Giant step by California to require solar power systems on all new homes

We need more jurisdictions to show the leadership that we are seeing in California. It is encouraging to see how the state plans to significantly increase the use of solar power. Ivan Penn explains in an article in the New York Times.   California Will Require Solar Power for New Homes Long a leader and … Continue reading Giant step by California to require solar power systems on all new homes →

Denmark sets new long-term target for renewables

Last week, Denmark announced that it will set a higher target for renewables and will phase out coal for electricity production. Liz Gykye explains in a news item on the Wind Power Monthly website.   Denmark moves to strengthen renewable energy goals The government has announced plans in its new energy policy to require at … Continue reading Denmark sets new long-term target for renewables →

New developments in energy storage

There has been an important new technology breakthrough at Stanford University in developing a manganese-hydrogen battery. Tom Abate explains on the Stanford News website.   New water-based battery offers large-scale energy storage Stanford scientists have developed a manganese-hydrogen battery that could fill a missing piece in the nation’s energy puzzle by storing wind and solar … Continue reading New developments in energy storage →

Atmospheric carbon dioxide reached levels for first time in our history

We have to be increasingly concerned about the increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide levels being reached. Eric Holthaus calls this on the National Observer website “the biggest problem humanity has ever faced.” So why were UN talks officially suspended this week in Bonn as countries failed to resolve differences about implementing the Paris climate agreement. What … Continue reading Atmospheric carbon dioxide reached levels for first time in our history →

Understanding public reaction to wind farms

It has been an on-going debate for many years. Many in the public do not like the visual effects of on-shore wind farms. Jeremy Firestone, Professor, and Director of the Center for Carbon-free Power Integration (CCPI) at the University of Delaware together with Ben Hoen and Joseph Rand of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, write … Continue reading Understanding public reaction to wind farms →

Important breakthrough in producing carbon-free aluminium

We are all interested in seeing innovations that support the low-carbon energy transition. The aluminium industry is one of the most energy intensive and it is encouraging to see new developments that will significantly reduce carbon emissions. A news item on the Fastmarkets website explains the latest developments.   Alcoa, Rio Tinto in Apple-backed JV … Continue reading Important breakthrough in producing carbon-free aluminium →

The challenge of sustainable development together with free trade

Alf Hornborg, Professor of Human Ecology at Sweden’s Lund University discusses a modern dilemma in an article on The Conversation website: free trade promoted by most economists and politicians continues to drive a substantial part of the greenhouse gas emissions that they want to reduce, and yet the sustainable technologies they propose to cut emissions … Continue reading The challenge of sustainable development together with free trade →

Hear ye! Hear ye! Hear ye! Sounding out electric vehicles

We definitely don’t need a bell ringer walking in front of every electric vehicle, but we do need to hear them coming (well, for us who are not wearing noise-cancelling headphones as we walk). James Doward writes in The Guardian that from next summer, all new electric vehicles will be required to have sound emitters … Continue reading Hear ye! Hear ye! Hear ye! Sounding out electric vehicles →