Environmental Issues

US may not be able to meet its renewable energy goals by 2050

June 23, 2017June 21, 2017 Stephen Vagus

Study suggests that the country may miss its renewable energy targets due to narrow focus The United States may need to expand its energy focus if it intends to become carbon neutral in the future. A new study from a group of 21 academic and private energy researchers argues that the country’s focus on renewable energy is too narrow. As such, the U.S. may not be able to meet its environmental goals of becoming carbon neutral by 2050. Moreover, the country may not even be able to significantly reduce its…

The future of renewable energy continues to look promising

June 19, 2017June 15, 2017 Stephen Vagus

Report highlights the continued growth in the demand for renewable energy The demand for renewable energy continues to rise, with wind and solar power becoming quite popular among consumers and businesses alike. According to Deloitte’s latest annual report on the renewable energy space, support for wind and solar power is on the rise. The report notes that advances in technology and the falling costs of clean power have secured growth for the foreseeable future. These two factors have made renewable energy competitive with more conventional forms of power. Businesses are…

Hawaii passes law to support the Paris Agreement and fight climate change

June 14, 2017June 13, 2017 Stephen Vagus

State will be combating climate change by supporting the Paris Agreement Hawaii has become the first in the United States to adopt a new law to show greater support for the Paris Agreement. The law will see the state officially document rising sea levels and develop a strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through the use of renewable energy and other solutions. Governor David Ige notes that the law will align Hawaii with the goals of the Paris Agreement, which the United States withdrew from last week. The impact of…

Renewable energy generates more electricity in the UK than coal and gas

June 13, 2017June 12, 2017 Tami Hood

UK generated more electricity from renewable energy sources than from its coal and gas systems Wind, solar, and nuclear power have become the largest contributors to the United Kingdom’s energy grid. The National Grid, which oversees the country’s energy infrastructure, notes that these three forms of power have reached a new milestone. The UK has been showing strong support for renewable energy in recent years. The government has invested heavily in wind energy, specifically. The government is eager to distance itself from fossil-fuels in order to meet its environmental goals…

California and China agree to work together on renewable energy and clean technology

June 12, 2017June 8, 2017 Angie Bergenson

Governor Brown negotiates renewable energy deal between California and China California has signed a memorandum of understanding with China. Governor Jerry Brown met with Chinese representatives earlier this week and established a new partnership focused on renewable energy and clean technology. The partnership between California and China comes a week after the United States withdrew from the Paris Agreement in a controversial and heavily criticized move by President Donald Trump. California is among several states that have committed themselves to maintaining support of the Paris Agreement despite lack of federal…

Paris Agreement gathers support from technology companies

June 8, 2017June 7, 2017 Alicia Moore

Paris Agreement -Technology Companies - Computer Tech

Tech companies have come together to support the Paris Agreement Many of the world’s largest technology companies have come together to declare their continued support of the Paris Agreement. Several companies, including Apple, Amazon, Google, Lyft, and Spotify, have launched a coalition dubbed “We Are Still In.” The coalition is meant to show strong support for the Paris Agreement, which the United States recently removed itself from. The decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement was something that has been champion by President Donald Trump since before the election in…

Renewable energy to expand in Vanuatu

June 6, 2017June 5, 2017 Bret Williams

World Bank will provide funding for renewable energy in Vanuatu The island nation of Vanuatu is set to gain more access to renewable energy due to a new initiative launched by the World Bank. The World Bank has announced approval $4 million in funding for the Vanuatu Rural Electrification Project II. The project is meant to expand the nation’s use of renewable energy in order to make it more independent and open up new economic opportunities. The initiative intends to provide renewable energy for approximately 45,000 people in Vanuatu. Funding…

United States set to abandon the Paris Agreement

June 5, 2017June 1, 2017 Erin Kilgore

Paris Agreement may no longer be a part of the future of the United States The United States is poised to pull out of the Paris Agreement as changes to federal environmental policy seem to begin taking form. President Donald Trump has announced the government’s intent to exit the Paris Agreement despite significant opposition to the move. The agreement was approved by more than 190 countries throughout the world and was eventually ratified by 147 countries. It established a set of tools that are meant to help countries reduce greenhouse…

