Energy
Born On Frozen Lakes
The National Hockey League seems like an unlikely environmental ally. But a sport born on frozen lakes stands to lose a lot in a warming world. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman is committed to keeping “the air clean and the ponds frozen for future generations.”
Solar Power As A Crop
The historic, relentless drought in California has caused a number of the state’s farmers to start planting photovoltaic panels instead of crops. Because of the drought, Federal water deliveries to farmers in the Central Valley and elsewhere have been dwindling. As a result of the water shortage, more than 500,000 acres will lie fallow this year.
Storing Energy As Ice
One of the challenges of operating the electricity grid is that there are times when everybody wants more electricity than usual – like during a hot afternoon in August – and the system struggles to keep up with the increased demand.
Carbon Capture Update
The global community is increasingly making commitments to reduce the amount of carbon emissions in the atmosphere. More and more carbon-free renewable energy sources are being used all the time. But despite the tremendous growth in solar and wind power, fossil fuels still provide about 80% of the world’s energy. Coal still provides about 40% of worldwide electricity. Realistically, these numbers can only go down at a relatively gradual pace.
Responding To Climate Change
This week, representatives of 195 nations and the 28 member states of the European Union are meeting in Paris to try to put together the first global agreement to curb carbon dioxide emissions. Among those nations, some are already doing much better than others.
A Tax On Carbon
A while back we talked about the carbon tax in British Columbia and how it resulted in a dramatic reduction in carbon fuel use without any harm to the local economy. Many economists believe that carbon taxes are one of the best ways to promote lower greenhouse gas emissions.
Microgrids For The Powerless
There are 1.3 billion people worldwide who don’t have access to electricity. These days, some of them have acquired hundred-dollar solar panels that produce about five watts of power. That allows them to power a couple of LED lamps in the evening and to charge a mobile phone. But that’s about all they can do with so little power.
Ocean Energy Report Card
Most of the world’s activity in renewable energy is focused on solar and wind power. The use of both is expanding rapidly.
Plugging Methane Leaks
Natural gas, also known as methane, is one of several “greenhouse gases” that trap heat radiation trying to leave the Earth. Molecule-for-molecule, methane warms our planet’s atmosphere about 25X more than carbon dioxide.
Solar Powered Water Purification
Solar energy has made a difference in the lives of refugees from natural disasters and political unrest as well as people in remote corners of the world who don’t have access to modern technology. There are various solar-powered lamps, chargers, and cookers that have been provided to countless thousands of people around the world.
Cheap Oil From Algae
We have had all too many scary stories about algae and the threats it is posing to health and safety. This time, for once, we have some good news about algae.
Solar Power At Night
One of the largest solar power plants in the world is the Andasol plant situated on a barren, high-altitude site in the Andalucia region of Spain. The plant provides electricity for up to 500,000 people in the region.
Killer Air
Globally, air pollution kills 3.3 million people per year. And this number could double to 6.6 million people by 2050 if little is done to decrease the dangerous levels of tiny particles, toxins, and ozone in the air.
Cities Abandoning Fossil Fuels
Around the world, cities are trying to combat climate change by shifting their energy needs away from coal, oil and natural gas. Some, like Reykjavik and Zurich, use no fossil fuels to produce power at all; others are still planning cutbacks.
Implications of a Thousand
The first Earth Wise broadcast was on January 2, 2012. Today marks the 1000th story we have presented to you, which is cause for celebration.
Planning Cooler Cities
Anyone who has walked the streets of New York City or Washington, D.C. on a stifling summer day can attest to the fact that cities feel hotter. It’s not a matter of perception.
Coal Subsidies
Coal is the most important energy source for the Chinese economy and in a number of other places around the world. It is still the largest source of electricity in the US. It is also one of the main reasons that greenhouse gas emissions continue to increase despite worldwide technological progress and the expansion of renewable energy. New coal plants are still planned in many places and such plants will emit carbon dioxide for decades.
New Places For Solar Power
The modern face of solar energy is hundreds of thousands of rooftops covered with arrays of solar panels. It is also amazing expanses of solar panels and mirrors covering acres of desert land. Solar power capacity is expanding rapidly and is expected to at least triple over the next 10 years.
OTEC In Hawaii
