(Under)standing Rock Sioux
First came the project. A 1,100-mile pipeline to carry around 750,000 barrels of crude oil daily from North Dakota through South Dakota, Iowa, and Illinois….
Energy Transition
The Long and Winding Road of Decarbonization
The goal of climate neutrality by 2050 is still far, too far away. A brief reflection on the obstacle course we are facing today. The…
When Architecture Meets the Sun: the Revolution of Integrated Photovoltaics
Imagine a future in which buildings house us and generate the energy we need. It sounds like science fiction, but thanks to building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV),…
Southeast Asia’s Mineral Boom for Renewable Energy Sparks Social Unrest
Global Witness warns that mining for green energy is fuelling conflict and human rights abuses in Asia and elsewhere, urging tougher standards and protections Mining…
To Stop Climate Change, We Need Context and Strategy Alongside the Science
Shortly after I left academia to take a scientist position with a nonprofit environmental organization, a colleague from the Environmental Protection Agency – a key…
Adaptations to an Older World Hinder Us From Saving This One
Awareness of the cognitive biases we all hold will help in the search for solutions to global environmental problems. Picture a New Yorker-style cartoon of…
Chicago Switches Its 400+ City Buildings to 100% Clean Power
Eight years ago, the City of Chicago vowed to eventually run all its operations on carbon-free power. Now, it has fulfilled that promise, thanks to…
Lithium: The White Gold of a Controversial Transition
Imagine a metal so light that it floats on water yet so powerful that it could fuel our society’s future. Once a relatively obscure element,…
Double Standard
Russia invades Ukraine, and the U.S. and the EU show solidarity and concrete help to the victims of the attack. Linear. Israel invades what remains…