Canada aims to develop a strategy to support clean vehicles

May 30, 2017May 29, 2017 Tami Hood

Canadian government is showing more support for clean vehicles The Canadian government has announced plans to develop a strategy focused on promoting the adoption of clean vehicles. The government intends to increase the number of clean vehicles throughout the country by a significant margin. The new strategy is meant to be prepared by some point in 2018, with the government working to accomplish its clean transportation goals in the following years. The strategy will support various types of clean vehicles, including those equipped with hydrogen fuel cells. Fuel cell vehicles…

China and India are on their way to meeting their Paris Agreement goals

May 18, 2017May 17, 2017 Alicia Moore

Climate Change - Moving Toward Meeting Paris Agreement Goals

China and India may meet their Paris Agreement goals before other countries Both China and India are well on their way to meeting the goals established by the Paris Agreement. The agreement calls upon several countries to make significant cuts to emissions production and embrace renewable energy more aggressively. Analysis from Climate Action Tracker shows that policies in both China and India are helping these countries target emissions. Both of these countries are outpacing the United States in terms of emissions reduction, partly due to shifting support of the Paris…

Hawaii makes more progress toward its renewable energy goals

April 27, 2017April 26, 2017 Tami Hood

Utility has reached a major milestone with renewable energy Hawaiian Electric, along with its subsidiaries Maui Electric and Hawaii Electric Light, is celebrating the significant progress that has been made in embracing renewable energy. Together, these companies provide electricity for 95% of residents of five of Hawaii’s main islands. Recently, the state has been working to focus more heavily on renewable energy in an effort to distance itself from fossil-fuels and become more environmentally friendly. Clean power has also helped Hawaii become more energy independent. 2016 saw renewable energy play…

Traditional builders look to green construction trends to reap sizeable benefits

April 24, 2017April 23, 2017 Julie Campbell

Sustainable design and green architecture is just as important as the right industrial mixer for today’s top builders. Leading builders around the world are entering into the green construction space which is one of the hottest growing building trends. Homeowners and developers are grabbing onto this resource-efficient and environmentally responsible trend. It includes everything from the right architecture to the ideal industrial mixer. This trend is solidly established in commercial construction and gated residential communities. Moreover, it is gaining ground at a highly attractive rate among more conventional home real…

European utilities vow to abandon coal in favor of renewable energy

April 7, 2017April 6, 2017 Alicia Moore

Utilities promise to stop investing in coal after 2020 Utilities throughout Europe have come together to pledge not to build any new coal plants after 2020. Every European country, apart from Poland and Greece, will be working to move away from coal in favor of cleaner forms of power. The announcement comes from Eurelectric, which represents some 3,500 utilities in Europe. According to the organization, utilities have committed themselves to deliver on the promises made through the Paris Agreement, which calls for a significant reduction in emissions and a greater…

Renewable energy still faces serious challenges

April 5, 2017 Tami Hood

Renewable energy is growing throughout the world, but it still faces many serious challenges that can prevent projects from taking form. Some of these challenges involve the difficulty associated with successfully commercializing clean technology, while price distortions also present a significant hurdle. Other challenges have to do with public outlook on renewable energy, with people in some countries failing to see the public benefit of cleaner forms of power, both economically and environmentally. Overcoming these challenges is vital to the successful future of renewable energy as a whole. Commercialization of…

European countries are struggling with the Paris Agreement

March 31, 2017March 30, 2017 Angie Bergenson

Paris Agreement - Image of Paris with Eiffle Tower

Only three countries are on track to comply with the Paris Agreement Sweden, Germany, and France are the only European countries that are pursuing policies that will allow them to meet the commitments they made through the Paris Agreement, according to a recent study from the EU Climate Leadership Board. The European Union, as a whole, has pledged to cut carbon emissions by 40% by 2030. Some countries seem to be taking this pledge more seriously than others, however, which could lead the region to mission its emissions reduction targets…

Clean Power plan has been struck down by new executive order from President Trump

March 30, 2017March 29, 2017 Bret Williams

Clean Power Plan - US President Donald Trump

Trump signs executive order to repeal Clean Power Plan President Trump has signed an executive order to repeal the Clean Power Plan, which was first enacted by the Obama Administration. The Clean Power Plan was designed to place a greater focus on renewable energy and help curb emissions through lowering the consumption of fossil-fuels. Trump has been critical of the Clean Power Plan, promising to repeal the initiative in an effort to help revitalize the coal industry and lighten restrictions on fossil-fuels as a whole. EPA will work to withdraw…

Category: Environmental