3 February 2016 (EPIC) – On the heels of a historic climate agreement in Paris, a new study [pdf] in the Journal of Economic Perspectives sheds light on the world’s ability to stop using fossil fuels. Its conclusion: fossil fuel consumption is likely to continue to grow without clear and decisive global actions to put […]
By Ken Caldeira25 January 2016 (Technology Review) – Many years ago, I protested at the gates of a nuclear power plant. For a long time, I believed it would be easy to get energy from biomass, wind, and solar. Small is beautiful. Distributed power, not centralized. I wish I could still believe that. My thinking […]
15 October 2015 (National Geographic) – Record heat, melting ice, and rising seas show how climate change is affecting us. But there’s new hope we can cool the planet. Here’s how. [more] The Climate Change Issue Technorati Tags: global warming,climate change,Greenland,sea ice,Amazon,rainforest,alternative energy,Arctic,sea level,Oceania
3 July 2015 (Carbon Counter) – A new piece at the Conversation claims that China is an emerging “renewables powerhouse”. And it is a classic example of twisting the facts to suit your narrative. It is also a classic example of the repeated failure to use meaningful statistics when comparing countries. Everything wrong with it, […]
17 June 2015 (Carbon Counter) – Last year China installed more new wind and solar capacity than any country in history. This is a fact, and it has led some to talk of China being a “renewables powerhouse” and of there being a “renewables revolution”. But out of context, this fact can be much less […]
This is a question that Des has pondered frequently. Carbon Counter gives us a nice analysis. 11 June 2015 (Carbon Counter) – Various scenarios have been put forward showing that 100% renewable energy is achievable. Some of them even claim that we can move completely away from fossil fuels in only couple of decades. A […]
17 February 2015 (BP) – Despite the dramatic recent weakening in global energy markets, ongoing economic expansion in Asia – particularly in China and India – will drive continued growth in the world’s demand for energy over the next 20 years. According to the new edition of the BP Energy Outlook 2035, global demand for […]
By Chris Clarke29 May 2015 (KCET) – Stick a fork in the Hidden Hills Solar Electric Generating System. The 500-megawatt solar power tower project proposed for the Charleston View area in Inyo County, then put on the back burner in 2013, will be canceled by its owner, Oakland-based BrightSource Energy. The news came in an […]
By Chris Clarke22 April 2015 (KCET) – Some new figures have been published about the likely wildlife impact of a controversial solar facility in the Mojave Desert by biological consultants working on contract with the plant — and the numbers are startling. According to the firm H.T. Harvey and Associates, the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating […]
By Chris Clarke 18 March 2015 (KCET) – In a typical year, California gets almost a fifth of its energy from dams on its rivers and streams. But the last several years have been anything but typical: the ongoing drought has shrunk the state’s reservoirs and cut the amount of hydro power the state can […]
