Both surging interest and investment in nuclear energy as a way to meet net zero goals and to diminish the worst effects of climate change, as well as the US commitment at COP28 to triple nuclear energy capacity by 2050, are reasons to pause and examine how “green” nuclear power really is. It is important to consider the carbon life cycle of a typical, light-water reactor nuclear power plant (NPP). If nuclear energy is not truly lower in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions over that life cycle than other power sources, then nations choosing it as a way to meet legally-binding Paris Agreement NDCs regarding GHG reduction requirements may open themselves up to climate litigation.
Indigenous peoples’ lands and territories constitute at least 28% of the global land surface. Indigenous people represent 5,000 unique cultures worldwide, and they protect 80% of the world’s remaining biodiversity. At the same time, despite having contributed the least to climate change, many indigenous people will experience the most drastic impacts from it if humans don’t ramp up renewable energy production rapidly and worldwide. Yet is it possible to do so without repeating the atrocities of the past or worsening indigenous peoples’ circumstances in the present?
Water and solar energy are the building blocks of life—especially in the arid West. An emerging technology takes advantage of both has the potential to provide 50% of the world’s ongoing energy needs through a clean, green new technology: Floating photovoltaics (FPVs). Alternatively known “aquavoltaics”1 (AVs), “floating solar arrays,” or “floatovoltaics,” FPVs can increase sustainable energy production while decreasing the costs and ecological concerns related to terrestrial solar arrays.
The transition to renewable energy is vital in the global fight against climate change. Significant gains were made in the renewable energy sector in 2022, but more still needs to be done to avoid irreversible climate catastrophe.
Thinking about the utility companies that bring electricity and gas to your house may be among the least interesting ways to spend your time, but increasingly, people around the country are more focused on who their utility provider is. Utility companies have been in the news recently for all the wrong reasons, like causing forest fires, price manipulation litigation, and grave warnings about steep price increases. With all this bad press, the question arises, what is going on with these companies?
What happens when technology made for the good goes bad? Unfortunately, solar panel waste is a growing problem as photovoltaics gain traction in our energy economy. According to NREL, these “decommissioned PV modules could total 1 million tons of waste in the United States by 2030, or 1% of the world’s e-waste. This presents not only waste management concerns but also opportunities for materials recovery and secondary markets.”
The Inflation Reduction Act (“IRA”) marks an important milestone in the fight against climate change. It outlines a multifaceted approach to tackling the ongoing climate crisis, as well as commits over $369 billion to supporting various climate initiatives. The wide variety of these initiatives is one of the strengths of the bill, however, the provision that includes tax credits for producers of clean energy will be particularly impactful.
If you’ve ever joined a grocery store co-op, you are familiar with the cooperative as an organizing structure. Co-ops have deep roots in American rural society and the populist movement of the late 19th century, which led to the development of decentralized organizations like The Grange. The Grange supported rural communities by communally organizing sales and profits of goods including wheat, wool, and tobacco, and created communal stores for their members.
An electricity, or electrical, grid is an interconnected network of transmission and distribution facilities that allows electricity to be delivered. Electricity can be generated through power plants, solar panels, wind turbines, and hydroelectric dams. After electricity is generated, it is then delivered through transmission and distribution power lines.
In early 2009, a new form of currency was introduced that would take the world by storm: the block-chain currency Bitcoin. Bitcoin is a centralized currency separate from any national government and is a fairly anonymous currency. Even the creator is unknown, with the currency tied to an enigmatic “Satoshi Nakamoto” who has yet to be identified.
Both surging interest and investment in nuclear energy as a way to meet net zero goals and to diminish the worst effects of climate change, as well as the US commitment at COP28 to triple nuclear energy capacity by 2050, are reasons to pause and examine how “green” nuclear power really is. It is important to consider the carbon life cycle of a typical, light-water reactor nuclear power plant (NPP). If nuclear energy is not truly lower in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions over that life cycle than other power sources, then nations choosing it as a way to meet legally-binding Paris Agreement NDCs regarding GHG reduction requirements may open themselves up to climate litigation.
