Apple’s co-founder Steve Wozniak backing blockchain-based cryptocurrency to promote energy efficiency

Apple’s co-founder Steve Wozniak is backing a new cryptocurrency. Through his new company WOZX, clients buy a proxy for a stake in an energy efficiency project: typically upgrades to infrastructure, from LED lights and window glazing to thicker insulation and more efficient power generators. Michael J. Coren discusses latest developments on the Quartz website.   … Continue reading Apple’s co-founder Steve Wozniak backing blockchain-based cryptocurrency to promote energy efficiency

New EEA briefing on policies and measures to reduce air pollution and GHG emissions separately

EU Member States report on their policies and measures to reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions separately. A European Environment Agency (EEA) briefing, published this week, reveals that Member States identify links to climate action in about one third of their reported actions planned to reduce air pollution.   National measures to cut air … Continue reading New EEA briefing on policies and measures to reduce air pollution and GHG emissions separately

One of Britain’s top architects has withdrawn from an environmental coalition in dispute about the destructive role of aviation in the escalating climate crisis

No one said the carbon neutral energy transition would be simple.  Norman Foster, one of the world’s most renown architects has quit an environmental coalition over the destructive role of aviation in the escalating climate crisis. Matthew Taylor explains in an article on The Guardian website.   Norman Foster pulls out of climate coalition in … Continue reading One of Britain’s top architects has withdrawn from an environmental coalition in dispute about the destructive role of aviation in the escalating climate crisis

January’s special elections for the senate in Georgia will have major impact on future US climate policy

How people in Georgia vote for their Senators on January 5 will decide how much the US can again become a serious and influential world player in the fight to combat the threat of climate change. Andrew Warren, former special advisor to the House of Commons environment select committee, argues that the high profile re-run … Continue reading January’s special elections for the senate in Georgia will have major impact on future US climate policy

With little time left of the Trump administration, career Environmental Protection Agency employees still find themselves in bureaucratic battle with the agency’s political leaders

The presidential transition underway in Washington is full of challenges to the incoming team. The Trump administration is trying to ensure its legacy by accelerating the push to deregulate in many areas. Lisa Friedman writes on the New York Times website about the efforts of career experts to minimise deregulation and ensure environmental controls are … Continue reading With little time left of the Trump administration, career Environmental Protection Agency employees still find themselves in bureaucratic battle with the agency’s political leaders

Overcoming the problems of finding easily and quickly trustable energy data

Data is at the heart of good analysis.  Our policymaking in energy policy depends on it, yet so often we face major data problems. One project funded by the European Commission, entitled EnerMaps, has developed a new tool to help overcome some of these problems.  Below is a short version describing the project. A longer … Continue reading Overcoming the problems of finding easily and quickly trustable energy data

New Zealand, with one of the worst climate records of industrialised nations, has declared climate emergency

Robert McLachlan, Professor in Applied Mathematics at Massey University writes on The Conversation website that New Zealand has much to do to get on track to meet climate obligations. This is a good article with messages for all of us.   Climate emergency or not, New Zealand needs to start doing its fair share of … Continue reading New Zealand, with one of the worst climate records of industrialised nations, has declared climate emergency

European states ordered to respond to youth activists’ climate lawsuit

In a landmark decision on Nov. 30, the European Court of Human Rights announced it would take the case to the next step— forwarding it to defendant countries and ordering them to respond to the case’s arguments—and granted it priority status. Holly Young explains in an article on the Deutsche Welle website. An earlier post … Continue reading European states ordered to respond to youth activists’ climate lawsuit

New report shows worsening health impacts from climate change

Over 120 researchers were involved in this latest report on health impact from climate change. Celia McMichael, Senior Lecturer in Geography, University of Melbourne; Ilan Kelman, Professor of Disasters and Health, UCL; Shouro Dasgupta, Lecturer in Environmental Economics at Università Ca'Foscari; and Sonja Ayeb-Karlsson, Senior Researcher, Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS), United Nations … Continue reading New report shows worsening health impacts from climate change

New EEA analysis on Europe’s actions on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals

A vast majority of the European Environment Agency’s (EEA) 39 member and cooperating countries are putting in action United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including those focused on climate action, water and sanitation, and affordable and clean energy, according to a pan-European assessment, published recently, of how the SDGs are being implemented.   European countries … Continue reading New EEA analysis on Europe’s actions on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals