Understanding how heat is transferred from the outdoors into your home and from your home to your body is important for understanding the challenge of keeping your house cool. Understanding the processes that help keep your body cool is important in understanding cooling strategies for your home. Principles of Heat Transfer Heat is transferred to… Keep reading →
At long last he did it – he came out with a strong, unequivocal statement on the need to fight climate change. Yep, actor Mark Ruffalo is urging action. I’m angry that we are still debating climate change, and that despite the reams of science-based evidence for it, there are still those who ignore the… Keep reading →
As a theoretical construct, carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) seemingly has a lot to offer. Foremost, it would allow mankind to continue the uninhibited burning of fossil fuels while at the same time ‘saving’ the climate by ‘removing’ CO2 emissions from the atmosphere – the latter being the main reason why CCS is frequently mentioned… Keep reading →
A new Thomson Reuters/BSD Consulting “Global 500 Greenhouse Gas Report: The Fossil Fuel Energy Sector” shows that energy companies emitted 31 per cent of total GHG emissions globally from their operations as well as the use of the products further down the value chain on an annual basis. As the title of this study indicates,… Keep reading →
Global investment in renewable energy sources in 2014 rose almost 17 percent year-on-year to $270.2 billion with investments in developing countries growing by 36 percent, finds a new UNEP Global Trends in Renewable Energy Investment 2015 report prepared by the Frankfurt School-UNEP Centre in collaboration with Bloomberg (BNEF). Overall, the research underscores the positive role… Keep reading →
Ten years ago, one could find almost all the Nike shoes labeled as “made-in-China”, but today the word “China” is replaced by “Vietnam”. China is going through immense transitions. Its competitive advantage of cheap labor is gone. Its investment is slowing down to the extent that the export sector hit a record low in the… Keep reading →
The state of Hawaii: remote, tropical and a haven for tourists. But for locals the remoteness of the islands poses a problem. Since the state producers no hydrocarbon resources of its own, it has to import all of its energy needs, resulting in electricity prices as much as three to five times the national average.… Keep reading →
Green groups are contemplating the next battle after the fight over the Keystone XL pipeline is over. While no one knows what the ultimate fate of the pipeline will be, the decision will come soon and activists will need to move on to other issues. Green groups including the Sierra Club, Natural Resources Defense Council,… Keep reading →
Scientists analyzing satellite data have found the world’s vegetation has expanded despite deforestation in some regions. The results were published Monday in the journal, Nature Climate Change. Nearly 4 billion tons of carbon have been added to plants above ground since 2003. Most of the growth has resulted from tree-planting programs in China, forest regrowth… Keep reading →
50 Percent Renewable Energy for California’s Grid Achievable with Smart Choices
By Michael O’Boyle & Hal HarveyDuring his State of the State address, Governor Brown proposed a goal of 50 percent renewable energy on California’s electric grid by 2030. Since then, State Senators and Assembly Members have introduced bills to turn the goal into law. The bills are quite clear on the 50 percent goal, but scant on details, raising the… Keep reading →