A campaign has been launched to cut US transportation energy use by 50% by 2050

It is interesting to see the mixed signals in the US. Well, maybe this is true in most countries, but with the foot dragging on climate and energy issues by the federal administration, it is encouraging to see a diverse coalition including manufacturers, consumer groups, utilities, environmental groups, and public officials taking action to cut … Continue reading A campaign has been launched to cut US transportation energy use by 50% by 2050 →

How First Nations in Canada are addressing climate change – “This is power to the people — literally and metaphorically”

Sandeep Pai, an award-winning investigative journalist and researcher and Savannah Carr-Wilson who works in the field of environmental and Aboriginal law in British Columbia, have written an article on TheTyee.ca about the low-carbon actions of T’Sou-ke First Nation. Hopefully this is an inspiration to many others.   Towards ‘Total Transition’: How One First Nation ‘Took … Continue reading How First Nations in Canada are addressing climate change – “This is power to the people — literally and metaphorically” →

Climate change: how to collect enough revenue to respond to major catastrophes, while at the same time trying to lift billions of people out of poverty?

Wayne Swan, the former treasurer and deputy prime minister of Australia and a member of the Independent Commission for the Reform of International Corporate Taxation (ICRICT), raises an important question in an article in The Guardian. Less fiscal revenue means less money for vital infrastructure and less money to prepare for the effects of natural … Continue reading Climate change: how to collect enough revenue to respond to major catastrophes, while at the same time trying to lift billions of people out of poverty? →

As pollution from coal continues to warm the climate and kill tens of thousands of Americans per year, delaying the inevitable comes at a heavy cost for us all

The Trump administration wants the US to embrace coal again.  You see other countries – some in Europe – quite positive about coal.  Daniel Cohan, Associate Professor of Environmental Engineering at Rice University explains in an article on The Conversation website that coal simply is not competitive when the true costs are factored in. Do … Continue reading As pollution from coal continues to warm the climate and kill tens of thousands of Americans per year, delaying the inevitable comes at a heavy cost for us all →

Mixing recycled plastic with asphalt to resurface roadways

Now with China refusing to accept recycled plastic, there is a need to find alternatives. While there are probably other countries willing to accept recycled products, increasingly there is a need to find domestic solutions. Ashley Halsey III writes in the Washington Post about mixing recycled plastic into asphalt to resurface roads, using a technology … Continue reading Mixing recycled plastic with asphalt to resurface roadways →

A blockchain-powered renewable energy certificate (REC) marketplace has opened in Singapore

The use of blockchain technology has become more popular recently.  How its use will evolve will be interesting to see.  Tom Kenning writes on the pv-tech website about how one utility in Singapore has launched a blockchain-powered renewable energy certificate (REC) marketplace, which is amongst the first of its kind worldwide. What are your views? … Continue reading A blockchain-powered renewable energy certificate (REC) marketplace has opened in Singapore →

A new low-cost system that could provide efficient cooling for homes while using very little electricity

Our low-carbon energy transition needs many innovations, as well as the scaled-up deployment of existing technologies.  Matt McGrath writes on the BBC website about a new low-cost system to provide cooling in homes. The approach could also be scaled up to cool power stations and data centres.   Climate change: Low cost, low energy cooling … Continue reading A new low-cost system that could provide efficient cooling for homes while using very little electricity →

An estimated 150 million to 300 million climate refugees set to be displaced worldwide by 2050

While violence and poverty have been cited as the reasons for the exodus, experts say the big picture is that changing climate is forcing farmers off their land – and it’s likely to get worse. This article by Oliver Milman, Emily Holden, and David Agren in The Guardian focuses on the migrants leaving central America … Continue reading An estimated 150 million to 300 million climate refugees set to be displaced worldwide by 2050 →

People can now learn about climate change through simulated experience and become motivated to address it

Motivating people to take action can take many twists and turns to find effective approaches. Juliette N. Rooney-Varga, Associate Professor of Environmental Science at the University of Massachusetts Lowell explains in an article on The Conversation website about a simulation game that has participants play delegates at international climate change negotiations. It has proven to … Continue reading People can now learn about climate change through simulated experience and become motivated to address it →