Having a sober look at the impact of energy efficiency measures

Understanding the true energy savings from investing in energy-efficient roducts has been an on-going problem for analysts and policy makers. Patrick Collinson writes in the Guardian about the UK’s Energy Saving Trust downgrading of claims for savings on new boilers and loft insulation. It will be good to hear of other efforts to find out … Continue reading Having a sober look at the impact of energy efficiency measures →

Harvesting the benefits of LED lighting

Eleanor Harding recently wrote in the UK’s Daily Mail about the effect that LED lighting is having on growing strawberries. Essentially, LED lighting confuses the fruit into thinking it is summer. Wish it worked that way for all of us but this is a good start.Strawberry yields forever: LED lighting fools plants into thinking it's … Continue reading Harvesting the benefits of LED lighting →

Explaining the drop in energy consumption in Australia

Hugh Saddler, a research associate at the Centre for Climate Economics and Policy at Australian National University, analyses the recent drop in energy demand in Australia in an excellent article in the Climate Spectator. The demand drop mystery explained Until 2010, for well over a century, through two world wars and the Great Depression, … Continue reading Explaining the drop in energy consumption in Australia →

Starting to see the full range of benefits from solar energy in Europe

Diana Powers writes in the New York Times about how solar energy is coming into the mainstream in Europe and that it is bringing many environmental benefits. It is good to see an American news service giving such attention to these developments in Europe. Solar Power Begins to Shine as Environmental Benefits Pay Off Amid … Continue reading Starting to see the full range of benefits from solar energy in Europe →

Major reduction in US carbon emissions since 2010

The website Process, solutions for the process industries, describes the reduction in carbon emissions from large facilities that have taken place in the US since 2010. Are their comparable data for other countries? US carbon emissions down 10% since 2010 The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released data showing that the amount of greenhouse … Continue reading Major reduction in US carbon emissions since 2010 →

Energy use drops in Irish homes

Build.ie, Ireland’s Construction Directory, recently published the results of new data from the national energy agency on residential energy consumption. The report states that the new building regulations were an important factor. Energy Efficiency Improves In Irish Homes Energy use per household fell by 18% between 2006 and 2011 according to a new report Residential … Continue reading Energy use drops in Irish homes →

Wind farms bring unexpected benefits to German coasts

This article by Madeline Chambers of Reuters explains some of the unexpected non-energy benefits to Germany’s North Sea coasts. It would be interesting to know what other non-energy benefits are coming from renewable energy projects. Wind farms to lure back German lobsters decimated by WW2 New wind farms off Germany's North Sea coast will … Continue reading Wind farms bring unexpected benefits to German coasts →

Vulnerability to climate change is not only in developing countries

John Broder explains in the New York Times about some of the breakdowns that can be expected in the energy system as a result of the impact of changing climate. Climate Change Will Cause More Energy Breakdowns, U.S. Warns The nation’s entire energy system is vulnerable to increasingly severe and costly weather events driven … Continue reading Vulnerability to climate change is not only in developing countries →

Impact of air pollution

Sarah Boseley wrote recently in The Guardian about two studies that show the effects on health of long- and short-term exposure to pollutants from traffic and industry. Air pollution linked to higher risk of lung cancer and heart failure Air pollution, chiefly from traffic exhaust fumes in cities, is having a serious and sometimes … Continue reading Impact of air pollution →

The health and wealth of cities

Tim Smedley writes in the Guardian about a new report by the Carbon Disclosure Project that discusses the positive impact of climate change on cities. It will be interesting to see how this is received by the environmental community. Is climate change making cities wealthier and healthier? A new report on climate change action … Continue reading The health and wealth of cities →