Climate Change

This week’s G7 leaders declaration struck some strong messages in speaking to the need to address climate and energy challenges and in supporting developing countries as they transition to low carbon economies. This is especially true in regards to language on the necessary phase out of fossil fuels over the course of the century. Yet the leading global economies missed some important details in mapping actions that would benefit the poor.

A new report by Fellow Evan Hansen's company, Downstream Stratgies, and the WVU College of Law's Center for Energy & Sustainable Development focuses on West Virginia's proposed Clean Power Plan, which sets state-specific standards that would reduce carbon dioxide pollution from existing power plants. The proposed rule provides states flexibility in the design and implementation of state plans and broad discretion in selecting pollution reduction measures and market-based mechanisms to achieve the required reductions.

Linwood Pendleton was quoted in the French newspaper Le Monde on the effects of global warming on oceans. Read more (in French)

Like the tobacco industry in its past, fossil fuel giants have poured hundreds of millions of dollars into campaigns to convince us that climate science is not trustworthy. To understand why they would do so, we need to only look at two numbers. The first is $257 billion. This is the profit made in 2014 by Chevron, BP, ExxonMobil, Shell and others for extracting, transporting, refining, distributing and trading fossil fuels in the United States and in Canada alone.

Laura Bozzi has a chapter on Appalachia coal in the new MIT Press book, "Ending the Fossil Fuel Era". Read more

Innovations in technologies that produce energy (such as solar and wind) have over time brought new mixes of energy into existing networks for distribution. What has lacked is a breakthrough that can deal with intermittency of renewables in that system or the ability to store it when it is generated. Off-grid energy solutions, particularly for the developing world, have for decades been too small and not been able to genuinely get people up the energy ladder as their livelihoods improve. While business models and the technology, particularly solar, have matured, the Holy G

Working with staff from EcoAdapt and the Point Blue Conservation Science nonprofit, Fellow Brenda Zollitsch co-led a working group at the National Adaptation Forum this year to gather information about wetland work related to stormwater management and restoration/mitigation.

The nexus between energy poverty and climate change are now momentously driving the aims of international development. Hundreds of international leaders are meeting this week at the United Nation's Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) Forum to forge next steps. In this context, decentralized renewable energy (DRE) solutions can bring sustainable electricity access to un-electrified and impoverished

For California to meet its climate goals, we need to rethink the role that water plays as a significant electricity consumer and producer.