Climate Change

By Kevin Trenberth | National Center for Atmospheric Research | (The Conversation) As first glance, asking whether global warming results in more snow may seem like a silly question because obviously, if it gets warm enough, there is no snow. Consequently, deniers of climate change have used recent snow dumps to cast doubt on a […]

Climate Change

Network Climate Coverage: The Good, the Bad and the (Mostly) Ugly

contributors

MediaMatters4America | – Climate Coverage In 2014: The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly

Barack Obama

Obama, Modi and India’s Solar Future

Juan Cole

By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) In his visit to India, Barack Obama pressed unsuccessfully for India to set specific carbon limits. Nevertheless, he did get agreement from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the USA and India would pursue vigorously non-carbon energy sources, including nuclear and renewables such as solar. That was a better […]

Climate Change

Why Fracking & Tar Sands are Doomed: Low-Cost Oil and Pollution

contributors

Tom Giesen| (Informed Comment) — Here is a brief primer on the real implications of the decline of oil prices and environmental degradation on the unconventional petroleum industry (fracking, tar sands and deep-water drilling). Oil has been relatively inexpensive, energy intensive, portable, relatively safe, convertible to myriad uses – an incredibly useful substance, especially in […]

Climate Change

Climate-Denial Buffoon Inhofe takes Big $$ from Big Oil, Says Scientists Corrupt

contributors

ThinkProgress Video | — ThinkProgress: “Jim Inhofe (R-OK) Tells The Senate Why He Thinks Global Warming Is A Hoax” [Added by Juan Cole]: The Center for Responsive Politics’ website Opensecrets.org details that Big Oil and fossil fuel companies play a major role in funding Inhofe’s political campaigns: Senator James M. Inhofe has reported a total […]

Climate Change

Floods and fires across Southern Africa raise alarm bells on climate change

Juan Cole

SABC News | — “Floods and fires across the southern african region are raising alarm bells on climate change once again. These effects are being felt across the globe as sea levels rise, tropical storms smash into coastlines, once-fertile lands battle with floods or drought and permafrost in the polar regions melts. Although Africa contributes […]

Climate Change

Solar-powered plane to set off from Abu Dhabi for global flight

contributors

BBC News | — “The plans have been set for the solar-powered plane, Solar Impulse 2, to take off from Abu Dhabi and then fly around the globe using only the sun’s energy. With a wingspan of 72m (236ft), Solar Impulse 2 is the width of a Boeing 747, but weighs about the same as […]

Climate Change

Dual Use: Solar Panels conserve Canal Water In India

contributors

By Malini Shankar | (IPS) Sunlight pours over a break in canal-top solar panels recently installed over the Vadodara branch of the Sardar Sarovar canal project in Gujarat. Credit: Malini Shankar/IPS BARODA, India (IPS) – It began with an experiment to install photovoltaic cells over an irrigation canal that forms part of the Sardar Sarovar […]

Africa

Why solar power is spreading so fast in Africa

Juan Cole

The Economist | — “Africans have been waiting for decades for the mains electricity which the rich world takes for granted. Sub-Saharan Africa’s 910m people consume less electricity each year than the 4.8m people of Alabama. Many more who are on the grid suffer brown-outs and dangerous surges in current. But a solar revolution is […]