MAY 10, 2017: Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, US President Donald Trump, and Russia’s Ambassador to the United States Sergei Kislyak (L-R) during a meeting in the Oval Office at the White House. Getty Images By Sean Illing on Vox, 18 July 2017 “To understand the roots of the collusion, set aside Putin and follow the money.” That’s what Seva Gunitsky, …
25 fossil fuel producers – over half of the pollution since 1988. 100 companies to blame for 71%
See the 2017 Carbon Majors report from the Carbon Disclosure Project, CDP. New research claims that just 100 fossil fuel producers are to blame for 71 percent of industrial greenhouse gases since 1988, the year human-induced climate change was officially recognized through the establishment of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Despite the landmark establishment, the oil, coal and gas industry has expanded significantly and has …
Are Barcelona’s superblocks a radical challenge to the neoliberal city?
This post by Massimo Paolini was originally published on perspectivasanomalas.org Combining nine of the blocks proposed by Ildefons Cerdà in the 1859 plan (very different from those realised) they are meant to reduce car traffic in the streets and squares inside the superblock’s perimeter, confining it to the perimetral streets, in order to create a solution for the serious problems deriving from pollution, …
A Toolkit for Community Shared Power, from Ashley Taylor of the Brooklyn energy Blockchain effort
By Ashley Taylor, P2P Foundation, 20 July 2017 The centralized energy grid of today is moving towards a more decentralized architecture that distributes decision making to the grid edge, both technically and democratically. In the current system, physical power is centralized in power plants where energy is produced far away from where it is consumed. Economic power is centralized in …
California: PV panels on water could power 20 to 30 percent of the state’s total energy needs
By Corey Binns, NRDC, 7 July 2017 In Sonoma, California, the most important renewable resource will always be grapes. Sonoma’s vineyards, framed by picturesque rolling green hills, produce some of the best wines on the planet; tourists flock to the region to sample the latest pinots and admire the scenery. “People like the rolling, grassy hills,” said local resident Dale …
How Seville increased cycling 11-fold in a few years by building an ambitious network of connected, segregated bike lanes
Spain remains far from a paradise for bikes – yet cycling has increased 11-fold in Seville in the space of a few years. Is this proof that any city can get lots of people riding by building an ambitious network of connected, segregated bike lanes? Cyclists enjoying some of Seville’s 75 miles of segregated bike lanes. Photograph: Alamy Cities is …
Increasing droughts, lower crop yields (just 40% already in Utah and forecast to go to 10%), and increased stress and conflict
A new study by MIT climate scientists, economists, and agriculture experts finds that certain hotspots in the country will experience severe reductions in crop yields by 2050, due to climate change’s impact on irrigation. The most adversely affected region, according to the researchers, will be the Southwest. Already a water-stressed part of the country, this region is projected to experience …
Solar’s trillion-dollar market, driven by EVs, microgrids and cost parity for storage: Solar is also becoming the preferred source of energy for net energy importing countries
By Giles Parkinson on 21 July 2017 Demand for solar is expected to surge over coming years, but its growth rate could effectively double if there is rapid uptake of electric vehicles, and as more companies turn to the technology to save energy costs, and more countries reach solar and storage “parity” with grid prices. A new report from leading solar analyst …
McKinsey on the transport transition – even low density cities will benefit from $2-3,000 per resident by making the shift
McKinsey.com, June 2017 Autonomous vehicles, electric powertrains, vehicle sharing, and other advances are transforming urban mobility. Planning ahead can help cities capture the benefits of the shift, from cleaner air to easier journeys. The way that people get around cities is changing dramatically. Technological advances and new transportation services are making it possible for city dwellers to cross town ever more …
RMI: Understanding the Innovation Dividend of Clean Energy Investment
By Jon Creyts and Curtis Probst, at RMI.org, July 2017 While current political discourse seems to focus on what divides us, there are many topics on which people from across the political spectrum seem to agree. One of these is the critical importance of innovation. Innovation can create jobs, bolster our economy, and improve our lives. In clean energy, regular innovations arise in electric …