May, 2020

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US renewables hit milestone in surpassing coal output

Inhabitat - Innovation

Both the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) and the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysts (IEEFA) have revealed that, from March 25th through May 3rd, utility-scale solar, wind and hydropower collectively generated more electricity than coal! This record 40-day timespan has edged over 2019's run of 38 days when U.S. renewables first beat coal last year.

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Flattening the climate curve using social learning

GreenBiz

If we had to place on a time delay the impact of headlines, we likely would see the warnings from medical experts and scientists having the strongest impact in building lasting memories for us all.

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Floating solar + hydropower hybrid projects can benefit both technologies

Solar Power World

By Emanuele Quaranta, subject matter expert, PreScouter Hydropower and solar power plants were developed separately in the past. Recently, hydro and solar plants have started to merge into photovoltaic-hydropower hybrid plants, where floating solar panels are installed on the water surface of hydropower reservoirs and/or on the dam surface. This represents a cost-effective strategy for… The post Floating solar + hydropower hybrid projects can benefit both technologies appeared first on Sol

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Colombia?s New National Urban Mobility Policy Is Mostly a Good Thing

The City Fix

In the midst of COVID-19 precautions that have curtailed movement around the world, Colombia has released a new national road map for urban and regional mobility. It sends a powerful policy message that cities are saved by providing adequate access. Continue reading on TheCityFix.com.

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Electrofuels Are the Future: The Driving Force to Decarbonizing Heavy Transport

Speaker: Ayesha Choudhury - Senior Vice President, Head of Capital Markets at Infinium

With the first wave of the energy transition, renewable energy sources (such as solar and wind) have begun replacing coal power generation. However, some sectors are lagging behind and struggling to decarbonize more than others, including large-scale transportation like commercial aviation, shipping, and rail transit. Electrofuels (aka eFuels) are the next generation of solutions to help the hardest-to-abate sectors pivot from their reliance on fossil fuels.

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10x Challenge: Four ways to drive exponential growth in gender lens investing

Impact Alpha

ImpactAlpha’s David Bank challenged investors to “10x” impact investing, to grow total assets under management from billions to trillions and to develop “moonshot ideas” that could catalytically grow our impact. Solutions flowed in ranging from meeting the immediate needs of the crisis, to laying the foundations for long-term change around themes such as climate change, the.

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In A Post-Pandemic World, Renewable Energy Is The Only Way Forward

Forbes Green Tech

Changing the world’s energy map is cheap, especially if we factor in the natural disasters and the cost of treating the diseases it causes. If we simply put a price on the viability of the human species as a whole, it’s clear that pivoting to renewable energy is a no-brainer.

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Why Nature?s Path went ?regenerative organic?

GreenBiz

Why Nature’s Path went ‘regenerative organic’. Heather Clancy. Thu, 05/21/2020 - 00:46. The term "regenerative agriculture" has become two of the biggest buzzwords in nature-based climate solutions. But how many farms and food companies can say they follow both regenerative and organic practices? Canadian cereal and snack company Nature’s Path — the largest organic breakfast and snack company in North America — hopes to get more agricultural organizations focused on the nuances of those adjectiv

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Dept. of Interior approves plans for 690-MW Gemini solar project with 1,400-MWh battery

Solar Power World

The Department of the Interior and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced today the approval of a proposal to construct and operate the largest solar project in the United States. U.S. Secretary of the Interior David L. Bernhardt signed the Record of Decision (ROD) for Solar Partners XI to construct a 690-MW solar PV… The post Dept. of Interior approves plans for 690-MW Gemini solar project with 1,400-MWh battery appeared first on Solar Power World.

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Exxon Sued Again for 'Misleading' Advertising

DeSmogBlog

Read time: 5 mins ExxonMobil is facing yet another lawsuit challenging the corporation’s allegedly deceptive behavior related to climate change. The latest suit , filed May 15 in the D.C. Superior Court, claims the oil major is misleading consumers with “false and deceptive” advertising about its investments in “clean” fuels and technology.

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GIIN launches Response, Recovery and Resilience Investment Coalition

Impact Alpha

ImpactAlpha, May 12 – The GIIN has launched the Response, Recovery and Resilience Investment Coalition. The ‘R3 Coalition’ aims to identify opportunities to invest in health interventions and access to capital and direct new capital to fill COVID financing gaps. The Global Impact Investing Network will coordinate deal flow across multiple networks, including Aspen Network.

