Posts tagged with 'energy'
Recent events in Texas and elsewhere in the U.S. are reminding us that our existing energy system infrastructure and operating structures are increasingly being challenged by severe weather-related events. In Texas, unprecedented freezing temperatures created a “perfect storm” of disruption, including ...
The COVID-19 crisis has shown how deep inequalities make society as a whole more vulnerable – providing important lessons for building resilience in an era of climate change. The people most exposed to the coronavirus pandemic and the resulting economic ...
By 2030, more than 145 million people across the world will be impacted by flooding each year – many of whom live in coastal areas of the United States. Wildfires are growing rapidly in areas of the U.S. where they once were ...
The global battle against climate change will take place in the world’s buildings. Buildings produce nearly 40% of global energy-related emissions. And while the latest research shows the world needs to reach net-zero-carbon emissions by 2050, the concept of a “zero-carbon building” ‒ one ...
Climate actions have often fallen into one of two strategies: mitigation efforts to lower or remove greenhouse gas emissions from the atmosphere, and adaptation efforts to adjust systems and societies to withstand the impacts of climate change. The separation has led to ...
Global annual greenhouse gas emissions have grown 41% since 1990, and they are still climbing. While emissions dipped notably in 2016, recent data suggests that carbon dioxide emissions rose each year since then. Where are these emissions coming from, and who is ...
At the start of this new decade, American cities, states and businesses have already come a long way on the road to cutting greenhouse gas emissions to help tackle the climate crisis: 155 cities have committed to 100% community-wide renewable energy; ...
Getting to a net-zero-carbon energy system is essential. It will be a major effort, one that requires significant investment in new low-carbon infrastructure, from renewable power plants to electric vehicles, efficient appliances and better constructed buildings. While very few countries are on track, China, Costa ...
People and goods are on the move faster and farther than ever. All that movement comes at a cost – not just the sticker price of a new car, train ticket or shipping bill, but also an environmental cost. Transport, ...
Summertime often means soaring, dangerous temperatures. Recent heat waves in Europe brought government warnings, power plant shutdowns, restrictions on automobile use, heat stroke and deaths. But misery in Europe and elsewhere is compounded by the chemistry of how emissions from ...
U.S. solar power is booming, poised to grow 12% nationally this year, but so far, Virginia hasn’t been a big part of the boom. With only 775 megawatts of installed solar capacity, solar represents about 1% of Virginia’s electricity consumption. That’s enough to power ...
There’s both good and bad news from the latest report tracking progress on Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7, a global goal to achieve universal access to energy by 2030. The good news: The number of people without electricity access globally has dropped, ...
The last two decades have seen a rampant rise in environmental challenges being faced by cities and countries globally. In India, too, challenges related to air pollution, waste management, scarcity of water, conservation of natural resources, and loss of biodiversity, ...
A city without buildings is simply not a city. And yet when it comes to climate action, buildings tend to take a back seat to transport, energy production and industry. Making buildings more energy-efficient is the cheapest way to reduce ...
Street lighting is important. It allows informal vendors and traders to operate for longer hours and improves road and public safety. It also makes streets feel safer and more secure, especially for women. But street lighting is sorely lacking in many of sub-Saharan Africa’s ...
