As a result of international assistance, Afghanistan’s electricity sector has expanded significantly. Although from a low base, Afghanistan’s installed energy capacity has increased by around 139%, from approximately 430MW in 2001 to 1029MW in 2009, and the overall supply of electricity has almost tripled between 2006 and 2011. The major economic hubs of the country, … Continue reading Energy-Development-Security Nexus in Afghanistan
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World Fish Catch Falls to 90 Million Tons in 2012
The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) projects that the world’s wild fish harvest will fall to 90 million tons in 2012, down 2 percent from 2011. This is close to 4 percent below the all-time peak haul of nearly 94 million tons in 1996. The wild fish catch per person has dropped even more … Continue reading World Fish Catch Falls to 90 Million Tons in 2012
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Steady Growth of the U.S. Solar Jobs Market
The solar industry is one of the fastest growing job markets in the U.S., employing more than 119,000 skilled workers. The market is growing at an annual rate of 13.2 percent. A new report released today by the Solar Foundation tracks the steady growth of America’s solar jobs market over the past twelve months. Now … Continue reading Steady Growth of the U.S. Solar Jobs Market
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We Need More Hybrid and Electric Vehicles
On Saturday afternoon, like many New Yorkers who had been forced out by Superstorm Sandy, I finally moved back into my apartment in downtown Manhattan. After a couple of post-storm nights in my home—which Sandy had left without power, heat, hot water or cell phone service—I had decided to stay with friends uptown where the … Continue reading We Need More Hybrid and Electric Vehicles
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American Energy Alliance errs with attacks on wind power
The American Energy Alliance (AEA), a fossil-fuel funded organization, has released a new document attacking wind energy. The document purports to be a “study” based on “research,” but contains no new information or analysis—it is simply an advocacy piece that is entirely subjective, funded by an organization with a particular point of view. The AEA … Continue reading American Energy Alliance errs with attacks on wind power
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National governments must create stable investment environments for renewables, WWF
Recently some national governments in Europe have made changes to their support mechanisms for renewable energies that have created an environment of insecurity for the wind energy sector. However, a new report by the WWF says that such policies create needed certainty for renewable energy investors, backing up a view held by EWEA. Uncertainty about … Continue reading National governments must create stable investment environments for renewables, WWF
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From Fossil Fuels to Renewable Energy
Each alternative energy source—whether solar power, geothermal energy, or wind energy—has a major role to play, but it is wind power that is on its way to becoming the foundation of the new energy economy. The great energy transition from fossil fuels to renewable sources of energy is under way. As fossil fuel prices rise, … Continue reading From Fossil Fuels to Renewable Energy
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Saudi Arabia reveals plans to be powered by renewable energy
Saudi Arabia says it wants to use fossil fuels to produce other goods rather than use it for power generation. Saudi Arabia, the world’s biggest oil producer, has plans to become 100% powered by renewable and low-carbon forms of energy, according to an influential member of the royal family. But the process is likely to … Continue reading Saudi Arabia reveals plans to be powered by renewable energy
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Americans Still Behind Clean Energy
Capitalism, as the famous economist Joseph Schumpeter noted, is all about “creative destruction”. Firms come and go. Some survive. Some do not. So it’s unfortunate for America when critics of clean energy seek to politicize what the most ardent believers in free markets believe is a natural, ongoing part of a healthy economy. While it’s … Continue reading Americans Still Behind Clean Energy
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Nuclear decommissioning costs amount to €66 billion in UK alone
The nuclear industry’s ‘Foratom’ blog recently criticised EWEA’s argument in a recent report that “massive subsidies to fossil fuels and nuclear energy…. remain the rule”. Foratom instead claimed that “it is renewable energies, especially wind and solar energy that are the most systematically subsidised forms of energy, not nuclear energy.” Foratom then set out some … Continue reading Nuclear decommissioning costs amount to €66 billion in UK alone
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Full Planet, Empty Plates
More than 150 data sets accompany Lester R. Brown’s latest book, Full Planet, Empty Plates: The New Geopolitics of Food Scarcity. These tables and graphs help to explain the precarious situation in which humanity finds itself, as the world leaves an era of food surpluses and enters one of food scarcity. Here are some highlights … Continue reading Full Planet, Empty Plates
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Wind Energy, Electric Vehicles and the Green Stimulus
There was no shortage of wind energy or electricity at Thursday night’s debate between Vice President Joe Biden and Rep. Paul Ryan, the Republican contender for that office. But federal support for wind power and electric cars was one of the early flashpoints between the two. “Was it a good idea to spend taxpayer dollars … Continue reading Wind Energy, Electric Vehicles and the Green Stimulus
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Climate change off the agenda in US Presidential election
While there is no doubt that the US is the number one economy in the world and its international influence — from popular culture to military power — is second to none, trying to understand the nation’s domestic political scene is far from an easy task. Take for example recent stories regarding climate change denial, … Continue reading Climate change off the agenda in US Presidential election
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Arctic Sea Ice in Free Fall
The North Pole is losing its ice cap. Comparing recent melt seasons with historical records spanning more than 1,400 years shows summer Arctic sea ice in free fall. Many scientists believe that the Arctic Ocean will be ice-free in the summertime within the next decade or two, and some say that this could occur as … Continue reading Arctic Sea Ice in Free Fall
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Back green growth or we’ll cut investments, companies warn
This week international firms and energy companies including Mitsubishi Power Systems and Siemens have threatened to slash planned investments in the UK unless George Osborne, the UK Chancellor, shows real commitment to developing a low carbon economy and delivering green growth. The Times reported that if these firms carry out their threats, hundreds of UK … Continue reading Back green growth or we’ll cut investments, companies warn
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Why Electric Vehicles Are Our Future
Bill Destler, president of Rochester Institute of Technology, lists six key reasons why electric cars will eventually be the vehicles we drive. As the president of Rochester Institute of Technology, one of the nation’s largest technical universities, I became interested in electric vehicles a few years ago because one of our major research centers was … Continue reading Why Electric Vehicles Are Our Future
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Heat and Drought Ravage U.S. Crop Prospects
September estimates from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) show 2012 U.S. corn yields at 123 bushels per acre, down by a fourth from the 2009 high of 165 bushels per acre. Yields are the lowest since 1995 and well below the average of the last 30 years. The summer heat and drought also … Continue reading Heat and Drought Ravage U.S. Crop Prospects
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The 21st century can count on wind power’s incredible capacity, say scientists
“Historically, wind turbines are placed on Earth’s surface, but high-altitude winds are usually steadier and faster than near-surface winds, resulting in higher average power densities,” said the study, called Geophysical limits to global wind power. A new US scientific study released in the past few days reveals that wind energy’s vast potential could more than … Continue reading The 21st century can count on wind power’s incredible capacity, say scientists
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Barack Obama swipes at Mitt Romney over climate change
The president Obama he would continue to invest in wind power and solar energy if he wins a second term, because the threat of climate change was real. President Obama, often shy of turning climate change into a marquee campaign issue, last night made a full-throated endorsement of climate action, calling out Governor Romney and … Continue reading Barack Obama swipes at Mitt Romney over climate change
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Food price crisis looms because of extreme weather events
Climate change and extreme weather events caused by rising greenhouse gas emissions will result in rapidly increasing global food prices that will negatively affect millions of people. That’s the central message of a sobering new report — Extreme Weather, Extreme Prices; The costs of feeding a warming world — that was published Wednesday by Oxfam … Continue reading Food price crisis looms because of extreme weather events
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