Responding to both the climate crisis and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Germany unveiled a major package Wednesday to speed its transition to renewable energy. The goal of the new plan is for Germany to get at least 80 percent of its energy from renewable sources by 2030 and achieve almost 100 percent renewable energy by […]
John Kerry, the first United States special presidential envoy for climate, said that the world is “not on a good track” in its goal of avoiding the worst effects of climate change, Reuters reported. Kerry said actions to move away from fossil fuels must be strengthened this decade. On Monday, Kerry addressed “Building Momentum to UN COP27,” an event hosted by officials from Egypt — who will host the next UN climate summit — and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
Greenhouse gas emissions rose again in the U.S. as people returned to normal life in 2021, dashing hopes that the coronavirus pandemic might have paved the way for a more climate-friendly economy. U.S. emissions rose 6.2 percent last year compared with 2020 levels, according to initial estimates from the Rhodium Group released Monday.
Right-wing Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro approved a law late Wednesday that would extend the nation’s coal use by more than a decade. Previously, the government was supposed to end subsidies for coal plants by 2027 and rescind the authorization for three new plants in particular by 2025. But the new “just transition” law allows for coal use through at least 2040.
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 […]