Indigenous peoples’ lands and territories constitute at least 28% of the global land surface. Indigenous people represent 5,000 unique cultures worldwide, and they protect 80% of the world’s remaining biodiversity. At the same time, despite having contributed the least to climate change, many indigenous people will experience the most drastic impacts from it if humans don’t ramp up renewable energy production rapidly and worldwide. Yet is it possible to do so without repeating the atrocities of the past or worsening indigenous peoples’ circumstances in the present?
Water and solar energy are the building blocks of life—especially in the arid West. An emerging technology takes advantage of both has the potential to provide 50% of the world’s ongoing energy needs through a clean, green new technology: Floating photovoltaics (FPVs). Alternatively known “aquavoltaics”1 (AVs), “floating solar arrays,” or “floatovoltaics,” FPVs can increase sustainable energy production while decreasing the costs and ecological concerns related to terrestrial solar arrays.
The transition to renewable energy is vital in the global fight against climate change. Significant gains were made in the renewable energy sector in 2022, but more still needs to be done to avoid irreversible climate catastrophe.
Thinking about the utility companies that bring electricity and gas to your house may be among the least interesting ways to spend your time, but increasingly, people around the country are more focused on who their utility provider is. Utility companies have been in the news recently for all the wrong reasons, like causing forest fires, price manipulation litigation, and grave warnings about steep price increases. With all this bad press, the question arises, what is going on with these companies?
What happens when technology made for the good goes bad? Unfortunately, solar panel waste is a growing problem as photovoltaics gain traction in our energy economy. According to NREL, these “decommissioned PV modules could total 1 million tons of waste in the United States by 2030, or 1% of the world’s e-waste. This presents not only waste management concerns but also opportunities for materials recovery and secondary markets.”
The Inflation Reduction Act (“IRA”) marks an important milestone in the fight against climate change. It outlines a multifaceted approach to tackling the ongoing climate crisis, as well as commits over $369 billion to supporting various climate initiatives. The wide variety of these initiatives is one of the strengths of the bill, however, the provision that includes tax credits for producers of clean energy will be particularly impactful.
If you’ve ever joined a grocery store co-op, you are familiar with the cooperative as an organizing structure. Co-ops have deep roots in American rural society and the populist movement of the late 19th century, which led to the development of decentralized organizations like The Grange. The Grange supported rural communities by communally organizing sales and profits of goods including wheat, wool, and tobacco, and created communal stores for their members.
An electricity, or electrical, grid is an interconnected network of transmission and distribution facilities that allows electricity to be delivered. Electricity can be generated through power plants, solar panels, wind turbines, and hydroelectric dams. After electricity is generated, it is then delivered through transmission and distribution power lines.
In early 2009, a new form of currency was introduced that would take the world by storm: the block-chain currency Bitcoin. Bitcoin is a centralized currency separate from any national government and is a fairly anonymous currency. Even the creator is unknown, with the currency tied to an enigmatic “Satoshi Nakamoto” who has yet to be identified.
Energy production is one of the most significant sources of greenhouse gases in America, making it a vital policy area in the transition away from a carbon-based economy. Most American residences and businesses buy their electricity from investor-owned utilities, which are generally government-sanctioned monopolies. Even as the cost of wind and solar energy plummets, many investor-owned utilities (IOUs) have been slow to make firm commitments to shift to renewables, often due to existing investments in oil and gas.
Nearly 270 million people face food shortages globally; this number has doubled since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nine million people die every year from hunger and hunger-related diseases. In the United States, more than one in seven children live in a household facing food insecurity and are not afforded the adequate nutrition needed to grow and develop. The impacts of food shortages are very real
The earth’s climate is drastically changing due to the release of Greenhouse Gas (“GHG”) emissions, which contributes to an enhanced greenhouse effect. Globally…
The Kayenta Solar Project, in Kayenta, AZ, is a multi-stage solar development that began as a single 27.5-megawatt solar installation. Constructed in 2017, it was meant to serve the…
