David Roberts at Vox.com summarizes scenarios for CVs, improved mobility, and pros and cons for GHG reduction. Vehicle automation could save energy and reduce emissions in some ways. Cars will be able to chain together more aerodynamically, drive at more consistent speeds, and perhaps serve as shared vehicles in lieu of individual vehicle ownership. But it also stands to reason …
Rural self-reliance, control over power bills, and new jobs, with solar – nearly doubling capacity in Wisconsin
(Shutterstock) In the US, rural areas and constituencies have typically weighed against progress on clean energy. But that may be changing. A new story out of Wisconsin illustrates that a slow, tentative shift is underway, as rural electricity consumers and the utilities that serve them take a new look at the benefits of solar power. In fact, if you squint …
Ways to ensure responsible land and resource governance
In Africa and other places around the world, governments legally own or “hold in trust for the people” all land in the country. Photo by vredesellanden/Flickr At the Golden Globe Awards, Leonardo DiCaprio dedicated his award for Best Actor to the First Nations and Indigenous Peoples of the world. Speaking directly to these populations in his speech, he stated “it …
Reading Joe Romm’s latest book on climate change
Joe Romm cites studies from as far back as the mid-’70s warning of the dangers of carbon emissions and global warming. ExxonMobil, as we learned recently, became aware of the hazards of carbon emissions in 1977, yet they funded climate denial until just a few years ago. Charles and David Koch, of Koch Industries, meanwhile, continue to spread misinformation, and …
At 2 C, 20% of the world’s population will eventually have to migrate away from coasts swamped by rising oceans
Research warns of the long timescale of climate change impacts unless urgent action is taken to cut emissions drastically Huge sea-level rises caused by climate change will last far longer than the entire history of human civilisation to date, according to new research, unless the brief window of opportunity of the next few decades is used to cut carbon emissions …
Estimated GHG we can emit and stay beneath catastrophic 2 C found to be overestimated by 50-200%
“In order to have a reasonable chance of keeping global warming below 2°C, we can only emit a certain amount of carbon dioxide, ever. That’s our carbon budget,” says researcher Joeri Rogelj, from the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, who led the study. “This has been known for about a decade and the physics behind this concept are well-understood, …
Bicycling triples in London while driving drops in half – bikes to outnumber cars in next few years
The streets of London have seen an increase in bike riders and a decrease in car commuters. According to an article published by the BBC, the number of cyclists during rush hour will outnumber cars within the new few years. According to Transport for London, over the last decade and a half car drivers have decreased by almost 50% – from …
Arctic warming: Rapidly increasing temperatures are ‘possibly catastrophic’ for planet, climate scientist warns
Dr Peter Gleick said there is a growing body of ‘pretty scary’ evidence that higher temperatures are driving the creation of dangerous storms in parts of the northern hemisphere The rapidly warming Arctic could have a “catastrophic” effect on the planet’s climate, a leading scientist has warned. Dr Peter Gleick, president of the Pacific Institute in California, said there was …
1800 air pollution deaths daily in India in 2003 and coal usage is up 110% and oil up 70% since then
India air pollution is now worse than China Greenpeace analysis of NASA satellite pictures reveals levels of airborne particles are soaring as a result of increase burning of coal, oil and waste By Joanna Peasland Dangerous air quality levels in Indian cities are putting the population’s health at serious risk, as new satellite images reveal pollution concentrations equal to those …
Community members in Waukegan, Illinois get fewer than 20 of 150 jobs but all the pollution of coal plants, common for minority and low income areas
Waukegan, Ill., a town just north of Chicago, is predominantly Latino, black, and low-income. It’s also home to a coal power plant, two active coal ash ponds, and three superfund sites. Accordingly, the community has struggled with air and water pollution for decades. But toxic air and water aren’t its only issues — far from it: Waukegan’s residents are further afflicted …