Six abandoned coal mines in southwest Virginia are being transformed into solar energy installations as part of an effort by the Nature Conservancy, The Washington Post reports. TNC hopes the project can be a model for similar sites nationwide. The conservation group views the Appalachian Mountains as one of the most critical regions on the […]
A solar farm atop a former coal mine in Martin County, Kentucky may be a sign of things to come. A $231 million solar project covering hundreds of acres is slated to take over the former Martiki coal mine in Appalachia, a place that has been greatly defined by its natural beauty and the contrasting dirty business of coal mining. Its neighbor to the west, Johnson County, is famous for the singers and coal miner’s daughters Loretta Lynn and Crystal Gayle.
The United Mine Workers of America rallied in support of the Build Back Better Act, calling on Sen. Joe Manchin, who was named an honorary member of the union last year, to reassess his decision to block the legislation. “We urge Senator Manchin to revisit his opposition to this legislation and work with his colleagues […]
Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), who famously shot a literal hole through the 2009 Cap and Trade bill, said Sunday he “could not” vote for the Build Back Better Act, likely dooming the bill in its current form. His opposition, largely predicated on the bill’s price tag, came despite the bill being significantly scaled down to […]
As renewable energy technologies scale up, their cost can be hard to estimate. A new report from the University of Oxford’s Institute of New Economic Thinking notes that the cost of renewable energies may be less than previously thought. According to the study, predicted costs for renewables have likely been overestimated, as evidenced by the […]
By Nick Cunningham From coining “clean coal” to “carbon footprint,” public relations firms have been instrumental in shaping the public discourse around climate and energy policy, and as a new study underlines, their powerful efforts have flown under the radar for too long. PR firms have played a key role in obstructing action on climate […]
Lakeview Generating Station was once a coal plant in Mississauga, a suburb of Toronto. But now, developers are reimagining it to become a mixed-use, lakefront village, where residents can walk or bike anywhere within the site in just 15 minutes. Lakeview Village, as the new development will be named, will reclaim access and views of […]
At COP26 on Thursday, more than 40 countries announced an agreement to stop burning coal. The agreement includes 23 new countries signing on to a promise to stop building new coal plants, including some of the world’s largest coal users. “The end of coal is in sight,” said COP President Alok Sharma. The United States […]
The historic dip in greenhouse gas emissions caused by the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent lockdowns has already been nearly reversed in the recovery. While global emissions fell by 5.4 percent in 2020, they are expected to rise by 4.9 percent by the end of 2021, according to a study released by the Global Carbon Project […]