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Archive for the ‘Sustainability’ Category

Getting To 100% Renewable Energy In the US

Getting to 100% renewable energy in the US by 2050 is a goal that is gaining traction among the US public. Reports from many environmental organizations have been written on how to get to this target, including from Greenpeace and the World Wildlife Foundation. After last year’s COP21 conference, the momentum has gotten stronger in […]

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How Iceland Drilled For Renewable Energy And Struck Tourists

People bathe in the ‘Blue lagoon ‘ geothermal spa, one of the most visited attractions in Iceland in the Reykjanes peninsula, southwestern Iceland. (JOEL SAGET/AFP/Getty Images) PARIS—The president of Iceland credits renewable energy for reviving the tiny island nation’s economy after financial collapse. Geothermal energy provided the baseload Iceland needed to recover, said President Ólafur […]

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Nations Approve Landmark Climate Accord in Paris

LE BOURGET, France — With the sudden bang of a gavel Saturday night, representatives of 195 nations reached a landmark accord that will, for the first time, commit nearly every country to lowering planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions to help stave off the most drastic effects of climate change. The deal, which was met with an […]

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California and Germany, Opposites With a Common Energy Goal

Solar farms in California. California’s “million solar roof” program mirrored Germany’s “hundred-thousand solar roof” initiative that began a few years ago. Credit Monica Almeida/The New York Times PARIS — One is a European country known as “the powerhouse of Europe” that struggles against soggy winters and seemingly endless gray skies. The other is a digitally […]

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Underwater balloons: Clean energy savior?

In the waters of Lake Ontario, Canada, a hugely significant energy development is taking place. Hydrostor is a company specializing in underwater compressed energy storage. Their idea addresses a significant issue facing renewables: the question of how to store energy to be used when the sun is not shining or winds aren’t strong enough. “The […]

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Businesses Find that It’s Possible to Save Money–and the Environment

Yesterday, Bill Gates announced The Breakthrough Energy Coalition, which is a $2 billion fund he is establishing with other wealthy folks and the University of California. It is aimed at closing the cost premium between legacy energy sources and those that reduce carbon emissions. The subtext is clear: Businesses won’t become fully engaged in combating […]

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Two-Thirds of Americans Want U.S. to Join Climate Change Pact

Drought has brought the water level at Lake Oroville in California close to a record low. Credit Ruth Fremson/The New York Times A solid majority of Americans say the United States should join an international treaty to limit the impact of global warming, but on this and other climate-related questions, opinion divides sharply along partisan […]

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Connecticut, The Microgrid State

Hurricanes Sandy and Irene and a number of lower profile emergencies have had a great impact on Connecticut. Instead of just nervously watching The Weather Channel, the state is taking action. The latest example of efforts to ensure that key functions kept operating in emergency – and to give a boost to the traditional grid […]

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