2019

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Could Banana Leaf Technology Squelch Our Use Of Single-Use Plastics?

CleanTechnica

Banana leaves that can replace plastic wrap and other plastic wraps -- one more attempt to save the planet from ourselves.

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Nuclear Power Does Slow Climate Change

Jim Conca

Why are we trying to close nuclear plants that have been relicensed as safe for another 20 yrs? To save a penny to spend on renewables and say that helps climate change? As all climate scientists agree, prematurely closing nuclear plants is bad for the climate. And it doesn’t save any money at all.

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Is this the microgrid moment?

GreenBiz

California's planned power shutdowns have communities, cities and companies scrambling for solutions, and microgrids are at the top of the list.

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The largest green wall in Europe will absorb 8 tons of air pollution per year

Inhabitat - Innovation

Located in London, U.K., the Citicape House by Sheppard Robson will feature a 40,000-square-foot green wall, the largest in Europe, that sets the standard for urban green development in the city.

Europe 357
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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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Planners call on government for stronger direction on climate action

Envirotec Magazine

An overwhelming majority of UK planners want the next government to give stronger direction and more resources to enable local planners to deliver net zero carbon emissions by 2050. A recent survey by the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI), revealed that even though 79% of respondents agreed that climate action should be a top priority for the profession, only 17% felt their nation’s planning system or policy framework was well equipped enough to deal with the current climate crisis.

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Green Ammonia – Potential as an Energy Carrier and Beyond

CleanTech Group

The world is categorically dependent on ammonia. Today, half the world’s food production depends on it for increasing crop yield, resulting in a.

Energy 184

More Trending

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Congress introduces climate bill to reach 100% clean energy by 2050

Solar Power World

A new bill introduced today by Rep. Don McEachin and co-sponsored by over 150 members could set the United States on a path to an economy powered by 100% clean energy by mid-century. If passed into law, the 100% Clean Economy Act of 2019 would require federal agencies to create a plan, using existing authorities,… The post Congress introduces climate bill to reach 100% clean energy by 2050 appeared first on Solar Power World.

Energy 144
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Pennsylvania Communities Grow Wary of Worsening Air Pollution as Petrochemical Industry Arrives

DeSmogBlog

Read time: 9 mins While the Ohio River Valley, long home to the coal and steel industries, is no stranger to air pollution, the region’s natural gas boom and burgeoning petrochemical industry threaten to erase the gains of recent decades. Concerns about air quality, which has already begun declining nationally since 2016 , are growing rapidly for those living in the shadow of Shell’s $6 billion plastics plant under construction along the Ohio River in western Pennsylvania’s Beaver County.

Pollution 142
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Vulnerable communities face larger threats under EPA’s proposed science rule

Grist

Scientists across the country expressed alarm this month over a leaked proposal that details a potential Environmental Protection Agency policy that could significantly limit what research it uses to create public health regulations. The draft obtained by the New York Times is a revision of a draft released in April 2018 in which the agency called for transparency in scientific data, including people’s private health information.

Health 137
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Everybody’s talking about Tesla’s Cybertruck

Charged

In show business, when you don’t like an act, but you don’t want to say anything negative, you say it’s “interesting.” Well, the word “interesting” is getting a lot of use today, after Tesla unveiled what is definitely its most radical-looking vehicle, and perhaps the most radical-looking production vehicle in automotive history. I think the first step on the road to acceptance of the Cybertruck is to forget about calling it a pickup.

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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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A Successful Launch for Flock 4p on the PSLV

Planet Pulse

Today, 12 SuperDove satellites (Flock 4p) were successfully launched and deployed into a 500 kilometer Sun Synchronous Orbit by India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). This marks 25 successful launches for Planet and our 407th satellite launch attempt. . Shortly thereafter, Planet’s Mission Operations team successfully made contact with all twelve satellites and initiated the satellite phasing and commissioning process, continuing Planet’s long standing record of 100 percent success rate

Health 112
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Bitter Cold Stops Coal But Nuclear Excels

Jim Conca

Through thick and thin, extreme hot or extreme cold, Bomb Cyclones and Polar Vortexes, this nuclear plant never seems to stop producing over 9 billion kWhs of energy every year, enough to power Seattle. The same with all other nuclear plants in America. Not so much with coal and gas.

Energy 448
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Why climate and sustainability professionals need to take the next step in our evolution

GreenBiz

Sustainability professionals need to demonstrate the value they can bring to the highest levels of their organization. Simply put, we’re not there yet.

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Prefab homes on stilts include solar panels, water collection systems and organic gardens

Inhabitat - Innovation

Bali-based architect Alexis Dornier has unveiled a beautiful, eco-friendly concept for a series of prefabricated homes that are elevated off the landscape on stilts.

Organic 363
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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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This book put me to sleep

GatesNotes

In a good way! The author explains the benefits of a good night’s rest.

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The Long Duration Energy Storage Search – How Close are we to Low Costs and Zero Carbon?

CleanTech Group

As renewable energy continues to proliferate, a gap in the market is appearing for long duration energy storage demand that lithium-ion, coal-plants and.

Lithium 158
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Animal Agriculture Costs More In Health Damage Than It Contributes To The Economy

Forbes Green Tech

As with the climate, the chief culprit is meat and dairy. But when it comes to particulate pollution, the worst offender is poultry.