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AR/VR Simulations for Sustainable, Regenerative, Circular Cities

Speaker: Nik Gowing, Brenda Laurel, Sheridan Tatsuno, Archie Kasnet, and Bruce Armstrong Taylor

With 191 country signatories to the Paris Climate Agreement now hard at work in the race to zero carbon by 2050, much of the heavy lifting in ecosystem sustainability falls on the shoulders of the world's densely populated urban centers. This conversation considers how today's AI-enabled simulation media, such as AR/VR, can be effectively applied to accelerate learning, understanding, training, and solutions-modeling to sustainability planning and design.

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6 Ways to Make City Streets Safer for Pedestrians

The City Fix

For many city leaders, more cars and more highways mean better transportation. And during the current pandemic, fear of COVID-19’s spread is pushing some to turn to private vehicles. But a safe, sustainable transport future does not include further dependence. Continue reading on TheCityFix.com.

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Modernist, off-grid home in Los Angeles features a huge green roof

Inhabitat - Innovation

New York-based Marc Thorpe Design has brought its savvy architectural talents to the City of Angels in the form of a beautiful, off-grid home set in the Hollywood Hills.

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That ocean breeze may be full of tiny bits of plastic

Grist

Want to know how much plastic is entering the ocean every year? I regret to inform you that nobody knows. A commonly cited figure — 8 million metric tons — comes from a decade-old estimate based on population and waste data, and scientists now believe the number could be significantly higher. But there’s an even more puzzling question for researchers who study plastic in the ocean: Where has it all gone?

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Forget 400 watts. JinkoSolar launches 580-W solar panel for utility-scale market

Solar Power World

JinkoSolar has announced the official launch of its 2020 flagship Tiger Pro module series. Unveiled through a virtual product lunch, the Tiger Pro module series can generate a maximum power output of up to 580 W — 40% higher than current mainstream 72-cell modules. The Tiger Pro modules use half-cut cells, nine busbars and tiling/shingling… The post Forget 400 watts.

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How Digital Transformation will Bend the Curve of the Linear Economy Toward the Circular

Speaker: Bruce Armstrong Taylor, Co-Founder & Managing Director of SmartNations Foundation, Jimmy Jia, Venture Partner at Pi Labs, Fabienne Durand, Senior Advisor to the SmartNations Foundation, & Roger Strukhoff, Executive Director of the Tau Institute

The Climate 4.0 Economy. Climate change is here. We see it in many ways already. Weather catastrophes: Texas freezing over, the wildfires of California, the increasingly unpredictable violence and frequency of hurricanes, the rapid melting and disappearance of polar ice caps. Much more evidence all around us. What can we do in our corporate organizations, in our homes and communities, to change the current course?

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Seven future electric pickup trucks. Maybe.

Charged

Over the first 10 years of their existence, most modern battery-electric cars have been compact hatchbacks or Teslas. While a few are marketed as crossover utility vehicles, none have been the full-size pickup trucks that make up a huge and very profitable segment of US vehicle sales. That’s about to change. What follows is a list of battery-electric pickup models expected to go on sale in the US over the next two to three years.

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10 ways to redesign venture finance for a more inclusive post-COVID world

Impact Alpha

Impact investing was created to revolutionize capital markets. Instead, we are replicating them. This needs to change. The good news is, the structures we need to reform the capital system already exist. COVID provides an opportunity for impact investors to step into a leadership role within capital markets, as the amount of private and public. The post 10 ways to redesign venture finance for a more inclusive post-COVID world appeared first on ImpactAlpha.

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Thanks To Renewables And Machine Learning, Google Now Forecasts The Wind

Forbes Green Tech

Wind farms have traditionally made less money for the electricity they produce because they have been unable to predict how windy it will be tomorrow. Not any more.

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How to replace single-use and plastic items in the kitchen

Inhabitat - Innovation

American households use more single-use and plastic items in the kitchen than any other part of the home. These 10 tips can help you make sustainable swaps.

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5 summer books and other things to do at home

GatesNotes

Whether you’re looking for a distraction or just spending a lot more time at home, you can’t beat reading a book.

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Pro tip: Never use soap to clean dirty solar panels

Solar Power World

One thing learned during the coronavirus pandemic was the effectiveness of soap and water — regularly washing our hands was our best defense. While solar panels do benefit from a regular washing to ward off reduced output and efficiency, soap isn’t the answer here. California-based solar installer and maintenance provider Bland Company never uses a… The post Pro tip: Never use soap to clean dirty solar panels appeared first on Solar Power World.

