In this piece, I will attempt to summarize and paraphrase a comprehensive and detailed report, The Geopolitics of the Energy Transformation: The Hydrogen Factor, from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). For a full understanding, the reader is urged to study the report in full. Based on two surveys, the … [continued]
A handful of scientists want to dim the sun to cool the planet. A recent debate shows the idea is perilous, impractical — and immensely appealing.
One hundred years ago, 1919 was a really big year: Countries signed the Treaty of Versailles to end World War I, Mahatma Gandhi began his nonviolent resistance against British rule, the Grand Canyon became a national park. And on a lighter note, pop-up toasters entered kitchens for the first time!
Ukraine’s power sector has seen few changes during the two decades after the dissolution of the USSR, as it continued to operate as part of an energy system inherited by the newly independent states. For 20 years, it was rolling down the hill without a clear vision for the future. Now everything is about to change. Multiple pressures and opportunities have merged to open up a new pathway for the country: Ukraine can get on board of Europe’s grand energy transition by starting a profound transformation of its power sector.
Donald Trump brought his act to Europe last week. The reviews from leaders on the Old Continent were decidedly downbeat. Angela Merkel, Germany’s chancellor, remarked after the close of last weekend’s G7 meeting, Europe “really must take our fate into our own hands.” (See video below.) It was a clear sign that the special relationship that has existed between the United States and the rest of the world since the end of World War II is beginning to break apart. What will that mean for the world’s efforts to find effective measures to combat the ravages of climate change? Or the notion of world peace in general?
The powerful cable television series Years of Living Dangerously, a remarkable view of the human impacts of climate change that we reviewed several times earlier this year, returns to television in rerun form this weekend. If you missed the compelling series the first time, you really owe it to yourself (and … [continued]
Global prospects for wind power are rising despite disappointing 2013 numbers, say analysts at Navigant Research. Although the wind industry worldwide added 36,134 MW in 2013, for the first time in nearly a decade, new installed wind power fell below that of the year before. The graph below indicates a 20% … [continued]
