California’s new climate plan shows the way forward to achieving greater impact

Professor Daniel Sperling at the University of California, Davis writes on The Conversation website about how the experience and lessons learned in California will help show the way forward for the rest of the world to address the climate and energy challenges. How California’s ambitious new climate plan could help speed energy transformation around … Continue reading California’s new climate plan shows the way forward to achieving greater impact →

Blog from Jane Marsh: Bringing Low-Cost Solar to Rural Communities

Many people believe that solar power is the future of energy production. However, implementing it is not always as straightforward as it may seem at first. More specifically, if people live in rural areas and can only afford low-cost solar installations, they typically have fewer overall options to consider. However, that’s starting to change, thanks … Continue reading Blog from Jane Marsh: Bringing Low-Cost Solar to Rural Communities →

Over recent years, Paris has implemented an array of measures to prioritize pedestrians, cyclists and transit while bringing car use screeching to a halt

The share of journeys made by car in the city has fallen by nearly half, and the trend is only accelerating. Peter Yeung discusses the trend in Paris in an article on the Reasons to be Cheerful website. Cars Are Vanishing from Paris Bright parasols, wooden sun loungers and expanses of golden sand suddenly … Continue reading Over recent years, Paris has implemented an array of measures to prioritize pedestrians, cyclists and transit while bringing car use screeching to a halt →

Move to electric vehicles in California hailed as ‘monumental’

Dani Angulano writes The Guardian about new plans in California to ban the sale of new gasoline-powered vehicles by 2035. For years, as California has moved ahead with ambitious clean-air regulations, the state has had to prod the auto industry to go along. Now, in the push to electrify the nation’s car fleet, it is … Continue reading Move to electric vehicles in California hailed as ‘monumental’ →

New bioclimatic and self-sufficient cabins have been installed to house the shepherds working in some of the high valleys of the Pyrenees

A new transportable solar-powered module provided by the Catalan government for shepherds is described in a news article on the mayor.eu website. What do you think? Catalan shepherds get energy efficient with new cabin The Catalan Department of Climate Action, Food and Rural Agenda announced that it has installed a new bioclimatic and self-sufficient … Continue reading New bioclimatic and self-sufficient cabins have been installed to house the shepherds working in some of the high valleys of the Pyrenees →

New report from UN Habitat – World Cities Report 2022: Envisaging the Future of Cities

The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 created a temporary crisis of confidence in the future of cities. However, a broad consensus is that urbanization remains a powerful twenty-first century mega-trend; and that well-planned towns and cities remain central to the sustainable development trajectory. There is a sense of optimism that the crisis may … Continue reading New report from UN Habitat – World Cities Report 2022: Envisaging the Future of Cities →

New publication from OECD: Decarbonising Buildings in Cities and Regions

Accounting for nearly 40% of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, and sometimes up to 70% in large cities, buildings are central to the low-carbon transition. Decarbonising buildings, especially older stock, through energy efficiency improvements and renewable energy use not only reduces carbon emissions, but also generates co-benefits in health, energy affordability and the labour market. … Continue reading New publication from OECD: Decarbonising Buildings in Cities and Regions →

Northwest US now giving more emphasis to renewables than energy efficiency

The Northwest Power Plan guides the electricity demand decisions of the Bonneville Power Administration over the next 20 years. Its latest draft power plan is dramatically different from previous versions, now giving more emphasis to renewable energy. Courtney Flatt discusses latest developments in an article on the Oregon Public Broadcasting website. More renewable energy, … Continue reading Northwest US now giving more emphasis to renewables than energy efficiency →

COVID-19 has helped researchers better understand the relationship between economic activity and the environment

Although COVID-19 itself, and the associated containment measures, have had tragic consequences for societies, it also serves as an unprecedented natural experiment that helps us to better understand the relationship between economic activity and the environment. Frederik Noack, Assistant Professor, environmental economics, University of British Columbia; Dominic Rohner, Professor of Economics, Université de Lausanne; and … Continue reading COVID-19 has helped researchers better understand the relationship between economic activity and the environment →

State and local government buildings in New York State are expected to be at the front of the effort to reduce energy use and emissions

It is encouraging to see the funding going into the renovation of public buildings in New York State. Latest develops are explained in a news article on the Renewable Energy Magazine website. NY Governor Cuomo Announces $1.5 Billion in Funding for Energy Efficiency Improvements New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo (D) has said that … Continue reading State and local government buildings in New York State are expected to be at the front of the effort to reduce energy use and emissions →