Extreme Heat

Egypt announces Plan to Get 42% of Electricity from Renewables, become Solar Energy Hub for Europe via Greece

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Ghada El-Gendy, the Executive Director of the Arab Renewable Energy Company, said Friday that Egypt has plans to increase the share of renewables in its electricity production to 42 percent by 2035. At the moment, most of Egypt’s power plants run on methane gas or petroleum, and only 12.5 percent […]

Climate Crisis

From War on Terror to War on Climate Change: US Army to seek Green Electricity by 2030

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The US military has been worried deeply for over a decade about the impact of the climate emergency on its bases and operational readiness. The Department of the Army has just released its first Climate Strategy for dealing with what Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin calls an “existential crisis.” The […]

Climate Crisis

The Rich produce the most Heat-Trapping CO2, but Heat Waves hit the Poorest Hardest

The Conversation

By Mojtaba Sadegh, John Abatzoglou, and Mohammad Reza Alizadeh | – Spend time in a developing country during a heat wave and it quickly becomes clear why poorer nations face some of the greatest risks from climate change. Most homes don’t have air conditioning, and even health clinics can get overheated. These countries tend to […]

China

China is meeting its Climate Targets, but Earth needs Beijing to be more Ambitious

The Conversation

By Phillip Stalley | – When it comes to climate change, no nation is more important than China. It consumes more coal than the rest of the world combined, and it is the leading emitter of greenhouse gases, accounting for nearly 30% of global emissions. Unless China takes rapid steps to control its greenhouse gas […]

Climate Crisis

If We heat the World 1.5°C (2.7° F.), Essential Coral Reefs are all but Doomed

The Conversation

By Adele Dixon, Maria Beger, Peter Kalmus, and Scott F. Heron | – Coral reefs have long been regarded as one of the earliest and most significant ecological casualties of global warming. In new research published in the journal PLOS Climate, we found that the future of these tropical ecosystems – thought to harbour more […]

Climate Crisis

Another Sign Big Three Automakers are dumping Big Oil: GM to invest $7 Billion in Michigan Electric Vehicle, Battery Plants

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Kalea Hall at the Detroit News reports that General Motors will invest $7 billion in the development of electric vehicles and batteries, in a bid to overtake Tesla. Article continues after bonus video WXYZ 7 Detroit: “GM to spend nearly $7B on EV, battery plants in Michigan” That $7 billion […]

Batteries

Climate Hope: Record $920 bn. was invested in Low-Carbon Tech in 2021

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – BloombergNEF reports that in 2021, a record-breaking $920 billion was invested globally in low-carbon technology, just short of $1 trillion. The report says that $755 billion was spent to implement low-carbon technologies, with $366 billion going into renewable energy and $273 billion into electrifying transportation. That $273 billion put into […]

Climate Crisis

The Climate Emergency is Already Here: Deaths in Heat Waves are Increasing even in the Cool North

The Conversation

By Chloe Brimicombe | – When you take age out of the equation, temperature-related deaths are on the decline in England and Wales. That’s according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). But more people are going to hospital, compared with 20 years ago. It turns out, that’s not the only […]

Batteries

The Best Battery is Nature’s Own: How Pumped Hydro is the Future of Renewables

The Conversation

By Andrew Blakers,Bin Lu, and Matthew Stocks | – To cut U.S. greenhouse gas emissions in half within a decade, the Biden administration’s goal, the U.S. is going to need a lot more solar and wind power generation, and lots of cheap energy storage. Wind and solar power vary over the course of a day, […]