Low-Income Families go Off-Grid: This Week’s 15 Biggest Climate Stories

Posts 03 Jan 2017

Happy new year! Welcome to the 3 January 2017 edition of the Daily Planet’s weekly State Of The Planet press review.

Catch up on the latest developments in the transition to the zero carbon economy with some of the biggest stories about climate change this week. Don’t hesitate to send your tips and comments to @peter_koekoek or peter.koekoek@climate-kic.org.

1. A former coal town in Germany is 2017’s green capital of Europe.

Essen used to be one of Germany’s most important coal centres. But in 2017 the city is Europe’s green capital of the year, the Daily Planet reports.

2. In California, volunteers help low-income families save money by going off-grid.

As those who can afford a solar installation leave the electrical grid, there’s a risk the poor will be left paying the bill according to CBC news. But in California, volunteers working for Grid Alternatives help low-income families get started with solar power.

Households save more than a quarter of their energy bills with the solar panels installed by Grid Alternatives. The NGO helps implement California’s $162-million Single-family Affordable Solar Homes scheme, funded through the government’s cap-and-trade revenues.

https://twitter.com/deriansDebt/status/811312844746592257

3. Will the EU’s new solidarity corps volunteer service also help install solar power?

The European Solidarity Corps is the new European Union initiative which creates opportunities for young people to volunteer or work in projects in their own country or abroad that benefit communities and people around Europe. You can search their database to find out what skills are needed where you are or create a volunteer profile.

https://twitter.com/europeaid/status/811234220043628544

4. A new interactive tool has unleashed a “goldmine” of drought and flooding data.

A new tool provides easy access to information about water in lakes, rivers and coastal areas around the world based on millions of satellite images, the Daily Planet reports. “This new tool is a goldmine. Large amounts of data is generated every second by satellites. However, turning data into knowledge has long been a challenge,” said EU education commissioner Tibor Navracsics, responsible for the European Union’s Joint Research Centre which developed the tool in collaboration with Google.

5. GM has beaten Tesla to it with its affordable electric car.

Much like how oil companies have a huge opportunity to get a head start in the renewable energy industry due to their huge cash reserves, traditional automakers are sometimes able to move ahead with electrical vehicles faster than their 21st-century start-up competitors. Bloomberg reports how with the Chevrolet Bolt GM has been able to launch a new, affordable electric car before Tesla – albeit an “ugly” one.

6. China gets serious about vehicle exhaust emission regulations.

China is set to adopt one of the world’s strictest standards on vehicle exhaust emissions to further control air pollution, China Daily reports. The new rules will take effect in two stages in 2020 and 2023, but major regions with urgent demand in reducing air pollution could initiate the new emission standards earlier than scheduled.

7. Arctic temperatures soared to 30 degrees Celsius above normal.

In December, CBC news reported that the temperature in the Arctic was almost 30 degrees Celsius warmer than average. Ocean buoys recorded temperatures near the North Pole of 0 degrees or warmer.

8. Try these 4 apps in 2017 if you’re curious about climate change.

Want to stay informed about climate change and the transition to a low carbon economy? The Daily Planet listed a few apps that put the latest data at your fingertips.

9. Las Vegas is now completely powered by renewable energy.

The city has saved at least $5 million annually since shifting to renewable sources, the Independent reports. “Las Vegas is one of the few cities in the entire world that can boast using all of its power from green sources,” Mayor Carolyn Goodman said according to the Independent.

10. California won’t back down to Trump on climate change.

Foreign governments concerned about climate change may soon be spending more time dealing with Sacramento (California’s capital) than Washington, the New York Times reports. Governor Jerry Brown, a Democrat, and legislative leaders said they would work directly with other nations and states to defend and strengthen what were already far and away the most aggressive policies to fight climate change in the United States.

At the COP22 climate summit in Marrakesh last year, Germany and California already announced they would be intensifying their collaboration on climate change solutions. Deutsche Welle also published an article highlighting how California is proving that local efforts can achieve real progress, independent of Washington.

11. The 8 most spectacular climate action documentaries of 2016.

Looking for some inspiration during the holiday period? If you’re a fan of climate change-themed documentaries, 2016 has been a treat. Whether you’re a fan of climate science, innovation, space flight or even cartoons, this year had it all. We’ve listed eight of the most spectacular releases.

12. The huge green investment stories that happened in 2016.

Twelve months since the global climate agreement was adopted in Paris, we can look back at a huge year for green investment. If you are not already, some of these articles may just convince you that now is the time to get involved in the low carbon economy.

13. How cities stole the climate action limelight in 2016.

Cities are emerging as influential players on the world stage and were all over the news in 2016 with new initiatives to help tackle climate change and revive their economies. Let’s look back at 2016 with a few of the stories that dominated climate action news around the world.

14. These powerful stories show how electric cars gained traction in 2016.

It is game over for fossil fuel-powered cars and only a matter of time before electric cars overtake traditional vehicles in the global market. So what were the main developments in 2016? We selected some of the stories that made headlines last year.

15. How Leonardo DiCaprio helped climate action make headlines in 2016.

Global movie star, documentary maker and UN special envoy Leonardo DiCaprio helped climate action get some much-needed attention in a year dominated by news about politics. The Daily Planet explored some of DiCaprio’s key moments in 2016, the year that scientists confirmed that celebrity power matters and dubbed it the ‘DiCaprio Effect.’

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to receive next week’s State Of The Planet in your inbox. Don’t hesitate to send your tips and comments to @peter_koekoek or peter.koekoek@climate-kic.org!

 
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