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Spain to push for net zero by 2050 as government unveils sweeping new climate law

Business Green

Ambitious draft climate law would immediately ban new oil, gas and coal projects and end subsidies for fossil fuels. Spain's cabinet has today approved an ambitious draft climate law targeting net zero emissions "no later than" 2050, which it estimates will generate over €200bn investment, create up to 350,000 new jobs, and boost the country's economic growth by 1.8 per cent over the next decade.

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A post-pandemic plan for the creative economy in Kenya

Impact Alpha

ImpactAlpha, May 14 – Kenya’s musicians, DJs, fashion designers, visual artists, event planners, chefs and other creatives are on the frontlines of COVID’s economic shocks. Half of Kenya’s creative professionals have seen 80% or more of their normal income disappear, as events were cancelled, creative spaces closed and tourism stopped, according to Nairobi-based HEVA Fund, an.

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How Cannabis Coevolved With Humanity, And Could Save It

Forbes Green Tech

As we face unprecedented hurdles amid the COVID-19 pandemic, it's time to re-embrace our oldest allies on this planet, including history's most useful plant.

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Seattle permanently closes 20 miles of street

Inhabitat - Innovation

Amidst stay-at-home orders, Seattle has vowed to permanently close 20 miles of street as part of the city's "Stay Healthy Streets" program.

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Scanning for answers to a pandemic

GatesNotes

This first-of-its-kind surveillance program may help solve some of the most pressing questions about COVID-19.

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Environment America releases 2020?s top solar cities

Solar Power World

Fifty top American cities have each more than doubled their total installed solar PV capacity since 2013, a new study released by Environment America Research & Policy Center found. The report, “Shining Cities 2020: The Top U.S. Cities for Solar Energy,” is the seventh annual edition of the most comprehensive survey of installed solar photovoltaic… The post Environment America releases 2020’s top solar cities appeared first on Solar Power World.

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Boris Johnson: 'We owe it to future generations to build back better'

Business Green

Prime Minister gives strongest commitment yet to green recovery as he calls for 'fairer, greener and more resilient' global economy. Boris Johnson has given his clearest indication yet that the UK government will push for a green and climate resilient recovery to the looming recession, arguing today that "we owe it to future generations to build back better" after the coronavirus crisis.

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Focus on workers, customers and governance drive ESG outperformance amid COVID uncertainty

Impact Alpha

ImpactAlpha, May 26 – Sustainable funds outperformed their conventional peers in the first quarter downturn and held their own in the April bounce back (see, “Sustainable investments are growing, and outperforming, in a volatile market”). The outperformance was initially attributed to underexposure to the energy sector, which cratered in Q1. As a fuller picture emerges, The post Focus on workers, customers and governance drive ESG outperformance amid COVID uncertainty appeared first on ImpactAlp

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Tesla Shifts Into Reverse As Elon Musk Says Share Price Too High Amid Wild Tweetstorm

Forbes Green Tech

The billionaire CEO issued a string of erratic comments, including lyrics from “The Star-Spangled Banner,” and plans to sell his possessions.

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Architects turn waste wood into a 3D-printed cabin in upstate New York

Inhabitat - Innovation

A stunning cabin in upstate New York is making waves thanks to groundbreaking technology that allowed it to be 3D-printed with wood waste.

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This book taught me a lot about the Spanish Flu

GatesNotes

John M. Barry’s 2004 book has never been more relevant.

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Amazon signs on for another 410 MW of solar in United States

Solar Power World

Amazon’s commitment to reach 80% renewable energy by 2024 and 100% renewable energy by 2030 is still on track, with the company announcing five new projects in China, Australia and the United States. In addition to a 100-MW solar project in China and a 105-MW solar project in Australia, Amazon will build two solar projects… The post Amazon signs on for another 410 MW of solar in United States appeared first on Solar Power World.

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Large areas of London to go 'car-free' as Mayor plots green Covid-19 recovery

Business Green

Transport for London says it is 'determined' to keep gains seen for air pollution and safer streets over past two months after lockdown measures ease. Sadiq Khan has today announced plans to transform parts of central London into "one of the largest car-free zones in any capital city in the world", as part of a sweeping set of measures to support safer walking and cycling for workers as the battle against coronavirus continues.

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Olamina Fund deploys first $14.5 million to Black, Native and rural lenders

Impact Alpha

ImpactAlpha, May 20 – The $40 million Olamina Fund fund was launched by Candide Group in November to address a persistent lack of capital in low-income communities as well as the few financial institutions that serve them. In its first six months, it has made low-interest loans to five lenders, including Oweesta, a community development. The post Olamina Fund deploys first $14.5 million to Black, Native and rural lenders appeared first on ImpactAlpha.

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