“The problem isn’t just gas-fueled cars but car-fueled lives”

Changing the fuel won’t solve the bigger problems of our addiction to cars:  their resource-intensiveness; their destruction of community; the sacrifice of our real future for manufacturer’s promises that there’ll be a better tomorrow if we just let them get away with a worse today; the highway carnage…. Farhad Manjoo discusses in an opinion piece … Continue reading “The problem isn’t just gas-fueled cars but car-fueled lives”

Cities of Leeds and London will be home to a new UK centre for driving global green finance and investment

The research hubs in the two cities will provide data and analytics to financial institutions and services such as banks, lenders, investors and insurers around the world to better support investment and business decisions by considering the impact on the environment and climate change. The hubs also aim to attract and develop new green finance … Continue reading Cities of Leeds and London will be home to a new UK centre for driving global green finance and investment

Rethinking cement

The production of cement, the binding element in concrete, accounted for 7% of total global carbon dioxide emissions in 2018. Given the scale of the industry and its greenhouse gas emissions, technologies that can reinvent concrete could have profound impacts on climate change. At the University of Michigan, we are working on composites that produce … Continue reading Rethinking cement

Outgoing Secretary-General of OECD says action on environmental crises must be defining focus of wealthy countries after Covid

The outgoing Secretary-General of the OECD Ángel Gurría said the coronavirus crisis must be dealt with as a matter of urgency, but that the biggest task after that would be tackling the world’s environmental emergencies. Fiona Harvey reports in The Guardian about the views of Mr. Gurría on the climate crisis. In a separate article … Continue reading Outgoing Secretary-General of OECD says action on environmental crises must be defining focus of wealthy countries after Covid

Britain comes up with its own emissions trading scheme

On January 1st, EiD had a post about Britain, Brexit and ETS and where everything was heading. Now Andrew Warren, Chairman of the British Energy Efficiency Federation writes in February issue of Energy in Buildings & Industry about Britain’s own emissions trading scheme. Although the UK has set its own scheme, it is likely that, … Continue reading Britain comes up with its own emissions trading scheme

Is new fast-charging battery a gamechanger?

With the increased attention to switch to electric vehicles, one of the weak points concerns batteries. One Israeli company has come up with a battery that can be fully charged in just five minutes. While five-minute charging is not a complete gamechanger, it makes the transition to electric vehicles an easier sell, according to an … Continue reading Is new fast-charging battery a gamechanger?

Energy transition? Many countries still actively subsidise fossil fuel extraction and use

Despite an agreement at the G20 in 2009 to eliminate fossil fuel subsidies, the US, China and Russia alone spent US$909 billion (£656 billion) on them in 2017, the most recent year available – that’s nearly 40% more than in 2009. Neil McCulloch, Associate Fellow of Political Economy at the Institute of Development Studies and … Continue reading Energy transition? Many countries still actively subsidise fossil fuel extraction and use

US trails China and EU in creating clean energy jobs

Alexandra Ellerbeck writes on the Washington Post website about the challenges facing the Biden administration to create millions of jobs, particularly related to battery technology critical for powering electric cars and storing solar and wind energy   China, Europe way ahead of U.S. when it comes to clean energy jobs President Biden has promised that … Continue reading US trails China and EU in creating clean energy jobs

Air pollution from burning fossil fuels is causing more than twice as many deaths as thought, a study has found

A recent study has shown that fine particle pollution is having a a greater health cost than previously thought. The authors said that the higher number was due to better understanding of the impacts of fine particles thanks to studies which tracked large groups of people over time and compared pollution levels where they lived … Continue reading Air pollution from burning fossil fuels is causing more than twice as many deaths as thought, a study has found

Many Canadian condominiums opting for geothermal heating and cooling

While most geothermal systems in the past 40 years have been installed in single-family homes, those in the industry say growth in the market is now driven by condominiums. Emily Chung writes on the CBC website about the increasing interest in this technology. What are your views?   Why geothermal is a hot trend in … Continue reading Many Canadian condominiums opting for geothermal heating and cooling