Energy

Over half of Turkey’s Electricity now comes from Renewables as it seeks to Escape Energy Dependence on Russia

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Turkiye is finally making strides toward a renewable grid. In the first half of 2024, according to the energy think tank Ember, over half (53%) of Turkiye’s electricity was generated by renewables. In the first two quarters of the previous year, 2023, that figure was only 44%. Moreover, the percentage […]

Featured

China and the Slowing Petroleum Market: EVs displaced 1.5 mn. Barrels per Day in 2024

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The International Energy Agency signaled last week that the rate of increase in world petroleum demand fell in the second quarter of 2024 to an 18-month low. The increased demand was only 710,000 barrels a day. The world used 102.04 million barrels per day of petroleum as of May. That […]

Climate Crisis

New Labour Government in UK Unleashes Onshore Wind, with 61% of British Electricity now Low-Carbon

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The new Labour government in Britain last week took steps to remove the ban on onshore wind farms instituted by the Conservative government, which made it possible for such projects to be forestalled even by a single objection. Gavin McGuire at Reuters reported that for the first time this winter, […]

Agriculture

Farmers turn to Solar Panels to shade Crops, Save Water and generate Power

Cronkite News Arizona PBS

By Amaia J. Gavica/Cronkite News ( Cronkite News ) – WASHINGTON – For 31 straight days last summer, temperatures in Phoenix hit or topped 110 degrees, the longest such streak ever. That searing Arizona heat dehydrates crops and evaporates water the state needs to conserve. Creating shade is one way to combat the problem. By […]

Climate Crisis

Solar Power is about to Leave Nuclear and all other Energy Sources in the Dust

The Conversation

By Peter Martin, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University | – (The Conversation) – Opposition leader Peter Dutton might have been hoping for an endorsement from economists for his plan to take Australian nuclear. He shouldn’t expect one from The Economist. The Economist is a British weekly news magazine that has reported on […]

Batteries

How a Faster Move to Clean Energy will Save everyone Money on Power Bills

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Last week, the International Energy Agency put out a new report that turns conventional wisdom regarding the clean energy transition on its head. It is cheaper for everyone to adopt solar, wind, batteries and other renewables as soon as possible than to go on depending on coal, fossil gas and […]

Climate Crisis

The Enemy is Us: (And I’m not just thinking about Donald Trump)

Tom Engelhardt

( Tomdispatch.com) – Honestly, doesn’t it befuddle you? I mean, don’t you think we humans are kinda mad? And worse yet, at some deep level, we simply can’t seem to stop. All too often, we just can’t curb our urge to destroy. Looking back, the desire to make war and obliterate our “enemies” is a […]

Climate Crisis

Trump’s attempt at Planeticide was Worse than Hush Money Sex Pay-Off

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – It is great good news, of course, that Trump was finally held accountable for his hush money pay off to porn star Stormy Daniels to keep her quiet about their hook-up so as to win the 2016 presidential election. Had she gone public in October, 2016 in the wake of […]

Climate Crisis

Climate Emergency: India’s Massive Heat Wave Signals extreme Danger for an Aging Global Population

The Conversation

By Deborah Carr, Boston University; Enrica De Cian, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice; Giacomo Falchetta, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice and Ian Sue Wing, Boston University | – (The Conversation) – A deadly heat wave gripped large regions of Asia for weeks in spring 2024, sending temperatures in India’s capital region over 120 degrees Fahrenheit […]