Energy

By Zoran Radosavljevic | EURACTIV.com China announced on Thursday (28 September) it would start phasing out fossil fuel cars and set a 10% minimum quota of “new energy vehicles” in 2019, in a move European industry groups called a game changer and a wake-up call for Europe. China, the world’s largest car market, has set […]

Coal

Kurdish Independence: SecState Tillerson opposes, Sen Schumer Supports

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – According to the Kurdish news site Rudaw, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson weighed in on the Kurdistan referendum on independence from Iraq, held last Monday, saying it is illegitimate and the US does not recognize it. The statement of the Department of State said, “The vote […]

Donald Trump

Trump blasts Iran for backing Syria, ignores Russia, Praises Saudis

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Trump more or less threatened to wipe out the 25 million people of North Korea in his speech at the UN. Then he turned to the Middle East, where he again pledged to undermine the Iranian nuclear deal. In other words, he put forward a plan […]

Denialism

Those 90 Companies that Caused Climate Crisis? They Should Pay for It

Juan Cole

By Sarah van Gelder | Yes! Magazine | – – The companies responsible for the climate crisis should cover the costs of fighting wildfires and recovering from hurricanes. Pacific Northwest forests are on fire. Several blazes are out of control, threatening rural towns, jumping rivers and highways, and covering Portland, Oregon, Seattle, and other cities […]

China

Floridians with Solar Inverters had Electricity after Irma & other Green energy success stories

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – After Hurricane Irma in Florida, millions have been without electricity. But those Floridians who had solar panels plus an inverter or a Tesla powerwall were able to recover electricity immediately. Likewise, cities used solar to power traffic lights and other essential services after the huge storm […]

Israel

Can Yosef Abramowitz make Solar Power Bloom in Fossil Fuels-Addicted Israel?

Juan Cole

i24 News | (Video News Report) | – – from Wikipedia: “Abramowitz was born in 1964. He lived in Israel as a child from 1969–1972, before returning to Boston. While living in Massachusetts, he attended the Solomon Schechter School of Greater Boston, and graduated in 1980 from Hebrew College Prozdor and in 1982 from Brookline […]

Climate Change

How solar power can protect US military from threats to the grid

contributors

By Joshua M. Pearce | The Conversation | – – As the U.S. military increases its use of drones in surveillance and combat overseas, the danger posed by a threat back at home grows. Many drone flights are piloted by soldiers located in the U.S., even when the drones are flying over Yemen or Iraq […]

Climate Change

AT&T and Verizon Need to Hang Up On Fossil Fuels

contributors

By Todd Larsen | Otherwords.org | – – One text at a time, America’s largest telecommunications companies are fueling climate change. Smartphones are a huge part of our lives. We use them constantly for texts, social media, calls, directions, and finding information online. Even when we’re sleeping, they’re still active, receiving data all night. But […]

Featured

What will Iran do if Trump tears up the Nuclear Agreement?

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) | – – Recently I was asked whether, if Trump succeeded in undermining the Joint Plan of Collective Action (JCPOA), the Iran nuclear deal, whether Iran would reply by going for broke to create a nuclear weapon. A related question is whether a collapse of the JCPOA would strengthen […]