Energy

By Michael Klare | – ( Tomdispatch.com ) – The war in Ukraine has already caused massive death and destruction, with more undoubtedly to come as the fighting intensifies in the country’s east and south. Many thousands of soldiers and civilians have already been killed or wounded, some 13 million Ukrainians have been forced from […]

Climate Crisis

Majority of Germans favor higher top Tax Rate to finance Climate Protection – Poll

Clean Energy Wire

By Edgar Meza | – ( Clean Energy Wire) – Some 66 percent of German households are in favour of raising the top tax rate to finance climate action, according to a survey conducted by the ifo Institute in cooperation with the forsa opinion research institute. Researchers asked households about their preferences with regard to […]

Climate Crisis

California to test solar Panels over irrigation Canals to save Water, boost Electricity Output

Cronkite News Arizona PBS

By Anna Campbell and Karen Marroquin | – ( Cronkite News ) – TURLOCK, Calif. – As the most persistent drought conditions on record continue to grip the Southwest, a pilot project in California’s lush Central Valley looks to save water and increase energy efficiency. The Turlock Irrigation District, the California Department of Water Resources […]

Climate Crisis

Portugal Opens Floating Solar Array on Europe’s Largest Artificial Lake as Floatovoltaics Expand Globally

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Europe’s high methane gas prices caused in part by the Russian war on Ukraine are hurting consumers even in countries like Portugal, which don’t import gas from Russia. Shortages are putting the price up for everyone. Portugal has made enormous strides toward greening its electricity grid in recent years. Wind […]

Belgium

Dumping Russian Gas: 4 European countries seek 65 GW Offshore Wind by 2030, as EU Pledges $314 bn. for Green Energy

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Anyone who follows the climate emergency and extreme weather events would think the serial catastrophes of the past couple years would be enough to put the governments into crisis mode in moving swiftly to green energy. It turns out that for Europe, at least, it took the Russian invasion of […]

Climate Crisis

Busan, S. Korea, constructing Solar-Powered Artificial Biorock Island to replace Coastal land lost to Sea Level Rise

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – UN Habitat, the municipality of Busan in South Korea, and the company OCEANIX are responding to the challenge of sea-level rise by building an artificial floating city off the coast of the country’s second-largest city. A prototype is expected to be in the water as early as 2025. Although a […]

Climate Crisis

Renewables provide 50% of German electricity in 1st quarter ’22 as Berlin Seeks Escape from Russian Gas

Clean Energy Wire

By Edgar Meza | – ( Clean Energy Wire ) – Renewable energy sources accounted for 50 percent of electricity consumption in Germany in the first quarter of 2022 – around nine percentage points more than in the same period last year, according to a report by the Centre for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research […]

Climate Crisis

Climate-Driven Drought has risen 29% this Century, will create 216 mn. Refugees by 2050: UN

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The UN Convention to Combat Desertification issued a new report, “Drought in Numbers 2022 on Friday, warning of the dangers of the climate emergency for further desertification and wildfires and massive loss of human life. “The report warns that The number and duration of droughts has increased by 29 percent […]

Climate Crisis

Climate Change isn’t just making Cyclones worse, it’s making the Floods they cause worse too

The Conversation

By Laurence Hawker, University of Bristol; Dann Mitchell, University of Bristol; and Natalie Lord, University of Bristol | – Super cyclones, known as hurricanes or typhoons in different parts of the world, are among the most destructive weather events on our planet. Although wind speeds within these storms can reach 270 km/h, the largest loss […]