We were over in Europe in the summer of 2003, just a few days after the heat wave broke. It was plenty hot even then. In this article from the “FT” from last weekend, the experience of the proprietors of a famous French vineyard, returning early from their holiday, is recalled. “Instead of rows of […]
One of the scenarios that Gore discusses in “An Inconvenient Truth” is the triggering of a massive cooling in the Northern Hemisphere as a consequence of the altering of the “Great Ocean Conveyor.” NASA scientists, among others, have looked closely at this “chilling possibility.” The freezing of the North, the warming of the South, and […]
Barry Commoner wrote The Politics of Energy in 1979. In it, he called for a transition to renewables – with natural gas as the bridge to the future. 30 years later this still sounds pretty good. One difference, of course, is that we’re so much farther along on renewables than perhaps even Dr. Commoner could’ve dreamed. A […]
Relative to my post, There Oughta Be a Law, on energy recovery, see this terrific article from Worldwatch, A Bridge to the Renewable Energy Future, fleshing out this “…largely overlooked but potent way to minimize fossil fuel use and the damage it causes.” On the same subject, see also this from earlier in the summer […]
We are in Andalusia and it’s, no surprise, pretty hot and sunny. The Spaniards have long since figured out that it’s going to be good for them to take advantage of the sun and its brother, the wind. Our hotel in Granada had big solar thermal arrays on the roof. On the drive from Granada […]
For Pete’s sake, even the last US President, a man not highly praised for his environmentalism, said America was addicted to fossil fuels. If fossil fuels are an addiction, then Canadian tar sands oil are crack. Put it another way, using the same metaphor: the US causes the massive drug violence and corruption in Mexico […]
There’s a very good read, The Great Paradox of China: Green Energy and Black Skies, that appears at “Yale Environment 360.” (I wrote China – Getting Closer here late last month.) What’s the paradox? “China is on its way to becoming the world’s largest producer of renewable energy, yet it remains one of the most […]
The “Financial Times” is, for my money, one of the best sources out there, consistently, for news and insight into the ever-burgeoning universe of green technology and the business of green, and all the attendant politics and economics. The good folks at the FT have just launched a new series on green tech. (Caveat: You […]
Ride for the climate from New York City to Washington DC, September 26 – 30. That’s the story of the Brita Climate Ride. In addition to raising a lot of consciousness, the two hundred riders will benefit the work of Focus the Nation, the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, and Clean Air – Cool Planet. The United Nations […]
I’m delighted that an article I’ve done on biochar for Grist went “live” today. If you don’t know about the extraordinary potential here, check out the article, Biochar as the new black gold. Even if you do, I think it’s worth a visit. It’s part of a Grist Special Series, What’s the deal with offsets? […]
You will notice in this diagram from the Energy Information Administration (EIA) depicting the total electricity flow in the US for 2008 that “conversion losses” account for 63% of the energy generated. Got that?! Nearly two thirds of the energy used to make electricity, 51% of that from coal, 21% from nuclear, and 17% from […]
Yet another major emerging economy is planning to come to the table in Copenhagen ready to contribute. Mexico aims to bring CO2 cut plan to climate talks reports Reuters. Adrian Fernandez, the president of the National Ecology Institute, said “If Mexico can bring a plan for cuts through 2020 to the table with a detailed […]
As I wrote a couple of weeks ago, India is a critical part of the equation in solving the climate crisis, but is extremely sensitive to suggestions that it needs to quantify emission reduction targets. The Environment Minister, Jairam Ramesh, has been keeping to a very hard line. “Treehugger” reports here that India Says Yes […]
United States and China to Cooperate on Climate Change and Energy is the word from the excellent weekly, “EERE Network News,” put out by DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). As I noted recently here, DOE Secretary Steven Chu was in China recently and the pressure is building on the Chinese to […]
A recent article in the “LA Times” about the projected boom in hydropower caught my eye this morning because one of my students asked last night about the growth of hydro in the US. I told her that it was my perception that hydroelectric use was not growing. That has certainly been the trend in […]