Environment

By Drew Shindell | – Methane, the main ingredient in natural gas, is a larger climate problem than the world anticipates, and cutting its emissions will be crucial to slow global warming, a new United Nations report warns. The greenhouse gas is many times more powerful than carbon dioxide at warming the planet, and its […]

Solar Energy

Installing solar panels over California’s canals could yield water, land, air and climate payoffs

The Conversation

By Roger Bales and Brandi McKuin | – Climate change and water scarcity are front and center in the western U.S. The region’s climate is warming, a severe multi-year drought is underway and groundwater supplies are being overpumped in many locations. Western states are pursuing many strategies to adapt to these stresses and prepare for […]

Agriculture

Next Stage in Fighting Climate Emergency is Sustainable Farming: The Good news, it will increase Farmers’ Income

The Conversation

By Lisa Schulte Moore | – Agriculture has not been a central part of U.S. climate policy in the past, even though climate change is altering weather patterns that farmers rely on. Now, however, President Biden has directed the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to develop a climate-smart agriculture and forestry strategy. As a scientist […]

Climate Crisis

Biden Plans for US to Jump into Electric Vehicles with Both Feet, in a Hurry

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The White House issued a fact sheet Thursday on how President Biden intends to move the US vehicle fleet to electric in short order, using money already appropriated for his jobs plan. Biden is ahead of world trends in his ambitions. The UN’s International Energy Agency predicts that the current […]

Climate Crisis

In Historic Ruling, German High Court slaps down Gov’t Climate Plan, Orders Accelerated Action against CO2

Clean Energy Wire

By Sören Amelang Kerstine Appunn Charlotte Nijhuis and Julian Wettengel | – ( Clean Energy Wire) – Germany’s Federal Constitutional Court has ruled that the government has to have a more detailled plan how to reduce emissions as of 2030 to not put the largest burden on today’s young people. Photo: FfF. In an unexpected […]

Climate Crisis

Watching a coral reef die as climate change devastates one of the most pristine tropical island areas on Earth

The Conversation

By Sam Purkis | – The Chagos Archipelago is one of the most remote, seemingly idyllic places on Earth. Coconut-covered sandy beaches with incredible bird life rim tropical islands in the Indian Ocean, hundreds of miles from any continent. Just below the waves, coral reefs stretch for miles along an underwater mountain chain. It’s a […]

Investment

Don’t Let Wall Street Get Rich Speculating on our Water

Jim Hightower

( Otherwords.org ) – Shameless speculators are trying to privatize and commoditize the water all humans need to live. By Jim Hightower | April 28, 2021 Oh great — here comes a new stealth attack on the fragile, life-sustaining natural resources of Planet Earth. This latest assault by Wall Street alchemists would redefine one of […]

Batteries

Delivery Trucks are beginning to go electric: And swappable Batteries Help

The Conversation

By Gail Broadbent and Graciela Metternicht | – Australia’s trucking industry is making moves to go electric. The latest development — a system for using swappable batteries instead of time-consuming recharge stations for long-haul trucks between Sydney and Brisbane — shows how this transition is gathering momentum. There will be clear socio-economic, environmental and health-related […]

Batteries

It Can be Done: California Briefly reaches 94.5% Renewable Electricity

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Sammy Roth at the LA Times/ Boiling Point Newsletter reports that California’s main power grid was powered for several hours last Saturday by 90% renewables. For just four seconds that day, the grid, which covers 4/5s of the state, reached 94.5% generation by green energy. California is the world’s fifth […]