The urban environmental paradox

This blog by Emily Badger in the Washington Post discusses compact metro areas and the environmental benefits that are achieved. It is well worth the read.   The impressive environmental bonus of crowded city living Cities present a kind of environmental paradox. The construction of all our roads, housing and office towers requires a lot … Continue reading The urban environmental paradox →

Is efficient sufficient?

A few years ago, the European Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (eceee) organised a workshop in Brussels on shifting our emphasis in energy specifications to progressive efficiency and sufficiency. This is a topic that will come up more and more as we see far too many trends towards increased size in buildings, appliances, vehicles, … Continue reading Is efficient sufficient? →

Annual outlook from BP forecasts unsustainable rise in carbon emissions

Larry Elliott provides a sobering article in The Guardian as he reviews BP’s latest annual global supply and demand analysis. The report shows that the 40% forecast rise in energy demand can only be met by fossil fuels.   BP: huge rise in energy demand at odds with climate change fight Rising global demand for … Continue reading Annual outlook from BP forecasts unsustainable rise in carbon emissions →

New report showing renewables are successfully driving down carbon emissions in Europe

The European Environment Agency (EEA) has recently published an important report showing that wind, solar, biomass and other renewable energy technologies continued to grow in 2013. New data shows they have been an important driving force in reducing greenhouse gas emissions in Europe. Without the deployment of renewable energy since 2005, greenhouse gas emissions in … Continue reading New report showing renewables are successfully driving down carbon emissions in Europe →

Making hotels more energy efficient

Mark Sait, CEO of SaveMoneyCutCarbon, writes on the GreenWise website, about how much energy can be saved by hotels in Britain to benefit both the bottom line and cut carbon emissions.   How SME hotels can make big energy efficiency savings fast It’s a shocking fact that in 2015 UK companies of all sizes continue … Continue reading Making hotels more energy efficient →

Developments in Hawaii’s deployment of solar energy

Erica Gies, for Yale Environment 360, provides a good article in The Guardian about the hurdles that Hawaii, the leading US state in rooftop solar per capita, is facing in trying to achieve its ambitious 2030 targets for renewable energy.   Is Hawaii’s solar power surge slowing down? Honolulu’s roofscape is being repainted in blue-black. … Continue reading Developments in Hawaii’s deployment of solar energy →

Two important new reports to help in the low-carbon energy transition

There are two important reports related to sustainable energy from the OECD and the Nordic Council of Ministers together with the Global Subsidies Initiative of the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD).   • Mapping Channels to Mobilise Institutional Investment in Sustainable Energy The OECD has recently published an important report related to investment in … Continue reading Two important new reports to help in the low-carbon energy transition →

Potential impact of railway networks deploying solar energy

There is an interesting article in The Engineer about the impact that solar panels could have in reducing overall operating costs. It certainly seems to make sense to use trackside land for such use.   Solar panels could slash rail operating costs claims report Track-side solar panels could save the UK rail network up to … Continue reading Potential impact of railway networks deploying solar energy →