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Installed solar capacity is now greater than oil in the United States

Solar Power World

According to a review by the SUN DAY Campaign of data just released by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for the first three-quarters of 2019, solar and wind provided nearly six-times as much new generating capacity as natural gas in September. New capacity placed into service that month included 359 MW of wind and… The post Installed solar capacity is now greater than oil in the United States appeared first on Solar Power World.

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Stanford Study Says Renewable Power Eliminates Argument for Using Carbon Capture with Fossil Fuels

DeSmogBlog

Read time: 7 mins New research from Stanford University professor Mark Z. Jacobson questions the climate and health benefits of carbon capture technology against simply switching to renewable energy sources like wind and solar. Carbon capture technology is premised on two possible approaches to reducing climate pollution: removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere anywhere in the world, an approach generally known as direct air capture, or removing it directly from the emissions source, such as

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11,000 scientists say that the ‘climate emergency’ is here

Grist

More than 11,000 scientists declared a climate emergency today in — where else — an article published in a scientific journal. “Scientists have a moral obligation to clearly warn humanity of any great existential threat and to ‘tell it like it is,’” begins the “ World Scientists’ Warning of a Climate Emergency , ” published in BioScience.

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Boris Johnson replaced with ice sculpture at climate leaders debate

Business Green

Conservative Party leader and Brexit Party leader were only two not to attend Climate Leaders Debate last night on Channel 4, where politicians sparred over best way to hit net zero.

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Fast Fashion: the second biggest polluter on Earth

Envirotec Magazine

Dr. Akmez Nabeerasool is a Senior Project Manager at Arvia Technology, a provider of advanced tertiary water and wastewater treatment systems. Below he discusses the issue of water pollution in the fashion industry. The fashion industry is reliant on water. Without it, the majority of manufacturing processes wouldn’t be possible. To put it into perspective, one cotton t-shirt uses enough drinking water to sustain one human for three years; 2,700 litres.

Fashion 304
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America’s Nuclear Navy Still The Masters Of Nuclear Power

Jim Conca

America’s Nuclear Navy is one of the oldest and largest nuclear organizations in the world, and has the world’s best safety record of any industry of any kind. There are over a hundred nuclear reactors, which are actually small modular reactors, that power 86 submarines and aircraft carriers.

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Barack Obama on climate, equity and overconsumption

GreenBiz

The former president opens up about the urgency of the crisis and what he sees as the disconnect between our stated values and our actions.

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This tiny farmhouse features a quaint reading nook

Inhabitat - Innovation

New York-based tiny home builder Willowbee Tiny Homes has managed to combine a comfy farmhouse aesthetic with a sophisticated and space-efficient tiny home.

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5 books to enjoy this winter

GatesNotes

The five books on my end-of-year list will help you start 2020 on a good note.

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Food Waste: $2.4 Trillion Left Rotting in a Heap

CleanTech Group

Figure 1 Food Waste innovation landscape The scale of the problem The scale of the global food waste problem is astonishing. We waste.

Waste 159
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The Environmental Impact Of Caribbean Tourism Undermines Its Economic Benefit

Forbes Green Tech

The Caribbean region’s pursuit of tourism-driven economic growth overlooks a significant environmental burden- the sector is responsible for up to 97% of national carbon emissions.

Carbon 105
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How to select a solar charge controller

Solar Power World

By Douglas Grubbs, applications engineer, Morningstar Corporation In its basic forms, solar PV is a very straightforward proposition. Hook a solar panel up to a DC load and it will run until the sun goes down. Connect solar panels to a grid-tied inverter and, as long as the sun is shining, power will be sent… The post How to select a solar charge controller appeared first on Solar Power World.

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As Fracking Companies Face Bankruptcy, US Regulators Enable Firms to Duck Cleanup Costs

DeSmogBlog

Read time: 9 mins In over their heads with debt, U.S. shale oil and gas firms are now moving from a boom in fracking to a boom in bankruptcies. This trend of failing finances has the potential for the U.S. public, both at the state and federal levels, to be left on the hook for paying to properly shut down and clean up even more drilling sites. Expect these companies to try reducing their debt through the process of bankruptcy and, like the coal industry , attempting to get out of environmental

Energy 130
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4 Ways to Reduce Waste In Your Own Home

The Environmental Blog

Now more than ever, we need to do our bit for the environment. From the comfort of our own homes, we can commit to positive changes that will make an impact. If you haven’t ever stopped to think about what products you buy and how you consume and dispose of them – now’s the time. By making small changes, we can all help to reduce the rubbish that we produce within our homes.

Waste 406
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Channel 4 confirms first ever TV election debate on climate crisis for this Thursday

Business Green

Broadcaster invites Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage to join leaders from Labour, Lib Dems, Green Party and the SNP in head-to-head debate.

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The 100% Clean Economy Act: We’re Making Climate Progress, And It’s Thanks to You.

Defend Our Future

Back when I first came on to the Defend Our Future team earlier in the year, I wrote a blog where I tried to make it as clear as possible why Defend Our Future exists : because Congress, as an institution, hadn’t done nearly enough to fight climate change. Because if we didn’t stand together and demand action, action would never come. Yesterday, we may have started to see the tide finally start to turn in Congress.

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Floating Solar On Pumped Hydro, Part 1: Evaporation Management Is A Bonus

CleanTechnica

The concept of putting floating solar panels on pumped hydro reservoirs is fascinating, but not a slam dunk. This 1st article covers evaporation management.