Why the climate movement is actually close to winning
Despite widespread discouragement among climate activists, a tested blueprint for successful movements shows immense progress being made.
Energy featured
BC’s Toxic Coal Dust Invades Alberta
An Alberta study recently published in Environmental Science & Technology Letters highlights the transport of toxic coal dust downwind over the Rocky Mountains into southern Alberta’s watersheds and communities.
UN Chief Calls For Ban on Fossil Fuel Advertising
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called on governments to ban fossil fuel advertising and warned creative agencies to stop working for the industry.
The Status of U.S. Oil Production: 2024 Update Everything Shines By Dimming
Numerous prominent petroleum geologists have been warning for years about the resources limitations of oil both in the U.S. and globally. It’s now looking like the wolf is nearing the door.
Analysis: Wind and solar added more to global energy than any other source in 2023
In 2023, wind and solar combined added more new energy to the global mix than any other source, for the first time in history, according to Carbon Brief analysis of newly released data. Nevertheless, record global demand for energy saw coal and oil use also reaching new highs last year, the Energy Institute Statistical Review of World Energy 2024 finds.
In Defense of Fatih Birol’s Declining House Invitation to Appear
Because of the power of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and its subcommittee, Dr. Birol has to keep responding to the invitations and queries. Whatever his responses, however, he’s in for a beating at the hands of the MAGA-minded with future US contributions to the IEA on the line. It’s a fine example of Cardinal Morton’s Fork.
In Trump, We Trust to Muck Up US Climate Policy
Should Trump re-take the presidency, he’ll have vengeance in his soul and six conservatives on the high court bench. None of this bodes well for the future of US climate policy.
The Massive Harm of LNG Fracking, Tallied
Hurried pursuit of a liquefied natural gas windfall in B.C. and Alberta will squander a key component of Canada’s long-term energy security while causing environmental devastation, according to a new report.
Newsflash – global energy transition deferred, again
In the case of renewable energy, given that renewable electricity generation facilities are so cheap, why isn’t the global energy system switching rapidly to renewables? Because, Christophers shows, the economics of energy (like the economics of everything else in the modern world) isn’t driven by price, but by profit.
Brace for Peak Impact
Now that I have a demographic tool, I can ask questions relating to when we might hit peak power as a civilization. I use power (rate of energy use) as a proxy for all manner of resource dependencies, as energy usage correlates strongly with materials use and ecological impact. Plus, it is a readily-available measure.
Boondoggle Watch: Carbon capture great for making things worse, study finds
As global society advances further and further into its energy, resource and climate predicament, we can count on the creation of ever more ingenious boondoggles. This is because truly effective responses would require sacrifices and much more intensified cooperation. It is much easier and more fun to contemplate how our myriad boondoggles are going usher in an era of plenty and a stable environment.
Air Conditioning Can’t Live With It, Can’t Live Without It
None of those hand-me-downs from the last century, including air conditioning, is consistent with the sweeping climate-mitigation policies that will need to be put in place in the coming decades.
