as climate change

Having more than a narrow, technical education for engineers is not a new concept but Gordon D. Hoople, Assistant Professor of Engineering at the University of San Diego provides a good argument in an article on The Conversation website that a broader education is needed more than ever.   Future engineers need to understand their … Continue reading Adding the human dimension to engineering schools to address problems such as climate change

The cost of abating the carbon impact of a proposed third runway at Heathrow has doubled since parliament approved the idea of expansion

While air travel has been subdued because of Covid-19, that does not mean that plans are not underway for expansion. In Britain, several years ago Parliament agreed to add a third runway to Heathrow, one of the world’s busiest airports. However, there is a requirement to offset the carbon emissions of the runway. Recent estimates … Continue reading The cost of abating the carbon impact of a proposed third runway at Heathrow has doubled since parliament approved the idea of expansion

How eco-friendly is wind power really?

Wind power is essential to fighting climate change, yet building the turbines is energy-intensive and the blades are made from plastics. So how eco-friendly is wind power really? Gero Rueter discusses the sustainability of wind power in an article on the Deutsche Welle website.   How sustainable is wind power? Together with solar power, wind … Continue reading How eco-friendly is wind power really?

Pinpointing the most efficient combinations of materials to make clean energy from wasted heat

Jan-Hendrik Pöhls at McMaster University in Canada, in an article on The Conversation website, discusses a new way to convert wasted heat into useful electricity. What are your views?   A new approach finds materials that can turn waste heat into electricity The need to transition to clean energy is apparent, urgent and inescapable. We must … Continue reading Pinpointing the most efficient combinations of materials to make clean energy from wasted heat